Putting together family vacations can be a challenging task, especially when you’re trying to please the in-laws.
Though my husband and I have taken short weekend trips and other vacations with my in-laws, cruising is our favorite way to travel as a family.
Over the past few years, we’ve sailed on four ships together with Princess, Celebrity, and Holland America Line.
In my opinion, cruises are a versatile and easy vacation, as everything is prepared and ready for you, whether you want to relax or find adventure.
On a cruise, it feels easier to please everyone
When we go on cruises, we book separate staterooms, so there are no worries about privacy and awkward late-night trips to a shared bathroom.
Plus, with the varying cabin classes, each couple can choose a room that best meets their needs and fits their budget.
Cruises are also pretty great at pleasing everyone when it comes to food. We don’t need to spend precious time on our vacation trying to find nearby restaurants with dishes that appeal to the whole family for every meal.
Most ships offer such a wide array of dining options, ranging from formal specialty restaurants and late-night food stands to relaxed buffets with extensive menus and convenient poolside grills.
We get to share many meals together while all filling our plates with what we desire. Plus, no one has to do the dishes.
It’s also easy to spend time altogether or split into smaller groups
Cruises also tend to offer such a wide range of activities and amenities that we can do all together or in smaller groups.
While onboard we often partake in many together but also agree to enjoy time alone.
For example, I can gamble in the casino while my husband enjoys a Broadway-style show with his parents. My father-in-law is not keen on swimming, so my mother-in-law gets pool time with her son.
No matter what, we always make sure to watch beautiful sunsets from the ship altogether as a family.
When it comes to port days, planning is easy — and we’re also able to fill our schedule with solo time and group activities.
Working from the cruise’s predetermined list of ports and possible excursions makes it a little easier to narrow down our options. From there, I ask my husband and in-laws about what each of them is most looking forward to doing on the upcoming cruise. Then I ask myself the same question and slot in activities for each day.
Sometimes, we book private excursions for the whole family, like when a driver took us on a fabulous wine-tasting tour in Marlborough, New Zealand.
Other times, we simply explore on foot or split a rental car to see sights further from our port, like a recent trip to see Mayan ruins in Belize.
Occasionally, there are sights that are so important for me that I am willing to split up from the group if our interests conflict. My in-laws are also happy to explore on their own when my husband and I plan a more physically demanding activity.
For instance, when we stopped in the Shetland Islands, I wanted to hike to a lighthouse famed for having a large colony of puffins nearby. But the craggy cliffs of Scotland were too strenuous for my in-laws, who enjoyed a day of shopping in the town of Lerwick.
In Australia, my husband spent the day with his mother taking ferries across the harbor, and walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I’m not a fan of heights, so I spent the day exploring historic pubs with my father-in-law.
Whether we stay together or split up for the day, we always have entertaining stories to share at dinner together.
Ultimately, cruising provides our family with a quality vacation
All in all, the four of us have made many great memories at sea and in ports of call across nearly a dozen countries.
Cruising with my in-laws means we get to venture around the world together, sharing special moments, whether we’re going whiskey tasting in Ireland, taking cooking classes in Mexico, or just having dinner on the ship.
Even though we’re oceans apart at times, these trips always bring us together.
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