Cruise holidays offer a fun-filled family experience for kids and parents alike. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about cruising, with many people, mistakenly, believing that it’s not for them.

To smash through these fallacies, here’s a list of five reasons why cruise holidays are a fantastic option for families with children.

Why do families go on cruises?

1. Parents get a break too

Any parents of small children will know that you don’t really get to read books by the pool once your little ones arrive in to the world. Between endless demands for ice cream and shouts of “Watch me, Mummy”, there’s always a niggling doubt that should you close your eyes for more than half a second, your kids will pull off their arm bands and jump in the deep end or wander off into the sunset, never to be seen again.

Here’s where cruise holidays beat hotel holidays hands down. One of the very best things about cruise holidays is that the on-board kids’ clubs are the best in the world. A team of dedicated and professional childcare staff will look after your children from right after breakfast until around 10 pm. For free. They’ll keep them entertained with so many games, activities, competitions, movies and video games that your children will be begging to go to the kids’ club again and again. Leaving you to sunbathe with your eyes closed, read a book, enjoy a romantic dinner or head to the casino. Because mums and dads need a holiday too.

2. No flights are needed

There are lots of cruise ships which depart from Southampton, making cruising a really convenient way to travel. Park your car at the port and a member of staff will take your suitcases out of your car for you. The next time you’ll see them will be in your room. Cruise terminal security is a breeze compared to any airport, so you can walk on to the ship and start your holiday immediately. If you’ve ever done a long flight with a baby or toddler on your nap, you’ll easily be able to see why this is appealing!

3. No luggage limits

One of the great things about cruising from the UK is that there are no luggage limits. Want to take a big box of nappies, 25 pairs of shoes and the kitchen sink? No problem! Some cruise lines, like P&O Cruises, will even let you stick a litre of wine or spirits in your suitcase to enjoy on your balcony. If you prefer to pack light, you’ll find complimentary laundry facilities on-board, should you need to wash anything.

4. The food is amazing

Cruise ship food is always good. You’ll have a choice of the main dining room, huge buffet and snack bars. As if all that free food wasn’t enough, speciality restaurants are also available for a small supplement. Fussy eaters are well catered for on cruise ships too, with staff going out of their way to create off-the-menu dishes on request. Pizza lovers will love the pizza on Princess Cruises, which is hailed as the best pizza at sea. The poolside pizzeria has it fresh out of the oven every few minutes and the freshly squeezed lemonade is to die for too.

5. Accommodation to suit every budget

Families on a budget can enjoy great value cruise holidays by taking advantage of inside cabins which don’t have any windows. Most people, however, opt for a balcony cabin so they can enjoy the wonderful ocean views. Should you really want to push the boat out, Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate Family Suite is two storey apartment featuring an air hockey table, a hot tub on your balcony and even a slide to get from upstairs to downstairs.

Whether you want a great value getaway or something spectacular, there’s a cruise for everyone!