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Traveling with kids to Europe? Why including a cruise might be better than just staying on land
07.08.2024 - 13:54 / thepointsguy.com
You may associate the word "cruising" with short jaunts to the Bahamas or Mexico. On those cruises, a lot of the experience is about the onboard fun, and some passengers never even leave the boat.
But if those typical short cruises out of Florida aren't necessarily your kind of thing and you are planning a trip with kids, there's a very different type of experience available in Europe that is worth considering.
I've been traveling to Europe with kids from when they were crawling to now, with one on the cusp of high school. On those trips, we've stayed in traditional hotels, apartments and even in a dome above the Arctic Circle. While all of the trips were magical in their own ways, our most recent almost-two-week European trip included five nights on a cruise, and this may now be my favorite way to experience Europe with kids.
Here's why cruising to Europe with kids during your European vacation might be an even better trip than staying in hotels on dry land.
Related: Best European cruises: Ships that stand out across the pond
First and perhaps most importantly, booking traditional hotels might frustrate you quite quickly when you're in Europe with a family.
Most of the time, you'll find that standard hotel rooms have an occupancy limit of two people per room — three if you're really lucky. Outside of some airport hotels and pricier family-specific rooms, you'll almost never be able to sleep four to a room in Europe due to occupancy limits.
So, for example, if you have a family of four, you'll often have to book two rooms — and whether you're paying with cash or points, that adds up quickly. (You can inquire about family plan rooms where the second room is at a discount, but even that can be hit and miss.)
If you choose the apartment or home rental route, there are other issues to consider, such as evolving laws and sentiments related to using vacation rental companies such as Airbnb, which residents often feel contribute to local housing crises.
However, if you opt instead to sleep aboard a cruise ship in Europe, you can easily find rooms built for four or even five. For example, we recently sailed in Europe on Disney Dream and it has standard cabins bookable for up to five people.
Related: Beware occupancy limits: How to save money when booking hotels for a family trip to Europe and beyond
While eating and experiencing different kinds of cuisine is a big, fun part of exploring Europe for adults, that may not be the case for children. Not every kid is ready to scour a new menu, in potentially another language, for each and every meal.
When we travel, it can be tough to keep one of my kids fed since she struggles with eating unfamiliar food (though not for lack of trying). So, a cruise is a great
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