Won't be needing my TMX for a little while as we're going on a cruise yay !!!

[Debbiebillg]

We do cruises fairly regularly and our travel agent we normally use rang us to offer us a too hot to miss deal on a 14 night cruise to NZ. So we've booked it and we're going on the 29th January !  Good thing about booking at the last minute is you don't have much of a countdown.  Just a couple of weeks to go and we're off. I think in 14 nights I may even forget how to cook and clean ! Our kids (6, 4 and 2) are all excited. So can't wait ! I may just miss the Thermomix just a wee bit.

[judydawn]

I'm so happy for you Debbie.  This was the cruise we were booked on in Dec '09 and which had to be cancelled due to my emergency op.  Know plenty of people who have done it and loved it so I'm sure you will too.  Cruising is the only way to go as far as we are concerned.  Have you done the one around Australia - that was our favourite of all time.

[Zan]

Oh Yah I love cruises but haven't been on one in years!
I don't think I'd miss my tmx I have to say (or the housework, or well much of anything) have a lovely holiday!
I've not been on a cruise since kids - how is it with little ones?

[Debbiebillg]

Ohh Judy, such a shame.  Thank you for your well wishes ! Are you planning on re-booking ? Hope you had travel insurance.

Zan, P & O never used to charge for infants up to 3 which was great but they couldn't go in the kids club unless accompanied.  Now they're charging the same as our 6yo but he still can't go in kids club without us. So this a bit of a bee in my bonnet. Our last cruise was April last year and honestly it was a little hard work.  I wasn't as keen this time but my husband wants to go and because there's 5 of us we usually go with my parents (we would anyway probably) and one of the kids gets booked in their cabin as you can only have 4 max in a cabin.

I think it's a very fine balance between making sure the kids get enough sleep, so not too many late nights and their behaviour is directly related to this otherwise they get quite niggly at meal times and with 3 it can get quite stressful if they're tired. The thing too is they can go in the kids club till 10, they put mattresses and blankets etc out and put movies on but my two were never asleep when we went to pick them up (maybe this time !). But if they go to bed too early then one of us has to stay with them (benefit of travelling with my parents to some extent).  Our first cruise with kids was the easiest.  My eldest was 18mths old and he'd sleep in the pram at night and we'd go all over the ship (shows, bars, etc etc).  Unfortunately can't do that now with 3.  We'll make the most of it though, even if sometimes we have to give them a sleep during the day to catch up. The bonus of course .............. no cooking or cleaning for two weeks and we get waited on hand and foot yay !!!!  Actually also, the staff absolutely loooooveeeee kids, many have left children with their families at home to work on the ship so they are attacted to kids.  So the staff are great with kids. 

[Zan]

So they don't do the listening out thing? I remember from one cruise (but pre kids so didn't pay much attention, lol) where you could book a listening service - so they'd check on them periodically rather than a specific babysitter.
Do P&O have a good kids club? ( a friend of mine used to work on the kids club on one of the US ships and it sounded great)
Mine just don't do late nights well. (though just found dd2 awake and reading at 10.40!!!! She didn't seem keen when I told her it was past wrap up time! so think she will be tired tomorrow, but she is the best of the three with missed sleep.
The four in a cabin would be a problem though as there are 5 of us. I guess it's the usual 2 bunks?

[johnro]

How wonderful for you and your family Debbie! We did the trans Atlantic cruise last year on Independence of the Seas from Sth Hampton to Florida - that was our first cruise but we are now hooked and I agree with Judy - the only way to go.  Enjoy being free of all the usual household chores!    

[Debbiebillg]

No Zan they don't do that anymore.  There is an extended service in kids club after 10 pm but you have to pay for it and I think it's quite expensive especially for 3.  You'd probably find like we did that it's just too uneconomical as you have to book 2 cabins and it works out way more expensive, hence why we go with my parents. So convince someone else to go with you ! Yes it's two sets of bunks.  Here's the thing though, our youngest will sleep in a port-a-cot provided by P & O and he'll be in our cabin anyway ! Otherwise when they're asleep it's two cabins to keep watch on.  The kids clubs are great there's 3 different age groups and they do heaps of activities.  My 6yo loves it, my almost 4yo wasn't so keen last time but he doesn't like the whole seperation thing, hopefully he'll be better this time and we have talked to him about it too and 2yo will be with us except for here and there we'll take him in. How old are your kids ?

[judydawn]

No. not booking any holidays at the moment.  It is usually DH we have to worry about when on holidays but this time it was me who threw a spanner in the works.  With DH having an existing illness (MS) no insurance company will ever cover him for anything to do with that so it is all a little risky anyway the longer he has it (been 25 years now) so it was lucky we cancelled because of me.  Even so, it took 6 months for the insurance company to finally decide my problem was not caused by an existing illness and to pay out their measly amount of around $1200 I think, the ship reimbursed us quite quickly with around 75% of what we had paid them.  As it turned out, that particular cruise was the worst cruise we could possibly have gone on as the ship was hit by hurricane winds and there were broken bones everywhere apparently - the insurance companies would have been bombarded with claims after that one. We have done heaps of cruises in the past 20 years - perfect for someone in a wheelchair  and a disabled cabin (they are huge but hard to get!) though at some ports DH could not get off but that doesn't worry him, he just likes the shipboard life anyway.  The last 2 we did with the Princess lines, there were very few children on board and as passengers, we also loved to see them during the day if they were out and about with their parents or the ship's carers as we missed our grand-children too.  Unlike children however, I could help DH to bed after the second dinner sitting and leave him alone whilst I wandered around the ship or met up with our dinner table friends for one of the concerts so it means I get to have more of a night time social life on board than I can at home. No holiday is without it's problems for us but once we are on board,  cruising seems to have less of them and the staff are really good with wheelchair bound people.

[Debbiebillg]

Judy, sounds like it was a really good thing you didn't go.  My husband is a carer for people with a disability so I have some idea where you're coming from, I bet you really miss your holidays, and I bet it's not easy for you so you'd need your holidays.

Sorry you asked me earlier if we'd been on the around Australia ones, no we haven't this is our first to NZ but the others have all been to the South Pacific and Fiji.  The small islands are great with the kids, no cars to worry about etc. To be honest the around Australia ones have never appealed to me, bit too hectic going to cities with littlies. I am a little nervous about NZ for some stops, but we can always head back to the ship if it's hard work. I'm hoping the two youngest will sit in a pram, which would make it easier.

[judydawn]

With the help of your parents (bless them) hopefully this trip will be one to remember.  There are many years ahead when you and DH can go cruising on your own - there seems to be no age limit, plenty of lively oldies on board but these days I've noticed there also seem to be a lot more in wheelchairs or pushing a walker  Just enjoy it and come back and let us know how it all went.

[Cornish Cream]

Have a wonderful holiday Debbie.I have a friend who is on a cruise at the moment but on the other side of the world.They have a special anniversary this year and decided to celebrate by sailing from Southampton through the Panama Canal around to Costa Rica.They return at the end of the month by air from somewhere in the US.

[Debbiebillg]

I will thank you Judy. My GF who also has a TMX said she's going to text me all the things she's made in the TMX while we're away to make me homesick, I said yep that's fine, I will text you all our wonderful breakfasts, lunches and dinners we have she said mmmmm maybe I won't then lol.

[Debbiebillg]

Thank you Johnro and CC, I'd like to go to others around the world but whilst we have to pay for 5 air fares, we may have to stick to local cruises, they sound so great though.  Maybe one day !

[Zan]

Debbie, mine are 9, 7 and nearly 4 so that little bit older and they would be easily left but yes we would have to have two cabins which would make it too expensive (well at the moment one would, pmsl!) And they still (esp 1 and 3) need to get to bed at a reasonable time or they are horrid the next day, and sitting around in a little cabin whilst they slept wouldn't be fun, lol. Maybe in a few years - could give them a mobile phone or walkie talkie and go out. Though I guess then they would have different bedtimes.

[cookie1]

Debbie enjoy your cruise. I'm sure you will-no housework for 2 weeks.
I'm not a cruise sort of person so will stick to the caravan. DH says he would want to fish over the edge.