All aboard for a flawless break

FOR crime writer Kathryn Fox, a cruise ship provides for a great plot. It's also the perfect base for a family-friendly holiday

kathryn fox

I'M NOT exactly known for my ability to chill or sit still, so the last thing on my bucket list was a cruise.

That changed when three generations of our family had a chance to spend two weeks together. The oldest have limited mobility, the middle generation have minimal energy reserves come holiday time, and the youngest ones have excess fuel to burn.

A bit of research revealed that cruises cater for everyone from those who go full speed to engage in every possible activity, to those who refuse to budge, preferring to do as little as humanly possible, and everyone in between. It sounded perfect. Those who want to stay on the ship can, while the others explore ports and places they otherwise may never get to visit.

A Mediterranean cruise was our first and included Sardinia, Palermo, which none of us had seen before. Our second left from Dover and travelled to Scandinavian capitals and St Petersburg. It would not have been possible for us to visit all of those places via land together, in such a short time.

I love the convenience of arriving in new cities without having to change hotel rooms. On a cruise, the hotel travels with you. Over two weeks, that's one-fourteenth the time spent packing and unpacking. Some of us could relax a little more without double-checking under beds each day for items that may get left behind.

I couldn't imagine how stress-free travelling while you sleep could be. Waking up and looking out the window to a new place is priceless.

None of us will forget the sunrise over Mt Vesuvius as we arrived in Naples, or the majesty of the Scandinavian fjords from the unique perspective of a ship's upper deck.

Organised shore excursions can be frustrating if you want to avoid tourist traps. Why some people leave their common sense and courtesy at home remains a mystery. It's no surprise that most complaints about shore excursions are about other passengers' behaviour. Then again, obnoxious people can appear on any holiday. Thankfully, we chose excursions for uniqueness. Instead of visiting Pompeii from Naples, we elected to visit the lesser-known Herculaneum. Our tour group was small and we had a memorable day.

There is usually the option to explore on your own, and if there are several people in your group, a private tour guide may work out cheaper than cruise-line tours. It's also far more flexible. The only place this wasn't possible was in St Petersburg. You need a visa if you aren't with an approved tour group.

One of the things we've learnt is that it's easy to over-schedule holidays, trying to make the most of every destination. Kids and adults can all struggle with a frenetic travellers' pace. Days at sea are perfect for enforced breaks from early rising and port excursions. With the ship like a floating city, there's plenty for everyone to enjoy.

Different cruise lines attract passengers seeking different experiences. We like to sleep and make the most of ports so, for us, Disney ships were ideal. We met many childless couples who chose that line because of its family-friendly policies and absence of casinos on board.

Finally, families with fussy eaters need not worry. The adventurous can try local produce even if electing to stay onboard for meals. Some of us enjoyed elk in Finland, although mistaking Finnish tar schnapps for drain cleaner is a mistake anyone could make.

Sadly, one member of our family maintained a steady diet of cheeseburgers on each cruise, but at least had an appreciation of subtle differences in preparation between countries.

Food allergies and intolerances are also accommodated.

If we ever holiday again with multiple generations of friends and family, with vastly different tastes and dislikes, we'll definitely consider another cruise.

Kathryn Fox is touring Australia as part of the monthly Get Reading! campaign.