Med cruising with the kids

[weblet]

I thought this was good, and just know you'll visit your local TA to book! ;)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12954640/

[Ned]

Originally posted by weblet@Jun 8 2006, 01:19 PM
I thought this was good, and just know you'll visit your local TA to book!* ;)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12954640/
28346

A cruise on the Med or a land trip in Europe for kids can be great, as long as it's carefully planned as a trip for the kids. There have to be enough things on the trip which are interesting for kids and you need to take the kid's endurance and needs in mind when making plans.

We took our kids to Europe twice among our many trips with them when they were kids. We also took them to Israel and Jordan when they got older. They enjoyed the trips, especially our stays in London, Petra (They're Indiana Jones movie fans.) and Jerusalem. These cities and Petra have memories for them which we talk about to this day.

[tdew]

Originally posted by Ned@Jun 8 2006, 02:10 PM
A cruise on the Med or a land trip in Europe for kids can be great, as long as it's carefully planned as a trip for the kids.* There have to be enough things on the trip which are interesting for kids and you need to take the kid's endurance and needs in mind when making plans.
28361


We took our kids a few times too and discovered that it's a different way to see the world.
People are friendly and the kids learn to appreciate that the world is bigger than just our own part of it.
When the last child one came along, we didn't let that stop us.
Still heard from time to time on current family trips is our youngest's expression when I was taking him back to the hotel in Paris so he could have a nap, while the rest went on to see other sights.
He was about 4 and knew he was too big for me to carry him.
I had gotten myself twisted coming out of the underground and would walk a little this way, then a little that way trying to get my bearings.
After a bit he asked
"If I lay down on the ground, will you just drag me?"
We ended up taking what turned out to be a very, very short cab ride...

[deangreenhoe]

Good article, Weblet.

I'm all for taking the kids just about anywhere. Too many families decide to wait until they are older and can "appreciate" the experience, but fail to take into account how busy an older child's (teen's) life can be and it often never happens. I think it would be more fun to wow them during the wonder years.

All it takes is a little creativity with an understanding of what is going to be entertaining for a youngster. I recently did an Italy FIT for a couple who took their 10 and 12 year olds along. We made sure to include a lot of activities that translate into kid fun, including the afore mentioned trip to Pompeii and Vesuvius, day trips on trains and the ferry over to Capri. The kids couldn't wait to finish lunch in town so they could ride the ferry back. As a surprise, we threw in a helicopter ride over the Bay of Naples.

Florence and Tuscany were made bearable for the kids by including horseback rides.

In Venice I booked them in a seaside resort on Lido Beach. Mom and Dad were wowed by the sites and museums they toured early in the day. All the kids could talk about when they got back were the other Italian kids they met on the beach in the afternoons while the folks were happily sipping grappa under an umbrella.

I sort of wanted to go myself. ;)

[deangreenhoe]

"If I lay down on the ground, will you just drag me?"


:lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm going to remember that line the next time I travel with an "uber-tourist."

[REDJIM]

Originally posted by tdew@Jun 8 2006, 02:56 PM
"If I lay down on the ground, will you just drag me?"
28366


Where's Art Linkletter when you really need him?

Priceless, tdew.

[travel]

Originally posted by tdew@Jun 8 2006, 02:56 PM

I had gotten myself twisted coming out of the underground and would walk a little this way, then a little that way trying to get my bearings.
After a bit he asked
"If I lay down on the ground, will you just drag me?"
We ended up taking what turned out to be a very, very short cab ride...
28366


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Funny, that's the same response I got from my friend Terri when I got turned around trying to get us back to our ship in Vienna, and she's almost 40. But in her defense, I have to say it was after a very long day of shopping.

[Ned]

Originally posted by REDJIM@Jun 8 2006, 05:51 PM
Where's Art Linkletter when you really need him?

Priceless, tdew.
28385

When I was 11 and my brother 7, my parents took us for a week's vacation in Puerto Rico. We were staying at the Caribe Hilton, one of the Island's best 2 hotels at the time. We were eating breakfast in our parents room each morning, and in the Caribe's main dining room or in their Rotisserie Room for dinner each night, because the food was very good and in the Rotisserie Room, great. Also it was easy going there and our parents could get my brother back to the room easily, with little hastle, for bed. Finally on the fifth night before he was to take a bath before dinner, upon hearing we were going to eat in the Caribe again for dinner, my brother pipes up, "Can't we ever go out to eat."

I'll never forget that line. We've all laughed about it many times since.