Cruising for families is a great choice for a holiday. I love a good cruise and can not wait for Baby F to reach that six month milestone so we can take him along too. There is so much excitement about cruising because the moment you get on the boat you’re already on holiday. You can start taking advantage of the food and drink, find your cabin and get yourself sorted, rip open the welcome pack and start getting familiar with the layout of the ship. It’s probably best to avoid jumping in the pool until you’ve had the safety on board talk. Onboarding is usually a simple process and, in my experience, even when we have turned up early, we’ve been processed and got on pretty quickly.
Getting on board a cruise ship is great for families because you’re not often waiting around for ages and if there is a delay and you’re already on board it doesn’t stop you from using the facilities. You drop off your bags, head into the cruise terminal, wait for your letter or number to be called, get in line where there are usually only two or three families in front, check in, have your photo taken and wrist bands put on the kids before walking around through security and getting on board. The process takes around 30 minutes. That’s it. We’ve had it before where our check in time was 3.30pm but we turned up around 1pm in the afternoon. We were on board and in our balcony cabin by 2pm easily which gave us time to start navigating the ship. Having your baggage taken to your cabin is brilliant too because you don’t have to worry about lugging heavy suitcases around and can keep hands on children.
Main Course of Beef Wellington cooked Medium Rare
Cruising for families is fun because most ships go out of there way to make sure there is something on board to cater to everyone. These can include supervised kids clubs, childrens entertainment, family films, family splash pools and swimming pools. The food options are great too, and the ships I’ve been on have had a special children’s tea slightly earlier than the main buffet opens. I have found that in the sit down restaurants there isn’t usually a kid friendly option so the buffet style places to eat are great choices for families.
It really all comes down to choosing the right cruise length, ship and company when it comes to cruising for families. It’s so easy to compare cruise lines online and find a ship that would be perfect for your family depending on the facilities on board. If you have never cruised before then a mini cruise could be a great way to show you just how fun cruises can be and give you a taster of what cruising for families is really like. You can then gradually increase the amount of time you spend on a ship in future cruises to 5 or even 7 nights before seeing how you would fare on a longer 10 or 14 night cruise. We have done a mini cruise and a 7 night one which we absolutely loved and had a lot of fun with. When Baby F is here we will be looking at another shorter cruise so that we can see how we like cruising with a young baby. Generally, cruises will allow babies of six months on board but if the cruise has more than 3 days at sea or is transatlantic, for example, children need to be at least 12 months.
The Steamer Inn is situated on the Shanklin sea front and on our second night we had a lovely family meal there. It’s a really lovely pub and has a great menu. We went out for dinner here on our second evening, sitting inside the pub, before the England v Columbia football match so there was quite an atmosphere out on the veranda. It was a pub that came highly recommended when doing a quick Trip Advisor search and then having a browse of the menu. We saw that it was the sort of food we would really enjoy and had a walk down there from Landguard holiday park.
Walking down to the seafront is a good half an hour or so walk however it was a lovely warm evening and the sea breeze made it easier. It was also mostly down hill which meant I wasn’t struggling so much with the trek being 28 weeks pregnant. The walk along Shanklin sea front is really lovely and we got a chance to see what there was to do so that we could plan the next day down at the beach. Evie spotted the amusements and little fun fair as well as finding a soft play area that was actually open during our time on holiday so it was really useful to get our bearings. We did get a taxi back to the holiday park for £5 which was a pretty fair price for the distance.
The Steamer Inn is easy to find and has a lovely outside seating area which I imagine would be perfect in the evening with a Gin and Tonic however, I’m not really a fan of eating meals outside and happily the inside of the pub was nice and quiet with plenty of seating. This was relatively early at around 5pm though so I imagine this place gets really quite busy, especially during the summer holidays when there are more tourists around.
Food at The Steamer Inn
The food was really delicious and we all had a great meal here. The menu is extensive and features a lot of great flavours and options from starters and light bites to rich main meals. There is a great range of seafood available too including a pretty special Lobster seafood platter. The children’s menu had plenty of options too although Evie went for her standard chicken nuggets.
Adam loves getting a nice curry when we go out for a meal and I opted for a premium burger with red onion chutney and goats cheese. It was so delicious and really rich!
For pudding we shared an After Eight mint chocolate chip ice cream sundae which was delicious! It was a great size for us all to share as you can see!
The Steamer Inn is a lovely family friendly pub and a great place for a meal out when on holiday on the Isle of Wight. I would really recommend a visit to here if you’re in Shanklin or one of the sister pubs if you’re elsewhere on the Island. Later on in the week we headed into Ventnor and went to The Spyglass Inn for lunch. With it’s nautical theme you can tell they’re linked together and the food was just as tasty here. Again it’s located right on the sea front with a lovely big veranda and gorgeous views of the beach and sea.
There are so many beautiful destinations in the world and what better way than to visit somewhere exotic than on your honeymoon. I’ve never wanted a big wedding and if Adam and I ever do decide to get married it will likely be a quick registry office and minimal guests. I have no desire to have any reception or party because I’ve always believed that marriage is about the couple, not providing everyone else with a good time. I’ve been to some truly beautiful weddings where every guest was catered to and I just don’t know how people do it! I would much rather spend any money on an amazing honeymoon for us to escape normality and focus on what’s really important; our lives together and our little family.
This has often got me fantasising about the beautiful destinations we could explore together. One of those being the absolutely stunning Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The islands look so beautiful and the whole ideal of the Maldives makes me think of romance, luxury and relaxation. Destination2 Maldives Holidays showcase some truly beautiful parts of the islands and the exotic location is perfect for honeymooning couples. I love the idea of swimming in those beautiful waters and enjoying all that the Maldives have to offer honeymooners.
I am keen to visit the Caribbean at some point and St Lucia is another place I’d love to visit. The gorgeous sea and sands just make me think of a luxury couples holiday or honeymoon retreat and there are some truly stunning hotels to stay in too. I’d love to cruise around all of the islands if I could but St Lucia has been one of those destinations I’ve always wanted to visit and, to me, is the ideal place to visit in the Caribbean. I’d love a chance to zipline through the rainforest and see all those beautiful waterfalls.
Cancun is another place I would love to visit. I’ve heard so many amazing things about Mexico as a holiday destination and being home to the worlds second largest Barrier Reef it would provide so many things for us to see and do together, relaxation and trying something new.There are also things like whale shark encounters which is just a once in a lifetime opportunity and something I would really love to do. Not to mention seeing the Mayan temples and ruins which I imagine would just be absolutely breathtaking.
Lastly on my list of exotic honeymoon destinations is Bali, Indonesia which just seems like absolute paradise and a long haul flight that sounds so worth it. It has the perfect mix of tropical climate, relaxation and water sports so would be an ideal destination for many couples. I’d love to see the water temples and do one of the amazing sea walks. It sounds like the perfect place for adventure and so many beautiful things to see too. There’s also zoos and aquariums which just make me think it would be a lovely family holiday too if we wanted to take the kids!
One day I’ll get my exotic dream honeymoon but for now, at least, I can daydream. Did you have a long haul or exotic honeymoon? Where would you recommend?
Landguard Holiday Park is a Park Dean Resorts caravan park in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. Its next to a larger holiday park, Lower Hyde, and staying at one or the other enables you to use the facilities of both parks. This is the third time we have stayed with Park Dean Resorts after our trip to Mullion Holiday Park, Cornwall last year.
We first came to Landguard in October 2014 as our first holiday as a family of three and thought it would only be appropriate to have our last holiday as a family of three here now I am pregnant. Shanklin itself is a beautiful town and one I can’t wait to bring my baby boy to in the future.
Getting To Landguard Holiday Park
We arrived by public transport and the Wightlink FastCat Ferry service which was very simple. I believe booking a holiday on the Isle of Wight through park dean resorts can also get you free ferry returns for a car but not for foot passengers. If you are going by train and on foot like us, I would recommend purchasing your tickets straight through to your destination as this then includes FastCat ferry from Portsmouth Harbour. We booked our tickets a month in advance using a family and friends railcard which cost us £108 for a return including our ferry crossing. This was from our home all the way down to Shanklin rail station which is an absolute bargain.
From Shanklin rail station you can cross over the road to the map and then down the stairs on the right. This will bring you in front of Lower Hyde park. To continue on to Landguard holiday park keep walking right and across the zebra crossing outside Lidl. There is a public footpath and bridle way just next to turning to Lidl and you can walk down here to access the holiday parks. It’s approximately twenty minutes walk from the station to Landguard holiday park reception which isn’t far but when the path is not really suitable for wheelchairs or prams. Sometimes there are taxis outside the train station or you can book one. A taxi ride from Shanklin sea front to Landguard is around £5 so I imagine from the train station to Landguard holiday park the taxi fare is around the same price.
Check In at Landguard holiday park
Check in is from 4pm however you can arrive early and start using the facilities. You can leave a mobile number with reception who can give you a call if your caravan is ready early. We arrived around 3.30pm and we were able to collect our caravan keys straight away which was great. There are car parks available to use close to the park entrance and further on in for some of the other holiday homes as well as near the lodges. There is a pitching and touring area too and a separate drive and reception just to the left of the main holiday park entrance.
Check in at Landguard holiday park was straightforward and we were given a pack of information, a map to our caravan and a key. We also arrived in the heatwave of early July 2018 and we were able to hire a fan for a £10 deposit. This was brought over to us around an hour after checking in however we did find keeping the doors and windows open helped cool the caravan down really quickly. The staff at reception are friendly and really helpful.
Our Hazel Caravan at Landguard Holiday Park – new for 2018
We like having a little extra space in a caravan and often paying a bit extra can really make a huge difference. We paid around £250 for our four night break in a Hazel Caravan at Landguard which is brand new for 2018. We were all really impressed with the comfort, stylish and spacious caravan which included all the things you would need for a family break. I’ve written a more in depth post about our caravan and included a video tour in another post.
Food and Drink
As we were only having four nights at Landguard holiday park we decided to not to a big food shop and instead got a few snacks and basic essentials for the caravan. I was trying to look for the menu online but struggled to find it so took a few photos to help others. I like to know the cost of the food on site and the type of food offered. The menu is, of course, likely to change but as of summer 2018 this is the menu on site at Landguard holiday park.
The first night after a long day of travel we went to the Boathouse restaurant on site. Sadly, the meal was really disappointing for the £40 we paid. We ordered a sharing platter as a starter however this ended up coming with our main meals which was fine as we were looking happy to share anyway. However, this resulted in my main meal being missed. The food wasn’t very appetising and really put us off eating there for the rest of the break.
We did, however, try again on the Wednesday night as there was a curry night option. This was a curry and a Cobra beer or soft drink for £10.95. Again, for the quality of the food, it wasn’t perfect but it was better. We both had a beef madras curry and Evie had a chicken mayo wrap for £2.95.
Landguard Holiday Park Entertainment
I love holiday park entertainment and I was so impressed with the availability of entertainment for children and adults. On the first night we walked up to Lower Hyde for the evening and just stayed for the children’s part of the entertainment before walking over to Lidl for some snacks and then heading back to our caravan.
On the second night we headed into Shanklin for dinner and then got a taxi back to Lower Hyde for the evening entertainment only to be told that it had been replaced by the football as England were playing. Now, I don’t really mind that it was changed but I wish we had been told before hand as we probably would have stayed down at the seafront. The park troupers children entertainers were offering to take the kids out to the multi sports court for a game whilst parents watched the foodtball however with Evie being under 8 one of us would have had to go and watch. Evie didn’t want to play so we ended up spending a bit of time in the arcade before heading back down the hill to Landguard holiday park.
We then went to the entertainment lounge to watch the football whilst Evie joined in with the arts and crafts going on and played in the park as we could see her easily from our table. I usually can’t stand football and this is the second time I’ve been Pregnant during a World Cup. Adam isn’t a supporter either (thankfully!!) but we both got caught up in the atmosphere during a really tense game between England and Columbia. I even found myself spontaneously cheering along.
After the match we stayed on to play the Retro Game Show in which we won first prize. However, being pregnant I exchanged my bottle of bubbly for another prize and Evie got a signed certificate from her favourite bunny from the starland krew Sparkle.
For the third night we stayed at Landguard holiday park for evening entertainment where Evie played some games with Pipsqueak the mouse before heading outside to the park again with some friends. We took part in the TOP 5 quiz game and again won first place with 65 points. It was good fun and we walked away with some headphones. We then stayed on for a bit of a sing along before walking back to the caravan and getting to bed.
For our last night we decided to stay put at Landguard holiday park again for the evening. This time the Park Live event was from sleight of hand comedy magician Mark James and he was really great. It was nice to see something a bit different on our last evening and he gave us all a great laugh. I love seeing comedy shows when I’m on holiday, they’re great entertainment and offer something completely different than the usual singing and dancing. It was a great atmosphere in the room with everyone laughing along.
Landguard Holiday Park Facilities
Landguard holiday park is quite small however being able to use the facilities of both parks at no extra cost gives you a lot of choice. We mostly used what was on offer at Landguard because the walk up hill to lower Hyde was a bit much for my seven month pregnant self to handle every night. There is an inside and outside swimming pool, on site shop, laundrette, restaurant, show lounge and two play parks for children. It’s around a 30 minute walk down to the seafront or £5 by taxi where you’ll find plenty of things to do in Shanklin.
One of the Pools at Lower Hyde holiday park that guests at Landguard can use
Overall we have really enjoyed our week away and have come home feeling refreshed. A week away was just what we all needed to recharge and spend some quality time together as a family. Hopefully over the summer holidays we can get out for a few days but this has been a great break away as our last holiday as a family of three.
Here’s a little holiday vlog of our week on the Isle of Wight and staying at Landguard Holiday Park in Shanklin
We are very excited to be off on a Caravan Holiday to the Isle of Wight however neither Adam or I can drive so when it comes to travel we have to navigate public transport. It can be really tough when you’re having a staycation and trying not to pack the absolute world, especially with children. We love caravan holidays because they provide a good base for us to explore, are usually pretty affordable and holiday parks usually have great facilities to enjoy. This is the second time we’ve had a caravan holiday at Landguard in Shanklin so we know what to expect of the park which makes packing quite a bit easier. However, as you can do when you have a car, we can’t be taking loads of things with us and nor can we do a massive food shop and drive it over to the caravan when we get there which means we have to be pretty savvy when it comes to packing. This year our plan is to take one medium wheelie suitcase, our Cabin Zero hand luggage bag and a backpack. Evie will also have a bag to carry herself. We’ve been doing caravan holidays for ages now but I would love to try a luxury lodge as recommended by Wandermust Family.
Our caravan includes bed linen, duvets and pillows which is perfect as we don’t need to worry about taking those with us however we still need to take towels which I find take up the most amount of space. I try and get those into the case first, laying ours at the bottom and rolling Evie’s towel up as it’s much smaller and thinner. However, caravan holidays don’t come with everything you need. We’ve gone with a slightly more luxury grade caravan for our break which does include more space and a few more things that we wouldn’t need to worry about bringing with us which is great.
Wear Your Heaviest Clothes
I think this is a given no matter where you’re going just to save on space and if you’re flying somewhere, luggage allowance. Wear your heaviest items the day you travel and dress in layers. The annoying thing about public transport is of course having to get on and off so you don’t want so many layers that it gets annoying but enough so that it’s not taking up precious room in your case. I try to them make the rest of our clothes fit as snuggly as possible. Evie and I wear quite thin tops and dresses which are easier to fold and roll but Adam’s t-shirts are a little less flexible and heavier. This time we’re only going for four nights so thankfully don’t need as many outfits, and, we aren’t going anywhere that requires having to dress up which is nice. When it comes to shoes, I usually wear trainers to travel in and pack a pair of flat shoes or flip flops as a spare. I do the same for Evie, getting her to wear heavier shoes and packing her sandals. Adam only has his trainers so we’ve saved a bit of space there as his feet are huge!
Think of the Essentials
For a caravan holiday we then need to consider what we need to bring to the caravan that isn’t provided like washing up liquid, a tea towel, extra toilet paper and a bin bag. For four nights I know we won’t use much of this and we are planning on eating out for dinner each night however, the washing up liquid will be needed for mugs and breakfast things, an extra bin bag is handy and no one should ever run out of toilet paper, especially not on a caravan holiday! You just don’t need that stress! Plus I’m pregnant, I wee about fifty times a day now. It’s needed. Toiletries and hand soap are also needed although I think these can easily be condensed down into smaller bottles. Anti bacterial wipes are also a great thing to pack to give everything a wipe down. An essential for me is absolutely bringing a couple of my favourite tea bags and coffee. I have a small tin that I fill with tea bags and 3 in 1 coffee sachets. I’m not fussed about sugar in tea and a pint of milk is something on our list to buy once we get to the caravan holiday park but having a nice hot cup of coffee after travelling and whilst unpacking everything will be just lovely. Something you might want to consider is a tire pressure monitoring system when travelling by car or if you have a towing caravan.
Consider Pregnancy
We will be away when I’m 28 weeks pregnant and where, hopefully, I can still be relatively comfortable however there are a few things I am considering bringing with me before we go to make sleeping more comfortable. A pregnancy pillow will be really handy as will a small fan to keep me cool, however, again not being driving these are both really bulky things that probably won’t fit in our luggage. I think because of this Adam is going to be sleeping on the sofa bed so we both have a bit more space at night and I am going to get some cooling face spray. Everything else will be as normal, however, it would be a good idea to decide what you want to do and where you want to go before travelling and get an idea of distances, especially if you find walking long distance to be a bit tough. Also, I’ll be taking my maternity notes as a precaution.
Packing for Children
One good thing about a caravan holiday is that you usually have a lot to see and do on site however Evie does sometimes get up quite early when we are away and can get bored whilst waiting to head out. Evie likes to bring her own bag and suitcase and over the years has actually got better at carrying it. This time we’ve said it might be easier if she just takes the one bag or suitcase as we’re only going for four nights and won’t need much. The travelling isn’t as far either with our longest train journey being an hour and a half so not much entertainment equipment is needed. However, I know she’ll want a few things to do in the caravan or if the weather takes a wet turn so we usually pack her tablet and charger, paper, pencil case and a couple of books. Sometimes I get her a small new Lego kit too which I usually let her open when we get to the caravan as it’s a nice new treat for her and keeps her happy whilst we unpack. However, depending on where we are in the park and if it’s still dry when we arrive, hopefully she can have a little play to burn off some of that energy before we eat.
If, like me, you thought you wanted to give your seven year old child a bit of independence and let her pack her own bags…always check them before trusting them. I found Evie had packed 2 pairs of knickers, seven dresses, a bikini, a rubber ring and sunglasses. I swapped a few things around and may have added some extras…
Eat Before You Travel
When it comes to using public transport as a method of getting to your holiday destination you really want to try and eat something hearty before you go. We aren’t leaving until after lunch which means we can have a nice big brunch before getting on our first train and means we will only need a few snacks to keep Evie (mainly) occupied and less grouchy. With a caravan holiday being self catering we know we will have to head to the shops, there’s a Lidl just around the corner from our park, before we can get a good meal though so having had something to keep us going through the travel will be key to surviving. Also, if you have something a bit big before you go, should you encounter any delays, it won’t be as hard on a full stomach.
