- I recently took my first cruise with my parents, sister and grandmother.
- I had never been on a cruise before and was surprised that there were things for all of us.
- We all had a great time and I will cherish the memories we made together.
Until last month, I had never been on a cruise. Neither do my parents or my sister, but my grandmother – my grandmother – often travels on a cruise ship, so we decided to join her. on a cruise.
We opted for a trip to the Norwegian fjords, which we all wanted to see, and traveled aboard the 5,206 passenger Iona, the UK’s largest cruise ship until 2022 .
It was the first time we all went on vacation as a family of five. My 16-year-old sister, 25-year-old me, my parents – both 50 years old – and my 72-year-old grandmother – were there.
Adam England loved traveling with his whole family. Courtesy of Adam England
The environment required some adjustments
The cruise took us a few days to get used to. The idea of being at sea seemed almost claustrophobic compared to the pedestrian-friendly city vacations I’m used to, and my grandmother didn’t adjust to the large number of children (and noise) on board at the beginning, because she is used to take cruises when the children are at school.
But little by little we found a rhythm. My family wakes up early, but I don’t usually eat breakfast, so I would wake up with them, have coffee in bed, then head to the gym while they went to get food. If we were spending a day in port, we would enjoy a few hours of exploring, probably over coffee or lunch, before returning to the ship for the rest of the day.
There were lots of places On the boat where I could also spend some time alone. There was an adults-only area on one of the upper decks, so since we were lucky enough to have surprisingly good weather, I went up there, ordered a beer or cocktail, and read my book in the sun. I also enjoyed spending time in one of the quieter bars on the ship. I bought the WiFi plan largely so I could stay in touch with my girlfriend and keep an eye on my emails, but it also allowed me to waste time scrolling through social media or checking the football news.
Adam England and his family enjoyed the scenery during the cruise. Courtesy of Adam England
It was nice to spend more time with my family
I was a little nervous about spending so much time with my family. Apart from a short trip to Madrid with my father Last year was the first trip I took with my parents and sister in two years, and the first with my grandmother since 2015.
It hasn’t always been easy going without the space I’m used to – and spending more time than usual without seeing my girlfriend – but the trade-off of seeing more of my family was worth it. penalty. The trip was only a week long and it was nice to spend time with both my parents, as well as my sister who, at 16, is getting older and planning to go to college. I liked spending more time with my grandmotherespecially now that she is 70 years old and still in good health.
Now that we’re back, I miss the trip. Although there are aspects of a cruise that I don’t necessarily like — the bars and restaurants can start to feel a bit samey after a while, for example – there’s a lot I enjoyed about it.
The places we visited were also unforgettable. Whether it was taking the Skylift in the village of Loen, admiring the picturesque surroundings, or visiting the coolest cafe in Stavanger, one of Norway’s largest cities, there were some great destinations that I probably would never have visited if we hadn’t decided to go on a cruise. .
I have always associated cruises with retired couples and families with young children, but I found plenty to do as a twenty-something, not least because I wanted a relaxing vacation. And being able to spend time with my family made it even more memorable.
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