To ask which holiday would you prefer?

[Hmmmm88]

Me and DH have saved up for a long long time for a fantastic holiday for next year.

DH has 2 wonderful son's who will be at the time we go on holiday 16 & almost 18.

We decided to have a special holiday because they are getting older and aren't as keen on holiday's as they were when they were younger.

We usually get ferry to France with motorhome and stay at very good sites with big pools flumes ect but last year they were a bit bored spent alot of the time shading under towels to see their phone screens

So what I'd like to do is a cruise on a royal Caribbean ship the specific one goes to numerous places in Italy Spain and France so we'd get to see a lot do a lot of exploring and the ships are incredible with so much to do for example surf machine football pitches swimming pools zip lining ice skating bumper cars cinema rock climbing ect ect plus you wake up in a different place everyday. It is very expensive £9,000

DH wants to go to a balearic island for 2 weeks which is hotel & swimming pool for 4 of us 14 nights between £6,500 & £8,000.

The thought of spending 2 weeks sat round a pool is my worst nightmare i like to see things and do things and i find all inclusive to structured eating sleeping sitting round a pool and i think DSS's will be bored.

It is a big decision because it's a one off and like i say we have saved a very long time. The boys like the sound of the cruise but DH just doesn't. We have to go during school holidays because next year youngest has GCSE's and eldest is in college so will also be doing exams.

So YABU = husband's holiday
YANBU = cruise

Can i also add me and eldest hate flying (the cruise is from UK)

With that sort of money, how about planning a 'Grand Tour'? Ferry/Channel Tunnel, then trains to spend a few days in different places? Make the travelling part of the holiday, rather than the beginning and end? Maybe even travel by boat between some locations?

You'd be able to book better hotels, have meals that you want - none of that all inclusive salmonella - almost like a backpacking holiday without the shitty hostels, risk of thefts and suchlike. Because it's similar (but not identical) to the sort of travelling students tend to do, your DS might come to the conclusion that the difference in time between a flight and a train journey makes a flight worth the stress next time - or that this is the way he wants to travel instead in the future - and encourages them to perhaps be more adventurous as they get older, rather than sulking under towels.

They all sound like my idea of hell but the cruise sounds most interesting. Why not pack off your DH to a resort and travel around Europe yourselves?

I don't think there is really a right or wrong
If it's potentially a last big family holiday I would go with what the DC want
Having said that I think if someone really didn't want to go on a cruise that should be respected
I would not cruise (or go AI ) for environmental reasons

Neither appeal to me, tbh. Cruises are dreadful environmentally and I would hate the 'being trapped with a load of other people' aspect. And I feel like you about all-inclusive.

I would go for cruise. Not all ships are 5K . Stuff to do for the boys, your DH can basically have all inclusive and sit round a pool all day, you can explore. In my limited experience ships mostly dont feel crowded. There is almost always quiet space to escape to.

I have kids the same age and understand where you are coming from. I like to have two centre holidays now, generally self catering in villa for a week and hotel somewhere else for next week. Some other ideas if you can't compromise:-

1. Greek island hopping?
2. Croatia- fly into Dubrovnik have a couple of days there, sail across to Korcula for 10 night stay, ferry across to split, couple of days. Fly home from there. You could also half and half Korcula and Hvar.
3. Week in Kalkan in Turkey followed by a week's gulet cruise.
4. You have enough on your budget for an Orlando holiday. They won't be bored there!

We have cruised a couple of times and generally we've found it not quite as good as we were expecting in terms of seeing places with the time constraints and the hoards of people on board. Having said that it is really exciting and you're not going to know if crusing is for you until you try it.

I’d point blank refuse the cruise and the Balearics holiday.

I have kids that age. They loved Las Vegas and the canyons. Loved the Mexican riviera - great beaches, ruins, cenotes, diving, adventure parks. Loved the tour of Italy where we visited Rome, Tuscany and Venice.

Basically they love anything where it’s both hot enough to swim and there’s also lots to see and do.

We did a cruise with Royal Caribbean when my son was 15 & he loved it! There is a teen zone & he made lots of friends there & TBH he was having such a good time on board, that he didn't bother getting off at a couple of ports.

Can you do a shorter cruise, and a week in the sun?

My boys loved them when they were teens too. My whole family loved doing as little or as much as we liked on and off the ship . We particularly enjoyed the ice skating and ice shows and my DS’s and I did a watercolour art course that was held on each day at sea last year which we all really enjoyed. One of out favourite things is opening up the balcony divider between our two cabins and the whole family enjoying a cocktail or mocktail as the ship leaves the ports. Naples, Valleta and Kotor are some of our favourite and most beautiful European ports .
I absolutely love all the sightseeing and how it’s such as a contrast to the days at sea.
The sunsets are incredible as is watching the dolphins and whales in the sea as you cruise along.

There’s a programme in channel 5 now-would put me off a cruise I think. The pool looks rammed.

Or maybe this....

www.neilson.co.uk/beach/croatia/alana-beachclub

Short video also in the link

(No connection to the company btw)

Neither would appeal to me (now or as a teenager). A cruise is my idea of hell.

What about somewhere like New York? Orlando? California? Loads to do there for teenage boys and for you and your husband too.

Or if the flight time is an issue, a tour of some European cities. Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Florence/Rome, Lisbon. There's so much to see and do there.

@Hmmmm88

I just want to wish your DSS good luck and success with his course.
Well done for arranging it for him!

And what about you? Is it fear of flying or that you just hate the mode of travel and associated procedures? If it is fear, maybe you can also do a similar course or the excellent one by BA mentioned by a pp.

I hope that you and your family have a well-earned wonderful holiday wherever that will be.

And if your fears can be overcome, Sani Resort in Greece is fabulous for everyone. Flight to Thessaloniki is about three and a half hours if I correctly remember.

Frankly neither sound that great for teenagers/young adults.

The balearic Island is probably the worst though because taking 2 teenagers away from their friends/videogames for 2 weeks is just asking for two grumpy boys sulking for most of the trip. 2 weeks in the same spot wouldn't even appeal to me and I travel quite a lot and I am easily entertained and not that much older than the older boy.

The idea of spending 9K for a cruise to France, Spain and Italy, boggles the mind too. At 18 the idea of being stuck on a boat to go to France (I am french so that one doesn't count I suppose), Spain or Italy with probably only one day at each port would also have not been my idea of fun when there are short flights available (I know older DSS doesn't like to fly but it's what? A 2 hours flights to all of those?), a week in say Barcelona like you suggested where there is enough stuff to do as a family but also as young adult/teenagers and with a nightlife would have suited me much better.

I also think I wouldn't have wanted my parents to spend 10K on a holiday, not sure how a european cruise can cost so much tbh, I am going on a Cruise at the end of the year to the Carribean, we are doing 5 countries and the total come to less $372 per person.

I think since you want the holiday to be enjoyable for your teens you need to ask the teens what they want. You obviously have a 10K budget so I would let them decide amongst them what their favourite holiday would be and go with that.

Tbf, I do think Barcelona is probably your better option if not.

@lippy1234 it sounds amazing 😍

@WalkinginTheAir13 thank you. It's not so much fear for me it's the worry over DSS getting so worked up. His course is booked for end of may so hopefully we will have more booking options after that. My DH brother lives in Ireland so we've said we'll go on a flight there after course and just see how he is.

@Linning the cruise is with a big company and is during the school holidays so yes it's very expensive.

You actually get 3 days in Italy at different locations. The cruise also goes to Ibiza Barcelona and Mallorca. This is why it sounded so good because there is something for everyone. Both boys have said they would really enjoy the cruise because of the entertainment on board and the excursions we can do for example Barcelona football stadium, and they want to go to Rome. It just seems a convenient way for them to see stuff they want to see and having plenty of entertainment on the ship that we can enjoy as a family.

What BritWife said x1000!

I personally think cruises are hideous.
Yes they promote lots of fun stuff but 5000 people trying to participate is hell.
And docking then trying to make your way around the place before it's time to move on again.
Everything that Britwife said.