Have we made a BIG mistake booking this cruise with 2 dc's?

[snackattack]

In a moment of madness and frustration and too many holidays in boiling hot countries where we all moaned about the heat, I decided to book a cruise to Northern Europe - we are due to go in August 2009 on Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas going to places like Copenhagen, St Petersburg, Tallin and Oslo...etc. I am really interested to visit these countries and figured that my two dc's would be enjoying the whole cruise experience with kids clubs and activities on the ship and the odd day on land! Dh was also keen. Anyway, we're now having a total re-think and cold feet about the whole idea and seriously thinking of cancelling. We have two main concerns!

1. We've booked a cabin with a balcony - it has queen bed for us and a sofa bed for the kids. We don't have the dimensions of the sofa bed and really worried that they will be uncomfortable (they are 11 and 5). They tried to sleep on a double sofa bed in Cyprus last year and it was a disaster as it was just too small for them and we had to get a single bed put in the room. Obviously not an option in a cabin.

1. Are the kids going to HATE these places? It's not the Med or the Caribbean after all and i can't imagine them enjoying going on any excursions (we thought we'd just grab a cab to the nearest child-friendly thing in whatever location we were in)....BUT is this itinerary really kid -friendly and will they be the only kids on the ship?!

Can anyone comment on these concerns before we go ahead, lose our £400 deposit and re-book another beach holiday in Cyprus (yawn)

It sounds bloody great.
I used to live in Russia and St Pete is fabulous for starters.It will also be very light that far north so cabin won't be used much.

Why would they not like it or any excursions? They aren't tiny. Why pay all that money and go somewhere interesting if you want to just go to a 'child friendly' place (whatever that means).

1/ Ask the cruiseline for the dimensions before you panic and mark it out on the floor/a bed to check.
2/ Get some info from internet/library/tourist boards on the various destinations and ask the dcs what they would like to do
3/ They will love all the stuff to do on the ship - novelty/sheer size and great food choice.
hth!

Have you ever taken your children to cities sightseeing? My boys (9 and 11) would love those sorts of places and I would resent going to a 'child-friendly thing' instead.

I couldn't put my two in a sofa bed together though, even a big one. They would kill each other!

If you go on to www.cruisecritic.co.uk they have forums for all the different cruise lines. Bet you will find someone who has been on that cruise who will be able to advise you.

Thanks everyone. I will check out cruisecritic. I agree with you about the Child Friendly thing. I suppose what I meant was that rather than going on an organised tour (I personally don't like them), that I'd rather take them to visit a castle or wonder around a market etc - sorry for not being clear on that. I wasn't suggesting the Norwegian version of a soft play place!! Does anyone know anyone who has been on a Northern Europe cruise? Are there likely to be other kids? We are feeling more positive about it today as the sofa bed looks quite large and I think they'll cope. Just don't want to make an expensive mistake.

just surfing here but St Petersburg is a fabulous city as is Tallin. I lived in Helsinki for a few years and visited both. Tallin is a lovely place to walk around and they used to have horse drawn carriages taking you on tours that could be fun. Never did either with children but I am sure they would enjoy it.