20 Hour Ferry Trip with 2 kids?

[WashwithCare]

We're thinking of a 3 week or month long holiday in Europe this summer. We usually fly and hire cars and cottages, but with such a long trip, am kind of tempted to take our own car, and poss pack a tent.

We're in Edinburgh, so the only practical option is the 20 hr Rosyth to Zeebruge ferry. My only other cross channel exp is Dover to Calais when I was a gal and hoverspeed ruled the world....

Am I mad to consider a 20 hour ferry crossing with a preschooler and a little baby? We can book an outside cabin - but will it be hell anyway? Is there anything to do on these ships. The website just tells you the price, but says very little about anything else.

Grateful for advice...

Bump.

We do the Plymouth - Santander 20 hour crossing and have done it about 3 times now with our DS. First time he was 10 weeks so didn't even register anything, the second and third were fine, he was 11 months when we went last (and 1 when we came back as we spent his birthday in Spain!) We always have an outside cabin but I get seasick so wouldn't choose any other. (The first time we even upgraded to a commodore class cabin - oooh!) There is not a huge amount to do onboard but for bigger kids there is face painting etc, even a swimming pool (tiny) and a childrens play area. Our DS is happy just wandering around corridors and seeing new things at the moment thankfully. We book a cabin with a tv too so if our DS gets a bit restless or wants a sleep we aren't too bored in the cabin as they are very small. The only thing I hate is having to sleep in a bed with DS as we never get a travel cot and he can't sleep in a bed on his own really. DP on the other hand sleeps the best he ever sleeps on the ferry for some reason!

Hope that helps!

OMG you are so brave... am a complete wuss and will only fly if going any further south than B'ham! Well done....

Oh no - we have DVD player too... but am so adverse to driving with DD that on a hol to Torridon got the train to Inverness with DD and got DH to drive and meet us there lol

Feel suitably humble now

Thanks for the advice!

My DSis is in Edinburgh.

She has done the Hull to Zeebrugge crossing with 3 DCs under 5 a couple of times and lived to tell tale. That's just an overnight crossing and afaik there is a cinema and such like on the boat, they flog "mini cruises" on it anyway.

Her DH is a teacher and I can definitely remember them going one friday evening after he had been in school that day. There is an earlier finish on a fri in scotland, not sure how early?, but he was in work as normal and they comfortably made it for the ferry.

I traveled from Hook of Holland to Harwich in August 2008 with dd age 3.5 and ds aged 1.5 and it was a lot more relaxed than taking a plane. They loved it, they just ran around and played and loved the restaurant. In the evening there was a puppet show that lasted for hours and it was fantastic.

I would thoroughly recommend it. I have many friends who take similar ferry journeys overnight with kids and it usually goes well.

Your kids will really know that they are going far when you travel by sea.

I drive the whole way, family follows on by RyanAir/Easyjet, often works out cheaper than paying for extra passengers on ferry (I am usually doing Harwich-Hook), kids don't have a long journey, I have a peaceful journey and a good nights sleep, and we can take more stuff.

I arrive, unpack (which seems to be quicker than when the kids are helping) and go and pick the rest up from airport.