It’s an exciting month in the Stamford household, as we prepare for the summer
holidays, and of course, our next cruise!
We’ll be heading off on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, as it tours ports in
Italy, Greece and Turkey. The children are counting down the days, I’ve been saving
my Boots points all year to get the bucket-loads of sun cream we’re going to need,
and Peter is deciding which of his many hats he’s going to take… or if he’s just going
to leave them all behind and buy a new one. Again.
Royal Caribbean are a great cruise line for families. Our children are aged 9-12, so
they are looking forward to a little bit more independence this year, as they go to the
children’s clubs and explore the ship. Odyssey has some excellent family activities
too: a skydiving experience, climbing wall and laser tag to name but a few! There’s
definitely no chance of getting bored on the sea days. I just hope the bumper car
session doesn’t get too competitive…
However, I think it’s the food that’s causing the most anticipation. Our youngest in
particular has declared her intention to try every single pudding offered on board,
before the week is out. Meanwhile, Peter has set the children a challenge to try the
most unusual foods we come across, as well as being on a mission to hunt down the
best pizza in Naples.
We’re also really looking forward to all of our ports. The children have learned about
Pompeii at school, and are keen to impress their teachers with what they can
discover from our upcoming excursion there. I’m particularly excited to visit Ephesus, another UNESCO World Heritage Centre. We’ve also got a trip to a dormant volcano in Sardinia, with a bit of snorkelling included, which should be a very enjoyable day. A precious week of new experiences and adventures as a family… what could be better?