In laws first cruise

Hi all. We are booked on Ventura N711. Which sails on the 30th April. It's ports are Alicante, Barcelona, Cannes, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Cartagena and Gibraltar.

My husband and I have been on a previous cruise but this cruise will be a first for my in laws (69 years old) and our kids (aged 2 and aged 10months). I would really like tips on how we could make the trip special for my in laws as they have only ever done camping holidays.

Also looking for the best things to do in the above ports.

Thank you so much x

Hi all. We are booked on Ventura N711. Which sails on the 30th April. It's ports are Alicante, Barcelona, Cannes, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Cartagena and Gibraltar.

My husband and I have been on a previous cruise but this cruise will be a first for my in laws (69 years old) and our kids (aged 2 and aged 10months). I would really like tips on how we could make the trip special for my in laws as they have only ever done camping holidays.

Also looking for the best things to do in the above ports.

Thank you so much x

I think the cruise itself is a wonderful treat for your in-laws. You could order them a Bon Voyage gift through P&O like flowers and chocolate covered strawberries and or champagne.

Perhaps reserve a specialty restaurant one evening for dinner.

Pick yourself up a guide book and read up on all of your ports. Look at what the ship offers to see which most appeals to you and then book one or two. Some ports you can just stroll around on your own, like Barcelona for instance.

Barcelona is a wonderful city, don't miss the Gaudi's incredible Sagrada Famiglia Church. There is a wonderful place called Park Guell filled with the most whimsical, beautiful architecture by Antoni Gaudi:

http://www.parkguell.cat/en/

You can catch a cab at the pier up to the church in the morning of your arrival or head out to Park Guell perhaps by train.

Cannes - is lovely to walk around but, I would research the ship's excursions and try and book one that included a visit to St. Paul de Vence, a delightful, medieval, mountain village. Usually, these excursions also include stops in Hez or Grasse, sometimes Nice. If you're lucky dinner or lunch might be included in a local french restaurant. We did a tour like this in Cannes in 2008 and it was one of the highlights of our cruise.

Florence: You can book a shuttle through the cruise line that will take you directly to Florence where you stroll around the cobbled streets. Some excursions also include a stop in Pisa.

Rome: I would also suggest booking a transfer with the cruise line, as it's quite a distance to the city from where the ship docks in Civitavecchia. Plan on visiting one two destinations, the Colisseum and the Trevi Fountain for instance. It will be very crowded there, you might only visit one place. It's very important to have a plan so you can get the most out of your visit.

Have a wonderful cruise.

Jonathan

Thank you Jonathan

Definitely get a guidebook..you get SO much more out of your time in ports if you know something about where you're going!

As far as the cruise itself...do NOT tell them too much...let them have the thrill of discovery! The more you "talk it up", the less they will find it enjoyable....they need to get excited about the experience on their own!

Your itinerary looks fabulous!

We did our first cruise with our in-laws, who are experienced cruisers, to the much less exotic Caribbean. ;) They were very good about balancing our desire to do more adventurous excursions and theirs to do more shopping and cultural ones. We did the Amazing Cozumel Race as a group (us, them and our two boys) and it was the highlight of the trip, but we went on our own excursions after that. And they LOVE dressing up for formal night (we don't!) so dinner with all of us in the MDR was something they looked forward to, but we had the space to do our own things other nights.

If there is one special thing that any of you wants, I think it's good to talk about it ahead of time and compromise...the times we were frustrated were when we felt like they had expectations and we felt obligated to meet them. Turns out it was OUR hang up, and they were wonderfully accommodating whenever we actually let them know what we wanted.

We're older than your parents, and our next cruise will be the 6th time on Ventura... she's a lovely ship, with many things to do on sea days, and plenty of dining choice.

Your youngsters sound of an age where they can be left to sleep in the night nursery whilst you treat your parents to a special meal...there's a choice of lovely places, but for the first time perhaps the Beach House with a £5 cover charge each... it's part of the buffet which becomes a special diner at night. Certain food such as lobster costs more, but the basic menu is included in the £5.

People do dress up on formal evenings, so it's a chance to bring out your finery. Perhaps you could take a bottle of champagne on board for a pre-dinner drink? You're allowed to take alcohol on board, so long as it's not stupid amounts, but the bar prices are reasonable.

Cartagena is an easy port, as you dock close to the small town, and it's level walking. There's a lot of history in the town, and a small museum close to the ship- take their passports for a senior price! I'd just enjoy wandering up the main street, where everyone's friendly- the hot chocolate is supposed to be special there.

In Gib, you'll see plenty of taxis/mini buses offering trips up the rock... do watch out for the monkeys... watch bags, cameras, glasses etc. It's quite a long walk into town, but you can relax with a real ale at a pub!

Anything specific about Ventura, try the P&O UK page under cruise lines.

:cool:

I think, as you and your husband should know (previous cruise) that just being on a ship is special.....

If they are the easy going types, let them just enjoy every second and chances are, they will have a fantastic cruise!!

We've taken our (seasoned cruisers) In-law's on our first 3 cruises and find that we each do our own thing....together and apart....but meet in the MDR for meals.

I think sometimes space is as key as entertainment!!

Ventura is a lovely ship, couldn't fault anything really!!

Our next cruise is,as yours is, around the Med. in September (Never been) and cover's some of the same ports, so (as some have mentioned) I will be doing my homework (like to do our own thing) especially Livorno to Florence!!, and yes in-law's coming too!!

Hope you all have a brilliant time, and great cruise!!

Steve n Wendy