So your whole family wants to travel together?

Your Dad calls you and says, “Mom and I were thinking it would be nice to take you & your kids on vacation all together. Oh and we’re inviting Grandma, Grandpa, your brother, your aunt & uncle and cousins!” OH BOY. Suddenly all thoughts of a relaxing, enjoyable vacation vanish and you are left going WHERE IN THE PLANET DO WE TAKE OUR ENTIRE FAMILY AND NOT HURT EACH OTHER?!

source: Depositphotos.com/ivyling

Should I re-introduce myself? Hiii, I’m Heather, the travel professional, here to assist… 😉

There are a lot of questions we’d be asking before digging into what might work but I wanted to put a list out of places that are some of my go-to’s once I hear other keywords from our clients. Vacations are never “one size fits all” purchase so your ideal itinerary may not be listed here, okay? If this is a real life scenario for you, my e-mail is Heather@classtvl.com!

Up to bat first is cruising.
Cruising, I believe, will always be a type of travel that can make multiple age groups, travel styles, and budgets allll happy! My recommendation would be with specific cruise lines that encourage multi-generation families: Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ” RCCL” really has something for every person in the family down to the babies and up to great-grandparents! I love the idea of people separating during the day to do the things that interest them (spa, shore excursion to snorkel, golf, shopping at the port) and then coming together at dinner time to share stories and post-dinner enjoy the evening entertainment or sit on the deck sharing more laughs. Royal Caribbean is also a great brand for all budget levels. They are a lower-mid range mass market cruise line that does offer higher suites for people looking for that level. Their children’s programs are well-received!

Family pools on board the Adventure of the Seas (2007)

I couldn’t talk about family cruising without talking about Disney Cruise Lines. It’s Disney, they know what they are doing and they are working it! Yes, they are more expensive mass market cruise line but wholeheartedly worth it. We are already looking forward to taking our own baby girl on her first Disney cruise. One of my favorite features for parents is that the waiters will take your child’s order immediately so they are eating within 20 minutes or so of sitting then the kids program staff will come to “pick up” your child about 45 minutes into dinner and take them back to the kids center so Mom, Dad, Grandma & Grandpa can have dinner in peace.

I took this photo at Disney’s Castaway Cay, on the adults only side – it was HEAVEN

Another idea I want to touch on is guided touring. The idea is that instead of putting one or more people in charge of picking the cities, lining up the logistics, buying all the museums passes and “HOHO” (Hop On/Hop Off) bus tickets, you go with a company who takes care of the big and small details. Adventures by Disney is easily one of the best in the market!

Yes, yes please.

One last food for thought…I have been planning more and more Tuscany villa stays for families that want to see Italy together. My favorite part is arranging the cooking classes and the winery tours! Something to note is that most wineries welcome children and will offer specific activities for them while the adults are tasting. Please note, I will always suggest having a driver for tasting days!