Are cruises the ultimate family bonding holiday?
What does a travel writer in his mid-thirties, habitually chained to his laptop, drowning in deadlines, have in common with a bass player from a 'new wave' powerhouse who's since forged a successful acting career?
It turns out, it's a similar taste in holidays: a splash of neon Florida morphing into the carnival rhythm of the Caribbean – all of it unfolding while afloat.
Earlier this year, I embarked with my curious and spirited little one – who was fast approaching his first birthday – on a voyage around the Caribbean with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). We joined Norwegian Encore – the 3,958-capacity moving playground – in Miami, swapping the city's steamy sidewalks and traffic for a seven-day itinerary that spanned beaches blazing under winter sun, storied old towns and lush hillsides across four ports.
Once home, I learned that weeks later, Spandau Ballet star Martin and his son, radio host and TV presenter Roman Kemp, took to the ocean on the very same ship, following our voyage in a partnership with NCL. I wondered how our family holiday at sea would compare – at different waypoints on this mad journey that is parenting – so, back in London, I spoke to the pair about our experiences.
It had been almost two decades since they'd been on a family holiday, Roman, 32, told me, describing it as an 'absolute rarity' that they managed to find the time to get away together.
'Very quickly, I recognised the shade of red that my dad goes with in the first hour of being anywhere hot – that was a good bit of nostalgia.'
He jokes that my taking such a young one along with me is 'either great news or the hardest thing ever'. Honestly, it's a bit of both. But cruising absolutely works for such a small traveller. The vast choice of food (and its availability at all times) makes feeding him easy, and if your child isn't quite ready for a la carte, the buffet keeps things super simple. You get to see so many places without the faff of unpacking and then repacking again – plus the little one will be enthralled by the ocean as it rolls past the ship. And even when it's a sell-out holiday, as ours was, you can find space (and activities) that suit your needs.
'That's what I think those cruise ships are good for,' said Roman's 63-year-old dad, Martin. 'It breaks it up into different areas well. You can get what holiday you want from it, that's what I discovered. It doesn't have to be everyone doing the same thing.'
There's plenty to keep you busy on Norwegian Encore, which has been sailing since 2019, its hull adorned with vibrant colours spilling backwards from the bow. Across 20 decks, there are as many restaurants (including an American-style steakhouse, Asian-Latin fusion menus and a Texas barbecue joint) and bars galore, from open-air haunts for fluorescent cocktails or a cigar lounge that suits having a smoke and a Scotch. From the very top, strap yourself in for Speedway, a daring go-kart track, or shoot down the Ocean Loops waterslide, which extends over the edge of the ship. And – since you are in the Caribbean, after all – there's a huge pool on deck 16, bordered by rows of sun loungers, plus a separate children's pool.
Just as cruise ships have evolved over the years, so have family holidays. According to the latest 'Holiday Habits' report from Abta, a UK-based trade association for travel agents and tour operators, families continue to go on more holidays than any other 'age group or life stage'; the research also found that cruises are gaining in popularity among holidaymakers with children – those travelling with under-16s said that they are most attracted to the 'opportunity to visit multiple destinations in one trip', value for money and the 'safe and secure travel experience' that a cruise offers.
For Martin, his getaway on the other side of the Atlantic was a far cry from his childhood breaks.
'The first time I ever went abroad was on a Freddie Laker jet to Benidorm,' he told me.
'I'd grown up with Butlins and Pontins, the holiday camps, with my parents and brother. Getting to do anything like going on a cruise, going around the Caribbean, with family – that to me is luxury.'
Roman's response felt slightly less profound, but understandable: 'I loved seeing Dad dancing under the waterfall, recreating the Peter Andre 'Mysterious Girl' moment,' Roman joked.
My own Nineties reenactments were somewhat hampered by my son, with a focus more on maintaining a nap schedule between stints in the sun, and profusely apologising to staff for the mess left under the highchair after each meal (knowing I'd be back tomorrow for more of the same).
But the Kemps and I agreed about passengers from the US – and the stiff upper lip reserve of Brits.
'We only bumped into a couple of Brits. Americans know how to enjoy themselves – it is contagious,' said Martin, and the younger Kemp agreed.
'Americans really throw themselves into cruise life – we loved it.
'All Brits should go on a cruise.'
Had I been travelling alone or with friends, would I have joined the 'sexy legs' competition or 'Thriller' dancing sessions? Without a child in my care, I certainly would have cracked open a beer by midday, so the answer to those questions is more likely yes.
The on-board shenanigans are only half the fun – the rest comes from disembarking in a new destination. Considering my son's age restricted our options, it was still jam-packed. Heading out on foot, sans guide, around Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, spotting street art and watching the waves. A day split between a maritime park and munching tropical fruit on the beach in the US Virgin Islands. Another beach day in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) – he's now quite the waterbaby.
The Kemps were able to be a little more high-octane, with one excursion combining a zipline, all-terrain vehicle tour and jungle hike to the cascading Damajagua Waterfalls in the Dominican Republic. Another took them across the BVI's Sir Francis Drake Channel to Norman Island for snorkelling.
'You tick off so many places you've always wanted to go to, and so quickly,' said Roman. 'Some of the stops that we made, the islands, were just incredible.'
It's not just that, though, added Martin: 'You go to really different places. The destinations are often quite a few miles apart so it's like you're flying between them but you're doing it in luxury'
'You get to experience short bursts of a new place. They're really good samples of where you want to go next.'
And doesn't my son know it – he doesn't even know how lucky he is, more stamps in his passport than teeth in his mouth. But the importance of travel is something to instil early, if you have the means.
'I always have this innate fear that when it comes to the end, I'll think back and go 'did I see as much as I could?'... I want to be able to see as much as I possibly can,' said Roman.
'Nothing is more valuable, I think, than travel.'
And for Martin? The cruise reminded him how nice it was to travel with family – admitting he'd 'love' to do another cruise.
I've already got my next trip planned with the mini swashbuckler – you never know, we might bump into the Kemps.
Roman and Martin Kemp teamed up with Norwegian Cruise Line for a multigenerational voyage with NCL's 'More at Sea' package – an upgrade that gives guests speciality dining, wifi credits, discounts towards shore excursions and unlimited beverages (including on NCL's private island, Great Stirrup Cay).
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