24/08/2026
✨ I’m back from my holidays! ✨
This summer, my family and I did something a little different.
We took a land-based holiday instead of a cruise!
As a family of cruise addicts, and with cruising also being my career as a family cruise specialist travel agent, I was genuinely curious to see how we'd feel about a UK break. 🚢🏖️
The children were sceptical because they absolutely love our cruise holidays and everything they offer, and I was rather wary of the whole self-catering idea!
But in reality… we had a fantastic time.
We spent a week in a gorgeous modern two-bedroom apartment overlooking the beach in Hope Cove, South Devon, and it really was a beautiful setting.
So, how did our UK holiday compare with cruising?
PROS 🏖️
• The destination was beautiful. We had warm sunshine every day and even managed to escape the heatwave that hit back home that week.
• We got to experience the solar eclipse together as a family, which was so special.
• We loved our beach days and exploring some of the lovely, low-key local attractions.
• We met up with friends who were also holidaying in Devon, which was great fun.
• The space was a huge bonus. Having two bedrooms and a large living area gave us plenty of room for family time, but also meant we could relax in the evening once the children had gone to bed. On a cruise, we usually share a four-berth family balcony cabin, so realistically we all have to settle down at around the same time!
• There was something lovely about having a slower-paced week and being able to explore at our own pace.
CONS 🚗
• The journey. We usually just drive down to Southampton, which is under two hours from home. The drive to Devon was considerably longer, and the travel days were not our favourites!
• Staying in such a prime location in a beautiful apartment during August was amazing, but you can imagine the price tag. I couldn't help comparing it with the cost of a cruise, where accommodation, travel, food, entertainment and so much more are all included.
• The cost of eating out. Although we had an apartment, we didn't want to spend the whole week self-catering, so we had breakfast in the apartment each day and a couple of evening meals, but mainly we ate out for lunch and dinner. We had some great food, but the costs quickly added up for a family of four, when we are used to full-board and more on a cruise.
• The extra spending. Ice creams, drinks, activities, parking, bus fares and all the other little extras soon added up. On a cruise, we tend to spend very little once we are onboard because so much is already included and paid for upfront.
So yes, we had a fantastic time. Actually, I think we had an better time than we expected!
But will we be swapping our cruises for land-based holidays going forwards?
Probably not! 😂
Next year we'll be cruising again for the ease, the variety of destinations we can visit in one trip, the entertainment, the pampering and, importantly for us, the value of having so much included.
Our UK break was a great reminder that there are plenty of fantastic holidays beyond cruising, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a land-based holiday if that's what suits you and your family.
But for us?
We’re definitely still cruisers! 🚢😂
And while I may be a family cruise specialist, as a Travel Counsellor I can arrange all kinds of other holidays too. So if I haven't put you off land-based holidays, remember you can book those with me as well, both for stays in the UK and overseas! ✈️🏖️
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