Any good advice for family friendly trips and activities on a Med' cruise

[The Macpac]

We have just booked our first cruise- 12 nights around the Med in August on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam. We have a three year old son and was wondering if anyone had any tips and good advice for what we may do as a family at any of the following ports:

Venice, Dubrovnik, Kerkira, Argostoli, Santorini, Catania, Naples, Rome, Livorno.

[onthelake]

We did this with our DS at that age. I would suggest a 24 hour vaparetto pass for Venice and, of course, San Marco Square. My son climbed Mout Vesuvius without being carried - Naples has deadly traffic so I really would not walk there. Walk the city walls in Dubrovnic - I know we found a park there and the best gelato. Rome was tough at that age. The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps were OK. There were just too many folks at the Vatican. Santorini, you probably want to take the cable car up instead of the donkeys. If you want to go to Pisa from Livorno, it is quite easy but I would not try to go to Florence. Really decide what the adults want to see and then evaluate as child friendly or not.

[Onessa]

WIth a 3YO, remember Florence and Rome are not port cities -- don't know how your child will handle the hour plus bus ride to those cities. You may want to look at cities closer in -- Pisa or Lucca are good choices for the Livorno stop (rather than Florence). Lucca is a walled city with some great stress free walking opps (up on the top of the wall there are parks and walking paths.

 

Scope out parks in all your ports -- for example in Venice directly across from the foot bridge connecting Pizzata Roma to the island (on the island side) there is a really nice little play park) -- our then 3.5YO DD had a wonderful "chat" with a 4YO Italian girl (neither spoke the others language, but they had a great time together). Outdoor play helps- Burns off energy and keeps them engaged, and it can be a great opportunity for you to meet other parents (we got a free lunch at the mom's family restaruant!)

 

We would do picture scavenger hunts (I'd have a list of things - an orange purse, a basketball hoop, a statue of a lion with wings, an Italian flag) 7 to 8 items some really easy, others a bit tougher, some particular to things we knew we would see that day. If she got them all -- she'd get a surprise (generally a Kinder Egg -- she loved those things!). We'd also count US flags (they seem to be all over the place!). Again, it would keep her paying attention and she really did seem to like looking around.

 

Have fun and don't try to accomplish too much!

[MMsteffey]

We went on a similar trip when our kids were slightly older. We combined kid friendly trips (Pisa, walking Mt. V, etc. ) with leaving our kids on board in the kids club. At several ports we went to one of the many beach clubs in the afternoon with the kids. Heads up that euro sunbathing is topless.