How do we choose the Homeschool Cruise each year?
Ever wonder how we choose the cruise each year? Here’s a look into the process that we go through when choosing the Homeschool Cruise :)
Each year, when we are looking at choosing a cruise, we typically look for the following things - sailings in January or February, out of easily accessible ports, on ships that are both family- and budget-friendly, that visit interesting ports in the Caribbean.
We sail in the winter to the Caribbean for a few reasons. First, we choose the winter because it is the off-season and pricing is budget-friendly. We choose the Caribbean because it is warm and we like to get out of the cold winter weather for a bit :)
We sail out of US ports each year that are near major airports so that the cruise is accessible to people from all over the country, or the world! We are based out of Pennsylvania, so our focus has mostly been on east coast ports. Also, there are just a lot more options out east, especially in the winter months. As we expand, we hope to be able to provide some options out west, but for now our focus has been east coast and Texas primarily.
Cruise ports in the United States
We choose ships that are both family- and budget-friendly, which can be tricky. Some ships are small and can go to some really cool ports that other ships are too large to dock at. These cruises can have great itineraries and prices, but the ships have very few activities on board for children. Since we travel with a lot of children, that is not ideal. Other ships are very large with a lot of fun activities, but also come with a high price tag. We aim for ships that are both entertaining and affordable, which tend to be mid-size ships.
large vs small cruise ship
When choosing a ship, we look at all of the major cruise lines. For the most part the cruise experience on each of the cruise lines is very similar. We have found, especially when traveling as a large group, that the ship amenities and the itinerary is what makes the biggest impact on the cruise experience, not the cruise line itself. There are pros and cons to each cruise line, and I do have my preferences, but generally when traveling in a large group they all offer a positive experience.
We choose ports that visit countries we’d like to explore and that are in regions that make exploration accessible. We also look specifically for areas that highlight what we have learned about in the pre-cruise lessons. For example, we love to go to Costa Maya, even though it is a smaller port, because it has one of the most easily accessible Mayan ruins that you can visit on a Caribbean itinerary.
Chacchoben Mayan Ruins near the Costa Maya port
We look for variety both in location and in excursion options as well. For example, we’d prefer to visit one of the US Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic over an itinerary that visits two of the US Virgin Islands. Private beaches and islands are not our top priority, since there isn’t a lot of opportunity to learn about a country when you only have access to a private beach. If they fall into an itinerary we like, though, they are always a nice addition and are lots of fun :)
As we look to expand and explore other regions of the world, these general rules of thumb still apply - we prefer to sail in the less expensive off-season, out of accessible ports, on ships that are family- and budget-friendly, to ports that lend to learning and exploring. The goal is to give as many homeschool families as possible the opportunity to see the world one port at a time while making friendships that last a lifetime. I hope you’ll join us!
