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Cruising doesn’t have to mean flocking to the ends of the Earth. Jane Archer looks in to summer sailings in the Med
DESTINATIONS MEDITERRANEAN | CRUISE
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travelweekly.co.uk
’m inching around a ledge in search of the mythical minotaur, while preparing
myself to take on a giant snake. Such derring-do is rarely
what’s required on a cruise ship, but it’s all part of a scarily real virtual reality maze on MSC Cruises’ new MSC Bellissima – the latest in a list of family attractions cropping on Mediterranean cruises this year. It’s one of the many features
on Bellissima designed to keep kids entertained – they can battle pirates in a 4D cinema, swoosh down towering water slides and test their tightrope skills on a ropes course – and ensure mum and dad have a great time too.
FAMILY FUN
Med cruises know how to please when it comes to family summer holidays – the biggest and best floating resorts are packed with clubs and activities to keep youngsters entertained, while ashore there are beaches, water parks and adventure parks. Parents will find culture
aplenty as cities, including Naples, Venice, Barcelona and Dubrovnik, are right at the water’s edge, while Rome, Florence and Athens are a day trip inland from the ports of Civitavecchia, Livorno and Piraeus, respectively. Clients can choose from ships based in the Med or sail there on a no-fly cruise from the UK. Best of all there’s always something new to enjoy, as they dock at different ports every day.
ON-BOARD EXPERIENCES Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas – one of the world’s biggest cruise ships – is sailing the western Med from Barcelona this summer and packs in everything from a zipline and swimming pools to FlowRider surf waves, climbing walls and an AquaTheater. There’s a nursery for babies and toddlers, non-stop action for youngsters in the kids’ clubs and a hangout for teens. Marella Cruises’ Discovery
and Discovery 2, sailing the Mediterranean from Corfu and Palma this summer, have
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