Our 2015 Cruise Wish-list

Being parents and leading rather busy lives, planning ahead is key, of course, we still love to do things on a whim but with another little one on the way in February we are already putting our travel wish-list for next year together now and we have found ourselves for the first time talking about the possibility of a cruise, something we may have not considered before but I have to say with all the amazing child-friendly options today it's sounding more and more appealing and here are a few more reasons why you should not discount taking a cruise next year

They are very family-friendly and offer some great entertainment options and on-board facilities which will be perfect when we have a newborn travelling with us. Taking a cruise also allows us to visit a few destinations in one visit which is something that is very attractive to us.

It's something a little bit different, I have been on a month long cargo ship before but it was nothing like a cruise ship would be like and the most John has done is an overnight ferry so it would be a new kind of travel experience for us and Mr A loved going on a short ferry trip earlier this year.

It's relaxing – we don't have to worry about cooking and it will feel like a real holiday. We travel a lot but it's mainly self-catering, which we are a huge fan of but it would be nice to have a week away that felt pampering and luxurious, plus the little man loves being by water and the seaside so I am sure he would enjoy an extended trip on a boat.

We loved our time in the South Of France earlier this year and loads of cruses visit the Riviera

I think when it comes to booking things like this it's really important to go with a reputable company and we are really impressed with the selection Thomson Cruises offers, all of which are all-inclusive including tips and the on-board facilities that each ship has are top-notch. We have put together our top 5 cruises on our wish list and hopefully we will get the chance to do at least one of them next year

Cultural Classics – this 14 night cruise takes in all the cultural hotspots of Italy, South of France and Spain as well Morocco and Greece. Taking this trip in April also means you get a lot of the warmth but not the uncomfortable heat found in summer as well as less crowded streets during your excursions on shore.

2. Ancient Wonders – A 7 night cruise that explores the ancient sights of Turkey and Greece, including a whole day in Istanbul as well as Santorini. I love the culture of these two countries and it would be lovely to share that with our son.

3. Croatian Classics -the one regret I have when I was backpacking around Europe is that I never went to the Croatian Coast – I visited the captial of Zagreb which I loved but have always wanted to go back to explore the stunning coastline and John has been talking about it for years and it's something we would love to to do as a family sometime soon

4. Black Sea Explorer – one of the coastlines we really want to see first had is that of Ukraine and this cruise visits the Ukrainian coastline as well as Bulgaria. Anything alittle bit different or unusual we are attracted to and would love to do a cruise like this in the future.

5. Aegean and the Holy Land – despite any unrest Israel has been on both John and I list of must visit countries as it's filled with such amazing cultural and historical sights and you get two full days in Ashdod with the options of day trips to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. This cruise also takes in the sights of Turkey and Cyprus and Rhodes

With so much choice it can be hard to pick but we are certain for sure we want to take a cruise next year it's just deciding on which one. We have also been looking at a few to Scandinavia, even though it's slightly colder climates there is equally inspiring landscapes. Hopefully if everything goes to plan we will be sharing our cruising adventures with you at some point next year. What are your travel plans for the year ahead?

Me on Ascension Island while taking a month long Cargo ship from South Africa to the UK

Thanks to Thomson Cruises for the inspiration of this post