DadAgain

Yes theres rumblings afoot from a number fo directions about some kind of group retreat next easter.

Previous attempts to arrange for teh wifes extended family usually disolve long before they get anywhere due to radically different ideas:

1) Parents-IL seem to think spending more than $20 per person per night is excessive and seem to assume that just increasing the number of people [illegally] in any booked accomodation until the average cost per person reaches an acceptable level is the right thing to resolve this.

2) I think anything less than 1 bed per person (or married couple) is unacceptable and although am ok in principle with holidaying with family I am NOT cool with sharing floorspace with 10 people too tight arsed to get their own room.

3) Wife, SIL, BIL and myself all have trouble getting annual leave unless we get our shit together many months prior.....

- So generally these holiday plans get dismissed pretty quickly (although we have managed to all go camping once so far!).

BUT - The recent discussion has taken an interesting turn. We may well abandon the older generation and have a few families (14/15 pax altogether) go somewhere. Current discussions seem to revolve around Fiji.

As far as I can see Fiji for a week for 4 (2 kids) is going to cost around $5k - + food... Thats starting to get towards the top end of what any of us can afford. (yeah I know - its a cheap holiday but still....money's tight )

Another idea - not yet put to the wider group is a cruise... I've never done it - and never really seen the appeal (been more of a 'doing' person on holidays before) - but its CHEAP! $2500 for 4 of us for a week... including all food.... I could possibly handle sitting in a bar for a week, drinking, easting and playing cards while the kids go tearing around a great big boat causing mischief...

Anyone provide any wisdom on either of these options? Should I go along with any of these plans or do my absolute best to sabotage them at the planning stage and avoid holidaying with looney family?

Geordie George

DH and I took DD (then 6 months) on a cruise around the Caribbean in December 2008; my sister was getting married on board, so we had to go (even though we are definitely not cruise people!). In all, there was a group of 25 people - mainly family, some friends. It turned out to be quite a good holiday. The ship was large enough for us to wander around on during the days at sea (there were the usual all inclusive restaurants, bars, gym, ents, kids clubs etc), and we tended to eat together come evenings. During the days on shore, families/couples/groups disappeared off to do their own thing - be it beach trips or exploring. I appreciated having so many people to leave the baby with, TBH. It meant DH and I could go for a swim or whatever and know she was in good hands. The kids club was great with my niece and nephew (8 and 6 at the time) and there was a night nursery where we could leave Iris (provided we settled her to sleep) and they just paged us if ever she woke. Knowing we could rush back within a couple of minutes made it easy to go out for the evening. But (IIRC), that was only for under 2s - no evening provision for older ones. But that could obviously be different on other cruises. So long as everyone knows you're not going to spend all week in each other's pockets, it's not a bad way to on holiday with other people. (Having said that, once was enough for us! )