Family Traveler

111educationalcruisesFAMILYTRAVELLERWINSCRUISEAWARDSFamily TravellerwriterspickedupthreeawardsattheCLIAUK&IrelandCruiseJournalismAwards 2016WINNERS:ThreegenerationsoftheDentfamily,ledbyEllie,wonBestFirst-TimeCruiseFeatureawardfortheirarticleaboutmulti-generationalcruisingaroundtheNorweigianfjordsonP&OsBrittania.Family Traveller’scruiseeditor,SueBryantwontheContributiontoCruiseJournalismawardandFamilyTravellercontributorKatyHillwonBestCruiseLifestyleFeature.``````canadaJoinawildlifesafaricruisewithadifferencethissummer,exploringtheremoteislandsofCanada’sAtlanticProvincesonanexpeditionvessel,the 96 -passengerAkademikIoffe,forninenights.Travelround-tripfromLouisbourg,NovaScotia,visitingnationalparks,emptybeachesandremoteinletsinNewfoundlandandNewBrunswick,escortedbyexpertlocalguides.Thetrip,whichisaimedatfamilies,takesplaceinJuly,whenthedaysarelongandthewildlifeabundant.Youcanexpecttoseehumpback,minkeandevenbluewhalesaswellasgreyandharpseals.Thereareall``````sortsofactivitiesonoffer,fromguidedhikestocycletours,kayakingandstand-uppaddleboarding,withalotoftheexplorationdoneininflatableZodiacboats.OneOceanfrom£3, 07 3pp,excludingflights,departing 16 July;childrenqualifyfor25%discount(oneoceanexpeditions.com)``````ALASKAAlaskamaynotbethefirstplacetospringtomindforasummerholiday,butit’sfantasticforchildren.You’reprettymuchguaranteedtoseewhalesanddolphinsfromtheship,andevenbearsforagingonbeaches.Excursionsincludehikingtovisitglaciers,kayaking,``````zipliningandsalmoncook-outs;thisisoneplaceyou’recompletelyimmersedinwild,dramaticnature.Assuch,ClubHAL,thekids’club(foragesthreeupwards)hasaneducationalslant,withchildrenparticipatinginthestate’sJuniorRangerProgramme,completingvariousactivitiestoearntheirJuniorRangerbadge.WhentheshipissailinginGlacierBay,anationalparkwheretheshipgetsupclosetomassiveblue-whiteglaciers,parkrangerscomeaboardtogivelightheartededucationaltalksaboutanythingfromkillerwhalestohowglaciersareformed.From£1,002ppforaseven-nightcruiseonNieuw Amsterdam,round-tripfromVancouver,departing 13 August(flightsextra;hollandamericaline.com)paddleboarding;hikinginthedesertwithanaturalist;burroriding;gettingupclosewithgreywhalesandtheirbabies;and,theultimateadventure,donningawetsuitandswimmingwithwildsealions.Thisisn’tavoyagespecifictofamilies- therearenokids’clubs,forexample–butplentyofAmericanstravelwithUn-Cruiseinmulti-generationalgroups.Forthosewitholderchildrenhappytojoininwiththeactivities,thiscan’tbebeaten.Un-CruiseAdventuresfrom£3,935pp,includingflights,departing 10 February 2017(mundyadventures.co.uk)SLOWFLOWCapturingtheblue-iceglacier``````THREEWINNERSFromleft:EllieDent,SueBryantandKatyHill``````UNDERWATERADVENTURESwimmingwithwildsealions``````TALLSHIPSANDTALLTAILSClockwisefromtopleft:theporttownofLunenburg;allsmilesonacruiseexcursion;whalesshowofftheirflukes