Quality Holidays For Single Parent Families

Single Parent Holidays - Information

This page contains useful information about our Small Families cruise aboard Island Star or Island Escape that we hope you will find useful and interesting.

Mediterranean Cruises - General Information

Ports of Call

Those who have cruised before will already know how completely different a cruise is from the traditional  hotel holiday. Here is a brief outline of what you can expect aboard Island Star and Island Escape

ENTERTAINMENT ONBOARD
Cruise ships are legendary for the quality and quantity of entertainment they provide. These cruises include, west end style shows, musicals, spectaculars, speciality acts and comedians. There are many venues and bars onboard, deck games, gym, spa, 4 restaurants, deck pool and Jacuzzi's, kiddies and teenagers clubs, cooking/ice and fruit carving demo's, Line and Salsa dance lessons, a casino, onboard shops and more - you'll never be bored!

EXCURSIONS - Your cruise offers an excellent choice of shore excursions at all ports of call. A Shore Excursion Presentation will be held onboard to give details of all tours available.

'ISLAND CHAT' - Your free daily information paper produced onboard and delivered to your cabin. ISLAND CHAT tells you what's going on, where and when and a whole lot more.

SALON & SPA - Indulge yourself, relax mind, body & soul.  Facial Treatments - Body Treatments - Various Massage - Slimming & Detoxifying Treatments - Hand & Foot Treatments - Nail Treatments - Beauty Salon - Make-up lessons - Fitness - Personal Training - Pilates - Yoga.  A full programme of spa treatments are available aboard.

SUNDECKS - Ships always offer excellent facilities for sun worshipers, plenty of loungers swimming pool and Jacuzzis. No need to move too much as a deck waiter service is always on-hand to serve you your drinks. 

BRIDGE VISITS - Always a popular event, young and old alike. Visit the bridge while at sea, meet the captain and find out just how you 'drive' such a monster!    

CURRENCY ONBOARD - Sterling. The ship operates a 'cashless' system, you sign for your purchases and settle your account at the end of the cruise by either pound sterling, (including Scottish and Irish pounds), travellers cheques, Visa credit card, MasterCard or American Express.

Please note - Switch or Maestro debit cards can be used at the onboard Bureaux de Change, however, they are not accepted for settling your onboard accounts, personal cheques are also not accepted.

VISAS - No Visa is required providing you hold a 10 year British passport.

PASSPORT - A full passport is required, please ensure it's valid for no less than 6 months after your return to UK.

LANGUAGE ON BOARD - The main language spoken onboard is English

SHIP VOLTAGE - 110V

CURRENCY ASHORE - Euros, (note Scottish and Northern Ireland pounds may not be accepted in Bureaux de Change ashore).

TRAVEL INSURANCE - It is essential that you are covered with suitable travel insurance, (Small Families can provide competitive insurance cover if you wish). Please be aware that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - formally the E111, is not valid outside of Europe.

DOCTOR - There is a doctor onboard, fees are chargeable and must be settled onboard.  You may be able to make a claim on your travel insurance on your return to the UK provided any treatment/medication you have is covered under the terms of your policy.

DENTIST - There is no dentist onboard.

Mediterranean Ports of Call - Some information in brief

AJACCIO, CORSICA
Napoleon Bonaparte’s birth place, the island is a startling mix of craggy mountains and gorges calmed by the beauty of citrus groves, beaches and the elegance of city life. What with the mixture of forests, high valleys, lakes and bays there is little wonder a third of the island is now officially a nature park.

Ajaccio is located to the west of the Corsica, with the harbour to the east of the town. The town has been occupied by the Italians in its history but passed to the French in 1768. The town has some interesting streets leading onto the Place Bonaparte, and it is possible to visit the house where he was born in 1769. Occasionally this may be a tender port.

ALGHERO, SARDINIA
The island is famous for its coastal caves – a tour by boat will reveal these secret places and their spectacular natural architecture. Elsewhere the vineyards provide some great wine-tasting tours.

In Alghero it is possible to visit the Cathedral of St. Mary, which has been built in various architectural styles since it was begun in 1570. Being an ecclesiastical centre there are various other churches to visit including that of St. Francis and St. Michael. Tender boats ashore.

BARCELONA, SPAIN
The Barcelona of the 21st century is a city shaped by the '92 Olympics, a city transformed for and by the need to do justice to that great international event, with the effort involved in carrying through this transformation allowing the city to overcome a series of historic disadvantages. The Barcelona we see around us now, the Barcelona we enjoy today, is a new Barcelona, Mediterranean in keeping with its traditions.

There's always something to do in Barcelona. The city has over 50 museums, showcasing permanent collections of works by artists such as Picasso, Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies. The city is also a showcase for the best of the country’s theatrical talent. One of the most important cultural events is the “Grec” Summer Festival: a date with theatre, music and dance.

Barcelona is also renowned for its wide variety of musical events, which includes all the genres, and has three major venues: the Gran Teatre del Liceu, devoted to opera, the Palau de la Música, a modernista marvel, and L’Auditori, the concert hall designed by Rafael Moneo. Barcelona is a box of surprises which will keep you entertained during your visit.

CIVITAVECCHIA, ITALY
This is your chance to see the full glory of Rome. You’ll be immersed in history and spectacular architecture, from the Colosseum to the immense visual story of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. What with The Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, there’s more fascinating things to see in Rome than anywhere else, and you’ll see it the best way, accompanied by a professional guide. You’ll feel like you’re walking through the set of a famous movie; Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, take your pick.

The gateway to Rome is Civitavecchia, predominantly a coastal port. However, there are some places of interest if you don’t opt for Rome including the Forte Michelangelo and cathedral of San Francesco d’Assisi. The ship is moored in port.

GENOA, SPAIN
The capital of Liguria – birthplace of pesto and Christopher Columbus and the original driving force behind Italian football – deserves to be considerably better known than it is. Perhaps it’s this ancient port’s earthy atmosphere that puts the tourists off.  Whatever the reason, visitors are missing out on somewhere special. Genoa, once the equal and arch-rival of Venice, has a medieval old town to rival any in Europe.

A couple of years have passed since Genoa’s reign as European Capital of Culture but the effects linger on. The fresh coats of paint on the port-side buildings are still spick and span, and the sheen hasn’t yet worn off the nearly-new Sea and Navigation Museum which celebrates the city’s maritime past. Near the museum are the city’s docks – the heart of Genoa and the centre of the local economy. If they look good, it’s thanks to a major restoration by local architect, Renzo Piano. Along with its working port, the town has an ice rink, a cineplex, a vast aquarium and the ‘il Bigo’ crane, which offers panoramic views over the city and sea beyond. If you can’t get enough of the sea and you have time, take a wander on the Neptune galleon docked opposite the Jolly Hotel Marina.

LA SPEZIA, ITALY
A quintessential Med town and although the word picturesque is used a lot about the Italian Riviera, how else can you describe it? A beautifully manicured town centre, complete with pastel-coloured buildings that hug the cliffs while looking out across turquoise waters.

And just when you swore you’d never use the word picturesque again – you’ll discover Portovenere. Just a short boat trip away it is a great place for a relaxing stroll or a swim in the bay. Tender boats ashore.

LIVORNO, ITALY
Livorno is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno and the third-largest port on the western coast of Italy. Livorno was defined as an "ideal town" during the Renaissance. Nowadays it reveals its history through its neighbourhoods, crossed by canals and surrounded by fortified town-walls, through the tangle of its streets, which embroider the town's Venice district, and through the Medici Port characteristically overlooked by towers and fortresses leading to the town centre.

Livorno underwent a period of great town planning expansion at the end of the 17th century. Near the defensive pile of the Old Fortress, a new fortress, together with the town-walls and the system of navigable canals, was then built.

Nowadays the Venice district preserves most of its original town planning and architectural features such as the bridges, the narrow lanes, the noblemen's houses and a dense network of canals which once linked the port to its storehouses. In the 18th and 19th centuries Livorno, by then grown up and open to the world, had a lively appearance marked by neo-classical buildings, town parks housing important museums and cultural institutions.

MARSEILLES, FRANCE
Although part of the region of Provence, Marseilles has a soul of its own. Founded in 600 BC by the Greek sailors of Phocaea, this great city is the oldest in France and surely the most complex.

Second largest city in France and the largest commercial port, Marseilles, in the time of the French colonies, was the gateway to the Mediterranean, Today Marseilles remains a capitol of southern Europe, cosmopolitan and exuberant, with its picturesque old port, its Bouillabaisse and its folklore, but difficult to know - Marseilles does not open itself up to visitors spontaneously.

The old town ("Panier") and port, the cliff road high above the sea, the wild inlets plunging into the deep blue water for 20 km.to Cassis, this is the Marseilles of the tourist guide. But the commercial port, the airport, the oil industry, the large population all play an important part in the economic and is a city rich not only economically but in culture, art and science.

To discover its unique character and beauty, one must leave the centre of town and explore some of the "quartier" of which there are more than 100. Each quartier is a little Provencal village of its own with a church, a playing area for the game of Boules and the obligatory plane trees.

MAHON, MENORCA
The island's walled capital is a bustling port. It was once a British stronghold - Nelson even lived here for a time - and its mix of Georgian and Mediterranean architecture reflects an interesting past.

The island is also home to some very important pre-historic sites, which make it unique amongst the Mediterranean islands.

Monte Toro, at 357 mtrs, is well worth the journey to the top, not just for its panoramic view but also the impressively restored baroque church and monastery. A place designed for spiritual experiences.  The ship is moored in port.

MESSINA, SICILY
Discover how living under Mount Etna has made this island distinctive in many ways, creating a fertile natural beauty and shaping the character of the people. The dramatic view from 2,000 mtrs up is a good place to start. 

If you explore the island you'll catch glimpses of rural scenes that look straight out of classic movies such as The Godfather. The ship is moored in port.

OLBIA, SARDINIA
Olbia is an excellent base for exploring the rich, natural beauty of Sardinia. Rugged mountains, rivers and inviting beaches make the Costa Smeralda a popular destination for Italians - and they should know.

Porto Cervo is the favourite Mediterranean port of the rich and famous, but even if you're not lucky enough to be one of them, it still has a welcoming atmosphere for visitors.  The ship is moored in port.

PALMA, SPAIN (Your cruise begins and ends in Palma, Majorca).
Palma comes as a surprise to many people - it is stylish, sophisticated, intimate yet bursting with life. Half of Majorca's population live here, enjoying the island's best restaurants, shops and nightlife as well as a thriving arts scene and a lively cafe society.

Palma's masterpiece is its Gothic cathedral, rising out of the city walls which once marked the edge of the sea. Close to here is the old Arab quarter, its maze of narrow streets hiding museums, palaces and exquisite courtyards.

Palma is in fact named after the Roman city of Palmaria, here you can almost literally uncover the different layers of Mallorcan history. The Roman city still exists, a metre or two beneath the ground; inhabitants of houses near the cathedral are still discovering Roman remains. The cathedral was built on the site of a mosque, once a Roman temple; the royal palace replaced an Arab alcazar.

The city you see today is a relatively recent creation. The tree lined promenades of La Rambla and Passeig des Born, home to florists and newspaper sellers, were built in the l9th century on a dried-up river bed. The walls which once surrounded the city were pulled down to create the ring road Las Avingudas, and Passeig Maritim, the waterfront highway and promenade, was only reclaimed from the sea in the 1950s.

But you have not truly seen Palma until you have surveyed it from the waterfront, with the cathedral and Almudaina palace rising proudly above the defensive walls of the old city, their golden sandstone lit up by the afternoon sun.

PALERMO, SICILY
This island has dramatic landscapes and equally dramatic people. The city, with all its cosmopolitan hustle and bustle, really captures the individual spirit of the Sicilians. It is not short on places to visit either, what with the Piazza Marina, Villa Malfitano and Teatro Politeama.

There is much to see and do, including great beaches and enticing fishing villages.  And you really should sample the famous Sicillian ice cream! The ship is moored in port.

TOULON, FRANCE
Gateway to the Rhone Valley and St Tropez, Toulon perfectly encapsulates the Riviera spirit. People go by bike tours to see some of those little-known places that tourists rarely find?

A definite must-see is the marina. Here you can admire the collection of expensive cruisers and feel smug knowing that you've got an even bigger one waiting for your return. The ship is moored in port.

VALENCIA, SPAIN
One of the biggest cities in Spain, and among the most liveliest. It is located at the Mediterranean sea and you will find beaches right in the very heart of it.  Valencia is of course the city where "El Cid", Spain's national hero, fought against the Moors, and popular festivals in the city and many villages around still remind of this epoch.

The province of Valencia in the largest of the three which go to make up the Valencian Community. It is situated in the centre of the Spanish Mediterranean coastline, it overlooks the spacious Gulf of Valencia and is skirted at the back by a group of medium-high mountains and rolling plains leading to the lands of Aragon and Castile-La Mancha.

In the fifteenth century, Valencia witnessed a golden age, when the political autonomy granted by the Aragonese king, James I, the boom of the skills trade and the Mediterranean ambitions of its rulers and nobles made it into an unquestionable power of the period. Valencia's main tourist attractions are to be found in its cultural wealth, clean beaches, its range of of nature reserves and its rich gastronomy.

VILLEFRANCHE, FRANCE
Take a stroll through the charming French town of Villefranche, settle down for a day of sun, sea and sand or make your way to Nice, the Cote d'Azur city the French love to play in.

Discover the old town with its cobbled streets, or pop next door and visit Monaco and its famous palace, casino and, of course, the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. Or, feel like a film star with a short trip to Cannes. Whatever your choice, we'll introduce you to the Riviera lifestyle. The ship will dock in Villefranche with shore access to Nice and Monaco.