What Others Say About Our Trips

"I was excited to try something new. I love meeting new people and although traveling can be difficult with 5 kids (a baby and a child with disabilities) i am glad I was able to do it. When families come together to share one common interest homeschooling around the world it is amazing. The families were helpful and considerate towards us since my daughter has a special stroller/wheelchair. My kids say this is the only way they want to travel from now on."

"We have been on 2 world schooling cruises now. The first one was very last minute, and I admit, we booked soley because the deal was good good to pass up. Elena Ollick is great at that, finding you a lot of bang for your buck! And when I am getting a great deal, I would admit my expectations drop a bit, but we were so happy we did! On each cruise we have met so many wonderful families, and just like with any other part of life, we have met a few that we deeply connected with and can't wait to see again, and others we didn't have so much in common with, but still may be a fun familiar face on a future cruise! Our son is not a "big group" kind of guy, and we did worry he would get nothing out of this. On both cruises he has "found his tribe", and actually I think they have helped him enjoy the big group a bit more, but also helped navigate connecting more with a few, and finding opportunities to do things as a smaller group as well. So many of the kids have been wonderful at making sure any kid they see on the ship is included, whether they came with us or not! They have both been wonderful experiences we will talk about forever, and we look forward to our next."

"I would happily pay extra for the level of care and attention I’ve received during the booking process. I was feeling quite anxious about it all, but everything was made so easy, and every single one of my (many!) questions was answered with patience and clarity. I can’t comment on the trip itself just yet, as my first one hasn’t happened, but the booking experience was flawless. Highly recommend!"

"Traveling with Elena has been some of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. Watching my son build real friendships with kids from all over the world has been incredibly special—and as a mom, I feel completely safe and supported traveling solo with the group. Elena has truly become one of my closest friends through these journeys. These aren’t just trips for the kids—parents walk away with just as much wisdom, connection, and inspiration. It’s learning in the most beautiful, adventurous way possible."

"Our Japan trip a few months ago was AMAZING!!! Parents and kids were all so welcoming! I had some apprehensions about joining a new group in which we knew no one. Especially since we weren’t able to join in much of the pre-trip chats, but from the first day on board, adults and kids melded right into the group. This trip far exceeded my expectations in every way and we can’t wait to meet up in Austria in a few weeks!"

"I have never been more grateful that we are booked onto the booked-out worldschooling transatlantic trip next month where approx 40 other home ed kids will come together and spend 2 weeks playing, exploring, socialising & making memories to last a lifetime!
I’m sharing this, not to try to convince you, but to advise you that if you home-ed and you have been considering a cruise (or travel) then please take a look at February’s worldschooling transatlantic cruise with a large group of home ed families for probably one of the lowest prices you will ever secure a cruise.
I booked the 12 night February cruise on allure of the seas for 4 people in a balcony cabin for $2100 which is an INSANE price. Literally too good to pass when I know the experience & joy it provides for the boys"

"We had such a blast on the Disney Cruise with the worldschoolers Elena organized. Didn’t know what to expect… im a bit of an introvert. But the group soon became family. The kids were inseparable and even one said, “we didn’t know each other before this, but now we are all friends and I want to keep traveling together”.
I wish I could go on all Elena’s adventures! They are so much fun!"

"As a single mom traveling overseas for the first time with my kids...my stress level was through the ROOF. I had been talking with Elena Ollick off and on for almost a year. I grew to adore her but was still terrified we wouldn't fit in with the group as a whole. We took the plunge and scheduled two back to back cruises(we had never even been on a cruise before) everyone was so welcoming and there were even other single parents too which put my heart at ease! I was hesitant because a lot of homeschooling/worldschooling groups are super religious and this was not that. I'm sure some of the group are very faith based but this was such an inclusive group that didn't focus on religion. I had looked at pictures of these trips and worried as an introvert if I would self implode. I'm happy to say that I did not, since then we already have another trip locked in and another one planned for next summer. Put your fears aside and give it one trip. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!"

"Ok so I never worried about fitting in as our family are extroverts and will talk to anyone, however even we were surprised just how well everyone got on. We have made some friends for life from all over the world and it has defiantly exceeded our expectations. We have now done 2 trips (transatlantic (our first ever cruise) & south Korea and Japan cruise, we are booked on another transatlantic in February, and Austrian mountain retreat in June)
Our son is autistic, so I was worried about him fitting in or meltdowns but that didn't need to be my worry, it was that I never knew where he was because he had made soooo many new friends (it was easy to find out where he was when he didn't answer his phone as Elena just used the text jungle to everyone and one of our group knew where he was).
I wasn't a solo mum but met many solo parents and would not think twice about doing one of Elenas world-schooling trip without my husband. It was so great that we knew so many people on the trip that we were never alone (unless we wanted to be), it was like one big family, and we have made so many new friends.
On my first cruise my biggest worry was sea sickness, I bought every remedy possible from pills to bands and patches, but I didn't use anything after day 2 and never felt sick, we had 30 foot waves and I never felt the boat even move, apart from it rocking me to sleep on a night.
My favourite part of the cruise was dinner together, the kids sit together at tables and the parents at other tables (but all close by). It was a chance to be an adult but also know my child was happy and didn't need me, watching the kids bond day by day and trip by trip is an amazing feeling. My son has become so much more independent, accepting, and confident since we took these trips.
I would recommend anyone to take one of Elena's trips, there are trips for most budgets, and once in a lifetime experience that we will be taking more than once."

"We experienced our first worldschooling cruise (and traveling abroad for that matter) in February and ended up doing two back-to-back and has THE BEST TIME! The first cruise I went solo with my 3 children and I think I was more nervous for myself about meeting other adults and being stuck alone but I made what I hope are lifelong friends! My tween had a blast running around the ship and my very shy little girl made a best friend she FaceTimes with. Of course you click more with some than others but overall everyone was incredible, interesting, kind and welcoming. Kids were instant friends and it was so nice to be able to give them a little more freedom along with some life skills like being on time for meals directions around the boat etc lol.
I feel like it was also a great way for me to dip my toes in the water trying to travel abroad with 3 children! It’s definitely worth a try! And you can’t beat not having to cook for weeks at a time"

"We made it across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia! This journey has been nothing short of amazing—filled with relaxing sea days, mouthwatering food, and stunning port stops. But the true highlight? The incredible friendships we made along the way! What started as a group of strangers from a travel Facebook group turned into something so much more. After 31 days together on this floating home, we became like family. It’s not goodbye—it’s see you later!"

"Our kids were on the older end of the group (15 and 17) so for us it was an exercise in giving them freedom and then encouraging good decisions and options. The kids largely set their own schedules, decided when and where to eat and who to join or invite to join them. They chose what activities to participate in, what to observe and what to skip. They learned how to manage the questions (and occasional criticism) from more rigid or closed-minded cruisers on their own. They self-policed the actions and activities within their group, keeping the noise and language down, garbage and dirty dishes, and their overall effect on staff and other cruisers. There were talking points and learning opportunities on a daily basis. We saw a transformation in nearly every kid. New social skills, new bravery and new willingness to explore and make friends. We also saw some parents relax their pre-determined boundaries to allow their kids more age-appropriate freedom and self-determination and the confidence BLOOMED."

"Ok wow, I have so much to say on this but will try to keep it brief!
We are a mostly neurodivergent family and VERY introverted. We had never been on a cruise before and we had all sorts of worries about whether we would connect with the other families or not and how we would deal with having a much busier schedule than normal and/or demands of our time. It turns out we had NOTHING to worry about!
My kids are teens and up until now have not had a great deal of independence, mostly due to life circumstances and/or rural living. They, especially my 15yr old boy, simply flourished. They went to play games with the other kids, for meals, swimming, etc. The last two weeks of the 31 days on the transpacific I could set my watch by the evening routine of dinner at 5pm, games until 9pm, the late show in the theatre and then "home" to bed. And this wasn't us, this was the group of kids. They did most of these activities without us. We were especially proud of the 8-10 kids who had dinner without an adult in the main dining room (NOT the buffet). They ordered politely, making adjustments to the menu to suit their palates, and the staff never had a bad word to say about them. We sometimes joined a little later and could sit across the dining room from them without worry. It was SO nice to allow the kids so much freedom without having to worry about them!
While Wren is blissfully retired, I have trouble turning off my brain, so I still work remotely. I tutor mostly high school aged kids, anywhere from 5-15hrs a week. I use Zoom (a bit of a bandwidth hog compared to Teams) and was able to function fairly normally on the ship. My biggest struggle was the changing time zones, but I just let my computer do the work of telling me when my meetings were and I never missed a beat with my work.
As for the worry about being introverted and not having enough down time, it wasn't an issue either. We connected well with the other parents and we joined in with activities when we wanted to and no one begrudged anyone else an early night or a quiet day.
Overall, the cruise was just EASY. I didn't have to cook or clean, I didn't worry about the kids or scheduling, there were friends there if we wanted them, and weren't when we didn't. We've definitely made friends for life with a handful of them and were so glad to connect with everyone. For my, even as an introvert, worldschooling is about connection; building the connection within our family unit and connecting with new people all over the world and getting to experience life with them."

"We had the best time & can only recommend such a trip with Elena’s groups, whether you are traditional, not, first time or seasoned cruiser! We took the kids out of school some days early before their midwinter break and met the group on the coolest ship I’ve ever seen (Icon of the Seas). We also hijacked my mom/ (grandma to the kids) so we can also spend some more time together (as we don’t live in the same country ) and she had a super time as well!
* As a first time cruiser, this was the best way for us to experience a cruise - basically with some people who know the ins and outs of cruising.
* My 3 kids had the best trip , they quickly linked up with the kids and were gone / made plans with many of the other kids, whether slides, pool or beach time, mini golf , arcade , snacks or wanting to meet at kids club.
* Cool group - everyone was open and welcoming and had an interesting journey!
The worst part was the trip ending, but we are actively cross checking our calendar and for another trip we can pull off (besides the “fire and ice” one … but summer 2026 is too far away!"

"Still amazes me when people say they could never travel with their kids because it would be too much (mentally). There would be nothing more ‘too much’ to me than being stuck in this country permanently. If I could, I would travel full time and you would not believe how many people actually do travel full time; it’s a whole new world out there! We only think our existence is living until you actually meet people who are ‘living’.
Give me a trip with the boys any day over a big mortgage, designer bags/shoes, latest trends or any other traps that people often find themselves lured into.
People often refer to travel as some sort of luxury that only the minority can afford. I also consider a big mortgage a luxury that I wouldn’t want because it would remove so many opportunities from our life. I know lots of people paying €1.5–2k per month & more!
There is a 2 weeks Royal Caribbean transatlantic cruise in February that lots of worldschoolers are going on again & for 2 adults & 2 children it is about $2000 dollars in a balcony cabin! That’s for all your food, activities & you wouldn’t have to spend another penny if you didn’t want to. For this same cruise during school holidays I’d say it would be at least 4 times the price but I will never find out The world is an amazing place. The more I get out there, the more I am eternally grateful for using the world as our classroom. Until such time as that choice is taken away from us then I look forward to many more valuable life lessons and unforgettable social experiences for the boys!"

"We had never done anything like this before our April trip. IT WAS AWESOME! Our kids had such a great time and we loved being in a group and having a sense of belonging and understanding. Elena is legit and does a wonderful job putting these trips together. I haven’t met her yet, but I can’t wait to! My family is so thankful that we found her and can’t wait to kickoff our next trip with her in February."

"We did a worldschooling cruise with Worldschooling Journeys last month, it was exactly what you’re describing. There were a group of families that were more religious and they found each other/connected, whereas the group we connected with most were much more chilled, we all had our own religions but that was never really the conversation point unless we were discussing a specific experience or something.
My daughter struggles to make friends (probably not helped by the fact that she has adhd and asd) yet she made some of the nicest friends on this cruise and they all got on well from day 1… we’ve been back home a month now as she prepares for some exams in January, and she misses the relationships she built on this trip so much (though they all still have contact via WhatsApp).
I also have to put up with her sending me every cruise deal she comes across now.. I’m not sure how I’ll live up to this again, might have to just stick to the worldschooling cruises for a bit"

"Well we appreciate you and your team more than you know I don't think we would've started this whole worldschooling journey if it weren't for you and that post about the Korea/Japan cruise! And then of course fostering such an amazing community that we actually wanted to continue being a part of! I mean we've traveled and been on vacations of course but this was definitely different. They learned a lot about history, culture, geography, etc, and made so many great friends while doing so. Plus gained some independence and even confidence!
I'm so excited to see what the future holds for this group."

"For our family, the cruise was more about personal and social growth than academics. My kids do online school but we mostly took a break during the cruise. They made friends, learned new games, saw new places, learned new cultures. One of my favorite things was that the group of kids (usually the 8-15yr olds) met almost every night in the fancy dining room for dinner. They learned about etiquette, manners, ordering from an adult menu and tasted new things (my kids' first escargot, lobster, duck, caviar, etc).
There were enrichment experiences available daily, related to the destinations that we were headed to but we only took part in a couple of them. Some kids learned to hula dance and play the ukulele (we passed through Hawaii) for example."

"As a solo traveling mom with ND kids, naturally I had concerns about our integration into a group with strangers. Also it was our first cruising. Elena anticipated and prepared us all for the smooth sailing ahead, literally. She sent a document ahead of our trip, which included variety of pro tips. We all got connected via chat and basically, by the time we boarded, it felt like we’re going with a group of friends. And that feeling carried throughout entire trip. It was a fantastic group of people. She organized activities for both parents and children throughout the cruise, and pointed out fun events on the ship, which we then attended as a group throughout the trip. Invaluable!
I particularly enjoyed group dinners, and my children loved exploring the ship together with friends. I was happy to attend excursions with the group, as it contributed to the bonding overall.
We have attended several world-school hubs, and sadly some are thrown together by un-prepared people. Elena was anything but, she and her fam. are wonderful, she is knowledgable, easygoing and experienced in creating these events. I am super happy that we chose to attend."

"Elena does an amazing job of finding authentic, educational and family oriented excursions. We learned so much in Ecuador and Mexico and we're so grateful that the kids got to hear from people there and see how they live. I have lived abroad in Belgium and Japan, but had never taken a cruise or traveled in a group with my kids. I imagine we are all a bit neurodivergent in one way or another and one son gets anxious when traveling (mainly getting on and off planes) or in New/challenging environments. He also lives to perform and ask LOTS of questions, so we were usually asked to go along on school field trips etc as he can be a wild card. He did really well on all the trips and loved the cruise. The ability to spend time swimming, gaming, watching cool shows and getting awesome foods at the buffet is a big draw for the kids! I am a friendly introvert I guess you could say. I like people but tired out quickly, especially after getting long covid last year. The kids also have their limit. We never felt judged for laying low in the evenings or not doing all the group activities. It's a very flexible group and a great first cruise experience. I traveled in Korea, Mongolia and Russia with the Monkey Shrine Brothers with my husband 20 years ago after teaching in Japan. Even though it was a very foreign environment for us, every detail from the shuttle vans to the excursions were lead by friendly people who really cared about what they were doing. That makes all the difference between a potentially horrible trip and an amazing one--Elena has that same ability to find and nurture good relationships with local people and excursion operators who enjoy meeting travelers, love being ambassadors and educators for their culture. It's a once in a lifetime (or several times if you're lucky) when you get to have those experiences. Usually, you have to live abroad for a year to get that. I am so glad I was able to experience it with my kids. Definitely, give it a go! The ships are huge and full of things to do. We definitely could have stayed longer. If you are nervous about cruises, you can start with 1 or 2 weeks. There were actually only 20 outbreaks among thousands of cruises last year. Ships are required to report to the CDC or similar agency if 3 percent of say 5000 passengers get sick 'outbreak' --so it makes the news. As a Midwesterner growing up, the only thing I heard about cruises were the news stories about outbreaks so I was pretty paranoid. None of us got sick. If you wash your hands as instructed, it's pretty easy to avoid illness."

"We just finished our first cruise a few days ago. We were a bit concerned booking through someone we found on Facebook (even though others had used her services).
So wanted to reach out and let others here know Elena was great to deal with. No issues with any part of the booking process or cruise. We have another cruise booked through Elena for Oct and expect we will do more (we weren't sure how everyone would like it, but it was a rewounding yes when asked)."

"My first thought of joining a cruise with a bunch of people that I have never met before and worldschooling that I knew little about put me a bit on edge. I want my daughter to have experiences that are going to last and be meaningful. Meeting kids her age or slightly older and interacting with them are my highest concerns. This is where in my eyes kids grow exponentially from experiences shared. I want to stress that within 60 minutes of meeting a fraction of the families I was all-in. Everyone was so wonderful and friendly , my daughter immediately found a best friend within that time and the two were inseparable from then on. It did not stop there, the excitement, friends grew throughout. It has now been three months since our initial journey and our daughter talks about all the people on that trip on a daily basis. She can’t wait for the next time to see all of her friends.
Since then we’ve scheduled two more cruises with the world schooling group, one land based after that and tentatively scheduled a few more.
I can’t express how much this has opened our eyes to what the possibilities could be and thanks to Elena and team for making all of this happen."

"It’s tough to like everyone, I mean, not everyone is going to vibe with you or your family. But trust me, it’s way easier when people are already walking the same path. Homeschoolers? We’re basically one big, slightly chaotic family. The kids? They click instantly, no drama there. The parents? Well, that’s where it gets tricky. But hey, that’s life. Maybe two drinks will smooth things out… Just kidding! (Or am I?)"

"Our first cruise adventure was absolutely amazing! We didn’t know what to expect, especially after a few friends warned us it might be boring with so many days at sea. Spoiler alert: it was anything but boring! We had so much fun, and now we’re hooked—definitely doing it again!
Every summer, we usually head to a family camp, and honestly, the cruise felt a lot like that—just on water—with 13 other homeschool families. The best part? No awkward questions from strangers about school. It was pure magic being surrounded by people who just get it.
We spent our days chatting about traveling, homeschooling, unschooling, and all the amazing things that come with it. No need to explain why my kids don’t take year-end tests, what grade they’re in, or when I’ll “send them back” to school. It was so freeing and easy. I’m so glad we took the plunge, and I’m already counting down to our next Worldschooling Cruise! Bring it on! "