What Others Say About Our Trips

"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"

"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! "

"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!"

"Stepping out into the Worldschooling community was one of the scariest things we have ever done; and it has turned out to be amazing. We took a leap a year ago when I was looking for other options for my granddaughter. I came across Elena Ollick and a cruise to Sydney, Australia. After only a couple days we were booked and looking forward. Did we originally think we just got hoodwinked, of course! But once we got our confirmation excitement set in! It also helped that when we made a change to our reservation Elena reached out to ensure everything was okay. We had no idea what to expect, worst case we get an affordable, all inclusive vacation to Oz. From the first group get together the night before the cruise we knew we had chosen right. Welcoming, kind, and knowledgeable, the people that formed our group have now become friends no matter where anyone is in the world. My daughter who had no interest in socializing at home, has friends she talks to daily. She feels she has found ‘her people’. My husband and I feel the same about the parents. There was no judgement about what we do, don’t do, or believe in. I have never felt more engaged than with the group of people I met on the cruise. They looked out for us, we looked out for them, and everyone’s main focus was on the kids (and hot tub!). Homeschooling (and it’s counterparts) is tough and parents can become overwhelmed, cruising has something for everyone in a safe environment. Kids can be kids and learn so much while the parents can get some much required ‘me time’. I feel humbled to be part of this community. With another 2 cruises on the horizon, and a retreat in Austria, I can honestly say we are in!"

"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?)"

"We are so happy that we found out about the amazing cruise we took with Elena! The entire process was smooth sailing! Our family of four had an amazing time and made such wonderful memories. We are now in love with cruising and can’t wait to take another trip."

"It took me a few days to convince my husband to take a transatlantic cruise with a bunch of people we have never met before. Generally speaking, he’s a bit of an introvert and my daughter (who was 6 at the time) is definitely on the shy side. But it was the best. decision. ever. We LOVED meeting everyone on the first day and then seeing familiar faces all around the ship. The opportunities for spontaneous meetups/playdates were the fantastic. We’d walk around the ship, not really sure what we wanted to do next, bump into a friend and suddenly my daughter is bowling with a new bestie while the adults are enjoying happy hour snacks. Elena set up an opportunity for the kids to meet with the ship engineer and head of housekeeping, which made us all feel like VIP, and my husband and I enjoyed meeting new friends for dinner while the kids all hung out in the kids club (with FRIENDS, not random kids). One other cool perk that I hadn’t thought of prior to cruising was that these new friends were going to be at all our ports with us! Many of us coordinated group tours, which made things SO much more fun for the kids. I have an only child who doesn’t mind taking a historical tour with her two parents, but it’s a lot more entertaining to take that tour with a group of cool kids you’ve been sailing with all week. We even met up with friends at our final destination in Rome.. and one day we even bumped into some cruise friends randomly. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch with people either through Elena’s fb posts or the occasional text. We are always curious who is doing what trip and considering joining them (and having major FOMO if we can’t make it work). We can’t wait for our next adventure; we look forward to making new friends AND hope our old ones will join us for a reunion! Above all else, however, I think my absolute favorite part of this adventure is that everyone we met is completely different. Different homes, different backgrounds, different lifestyles, different opinions, different ways of living and yet everyone just fit. We fit because we all want more for our families and that one thing brings us together. I feel like people who take these kinds of adventures are really great at understanding there’s no right or wrong way to live life.. sometimes that’s hard to find at home."

"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!"

"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)."

"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."

"We are a fairly extroverted family so going on a cruise with a bunch of people we never met wasn't much of a worry to us. If there were any concerns they were quickly disappated after taking part in the lively discussions in the cruise WhatsApp chat group. What was a concern was if we would find what we were missing at home. A community, a group of people who lived in non-traditional ways. We don't have anyone around us with younger children (our daughter is 5). We don't have anyone around us who is unschooling/world schooling/homeschooling their child. We don't have anyone around us who has a child that is extra active and extra special. What we found was all of that and more. A group that believes in inclusivity and equality. Our daughter was the youngest of the group and had no issues immediately bonding with the kids. In fact all the kids immediately bonded. They all moved easily between smaller groups that formed depending on the day or activity. The older kids watched over the younger ones without even being asked. We felt comfortable accepting offers of other parents taking care of our daughter while we participated in other adult activities. We formed our own bonds too. Even after the cruise we talk almost daily with some of the people we met. In the end we loved it so much we booked another cruise before we got off the first then 2 other cruises and a retreat. We definitely found our people."

"I have SO MUCH to say about these topics! The TLDR: Two thumbs up, 10/10 all the way around, will do again... in a couple weeks actually! I recently decided to hop on the 11 day cruise from Seoul to Tokyo with my two daughters, ages (10 & 11). We live in the US, have never been to Asia and none of us speak Korean or Japanese. Our kids are Unschooled and we travel as much as possible. We've also travelled internationally with another group (NOT Elenas) that puts together trips, but that one is a homeschool specific group and our experience on the Rhine River cruise wasn't great. It definitely didn't feel like a trip centered around kids, it felt like the kids were intruding on a trip created for old grumps. Sooo, I was already a bit skeptical booking this one, but the price was really great and I felt like the ship was big enough that we could just do our own thing if it didn't work out with the group. Luckily that didn't turn out to be the case. This trip felt completely centered around the kids and facilitating their ability to connect with each other and explore. My kids were on fire with joy the entire trip. No joke. They had the very best time. The kids all looked out for each other and created the most heart warming little family unit. Watching them, you'd have thought they were all siblings or cousins. Their ages spanned 4-15 I believe?! The older kids were also able to easily move between the adults and the other kids, and the mixed age group worked very well. Everyone felt included. The other thing I really appreciated was how aware and supportive the kids (and parents) were about sensory challenges and all sorts of nd topics. They communicated openly about their own challenges, sparks and quirks, and readily accommodated each other when needed. If someone felt like having some alone time or quiet time with a book or something, nobody gave them a hard time. I think it helped that there wasn't any scarcity around time together? A kiddo having a hard time was seen as such and not through a lens of judgement. An unexpected side effect of the kids having such a great time together was the amount of "free" time I found myself with. Sure, we often moved from place to place, keeping an eye out for the kids, and generally making it our goal to always collectively know where they all were, but by virtue of our group size, that didn't mean having to literally run after them all day. So it left time for the adults to connect as well. I personally didn't know anyone going on the trip, hadn't ever met Elena or her family, and I'm not what anyone would call an extrovert. To get really personal, I'm a pretty anxious person and I struggle with feeling like an outsider in most situations. So, going alone wasn't exactly something I was looking forward to. (The kids were stoked though, and that's always reason enough for me to do just about anything!) As it turned out, the other parents in the group were all very easy to talk to and a pleasure to get to know. When we left, it felt like I'd made so many great new friends! We were all there for the kiddos, so we had that in common, but we were all very different. Some of the families were very structured, some (like mine) were quite feral. Some Unschooled, some homeschooled, some were doing public or private school. I'm sure many of us had very different views on politics, religion, education, etc. but you'd never know it. What a powerful force the love for our children proved to be. All of were struck by how quickly and genuinely the kids connected. Maybe that inspired us? I've always felt that children teach me far more than I teach them, so it makes sense. If you're on the fence about taking one of these trips, just do it. You'll be glad you did!"

"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."

"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"