What Others Say About Our Trips

"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."

"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"

"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. Worldschooling Journeys anticipated and prepared us all for the smooth sailing ahead, literally. We were 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. They 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. Worldschooling Journeys was anything but. I am super happy that we chose to attend."

"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."

"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"

"Overall, I feel like the cruise went really well. All of the excursions sounded great from the feedback I heard. All of the families got along really well, including the kids. The weather was nearly perfect as were the seas. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better cruise. We were able to fill the time easily and the kids loved being able to explore the ship as a group."

"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?)"

"I don't have words. It was my family's favorite vacation ever. I know it was kind of luck of the draw the families that you get to travel with but these people were amazing. I think we all made lifelong friends and plan to travel to visit to families this summer. I agree with you that the key to starting off right was meeting beforehand. Being able to have dinner every night together was a huge bonus. And also doing excursions together really cemented the group.
My husband's kind of shy and he made two male friends that he will probably keep forever. It was very interesting to see all the different backgrounds and why are we all homeschool and it's all from completely different angles it was really amazing. I definitely want to do another one. And I'm interested in the difference between land Excursion ones and the cruise ships.. even the last days disaster Excursion was okay because we were together."

"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 worldschooling for the last five years, and this trip was one of the top highlights we’ve had. The reason for us is not about the places we visited, but the people we met, the experiences we created together, and the new friendships we made. Cruise life is such a great opportunity to rest, stop planning and organizing, and choose whichever activity, or no activity, makes you happy. We are definitely doing more trips.”

"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 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."

"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!"

"What a difference a year makes! Last year did not end the way I had envisioned but life gifted me several lessons to take with me into this second half of life. This tribe (worldschoolers) has given me joy and hope in a world that feels bleak at times. Each one of you is the change we speak of and your children will be all the better for it and most likely continue that ripple effect into their lives. I am so honored to have found and travelled with you in this lifetime. May we meet again. No need for goodbyes. Love and light"

"We had such a blast on the Disney Cruise with the worldschoolers Worldschooling Journeys 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 Worldschooling Journeys’s adventures! They are so much fun!"

"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."

"I was so surprised to hear my kids both say they wished we could go on a cruise with only sea days, while on the Alaskan cruise. Like, VERY surprised. They just had so much fun freely spending time with all the kids. Of course I’m processing what I think of this, as this was a wonderful experience for them, AND it definitely wasn’t our typical manner of travel or exploring/learning. Between the quick port days and only wanting to hang out with the kids while on board, our typical depth of learning was different, but I witnessed them grow so much as individuals and that definitely matters. 11 sea days for Japan>LA and vice versa seems like SO much, and yet seems wonderful for the soul, haha. This Alaskan cruise was the easiest travel I’ve done in years. The logistics were so easy and relaxing. I’m used to managing spreadsheets with travel time, hotels, transportation on top of figuring out activities and food.... and a cruise was a true vacation from all of that!"

"Traveling with Worldschooling Journeys 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 recently returned from a transatlantic cruise to Spain, and I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had. I traveled with my three kids—and even though we didn’t know anyone beforehand, except Elena Ollick, we felt instantly welcomed and included.
This incredible adventure was beautifully organized Elena poured her heart into every detail, just like she does with everything. Thanks to her thoughtful planning, everything ran so smoothly—from group meetups to activities for the kids and those special in-between moments where real connection happens.
The kids bonded almost instantly. Mine made friends within the first day, and by the end of the cruise, we had a whole new circle of people who felt like family. There was such a natural rhythm to everything: space to be free, time to be together, and moments of quiet joy watching the ocean roll by.
The cruise itself was lovely—great food, friendly staff, and plenty of options for all ages and even picky eaters. The sea days gave us time to slow down, be present, and enjoy each other without the rush of daily life."

"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!"