What Others Say About Our Trips

"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 their services).
So I wanted to reach out and let others here know Worldschooling Journeys was great to deal with. No issues with any part of the booking process or cruise. We have another cruise booked through Worldschooling Journeys 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)."

"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 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!"

"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"

“Last year our family went on a 42-night worldschooling cruise and absolutely loved it. It was so incredible to see our kids thrive, make friends and connections, and have so much fun. For us as adults, it was so refreshing getting to talk with other worldschooling parents who just get it. Hubby and I have made lifelong friendships from that one cruise. Personally, I think it’s the only way we will cruise moving forward.”

"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 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!"

"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 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."

"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!"

"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."

"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"

"Thank YOU for organizing such an unforgettable trip. I will say nothing different than what others are already saying, but I will say this. When we first booked the cruise the focus was Japan/Korea. I did a lot of research about things to see, taste, book and experience. However now that we are back and the “short” 2-week cruise is over I can honestly say that this trip was life changing. I never used that word. We had fabulous trips, amazing, spectacular… but life changing?? Well… I don’t know about that. And now this trip shifted something in me and it has nothing to do with Japan. Obviously Japan is fantastic and different, but no country can compare to the connections, the community and the friendships that we fostered. I’ve never experienced that and I’m still in trans.
We have a teen boy (shy at first but blossoms with the right people). He really had the time of his life (also fall in love lol) they were 11 teens (some of them not from the group but just from the cruise) and they were inseparable! I mean… non stop, constantly together, all day and dancing at night There was NO drama, no bullying, no weirdness, no nothing!!! I’ve never seen anything like it. WE FOUND OUR PEOPLE (I’m crying happy tears writing this). I just want our group moving-in together in the same neighborhood walking distance from each other and then cruising together again and again… ahhh utopia If I could book all the cruises I think I need a job … what a horrible conclusion Remote, exciting, six-figure and part time So, again - thank you for this truly unforgettable experience which words are not enough to describe the feelings that I have"

"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!"

"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."

"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!"

"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! "

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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!"