Cruises for Families

Cruises are a convenient way for families to vacation. If you have got kids, you will agree that preserving your sanity is a priority, and a cruise vacation fits the bill. They are easy, safe, fun for the kids and relaxing for Mom and Dad. Cruise lines have been going to great lengths to please parents and kids alike, as families become an ever larger and more influential segment of the cruising public. In fact, since 2000, Royal Caribbean, among the most family friendly lines, has seen a more than 50% increase in the number of families cruising with kids under the age of 3. Same story with Carnival, which now carries 300% more children 17 and under than it did in 1995. During school holidays, there can be so many kids on board that playrooms get jam-packed and you will have to wait in line to sign in. Toddlers and teen are taken care of too: Royal Caribbean, for instance, has daily play groups for parents and toddlers (6 months – 3 years), while elaborate teen facilities are all the rage across the industry.

The megaships cater most to families and attract the largest numbers of them, with playrooms, video arcades, and complimentary supervised activities usually provided for children ages 2 or 3 to 17 (generally, young children must be potty-trained to participate), and programs broken down into several age categories. Some lines set a minimum age for children to sail aboard (usually 6 – 12 months), but Disney provides a supervised nursery for ages 3 months and up.

Disney has the most family friendly ships at sea today, followed by Royal Caribbean, whose ships especially the Freedom, Voyager and Radiance class vessels) have huge play areas. The Carnival ships do a pretty good job too (especially the Conquest class), as do the Norwegian, Princess and Celebrity megaships. Even lines traditionally geared towards the older crowd are getting in on the kid craze. Holland America renovated all of its ships kids' facilities over the past few years and the kids’ facility and programs on Cunard’s QM2 are phenomenal.

Babysitting: After the complimentary daylong roster of supervised activities wraps up between about 7:00 – 10:00pm, most mainstream lines provide slumber-party style group babysitting in the playroom. Services are usually from about 10:00pm until 1:00 – 3:00 am and are for ages 3 to 12, costing about $4.00 - $6.00 per hour per child. Some lines do accommodate younger kids, with toys, cribs and nap areas geared to infants and toddlers. Private in-cabin babysitting by a crewmember is also provided by Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and most high-end lines at a steeper $8.00 - $10.00 per hour.

Family friendly cabins: If your travel budget is tight, a family of four can share a cabin and get a good deal in return for all that togetherness: The rates for third and fourth persons sharing a cabin with two full fare (or even heavily discounted) passengers are usually about half of the lowest regular rates. Norwegian Cruise Line allows children 1 and under to sail free with two full fare passengers (though you must pay port charges and government taxes for the kids and MSC Cruises often offers a “kids sail free” promotion for the under 17 set of occupying the same cabin as two parents or adults. Crystal has offered free passage for all children 11 and under for summer sailings in Alaska. Note: Because prices are based on double adult occupancy of cabins, single parents sailing with children usually have to pay adult prices for their kids, though deals for single parents are available every once in a while.

As for how you will all fit, think bunk style third and fourth berths that fold out of the walls just above the regular beds. A few lines such as Carnival and NCL will even accommodate a fifth person on a rollaway bed on certain ships, if space permits, and a baby crib can be brought in if requested in advance. There are no two ways about it though: A standard cabin with four people in it will be cramped, and with one bathroom … well you can imagine. However, when you consider how little time you will spend in the cabin, it’s doable, and many families do take this option. The line that offers the best digs for families is definitely Disney, where the majority of cabins aboard Magic and Wonder boast two bathrooms (one with a bathtub), a mini-fridge, and a sitting area with a sofa bed. (While mini-fridges or minibars are fairly standard these days, tubs are a rarity unless you are splurging on a suite.) The cabins are almost as big as most ships’ mini-suites and comfortably sleep families of three or four, but of course, Disney’s rates are generally higher than those of their mainstream competitors. The ships’ bona fide suites accommodate families of five to seven.

In general, whatever line you choose, families who can afford it should consider booking a suite or a junior suite. Many have a pullout couch in the living room (or better yet, two separate bedrooms) and can accommodate up to three or four children. If you have older kids, it may just be cheaper to book connecting cabins – two separate standard cabins with interconnecting doors. Almost every ship has connecting cabins with the exception of the smallest ships and a small handful of midsize vessels and megaships.

Family Cruising Tips

Here are some suggestions for better sailing and smoother seas on your family cruise:

• Reserve a crib. If you would like a crib brought into your cabin, request one when booking your cruise.
• Bring baby food and diapers. If your infant is still on jar food, you will have to bring your own. You can store milk and snacks in your cabins mini-fridge / minibar, which is standard on most new ships. (Ships more than 5 or 10 years old may provide them only in suites). If yours is prestocked with beer and peanuts, you can ask your steward to clear it out. Royal Caribbean offers a program where you can pre-order Huggies brand diapers, wipes and cream, and Gerber organic baby food to be delivered right to the stateroom. That means you don’t have to pack the gear!
• Keep a tote with you on embarkation day. After boarding a big ship, it may take a few hours before your luggage gets delivered to your cabin, so be sure to hand carry a tote filled with whatever you will need for the afternoon: diapers, baby food, change of clothes, bathing suits and so on.
• Pack some basic first-aid supplies, and even a thermometer. Cruise lines have limited supplies of these items, and charge for them too. If an accident should happen on board, virtually every ship (except for the smallest ones) has its own infirmary staffed by doctors or nurses. Keep in mind that first aid can usually be summoned more readily aboard ship than in port.
• Warn younger children about the danger of falling overboard and make sure they know not to play on the railings.
• Make sure your kids know their cabin number and what deck it is on. The endless corridors and doors on the megaships often look exactly alike, though some are color coded.
• Prepare kids for TV letdown. Though many ships today receive satellite TV programming, you won’t get the range of options you have at home.

CruiseOne is the only thing you’ll need to plan your next family cruise vacation; offering most major cruise lines, the very best direct prices along with excellent personal service, all at no additional cost to the traveler. Contact Kathy & Eric Freer, your Local Independent Cruise Specialists at (321) 735-0202 or toll free at (888)882-5793, or via the web at www.GetLostAtSea.com for more information.


Resource: Frommer's Cruises & Ports of Call 2010