Cruising has become big business in recent years, and as ships have become bigger and packed with activities and adventure, more adults are choosing to bring kids along for the water ride.
With “family cruises” gaining popularity, many of the cruise lines are jumping onboard (so to speak), offering the latest and greatest to appeal to every age. If a vacation at sea sounds like paradise for your whole gang, read on for savvy advice to help you to set sail in style.
Choosing your Cruise Line
When it comes to cruising with the entire family, not all cruise lines are created equal. While some have embraced the idea of kid-friendly ships from the start, others are slowly joining in to offer places and activities kids will love. For the elite in the family cruising industry, most travel experts will recommend Disney Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Carnival.
Princess has also received some votes as a kid-friendly vacation, but needs a bit more planning in terms of specific ship and itinerary.
Keep in mind this list is not an exhaustive one by any means, and with so many ships vying for the family vacation dollars today, it is a near certainty other cruise lines will provide additional family friendly options in the not so distant future.
Even when you narrow down your cruising choices to the child-friendly ships, it is still a challenge to choose just one when all of them look so enticing. In her book, “The Everything Family Guide to Cruise Vacations,” Kim Klavin suggests a few guidelines to consider when selecting a cruise company:
* What is your budget?
* How old are your family members?
* Is it important that your ship visit specific places, or will any itinerary work fine for you?
* Do you want to spend all of your time together as a family, or will the grownups of the bunch desire some alone time?
The answers to these questions will help guide you in the right direction in your vacation planning. For example, there is a wide range of pricing options in the cruise industry, as well as choices in children’s programs and ages that are accepted into the programs. It is best to ask these questions in the planning stages, so you don’t have any unpleasant surprises — such as learning your ship does not offer services for a two-year-old in diapers — as you get closer to your embarkation date.
Laura Cochran, of Magnolia Travel in Seattle, Washington, agrees that educating yourself about the children’s programs available is imperative before booking your vacation. She adds, “The age group of the children’s program is important.
Some cruise lines have programs for two-year olds who are potty trained, but most start with three year olds and go through 17 years old. The ships do require proof of birth date.” She notes many ships will offer babysitting for an additional fee, so parents of infants and toddlers can get a night out or a shore excursion sans kids. She also reminds parents that not all ships will have diapers available for sale onboard, so make sure you come prepared.
What to Bring
Once your cruise is booked, you can begin packing and planning for what is to come. After taking four cruises myself, three with kids in tow, I can honestly say that packing for a vacation at sea takes plenty of organizing and planning ahead. Consider you will need beachwear, resort wear, pool supplies and dinner dress; you can begin to see how much will go into your suitcases. Add a child (or three) to the mix and packing instantly becomes exponentially more complicated! The good news is that with a bit of travel savvy, you can hit your destination with everything you need right at your fingertips. As you are putting together the packing list, take these tips into consideration.
Pat Saizan, of Saizan’s Travel, recommends one of the first things parents of young children should plan to bring is a stroller. With the large amount of walking to be done, both on the ship and at your ports of call, toting a little one will become difficult at best. She adds a handy item for older kids: an address book and pen, “so they can keep in touch with new found friends.” She also advises parents to bring a few small toys for the stateroom, and walking shoes as well as sandals for everyone in the family.
Speaking of staterooms, when you get down to the nitty-gritty of selecting your home away from home for the week or so at sea, you have a couple of options. Keep in mind most staterooms will resemble your walk-in closet at home in size, and will surely feel twice as crowded with a couple of busy tots inhabiting it. The majority of cabins will also only hold up to four people. For larger groups or a more comfortable cruising experience, consider a family suite (Disney has some amazing choices here), or two adjoining cabins so kids and grownups can enjoy their own space, no matter how tight it is.
When to Eat
How many of us have taken our young ones to a five-star restaurant to enjoy an evening meal? Most of you are probably thinking, “Yeah, right,” but have you ever seen the elegant dining rooms on these ships? It can be highly intimidating just to walk into one with kids in tow. This is another area where I believe Disney outshines the rest, by presenting an original dining idea called rotation dining. With this plan, you eat in one of the three themed restaurants every night, while your wait staff follows you from location to location. Your kids are guaranteed to never get bored, with something new to see every night and Disney magic lurking around every corner.
However, no matter what cruise line you choose, if they are striving to become friendlier to families, the dining room will be no exception. Most will offer children’s menus, although kids are welcome to select from the adult menu as well. Pat Saizan suggests bringing crayons and paper so kids can entertain themselves while waiting for meals. Laura Cochran advises parents to offer kids a small snack about an hour or so before dinner, so their hunger does not make them too impatient in the dining room. You can also check out the menu ahead of time, so your kids can go in with an idea of what they are going to eat already in their minds. Feel free to run your children to the kids’ programs as soon as they are finished eating, so you can enjoy dessert, coffee and adult conversation.
Cruising can be a great mode of family travel as long as you book carefully and plan accordingly. You can give your kids the opportunity to see the world and enjoy the adventures of the seas as well. Bon voyage!
Resources:
The book “The Everything Family Guide to Cruise Vacations,” by Kim Kavin
The book “The Travel Mom’s Ultimate Book of Family Travel” by Emily Kaufman
The book “PassPorter’s Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line and its Ports of Call” by Jennifer Marx and Dave Marx (the best book to read before setting sail on a Disney cruise, in my opinion!)
magnoliatravel.com — Pat Saizan