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 Cruising with Kids…Is It Right for You?

When I was a kid in Sacramento many years ago I loved our family vacations to the beach, Lake Tahoe and Disneyland.  Back then you didn’t hear of families cruising; that was for rich couples who liked to hang out on the deck and play shuffleboard.   Oh what a difference a few decades can make!   Cruising has made quite an evolution to where it is today.   There are still upscale lines that cater to the aforementioned group, but now there are also exciting and affordable ships catering to families, with non-stop activities, larger cabins, more connecting cabins and flexible dining.   Nobody asks “will I be bored”; they ask “how can I do it all?”!

The first cruise I took with my own kids was four days to the Bahamas on the, now defunct, Big Red Boat (Premier Cruise Line) in the early 90’s.   Premier teamed with Disney for a combined experience, before Disney built their own ships.  Our kids had a wonderful time on board meeting new friends, swimming, playing ping-pong, enjoying fun activities in the children’s programs and even dressing up for a formal dinner.  They especially loved the always flowing soft ice cream machines!   My son was so enamored with the “Pirate Game Show” on board that he re-created it for a church activity when we got home.  Did a great job too!

Cruising seems to be universally loved by kids.  Every year the activities get more innovative.   My kids were happy with a pool, hot tub, endless food and a youth counselor who organized a few activities.  Today’s family ships offer so much more!  Newer ships have water slides, rock climbing walls, poolside movie screens, basketball courts, ice skating rinks and mini-golf in addition to the ice cream machines and limitless other eatable offerings!  Parents love many of those same activities and the fact that their kids can be so well entertained by others much of the time!   In addition, exploration in the ports of call is educational and can enhance your child’s world view.

Who is Eligible to Sail?

Cruise lines do have stringent requirements about expectant mothers and infants so if you fit into these categories make sure you and your infant are eligible to sail.   All cruise line policies differ somewhat so be sure to ask your travel agent to check with the cruise line for the most up to date policy.   Most guidelines stipulate that infants must be at least 6 months old on the first day of the cruise and 12 months old on Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Pacific, South America and other longer cruises.   Expectant mothers generally need to be under twenty-three or twenty-four weeks at the time of sailing.

Each cruise line requires expectant mothers to provide a physician's letter (faxed in advance or hand delivered at the time of check-in) stating that the guest is in good health, fit to travel, and that the pregnancy is not high risk. The letter must also include the expected date of the child's birth.

Typically, a letter is not required for infants to travel. However, the infant must have documentation like everybody else and it will be checked to be sure they are eligible to cruise.

Which Ships cater to Families?

Once you’ve confirmed that everybody is eligible to sail you need to find an appropriate cruise line and itinerary.   There are four cruise lines that cater specifically to families (more info on them below) and several others who do a decent job of entertaining kids on board.  The major lines that do not specifically cater to kids (Holland America, Celebrity, and Princess) still have kid’s programs and ramp it up during summer and school holidays.  However, you won’t find characters, water slides and the like.

The most entertainment decked out ships are the newest ones and they sail mostly seven day itineraries to the Caribbean.  If you want all the bells and whistles of the new family ships, you’ll be sailing for a week to the Eastern or Western Caribbean.   There are still many nice and just a bit older vessels sailing three to six day Caribbean itineraries, three, four and seven day Mexico, seven day Alaska and seven day Europe itineraries.  All are great destinations for families with different atmospheres and points of interest.

The major four family cruise lines are described below.

Disney Cruise Line.  This is an obvious one!   Disney does it best, which is no surprise.   Your child can sail with Mickey, Donald and the crew!  The Kids’ programs are plentiful and innovative; some include the whole family, which I like because when I’m on vacation with my kids I want to spend time with them!  The AquaDuck is a thrilling transparent tube water coaster located at Deck 12, aft aboard the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy that propels guests on an exciting journey off the side of the ship, through the Forward Funnel and down 4 decks into a lazy river.   Outdoor theater screens grace two of the pool areas.    Here is a link to Disney’s clubs.

The four ships, the Magic, the Wonder, the new Dream and Fantasy are upscale vessels, pleasing all age groups (even a quiet pool for adults)!   Disney is the most expensive option for a family cruise, but like the theme parks, it delivers!

Royal Caribbean International.   Vying with Disney for the top kid’s cruise experience, Royal Caribbean has even added it’s own “character” experiences with characters from Shrek, Madagascar and others on four of Royal’s newest ships; Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas.  These new ships and a few of the older ones include an array of exciting activities including rock climbing (on all Royal Caribbean vessels), 3-D movie theaters, mini-golf, ice skating, flow-rider surf simulator and even a carousel, aqua theater and zip-line on the new Allure and Oasis of the Seas.   The “Adventure Ocean” children’s programs are some of the best at sea.  The price point is lower than Disney’s for a great value.   Even some of Royal’s older vessels (the Voyager of the Seas series) have ice rinks and a shopping/dining promenade reminiscent of a neighborhood street.    On the newest vessels, Allure and Oasis, you’ll never know you are on a ship unless you happen to look out a real window to the outside!   These ships are destinations themselves, the ports are secondary.  Here is a link to Royal’s Adventure Ocean Kid’s Programs.

Norwegian Cruise Line.   Disney has Mickey, Royal Caribbean has Shrek and not to be outdone, NCL has Sponge Bob!   You can go all Nickelodian at Sea with NCL; even get slimed on some sailings!  Newer Norwegian vessels also boast Wii on a two-story screen, bowling, video arcades, ping pong, giant chess and lots of other fun ways to be competitive on board.   Other ships include pool slides and basketball/volleyball/tennis courts.  Click here to find out all about NCL’s Kid’s Crew and Teen’s Crew Programs.

Carnival Cruise Line.   Mini-golf, waterslides, outdoor theater; the newer vessels have the bells and whistles.  Carnival is the only cruise line to sail to the Mexican Riviera year-round, so if you live near the west coast this makes a very affordable family vacation.  Camp Carnival does a good job of keeping kids entertained.  View Carnival’s kid’s programs.

There is sure to be a ship and destination that will be perfect for your family’s next vacation.  Complete a quote request and we’ll help you find it!