Family cruising

Family vacation
tips & insights

Your children are welcome

Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival earnestly want you to bring your children.

Increasing in popularity

More and more families are discovering that shipboard family vacations make peace-of-mind sense. They eliminate, for example, motel hopping and long stressful rides in cramped cars. And, the price can be right.

Programs for kids

Most cruise ships today offer something exciting for each member of the family. Some have age-specific activities for young children. And, for their parents' benefit, they have drop-off and in-cabin baby sitting services. This gives moms and dads a chance to have a "night out on the boat".

Which are best?

As a general rule, mid-market cruise lines are more children accommodating than upscale and budget lines. And the newer and larger a ship, the more kid and teen pleasing it's likely to be.

What's the best cruise length?

Durations of 7, 4 and 3 days have proven to be the most popular for families.

Teenagers

Carnival and Royal Caribbean eagerly seek to please teenagers by operating teen-dedicated facilities where they can have a good time and meet each other. Examples: Video arcades, internet cafes, and clubs for dancing.

Money-saving tip

Some cruise lines have an unlimited soft beverage plan for children, good for the length of the cruise. The fee will save you a lot of money if your children love soft drinks.

Family reunions

Family reunions on cruise ships are on the upswing because the venue lets members strengthen familial bounds while savoring their vacations. Private rooms are available onboard for family functions.

Walkie-talkies

On cruise ships, a family is like a box of fleas. Open it and they scatter in all directions. Some families bring walkie-talkies to keep track of everyone's whereabouts.

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