Family Cruises Hints & Tips

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Tips for Family Cruise

Now that nearly one million children are sailing the high seas each year, you can find family-friendly amenities and programs on everything from luxurious ocean liners to low-key tall ships. As each new ship makes its debut, cruisers can choose among increasingly innovative perks, like onboard nurseries, planetariums, ice-skating rinks, and movies on a giant screen under the stars (or opt for simpler, more basic sailings on smaller ships).

And yet, while most cruise lines are now chock-full of child-friendly fare and comfy cabins, it's the differences (and how they match up to your interests and children's ages) that will determine which ship is the right fit for your family. Before we get started, we offer a handful of tips you should consider prior to even starting your search for the right ship, whether you are traveling with babies, teens or kids in between.

General

• Check the size and location of the stateroom, and the guardrails on the bunk-beds. some ships have cabins that can sleep five; some ships have adjoining cabins; some give special rates for a second cabin for teens.
• Check the medical services available. Some ships bar women in the third trimester of pregnancy.
• Check what documentation for children is required (ID, etc.) Be especially careful if your child is crossing borders and only one birth parent is on the trip.
• You never know when a case of chicken pox will change your plans: check cancellation fees, and fees for changing dates; travel insurance is always recommended.

Budget

One of the pluses about cruises for families is that so much is included: meals, kids' programs activities, entertainment but don't forget to budget for:

• Tipping policy - ask about the common practice for your ship.
• Soft drinks - we recommend you buy a "soda package" as these drinks are typically not free.
• Shore excursions - be aware, though, that it's often possible to explore on your own rather than signing up for tours.
• Infant care - there is a charge for baby-stting services

Baby on Board?

First and foremost, check the minimum age required to sail. It varies from as young as 12 weeks (Disney) to 4 months old (Carnival), to 6 months old (Princess) and even 6 years old (Windjammer).

Disney Cruise Line is hard to beat for babies, offering a full-service Little-Mermaid-themed nursery at sea (for ages 12 weeks - 3 years old) complete with a boatload of toys and special porthole windows for parents to peek at their children (price: $6 per hour for the first child, $5 per hour for the second, minimum of 2 hours). Even if you don't need the nursery, Disney provides parents with everything from Diaper Genies, cribs and strollers, to milk and fresh pureed vegetables delivered right to your cabin.

Another baby-friendly line is Cunard, with a nursery for children age 1 and up. Plus, Carnival and Norwegian offer children under 2 the opportunity to play in the playroom when accompanied by a parent.

In some cases, cruise ships will loan out key baby equipment, such as bouncy seats, cribs, strollers, books and toys. Check with the line you choose to see which of the above they provide.

Children's Programs

Is it important to you to have a pager while your child is in the youth program? Carnival, Disney, NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean provide pagers for parents; other lines have you sign your children in and write down where you expect to be on the ship.

One of the great things about these programs is that your children get to hang out with others their age and do cool kids' stuff for as little as one hour to several hours a day, depending on your family's preferences. It also gives you a chance to hit the gym, attend a cooking class or read a book at an adults-only spa pool for a bit.

Here are a few important strengths and weaknesses to consider when sizing up the programs:

• Age Groupings: Some cruise lines (Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean) group children in only two- to three-year spans (for example: 2- to 5-year-olds, 6 - 8, etc.). Others have broader groupings (for example: ages 3 - 7, 8 - 12, and 13 - 17, which is the case on Holland America, Princess and Crystal). If you have a bashful 3-year-old, he or she might feel intimidated in group activities with older children and prefer being in a program that offers a 2- to 5-year-old group, whereas a 12-year-old who thinks she's going on 20 might feel too cool to be hanging out with youngsters, and be better suited amongst the 12- to 14-year-old set.
• Not toilet trained: You should be mindful that the cruiselines policies are very different in this area - It is against Royal Caribbean's (and Celebrity's) regulations to allow children in who are not "completely toilet-trained to participate." However, on Carnival and Norwegian this is not an issue since parents have the option of enrolling 2-year-olds in their programs (Norwegian will beep a parent when it's diaper-changing time). And younger toddlers are allowed in to play when accompanied by a parent.
• Tweeners and Teens: Several cruise lines now offer at least some of the following for teens: teen-only hot tubs, private sunbathing decks with pool, teen nightclubs and even spa services tailored to teens (Carnival and select Princess ships). Depending on your teen's level of independence you'll want to look at the type of supervision, if any, that exists and whether or not teens are broken down into smaller groups with activities geared to the younger 13- to 15-year-old set. A few unique offerings for teens include Princess's special evening for teens to have dinner together in the main dining room complete with photographs and a group night out at one of the line's stage shows.

Babysitting services

If you'd like to hit the casino or head to a show sans kids a night or two, a line's babysitting policy will be high on your priority list. Certain lines prohibit in-cabin babysitting (Carnival and Princess) and instead offer a slumber party type of atmosphere in their children's center (not the best situation for younger children). Other lines (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian and Crystal) allow you to hire sitters that come to your cabin.

Top tip: head to the front desk on arrival day and ask about the experience of the sitters (many aren't from the children's programs) and if they're English speaking (if that's your preference). Then schedule your in-cabin sitting times for the week so that you'll have the same person throughout the cruise. Pricing typically ranges from $5 per hour to over $12 an hour, depending on the cruise line and the number of children you have.

Cabin Comfort

Fortunately, there are now a wide variety of options to fit all budgets. Carnival, for example, has some of the largest standard cabins in the industry, accommodating up to four people. Disney offers a unique setup with a floor-to-ceiling drape to close off a portion of the room, and two bathrooms (one with a tub, which is hard to come by in the majority of cruise cabins).

And while Royal Caribbean's standard cabins are a bit on the small side for a family of four, their family staterooms can accommodate up to six people; their multi-room family suites, eight. In addition, most of the major lines offer balcony cabins, which give parents a private place to relax and talk with each other after the kids have gone to sleep. Be sure to compare the cost (and bedding configuration) of having two adjoining staterooms vs. a family suite; pricing varies by cruise line and sailing.

Dining

For family meals, consider whether your children can cope with an hour-and-a-half dining room experience without your having to skip out on dessert? If not, you might prefer lines like Carnival (24-hour pizza and ice cream); Royal Caribbean's Voyager class (with their Johnny Rockets restaurants); or Norwegian, Princess or Disney, which offer a different type of family-friendly dining almost every night of your cruise.

Itinerary Insights

Take a look at how many days of your cruise are spent in port and at sea. For some, several days at sea are preferable (Carnival cruisers), whereas others prefer to see as many places as possible. A popular port call with families are the private islands owned and operated by cruise lines like Disney, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian and Holland America. Frequently these islands offer a safe environment for exploration and an extension of their children's programs on land.

In addition, parents of young children may want to look for itineraries with port calls where the ship can dock right at the island and they can stroll off, as opposed to waiting in line to load wiggly tots and strollers onto tender boats.

Choosing the best cruise for your family is a lot more complicated than it used to be. Some ships are better for infants than others, and ditto for teens, and not all itineraries are created equal (Alaska and Caribbean are super destinations that tend to be kid-friendly). Add to the mix the fact that ships vary greatly not just from line to line but within fleets - and that some are better than others in terms of onboard accouterments (we tend to recommend cruise lines' newer ships because these vessels' facilities were designed for families, not just adapted).