Tips for Cruising with a Family

There are many schools of thought about taking children on cruise ships. Some think you should not and others think they make a great family holiday. Personally, I have been cruising with my son since he was 6 and we have all really enjoyed our cruises.

If you are taking kids, then there are some guidelines to follow and things to be aware of.

1. Book well in advance. You want to know what cabin you are getting and its size and location to make the trip easier. Choose a more mid ship cabin as cabins near the front or back can lead to more walking to get to eating and entertainment areas.
2. Choose your cruise line carefully. Look at the facilities on-board for children. Do they run kids clubs and if so how late do they run and are they suitable for the age groups of your children? Have they got entertainment for them, like amusements, games rooms, Consoles etc…

3. In the cabin have you got access to kids TV programs, movies etc incase you just want to chill out or wind down after a busy day.

4. Bring things with them like portable games, ipods etc with ear phones so they don’t disturb fellow passengers

5. Choose your itinerary carefully. It is not just about the ship and its facilities. Where is the ship docking? Will there be things for you and the kids to do at the ports of call. If not choose a different itinerary.

6. Make sure you choose a couple of excursions geared just for the kids to keep everyone happy.

7. If they have them let your kids have their mobile phones on-board and or a camera. They are great for capturing memories from their prospective and a great way of keeping tabs on them if you have the right package for this. Cruise ships are huge and it is easy to get dis-orientated and lost.

8. If you are taking very small children who are not toilet trained check the policies of the cruise line you are thinking of travelling with as many do not allow children in nappies to go in the pools and this can ruin a holiday if you are not aware of it.

9. If your child is a fussy eater make sure you choose a cruise line with a good buffet as this will probably make meal times less complicated than eating in the main restaurant. Also, make sure you let the cruise line know about any dietary needs or allergies in advance as this will avoid problems on-board and cruise lines are usually good at dealing with special diets. Along the same lines, you may wish to check out the soda packages for kids. This way they can get themselves drinks whenever they want without running up huge bills as they are usually good value for money.

10. Children usually make new friends easily on a cruise. Just take a few minutes to meet them and talk to the parents if you can just for your own peace of mind and make sure they tell you where they are going in case you need to find them in an emergency.

Finally, and this is not a tip, make sure you don’t lose sight of the reason you are on the ship. Relax and enjoy the time as a family and on your own whilst the kids are being occupied and have a great time.