Family Cruising
Cruising as a family can be fun, enjoyable and educational. Whether traveling with children or without, choosing the
correct ship will determine if your vacation will be a
memorable experience or not.

Children’s Programs

Children’s programs offer all kinds of supervised activities for ages 2 years to 17 years. The cruise lines divide the children by age brackets and on some ships have dedicated facilities including separate pools, deck areas, and other spaces with toys, games, and computers.

For younger children, there is even the opportunity on some ships for them to eat lunch and dinner as part of the program.

The programs for kids can include sports such as volleyball and basketball games, pajama and pizza parties, talent shows, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, contests, movies and even a dedicated “disco” for teens. Some even have special shore excursions for the children.

When planning to take the family, you want a ship which has:
     A Dedicated Children’s Staff year round.
     A staff of professionals in child care or related areas.

Children’s programs are not day care or child care. They are programs in which children can participate. They are not mandatory and the children can leave with proper authorization (based upon age).

For the cruise lines which have dedicated staff year round, there is at least one staff member to twenty dedicated to children programs at all times.

Baby Sitting Services

Baby sitting services are available on many ships normally after 6 PM by staff which is finished working for the day. They are paid directly by the passenger based upon a set fee by the cruise lines. Staff that wish to do this can sign up at the Purser's Office. This is on a first come first serve system. Some ships have group babysitting in the evenings.

“Red Flags” to Watch Out For.

There is only a select number of cruise lines which have dedicated children’s programs, although many cruise lines claim to cater to children and families. All of the cruise lines desire your business but may actually have a limited amount of family oriented programs.

Be aware that a number of ships do not have many “Quad” cabins to accommodate families of four. Some also have children’s centers which double as a conference room and business center.

Some only have "Children’s Programs and Staff" onboard seasonally. This means that unless there are ample children onboard, there is no children's program. Seasonally also means that there is no dedicated staff that are trained and experienced for children’s programs. A dedicated staff member is able to make the cruise a more enjoyable experience and are on the ship for every sailing.

Don't guess. Let The Cruise Outlet help you find the perfect cruies that best suites your family.
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