Taking a cruise vacation is different from your usual vacation destinations. Are your kids tired of going to water parks or amusement parks? If this is the case, then maybe your family is ready for a cruise. There are many family cruises available with the major cruise lines and your whole family is sure to find things to enjoy. A cruise ship represents a floating hotel, with fun activities, dining, entertainment and nightlife on board and has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Cruise ships offer easy, hassle-free family vacations. As families seek more kid-friendly budget vacations, taking a cruise fits the bill perfectly. Included in what you pay for the cruise is your accommodations, meals, entertainment and activities. You’ll find few out-of-pocket costs, making budgeting easy.
When planning your cruise vacation, you’ll need to decide what options you’d like to include, which may affect your choice of cruise line. In your vacation planning stages, be sure to include your children’s ideas to ensure there are activities they enjoy. Family cruises will allow you to spend quality time with your children away from the pressures of your daily life.
Cruise ships will have age-structured children’s activities with trained youth counselors and plenty of space dedicated to children’s areas. Most ships have one or more evening activities, which would free parents up for a romantic dinner, dancing, movies, and a trip to the casino if there’s one on board, or just a stroll on the deck. Some of the cruise lines have pagers that they give out so you can be contacted if needed.
Here are 5 popular cruise lines that highlight some of the creative activities and elements for younger kids that captivate restless tweens and teens.
On Holland America Line they have a youth program called Club Hal which divides youth activities into three age groups. For the 3-7 year old age group, they feature stories, crafts, ice cream parties and pirate scavenger hunts to name a few. For the 8-12 age group, they will compete in deck sporting events, scavenger hunts, disco and golf parties and much more. For young people from 13 to 17 years old, they receive special treatment in two spaces created especially for them. From The Loft they will enjoy a youth disco, karaoke sessions, video games, youth sports tournaments, card games, trivia contests, bingo, cinema and videos. The Oasis is the only terrace for teenagers. Here they can cool off in a 9-foot waterfall or kiddie pool, lounge in hammocks, or relax on loungers. (The Oasis is not available on all Vista-class ships.)
On Carnival’s “fun ships,” the Camp Carnival program is divided into three specific age groups: toddlers ages 2-5, juniors ages 6-8, and intermediates ages 9-11. Activities include storytelling, finger painting, board games, outdoor fun, kids’ dance parties, make-your-own-pizza parties and much more.
Circle “C” is the best place for kids ages 12-14. Cool activities, awesome facilities, and lots of great new friends to add to your text mailing lists. The activities (thinking games, dance parties, outdoor movies and more) are supervised and created just for them.
For teens ages 15-17, the place to be is Club 02. Teens can hang out with their friends and watch a movie, listen to the latest music, play video games, or join karaoke sessions. They even host teen-only shore excursions so young adults can enjoy the sights and sounds of our beautiful harbors with their peers.
On Disney Cruise Lines, passengers ages 3 to 7 will interact with Disney characters in the Oceaneer Club. Here they can dance with Snow White, play some of Peter Pan’s favorite games, test their detective skills with investigators from Goofy’s Gum Shoe, team up with Professor Goo to create a squishy green goo that looks just like “Flubber.”
The Oceaneer Lab is for children ages 8-12. Discover a giant video wall with wireless controllers, private listening rooms with state-of-the-art equipment, flat screen computers loaded with “family-rated” software, entertainment programs and activities you won’t find anywhere else.
The Aloft is the ultimate hangout for ages 13-17 at the Disney Wonder. Here is a place where you can relax alone or with friends, escape with music or a movie, sing and dance, or talk and play. Teen-only spaces on Disney ships have large-screen plasma TVs, video games, a lounge area, internet cafe and more.
Princess Cruises offers youth and teen centers on nearly all of its ships. The exceptions would be the Princess of Tahiti and the Princess of the Pacific. Princess Pelicans is for kids ages 3-7 with activities including crafts, movies and cartoons, scavenger hunts, disco parties, sleepovers and much more.
Shockwaves is for kids ages 8-12 and attendees stay busy with arts and crafts, talent shows, behind-the-scenes tours, onboard Olympics, scavenger hunts, kids’ dance parties, pizza and ice cream parties and more. .
Remix is designed for teens ages 13-17 and offers a wide range of activities. Activities include sports competitions, karaoke and lip sync competitions, casino nights, movie nights, dance parties, hot tub parties and much more.
Royal Caribbean offers a five-tier Adventure Ocean program that is geared toward kids ages 3-17. Aquanauts ages 3 to 5 participate in activities such as storytelling, face painting, games, and drama. They can even play with bubbling potions and become certified Jr. Scientific Adventurers!
The Explorers program is for children ages 6-8 and is designed to combine educational activities with fun. Children can join parties, make kites and masks, learn about local customs, and even learn how to make jelly beans.
The Voyagers program is designed for children ages 9-11. Your favorite tweens can watch a variety of engaging and educational activities. They can take a backstage tour, play List-o-Rama, and even learn a new sport called gaga ball.
Teens ages 12-14 and 15-17 can see lots of great things on board, including games, sports, parties, and contests. And they have plenty of places you can go to hang out, like teen-only clubs and lounges.
Cruises have become very popular with families, and as you can see, cruise lines cater to that demographic. Enjoy a family cruise on your next vacation!