Family Cruise Primer

Family cruises have become increasingly popular, thanks to competitive pricing, a variety of itineraries and myriad onboard experiences that will please cruisers of any age. When deciding on a family cruise—especially if you are a first-time cruiser—do your homework. Not every ship is for every family. Be conscious of your expectations, concentrate on what your family will enjoy, and understand your options.

Cruise Ship Trends

In the past five years, the cruise industry has grown by more than 30 percent. This boost in popularity has been accompanied by a growth in the variety and breadth of activities available onboard. In addition to the ubiquitous miniature golf and basketball courts, newer, larger ships boast even more recreational activities.

The Freedom family of ships in the Royal Caribbean line offers wall climbing, ice skating, boxing rings, and endless wave machines. Some larger ships in the Norwegian line include bowling alleys and many Carnival ships offer multistory water slides.

• At Castaway Cay in the Bahamas, hungry stingrays gather for their first feeding of the day from cruise excursionists.
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Terry Dale, CEO and president of the Cruise Line International Association, adds that “a current trend is toward luxury spas with their own exclusive suite accommodations, sometimes with private decks and elevators. Shipboard enrichment programs are increasingly popular, from lectures by world-renowned experts to a broad range of educational classes and seminars, including cooking classes supervised by celebrity chefs.”

Ships of all sizes are also offering more variety in their dining experiences—and often that comes at an additional cost. Besides enormous main dining rooms, most mass-market cruise lines feature premier restaurants with first-class service and four-star cuisine. These luxury restaurants charge about $30 a person, and reservations must be made in advance.

• A waterslide is major fun aboard the Carnival Destiny.
• Mike Bowler

Increasingly, ships are offering premium brands and specialty foods onboard, but you’ll have to break our your wallet. Most Royal Caribbean ships sell Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on board, and many feature Johnny Rockets restaurants. Princess and Carnival ships offer sushi bars, pastry cafés, and premium coffees—also for extra fees.

Finally, thanks to the growing number of repeat cruisers looking for something beyond Alaska and the Caribbean, travelers are turning to more exotic itineraries. Cruises through Baltic and Mediterranean Europe—particularly France, Italy, Spain and Greece—are plentiful, and voyages throughout Asia and South America are quickly gaining popularity as well.

Fun-Packed Family Cruises

Although there are specific itineraries that are billed as “family cruises,” such themed vacations are generally one-time events and often coordinated jointly by the cruise lines and outside entities. (For example, Nickelodeon's first family cruise will run in August 2008 with Royal Caribbean.) Although these specialty cruises are sure to attract like-minded individuals, it’s difficult to count on finding one that suits both your schedule and your interests. Instead, look to standard cruises that offer myriad schedules, and choose your cruise line carefully.

• The Disney Magic cruise ship sits docked at a pier in Key West.
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• Disney: My hands-down favorite, Disney cruises offer the greatest number of quality activities for children, regardless of age. Costumed characters like Cinderella and Goofy roam the ship; and the Mickey Mouse trademark is evident throughout—from the enthusiastic approach to service, to the surprisingly sophisticated décor and the playful children’s menu (want Donald Duck waffles for breakfast?).
  

But Disney ships are more than just floating theme parks. Parents will appreciate the larger staterooms (most come with two bathrooms—a sink and toilet in one space and another sink and bath combination in another), superior nightly entertainment productions, a state-of-the-art spa, a dedicated movie theater that shows first-run movies 24 hours a day and a friendly staff that truly loves children. 

• Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean comes in a close second for kid-friendly activities in a relaxed, inviting atmosphere. This cruise line attracts a good number of families, too, especially during traditional school breaks—and the more children onboard, the more robust the children’s programs. Kids are grouped by age, and can either hang out and play with the latest in video equipment, board games and computers, or participate in organized activities like tie-dying T-shirts or cooking up their own gummy candy. Teenagers have a private club room, and they can come and go as they please for movies, video games and teens-only dance parties.