Family Cruises: Information, Tips, Reviews

• Pick the right cabin. This involves more than just deciding about price and number of beds or even whether you’ll spring for a balcony (which I highly recommend). If you or anyone in your party is prone to seasickness, carefully consider cabin placement. Cabins close to the front or back of the ship, or on higher floors, increase the amount of motion you’re likely to feel. To minimize the chance of motion sickness, cruise specialist Rae Ann Wright of Carefree Vacations in Encinitas, Calif., advises, “For the unsalted sailor, look for the middle of the middle of the ship.” It’s also important to be able to see outside to minimize motion sickness; if this is an issue for you, make sure you avoid inside cabins with no view whatsoever.
  
  If you are a light sleeper, check the ships’ map to make sure you secure a cabin that is far enough away from busy elevators and night spots like theaters, discos and bars. Finally, steer clear of cabins near public restrooms. I’ve been on more than one ship in which these smelled for the duration of the cruise.

Downsides to Cruising

Before handing over a hefty cruise deposit, be aware of a few downsides to family cruising:

• Babies under 3 months old are not permitted on most mainstream cruise ships; some lines set the cutoff age at as much as 12 months—and even then require a physician’s written permission for babies to sail. In addition, most cruise lines prohibit pregnant women beyond their 24th week from sailing.

• Swimmers are dwarfed by the massive Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas docked at its first port-of-call.
• independentman

• Children must be 3 years old and toilet trained to be left at any onboard kids’ program. There are in-cabin babysitting services for younger children, but it comes at an additional cost.

• Loud-speaker announcements are made throughout the day in public areas on the ship and sometimes are piped into cabins, which might wake up napping kids (or their parents).

• Space is at a premium, even a generously proportioned stateroom, and although there are enough closets and drawers to store clothing (provided you don’t overpack—read our How to Pack for a Cruise article), there simply isn’t enough room to store all toys, books and games. Bring a very few favorite items, but realize that too much kid paraphernalia will quickly overwhelm your stateroom.

• A young boy is all smiles when he and his family disembark to explore the port.
• Marc Levin

• Most cruise lines have assigned table seating, usually for 8 to 12 people, although cruise lines (like Norwegian and Princess) offer independent dining, which allows you to eat what you want and with whom. This means there is a chance you will be seated with folks who may not want to be around your children—or who you may not want your children to be around.
  

On a cruise through the Panama Canal, my family was seated with an older gentleman who paid our daughter unwanted attention; he likely meant no harm, but he made her extremely uncomfortable. (If you do end up sitting with people who aren’t suitable, talk to the maître d’ immediately; in our case, the staff set up a separate table, in another part of the dining room, so that we could dine alone.) 

• Don’t let the relaxed mood lull you into a false sense of security. Although crime is not common onboard cruise ships, it does exist. Public decks are monitored well and generally have video surveillance, but less-trafficked corridors leading to staterooms are not. It is tempting to let the kids have the run of the ship, but insist they stay in public areas, and keep a good eye on them.