The first thing that comes to mind when talking about cruising is the people wearing summer dresses while holding binoculars and sunbathing from the ship’s balconies. It is very rare that cruise trips provide facilities and activities that cater to the children passengers. For the adults, leisure sea trips with the kids can be a real trouble to deal with unless you decide to take them along in some kid friendly cruises.
What are kid friendly cruises?
Kid friendly cruises are those leisure sea trips that are basically designed for the younger passengers. On-board facilities such as nurseries and activity rooms are duly provided to make sure that the kids are well-kept while the adults enjoy some private time. Cruise liners such as Disney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival have child-specific programs to give them the best entertainment and relaxation on a relatively adult atmosphere.
To make the most of parent-children bonding moments, some kid friendly cruises have also devised on-board learning sessions in areas like arts and crafts, sports and cooking. On the other hand, hyperactive broods can keep themselves physically challenged with rock-climbing facilities and ice-skating rinks. The destinations for child-friendly cruises are always highlighted to give the best tour stop packages for the family. European cruises are great for going educational, while trips to the Carribean are ideal for the adventurous broods. Most of the family bonding is achieved off the ship.
Traveling with babies on board is not a piece of cake for most parents. Unlike when you are taking along kids ages 3 and up, it seems like having the even smaller ones complicates the whole trip for you. Babysitting is a task that you want to forget for a while during these leisure trips, and you can’t simply run away from this responsibility. From time to time, you need to check how your little broods are doing for the rest of the trip. This would often mean sacrificing the best experiences on board such the nightlife just to prepare the milk or change the diapers. Kid friendly cruises address these babysitting blues through a dedicated system of childcare facilities and services. They have these impressive in-cabin babysitting services that are available starting from 8 am until 1 am. Drop-off programs are also provided to give the parents an ample time to be alone, especially during the events in the evening.
Kid friendly cruises are not limited to childcare facilities. In fact, they have also developed menus that are great for dining with the often-picky little customers. They are carefully planned to provide meals that will whet the appetite of the children. Even the ones that are barely a year old can be sitted for a family dinner with the aid of high chairs.
Another great offer that parents can find in most kid friendly cruises is the benefit of having an extra bed or a crib for use by the little ones. There is indeed nothing more pleasurable than a good night’s sleep on a cruise—simply without the hassles of fixing the kids to their beds. This service is often available by request, although some liners can arrange for it once you book for a travel and ask for a kid friendly cruises.