Monday, April 1, 2024

Family Cruises: The Ultimate Family Vacation

best cruise for toddlers

However even if your ship does not allow two year olds in cruise kids club they may have hours where parents may take their toddlers to go and use the facilities supervised. My advice is to either wait until after your toddler is potty trained to cruise or ensure you cruise on a ship with a splash pad designed for very young children. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Splash Academy youth program features a Guppies area for kids from six months up to age three, providing sensory play activities and games for parents and kids to enjoy together.

Family Friendly Cruises for Kids

No other Norwegian Cruise Line ships offer private or group babysitting services for children under three years of age. Children must be at least six months old when they embark on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. For voyages with three or more consecutive days at sea, the minimum age requirement is at least one year old at the time of sailing. On port days, at least one parent/legal guardian must accompany their child under supervision.

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If you are cruising with kids, then you’ll want to stay in the more touristy spots near the ship and popular attractions. As a rule of thumb, the more off-the-path your destination is, the less likely it is to cater to families. So, for instance, it’s less likely to have changing tables or places to entertain kids. Stick with the more touristy spots and you’ll likely have all the comforts you would expect of back home. Are you used to sleeping in your room while your child sleeps in another? It’s one thing to hear your kid cry through a baby monitor set at low volume.

Sports, games, physical activities

The Sea Bird is a small ship, so naturally accommodations were small, but we enjoyed the limited number of passengers and ability to know crew and staff. He had drinks in place in the morning and then different drinks for lunch and dinner. He asked us about our adventures at night - that was appreciated. Loved having [guide] Mark along on the trip - he was so knowledgeable and really inspired the kids on all the walks we went on with him.

Royal Caribbean kids club: A guide to Adventure Ocean - The Points Guy

Royal Caribbean kids club: A guide to Adventure Ocean.

Posted: Sat, 11 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

If you're booking a multigenerational family cruise for 2024 or beyond, you will definitely want to keep this kid-friendly cruise ship in mind. Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line we went on with our baby and I have to say we loved our experience. And while Royal Caribbean does not offer in-room babysitting on any of its ships, it does offer nursery babysitting for children aged 6 months to 36 months.

Princess Cruises Kids’ Club

In other words, if you’re the parent of a small child and plan to bring them, you’re still going to have lots of time watching them. If you’re interested in this sort of family cruising, then we’d suggest Royal Caribbean as the top pick. Booster seats are not available for families, so you will need to bring your own. Stores have a limited supply of diapers if needed, but availability isn’t guaranteed. Three intersecting cabins can be joined to accommodate 10 passengers.

best cruise for toddlers

In most cases a child needs to be at least six months old before they are allowed to board the ship. There are some trips where a child must be at least one year old before they can sail. This includes sailings over long distances with more than two consecutive days at sea. Modern cruise ships all have an arcade tucked away that’s perfect for the kids to have some fun on their own — or with mom and dad.

Understand the Muster Situation with Kids

Cribs are available free of charge and will automatically be added to a reservation at the time of booking (when specifying an infant's place). Cot sheets are pure cotton and are changed several times during the cruise. As part of the Lego partnership, there's a fun "Meet the Sailor Mascot" event and passengers can buy branded products onboard. The complimentary baby and toddler amenities are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

What Makes a Cruise Line Ideal for Kids & Families?

Instead, look for a swim shirt that covers up most of a kid’s torso, leaving just face and arms to sunscreen. Not only is it easier than having to lotion everywhere, it’s also more foolproof and quicker. Say you do run out of diapers…or wipes…or formula, or anything else that a kid might need. Don’t worry, while you might not be able to get some right away, most ports of call have a small pharmacy or store within them that sell these types of items. Chances are you still get up at least once or twice to soothe your kid while they sleep.

If you are planning a long excursion without many points to take a break, then you might want to reconsider your plan. If you have a kid with a lot of energy, then you will be happy to know they should sleep very well after a long day in the heat. Older kids (usually 12+) can check themselves in and out without a parent so they can come and go as they please. If any toys go into a child’s mouth, they are thrown into a “yuck bin” for sterilization before becoming available to another child.

I’ve been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, so I have first-hand experience on how each cruise line’s amenities, activities, entertainment, food and more. I also spent hours researching everything you need to know about each cruise line, from the ships themselves to the offerings available for each. To make sure all types of families and their needs are covered, I chatted with our parent editors, who vouched for a few of these cruise lines on the list. Norwegian Encore has a more grown-up vibe than many of the family-focused ships on our list, but its onboard attractions make it a huge hit with teens. Its top decks lure older kids with one of the biggest go-kart tracks in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet and an open-air laser tag arena ideal for shooting matches under the stars.

Head to the pool and you’ll see the guards keeping an eye on things. And nearby you’ll find racks of different sized life jackets. They are free to use; just find one that fits and put it on. Even if your kid thinks he is a good swimmer, a life jacket — and keeping watch — isn’t a bad idea. Cruise pools usually don’t have a shallow end and if the ship is moving, the water can surge back and forth making it more difficult for smaller kids to swim. No need to bring the Pack-and-Play, cruise lines have cribs that they can put in your room.

Age-appropriate activities include arts and crafts, outdoor play, songs and stories, and themed days, such as Wild West Day, Under the Sea Day and Sports Day. Camp Ocean, Carnival's kids club, welcomes children as young as two in its free drop-off Penguin group, which is dedicated to two- to five-year olds. Kids don't need to be potty trained (the industry standard is three years and toilet trained), but parents do need to supply diapers and wipes. What to feed a toddler on a cruise ship can be worrisome for parents of picky eaters.

On NCL Epic, "Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical" is a great inclusive musical option for kids of all ages. Epic, Breakaway and Getaway also have two-bedroom family villas, which are cruise ship rooms for six people. The Reef, the main kids' club, is divided into rooms for each age group with brightly adorned spaces filled with fun activities and age-appropriate toys. Activities might include music time, Mini Olympic Games and a ‘Meet the Mascot' Doremi baby event. There is no fee for the service, which is available on Lirica-, Meraviglia- and Seaside-class ships on port and sea days and on sea days only on the rest of the fleet. Unopened, prepackaged (not homemade) baby food can be brought onboard, and pureed fruits and vegetables can be requested in the main dining room or via room service.

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