CFT Featured Article / November 2006

Holidays at Sea!  Cruising the Open Seas this Winter

Are you and your family looking for an original way to spend the holidays this year?  Why not take a family cruise?  Whether you’re interested in escaping the icy temperatures of winter or if you want to explore a winter wonderland, a cruise could be just the thing for you.  With countless destinations all over the world, there is something for every one!

 Cruises can provide your family with great entertainment, an abundance of food, much-needed relaxation and a chance to visit several destinations.  Cruising offers the unique experience of not having your children constantly asking, “are we there yet?” as the journey between destinations is half the fun!

 There are different avenues to explore when choosing which cruise is right for you.  You may find it easier to choose a cruise based on the port of departure or destination.  With so much choice out there, either way you make your decision, you won’t be disappointed.  When booking your cruise it’s best to book an assigned cabin, as opposed to a guaranteed room, and this will give you the exact layout of the room.  With a guaranteed room it will be the same size but the layout may be a bit different and this could prove to be a problem if you’re traveling with a child who can’t sleep on an upper bunk.  Speaking of upper bunks… most, if not all cruise lines do not provide safety rails.  If you are traveling with toddlers you may want to bring a collapsible bed rail with you. 

 Many of the major Cruise Lines cater to families and provide cabins large enough to accommodate a family of five.  Some of these are individual cabins and suites and some are interconnecting rooms.  If you have younger children (or even older children) it might be wise to bring a baby monitor with you for peace of mind. 

 Norwegian Cruise Line www.ncl.com offers cabins suited to larger families.  They also provide a Kid’s Crew program for children from the age of 2 and up.  This is nice as many other cruise lines only offer the youth programs to children aged 3 and older and must be toilet-trained.  Norwegian Cruise Line’s staff will not change diapers but do provide you with a pager so you can be notified if your little one needs a change.  They can also provide group babysitting for $5 and hour and $3 an hour for an additional sibling.  They don’t offer any private child minding in the staterooms. On some of the NCL ships, there is a Kid’s Café to provide kids with what they want to eat.  They even have pint-sized chairs!

 Carnival Cruise Line www.carnival.com also offers accommodation suitable for families. Camp Carnival is a fun place for children aged 2-5 years old.  Children do not need to be toilet-trained and parents simply need to provide the staff with diapers and toiletries.  Carnival also has strollers available for rent on all of their ships, so it eliminates the need to carry yours along!

 The Disney Cruise Line  http://disneycruise.disney.go.com offers children all the magic of Disney, at sea!  Children can cruise with all their favorite Disney characters.  In Flounder’s Reef Nursery, children 12 weeks to 36 months can be taken care of in a safe, soft play area.  Parents are given beepers to keep in contact, if there is a concern.  Space is extremely limited so reservations should be made well in advance.  Disney’s Oceaneer Club is available for kids aged 3-7 years old.  Mickey’s Pool is the perfect kids to splash around and with exciting live shows, children will think this cruise was booked just for them. 

 Royal Caribbean Cruises www.royalcaribbean.com offers many different age-appropriate activities for children.  On many of the Royal Caribbean ships, you will find Aqua Baby services for babies from 6-36 months, which is comprised of 45-minute sessions and full of educational activities.  However, a parent or caregiver must accompany their child.  From the age of 3 years old, children can participate in the Adventure Ocean program.  However, children must be toilet-trained to have access to the Adventure Ocean program, as well as, use of the pools and whirlpools.  Private or group babysitting is available for an additional fee and should be reserved in advance upon boarding the ship.

 Princess Cruise Line www.princess.com offers interconnecting cabins capable of sleeping up to eight people on their Grand, Golden and Star Princess lines.  Children aged 3-7 can participate in activities in the “Princess Pelicans” group and children aged 8-12 the “Shockwaves” group.  Princess Cruise Line does offer kid sitting in the evening and for port days for children aged 3-12 years old.

 Celebrity Cruises www.celebritycruises.com has loads to offer your family.  They have a five-tiered Celebrity X-Club Youth Program to keep kids of all ages happy.  The Toddler Time program is for children under three but must be accompanied by parent or caregiver.  Ship Mates is for children aged 3-6 and children must be toilet-trained.  Pagers are also given to parents to keep them connected.

 With the Holland America Cruise Line www.hollandamerica.com, the Staterooms and Suites are grand and there is plenty of room to accommodate a family of five, or even six.  In Club HAL, children from the age of 3 years old can participate in loads of age-appropriate activities.  Again, all children must be toilet-trained to participate in the youth programs. 

 So, why not try something different this holiday season and give cruising a go?  Just keep in mind, if you have little ones only a couple of cruise lines offer childcare for toddlers under the age of three and toilet training is required. Therefore, book early, choose wisely and set sail!