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Family cruising is enjoying a wave of popularity. There’s good reason. Cruise lines now feature a cornucopia of family fun, including sports, water slides, art activities, planetarium shows, disco parties, pizza fests, ice skating, youth Olympics, rock climbing, scavenger hunts, wildlife exploration and much more.
Family travel is on an upsurge, according to the Travel Industry Association, with one in four household trips-or more than 170.1 million- including children under 18.
Here are some tips and trips for the ultimate family cruise:
Family Cruise Tips:
• Be sure the kids’ programs are operating on the dates of your trip.
• Check the size and location of the cabin, and the guardrails on the bunks.
• Some ships have cabins that can sleep five; some have adjoining cabins; some give special rates for a second cabin for teens.
• Check required documentation for your children (ID, etc.).
• You never know when illness might hit your household and change your plans, so check cancellation fees and fees for changing dates. Trip-cancellation insurance may be worth the price.
Recommended Cruise Lines for the Entire Family:
• Disney Cruise Line
As you’d expect, families will find special facilities and activities with Disney Cruise Line, all beautifully executed. There’s an entire deck for kids, with a large staff, age-specific programs, and hands-on activities.
Let your dreams set sail on a new kind of Disney vacation. Families with children or grandchildren of all ages. But, like the Disney parks themselves, the new line has designed its cruises to appeal to adults without children too. It's a Disney product for kids of all ages.
• Royal Caribbean International
There are a number of fun and educational complimentary programs including Adventure Ocean, a program for ages 3 to 12 and teens from 13 to 17 with special meals and play areas. The program has supervised activities for day and night. It includes educational entertainment programs and special menus.
Royal Caribbean International's philosophy remains consistent: Offer every imaginable activity, to every conceivable destination on majestic vessels. They think of everything, from romantic moonlight dances to on board ice-skating, from outrageous comedy to on board rock climbing. Once you embark on an adventure with them you'll understand why a Royal Caribbean cruise is "Like No Vacation On Earth".
• Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival will host 525,000 kids this year on its “Fun Ships.” These vessels offer parties, special performances by entertainers, ship tours for kids and teen shore excursions, face painting, scavenger hunts, talent shows, photography workshops, art classes and water slides.
This cruise line is especially recommended for first-time cruisers who want an active, high-energy, party atmosphere; young singles and couples; young-at-heart of any age; those who enjoy the flash and Las Vegas glitz or similar ambiance.
• Celebrity Cruise Line
Kids feel right at home on these cruises. The Celebrity X-Club Youth Program has age-specific activities and entertainment for each age group. Science and nature exploration, talent shows, treasure hunts, children's dinner parties, slumber parties and a lot more are all arranged by professional staff. Favorite areas of the ship are set aside for the younger seafaring set only, like the Shipmates Fun Factory, teen center and pools. When the ship is docked, adults have the option of going on cultural tours by themselves without bored children tagging along. And the children can enjoy vigorous, noisy activities without wearing out the parents. What a relief for both generations!
• Norwegian Cruise Line
On a Norwegian Cruise one can experience an unforgettable family vacation . From dodgeball to cupcake decorating, there are lots of activities all over our ships for every age group. Plus, kids can learn to juggle at Circus School in Splash Academy and teens have the coolest themed parties in Entourage – their complimentary youth programs. These are the moments you and the whole family will remember.
Whether your family is big or small, choose from multi-room Suites or interconnecting staterooms. All of Norwegian's ships have Family Mini-Suites, Balconies, Oceanviews and Inside staterooms and most of their ships have Two-Bedroom Family Suites conveniently located near the kids' area. So the little ones don't have to go far to play.
Recommended for first-time cruisers, active travelers of all ages who want an all-around fun vacation. Joiners. Repeaters and middle-income travelers who like entertainment and recreational variety of a large ship - but not as large as a megaliner. Those whose special interest relate to sports and music, particularly jazz and country. Those who vacation with their children.
• Holland America Line
Club HAL is Holland's youth program and was added as part of the Signature of Excellence program. With permanent, full-time directors and staff, parents can feel confident leaving their children to enjoy a full range of fun activities in a safe, age-appropriate environment. Club HAL offers the most elaborate children's areas of any cruise line. Children will find colorful surroundings, art tables, big-screen TVs, games, supervised Internet access, Sony Playstations, board games and a host of family events, including the Family Olympics.
Teens get their own hangouts as well. The Loft provides a lounge with the feel of a New York artist's loft. Filled with popular music and videos, Internet access, karaoke and more, teens can have a space all their own. The Oasis is yet another teen getaway with a teens-only sun deck, a nine-foot-high waterfall and cave, snack machines, sound and laser-light show, and more.
Recommended for those who enjoy cruise traditions and want a quality experience in a refined environment but like the facilities and range of choices available on new super liners. Small ship devotees open to trying a large ship. Former budget cruisers ready to move up to higher quality.