Cruises provide fantastic family holidays because both children and adults are properly taken care of on board. The largest Cruise ships include multiple large playrooms tailored to different age groups, each with its own age-appropriate toys, electronic gaming, furniture, and even facilities with small toilets and sinks, and all of these activities are overseen by trained staff. If you’re a parent of a small child who is excited to go on a cruise because it will give you plenty of free time to do your own thing. However, there are some tips you should know about before you go to ensure you all have the best time.
Before deciding on a cruise, do some in-depth research. Compare each cruise line’s pricing, stateroom size, family-friendly features, dining selections, activities, and more; P&O Cruises are a great place to look as they offer all of these things. Think about how many days you want to spend at sea, where you want to stop, and what kinds of excursions you want to do while you’re there. Researching everything first means everyone will be happy.
Let The Kids Help You Plan
Most kids, especially those in the pre-teen and teen years, will want to be part of the input from the whole family when deciding where to go and what to do on the trip. By accommodating some of their suggestions, the cruise will be more enjoyable for everyone in the family.
Talk About Safety
Before on a cruise with kids, it’s important to go over some ground rules with them. When travelling with older children, it is important to establish ground rules on their level of independence and expected level of participation in family activities. If you want your family to have dinner together every night, for instance, you should communicate this before boarding the ship.
Look Into Babysitting Options
Parents can easily schedule some alone time on a cruise while their children enjoy the ship’s kids’ programme. Take advantage of the opportunity to spend time together by scheduling a couple’s massage in the afternoon, going out to a romantic meal, or strolling around the deck as the sun sets. If you have children, you should inquire about childcare services before booking your trip to ensure you have adequate time and resources available.
Try The Kids’ Club Orientation Day
Bring your child to the ship’s kids club on the first day, even if you don’t think they will like it. On the day of embarkation, most cruise companies throw a party to introduce the kids to the camp they will be attending. This gives parents a chance to look around and gives kids a chance to meet new people. On the first night, kids start making friends, and it can be hard for shy kids to join in a day or two later when friendships have already been made.
Get A Big Enough Room
One thing that family-friendly cruises will offer, among other things, is the chance to get a stateroom that is big enough. You should have a room that is big enough for everyone, but small enough for family time. Extra bathrooms are also a good idea because two people sharing a bathroom is very different from a family of four or five people sharing a bathroom.
Give Yourself Time
If your cruise embarkation port is not conveniently located near your home, you should allow yourself an extra day before and after your voyage to get there and back. You don’t need the added pressure of missed flights or transfers.
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Clare
Hi, I'm Clare (Emmy's Mummy). A former Nanny and Mother of 2 - Emmy (born February 2010) and Harry (born October 2012). We are Essex based and share our adventures and misadventures of a busy crazy life.
