Little Captains — Preparing Kids for a Cruise

There are several reasons why you’d want to go on a cruise holiday with the family. You can choose from a range of destinations, on-board entertainment and activities are plentiful and nearly everything is included in the fare. As a result, there’s no need to make travel and accommodation arrangements or worry about where you’re going to eat and drink each day.

Little Captains — Preparing Kids for a Cruise

Most operators cater for the wants and needs of all those families who are adventurous enough to board a ship. Operators like Royal Caribbean, for instance, offer dining options for both young and old, teenager clubs and nurseries. But before embarking on a holiday to remember, don’t forget these helpful tips.

When it’s just a thought

Pick a family-friendly cruise — Some cruise operators have minimum age requirements for passengers. There may also be rules about how old kids have to be to use the swimming pool or take part in activities, so double check the finer details.

Choose accommodation wisely — Even though you’ve probably got a budget, your choice of accommodation could make or break the holiday. You’ll probably want to be nearer young ones while teenagers could do with the extra space. Some cabins only come with a shower and not a bathtub, so be aware of this too.

The build up

Get the kids excited (but not worked up!) — Your children are more likely to have a better time if they know a bit about the ship and destination before leaving. Show your kids some pictures or tell them about the activities and entertainment on board.

Pack specifically for children — Remembering to pack your kids’ favorite clothes and toys is fairly obvious, but think about things like wet wipes, toilet paper, snacks, books, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect spray, seasickness tablets, and earplugs, too. Those aren’t as obvious!

Once you’re on board that ship!

Sign up for clubs and activities — Spending quality time with each other is important, but signing your kids up to a supervised club enables you to relax and unwind. Thankfully, they’re bound to have a great time too. You may also want to join a shore excursion, but remember to take it slowly. Kids can get restless and tired easily.

Stick to your regular schedule — Try to get out of bed at a normal time each day and don’t let the kids stay up too late. Although you’re on holiday, sleepy or overactive children are difficult to deal with and could cause unnecessary stress.

With numerous benefits to this type of holiday and family-specific ships, there’s no reason why you can’t have the trip of a lifetime on a cruise. Travelling with kids is difficult and demanding, but stick to these tips and it’s so easy. Who dreads family holidays!

 

Image by flickrized, used under Creative Commons license.

27 thoughts on “Little Captains — Preparing Kids for a Cruise

  1. Michelle at Bod for tea

    I’ve never really considered taking the littles on a cruise but definitely agree with keeping them to some sort of routine while we’re on holiday – relaxing it a bit of course – there’s nothing worse than over-tired, fractious little ones when you’re meant to be having fun!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Captcha loading...