When you are talking with your family about your next vacation together, why not consider a family cruise? There are many reasons why this would be not only a chance for kids to ride on a “big boat”, but cruises can provide great value for the money.

As if sailing on a huge ship the size of several football fields wouldn’t be exciting enough for your kids, cruises offer a lot of things to do on-board. From rock climbing and line dancing to cooking classes, trivia contests, and musical performances, one would have to try really hard to become bored.

Several questions you should ask yourself when planning a family cruise are:

1. What types of activities are offered for children? Are they a good fit for my child and his or her personality?

2. What is the child to counselor ratio? Is it sufficient to keep things fun and safe for my child while I leave them to participate in different activities? Are pagers available in case they need to find me when I am on a different part of the ship?

3. Are the children’s activities available daily during the time we wish to take our family vacation? Some cruise lines might only offer certain programs during the busy season.

4. What types of programs or activities are available for our family to participate in together?

5. What age groups are the activities broken down into? Will my kids want to do things together or separately?

6. If you are planning on vacationing with an infant or child under 3, check to see what types of nursery and babysitting services are provided. More frequently, the cruise lines are catering to those with babies and toddlers by providing certified and well-trained staff to help ease any separation anxiety mom or child might have.

Once you have figured out these basics, you can then look to the different cruise lines to see which is the best fit for your family’s vacation wants and needs.

Destinations

For some families, just being on board a large cruise liner is a fantastic and memorable experience. But others might be interested in where the ship is sailing. Prior to booking your trip, look over the ship’s sailing itinerary to see how many days are spent in port and how many at sea. Carnival spends more time sailing, while other liners like Disney, Princess, Holland America, and Norwegian all have privately owned islands where they make port calls.  Oftentimes, these islands are clean and offer a safe environment for beach play, snorkeling, parasailing, nature exploration, and other on-land organized  programs for the kids.

Note: Shore excursion tours are available for purchase from the cruise line from reputable tour operators. However, read the descriptions of each activity carefully and keep in mind the weather and activity level needed. If your little ones are already tired from a few days of on-board fun, hiking through a rain forest might make for some grumpy monkeys.

Activities

Depending on your child’s age and interests, you will want to compare a couple of different cruise lines to determine which is the best fit. Each cruise line offers the traditional activities with some unique features too. For example, on a Disney cruise, your child can learn about animation while Princess ships offer more educational programs such as photography classes, studying coral reefs or even dissecting a squid.  If you’ve seen their ads, you probably know that Royal Caribbean is a great choice for sports lovers as they have a rock-climbing wall, ice skating, golf, surfing, and basketball along with a health club.

For older kids and teenagers, several cruise lines offer things like teen-only hot tubs and private pool areas with a section for sunbathing, and teen night clubs. Imagine how independent your teen will feel being able to have fun in a setting that is specifically for them and their peers. They’ll have so much fun!

Tip: A daily bulletin is delivered to your room each evening so you can plan the next day’s events.

Room Options

Some rooms are more spacious than others, so ask your travel agent for specifics regarding size and to see a floor plan layout. Compare the cost of having 2 adjoining staterooms as compared to a family suite as the pricing might be more attractive that way. There is usually a charge for additional passenger rates if you add to the standard allowed for the family suite.

Some of the biggest standard rooms are found on Carnival cruises. They easily will accommodate up to four people.  Disney ships offer a setup where part of the room can be closed off with a floor-to-ceiling drapery. They also have two bathrooms, including a tub and not just a shower. This can be difficult to find on the other carriers. Norwegian Cruise Lines‘ “Pride of America” ship has a spacious 335 square foot family suite. It comes with a private balcony, living room, den, private bath and 2 televisions.

Most of the major cruise lines offer balcony cabins which are great because Mom and Dad can have a private place to relax without disturbing the kids while they sleep. This helps make the cabin feel more spacious too and is another way to enjoy the cruise without leaving your room.

Finally, some extra tips and things to consider:

• If you want to steer clear of the college-aged Spring Breakers, be sure to ask your travel agent before booking about whether or not your chosen ship will be full of a more lively crowd or not.

• If you are traveling during school holidays, there will be lots of kids on board. Most of the popular cruise lines are aware of this and have special promotions to entice families to sail during school breaks. Don’t expect your cruise during this time to be tranquil and serene. Your kids and everyone else’s will probably be very excited and energetic when they see all that a cruise ship has to offer.

• Set a daily budget for incidentals the kids might want for things that are an additional charge or for things from the gift shop.

• Many cruise liners offer a soda wrist band that allows unlimited soft drinks. For those with teenagers, this might prove to be especially economical.

• Read the brochure that comes with your tickets regarding the ship’s dress code and pack accordingly.

• Laundry service, while available, can be rather costly. Some ships do have laundrettes you could use to wash and dry while on vacation. Otherwise, consider packing enough clothes for the duration of your trip and doing the laundry once your return home.