Cruising with kids

Just like with adults, you want to find the best match in a cruise for the kids. Some Cruise Lines specialize in programs for children to draw lots of families. Other lines are better for the adult crowd. You’ll have to do some research to find the best Cruise Line for your kids. Some Cruise Lines will have more for small children, while others will cover the full range of ages. Use the questions below as a guide to help you find the best cruise for your children.
Do the Cruise Line’s brochures and web pages look as if they were designed to attract families?
Do you see items on the ship’s menu your child will enjoy eating?
Do they have a children’s menu available at each meal?
What types of activities do they have planned for children?
Will the special services and events for children be available whenever I wish to cruise or are they only limited to a certain time of the year?
Does the ship have a pool just for children?
Will they show any movies or have special entertainment appropriate for children?
Will you visit any ports of call your children will find interesting?
Do they have any shore excursions designed to be fun for kids?
What types of discount programs are available for children?
How old can my children be and still be eligible for the children’s discount?
Are discounts available for the 3rd and 4th passengers in my cabin?
Are cots or cribs available?
Can I book adjoining cabins?
What is the minimum age limit for a passenger?
Does the ship have a dedicated child care center or playroom?
Does the ship have a dedicated teen center?

What should you know about the ship’s child care or teen center
Are there any requirements on placing a child in the center, such as they must be potty trained, present certain vaccination certifications or meet certain age parameters?
Are children’s areas supervised?
What is the caregiver to child ratio in the children’s areas?
What qualifications and training does their childcare staff have to meet?
Are criminal and other background checks done on their staff?
Is the staff trained to perform CPR on children and infants?
Are they insured?
What security measures are used when children are picked up from the center?
What are the hours, cost and restrictions for these centers?
Do they have guardrails available on bunk beds?
Do they have babysitting services available?
What are the hours and costs for the babysitting service?

Can your whole family fit in one cabin
That depends on how many there are in your family and how close you want to be. Most ships have two person cabins that can be booked with a 3rd and 4th person. But find out the square footage of the cabin, and see if you want to fit everyone into that space. Remember that you’ll still only have one small bathroom.

Which meal seating should you schedule
That depends on how many there are in your family and how close you want to be. Most ships have two person cabins that can be booked with a 3rd and 4th person. But find out the square footage of the cabin, and see if you want to fit everyone into that space. Remember that you’ll still only have one small bathroom.
Check out the Cruise Line’s web page for menus.
Find out if the ship serves items that your child will want to eat.
See if the ship has a child’s menu available at each meal?
Don’t forget to pack plenty of formula if you are bringing an infant.

What should you do if you are traveling with an infant
Check with the Cruise Line’s minimum age requirements.
Pack the diapers and the formula.
Strollers can be difficult to use on the ship, but you’ll still need them on shore excursions.
A baby pack will work the best on land and sea.
Check to see if rental cribs are available for the cabins.

What documentation will you need for your children
They usually need the same type of documentation you are required to have. If you need a passport or visa, so will they.
If a child is traveling out of the country with only one of the child’s parents, you may have to provide written permission from the other parent that the child may leave the country. You’ll probably need a notarized statement from the other parent, but you’ll want to check with the Cruise Line for their policy on this matter.

How can you find out if your child will need a passport or visa for their trip
travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html
The U.S. State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Foreign Entry Requirements web page. This site lists the entry requirements of foreign countries. It also includes the addresses and telephone numbers of foreign embassies and consulates in the United States. This web site is a good starting point, but since the information presented is subject to change, you should also check directly with the embassy or consulate of the country you a planning to visit.
www.state.gov/www/travel/consular_offices/fco_index.html
The U.S. State Department’s Foreign Consular Offices web page. This site contains an updated listing of contact information for foreign countries’ consular offices in the United States.

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