According to the trade organization Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), an estimated 12.62 million passengers will sail on CLIA members' itineraries around the world in 2007. Interestingly, of those passenger numbers, more than 10.6 million are expected to come from North America, with 2 million more originating primarily in Europe. More to the point, over one million of these mariners will be children under the age of 18. Although half were aboard Carnival Cruise Lines, perhaps the outfit marketing most directly to families, you’ll be surprised at how many facilities and programs other companies have made available.
For instance, CLIA member lines have developed onboard programs that not only feature family together time, but also alone time for parents. “More than ever, people want to spend quality recreational time with their families,” said Terry L. Dale, CLIA’s president and CEO. Together, parents and kids can participate in mock game shows, story hours, basketball games, treasure hunts, pool games and make-your-own sundae sessions.
To ensure guilt-free alone time, most ships offer sophisticated, fun and entertaining supervised kids programs, though not always on a year-round basis. As ships become larger and larger (and the newest, largest ships have the most in family facilities), some even provide beepers so children’s counselors can contact parents at any time during the cruise. While kids partake of age-appropriate activities, adults take in the sun on deck, enjoy a massage for two in the spa or take an enrichment class. In the evenings, many lines offer babysitting services so that couples can enjoy a night of dining, dancing and gambling.
Family cruises can also offer value. “Since most everything is included in the cost of a cruise – accommodations, meals, entertainment, children’s activity programs and more – cruises combine great value with the chance for families to experience a spectacular vacation together,” adds Dale. Several lines feature accommodations that are tailor-made for families, including large staterooms with cordoned off sleeping quarters for parents, and inter-connecting cabins for families with older kids. The tiny four-person cabin with two pull-down upper berths may soon fade from early cruiser’s memory.
Line By Line: Family Facilities
Following is a listing of programs, amenities and facilities for children and families among CLIA member lines:
Carnival Cruise Lines
With the continued expansion of its family-friendly amenities, Carnival carried more than 525,000 children in 2006 – a 325% increase versus 11 years ago. Camp Carnival offers activities that divide children into age groups of 2-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-17, including new programs focused on reading, exercise, geography and science. Highly trained youth counselors operate in state-of-the-art facilities – some of which measure 4,200-square-feet. On several vessels children can also enjoy arts and crafts centers, with spin- and sand-art machines; cascading poolside slides; “activity walls;” indoor climbing mazes, and computer labs. Recent enhancements include the new fleetwide “Club 02” teen program developed with The Coca-Cola Company. Teens find expansive facilities in the heart of the action, a dedicated teen counselor, access to spa treatments, and exclusive shore excursions, no matter the ship. And staterooms are relatively spacious.
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity’s Family Cruising Program is designed with specific activities tailored to the interests and needs of four age groups: 3-6; 7-9; 10-12; 13-15 and 16-17. Each ship has a dedicated staff of eight to 12 youth counselors, including one supervisor and one lifeguard, who direct the youth activities. Counselors are trained in child psychology, child development, education and/or recreation. Celebrity Science Journeys, offered on every ship, encourage children to learn about science and nature in an engaging environment. Other program highlights include youth summer stock theater, junior Olympics, magic lessons, treasure hunts and clown parties.
Crystal Cruises
Many facilities aboard Crystal’s ships Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity were designed with young guests in mind. Fantasia has supervised activities, tables and chairs for board games, arts and crafts, giant padded cubes, Sony PlayStation kiosks, and large-screen televisions. Waves is a venue where teenagers can enjoy a video arcade. The line also offers Etiquette Training for Juniors, developed in conjunction with Gollatz Cotillion, whereby young cruisers learn how to handle themselves in a variety of social situations. During holidays and selected sailings, Crystal offers additional children’s activities under the supervision of experienced Junior Activities Directors in age-appropriate groups. Their Alaska itineraries are especially noteworthy because of the calibre of on-board naturalists.
Cunard Line
Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 have nurseries staffed by accredited British nannies. Aboard these British icons, kids can even participate in a dedicated Children’s Tea, served each afternoon. Queen Mary 2, one of the world’s largest liners, features age-appropriate programs for children in three groups: The Nursery provides cribs and cots for children ages 1-2 years; the Play Zone offers myriad activities for kids 3-6, including pizza parties, movie nights, and face painting; and for older children - ages 7 to 10-years - The Zone offers scavenger hunts, ship tours, quizzes, DJ booth, and Xboxes, among many other activities.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney’s recently renovated ships Disney Magic and Disney Wonder have nearly an entire deck dedicated to children ages 3-months to 17-years. Oceaneer’s Club, for kids 3-7, includes activities focused on Disney characters, who are on board for photo ops. Expect dances with Snow White, a Sebastian’s Musical Sea Search for instruments and splashy games on the line’s private island. Kids 8-12 can venture to “infinity and beyond” at the space and science-themed Oceaneer Lab. The Stack (Disney Magic) and Aloft (Disney Wonder) are lounges reserved for teens 13-17 with comfy couches, a soda bar, Internet access, plasma TVs, MP3 players and board games. No casinos here! Disney's family cabins are spacious with privacy curtains separating adults from the children's sleeping area, and an extra sink to make washing hands before dinner a breeze.
Holland America Line
Holland America Line’s Club HAL youth program features age-specific activities designed to provide kids and teens with entertaining choices – and parents with peace of mind knowing their children are having fun while being well supervised at the same time. Activities planned for children ages 5-8 might include arts and crafts, face-painting, camp-out night and candy bar Bingo. Tweens ages 9-12 might learn golf putting, have dance parties, compete in on-deck sports events, play arcade games and tie-dye T-shirts. Teens will enjoy the teen disco, dance lessons, arcade games, sports tournaments, play stations and movies. The line's new New York Times Cyber coffeeshops have become a favorite hangout for teens and grandparents.
MSC Cruises
Each of MSC Cruises’ ships feature a designated children’s area, and MSC Sinfonia also offers a Teen Club. Children are under the supervision of trained youth counselors who coordinate organized games, sports, arts and crafts, and special age-appropriate parties. Activities are organized by age group, with more activities planned during the holiday and summer vacation seasons when more children are sailing. The line’s ships offer suites (double, queen- or king-sized bed plus sofabed) that are able to accommodate as many as four people. MSC Lirica, MSC Opera, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Armonia also offer family-size suites consisting of two rooms.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line ships offer supervised programs (ages 2-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13-17) with a host of Kid’s Krew venues, including dining areas exclusively for kids, video arcade rooms and teen clubs. For the 2008 cruise season, NCL will be installing Nintendo's popular new Wii video game system based on motion detecting technology; the Wii will enable cruisers and kids to "bowl" against each other from various game kiosks onboard each ship. NCL America’s new vessel, Pride of America, features extensive recreational opportunities for kids, including 250 interconnecting cabins. The ship also has eight 360-square-foot suites with private balcony, living room with double sofabed and entertainment center, separate den with a single sofabed, and private bedroom with two twin beds. Four additional family suites feature two interconnecting cabins that sleep up to eight and include two separate bathrooms. Check out this line's great new Hawai'i itineraries, where ports of call are packed with volcanoes, beaches, surfing and other family activities, punctuated by short sails between the islands.
Princess Cruises
Princess Kids offers a wide range of activities for children in three age-specific programs (3-7, 8-12 and 13-17), with age-appropriate activities and often separate facilities. Most ships feature youth and teen centers that keep young sailors entertained with art corners, game tables, ping pong tables, juke boxes and the latest video games. Newer ships feature such diversions as a toddler’s play area and theater, doll’s house, crawl-through castle and splash pool. Larger vessels also offer expansive children’s and teen centers with indoor and outdoor areas or separate areas for each age group.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas’ Club Mariner children’s program caters to ages 6-17 and is offered on select voyages all summer and during holidays. To better accommodate families, the very luxurious Paul Gauguin now boasts 28 triples in categories C, D and E. There are 25 staterooms on Seven Seas Navigator that can accommodate children. Another option for families are Master Suites aboard Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager. As an example, kids 9-15 sailing aboard Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia can participate in Ambassadors of the Environment, a partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, which provides an interactive experience that encourages ocean responsibility. Regent's rich cultural programs, such as Circle of Interest itineraries with a themed focus, make this line popular for multi-generational and reunion cruises with older children.
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean Youth program is one of the industry's best, and offers five age-appropriate groups for kids that include a host of programs. Infants from 6 to 36-months, accompanied by their parents, can join the new Fisher Price Aqua-Babies and Aqua-Tots programs. For potty-trained sailors ages 3 and up, Adventure Science blends science experiments with wacky entertainment. Adventure Art by Crayola offers kids the chance to create such crafts as cultural masks and pottery. Sail Into Story Time combines a story hour with activities and projects. Adventure Family offers kids and their parents the chance to spend quality time together with a host of activities. With their on-deck surfing pool, skating rinks, boxing rings and basketball courts, this cruise line is ideal for active teens. RCI's new Freedom of the Seas and its sister Liberty of the Seas are the world's largest cruise ships. They offer six different family-focused cabin categories specially designed to accommodate larger families, a happy portent of the future.
Details, Details
For more information on sailing dates and pricing, you can contact CLIA, the nonprofit cruise industry marketing organization comprising 21 leading cruise lines. Their member companies collectively accommodate 97% of North American passengers and their 16,000 member travel agencies are very knowledgable about which programs and itineraries will suit your needs. To locate an agency near you, use the Travel Agent Locator on CLIA’s website at www.cruising.org.
