I’ve been on a total of two cruises in my life-one with my mom from Florida to the Bahamas, and one with Aaron, my parents, and my brother on a very small ship with only a few cabins, on the Great Barrier Reef. Both were pre-kids, and both were fantastic.
Me snorkelling off our little cruise ship on the Great Barrier Reef
I’d love to go on another cruise, but obviously things would be a little bit different now that we have two little balls of never ending energy. I clearly know nothing about cruising with kids, but Emma Jane does, so sit back and enjoy her knowledge:
The idea of a cruise holiday conjures up all manners of wonderful ways to relax. Whether your idea of relaxation involves some quality time at the gym, a massage, live entertainment, or simply reading in the sun; a cruise offers so many great ways to unwind. But you can’t truly unwind until you know the kids are safe and having as much fun as you are!
Cruises make travelling with the family a breeze. There’s entertainment and facilities for all ages, which are professionally supervised, so you have the option of playing as a family or leaving the kids while you unwind.
The Westerdam in Sitka. Photo courtesy of My Cruise Stories (aka I stole it from my Mom’s blog)
On-Board Facilities
Cruise ships are renowned for their terrific swimming pools, whirlpools, and on some ships, even waterslides! Some ships offer rock-climbing walls, basketball courts, skating, adventure playgrounds and mini-golf! All these activities are a great way to spend time as a family and burn off some excess energy- guaranteed to get the kids to sleep at night. Research your cruise liner beforehand to find out exactly what facilities are available.
Some ships even have special cafes for kids (photo courtesy of my Mom’s blog My Cruise Stories)
Cartoon Character Visits
Many cruises offer themed appearances of cartoon characters, who host parties, live entertainment, and even fireworks displays. These are great for the younger kids (and those young at heart). Check out the family cruise options at cruiseabout.com.au to see the speciality range of themed cruise lines, including a great range of popular cartoon characters from Disney, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, and more. These friendly faces will make lots of fun appearances during your holiday!
Children’s Centres
Family cruise ships offer a range of supervised care options. Children’s centres are suitable for ages from three to 17. These activities are a great way for kids to make some friends on your holiday. For the littlies, there are arts, crafts and lots of stories to stimulate young imaginations. For the tweens, they get a bit more space and the opportunity to make friends, hold their own parties, and make their own games. For teens, they can hang out and listen to the latest music, learn to dance, play sports, or for the more sedate, watch movies and chill out.
Day Trips
Last but definitely not least; the kids will love the day trips as much as you will. Open their minds with new sights and sounds as they learn about new places, cultures and ways of life. The options are as endless as the number of cruise routes, so take a look at the itinerary with the entire family in mind, and use the opportunity to give the kids a head start on their geography lessons!
Cruises are a great way to get some quality time with the kids, but also allow mum and dad to have some time together. The kids have the chance to make new friends and expand their horizons. With a wide range of options both on and off the ship to keep the kids amused, you’ll have no trouble finding time for that massage or finishing that book!
*This post was sponsored by Cruiseabout
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Copyright 2013 Sheri Thomson
Mommy Adventures 
Some ships also have things like kid’s pools, splash zones, motion rides, ropes course, carousel or bowling just to name a few. Like Emma Jane said in the post, you just have to check out what’s available on each ship.
I need to go on a cruise 🙂
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