Parents who wish to maximise their summer cruise vacation have been given advice on how to make travels with young children simple and pleasurable.
For parents and carers planning a voyage on the open seas with their kids, Panache Cruises’ ten top advice have been presented.
Checking the minimum age restrictions and whether the ship has on-board kids clubs to keep kids amused is crucial even before a cruise is booked.
Before boarding, review the cruise schedule to be sure everyone in the family will enjoy the vacation. Children are more likely to get motion sickness than adults, so it could be a good idea to limit the amount of time spent at sea.
Make sure there are lots of family-friendly activities available at each place by doing some research on it beforehand. You should also find out whether any entertainment needs to be reserved in advance.
The night before taking sail, think about making a hotel reservation nearby to ensure a stress-free voyage start. Additionally, it allows parents to prepare kids, embark early, and settle them aboard the ship.
It’s always a good idea to pack a bag of necessities to have nearby after boarding because it can take some time for the checked luggage to get to the stateroom. This could be toys, diapers, wipes, or a kid’s outfit change. After check-in, life will be considerably simpler as a result.
All passengers will have enough room to unwind on board if they choose a spacious family-friendly stateroom or two connected accommodations. To prevent the stateroom from being cluttered, think about packing or renting a travel-friendly pram rather of bringing a large one.
Here are the top ten suggestions for cruising with kids from Panache Cruises:
Onboard youth group
Make sure the ship is kid-friendly and will be able to accommodate youngsters before booking a trip with younger passengers. Do your research and find out if there is a kids club on-board – and check if this needs to be booked in advance. Make sure your kids are old enough to participate in the activities. Also check to see if there is a nursery or creche on-board to look after younger ones. For an additional cost, several cruise lines also provide a fully licenced babysitting service.
The minimum age for cruises is
Many cruise lines will have a minimum age requirement for passengers to board. Before even thinking about booking, parents will need to check that this will not impact the holiday. There are typically different age requirements for the amount of sea days, if there are any remote destinations, and where the ship is travelling to. Generally speaking, babies under six months old cannot embark on a cruise.
Entertainment
Choose a cruise line which offers regular entertainment for kids whilst on board. Check the itinerary in advance to see if there are activities every day to suit your plans. It’s important to see if the kids’ entertainment requires a guardian present, or if you’re happy for them to be left in the supervision of staff.
Meal times
As well as ensuring that the cruise provides kid-friendly meals that your children will enjoy, also look out for any bookings which need to be made to eat at specific restaurants. Stick to children’s mealtimes at home, as close as possible to keep routines similar. It’s a good idea to also pack treats and check out the on-board snack bars for in-between meal times.
Read through the cruise itinerary
Checking over the cruising itinerary will ensure that the holiday will suit all members of your family. Research beforehand to see if there are plenty of family-friendly activities and restaurants at each destination. See how many sea days there are too – kids are more prone to travel and sea sickness, so too many days in between destinations may be a bad idea. Although all modern cruise ships are fully stabilised, larger vessels will typically move less in heavy seas.
Pack a dedicated necessity bag
Having a bag with all of the necessities in one place for little ones will allow parents to access things quickly without having to faff about. Pack all documentation, visas, medication, suncream, change of clothes, wipes, nappies, toys and books in one place – and keep this with you when you board. The same bag will provide a useful ‘one stop shop’ for the entire duration of your cruise.
Source- Travel daily