Kids on Cruises

Did You Know?

• A million kids cruise every year! That’s why cruise lines have such great kids’ clubs on board for little kids as well as teens.

• One of the first things you’ll do after you find your stateroom is take part in a lifeboat drill. That’s so you’ll know where to go in case of an emergency. Got your life jacket? You’ll put it on and go with your family to your “muster station.” There will be a sign on your door telling you where to go. But you won’t get to climb into the lifeboats – just see where they are.

• Cruises are a great place to try new foods because your meals have all been included in the price. You can also order as much as you want – three burgers, two orders of shrimp, four deserts, you name it. You can also order from room service at no extra charge. Some kids like to order a snack in the afternoon when they get back from exploring on shore. Ask your parents about buying a soft drink card that you can use for your entire cruise.

• The best way to make new friends is to go to the kids or teen club on the first day. The counselors will help you to meet kids your age. There may be 300 or more kids on board!

• It’s often faster to go down the stairs on big cruise ships than wait for the elevators.

• Passengers on a big ship consume as many as 4,800 hamburgers, 32,000 eggs, 22,300 cans of soda, and 5,320 bananas just in one week.

• The crew on cruise ships come from all over the world and speak many different languages. Sometimes they are away from home for months at a time. Ask your waiter or room steward where they’re from and how to say “thank you” in their language – so you can thank them for helping you to have such a fun trip!

• Cruise ships stop at several ports where you can get off with your parents and explore. You might go to the beach in St. Thomas, to a private Caribbean island just for cruise passengers, or go hike on a glacier in Alaska. Cruise ships often have many different “excursions” for passengers you can find listed on their websites. You and your parents might want to make reservations for some activities ahead of time.

• You won’t need money aboard the ship. Most everything has already been paid for. You can charge things like smoothies, ice cream, and souvenirs on your room card – if your parents give you permission!

What Other Kids Say About Going on a Cruise . . .

Meet: Kyle Fieldman (age 14), who lives in Las Vegas, NV, and has cruised in Alaska and the Caribbean. He Says: The most fun about going on a cruise is meeting so many new people and eating! Favorite thing to do on board: Hang out with my friends that I met. Advice for kids who have never cruised: Bring your MP3 or CD player and if you get car sick, you might want to ask your Mom to bring something for motion sickness. Where to go first when you board: After your cabin, go straight to the buffet. They’ve got everything! The best way to make friends on board: Go to where kids hang out, like the kids’ club. That’s how I made friends.

Caroline Ross (age 14) She lives in Westport, CT and recently cruised in the Caribbean.

She says: It was fun to make new friends and have the freedom to go anywhere and sleep until whenever and wake up whenever. You didn’t have to say with the adults, and there were others kids who you could hang out with. Kids who have never cruised should know: You don’t really get seasick especially if you take those little pills. You almost forget you’re actually on a boat. A good way to make friends on board: You may feel weird about going to the kids clubs, but it’s a good way to meet new people, and the activities they do actually aren’t that bad. It’s fun and easy to connect with the other people on the boat. The most fun thing to do on the ship: Hanging around with new friends, especially at night when no one’s around and you can do whatever and not get in people’s way (and there is always hot tubbing.)

Jake Rojas (age 9) His Mom, Susan, works for Norwegian Cruiselines. He’s been on five cruises.

He says: The most fun thing about going on a cruise is the food and going to cool places. Favorite thing to do on board: Go to the arcade. Advice for kids who have never cruised: Get there, relax, and ask for as many coins as your parents will give you so you can visit the arcade. Bring your Gameboy or CD player with headphones because they don’t really have good TV channels and you will have nothing to do in your cabin. Where to go first when you're on board: After you find your cabin, if you’re hungry, go to the buffet. If you are not hungry, explore the ship! The best way to make friends on board: Talk to the kids that you meet by the pool.

Kids, Tell Your Parents . . .

• Cruises are great for parents – and kids – because almost everything is included so kids won’t need money every time they want to get something to eat. (They can also charge “extras” like smoothies or ice cream to their cabin with parents’ permission.)

• Kids also can’t get lost on cruise ships so by the time they’re 10 or so they can have more freedom on board to come and go than they could have at most other vacation spots.

• Cruises also are great bets for grandparents traveling with grandkids because there is so much for every age group to do on board and you know there will be plenty of kids on board so yours will be guaranteed instant friends.

• But cabins are smaller than hotel rooms. Book an extra cabin for the kids if you can. Consider a less expensive inside cabin for the kids across the hall if parents want an ocean view or balcony cabin.

• Most major cruise lines offer extensive programming for kids and teens. They include Disney, which also has day care for babies (www.disneycruise.com) Carnival (www.carnival.com), Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com), Norwegian (www.norwegian.com), Princess (www.princesscruises.com), and Holland America (www.hollandamerica.com) have counselors who do a really good job making sure kids have fun. There are separate teen hang outs and on some ships and supervised programming while in port, so parents can get away for some “adult” time. Families planning cruises will want to make sure there is programming for the ages of their kids – whether there are hundreds of kids on board or just two dozen. They also want to make sure in-cabin sitters will be available should they need them.

• If you are cruising the Caribbean, skip most of the expensive shore excursions and take a taxi to the beach. That’s usually the most fun. You also can arrange to go snorkeling or tour the island on your own or through companies such as www.shoretrips.com that can customize activities for your family in the Caribbean or Alaska, among other places.