Family cruises are one of the very best types of holidays you can go on with your family. We’ve now been on a few family cruises, and each time they have left us absolutely beaming with everything a holiday should. With deep discounts currently being offered on many cruises, if you’re toying with the idea of booking a family cruise, here are some things to consider:
Opt for one with a night nursery
If you have a baby or toddler, look for a cruise that offers complimentary night nursery services. Some cruise liners offer a free childminder service for 6 to 23-month-old infants from 6pm to 11pm. These are the perfect way to give your child a safe place to sleep whilst you enjoy the evening entertainment onboard.
Check out the kids’ entertainment
Most cruise liners offer onboard kids’ clubs and camps but some are much better than others. Be sure to research and compare depending on what age your child is and what they might like. Norwegian’s Splash Academy offers circus skill classes, while Carnival’s Camp Ocean has a marine theme, on Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises offers a dedicated LEGO play area and of course a Disney cruise is perfect for Disney lovers as well as Marvel and Star Wars fans.
Look out for cruises specifically aimed at families
To date, we have always traveled with P&O cruises. We love that they have specific cruise liners and dates earmarked for families. The Aurora, Azura, Oceana and Ventura are all specifically aimed at families. This is important as different cruises will have different atmospheres, with some being a lot more formal than others.
Think carefully about the duration
If this is your first time booking a family cruise – which if you’re reading this it probably is – think carefully about duration. Although a five-day cruise may seem tempting, it does take the family a couple of days to get settled. On a five-day cruise that doesn’t leave much time after to enjoy the cruise! Likewise, 10 or 14 days aboard a cruise ship might seem like quite a long time for a family’s first cruise. In our experience, the sweet spot really is seven days.
Pick a cruise itinerary that suits your family
Although it’s tempting to think that the itinerary almost doesn’t matter because there is just so much onboard to do, it’s worth researching the destinations within a cruise itinerary to make sure it fits with what your family wants to do. Another thing to consider is whether you want a fly-cruise or a cruise departing from the UK. If you’re a first-time cruise, departing from the UK comes with so many advantages with no flights to book, no luggage restrictions, and therefore less stress!
If you’re thinking about booking a family cruise in the not too distant future, we hope these tips helped.
