A confession ... I just went on my fourth cruise in less than three years. Until recently most of my vacations involved relaxing in a tropical locale or exploring a big city. But that was before we had a kid, which as any parent knows, makes vacationing just a tad more complicated.
When we went on our first cruise, our daughter was just a year old. We wanted to plan a fun, family adventure, but I felt overwhelmed trying to figure out where to go with a small child. So I booked a cruise. I'll admit something - I thought a cruise seemed kind of corny and something reserved for old people. However, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised that we had such a good time on that first cruise. Since then, we’ve gone on three more cruises as a family and we're not done yet!
Cruises are a great way to travel with kids. In particular, we love the Disney cruises because there is something for everyone. If you’re trying to plan your vacations for the year, here are five reasons you should consider cruising with your family:
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5 Reasons To Cruise With Your Family:
1. No planning required
Aside from booking the cruise itself, the vacation is planned for you. For a busy parent, that certainly makes life a lot easier.
The cruise ship will stop in various ports and you can get off (or choose to stay on) and do some exploring. During our cruises, we've made stops in exotic places in Mexico, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Nasssau. It's fun to explore an international destination, yes, even with a small child! Eliza's had a great time experiencing the culture and food in these faraway places.
To make it even easier on yourself, you can book an excursion. There are all kinds of excursions like a day at the beach, swimming with dolphins, tequila tastings, shopping trips and much more. These are at an additional cost, but the cruise line should have a variety of packages available in a variety of price ranges.
Another nice thing about a cruise is that your meals are taken care of. You don’t have to decide where to eat. (Truly, the hardest part is controlling how much you eat because there’s food everywhere!)
2. Controlled costs
Because the cruise is all-inclusive, you won’t have a lot of additional expenses other than souvenirs. Mom of three, Sabrina McGuire, has been on three cruises with her family. She says, “Most of the trip is paid for and planned before you get on the boat so you can just relax, enjoy great food and have fun!”
Disney offers free soda. I point this out because some other cruise lines charge extra for soft drinks. With kids, those sodas can really add up. On those cruises, you can usually purchase a special cup or mug that gives you all-you-can-drink privileges. Adult beverages do cost extra, of course. (Warning - those can add up, too, if you're not paying attention!)
There is one more thing to budget for. You will be expected to leave tips at the end of your stay for the nice people who waited on you and cleaned your room.
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3. Child care
Most cruise ships have youth clubs. For example, the Disney ships have clubs for kids of all ages – there are special clubs for the different age groups - from babies to teens. On the Disney ships, the kids can go to the clubs for free (with the exception of children under two). The clubs have planned activities and may offer meals. This allows you some "me time" like enjoying the pool or spa or to dining and drinking without your children.
Our daughter loves going to the club. We have to drag her out of there kicking and screaming. Seriously. It's the same story for Sabrina’s three boys. “We love the kids club on the ship! It's great knowing that at anytime the boys have somewhere fun to go where they can play and even have dinner.” Raquel English has been on four cruises with her four kids. She says, “My teenagers like a boat opposed to land is because it’s an opportunity to meet and hang out with kids like them.”
{related article: The Disney Dream Offers Lots Of Fun For Kids}
4. Family fun
When you spend time together as a family, there’s plenty to keep everyone busy and happy. Each night, you’ll get an itinerary for the next day that lists the many events happening on board. There are all kinds of planned activities. For example, you can watch movies on deck, enjoy pool parties, attend Broadway-style shows, and do activities like mini-golf and basketball. “You don’t have to create things to do for the kids, the cruise has everything done for you,” says Raquel. Sabrina agrees, “We enjoy our family time on the ship by going to amazing shows, playing miniature golf, using the sports court and going to fun parties.”
5. Catching up time
One unforseen advantage of taking a cruise vacation is that it takes you away from a lot of modern day distractions. For the most part, your cell phone doesn't work (or it's prohibitvely expensive), so you're more engaged during family interactions. No one needs to rush out the door, or stay late at work or school, so there's plenty of good, old-fashioned sit-down family dinners. There's an opportunity for quality couple time, too. When the kids are at the club, the grown-ups can have a date night. On the Wonder, we made reservations at Palo. For a small fee, it's an adults-only, gourmet dining experience. During those early cruises with our little one, some of our favorite moments were just kicking back on our little verandah with a glass of wine, watching the ocean roll by.
What’s the biggest disadvantage of cruising with kids? Let’s be honest, the rooms are pretty small. But there’s so much to do that you probably won’t be spending a whole lot of time in the room. All in all, I think you'll enjoy the cruise experience and so will your kids!
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