Give your whole family a gift with a cruise to remember

A voyage by sea to visit exotic locations around the world is a type of holiday that many people find appealing but, for one reason or another, have yet to try out for themselves. One reason, for those with a family, is the worry that while the older members will enjoy the opportunity to sit back and do very little except appreciate the relaxed pace of life onboard a cruise ship, younger children will have nothing to keep them amused. Fortunately, with the facilities onboard modern vessels, this could not be further from the truth. There are several lines that make a special effort to cater for the very young, providing playrooms, nurseries and activity programs for toddlers. Other facilities may include wading pools and outdoor play areas. Babysitting is often available in your own sleeping accommodation, usually at a small additional cost. Different cruise lines have different policies regarding the minimum age of children that they will allow onboard, so it is best to check their website for this information before making any concrete plans.

With very young ones, time away from home can be a little traumatic, even in the best of situations, so it is advisable to bring along a selection of their favourite toys from home to help them adapt. The large spaces available for them to play in mean that their favourite ride-on toy does not need to be left at home either. Activity tables can make a good choice to bring along, to keep them entertained in the evenings, when you may just want to relax with a bottle of wine and a good film as your ship continues on its cruise through the night. Older children will not feel left out either, with larger swimming pools, rock climbing walls and youth programs available on selected holidays. Some will love joining in group activities while others will not be so keen, only you know how sociable your children are though, so it is best to think about this sort of thing before booking your trip.

A sunny destination is probably the best option for a family cruise as very young children will probably not enjoy the colder weather often encountered in places like Alaska, Canada, Iceland and Scandinavia. Most companies will require children to be potty trained before they can be supervised by crew members, although there are one or two with staff that are more than willing to change nappies while taking care of your little ones. Among the activities that are often laid on for teenagers are art projects, science experiments, and drama classes. Some of the larger ships have water parks too, that are very popular with children of all ages. If you have any doubts about the suitability of a particular ship or cruise for your offspring then you can find contact numbers on the various tour operators’ websites, on which you can reach sales staff to help you with your enquiry and sort out the details of your holiday.