Which Cruise Lines are Best Suited for Family Vacations?

04-17-2012

CruiseCompete’s Annual Update for Traveling With Infants and Young Children

DETROIT (April 17, 2012) – If you’re planning a family cruise vacation, it’s very important to research cruise lines’ amenities and policies, especially in regard to younger children. While there are lines that cater especially to families with children’s amenities and programs, there are also those that allow but don’t promote travel with young children, and some cruise lines categorically discourage (or have policies against) bringing young children aboard.

Following are some basic guidelines from the experts at CruiseCompete about cruising with children:

• In general, 6 months is the minimum age for cruising on most lines; but expect it to be 12 months on TransAtlantic and other select voyages.

• Disney allows the youngest children aboard at 3 months, while Viking River requires a minimum age of 12 years to cruise. The rest of the lines’ age requirements fall at various spots within this spectrum.

• The majority of cruise lines offer children’s programs or amenities in some form, but several do not. They include Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Sea Dream Yacht Club, Silversea Cruises,Seabourn, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Viking River Cruises and Windstar Cruises.

• Those lines that offer children’s activity programs generally begin them at age two, but Cunard starts programs at age one, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises programs are for children aged 5 and over.

• Babysitting services are available on some, but not all, lines. Parents should expect to pay premium price for these services in most cases; for example, Crystal Cruises are $10 per hour for one child, $15 per hour for two children and $20 per hour for three children.

Read on to find out more information on which lines are best suited to traveling with small children and which ones it might be best to defer for a few more years.

Ama Waterways: AmaWaterways cruises are primarily designed for the adult traveler. Children are allowed; however, there are no child-specific programs or child-minding facilities.

Minimum age to sail on AmaWaterways is 4 years. Children 4-17 must be in a cabin with an adult.

Azamara Club Cruises: Azamara is primarily designed for the mature guest. While the cruise line does welcome guests of all ages, no formal children’s programs or facilities are onboard their ships.

Minimum age requirement to sail on Azamara is 6 months; there are such exceptions as TransOceanic cruises/cruise tours, as well as other select cruises/cruise tours, where the infant must be at least 12 months old. Please consult the line directly regarding the minimum age for your specific cruise.

Carnival Cruise Lines: Carnival’s Youth Program, Camp Carnival, is designed for 2-11 year olds, but children younger than 2 can play with the toys during designated family play times (parents must be present!). There are limited services available (10 p.m. to 3 a.m.) for children younger than 2 during Camp Carnival’s Night Owls. Babysitting rates for all children are $6.75 per child per hour.

For older children, the night-time programs include Owl Jams (10 p.m. to midnight for ages 2-11) and features arts and crafts activities, video games and dancing for $13 per child. The line also has Fun ‘Til One (10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for ages 6 to 8), which includes dancing, singing and video games for $20 per child. Fun at Sea (10 p.m. to 3 a.m. for ages 9-11) is a party with sporting events, competitions, plus snacks like pizza and ice cream at $33 per child. (Please note a 15% gratuity will be added to all Camp Carnival Night Owls program fees.)

Minimum age for sailing on Carnival is 6 months, with the exceptions of TransAtlantic, Hawaii and South American cruises, where the minimum age is 12 months.

Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity offers private, in-cabin babysitters for a fee of $19 per hour (up to 3 children and children must be 12 months old to qualify for this service). Parents should expect to make requests for services at least 24 hours in advance.

Celebrity also has a Youth Program that is divided into six different age groups with age-appropriate activities for each:

• Toddler Time – Under 3 years old
• ShipmatesSM – ages 3-5
• CadetsSM – ages 6-8

(For older children, there’s EnsignsSM – ages 9-11, Junior Teens – ages 12-14 and Senior Teens – ages 15-17.)

Minimum sailing age on Celebrity Cruises is 6 months, with the exception of TransAtlantic, Transpacific and select South American and other cruises, where the child must be at least 12 months old. Associated cruise tours are also subject to the 12-month minimum age requirement.

Costa Cruises: There are no organized activities for children under the age of 3, but during the low season/off-peak times families can access the children’s areas.

Costa Cruises entertainment staff are available every day from 9 a.m. to midday, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for a free group activity service. There are four Clubs: two for children: Mini (3-6 years), Maxi (7 to 11) and two for teenagers: Teen Junior (12-14) and Teen (15-17).

Mini and Maxi Club nighttime group baby-sitting, held in the children’s area, is a free-of-charge babysitting service until 1:30 a.m.

Minimum age to sail on Costa is 6 months. Infants must be at least 12 months of age at the time of embarkation to sail on the following: trans-ocean crossings (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, etc.), World cruises, cruises of 15 days or longer duration, and any other itinerary that may, in the opinion of Costa Crociere or CCL, present serious risk to infants in need of emergency medical care.

Crystal Cruises: Crystal does not have a formal program for children under the age of 3, but babysitting services are available and fees start at $10 per hour. (Fees are $10 per hour for one child, $15 per hour for two children and $20 per hour for three children. To satisfy safety concerns, the maximum number of children/babies watched by one babysitter is three.)  Arrangements can be made through the concierge; parents should expect to provide 24-hours’ notice.

Both ships feature a fully supervised Junior Activities program for kids between the ages of 3 and 17 on holiday voyages and nearly all summer sailings, each with dedicated play areas for both young kids and teens.

The minimum age to sail on Crystal Cruises is 6 months, and Crystal reserves the right to restrict the number of those less than 3 years of age aboard the ships

Cunard Line: On Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2, parents will find well-equipped nurseries and children’s centers, featuring toys, games and activities. These children’s areas are supervised by nannies and youth staff, but children must be 1 year old to participate without parents; children under 1 are welcome with parental supervision.

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