Cruising with Kids? Yea or Nay…
We take our kids on every vacation. We include our kids in the planning, packing, and all aspects of our family vacation. I will say that again, it’s OUR FAMILY VACATION. Imagine you are dropped in a deserted island, no luggage, no money, and no idea where you are. This how your kids will feel. On the other hand, if your tenth anniversary is coming up, and the vacation account can only accommodate one vacation for the parents or the entire family, hmm… decisions… decisions… decisions….
Planning your Family Cruise…
Planning your family cruise is not easy. There are a lot of cruise lines and a lot of itineraries to chose from. To make things easier and to keep the overall stress to a minimum for us and the kids, we usually book a closed loop sailings out of the closest US port available to us. Another thing we look for is that the cruise line has a child program, this will not only provide specific entertainment for the kids but will also provide alone time for the parents. Once the itinerary and our on-board needs are meet, we book our trip and pay for it.
Packing for the Kids…
Cruising with kids, doesn’t have to be complicated, it just takes a little more planning. Make a list, lay out the complete clothes to allow them to chose what they want to wear daily. Pack extra medicines they use if they’re to get sick, and the “ouchies” they may or not need, but you are better off prepared. You can read our family safety tips here. Rule of thumb, to make it simple, over pack, and use one piece of luggage per child. This provides a sense of belonging, hence family vacation. Kids use the same things adults use, just smaller in size.
Entertainment on board…
We usually follow the kids program schedule so they can optimize their time there. While on the cruise, the wife and I get away for a few hours while the older kids are in the kids program, and the younger one is in the baby sitting area. If you and your wife take the cruise by yourselves, not to take anything away from that, but you will think of your kids at least ten to twenty times a day, wondering what they are doing, and wishing they were with you on the cruise to enjoy it with you.
Realizing there a million things to do on a cruise with or without kids, to answer my original question to cruise with or without kids, for my family and I, the answer is a simple YES! Simply because we want them to grow up learning that vacationing with the family is important. These are the images and memories I want them to remember when they are grown. Do you cruise as a family?