According to the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, 2017 had more than 28.5 million global cruise passengers, and the number is anticipated to increase to 27.2 in 2018. As you can imagine, some of this huge number are families who enjoy living in over the water and a little bit of adventure and adrenaline. Diversification away from white sand beaches has led to this increase as families seek to combine the thrill of being on the water with their favourite vacation activities such as sports, entertainment and delicious food. If it is your first time sailing with kids, these tips will guide you through what you need to know before you book.
- Choose a cruise line
When traveling with kids, you want to ensure they’re snug and well taken care of during tipping. You also want to ensure they’ve enough entertainment and activities to keep the trip interesting and fun. Choose a cruise line that tailors its cruises for families and particularly kids. You will be tasked with less creativity in doing activities your kids can do so you’ll have time for fun as well. If you like to be on top of things, consider chartering a yacht and taking your family from island to island. Bareboat rental in the Caribbean would be a fantastic place to start looking. With a cruise ship, you have control of where you go, the days and nights you spend in the water, and exploring on land, in addition to your food.
- Use a travel agent
You are possibly used to planning everything you own family trip alone, but it’s better to use agents when sailing with kids. As well as having a better offer, the agent will have information on all the relevant cruises available and provide you with the pros and cons without trying to influence you to take a particular charter. They’ll even have information on the best cabin to book and your baggage tags delivered correctly, saving you time on boarding. Using an agent won’t cost you anything as most get a commission from the shipping line.
- Be careful about mealtimes
Are your kids used to eating together you at dinner? Kids love it when you maintain familiarity even on the move. While the days will be full of activities to keep everybody busy, it is all the time a fantastic idea to get together in the evening over a meal and share stories about what you love most, just as you would at home. Know what time food is served so you can plan to get together with the entire family. Plus, different cuisines possibly will not be a highlight for your kids, even if you and your partner are having a field day. Check what’s on the menu to see if your little one will enjoy the meal.
The cruise will have enough entertainment and sports to keep everybody busy, but all the time check what’s available to ensure they’ve kids shows too.
