Kid Programs
Families love to cruise, and it’s easy to understand why. Cruising is a luxury vacation, with lots of “look at that” moments, where costs are defined and heavy luggage lifting is limited to boarding and disembarking.
The food, for which Dad doesn’t have to pull out his wallet every time the family sits down at the table, is excellent and plentiful, and there’s always something fun to do on a cruise ship or during a port call. Not surprisingly, families are choosing cruising in record numbers. As recently as 2000, for instance, Carnival Cruise Lines was projecting 250,000 participants in its kids program. This year, that number will approach 600,000.
Although all the major lines have youth programs, not all cruises are created equal, especially for parents, whose needs are frequently defined by their children. Some cruise lines do a better job catering to toddlers while others seem to prefer working with young ‘uns that have a bit more seasoning. Each cruise line has a different set of services, policies and requirements that govern its youth programs. Here are some of the key considerations parents might want to consider.
The biggest variable concerns infants and toddlers. Some cruise lines have an age minimum for infants to cruise. It’s 12 weeks for Disney, four months for Carnival, but six months on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Diaper changing is another issue of concern: Carnival and Disney will change diapers supplied by parents; Cunard has professionally trained nannies; Norwegian Cruise Line pages parents to do it, but most other lines want children to be potty trained to participate in youth programs, for which the minimum age is usually 3 years old, sometimes 2.
Some kids may not cotton to the youth program, but unless the parents have given specific permission or they meet an age requirement, children may not leave without a parent in attendance to sign them out. Several cruise lines want kids to be 13 years old before they can leave on their own, but if the parents have given their approval at the start of the cruise, children as young as 6 can check themselves out of the Royal Caribbean program, for instance. The minimum age and the rules for parental consent vary by cruise line.
Babysitting is a big issue for parents of young children, and most of the majors offer it in one form or another. Carnival, Costa, Norwegian and Princess offer group babysitting but not private in-cabin services. Royal Caribbean offers group and in-cabin sitting, but Holland America offers only in-cabin service. Expect to pay at least $8 an hour for in-cabin sitting, more for a second child. Interestingly, the family-friendliest Disney does not provide babysitting since its youth program in operation until 1 a.m.
Teens are a growing demographic group, and the cruise lines have been investing more to keep them happily entertained. They have been building larger areas for teens only and equipping them with all the latest electronic amusements as well as coffee bars, smoothie makers and more. These services and facilities vary not only from line to line but from ship to ship so parents would do well to check it all out thoroughly to ensure that their specific needs will be met.
