Can Family Vacations Be Luxury Vacations?

But the question is not whether airlines — or luxury hotels or high-end cruise ships — should "allow" children; it’s whether parents and grandparents are expected to forgo luxury to travel with their kids and grandkids.

I say no.

My grandparents were "fancy lunch" people who regularly took me and my sister to upscale restaurants in Los Angeles.

"There’s no reason children can’t enjoy luxury travel experiences as much as adults — as long as they understand that a restaurant or hotel lobby isn’t a play zone."

And while there are very few young kids who behave perfectly throughout an entire meal — and this was before personal electronic devices, mind you — we still learned good table manners and tried new foods.

When my children were born, we brought them, too. More than 20 years later, my sons still talk about the chocolate teacup filled with a mini-scoop of ice cream at the Beverly Wilshire hotel.

There’s no reason children can’t enjoy luxury travel experiences as much as adults — as long as they understand that a restaurant or hotel lobby isn’t a play zone. My parents and grandparents explained to us that others were also enjoying their vacations or fancy lunches, and I passed that along to my children. But too often, I see kids running, screaming or blaring a loud video game in an otherwise elegant dining room or normally quiet hotel lobby. And that’s why there’s saltiness online.

I agree that children — and adults, for that matter — need to respect people around them; however, I don’t agree that children should be banned from luxury travel (with the obvious exception of specifically adultonly experiences). So, how can travel advisors help?

When clients express interest in booking luxury travel, agents can help parents determine if the trip they are considering is a good fit for their family. If the kids love to interact with others their age, a hotel without children’s programming probably isn’t the right choice. If young ones need to run and play outside, a resort might be better than a city hotel. And, if kids don’t do well with planes, trains or cars, an extended multi-leg itinerary may frustrate them.

Children absolutely belong in first class, but advisors and parents must be willing to work together to ensure a positive travel experience for everyone.