Family Fun on the High Seas

PHOTO: Ken Mayer, owner of GalaxSea Cruises & Tours in Neosho, Mo., took his family on an Alaska cruise.

Cruising is tailor-made for most families. Everyone gets to do their own thing. Young ones go to the kids or teen club. Adults can sunbathe, have a fruity umbrella drink or try their luck in the casino. And then everyone can come together to swim with the stingrays in Grand Cayman, ride the zip-line in Labadee, or watch a Broadway show.

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While this is true for most cruise ships, there are vessels that aren’t exactly aimed at families with young children. And if you recommend the wrong ship, you could end up with bored children and frustrated parents, making for very unhappy clients.

So what distinguishes a family-friendly cruise ship? We went straight to travel agents who specialize in selling cruises to get their advice.

Connecting or Close-By Cabins
Many families either want a big stateroom that can sleep four or five or they want connecting or close-by cabins.

“When it comes to accommodations, budget will always come into play. Every family would love to have a suite designed for families — and you can find these on many cruise lines — but the reality is most can’t afford this,” says Andrea Joyce, an independent Cruises Inc. vacation specialist in Somers, N.Y.

PHOTO: Andrea Joyce, an independent Cruises Inc. vacation specialist in Somers, N.Y., on a cruise with her sons.

“This is why every cruise line will offer connecting rooms. Where we really see some differences is on ships like the Norwegian Breakaway, where they designed an ocean-view for a family of five. Usually a family of five is forced to get a suite or two rooms, and this gives them an affordable option other than two connecting insides. Also Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class has come out with the Family Junior Suite with balcony connected to a balcony room and inside studio — that is three different categories of staterooms that are connected, which provides three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a large balcony, and sleeps eight to 10 guests. It’s a nice alternative for a large family.”

Mike Jackman, owner of International Tours of Lansing in Okemos, Mich., and a Results! Travel member, says he also books nearby rooms for many families.

“We deal more with requests for rooms across the hall from one another, which is more of an economic factor: Mom and Dad in a balcony and the kids across the hall in an interior room,” he explains. “It can be challenging trying to get them in rooms right by each other. But of course we do run into situations where adjoining rooms are requested. In that case, we look for ships with balcony staterooms that have a larger balcony with a partition that can be opened up. We don’t necessarily have to have a connecting room if we can open up the barricade between the balconies.”

Kid-Friendly Dining
Food and flexible dining are important to families with young ones, who often can’t endure sitting down at 8:30 p.m. to a two-hour, multicourse dinner.

“This is very important, especially the casual buffet area and room service,” says Lindsay Hardy, co-owner of Travel Leaders in Palm Coast and Jacksonville, Fla. “Kids eat when they are hungry, and it’s not always the same time every day. We like a cruise ship that offers uncrowded buffets with a wide range of choices.”

Agreeing is Alicia Geiger, a CruiseOne franchise owner in Sinking Spring, Pa. “Family-friendly dining is a must,” she says. “Nobody wants to entertain a little one through a long dining experience, and so dining options are essential!”

Joyce found a great option on Royal Caribbean International. “It’s important to make sure there are alternative choices for the kids other than a two-hour dinner in the main dining room,” she says. “If your client has children who cannot sit for that long, you should be looking for ships with other faster, child-friendly dining experiences, at no charge. My family’s favorite was the ‘My Family Time Dining’ on Royal Caribbean. With this option the children’s dinners were completed in 45 minutes and then at 6:45 p.m. they were met at the entrance of the dining room by the children’s counselors and escorted back to the Adventure Ocean Club while we stayed, relaxed and enjoyed our dinner.”

PHOTO: Alicia Geiger, a CruiseOne franchise owner in Sinking Spring, Pa., posed with her family on a Disney cruise.

Children and Teen Programs
Just about every cruise ship offers organized programs to keep kids and teens entertained and busy.

“When searching for a family cruise you should find one that offers kids programs in a large multitude of age breakdowns in order to keep a common interest,” recommends Steve Rice, of The Cruise Butler in San Antonio, Texas. “You don’t want 12-year-olds in the same age group as the 16-year-olds. A lot of the good family ships offer movie theaters, scavenger hunts, water parks, sport courts, bumper cars, rope courses, surfing machines, ice skating, rock climbing areas and more. In my opinion the Royal Caribbean Oasis and Allure of the Seas have the best family programs and activities of any ships at sea.”

PHOTO: Steve Rice, of The Cruise Butler in San Antonio, Texas, dressed like a pirate on a Disney Magic cruise.

Joyce agrees that children’s programs are a very important consideration.

“For many families what makes a cruise so attractive is the free time they have when their kids are in the children’s programs,” she says. “It’s important that they have a well-structured program, and I find different cruise lines are better with different ages. In my opinion, the one that seems to have it right for all ages is Royal Caribbean. The Adventure Ocean youth and teen programs have counselors who hold a four-year degree in education, recreation or a related subject. They seem to provide a lot of structure for the younger children, who need it the most.”

Jackman says agents should know what distinguishes one program from another. “While all the ships have different personalities with their youth programs, generally they are all fairly excellent, so that becomes less of a driving factor,” he says. “Having said that, if the families have younger children in the pre-teen age, choosing ships based on specific programs might come into play more. Disney does a superb job with the families, primarily because of the youth program for the younger children. They replaced casinos with gigantic areas for kids, and that’s a giant plus for Disney.”

PHOTO: Debbie Kirk, owner of Travel Leaders in Lynnwood, Wash., and her husband sailed with Disney in 2013.

Debbie Kirk, owner of Travel Leaders in Lynnwood, Wash., likes entertainment that gets the whole family involved. “Family talent shows are fun, as are ‘Family Feud’-type games where five or six can participate. Personally, I believe that Disney and Royal Caribbean offer some of the most quality entertainment and variety at sea for children, teens and ‘kids of all ages.’ Wi-Fi and staying connected is very important in today’s society, as are talent shows such as ‘American Idol’ and ‘The Voice’ type of competitions — anything reality TV. People want to do things that they can’t do in their everyday lives. These types of events are perfect for families.”

Water Parks and Ropes Courses
Are aqua parks with water slides and splashing fountains a must for families? It depends, agents say. “Water parks, slides and rope courses are always an attraction — even with the adults,” Hardy says.

But Joyce says it sometimes depends on the age of the kids and their personalities. “Families with children over 10 is when the amenities such as water slides, rope courses, rock climbing walls, zip-lines, basketball courts, miniature golf, etc., become important,” she says. “You need to ask the parents what they and their kids like to do and qualify them based on their answers. Do not make assumptions. I have two sons and neither one has much interest in water slides, so a ship with a water park and not much else is not for them.”

Close-to-Home Ports
For many families, budget is a primary concern, and so driving often is a less-expensive option. Luckily, numerous cruise homeports are within an easy drive for much of America.

“The drive market is big for families, especially when you have a family of five or six and you have $400 apiece for the airline tickets,” says Dave Dunning, owner of The Cruise Center in San Antonio, Texas, and a Results! Travel member. “I had one family that was going to drive to Florida for a three-night cruise to the Bahamas, but they ended up buying a seven-day cruise out of Galveston. It was cheaper and Dad didn’t have to drive.”

Ken Mayer, owner of GalaxSea Cruises & Tours in Neosho, Mo., says many of his clients drive to the Gulf of Mexico ports of Galveston and New Orleans.

“As airfare costs and the extra luggage fees have increased, this cost-saving measure can still give families a great vacation, without breaking the bank,” he says. “We also plan many cruises where families fly, including Alaska and Europe during the summer season. While my family has personally cruised many places, our recent experience into Alaska was spectacular, and I don’t think I can recommend that destination enough.”