So last weekend, I went to a gathering at my friend Denise's home in New Jersey. It was a girl's day in, a pot luck- wine fest to help us moms recoup after the holidays. When I arrived, Denise gathered up all of my baked goods that I was contributing and announced, "Ladies, this is Sally. She's my travel agent friend from Pennsylvannia, Sally meet everybody". Denise left me to fend for myself in a room full of strangers.
Updated July 2019
A family cruise is a great family vacation choice, especially for young families with babies and toddlers. Parents can look forward to a fun vacation with their little ones while enjoying all the conveniences and amenities today's family friendly cruise ships have to offer. Cruising with your baby or toddler offers families lots of convenient choices of destinations and fun activities.
When planning for your family cruise vacation, please be aware that there are cruise line policies and rules in place regarding what age babies are allowed on board cruise ships. These rules have been established for the comfort and safety of all passengers. These rules are strictly enforced by the cruise lines. We've included age requirement rules below here for you.
In addition to checking age requirements, make sure little cruisers have all the right travel documents. Certain cruises will allow children to sail with an original birth certificate with a valid state seal (no photocopies) but we HIGHLY recommend all children sail with a valid passport. Reservations can be made in advance of obtaining a passport for your baby. Just insure the exact legal names used on your reservations match the legal names on your child's birth certificate and passport application.
Most of the family friendly cruise lines offer activities for every member of the family and this includes little sailors. On board nursery facilities and babysitting options can vary even with ships of the same cruise line. Older ships may not have all the facilities offered on newer ships.
To help you plan your next family cruise with your baby, Vacationkids offers this list of the most family friendly cruise lines and their rules and policies regarding cruising with babies...
A family cruise can be a great option for families with babies. When planning for your family cruise vacation, please be aware that there each cruise line has specific policies and rules in place regarding hold old your baby must be to sail on cruise ships. These rules have been established for the comfort and safety of all passengers. These rules are strictly enforced by the cruise lines. To help you plan your next family cruise with your baby, Vacationkids offers this list of the most family friendly cruise lines and their rules and policies regarding cruising with babies...
MSC Cruise Lines - Has no minimum age for infants on board their ships and all children under the age of 18 sail free when sailing as a 3rd or 4th passenger in a cabin. MSC is one of the most popular cruise lines in Europe and has recently started sailing from the US to the Caribbean.
Cruises can be a great escape for pregnant moms. A time to relax, be pampered and to have some fun before the baby comes. Many couples choose a cruise for a babymoon. Families may want to celebrate time together with their older children before focusing on the responsibilities of a new baby. Just because mom is pregnant, it doesn't mean you have to stay at home. It just means a little additional planning so that everyone can enjoy a safe and healthy family vacation.
Pregnant moms need to be aware that most cruise lines have specific rules regarding taking a cruise while pregnant. As a very general rule, most cruise ships insist that all expectant mothers be LESS than 6 months pregnant before sailing on a cruise ship. These rules are obviously in place to protect the safety and well being of mothers and babies. Many families need to take a flight to get to their cruise port so bear in mind there are also rules for flying while pregnant.
If you are pregnant and planning a family cruise, your very FIRST step in planning your vacation is an honest discussion with your doctor. Only your doctor can determine if you and your baby are healthy enough to travel. It is important to discuss the destinations WHERE you plan to visit as some countries or tropical locations can put you and your baby at risk. Make sure you understand what activities you can safely enjoy during your cruise vacation. Obviously zip lines and rock climbing are off limits while pregnant but activities like hot tubs, spa treatments and wine tastings might not be as obvious. When you are at your doctor's office, make sure you have a clear understanding of what medications you need to take with you and copies of any prescriptions. To avoid any hassles or embarrassment, Vacationkids HIGHLY RECOMMENDS that no matter how pregnant you will be at the time of your vacation, get a permission to travel letter from your doctor. Make sure your doctor's letter states clearly how pregnant you will be at the time of sailing or flying...and that both you and your unborn child are healthy to travel.
Morning sickness can be an issue for many new moms, especially during the first three months of your pregnancy. Motion sickness while at sea could compound this problem. Get your doctor's advice and recommendations regarding what you can and cannot take to alleviate any possible discomfort. If you can plan to sail between 12 and 20 weeks, this is the time when most pregnant moms feel their best. Your Vacationkids Family Cruise Experts
can work with you to help select a ship and specific cabin that can help you avoid problems.
So many of our families plan their cruise vacations a year or two in advance to get their specific travel dates and cabins. What happens if you want to plan a family cruise but are trying to get pregnant? This is why Vacationkids HIGHLY RECOMMENDS Travel Insurance. Travel insurance will protect your vacation investment. Depending on the coverage and policy you choose, it will allow you to cancel or reschedule if you find out you're pregnant. If you are taking a cruise while pregnant, you need to be sure that you and your baby have medical coverage just in case you need it. This is important because many medical insurance companies will not cover you if you travel outside your coverage area or the country.
Here are some of the policies and rules pregnant moms need to know for specific family friendly cruise lines...
DISNEY CRUISE LINE - Women who have entered their 24th week of pregnancy as of their sailing date will be refused passage due to safety concerns. Neither a physician's medical statement nor a waiver of liability will be accepted. In addition, Disney Cruise Line cannot be held responsible or liable for any complications relating to pregnancy at any stage.
Editor's note - This post was updated May 2018 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Family cruises are a great value for a family vacation. If you're trying to plan a family cruise vacation, cost and budgets are top considerations for most parents.
If you're new to family cruises, how do you know how they will cost for your family and how much to budget for such a trip?
The Cruise Line International Association estimates about 17 million folks enjoyed a cruise in 2012. They expect this number to climb between 4-5% for 2013. Family cruises are a huge reason why these number are climbing, especially family cruise groups like multi generational vacations with kids, family reunions and family celebrations of all sorts.
An all Incluisve family vacation by definition is a vacation package that includes everything your family needs rolled up into one price. Prices tend to be lower because you're buying everything as a package deal. sounds like a simple idea right?...but this is where it gets a bit confusing. There is PLENTY of conflicting and confusing information out there. Much of it is advertising spin to help separate you for your hard earned vacation dollars. So how do you know what you're getting for your money and most importantly, how to you find the best all inclusive vacation deal for your family?...The best way to figure it all out is by examining the base pricing:
Last week I was working one of our clients named Wendy suggesting family resorts that would be able to accomodate her family of 6. With four children ages 4-12, this is always a challenge. We struck out with availability and budget when it came to family resorts for next spring break so I suggested the idea of family cruises. Wendy emailed me back saying, "being trapped on a boat with our 4 kids sounds more like torture than a vacation".
Oh Wendy, and the rest of you out there...fear not! When it comes to children's activities and kids clubs, many people don't realize how much family friendly cruise lines have really stepped up their game as far as kid activities. Actually most cruise lines that cater to families offer more free Chidren's clubs and family friendly activities than most resorts.
Baby Friendly cruises are a great option for young families. Cruising with your baby or toddler offers families lots of convenient choices of destinations and fun activities. Many family friendly cruise lines offer nurseries and baby club programs with age appropriate activities for infants and toddlers under the age of 3 years old. Some cruise ships will even offer infant care and baby sitting while parents enjoy excursions and sightseeing when docked in port. This option allows parents to have some freedom and fun as well as peace of mind. Cruise ships will allow children to stay in the nursery while parents are sightseeing where as most resorts with baby programs will not allow parents to leave the resort property to golf, scuba or go sightseeing.
When planning for your baby friendly cruise, please be aware that there are cruise line policies and rules in place regarding the age they will allow infants to sail. Once you know your infant is old enough to sail with you on a family cruise, parents need to know what activities, baby clubs and babysitting is offered on their ship. Some cruise lines are better for families with babies and there are even specific ships that offer even more infant activities and baby care....
