Cruising is one of the best family-friendly vacations. It offers you the chance to live on a floating resort, with numerous activities, while getting to a different destination. Cruise lines offer water parks, kids’ clubs, ropes courses, and many more things for kids, while the adults can have fun by mingling in the bars, shopping in boutiques, and catching live performances, among other things. However, this holiday can turn disastrous and ruin everyone’s fun if they not thoroughly planned.

4 Tips For Planning A Family Cruise

Research All The Options

Research every cruise that is in your budget. Look into the activities they offer for different age groups, as well as meal plans, childcare options, room sizes, layout of the ship, and anything that you require. Besides that, you should also check which port the ship will take off from, the stops, the final destination, and the number of days it will be on the sea. Plus, check the age requirements for different kids’ clubs. Most cruises don’t let children that aren’t potty trained in the swimming pools, which is why you should consider looking for one that has splash areas if travelling with a toddler. 

Think About The Tweens And Teens

When you are planning a vacation. You should consult your kids, especially the teens and tweens. They will be happier if they get a say in the final destination and the type of cruise line, which in turn will mean more fun for you. If you have already picked a ship, get family-friendly brochures and try to get the kids excited. Make sure to set all the ground rules in advance. You can use any family apps, like Famisafe, to keep track of the kids while on board. Installing a phone tracker app on everyone’s mobiles can be useful; it will help you find them if they get lost.

Properly Pack The Luggage

When you board the cruise with your family, it can often take several hours before the rooms and cabins are available. That is why you should consider packing identity documents, cruise booking papers, sunscreens, snacks, and any other necessities, in a backpack. If you are traveling with a baby, have wipes, diapers, extra clothes, water, baby food, and milk bottles in a hand-carry. There is a good chance that your room will have just a couple of power outlets; you should pack at least two extensions and power banks to plug in more devices. Since no network covers the oceans, take long-range walkie-talkies to keep in touch with other family members.

Get There Ahead OF Time

There can be traffic or roadblocks if you are going there by car. You can face delays or lose baggage if you are going by bus, train, or plane. For that reason, you should consider getting to the ship a day or two before it departs. It will be very stressful otherwise, and you can even miss your cruise. If you are flying to a different time zone, arriving a few days earlier will give your family more time to adjust.