You can never get enough tips and ideas for a smooth family cruise vacation from experienced family cruisers. Sometimes it’s the little tips and ideas that turn an ordinary family vacation into an extraordinary one. CruiseExperts.com has gathered together a list to make you the smartest cruising parents on board. So, if you’re planning a cruise with your family, read this list of tips and ideas.
- All the kids have expensive smart phones these days that they can’t seem to live without them—even on the beach. Get the snack size Ziploc bags for smart phones. The phone fits perfectly inside and doesn’t disrupt the function of the phone. That way there’s no worries about dropping phones in the sand or getting them wet. And the gallon size Ziploc works perfectly for electronic tablets, too.
TIPS and IDEAS for traveling with children on a cruise
- Download movies onto your electronic devices before you leave home. Wi-Fi on cruise ships is available, but often at an additional cost. And movies will eat up your paid Wi-Fi time quickly. However, if you download a few movies ahead of time it will keep the kids occupied during any down time.
- Don’t forget to bring the chargers for electronics and extra batteries for toys—it’s one of the most common items parents are running to buy at inflated prices.
- Write your cell number on the tags of towels, sweatshirts, bags or other items that tend to get left behind. That way if someone finds it, they can send you a text saying it was found and where you can get it.
- When cruising with small children, try to get a cabin close to an elevator. The earlier you book, the more options for cabins are available.
- If your child tends to get impatient waiting in lines, plan to arrive at the cruise ship early. The line to board tends to get longer the closer to departure time.
- Bring your child’s pillow or security blanket. It will help kids feel more secure and ward off the feeling of homesickness.
- Plan your on shore activities in advance. Kids would be happy just sliding down the tube slides and eating soft serve ice cream all day. So if you want to save time on “discussing” the day’s plans–have the tours or plans set up in advance and assure your kids they will have plenty of time to play during days at sea.
- On vacations longer than a week, if your child is still in school, call the school and ask the teacher for missed schoolwork in advance. Then have your child get their homework done on the way to the cruise—in the car or on the plane.
- If your child hasn’t learned to swim, bring along their flotation device. Some swimwear has foam built into the panels which is perfect for beginning swimmers. However, the smartest thing to do is enroll your children in swimming lessons before you plan to vacation near a pool or the ocean.
TIPS and IDEAS for traveling with children on a cruise
- Each child should have their own backpack filled with things they like to do and snacks they like to eat. Vacations are a special occasion and a real treat when they get snacks they normally aren’t allowed because they’re expensive or questionably unhealthy. These are the “luxuries” your children will love you for.
- Bring along some of the basic medicines like pain reliever, something for an upset stomach, sunburn relief and band aids. Cruise ships have medical facilities, but it is still much more convenient to have some basics on hand.
- Pack a garbage bag to use for dirty clothes.
- Incorporate an interactive education activity into each of your port destinations. Create a checklist of things to look for in each city. Look through the description of the city and create a list based on things you think your family would be interested in. Then make a game of who finds it first.
- Purchase a Christmas ornament from the cruise line as a reminder every Christmas of the gift of memories that lasts all year long.
Taking a cruise vacation with your children is one of life’s greatest treasures. Life-long memories are made and it’s a time the family bonds together by leaving the busy schedules behind. So it’s important to plan ahead to eliminate any interruptions to the fun. Was this information helpful? Let me know!
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If you want to know which cruises are “family-friendly,” call a CruiseExperts.com travel advisor today. There are many cruise lines that offer great family programs for children of all ages. Contact us anytime by calling 1-888-804-CRUIse(2784) or visiting our website www.CruiseExperts.com.
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