Cruises: All in the Family, Oceans of Fun for Families.  More than 1 million children under the age of 18 took to the High Seas with their families last year and there’s a reason why: Cruises offer an ever-increasing variety of amenities and activities to make them the ideal family friendly vacation, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) – the cruise industry’s chief marketing organization.

For instance, CLIA member lines have developed onboard programs that not only feature family “together” time, but also “alone” time for parents. Together, parents and kids can participate in mock game shows, story hours, treasure hunts, family water play and make-your-own sundae sessions. Some cruise lines even provide beepers so children’s counselors can contact parents at any time during the cruise.

Kids sailing aboard CLIA member-line ships can enjoy a host of supervised, age-appropriate activities while adults take in the sun on deck, enjoy a massage for two in the spa or take an enrichment class. In the evenings, many lines offer babysitting services so that couples can enjoy a “night on the town,” including dining and dancing.

“More than ever, people want to spend quality recreational time with their families,” said Terry L. Dale, CLIA’s president and CEO. “A cruise provides the very best opportunity to do that on vacation.”

Family cruises also offer great value. Several CLIA member lines feature accommodations that are tailor-made for families, including large staterooms with cordoned off sleeping quarters for parents and inter-connecting cabins for families with older kids.

“Since most everything is included in the cost of a cruise – accommodations, meals, entertainment, children’s activity programs and more, cruises combine great value with the chance for families to experience a spectacular vacation together,” said Dale.

Following is a listing of programs, amenities and facilities for children and families sailing aboard CLIA member-line ships:

Carnival Cruise Lines. At Carnival, the concept of ‘fun’ is taken very seriously when it comes to kids. Camp Carnival offers activities that divide children into age groups of 2-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-17. For the younger set, Carnival ships feature kid-friendly amenities and programs supervised by highly trained youth counselors in state-of-art facilities – some of which measure 4,200 square feet. On several vessels children can also enjoy arts and crafts centers, with spin- and sand-art machines; cascading poolside slides; “activity walls;” indoor climbing mazes, and computer labs. The line also offers expanded children’s menus in the dining rooms and poolside restaurants.

Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity’s Family Cruising Program is designed with specific activities tailored to the interests and needs of four age groups. Each ship has a dedicated staff of eight to 12 youth counselors, including one supervisor and one lifeguard, who direct the youth activities. Counselors are trained in child psychology, child development, education and/or recreation. Age groups are 3 to 6; 7-9; 10-12; 13-15 and 16-17. Celebrity Science Journeys, offered on every ship, encourage children to learn about science and nature in an engaging environment. Other program highlights include youth summer stock theater junior Olympics, magic lessons, treasure hunts and clown parties.

Crystal Cruise. Many facilities aboard Crystal’s ships Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity were designed with young guests in mind. Fantasia has supervised activities, tables and chairs for board games, arts and crafts, giant padded cubes, Sony PlayStation® kiosks, and large-screen televisions. Waves is a venue where teenagers can enjoy a video arcade. The line also offers Etiquette Training for Juniors, developed in conjunction with Gollatz Cotillion, whereby young cruisers learn how to handle themselves in a variety of social situations. During holidays and selected sailings, Crystal offers additional children’s activities under the supervision of experienced Junior Activities Directors in age-appropriate groups.

Cunard Line Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 have nurseries staffed by accredited British nannies. Aboard these British icons kids can even participate in a dedicated Children’s Tea, served each afternoon. Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest liner, features age-appropriate programs for children in three groups: The Nursery provides cribs and cots for children ages 1-2 years; The Play Zone offers myriad activities for kids 3-6 years old, including pizza parties, movie nights, and face painting; and for older children - ages 7-10 years - The Zone offers scavenger hunts, ship tours, quizzes, DJ booth, and Xboxes, among many other activities.

Disney Cruise Line. Disney’s ships Disney Magic and Disney Wonder have nearly an entire deck dedicated to children ages 3 months to 17 years. Oceaneer’s Club, for kids 3 to 7, includes dances with Snow White, a Sebastian’s Musical Sea Search for instruments and splashy games on the line’s private island. Kids 8 to 12 can venture to “infinity and beyond” at the space and science themed Oceaneer Lab. The Stack (Disney Magic) and Aloft (Disney Wonder) are reserved for kids 13 to 17 and are packed with comfy couches, a soda bar, Internet access, plasma TVs, MP3 players and board games.

Holland America Line. Holland America Line’s Club HAL youth program features age-specific activities designed to provide kids and teens with entertaining choices – and parents with peace of mind knowing their children are having fun while being well supervised at the same time. Activities planned for children ages 5 through 8 might include arts and crafts, face-painting, camp-out night and candy bar Bingo. Tweens, the in-betweens, ages 9 through 12, might learn golf putting, have dance parties, compete in on-deck sports events, play arcade games and tie-dye t-shirts. Teens will enjoy the teen disco, dance lessons, arcade games, sports tournaments, play stations and movies.

MSC Cruises. Each of MSC Cruises’ ships feature a designated children’s area, and MSC Sinfonia also offers a Teen Club. Children are under the supervision of trained youth counselors who coordinate organized games, sports, arts and crafts, and special age-appropriate parties. Activities are organized by age group, with more activities planned during the holiday and summer vacation seasons when more children are sailing. The line’s ships offer suites (double, queen- or king-sized bed plus sofa bed) are able to accommodate as many as four people. MSC Lirica, MSC Opera, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Armonia also offer family-size suites consisting of two rooms.

 Norwegian Cruis Lines. Norwegian Cruise Line ships offers supervised programs (ages 2-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13-17) with a host of Kid’s Krew venues, including dining areas exclusively for kids, video arcade rooms and teen clubs. NCL America’s Pride of America features extensive recreational opportunities for kids, including 250 interconnecting cabins. The ship also has eight 360-square-foot suites with private balcony, living room with double sofa bed and entertainment center, separate den with a single sofa bed, and private bedroom with two twin beds. Four additional family suites feature two interconnecting cabins that sleep up to eight and include two separate bathrooms.

Princess Cruises. Princess Kids offers a wide range of activities for children in three age-specific programs, with age-appropriate activities and often separate facilities, for kids 3 to 7, 8 to 12 and 13 to 17. Most ships feature youth and teen centers that keep young sailors entertained with art corners, game tables, ping pong tables, juke boxes and the latest video games. Newer ships feature such diversions as a toddler’s play area and theater, doll’s house, crawl-through castle and splash pool. Larger vessels also offer expansive children’s and teen centers with indoor and outdoor areas or separate areas for each age group.

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises. Radisson Seven Seas’ Club Mariner children’s program caters to children age 6 to 17 and is offered on select voyages. To better accommodate families, Paul Gauguin now boasts 28 triples in categories C, D and E. There are 25 staterooms on Seven Seas Navigator that can accommodate children. Another option for families are Master Suites aboard Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager. Through August, kids 9 to 15 sailing aboard Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia can participate in “Ambassadors of the Environment,” a partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, which provides an interactive experience that encourages ocean responsibility.

Royal Caribbean International. Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean Youth Program offers five age-appropriate groups for kids that include a host of programs. Adventure Science blends science experiments with wacky entertainment. Adventure Art by Crayola offers kids the chance to create such crafts as cultural masks and pottery. Sail Into Story Time combines a story hour with activities and projects. Adventure Family offers kids and their parents the chance to spend quality time together with a host of activities. The line’s new Freedom of the Seas, scheduled to debut in May 2006, will offer six different family-focused cabin categories specially designed to accommodate larger families.

For more information about family programs on CLIA-member cruise lines, contact a CLIA-member travel professional. To locate an agency near you, use the Travel Agent Locator on CLIA’s website.

About CLIA: The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the premier nonprofit cruise industry marketing organization comprising 19 leading cruise lines, which collectively accommodate 95 percent of North American cruise passengers. CLIA member travel agencies – of which there are 16,500 – are considered the consumer’s very best resource when planning a cruise vacation. For more information on CLIA, cruise vacations, its member cruise lines and travel agencies or go to www.cruising.org

Content provide by CLIA. May 2009.