The A, B, Seas of Family Cruising

This cruise expert explores what several of the non-child-focused cruise lines are offering families and what makes each one truly special.

At the ripe old age of 6, my daughter is a veteran cruiser, having already sailed on eight cruises. While my family has also traveled extensively by land, we find cruising our favorite way to go. John and I love being totally away from it all (the high cost of phoning from sea makes it less tempting to check voicemail) and enjoy seeing many different places while only having to pack and unpack once. My daughter, Alexandra, looks forward to the complimentary youth programs as a way to make new friends since the contained environment is more conducive than a sprawling resort.

I find it hard to think of any hotel or resort where we were made to feel by staff that we were the only guests that mattered. That's an important aspect of any vacation and may be something to keep in mind when it is time to decide whether to travel by land or sea.

On this site you'll find my overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the different cruise line youth programs. We have experienced Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian and Celebrity cruise lines, all first-hand.

While my family has not personally experienced the following youth programs, these noted cruise lines are worth mentioning here.  You can also read other FTF reviewers' accounts of most of these companies.

Holland America Line
877/932-4259
This upscale cruise line offers a youth program, Club HAL, which began expansion a few years ago with the Ryndham. It now accepts potty-trained youngsters from age 3 in a new 3s/4s facility offering pagers for parents to be contacted. The 3-7 year old age group can take part in activities like fabric painting, pirate treasure hunts, and more. For the tweens (8-12yrs old) there are golf lessons, disco parties, and scavenger hunts. Parents should note that this age group can also participate in extended Club HAL After Hours, from 10pm-midnight nightly, for an hourly fee per child. The Oasis is a teen-only (13-17yrs old) area along with the Loft, which provides an artsy-feeling private lounge, in addition to the standard dance floor and large-screen movie corner for teens.

HAL's Vista Class ships have featured large, dedicated children's rooms as well as a teen room. In order to accommodate different age groups in the Club HAL program, the youth rooms can be divided into three separate rooms. On every ship there is at least one full-time Club HAL director and one assistant per volume of children as needed. While the older kids' rooms featured a computer and video game area, children 5-7 and 8-12 will find new arts and computer programs, such as the very fun and challenging Dance, Dance Revolution series, plus air hockey, foosball, PS2 systems and karaoke.

For the little ones, HAL still provides private babysitting for ages 3 and up (a voluntary service, so staff must agree to be available).

Costa Cruises
877/88-COSTA
This Italy-based cruise line has an international flair, with many children aboard who do not speak English during the summer Mediterranean season. However counselors do, and kids can even learn a bit of Italian during their cruise. A special feature of Caribbean itineraries is Parents' Night Out (offered twice during the cruise) when youth counselors take children to dinner and supervise them free of charge. Available during the Caribbean and Mediterranean peak season, the Costa Kids program depends on the number of children traveling and operates for ages 3-17.  The youth programs are divided into four groups Mini (3-6yrs old), Maxi (7-11yrs old), Teen Junior (12-4yrs old), and Teen (15-17yrs old). Please note that the Teen Junior group is not always available so check ahead of time. There is also group babysitting for ages 3 and older. Youth rooms exist fleet-wide, and their are family programs as well including kareoke, bingo, and a talent show. Costa also offers a kids menu complete with all of your kids favorites, and a Parent's Night Out option, for the parents to enjoy some alone time.

Crystal Cruises
888/722-0021
A Junior Activities Program for 3 to 17-year-olds is available on the Crystal Symphony and Serenity during the summer, holiday sailings, and on other selected sailings with children aboard. A dedicated Junior Activities Director supervises activities such as cookie baking in the galley, bridge visits with the Captain and interactive backstage costume events. In response to demand from repeat cruisers for more multi-generational offerings, Crystal makes special group dining available to family reunions, with special cuisine for kids and those with dietary restrictions.

Evening entertainment is designed with a wider age range in mind than ever before, and the ships' photographers are clued in on family portraits. In fact, many of the privileges extended to groups, such as discount on multi-cabin bookings, are now extended to large families. Additionally for kids, the dedicated youth room is equipped with computers, Sony PlayStations and X-Box, while teens can hang out in their own Waves teen center.  Both vessels offer in-room babysitting for an extra fee. Crystal also offers enrichment programs through their Creative Learning Institute, where passengers can learn a new language, take music and dance lessons, and other educational and fun activities for both adults and children.