Cruising with Kids | Parenthood4ever

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When people ask me “what is your favorite vacation as a family?” I say family cruises by far!

My son did his first cruise at six months old and has been on three more since. He loves it just as much as we do! I will tell you the main reasons why cruises are the best when traveling with kids. #cruising#travellingwithkids

Kids Club

We got to use the kids club last year for the first time. On Carnival Cruise Lines the minimum age is two, most others are three, that’s one of the reasons we went with them on our cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida. It was fantastic for our son and ourselves because he was having so much fun and we were able to have some adult time. They took the kids for dinner as well and we had ease of mind because they give us a phone that they could contact us on if need be. We were able to have dinner most nights alone and take our time and chat, which is very rare these days and he was happy with the other kids eating dinner and having ice cream. The staff were excellent, and we felt he was in good hands. The kids club is free, but they have optional hours you can pay for at night which would be more suited for older kids. They do pirate theme nights and movies, so the kids have an absolute blast.

Different Destinations

Another reason we love cruises is that you get to be in several different countries in a short space of time. If you only want to get off for a few hours with a kid, you always have that choice and we always look forward to getting back on the ship and relaxing after a day of sightseeing. A few times we didn’t get off when Isaiah was a baby and the advantage of that was we had the ship practically to ourselves. The pool only had a few people, so it was more enjoyable. It was a win win no matter what the choice was!

Entertainment

You will never be bored on a cruise ship. There is something for everybody of all ages and the great thing was when Isaiah wanted to nap, I could just nip to the room for a few hours and leave my husband at the pool. We took him to some of the shows as well, but I would recommend having a stroller onboard, because when they get tired they can sleep and you can walk around or stop off to listen to some music.
I purchased noise cancellation headphones from Amazon and they were a life saver! He could sleep peacefully and not be disturbed.

Dining

Having unlimited food 24hrs a day is heaven, especially with kids. Did you know that 24hr room service is also included and you can even have breakfast delivered to your room!
No one ever went hungry and if Isaiah just wanted some fruit or a banana, I could get it and bring it to the room. He couldn’t enjoy the ice cream unfortunately because he had a lactose intolerance, but he has since grown out of it, so the next time he can enjoy that. Eating can be a stressful time for parents because kids are picky and indecisive at times, so this is where cruises take all that worry away. The staff are so great as well and highly trained, so if you or your child has any allergies they will let you know what the alternatives are, and what is safe. I myself have a gluten intolerance and my son had a dairy and mustard allergy which he has since outgrown, but we always felt at ease and never had any issues. Another great thing is if your child orders something and doesn’t like it, nothing is too much bother and they can order something else!

To Conclude

Overall, all I can say is cruises are our favorite way to travel and without the stress, because heck, we know at times it is not easy traveling with kids and there is many challenges to face. We have made so many beautiful memories so far from watching beautiful sunsets to cruise ship spotting and we have many more to look forward to. If you are considering cruising with a kid, I say go for it and I hope your family enjoys it as much as my family have!

Happy cruising with kids!

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