Family Cruises: Cruising With Kids - Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Adventure Ocean - Family Reunions - Cruise News - Cruise Reviews

Editor's Best....

Raye & Marty Trencher:

Cruise Reviews Online

Editors and Publishers

return home

Family Cruises. Ultimate Family Cruise Guide, children's programs at sea, tips for cruising with kids, teenagers, grandchildren, toddlers, family reunion cruises and details on cruise line family discounts.

Cruising With Kids - Royal Caribbean Cruise Line -

Adventure Ocean Family Programs
Information from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line about their youth program, Adventure Ocean.

Back then all you had to do was take the kids to the park around the corner and they would entertain themselves on the swings, jungle gym or round-about. Perhaps, get a bit dirty in the sand box. No more.

What's a family to do? Why take the family on a cruise...naturally. Here you will find the Ultimate Family Cruise Guide, children's programs at sea, tips for cruising with kids, teenagers, grandchildren, toddlers and details on family cruise discounts. Family-friendly fun. From waterslides, zip lines, water parks, golf and tennis to bowling alleys and basketball courts, and more. Check out the Royal Caribbean Family Programs Below.

Ultimate Family Cruise Guide: children's programs at sea, tips for cruising with kids, teenagers, grandchildren, toddlers and details on cruise line family discounts... Looking To Do a Family Reunion Cruise? FREE Family Reunion help.

Family Cruise Advisor

Top Ten Family Friendly Cruises

1. Disney Cruise Line:

Magic All Around
2. Royal Caribbean’s Adventure

Ocean Program
3. Carnival’s Caribbean
4. Brilliance of the Seas:

Mediterranean Medley
5. Alaska Cruisetours
6. San Diego to Mexico
7. Holland America Line’s

Caribbean
8. Norwegian Dawn: Big Apple

to Bermuda
9. Costa’s Caribbean
10. America’s Paradise:

NCL’s Hawaii

Family Cruises.

They're not just about getting away. They're about getting together^©.

Find Information from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line on their youth program, Adventure Ocean, Ultimate Family Cruise Guide. Learn about Royal Caribbean's children's programs at sea, tips for cruising with teenagers, grandchildren, toddlers and details on cruise line family discounts.

NBC

Most Popular Cruise Lines for Families

6 Essential Sites For

Planning A Family Cruise

Named Best for: Nabbing a discount - Cruise Direct Online

"This cruise booking supersite is chock-a-block with cruise discounts, shipboard credit, and other great deals — especially if your dates or destinations are flexible. The site is impressively intuitive, letting you search the deals database by cruise line, destination, or port."

While on a Royal Caribbean cruise In St. Maarten, have the whole family participate in an America's Cup Style Yacht Race!

Onboard Family Cruise Programs

Family-friendly fun. From waterslides, zip lines, water parks, golf and tennis to bowling alleys and basketball courts, and more. Find it all below.

Royal Caribbean

Combines learning and fun on cruises with "Edu-tainment" (educational entertainment) through its "Adventure Ocean Youth Program."

YOU’RE ALL TOGETHER BUT EVERYONE GETS THEIR OWN VACATION

It isn’t easy to find one vacation that pleases every member of the family. But not on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Our family vacations are the most inclusive anywhere. Moms and Dads can unwind at the spa, cash in at the casino, or simply do nothing at all, while kids surf our FlowRider® wave simulator, splash down in the H20 Zone Water Park, or embark on exciting explorations with our complimentary Adventure Ocean® Youth Program.

Cruises are great for kids and fun for mom and dad! Read about the many programs available.

Teens will certainly leave that “whatever” attitude on the mainland while rock climbing at sea or basking in the sun on our expanded pool decks. And for the tiniest cruisers the Royal Babies/Royal Tots programs offer educational and interactive entertainment appropriate for the youngest guests. On a Royal Caribbean cruise there really is something for everyone.

Scroll down for more Information about Royal Caribbean's Family Programs

Real Family Cruise Deals. Real Rewards. Real Results

Today's top discount family cruises....

Balcony overlooking the Aqua Theatre on the Oasis of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Family Reunion Cruise

WHY NOT SAY YES TO EVERYTHING?

DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE

FROM ORDINARY VACATIONS

Rest, relaxation, adventure and diverse destinations are all fabulous reasons to go on a cruise, but why choose to cruise with us? Because Royal Caribbean International® is always developing new, innovative ways to make yo ur cruise more enjoyable. Each year we introduce new upgrades to our service, attention grabbing additions to our fleet and, of course, amazing onboard enhancements.

You truly do receive the “Royal” treatment!

Explore one of our Private Destinations Royal Caribbean’s private destinations, CocoCay® and Labadee®, have all the makings of a perfect family adventure.

• Exclusive to Royal Caribbean guests

• State-of-the-Art Aqua Parks and Labadee® Luc’s Splash Bash

• Fun excursions for older kids including parasailing and snorkeling

• Fisher-Price® Power Wheels® track, featured on CocoCay® for kids ages 3-8

There’s more than just shuffleboard onboard our ships!

Challenge your kids to a surf riding contest on our FlowRider® surf simulator or scale the rock-wall together. Then afterwards go splash around in our H2O Zone.

Scroll down for more information....

Family Cruise Tips:

Best Cruise Ships For The Family Vacation.

Year-round, you and your family are invited to embark on an unforgettable cruise adventure. Discover for yourself the vast array of comforts, outstanding service and timeless beauty of cruise ships that capture the hearts and imaginations of everyone who steps on board.

Cruises are your best travel value! Save $1,000 or more compared to a land vacation!

Your Family Reunion Cruise: A very private family web site to share with everyone on your cruise. Whether you have a small family of 10 or a large group of 100, a cruise ship may be the best place for reunion central. "Your Family Reunion Cruise" website is designed to bring your family together, make planning easier, and share useful information with family members....and best of all it's free.

Even the youngest citizens who aren’t jumping or toddling yet will let you know how happy they are to be part of the Nation of Why Not. We’ve created age-specific adventures to keep everyone entertained— and, the best part, it’s all included with your cruise! From the teeniest to teens, once you step onboard the Nation, you’ll discover a place where possibilities are endless and excitement rules the day.

Royal BabiesSM and Royal TotsSM

We’ve introduced two exciting programs for our youngest cruisers: Royal Babies (infants 6-18 months) and Royal Tots (18 months-3 years).

Fisher-Price® Toy Lending Program

Parents can borrow and exchange Fisher-Price developmental toys designed to help growing minds learn through play.

Crayola® Beginnings™Workshops

Just for Royal Tots during the day! Thoughout each 45-minute workshop, parents and their children enjoy storytime while creating works of art using Crayola Beginnings products.

Stroll & Roll

We make it easy for parents and their little ones to exercise together. Every morning the ship’s jogging track turns into a zone for guests with infants and strollers.

Babies 2 Go!

Pack light! This convenient service lets you pre-order Huggies® brand diapers, wipes and cream, and Gerber® organic baby food to be delivered right to your stateroom when you arrive. Your diaper bag just got lighter.

Lunch & Play

Lunch time no longer means a break from the fun! With Royal Caribbean’s Lunch and Play option, kids (ages 3 – 11) can enjoy a nutritious meal with new friends

from noon until 2 pm while at sea. For an additional fee of only $7.95 per child, Lunch and Play provides Adventure Ocean® kids with lots of interactive entertainment. And they’ll eat right too, since parents get to personally pre-select food items for their child’s lunchbox. Lunch time and play time no longer have to live separately with the all new Lunch and Play option. Available on all ships.

• Movies, cartoons and free-play time between noon and 2 pm

• Under the supervision of Adventure Ocean® counselor

• Lunchbox pre-selection includes: salad, ham and/or cheese sandwich; fruit salad, banana or apple; cookie, serving of potato chips, granola bar or vegetable sticks; and a beverage of fruit punch, milk or water.

FOR THE FAMILY GROUP THAT CAN’T AGREE ON WHAT TO DO –

NOW A PLACE TO DO IT ALL

Looking for a way to bring the family together? Celebrate. Talk about old times. Hear Grandma and Grandpa tell stories about when they were your age. See your crazy cousin that has moved so many times you don’t know where they live. But having trouble getting everyone to agree on where to go and what to do? Some want to take a swim, relax and enjoy the scenery. Others want to go rock-climbing, play golf and try new foods. Well, there’s a place where families who want to reunite and have fun can do it all: on a Royal Caribbean International® cruise. Our adventure-filled cruise vacations are the ideal way to get together with the family. It all starts with cruising on some of the most amazing ships at sea. People can enjoy whatever floats their boat – from rock-climbing and miniature golf to our amazing youth programs. Then, why not get together with the whole group at one of our many restaurants and talk about the day’s events? Now that’s good stuff. Wait, it gets even better. Groups pay once, and enjoy almost everything imaginable. And since our cruise ships have become such popular places to have reunions, we’ve found ways to make these reunions even more special and easy to plan. They’re called Royal Caribbean Royal Reunion packages and they include everything from group photographs to Aqua Park passes, along with all our other amazing Royal Caribbean amenities. Now that’s something to get everyone together for.

Many Stateroom Options

From connecting interior staterooms to Royal Family Suites to side-by-side staterooms, you choose what set-up you’d like to have and be close to the ones you love. Plus, on arrival at the pier, guests booked in the Presidential Family Suite, Royal Suite, Royal Family Suite, Owner’s Suite and/or Grand Suite have access to dedicated security (where available) and check-in lines to help ease them swiftly through the embarkation process and directly to their suite accommodations. Additionally, guests booked in the Royal Suite and Presidential Family Suite are welcomed by a senior officer at the cruise terminal and personally escorted to their suite.

Summer Cruises From Florida Offer Family Fun At Affordable Prices.

" With so many options, which is best for your family? To help you decide, Disney Cruises. An unforgettable fun experience on Disney Cruise Line with so much to offer at a price that's so right! we've evaluated sailings from Florida this summer and come up with our own recommendations for each age group, based on facilities, itineraries and programs onboard and on shore".

Read more about it.

Where To Find The Best Deals?

Cruise deals are being offered on

nearly all ships -- a trend likely to last at least throughout

2011 and perhaps into 2012. You can find cruise fares of 60 percent off, free airfare or onboard credits. Cruise deals for as little as $50 per person per day.

Check cruise prices at the Family Cruises affiliate:

Why Not Set Sail With Royal Caribbean and Dreamworks Animation!

NEW! Make your next family vacation an absolutely unforgettable adventure! Set sail with Royal Caribbean International and DreamWorks Animation and discover once-upon-a-time moments filled with your favorite characters from Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and more.

From 3D movies to ice and aqua shows, enjoy the DreamWorks experience

exclusively onboard Royal Caribbean.

Coming to Allure of the Seas on December 1, 2010
On Oasis of the Seas as of February 26, 2011
On Freedom of the Seas as of March 27, 2011
On Liberty of the Seas as of January 30, 2011

Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and all related characters and properties TM & © DreamWorks Animation L.L.C.

Adventure Ocean®

Your kids are in great hands with our award-winning Adventure Ocean Youth Program. Every member of our team holds a four year degree in education, recreation or a related field. Plus, they all have an extensive background working with large groups of children. Our uniquely creative, educational and totally fun programs include the combination of art, history and culture.Adventure Art by Crayola®, and the messy, hands-on scientific exploration of Adventure Science are just two of themany interactive programs they’ll enjoy. Your kids will never be bored onboard.*

Aquanauts (Ages 3–5)

Children will enjoy the magic of Bubbling Potions, Pirate Nights and Sail Into Storytime. Parents can stay in touch with their children via pagers.

Explorers (Ages 6–8)

Get goofy with our Get Buggy and Germ Jungle Sciences. Or be the star of the day at the Talent Show and Wacky Olympics.

Voyagers (Ages 9–11)

Kids can choose from tons of cool activities like Adventure Science, Scavenger Hunt and the Adventure Challenge Series.

Ages 12–14

Just what “tweens” want. Pool parties, arcade challenges and sports tournaments during the day. Movie nights, theme parties and dancing under the stars at night.

Ages 15–17

These “almost” adults can join their friends for teen dinners, attend mocktail and theme parties, create lasting memories of their cruise by learning to scapbook with our Create It sessions, relax in the Living Room or dance till they drop in Fuel.*

*Living Room & Fuel are not available on all ships.

Kids and teens can enjoy activities into the late evening with newly extended hours in the Adventure Ocean and teen-only spaces. Scheduled programming will now run everyday from 9 am - 5 pm and 7 pm - 2 am (extended from 7 pm to 1 am)

*Note: Children must be three years of age, toilet-trained and pull-up diaper-free to participate in this program. Children fully toilet-trained and pull-up diaper-free are able to utilize pools onboard. Not all activities shown on this page are available on all ships.

In addition to all the kid-focused activities, our ships provide plenty of opportunities for children and parents to bond together and play. Family faves include karaoke, talent shows and family disco. These enriching and entertaining activities are ideal for some quality family time.

Royal Bedtime Stories

Every night on every ship, kids dressed in their PJs can head to the Adventure Family Library to enjoy bedtime stories and lullabies and be treated to cookies and milk. Families can also grab a Mattel® board game and play the night away.

Sitters at Sea

Have a night out while a staff member engages and entertains your young cruisers (one year and older) right in your stateroom. They’ll bring along Fisher-Price® toys and Mattel® games and keep a complete log of the fun and exciting activities your cruiser participated in under their care.

My Family Time Dining SM

If your kids are excited about the evening’s activities (and they will be!), why not take advantage of our new 40-minute dining service for kids? Once seated, kids will be served quickly so they can move on to bigger and better things like going back to Adventure Ocean® with their friends. Adventure Ocean staff will escort the kids from the dining room back to the kids’ area, so you can relax and continue your meal.

Nintendo® Wii™ Wii Play. You Will, Too!

Families can now experience the Wii phenomenon onboard and participate in tournaments to win prizes. Teens even have their own Wii areas just from them.

Pets at Sea

Children can also create a personalized plush toy souvenir with their parents with Royal Caribbean’s new Pets at Sea. Guests can choose from a collection of animals and more than 20 outfits and accessories to create and bring home a new pet from their cruise vacation, no quarantine required!

Family Time with Mattel® Board Games

Families can enjoy a variety of Mattel® games, including titles such as 20Q, Apples to Apples, Piranha Panic, Rhino Rampage, Scene It? Nickelodeon Edition and UNO.

Family Disco

Dance the night away with the family and see who is the best at our different dancing challenges – Freeze Dancing, Mirror Dancing, Limbo & the Disco Balloon Challenge.

Family Reunion Articles

How to Plan a Family Reunion, organize it and enjoy it. Click Here

FREE. Your very own private family reunion cruise web site. Click Here

Kin Ship - Family Reunion At Sea

Planning A Destination Family Reunion

Family Reunions More Popular Than Ever

Family Reunion Planning Survival Tips

Family Reunions Get "Royal" Treatment

Planning A Family Reunion? We Can Help...

Fill Out A Group Request Form Click Here

WHILE THE KIDS ENJOY THE DAY –THE ADULTS CAN PLAY.

With all these activities for the kids & families to share, the adults may be wondering about an escape just for them. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. While the kids are making their creations and new friends in Adventure Ocean® there are plenty of places onboard you can go to get away from it all.

Casino Royale®

There’s nothing like the sound of cards being shuffled, chips being stacked and a slot machine paying out. Try your luck in our Vegas-style casino.

Day Spa

Indulgence begins here. From the moment you enter our luxurious spa, your personal needs and preferences will become the centerpiece, and your treatment will be choreographed to ensure the most enjoyable and beneficial results.

Fitness Center

From the best equipment to the latest classes, we’ve got everything the most sophisticated fitness clubs have - plus an amazing view.

Sea Trek Scuba

Most of the world is covered by water. Take the PADI Scuba Diver course onboard and discover what you've been missing. This quick and easy course was designed with the vacationer in mind.

Broadway–Style Shows

Are you on Broadway or a cruise ship? Our spectacular shows will have you wondering. And that’s just the beginning! You can also play bingo, karaoke, start a pick-up game of basketball, relax in our champagne bar…well you get the idea. We have so many options you’ll just have to come see for yourself!