So you’ve decided to book a family cruise, you are over the moon excited, but wait, now what??
I have been there, pulled the trigger and booked the first family cruise and was just so excited but panicked. I felt that I am way out of my league here, what do I need to do to prepare for this family cruise? Our family has been on a Disney Cruise as well as multiple Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Staterooms for family cruise
The first cruise that we went on our kids were 3,5,7 and 11. We were not new to the concept of travel, we love traveling (hence this blog!). But I truly didn’t know where to start. Take the time to look your stateroom up online. Sometimes there are videos or at least pictures. This will give you the opportunity to see the exact layout of the room which may be helpful for your packing.
Most family cruise rooms have a pull down sofa and then a top bunk that comes out of the ceiling. Depending on the cruise line sometimes the stateroom attendants put these back up during the day. In our experience anytime we have told our stateroom attendant how we want our room they are happy to accommodate.
Cruises have strict guidelines on the types of electronic devices. Be sure to double check everything you are packing so that it is not confiscated. The website and travel information from the cruise line typically have all of this information included.
Fun for Kids on Family Cruise
If you are traveling with kids be sure to check the age requirements of the kids clubs. Most cruise lines separate kids based on their ages and most of the time these are non negotiable so this may be important to talk to your kids about if they will be split up. There are security features for signing in and out of the kids clubs. These are non negotiable with the kids club staff which for us provides peace of mind that our kids are safe. Out of our 4 kids we have 2 that could spend all their time in kids club and 2 that could take it or leave it.
Its a good idea to check the height requirements of the activities on the ship such as rock climbing, surfing, laser tag or ziplining. It would be quite the let down if your child had gotten excited to try an activity but found out last minute that they couldn’t. Some of the activities also have requirements for shoes and socks, I made this mistake once by not bringing shoes for my kids- don’t make that mistake!
Exploring the Ship
Our kids have always loved exploring around where we are staying. The cruise ship is no different. There is so much to see and do without spending any extra money. A lot of passengers enjoy decorating their stateroom doors (as do we) and our kids really love walking the halls looking at all the creative doors. Finding all the areas on the ship that you can find a spot to overlook the ocean can be really fun too.
On the first day of our cruise we do like to try and get oriented with the ship. It makes the trip go so much smoother when you know where everything is.
Cruise Line App Features
Do you need to download an app? Some cruise lines if not all have their own apps that need to be downloaded before you board. These apps give you information right at your fingertips. Most have a messaging feature built in. This allows you to communicate with your party without purchasing the internet package. Our family has never purchased the internet package and we have never had a problem communicating with each other.
The apps are so helpful, it is like your vacation planner right at your fingertips. Any reservations, paid or not paid show up for your day. Your dining time and any special events will show up as well. When you are stopped at a port it will also have the times at which you can leave the ship and when you have to be back to the ship.
For more tips on your family trip check out Home – Together We Can Travel
