Life with Kids

It used to be that cruising was considered a choice for the 50 plus traveler. Today, nothing could be further from the truth. The incredible growth of cruising means that distinct segments of vacationers can easily find a cruise to suit their particular preferences. Singles and younger marrieds who are looking for exciting nightlife, Vegas-style entertainment and lots of sun activities will find plenty from which to choose. Lines like Carnival and Norwegian offer a great array of ships and itineraries in the Caribbean and Mexico to tempt the party crowd.

On the other hand, another burgeoning area of growth is most definitely Family Cruising. Whether it is young parents and their offspring, or grandparents, parents and children, cruise lines are quickly seeing a need to provide a reasonably priced vacation for kids and parents/grandparents to bond and also offer the various generations time to enjoy the ship’s activities alone.

I recently returned from the Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas. This 3 and 4 night quick getaway cruise is perfect for families with budgetary concerns or time constraints or simply those wishing to test the waters, so to speak! The 3 night cruise was filled with happy and excited families.

The ship, while being one of the older ships in the fleet, was in surprisingly excellent condition. Having sailed on this ship several times years ago, when she and I were quite a bit younger, I was pleasantly surprised to find that she still looked amazing. Her public areas were fresh, colourful and dotted with plenty of real greenery. The trademark brass & glass elevators sailed up and down the central 3 storey Atrium and offered an impressive view of the interior shops, cafes and galleries. This feature had once been very avante-garde!

The elegant, main 2-storey dining room looked stunning and the meals were equally impressive. One could choose to dine in the ‘whatever time you like’ level or the predetermined early or late seating. Other dining options included the Al Fresco restaurant with numerous serving stations, offering Asian, Tex-Mex, American, Salad Bar, Italian meals for those wanting more latitude to choose. Not to mention not wishing to dress a little bit for dinner! This was clearly a favorite for many families.

A pizza restaurant, a deli, Asian cuisine, ice cream parlour and even a Starbucks,  were the newest additions to the ship and served excellent alternative meals. Some of the name-brand drinks, snacks or treats did carry an extra charge but for those families on a budget, there would be no problem finding everything possible at no extra charge. Drink cards are highly recommended for kids especially. This is the cheapest way to give kids unlimited soft drinks from any bar on the ship.

But of course, for most families, the most important things were what to do all day! There is an active kids club and teen club where children can disappear for hours at a time under careful supervision and let parents and grandparents wind down in their preferred ways. Computers, games, a disco and a pool area, pirate hunts, pajama games, movie nights are all part of the activities. Mini golf, a basketball court, a running track, a gymnasium and a movie theatre were great ways to spend a few hours.

The pool area is wildly popular with everyone. A shallow pool for the very young makes it easy to keep tabs on them. The main pool has poolside games throughout the day including horse-racing, belly-flop contests, and name-that-tune contests. Lots of fun and laughter throughout the day!

Evening entertainment is always family friendly though the very youngest are not likely to appreciate the comedian or the dancers.  Good news is that baby sitters are available for a nominal fee for the very young but with so many kids and teens activities, not really needed for the other kids. After the main theatre empties, the lounge areas become busy with a variety of entertainment and activities from a dance band playing current hits to or a karaoke night. Of course, there is always a mid-night buffet and dancing around the pool deck, ensuring that the fun doesn’t stop early here!

One cautionary note, the cabins on this ship are quite small. If a family recognizes that they will spend little time in their cabins other than sleeping and showering and realizes that awesome space and public areas are all theirs to enjoy, the trade-off will be worth it.  To have larger cabins, be prepared to go for a 7 night cruise on a newer generation of ships. I would highly recommend this cruise on the Majesty of the Seas for a short family vacation. It more than exceeded my expectations for an inexpensive cruise and will delight everyone!