Best Kids Cruise 2023: Family Fun at Sea
Boat holidays can be a wonderful plan for the whole family. But choosing the best cruise for kids can make all the difference.
Cruises are an excellent option for traveling with children. The reasons? Many. Perhaps the main one is that most cruise lines allow up to two children to travel for free when sharing a cabin with their parents. But there are several other reasons: there is food for all tastes; they are spaces where minors are welcome; and the boats have more and more entertainment for them, something that will surely improve the rest of the elderly. We tell you which is the best cruise for children 2023 for you to choose with information and satisfaction guarantee.
Best Kids Cruise 2023
Visiting beautiful places without changing hotels or preparing food is a good decision when traveling as a family. This is what cruises offer, while adding a large amount of entertainment and services. They are an excellent option when looking for places to go on vacation with children.
But not all that glitters is gold and there are some things that are good to know to avoid frustration. So what are the best cruises for families?
Why take a cruise vacation? The answer is easy: his proposal is to visit different places with the hotel on board and without worrying about luggage, meals and transfers. Sounds great? It is. The adventure is unmissable.
Recommended cruises for children in 2023
Companies know that parents look for activities and options that entertain and surprise their children, and they compete every year to outperform their offers and innovate in entertainment.
The most modern and largest ships are the ones that generally offer the best attractions and facilities for all ages. They fight for the children's audience with increasingly varied proposals: it is no longer just about tennis, basketball or soccer courts...
We're talking about ice skating rinks, go-kart races, bumper cars, merry-go-rounds, zip lines, water parks, rock-climbing walls, surf pools, fabulous miniature golf, and even roller coasters.
The competition to appeal to families with children is intense and you can find any type of entertainment on a Caribbean cruise, in the Mediterranean and in almost any destination you want to visit. The key is to choose well which companies or shipping companies are really good for traveling with children and which are "child friendly" with some fine print that is worth knowing.
Some of the best cruises for children 2023, thinking of the most modern ships, with more complete and fun services:
- Disney Wish
- Symphony of the Seas
- Carnival Magic
- disney dreams
- disneywonder
- Norwegian Epic
- Oasis of the Seas
- Carnival Breeze
- Mariner of the Seas
- Wonder of the Seas
- msc sea view
Cruises for families: know the fine print
The language problem
English, Spanish, Portuguese... On cruises that travel through the Caribbean, the United States and many places in Europe, the language used is English, a fact that is no less in the case of boys.
If the little one does not speak the language, he probably cannot participate in the activities for them. What's more: in many cases most of the children who use the children's spaces speak English, so integration is not easy.
This implies that one imagines that the child will enjoy activities and shows and perhaps finds that he does not feel comfortable and that, to top it off, he must enter without the parents. And here is the second point: they are parent-free zones!
Parents outside
This point is key because it clashes a lot with Latin customs. On vacation, families usually play together, share activities, or simply enjoy watching your children play in new spaces, with toys they may never have seen before. And this cannot be done in most shipping companies, so if your child does not want to be left alone they will not be able to participate.
Only Disney Cruises have moments of the day when the children's play spaces are open to families and everyone can play without problem (and for this reason we believe that it leads the ranking of the best cruises for children.
The other shipping companies segment by age and in general not even the brothers can share those magnificent places prepared for them if they do not share the same age group. For Latinos, that policy is often a great frustration.
divided brothers
Another rule that most Latinos can consider a “rigidity” that can frustrate our plans is that cruises divide children by age: generally into three groups. And if there are two or three siblings who, precisely, want to play together on vacation and share adventures, they may not be able to do so if they are different ages.
Someone 5 or 8 years old may not be able to share a space with someone 12. That is, summarizing the two points, neither father nor siblings. And the worst thing is that if one explains that they don't speak English and that they want to be together, the answer is usually no: “rules are rules”.
(almost) zero flexibility
In most cruise lines, they are very inflexible to make any changes when you explain a difficulty of your child with the language or with his shyness, or ask to accompany the little one until he adapts and feels comfortable. It is not possible, not even on special cruises for children. Hopefully you can find exceptions and empathy if you run into this situation. There usually isn't.
adult pools
Sometimes in the brochures or on the web we see super cute spaces on cruise ships and then when we arrive we find out that they are “kid-free”. It happens sometimes with some swimming pools or jacuzzis. It is good to take this into account in advance.
Paid services
Some services that you see on large cruise ships with lots of entertainment are paid. What's more: it is becoming more frequent and the attractions that most seduce and generate the most traction often cost between 8 and 15 dollars each lap or pass.
Video games, merry-go-rounds, bumper cars, flight simulators, race tracks and more. It is good to consult with your agent and ask what is payment and what is included. Arcade games, for example, are paid separately and are not usually cheap.
Do not count on the television
Except for Disney Cruises, cruise ships do not have children's programs on stateroom televisions. There is nothing to entertain them on the screens and they will not be able to watch YouTube or Netflix if you do not pay for the Internet.
Half security
Clearly, the cruises are safe spaces where the child can move without problems, but, except when they are 10 or 12 years old, they cannot move on their own. Some boats do not have very high rails and since they have several floors there are many stairs that can be dangerous if they move alone.
It is not a problem because, in fact, there are practically no known accidents, but it is good to know that it is not a place where children will move on their own. Of course: in the spaces designated for them there are strict safety regulations and no child will leave there until an authorized person removes it.
Shows only for adults
In general, the shows are for adults only. It is not that children cannot attend, but that the themes are for adults.
Why yes travel with children on cruises
After telling why it is important to know some fine print that can frustrate our expectations, we are going to the services that can turn a cruise with your children into a dream trip.
You'd be surprised at the number of children's entertainment that cruise ships add year after year. From rock climbing walls and surf pools to bumper cars, merry-go-rounds, zip lines, water slides and much more. There are boats that are a true amusement park, where your children will feel like they are in paradise.
There is "free" food all day and the most varied options, with very attractive children's menus. You will completely forget about food during the journey and, although some restaurants usually have opening hours, there is always a buffet or open bar where you can eat something.
Theme cruises for kids
Some shipping companies put together itineraries and activities focused entirely on children's entertainment, without neglecting the well-being and enjoyment of parents.
If you go with babies, you can request a cot and a high chair to eat on most boats, and even bring a high chair to your cabin.
If your children are hooked on nurseries or entertainment spaces, they can have a wonderful time. In fact, if you hire a boat that leaves from Argentina or another Latin American country or from the southern United States, you can check if the language of the children's spaces and of the people responsible is Spanish.
If so, it can be a lot of fun and you can even make friends. It's a good idea to find out which cruises are recommended for children based on the port you're interested in.
Teen Cruises: Yes or No?
Teenagers are often a tricky bunch to entertain on any trip: friends are often their main source of fun and they are generally less attached to parental plans. But some cruises can be a good plan:
I chose those that have physical entertainment: palestra, surfing, basketball, soccer, golf, etc. In those spaces they will surely have a good time and meet people.
If the cruise is abroad -that is, in a country with different customs- it is unlikely that they will get hooked on participating in the spaces designated for them, because in general their peers will speak another language and it is an age in which shyness it complicates their abilities to break barriers and get closer.
Internet is expensive: I know that the Internet connection on ships is often expensive and that your child will want to be connected to his phone and it may not be possible, at least not all the time. It depends on the place you go to, maybe you can think about adding data to the phone and connecting from there, knowing that at times on the high seas it will be without connection.
Special cruises for children: Disney, the winner
There is no doubt: they are unbeatable and it is difficult to beat them. The cruises of the Disney company (Disney Cruises) are ideal for traveling with children. And it doesn't just have to do with the entertainment offer on board: what's more, they may be far from leading on that point. But they have everything put together in such a way that adults and children have a wonderful time.
Contact with your children all the time: when you arrive they give you two or three “phones” with which you are in contact with them. It is one for your child (or the ones you have) and one for their parents. With this device, the child will always be able to call you if he wants to leave the nursery or if he stayed in the room and already wants to be looked for. It is absolute tranquility. The same if you have adolescent children, because they move freely and you can always contact them or they move freely and you can always contact them or they can contact you.
Controlled budget. All meals and activities are included; there is no need to assemble and disassemble luggage at each destination; you avoid the stress of airports... Satisfaction guaranteed!
Magical Dinners: Dinners are “enchanted” spaces for all ages. Every night is a party: the waiters entertain you, dress up, classic Disney characters walk around the tables and in some restaurants they show short films that fill you with emotion.
At different times of the day there are meetings with Disney personnel, who appear from different sides predisposed to magical photos.
In the spaces for children and teenagers, there are very entertaining games and proposals and parents can come in to play and watch during a few hours of the day.
Castaway Key: Disney Island
Castaway Key is the island of Disney and it is a little publicized surprise that one discovers sometimes when already on board the cruise. And it is something magical that you will never forget.
It is the exclusive island of the Walt Disney World Resort, where only Disney cruise ships stop. It is a paradise in the archipelago of The Bahamas with a lot of entertainment to spend the day with the family at no extra cost.
You can do water sports, enjoy a park with water slides built on the sea and even ride a bike. It is a must stop on every Disney Caribbean cruise.
Water slides: most Disney cruises have water slides and games for the little ones that give unforgettable moments.
Pleasure for all ages: the best thing about Disney Cruises is that this great offer for children is combined with an excellent proposal for parents: the spa and gym are magnificent, the food is excellent and the shows are of a high level for the whole family . What's more: they also have a restaurant to go without children. Forks. Also, a good cruise for teenagers and young people, since in general everyone surrenders to the charms of Disney, which are many.
Child-friendly cinema and television: in the cinema on the ships they usually show Disney movies, generally up to a premiere, and on the television in the room there are cartoon channels, something that does not exist in other shipping companies.
Without a doubt, there are many options to consider when looking for the best cruises for children. Here we share some of them, but the shipping companies surprise each year with many new features. We'll be alert.
I have given you information about the Best Kids Cruise 2023: Family Fun at Sea so if you read this post till the end, then your Thanks.
