Article by Sunny M

If you’re looking for a family holiday with plenty to keep the children entertained, consider a cruise, say Hays Travel.

“Children can get bored on conventional package holidays,” says cruise expert Dianne. “A cruise might not be an obvious choice for a family holiday, but many modern cruise liners cater incredibly well for everyone – from tots to teens, as well as the adults.”

In recent years, cruises have really changed. Keen to shake off its image as being a holiday type exclusively for older guests, cruising has introduced a wealth of facilities and amenities to make it an exciting, active, multi-destination holiday option to suit just about everyone – including children. Today’s cruise ships are bright and airy with a wide range of family-friendly facilities on-board, including Kids Clubs (from tots to teens), separate swimming pools, play areas, games rooms, discos and babysitting services. The teenagers are not forgotten with plenty of action-packed activities such as rock climbing walls, mini golf, computer game consoles, cinemas, sports courts and their own chill-out areas. And cruising is great value-for-money too: the majority of these activities will be included in the cost of your holiday.

Cruises are usually full board, meaning the cost of all meals is covered. You’ll never go hungry with the option of dining 24 hours a day. There is a wide selection of dining options to suit everyone, from gourmet diners to fussy little eaters. Children can dine with parents for breakfast, lunch and dinner on all family-friendly cruises, whether you eat in the formal restaurants or in the more relaxed diners, food outlets and buffet-style restaurants. Most cruise lines serve an early tea in the evenings for children, when they can eat their favourite foods at their own pace in child-friendly surroundings. The kids can then head to the Kids Club whilst you go to enjoy a meal on your own in a more traditional or speciality restaurant. They can also, of course, join you for a meal in the main restaurant, where choosing the early sitting when you book may be the easiest option. Babies from 6 months old are usually accepted on board and they are well looked after with a limited selection of baby foods available on most ships. Some cruise lines offer you the option of purchasing a soft drinks package for your children at the start of your cruise to make things a little easier if they get thirsty during the day.

What about accommodation though?

“Many people think that staying on a cruise ship means being cramped into tiny cabins, but this doesn’t have to be the case these days,” says Dianne

Flexible family accommodation is available on most family cruise ships with a wide range of cabins to suit both small and large family groups. You can usually choose from cabins for up to 4 people with upper and lower berths, suites with one or two bedrooms or interconnecting cabins for larger families.

You will find dedicated children’s clubs on most cruise ships, which cater for all age groups from tots to teens, so don’t forget to register them when you get on board. The activities can range from face painting and craft activities to sports events, water-based games, computer games, themed parties and competitions. The clubs are organised and run by fully qualified and trained staff with extensive experience of keeping your children entertained all day long, leaving you free to enjoy the ship facilities in peace.

“A cruise holiday with the children means that they will be thoroughly entertained,” says Dianne “In fact, the most common complaint we hear from parents is that they don’t see their children from when they have their breakfast in the morning to the time they fall asleep exhausted in the evening!”

Nursery and babysitting facilities for your little ones are also available on most cruise lines.

Where are the best places to take children on a family cruise? The Mediterranean is a popular family cruise destination due to its short flight time from the UK. Or you may choose to sail directly from a port in the UK such as Southampton to avoid the hassle of flying with young children. The Canaries and the Caribbean are also popular choices for winter sunshine family cruises.

There are many family friendly cruise lines from great value Thomson and Island Cruises with their smaller and mid-sized ships, to Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International, Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Disney Cruises, P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises, who have larger ‘floating resort’ ships.

The facilities on board vary from ship to ship but they all have good accommodation, swimming pools, Kids Clubs and entertainment. The range of family facilities increases with the size of the ship – some even feature ice rinks, rock climbing walls, mini golf courses and surfing pools. The new P&O Cruises Azura and Ventura superliners also boast new innovations such as rock schools and a circus schools.

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For an unforgettable family holiday with a difference, contact the cruise experts at Hays Travel.

You may never holiday on dry land again! Build your perfect Cruise Holiday – View Hays Travel’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Cruise Holidays.

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