Family Cruises - SmallShipCruises.com

FAMILY CRUISES

TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN

If you are considering going on a cruise with children or teen-agers, many cruise ships have family-related or kids/teens program. In addition to wildlife viewing, snorkeling, kayaking and hiking, they can visit the bridge, learn about navigational charts, tie nautical knots and enjoy family-centered ice cream socials, costume party and talent show.

Family cruises are usually held at spring break or summer vacation time when odds are in favor of there being other kids on board. But even without special programs small ships are wonderful for families if the activities focus on nature and wildlife. What kid can be bored with close-up encounters with whales, seeing monkeys in a rainforest, walking on a glacier, or fishing for piranha in the Amazon?

Cruises also can give kids a sense of place and sense of history that they cannot obtain in a classroom. And they experience the exchanges with other people and other cultures that occur traveling with small groups.

It’s not a good idea to take young children or teenagers on more formal ships, in fact, some of them have rules against taking children. And we would not take children on cruises with limited activity or that have a reputation for heavy drinking. But other than that, we would highly recommend cruising as a family experience.

5 TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH KIDS

One of our website users sent in these tips:
Get a small suitcase with wheels for your youngster. It makes them feel like they’re helping and in charge of their own stuff.
Going to the beach? Let each person have his or her own bag for towels, snorkels, etc. Put tissues and snacks in plastic bags.
Buy faucet covers to protect small children from the very hot water that hotels and ships often have.
Tie a red ribbon or favorite toy to the room door so children can find their cabin easily.
Set up rules and discuss ahead of time how important they are: no running in the corridors or anywhere else, no screaming or shouting in the pool or elsewhere, always wearing a life jacket in the tender.

NEW GRADUATION IDEA:
Charter a small ship for a cruise to celebrate new graduates and their families.

Example: Ecoventura had 10 teens and 10 parents in a graduation cruise aboard their yacht Eric in the Galapagos Islands in June just after graduation. In a week the boat visited the islands of Genovesa, Fernandina, Isabela, Santiago, Santa Cruz, Espanola and San Cristobal. Activities included snorkeling with penguins and sea lions, naturalist-guided wildlife hikes, nature photography, lava tube exploration, star gazing, and a night out on the town of Puerto Ayora, the largest settlement in Galapagos.

Unplanned events included moonlight card games, diving like pirates off the upper deck to storm a nearby ship at anchor and a graduation party with dancing and live musical entertainment courtesy of the captain, crew and guides.

There was glowing guest feedback from teens and adults alike for lifetime memories and a unique way to celebrate.

Let us know the size of your group and we can arrange a graduation cruise with Ecoventura or other boat of the right size for your group.

There are often special fares on family cruises with discounts of 15-50% for teens and children.

GREAT CRUISES FOR FAMILIES

Here are some cruises that have good children or family
programs or wildlife excursions of interest to families.

Click on the name to read details about the ships and cruises.

AMAZON TOURS & CRUISES
Amazon

AMERICAN SAFARI CRUISES

BAJA EXPEDITIONS
Sea of Cortez

COMPAGNIE DU PONANT

CRUCEROS DE AVENTURA
Mexico Sea of Cortez

DISCOVERY VOYAGES
Alaska

GALAPAGOS NETWORK/ECOVENTURA
Galapagos Islands

INNERSEA DISCOVERIES
Alaska family cruises

Passenger Capacity: 49

INTERNATIONAL EXPEDITIONS
Amazon, Galapagos Islands

LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS
Alaska, Baja, South America

OCEAN ADVENTURES -- GALAPAGOS
Galapagos Islands

QUASAR NAUTICA
Galapagos

REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
Bahamas, Mediterranean, Caribbean, South Pacific, South America, Africa, Seychelles, Amazon, Antarctica, Arctic, Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, Russia, Australia

SCHOONER ISAAC H. EVANS
U.S. east coast

STAR CLIPPERS
Mediterranean, Caribbean

UO KONTESA - DAMIR ERCEGOVIC
Croatia, Adriatic Sea

WILD ALASKA CRUISES
Alaska Inside Passage family cruise

Many big ships also have kids and teens programs.font>

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