Tip Sheet: Cruising with Kids

davitydave

1. I am a travel agent and have been on many cruises. I give my clients glow stick necklaces for their kids to bring along. They are easily bought at the dollar store. I tell parents to throw them in the kids’ beds on the first night for fun, so they aren’t scared. They also have their own flashlight to get to the bathroom if needed. Always a big hit! –Michelle from Manassas, VA

2. If your kids are 12 and up, you should consider booking two staterooms—one outside or balcony and one inside cabin—that are near each other on the same deck. Most cruise lines charge much less for the inside stateroom, which is where older kids would be happy to stay. I calculated the additional cost for the inside room to only be about $400 more for a 7-night cruise on Carnival. I don't know any parent would not pay $400 ($57/night) to have a private stateroom without the kids sharing a 185-square-foot cabin. –Scott from Plainview, NY

3. If you have ever been on any cruises before, when you book your next one be sure sure to ask about past-guest discounts. We always cruise with Carnival and the past-guest discounts are great. Plus you get to go to a past-guest party onboard with free drinks and other perks. –Tonya from Blackwood, NJ

4. A few months ago, a friend told me about an awesome web site called Hazel Mail, which will convert your vacation photo into a postcard and send it anywhere in the world for $1.50. We went to Jamaica last month, and I asked Hazel to send postcards to all my friends and family. I’ve had an avalanche of great feedback about our very personalized postcards. –Susan from Westport, CT

5. I’ve been taking cruises for over a decade. Here’s my best tip for first-timers: Realize that, since everyone boards the ship en masse, it usually takes a while for the crew to get everyone’s luggage delivered. So your bags may not arrive in your stateroom for hours after you arrive. If you want to start enjoying the ship immediately, you need to pack what you need for the day—bathing suits, shorts, camera, and so on—in your carry-on. –Janice from San Diego, CA

Jacrews7

6. I learned the hard way that it’s not easy to book a cruise on your own because the options are so numerous. Choosing the right cruise line, the right ship, and the right cabin at a good price is fairly complicated. For example, some ships have cabins that can sleep five, others have adjoining cabins. Some cruise lines give discounts if you book a second, smaller cabin for teens. I would never have been able to sift through all of that without my wonderful agent. –Candace from Princeton, NJ

7. Even if your cruise departs late in the afternoon, make sure you get into your port city the night before. I am a travel agent and have heard countless sad tales of folks who have literally missed the boat because their flight was delayed. –Maeve from Charleston, SC

8. I have taken seven cruises in all, and four of them have included my kids. I have some good advice that I learned the hard way. Your cruise line will offer you airport transfers, which can be $40 per person or more. A much more economical (and very often speedier) way to get to and from the ship is by local taxi. In my experience, one-way cab fare is often in the $20 ballpark, and the cab will take up to four people. That works out to $10 per person roundtrip, or a savings of $30 per person. –Camille from Baltimore, MD

9. Be aware that it can take several hours between your arrival on the ship and when your bags are delivered to your stateroom. In your carry-on bag, pack a few key items (swimsuit, workout clothes) so you can start enjoying the ship’s facilities immediately. –Sharon from St. Petersburg, FL

10. My independent 14-year-old son wanted to be out and about during the entire cruise. While this meant he made the most of the experience, it was a little nerve-wracking when it came time to find him for meals we had decided to eat together or activities planned to do together, since he constantly lost track of time. Yes, we had two-way radios but we discovered a drawback: when he was doing an activity or in a space that was very noisy, it was impossible for him to hear us calling him. Instead of allowing our trip to turn into a constant argument, I asked for two teen club schedules along with two onboard activity schedules. We each used a different colored highlighter to mark the activities we wanted to do and when. I only had to look at my copy of the teen schedule to know where he would be at any given time. –Jeanette from Richland, MO

11. If your toddler isn’t yet potty trained, she will not be allowed in the swimming pools on most cruise ships. When we took a cruise last year, I brought a small, inflatable kiddie pool for my daughter to play in so she could keep cool. –Diana from Annapolis, MD

12. Need a quick way to get organized before your next trip? Try IndependentTraveler.com’s handy, dandy interactive packing list. Just tick the listed items you want to bring, and you can even add some of your own. The site comes up with a printable version of your list, and will even e-mail it to you. –Editor

13. I’ve discovered that a six-foot extension cord can be very useful on a cruise. Quite often, there’s only one pair of outlets in your cabin and they’re usually not positioned in a handy spot. –Lynn from Peoria, IL

14. Let your little one chronicle your vacation from her point of view! Have her take pictures along the way. The pictures will make great keepsakes and create another busy-bee project for later: A scrapbook. –Amy from Aurora, CO

(Editor's Note: If you don't trust your kids with your expensive digital camera, consider buying a disposable camera for each child at the start of your trip.)

edwardweston52

15. I’ve found that blue, low-tack painter’s tape is a handy take-along. This can be used to (a) child-proof electrical sockets, (b) hang up kid’s artwork in your stateroom, and (c) prevent a camera lens from opening while you travel (just place tape over the closed shutter). –Beverly from San Diego, CA

16. Inflatable toys are easy to pack and so inexpensive that you don’t mind leaving them behind after your vacation. I especially love Oriental Trading Company for its huge assortment of cheap blow-up beach gear, including beach balls and zoo animals. –Lila from Tempe, AZ

17. One of our favorite bring-alongs is those small bottles of bubbles that come in packs (the kind that kids get in goodie bags at birthday parties). Whenever we’re waiting in a long line, I blow bubbles for the kids to pop. All of the parents around us always think it’s such a great idea because it keeps everyone entertained. Their kids always call me “the bubble lady.” –Jennifer from Owassa, OK

18. If you’re going on a cruise with a kid’s camp, bring a package of inexpensive, new white tee-shirts—I typically can get a 3-pack for around $11. Inevitably, the kids will wind up making tie-dye tee-shirts as an activity one day and you’ll end up paying $10 for each shirt if you buy them on the ship. –Diane from Cold Spring Harbor, NY

19. I always tuck a crushable duffel bag into an outside zippered compartment on my largest suitcase, and we have yet to return home without using it. If I check my bag and it happens to be over the weight limit, I just take out the duffle and transfer some of my belongings into it so I can avoid the penalty. Other times, we use it to bring back souvenirs that we bought on vacation. —Jodi from Milford, OH

20. My son just loves doing word search puzzles. Before we go on a family vacation, I make up customized word search puzzles for him to do on the plane or the ship, using words about our trip and destination. DiscoverySchool.com’s Puzzlemaker makes this simple and fast. You just type in words that you want included, and the program generates a word search puzzle that can be printed out. Easy and fun! –Kirsten from Eau Claire, WI

21. Get an oceanview room with a balcony—definitely worth the extra cost. Two safety tips: If you have small kids, check to make sure that the balcony’s railing is safe (no big spaces for a child to slip through) and make sure that the lock on the balcony door is too high for your child to reach. Ours wasn’t, so we propped the door open whenever someone was outside. —Tammy from Levittown, PA

22. After having taken four cruises with our kids, we agree with the recommendation that it’s best to wait until kids are at least 3 years old before you take a family cruise (see Kid-friendly Cruises). It’s not that we didn’t enjoy our vacations when our children were toddlers and preschoolers, but wow—we certainly got much more for our money when they were older. Not being able to take kids into the pools before they are potty-trained is a huge minus, and in even family-oriented ships just do not offer as much for young children. There are easier vacations to take with kids this age! —Margot from Chester, NJ