Cruise Ships:  Activites for 
Children Under Twelve

By Teri Champigny

Each year, a large number of individuals make the decision to take a cruise.  Cruise ships are a great location to have your next vacation. If given the opportunity, many parents would choose to take a cruise alone. This isn’t because of a lack of love, but because of a common misconception among parents and cruise ships. Many individuals, including parents, believe that cruise ships are not designed for children, but that is simply not true.

If you are the parent of a child under the age of twelve, you may be wondering whether or not they should accompany you on your next cruise.  If you are able to financially afford an additional ticket, you are encouraged to consider bring your child along.  Not only will a cruise be memorable to your child, but it will be exciting. That is because a large number of cruise lines have tailored their cruise ships to children of all ages, including those under the age of twelve.

If you have yet to book your cruise ship reservations, you are encouraged to keep cruise ship activities in mind. The activities for children, under the age of twelve, will vary from ship to ship. That is why it is important that you examine each ship before making a final decision.  Despite the fact that activities will vary from ship to ship, there are many activities geared towards children, under the age of twelve, which can be found on almost all cruise ships. 

One of the many popular activities found aboard a cruise ship is a gaming.  Arcade rooms are common on most cruise ships.  They offer children, under the age of twelve, a safe place to have fun and be a child.  Many cruise ship arcade rooms are staffed with cruise ship employees, but this should not deter you from keeping an eye on your child. When leaving them alone in an arcade room, you are encouraged to use your best judgment.

Another fun activity for children, under the age of twelve, includes swimming.  All vacation cruise ships are equipped with a swimming pool.  In addition to an adult sized swimming pool, wading pools can often be found aboard a number of popular family themed cruises.  As with the arcade room, you are encouraged to use your best judgment when allowing your children to swim unattended.  Lifeguards will be on duty; however, they cannot always guarantee the safety of your child. 

In addition to a swimming pool and an arcade room, most cruise ships have an onboard movie theater or a performance stage.  A large number of cruise lines offer family friendly movies, plays, and other performances.  Children, under the age of twelve, may find these performances and movie showings fun and exciting. To determine if movie showing and performances are targeted to those under twelve, you are encouraged to check a cruise ship’s itinerary. A ship’s itinerary can be viewed with or without previously booked reservations.

Cruise ship restaurants and other dining facilities are likely to cater to children, under the age of twelve.  Many restaurants offer children’s menus.  These menus are likely to include tasty, but kid sized meals. The cost of your kid’s meals will vary from ship to ship; however, many cruise ships offer discounts on meals for children under the age of twelve.