Being Kid Friendly on the Open Seas
Want to go on a cruise vacation with your kids? There are a lot of big deals that you could choose from. There are a great number of cruise lines that offer family cruises and with great discounts. Some cruise lines offer a year round youth programs that offer good deals for you and your kids.
Call Around
Call the cruise line, talk with their representative and ask about particular cruises and stateroom categories that you are interested in. There are certain things that could get you discounts, ask for any deals that they might have, inform the cruise line representative that you are traveling as a family, mention to the representative your age and sate of residence, if you have sailed on that particular cruise line before there might be additional discounts available for you and your family.
Groups
Travel in groups asks your friends if their family would like to go on vacation with your family. There are cruise lines that will a free cabin if a group reached a certain number. Check the cruise line with the cruise lines most ships give a free cabin after the ninth one booked. There is a great advantage when traveling in groups; you could get extras such as complimentary photos, gifts and souvenirs. Your kids would not get bored if they are traveling with their friends and would even make the whole cruising experience memorable.
Book your own plane tickets
Book your own flight. Most of the cruise lines offer deals for your family that include airfare to and from your home city. Even though if it is convenient to have somebody book your family’s flight or worry about how to get from the airport to the ship it would cost you more. It would be cheaper to book your plane ticket especially if you have planned your cruise in advance.
Purchase “Soda Stickers” or “Soda Cards”
You have to remember that sodas can be expensive on board so when traveling with kids its best to purchase “soda sticker” or “soda cards” beforehand. Cruise ships give the bearer unlimited sodas while onboard.
Shore excursions
Plan your own shore excursions. Do your own research on the different ports of call you would be visiting. Although it would be convenient to just sign up on the cruise shore excursions, such convenience comes with a price. If you plan your excursion carefully you would be able to get the most value out of your vacation, and it would be exciting to have the kids read up on the destination and make them their very own travel guides and make them feel like explorers. It would be great for them to “discover” about places you are visiting and making them get excited over the trip by asking them which places they want to go to when the ships is docked on the port.
Don’t Eat out
Lastly, resist alternative dining you already have meals paid for in the cruise tickets, and if you are on shore make sure you come home for lunch. You have already paid for those meals; there is no need to eat lunch ashore unless it is really a good place to dine in.