Cruise Vacations with Small Children: Tips for All-Family Fun

Many of my fondest childhood memories stem from family vacations. Fighting with my brother and sister in the backseat of the car, or someone needing to stop and use the bathroom every five minutes. Well, most of the memories, though fond now, seem to be centered on long car rides.

My husband and I decided to avoid the car trip aspect- especially as our daughter is an only child and yet can still get into backseat fights with her stuffed birds. We went cruising. My husband and I are seasoned cruisers and figured we would have this trip under control. It was my daughter's first time on a ship and she was excited. Here is what we learned from our experience:

Adjust Expectations.

I had a very clear picture about how vacation would run. Our daughter would enjoy her time with us. We would eat together in the dining room, enjoy a round of putt-putt, use the pool, and when she was ready, she could go to the children's program to play. What I did not count on was that she was off her normal schedule and when that happens, the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality of a three-year-old comes out.

Lesson learned. Attempt to keep the young ones as close to their normal schedule as possible. We had a time zone change to deal with in addition to late nights, early mornings, and lack of naps. With so much activity and fresh air, our daughter also became exhausted faster.

Cruises offer so many activities it is tempting to sign up for a lot. But when cruising with young ones, do take time in the day to go back to the stateroom and have some quiet time. It seemed to help when we did this because it also took us out of the way of the friendly crew members. Smiling and talking and being pleasant to so many strangers can be taxing on anyone, let alone a small child who is not used to it.

Take a Stroller.

Take a stroller with you even for the older preschoolers- four and five-year-olds. At three years old, our daughter had decided she was too old for strollers. Thankfully, we omitted that from our already large luggage allowance. And we promptly regretted it as soon as we reached our first port-of-call.

As I mentioned previously, children wear out quickly in fresh air and lots of activities. My daughter needed a hug so I picked her up and as soon as she laid her head on my shoulder, she crashed. She is quite tall for her age and solid, so carrying her became awkward. This happened not just the one time but several more times during the trip. Even if you do not think you will need it, reconsider. We commiserated with several parents of Kindergarten-age children who were lugging their sleeping off-spring back to the ship.

Watch Blood Sugar Levels.

If your growing child is anything like ours, be sure to snack often. The wind, sun, sea air, port-of-call activities, et cetera can take a huge toll on children. They may have amazing stamina but also amazing lungs when hungry. Our daughter is a great kid but does not realize when she is hungry. She does not like to stop playing long enough to eat.

When cruising, take advantage of the always present food. Grab fruit to take back to your stateroom. Even the chocolates from the pillows are useful in restoring blood sugar long enough to quiet the child long enough to get a meal.

Take Advantage of Children's Programs.

Even if it is supposed to be "family vacation," do not feel guilty about dropping your child off for a couple hours at the children's program. Most cruise lines offer a fantastic kid's program run by professionals. If sailing with Royal Caribbean, the people in charge of the children are all college graduates with degrees in education. Most children enjoy playing with others their own age and we found it was a great activity for our daughter. Sometimes you need a little time apart and this is a great way to achieve that.

Whatever your plans for vacation, have a wonderful time!