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How can I pick the best cruise
for my children?
What should I know about the ship’s child care or
teen center?
Can my whole family fit in one cabin?
Mommy, I’m hungry! What can I have to eat?
Which meal seating should I schedule?
What should I do if I am traveling with an infant?
What documentation will I need for my children?
How can I find out if my child will need a passport
or visa for their trip?
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How can I pick the best cruise
for my children?
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Just like with adults, you want to find the
best match in a cruise for the kids. Some Cruise Lines specialize
in programs for children to draw lots of families. Other lines are
better for the adult crowd. You’ll have to do some research to find
the best Cruise Line for your kids. Some Cruise Lines will have
more for small children, while others will cover the full range
of ages. Use the questions below as a guide to help you find the
best cruise for your children.
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Do the Cruise Line’s brochures and web pages
look as if they were designed to attract families?
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Do you see items on the ship’s menu your
child will enjoy eating?
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Do they have a children’s menu available
at each meal?
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What types of activities do they have planned
for children?
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Will the special services and events for
children be available whenever I wish to cruise or are they
only limited to a certain time of the year?
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Does the ship have a pool just for children?
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Will they show any movies or have special
entertainment appropriate for children?
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Will you visit any ports of call your children
will find interesting?
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Do they have any shore excursions designed
to be fun for kids?
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What types of discount programs are available
for children?
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How old can my children be and still be
eligible for the children’s discount?
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Are discounts available for the 3rd
and 4th passengers in my cabin?
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Are cots or cribs available?
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Can I book adjoining cabins?
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What is the minimum age limit for a passenger?
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Does the ship have a dedicated child care
center or playroom?
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Does the ship have a dedicated teen center?
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What should I know about the
ship’s child care or teen center?
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Are there any requirements on placing a
child in the center, such as they must be potty trained, present
certain vaccination certifications or meet certain age parameters?
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Are children’s areas supervised?
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What is the caregiver to child ratio in
the children’s areas?
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What qualifications and training does their
childcare staff have to meet?
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Are criminal and other background checks
done on their staff?
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Is the staff trained to perform CPR on children
and infants?
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Are they insured?
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What security measures are used when children
are picked up from the center?
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What are the hours, cost and restrictions
for these centers?
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Do they have guardrails available on bunk
beds?
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Do they have babysitting services available?
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What are the hours and costs for the babysitting
service?
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Can my whole family fit in one
cabin?
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That depends on how many there are in your
family and how close you want to be. Most ships have two person
cabins that can be booked with a 3rd and 4th
person. But find out the square footage of the cabin, and see
if you want to fit everyone into that space. Remember that you’ll
still only have one small bathroom.
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Mommy, I’m hungry! What can
I have to eat?
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Check out the Cruise Line’s web page for
menus.
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Find out if the ship serves items that your
child will want to eat.
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See if the ship has a child’s menu available
at each meal?
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Don’t forget to pack plenty of formula if
you are bringing an infant.
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Which meal seating should I
schedule?
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You might want to book a meal seating close
to the time they usually eat, but see what time the activities
are scheduled for children so they will be available to take part
in them. Late seating might limit the evening activities for your
children.
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What should I do if I am traveling
with an infant?
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Check with the Cruise Line’s minimum age
requirements.
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Pack the diapers and the formula.
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Strollers can be difficult to use on the
ship, but you’ll still need them on shore excursions.
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A baby pack will work the best on land and
sea.
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Check to see if rental cribs are available
for the cabins.
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What documentation will I need
for my children?
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They usually need the same type of documentation
you are required to have. If you need a passport or visa, so
will they.
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If a child is traveling out of the country
with only one of the child’s parents, you may have to provide
written permission from the other parent that the child may
leave the country. You’ll probably need a notarized statement
from the other parent, but you’ll want to check with the Cruise
Line for their policy on this matter.
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How can I find out if my child
will need a passport or visa for their trip?
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Go To: Embassy Links
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This page contains links to many foreign countries’
Embassies and Consulate Offices located in the United States.
Each Embassy’s web site is different, but they all contain contact
information and other helpful information for anyone planning
on visiting their country.
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travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html
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The U.S. State Department, Bureau of Consular
Affairs’ Foreign Entry Requirements web page. This site lists
the entry requirements of foreign countries. It also includes
the addresses and telephone numbers of foreign embassies and consulates
in the United States. This web site is a good starting point,
but since the information presented is subject to change, you
should also check directly with the embassy or consulate of the
country you a planning to visit.
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www.state.gov/www/travel/consular_offices/fco_index.html
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The U.S. State Department’s Foreign Consular
Offices web page. This site contains an updated listing of contact
information for foreign countries’ consular offices in the United
States.
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