What Birmingham Moms Need to Know Before Going on A Family Cruise

Aside from gifts and family gatherings, the holiday season can also mean family vacations. In our post titled Holiday Travel Ideas for 2019 we discussed family holiday ideas like park rides and shows at The Park at OWA and festive music and dazzling lights at Stone Mountain Christmas. These local attractions are a great way to keep the young ones engaged in holiday festivities. However, holidays can also be a great opportunity for international travel. If planes and flights seem overwhelming, you may consider cruises.

A study by the Cruise Lines International Association showed that traveling by cruise is becoming one of the fastest- growing tourism sectors. Likewise, data from Condé Nast Traveler revealed that 47% of people said they would be interested in setting sail on a ship.

One thing distinguishing cruise ships from air travel is that your children won’t be expected to sit around throughout the trip. Instead, cruise ships have many facilities and onboard activities to entertain families and little ones. If you’re planning to take your children on a family cruise for the holidays, there are certain things to remember. Below, we’ll look at what Birmingham moms need to know before going on a family cruise:

Onboard child-friendly activities

As mentioned above, most cruise lines today offer a variety of onboard facilities and activities to keep families entertained — some more child-friendly than others. Explora Cruises is a great choice for its offering of authentic cuisines and high-quality service, along with fitness and well-being programs.

However, the cruise line also offers Nautilus Club for kids aged 6-17. Open from nine in the morning to midnight, the Nautilus Club offers a huge choice of games, sports, adventures, and activities to support young energies. This includes a dedicated Sports Court and a host of next-generation consoles like PlayStation 5 and Oculus Pro fororganized tech tournaments. By ensuring your kids get plenty of onboard play, you’ll also be able to have some time for yourself.

Explore themed cruises

Another way to guarantee family-friendly fun for the kids is to seek out special-themed cruises. Recently, Japanese cruise company Tokai Kisen announced that its Salvia Maru cruise ship will showcase decorations inspired by the highly popular anime, Spy x Family. This includes a novelty ticket, participation token, and Spy x Family character stamp.

Going on themed cruises is a great way to ensure that onboard activities and facilities will match up with your kids interests. Aside from onboard activities like games and guided tours, you can also find collaboration merchandise for souvenirs. Of course, this isn’t the only themed family-friendly cruise available. Another popular option is Disney’s cruise line, known for its many themed ships and cruise experiences.

Consider onboard cuisine

Finally, aside from onboard activities and facilities, you’ll want to make sure that your preferred cruise line offers menus that fit the little ones tastebuds. Kids can be particularly picky eaters, and being unable to enjoy their food may lead to tantrums or a miserable experience.

Fortunately, many cruise lines consider this and will often offer onboard snacks, meals, and food vendors catering to children. Disney Cruise Line announced its all-new onboard meal offerings earlier this year to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. This includes sweet treats like the Mickey chocolate sphere and a Captain Minnie Mouse vanilla crispy rice treat. Of course, adults won’t be left out of the fun. A signature Jubilee by the Sea cocktail is also offered as a celebratory drink.

For more tips and guides on holiday fun, travel, and events with the family, you can check out other posts on our Birmingham Mommy website.