A cruise is a holiday the whole family can enjoy. Parents enjoy the mix of food, fun and entertainment, while the kids can immerse themselves in the important things – like swimming pools, waterslides, wave riders, ice skating rinks and miniature golf courses.
Even parents with very young children can enjoy the convenience of a supervised kid’s club with activities and games to keep the little ones engaged for hours.
But more and more, cruise holidays have taken on a multi-generational dimension with grandparents joining their extended families for a ‘big occasion’ holiday.
And it’s not restricted to ocean cruising – European river cruising is fast becoming a hot family and multi-generational ticket. Uniworld has launched a new age of river cruising family option to meet this growing market.
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Family style ships
When embarking on a family cruise, it’s important to select a ship that’s suitable for all ages.
Parents and grandparents always appreciate a little ‘me’ time. For them, that means a mix of entertaining features like a day spa, intimate restaurants and lounges, adult-only pool areas and spicy stage shows.
Naturally though, the kids are the centre of family life and what better way to enjoy a holiday than by showing the little travellers a great time.
One of Australia’s most popular cruise lines, P&O, has taken family fun to a whole new level with onboard waterparks set to make a splash on the Pacific Dawn and Pacific Explorer ships.
Carnival Cruise Lines also makes the onboard experience fun with giant waterslides, outdoor sports courts and plenty of family friendly shore excursions.
Royal Caribbean is offering more in the Australian market, and one of their newer ships, Ovation of the Seas is a game changer.
Having arrived in Australian waters in December 2016, Ovation features such amenities as a theatre with video projection and robotics, as well as a moving observation capsule on the top deck, an iFLY skydiving experience, a wave rider, and even an ‘active space’ that houses a roller rink, basketball court, bumper cars and a circus school.
Most Royal Caribbean ships hold parades through the ship, with loveable characters such as Shrek and Kung Fu Panda making an appearance.
