Best Cruise Lines For Babies and Toddlers
Top Nurseries and Childcare for Families on a Cruise
Feb 24, 2009
A select number of cruise ships cater to babies and toddlers with onboard nurseries, childcare and babysitting services, and a couple of cruise lines even change diapers.
Although family-friendly accommodation helps maintain the sanity when cruising with a baby or toddler, nothing beats babysitting, children’s pools, and other facilities outside the confines of a cabin. Here are three cruise lines that look after young children the best.
Carnival Cruise Lines
- Minimum Age and Diaper Policy - The complimentary onboard children’s program, Camp Carnival, allows kids as young as two years old to participate. Parents of non-potty trained toddlers must provide diapers, but counselors will change them. Minimum age to cruise is four months old.
- Activities and Facilities - All Carnival ships have at least one playroom, a wading pool and outdoor play areas. The 2-5 year olds can enjoy soft play areas and activities such as finger painting and puppet shows. Children can also build their own Fun Ship Freddy plush toy.
- Cost of Babysitting - Group babysitting is available from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. nightly. It costs $6 per hour for the first child and $4 per hour for each additional child. Daytime babysitting, for kids under the age of 2, is also available for the same price.
Disney Cruise Line
- Minimum Age and Diaper Policy - Flounder’s Reef Nursery takes children from 12 weeks old up to 36 month old. Parents are given pagers since the counsellors do not change diapers. Once children are at least 3 years old and toilet trained they may participate in the Oceaneer Club children’s program.
- Activities and Facilities - The nursery includes a soft play area with toys and a separate quiet area with cribs. Parents can pre-order baby supplies through Babies Travel Lite, and have them delivered to their stateroom. In addition, Mickey’s Pool has a wading and splash area for children still in diapers.
- Cost of Babysitting - Although children three years of age and older enjoy complimentary supervision all day and evening, Flounder’s Reef Nursery comes with a cost. Expect to pay $6 per hour for the first child and $5 per hour for each additional child.
Royal Caribbean International
- Minimum Age and Diaper Policy - The minimum age to cruise is six months old (Caribbean or Alaska) and children need to be at least 3 years old and toilet trained in order to participate in the Adventure Ocean kids program.
- Activities and Facilities - Royal Babies and Tots are interactive playgroup sessions that are 45-minutes in length. They are held in an onboard lounge except for on the Oasis of the Seas, where there will be a separate nursery when it is launched in December 2009.
- Cost of Babysitting - Although the daily Adventure Ocean program is complimentary, all evening babysitting is extra. But this is one cruise line that also has private in-stateroom babysitting at approximately $10 per hour for up to two children.
A couple other cruise lines not mentioned above are Norwegian Cruise Line and Cunard Line. Although NCL's program starts at 2 years old, they don't change diapers. Cunard, on the other hand will change diapers in an onboard nursery, but they have limited itineraries to choose from.
The copyright of the article Best Cruise Lines For Babies and Toddlers in Cruise Lines & Routes is owned by Renee Ruggero. Permission to republish Best Cruise Lines For Babies and Toddlers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
