Adventure Sailing

Taking a Cruise with Kids - What You Should Know

Taking a cruise vacation is a spectacular way to get out of the daily grind and enjoy some quality time with the whole family. If you are planning a cruise with the kids in tow, some additional preparation will be needed to avoid unnecessary headaches.

Lets face it, kids get sick often. Think about your normal life at home and how often you come across a sudden cold, sniffles, belly aches and the like. Take this into consideration when packing. Make sure you have all the normal medications such as cough syrup, aspirin, heating pad, eardrops, etc. before you leave. Many of these items will be available onboard, but it is worth taking your own to be sure you have what you need, the type your child likes, and that you don't get cheated on the price.

If you have one, it is worthwhile to bring a collapsible stroller with you. These are usually available for a fee onboard but again, its worthwhile to have your own. The ships are very large and there will be a fair amount of walking around to get from one place of interest to the next. Just going to dinner or getting a snack will usually involve a few elevator rides and a stroll down a long hallway or deck path. Be prepared here, you want the stroller you and your child are used to using.

Many cruises offer some sort of baby sitting or child activities where the parents can get away and have some time to themselves. Don't count on this, however, and be sure to check in advance. Many cruise activities are scheduled throughout the day but there will certainly be 'down time' at day or night when your children will need to be entertained. The best advice is to bring along some of the same activities you have at home. Books, games, video games all work well when there is time to be spent in the cabin. You may think "hey, I'll be on vacation and not spending my time in the cabin"...but you will, trust me.

In conclusion, the moral of the story about bringing your kids on a cruise vacation is to bring the comforts of home with you. Anything you can pack that is not too overbearing to carry you should consider bringing. Following this advice will make for a much more comfortable and relaxing vacation for you and your kids. Packing to stay healthy on a Cruise Vacation

Article Source: http://www.articlenorth.com

MJ Batta writes on travel and has a cruise website at www.cruise.researchthisstuff.com and a cruise ship review site at www.criticsoftheseas.com Cruises Write a Cruise Ship Review

Cruise Vacation Tips On Caribbean Cruises

Sphere: Related Content

Once the provinces of the rich and famous, cruises have changed and Caribbean cruises are fast becoming the most popular vacation choice; cruise vacations like these are also becoming more desirable with younger people. There is fantastic scenery, beautiful beaches, and exotic Caribbean island locations; on the cruise liner itself you will have entertainment and a full program of activities at anytime of the day or night. There is a great deal of flexibility involved on the part of the liner companies and they can arrange short taster trips or a full fourteen days or more vacations.

Whilst this type of vacation has become widespread each vacationer has diverse needs so there are many different packages available as it is a time for unwinding, enjoyment and revitalization. Don't think for one moment that there will not be enough to occupy you as cruise liners are the equivalent of floating vacation resorts that have a different view every day.

It is always a pleasant use of your time to see what vacations on ships are available and see what choice of packages there are so why not start at the local travel operator for some advice. Each Caribbean cruise will visit a certain number of islands on that particular voyage so you must decide if you want to visit certain islands like Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas or Antigua for example.

Many cruise vacations cater more for adults and the activities include discos, late night entertainment, casinos and shows with daytime events to challenge those with an excess of energy. Some Caribbean cruise liner companies actually produce virtual tours and other information on DVD's which can be collected from your travel agent or ordered online.

One important thing to remember is the type of clothes you pack for your trip as you will have the opportunity to wear all you normal holiday clothes plus those for dressing up in the evening. For formal evenings and events a gown is necessary for women and tuxedo for men so that you can be seen in your finest and something you need to be prepared for especially if you are invited to the Captains table.

There are also plenty of activities if you take your children along on a cruise vacation and they will probably burn off all their energy by the time the evening has ended. There will be probably more for your children to do than at a standard resort, in fact you probably won't see them much during the day.

But Caribbean cruises can be for adults to and there are those that do not have children on board. Other cruise liner packages are available and have been created for special occasions like weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries.

A Caribbean cruise vacation is the ideal venue for singles, couples and for families as everyone is looked after with a multitude of activities available; no-one ever feels left out.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Cruise Vacation Tips On Caribbean Cruises

About the Author

Victor is the owner of romantichoteldeals.com. We specialize in offering romatic beach vacation, airline ticket booking & reservation, cruise vacation, honeymoon vacation packages, honey travel, holiday resorts, and cheap vacation packages. Visit us now to take advantage of our great prices!

Cruise Vacation Planning - Time To Get It Right!

Sphere: Related Content

When you are preparing for your cruise vacation, it's vital to have all your plans in place in good time. By
doing this you will ensure that you are comfortable with the whole experience and that lets you enjoy it more!

So here are a few tips to help you get the most out of the planning of it all - selected from a selection of Top Ten Cruising Tips - there's more at the website below.

1. Get your dates and timescale sorted.

Having this discussion early means there will be a lot less frustration when it comes to making decisions about your cruise vacation. Remember things like school and college dates; other people's vital birthdays, not to mention other key dates like medical appointments. Remember that the cruise lines will have different rates for different times of the year - a matter of a week could make a lot of difference to the price you pay and the spending money you have on board!

2. Are your dates fixed or are you flexible?

If you are tied to specific times on the calendar, do you have any flexibility around that at all. Whilst no-one likes to take kids out of school at any time, you might find just a snippet of flexibility, like at the end of the summer term when exams are finished, for example, to take your cruise. This can make not just a financial difference, but also a difference to availability as well as how busy the cruises might be as well. A slightly quieter week might be a lot more fun than one when the crew are working at full tilt. Not to mention availability of extras like shore excursions.

3. Is the date the most important; or the cruise line; or the destination?

A vital question! Where do your priorities lie? If you are getting to an age where it's just the two of you and you have no time constraints (and are maybe prepared to pay the full rate too!), you can afford to be much more selective about the where, the when and the who you decide to spend your money with. It's a great place to be! So, in this case, whilst timing of your cruise vacation will be important, there might just be other decisions that you can take which will help you get the best from it.

4. Are all members of the party in the same position?

Another important point! Remember that whilst you might be OK, others in your party could be much less flexible, for all sorts of reasons, especially if they have kids and/or businesses to run. If you are the nominated organizer for a large party - say a family reunion - you will have to be where the buck stops. It's no easy place to be! As the person who has their finger on the 'send' button when it comes to giving your credit card for the deposit, making sure that you have the dates that suit everyone, is critical to your wealth! There is no easy solution to this from the to and fro negotiating that might have to go on, to get it right for most, if not all. Good luck!

5. The weather!

Don't forget to ensure that the weather is going to be as you expect. Especially when tripping off to foreign climes, it's easy to see the brochure pictures and forget that they are not intended to put you off. In tropical climates, that is exactly what they are - tropical! And with that is rain and wind sometimes. That cheaper deal might actually not seem that cheap, if your cruise vacation gets stuck in port for days when Hurricane 'Nellie' is expected anytime soon! Check it out.

A little careful thought into the timings of what you want to do will go a long way to ensure that the cruise vacation you are preparing excitedly for is all you want. A memorable experience for all the right reasons!

Author Resource:- (c) 2007 "Hawaiian-Cruises-Online". You can have vacation of your dreams. Everything you've ever wanted from a vacation - beautiful ships; wonderful food and destinations like you wouldn't believe! And did I mention the weather? Look no further - all the Hawaiian Cruising information you'll ever need, in the 50+ pages that's totally free at Martin Haworth's website, Hawaiian Cruises Online Blog!

Article From New Ezine Articles