THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 23, 1997 TAG: 9702220042
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Greg Raver-Lampman
LENGTH: 58 lines
FOR PARENTS, shopping for cruises isn't easy. Until a few years ago, only a handful of cruise lines encouraged entire families to come aboard.
That's changing. Of 28 major cruise lines worldwide, only five discourage parents from bringing children under 12 (they are Windstar, Seabourne, Silversea, Oceanic and Radisson Seven Seas). Seventeen offer some sort of assistance for parents, ranging from cribs to youth counselors.
Still, parents have to be careful not to be snookered by children's programs that amount to little more than slick brochures.
When shopping for any cruise, parents should ask specific questions to make sure that their kids don't wind up bored and ornery. Among the most important:
Will there be other children on the boat?
This is pretty fundamental. Kids like kids. If your child is the only 6-year-old, he or she is likely to be bored, no matter how charming the youth counselor.
Try to find out if there are programs for specific ages.
There's a huge difference in what will entertain toddlers and teen-agers. If children of all ages are lumped into one program, someone's not going to be happy. In the last year, a handful of cruise lines have expanded kids programs by targeting specific age groups.
Ask specifics about shipboard baby-sitting.
Some cruise lines, such as the Big Red Boat, offer slumber parties and group baby-sitting for $4 an hour. Kids dance, snack and watch movies. On other cruise lines, you've got to hire baby sitters for your cabin, at costs of up to $10 an hour. That can add up.
Make sure advertised children's programs are available on your specific cruise.
Some ships have youth counselors but only when enough kids sign up. Princess Cruises, for instance, has brochures advertising its Love Boat Kids program. On three Princess ships (the Royal, Island and Pacific Princess), these programs are only available when 15 or more children are sailing. If you miss this fine print, you and your children could end up having a miserable time.
Check the hours of all programs.
In many cases, ships offer programs that run just a few hours a day. Others shut down youth programs during port visits. You want to know precisely what you're getting before you climb aboard.
Find out if your ship has special meals for kids.
Some ships offer special menus, with kid-friendly food like macaroni and cheese and spaghetti. This is important for children who haven't yet developed a taste for lobster and escargot.
Even better, some ships offer children's pizza parties that will allow you to linger over your meal without worrying about your kid's flinging china and silverware onto the floor.
Make sure the shipboard children's activities continue into the evening when you might want to take in a show, gamble or dance.
Make sure there are things you, the parents, want to do, too.
A ship can have the world's best children's program, but if there's nothing for you to do, you'll end up being bored. And the only thing ornerier than a bored kid is a bored mommy or daddy.