Cruises are Best Option for Family Vacations, Both in Cost and Convenience
April 01, 2005
It's not too late to plan that summer vacation with the family. As the travel industry tries to bear with the sky-high cost of jet fuel, cruises are quickly becoming the vacation of choice for cost-conscious vacationing families. With all-inclusive pricing and special deals for families, you really can't go wrong taking a cruise this year. And new ports are popping up all over the country so docking destinations are usually just a short drive away. Traveling with kids can be tough, but cruising makes vacations easy and fun for everyone.
Several exciting options have been springing up that will appeal to you and to your kids. Take the family to see America on a Riverventure with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company or book a Caribbean voyage aboard a Tall Ship with Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. Disney Cruise Line has great fun planned for the whole family with their new "Pirates in the Caribbean" themed adventures. Carnival Cruise Line also offers well-constructed programs for kids and teens aboard their "Fun Ships," including karaoke parties, teen makeovers, photography/art classes and tons more!
Cruises offer flexibility, options and relaxation so everyone can enjoy themselves on vacation. Check out some of these family fun cruises for your vacation:
Delta Queen Steamboat Co.
Experience America from the deck of an 18th century steamboat! Adventures are around every bend in river cruising and kids under 18 sail for free! A Riverventure will give you the chance to discover different lifestyles such as those of the Cajuns in Louisiana and the Amish in Wisconsin. Famous Americans like Martha Washington, Patrick Henry, and Mark Twain will be on board to help bring history to life for you and your family. You'll be charmed by tales of life on the river—both today and in the past. Plus, you'll get fun and creative ideas on how to get everyone in your family involved in researching and recording your own unique genealogy. On shore, discover what life was like on a plantation in the 1800s' see what it's like to live and grow up there in the days before the Civil War. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, you can tour the restored USS Kidd and learn what it was like to serve a tour of duty on a World War II destroyer.
Windjammer Barefoot Cruise
Sail Aruba, Curacoa and Bonaire and your kids sail free with Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. Explore the southwestern Caribbean and enjoy world class diving in Bonaire and charming Dutch Colonial architecture of Curacoa. There's something for everyone to discover—beautiful beaches and coral reefs teeming with fascinating sea life. Your kids will enjoy meeting other kids their age, trekking through the lush canopy of a natural rainforest, or maybe buzzing around on a jet ski. Take a family hike to the top of a waterfall and plunge in for a cool swim.
Disney Cruise Line
As one might expect, families will find special facilities and activities for cruisers of all ages with Disney. There's an entire deck for kids with a large highly-trained staff offering age-specific programs, and hands-on activities. Parents receive pagers when dropping off their youngest kids at the Oceaneer Club (ages 3-8) or Oceaneer Lab (ages 9-12). Even babies have their own quiet place to relax and have fun at the Flounder's Reef Nursery. For teens, there's Common Grounds, a New-York style coffeehouse with music, large screen tv, and coffee bar. Teen programs include photography and film-making. Parents and kids alike love visiting Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. And a new special feature onboard Disney Magic's 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages is the popular Disney attraction "Pirates in the Caribbean" themed dinner.
Carnival Cruise Line
Hosting 100,000 kids a year on its "Fun Ships," Carnival gives them a million reasons to keep coming back. Throwing karaoke parties, hosting special performances, offering teen makeovers, photography workshops, art classes, kids and teens of all ages have been having the time of their lives at Camp Carnival. "Fun Ships" are stocked with waterslides at the children's pools, virtual reality machines, teen discos and video arcades. Camp Carnival has morning to night activities for four different age groups: Toddlers, Intermediate, Juniors and Teens.
Rediscover your family and enjoy them this vacation. To book a cruise for the whole family, call one of our Certified Cruise Specialists at 1-888-267-1232 or book online with our secure, user-friendly site www.cruisenetwork.com.
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