Royal Caribbean wins out in most categories, but Carnival offers a solid budget- and family-friendly option. Ramsey is a freelance travel journalist covering business travel, loyalty programs and luxury travel.
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Luxury ShipsThe intimate ships of high-end lines like Silversea Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, SeaDream Yacht Club and Regent Seven Seas Cruises (or ultra-premium lines, such as Oceania Cruises, Windstar Cruises, Azamara and Viking Ocean Cruises) are refined, dignified and geared to adults.
On board, the mix of other passengers can determine the overall experience, but both cruise companies do an excellent job of offering fun for all ages. Carnival wins this category for its more laid-back atmosphere and the number of children-specific activities.
But, if you can splurge, balcony staterooms on a cruise ship are awesome. If your kids are still in the napping phase, you can relax on your balcony while your kids are napping. Balconies give you extra living space and make your stateroom feel larger. On sea days, the upper decks are crowded.
Infants must be a minimum of 6 months old on the sailing date for most voyages. For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, Australia and South America sailings – and any with 3 or more consecutive days at sea – the minimum age is 12 months.
Minimum Age to Sail UnaccompaniedFor sailings departing from North America, the minimum age requirement for unaccompanied sailing is 21. In contrast, Royal Caribbean's minimum age to sail unaccompanied on sailings departing from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand is 18.
Carnival Youth Programs are open for children ages 6 months to 11 years. All youth must be registered to participate; registration should be completed pre-cruise. During some cruises, capacity may be limited. We know that even the smallest campers want to have fun!
The perfect age for taking your kids on a cruise is when they are old enough to be excited about the experience -- when they want to check out the ship and get excited about exploring in ports of call. Maybe they are more attracted by daily ice cream, pool time and Ping-Pong than cultural immersion, but that's OK.
Yes, you can bring a 3 year old to a cruise ship. But you need to be very careful about them. Although the cruise ship has many amenities and services for kids, it is the parent who will need to take care of them. The cruise ship has everything that will keep your kid busy, and he or she will enjoy it to the fullest.
It is true that a parent who has sole custody of their child or children does not need permission from the other parent to travel domestically or abroad. Parents with sole custody will have to provide their court-ordered custody arrangement to get the child's passport.
Never Let Kids Play on RailingsCruise ship railings are high — usually higher than standard handrails — as they are meant to ensure no one falls over even if the ship rocks back and forth. But ship's railings are also attractive to kids as something to climb on.
What to Know About Avoiding Sea Sickness. Sea sickness isn't often a problem for kids on big cruise ships, but you do have some options to treat and prevent motion sickness, whether it is in a boat, plane, or car.
Ship size and capacity: Carnival operates some of the largest cruise ships in the world, which allows them to accommodate a larger number of passengers. The higher passenger capacity spreads operational costs over more people, leading to potential cost savings.
Let's be clear: Carnival is not a luxury cruise line, nor does it offer huge suites on most ships. The suites it has are smaller than most other brands' high-end accommodations, and they do not include amenities like butler service.
Both companies are market leaders in terms of fleet sizes. That said, Royal Caribbean has more ships and they're often larger, which means additional dining, activities and lodging options for passengers.