Should I take a 4 year old on a cruise?

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.



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Kids can often take part in kids' club or accompany their parents to take part in the many “things to do” on a cruise ship. My kids really enjoy water slides, climbing walls and ropes courses, some of these are high above the ship, too scary for me, but they loved them.

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Yes, many ships offer family-friendly cruise activities. Programming might include parades, deck parties, fireworks displays, water shows and breakfasts or meet-and-greets with favorite characters. Some lines have video game systems and host tournaments, and most have arcades.

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The 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.

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And while going overboard on cruise ships is a rare incidence, it does happen occasionally – young children that climb on the railings are particularly at risk. Kids roam free. While cruise ships are confined areas, they are large and full of safety hazards.

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Child safety lock feature: The doors to the balcony in a stateroom often come with two locks; one of them is a child safety lock located at the top of the glass door. Tall railings and walls: The walls and railings on most of the cruise ship balconies are at least 42 inches high.

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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.

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9 Tips for Controlling Your Kids on a Cruise
  1. Pick the right ship and itinerary for your family. ...
  2. Lay down the law. ...
  3. Talk about sex, drugs and alcohol. ...
  4. Read the cruise rules to the gang in advance of your vacation. ...
  5. Respect the minimum age policies. ...
  6. Avoid mealtime meltdowns. ...
  7. Keep tabs on free-roaming children.


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In very general terms, cruising attracts adults ranging in age from their 30s through to their 80s, and you will not find a ship full, exclusively, of 20 year olds.

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Safety is very important to cruise lines. The kids clubs and nurseries all have gated access, meaning people can't just wander in; both kids and adults must be buzzed in by youth staff. Parents must sign the youngest kids in and out; older kids can sign themselves out but cannot leave without alerting a staff member.

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You will want some kind of stroller or baby carrier for taking your child around the cruise ship and in port. Some cruise lines, like Carnival, have rentals available; MSC offers loaners. You will need to store strollers in your cabin, so we recommend bringing a small umbrella stroller, rather than a large baby jogger.

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Generally, the cruise bathrooms are shower-only. So, you can take your toddler with you for a shower or use the removable shower-head for spray-down. Even you can bring your child's inflatable tub with you and sponge down your toddler.

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Your balcony is somewhat private, but gaps around the dividers mean others might get an eyeful if you're not careful. As well, sounds can travel. At first glance, there's no one around to see you if you end up getting down on the balcony. But don't think that it is ultra-private.

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The most stable part of the ship is its lowest point of gravity, so on a lower deck, at the center. You'd feel a lot less motion here than, say, in a stateroom on the upper decks a long way forward or aft (towards the back of the ship).

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As soon as an incident happens, cruise ship crew will activate a button that pinpoints the place where the person went into the water. The ship will then stop and turn back to that area. The ship and its crew will perform a lengthy search and rescue operation, lasting several hours.

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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.

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It will always be a constant nightmare every day and every night for the rest of my life. Anello entered his guilty plea in October. In agreeing to the plea deal, he avoided jail time and agreed to serve probation in South Bend, Indiana, where he lives.

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Caribbean cruises have the youngest passengers, with an average age of 43. This is because they are popular with families as well as those under 30 who like to take short party cruises from the US.

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As a rule of thumb, sailing when school is in session means fewer kids on the ship. That means avoiding times like the Christmas holidays, Spring Break, and summer. Meanwhile, you'll find few kids if you sail right before or after these holidays.

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Resorts could offer a pricing structure that's one flat rate per night for guests no matter their age, but they don't tend to do that. Teenagers will generally cost less than adults, kids will be less than them, and babies under age two may cost less or even be free.

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