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Pros and Cons of Bringing Kids on a Cruise with You

Are you thinking of going on a cruise with your kids but not sure if it’s a good idea? Here are the pros and cons of bringing your kids on a cruise with you.

Pros of Bringing Your Kids with You on Cruises

Joy of Being with Your Kids

One of the best things about going on a cruise with kids is the happiness it brings. I love going on vacation with my kids and seeing them having a great time. 

That happiness is priceless and completely outweighs any challenges that come with vacationing with kids.  It’s far better than longing for your kids to be there and wishing they could be there to enjoy the cruise with you.

Educational For Kids

One of the pros of bringing your kids on a cruise with you is that your kids will benefit from the educational experience. They will become more worldly. They’ll get to meet and hang out with all sorts of people from different parts of the world, like the cruise staff and other kids in the club. Your child will be exposed to people that they would not normally be exposed to. 

Aside from the people, they will also learn a lot by exploring different cruise ports and seeing different cultures. This firsthand experience goes beyond what they can learn from books. You just can’t beat the real life experience!

Kids Sail Free

One good thing about taking the kids on cruises is that you can make the most of those kids sail free deals that cruise lines offer. It’s such a great deal to bring your kids along when they can sail free- all you have to do is pay the taxes and port fees. That’s it! Going on a cruise becomes a very affordable family vacation!

Pros & Cons bringing kids on a cruise with you

Easy Way to See Many Cities 

One of the pros of taking a cruise with your children is the convenience it offers. Traveling to different cities with kids is usually really tough—driving, changing hotels, packing, and unpacking. But on a cruise, you can easily visit several countries and cities without all the logistical hassle. Especially to Europe! Cruising makes it so easy to go on a European vacation with kids and see many cities easily.

Cons of Bringing Your Kids with You on Cruises

Can’t Do Shore Excursion Every Day

One downside of bringing your children on cruises is that you may not be able to go on shore excursions every day. Depending on your kids’ ages, participating in tours daily can be too tiring, resulting in cranky children. When cruising with kids, you need to take it easy since going on intense full-day tours every day is probably not realistic. You will need to make it less intense by skipping shore excursions and doing half day tours instead of full day ones.

Can’t Truly Relax

One cons of going on a cruise with your kids is that you can’t truly relax. For example, when you’re lounging by the pool, you can’t completely relax because you’re constantly keeping an eye on your kids to make sure they are safe. 

Even if your kids are in the Kids Club, the club hours are so short, with lots of breaks, that you don’t really have a long stretch of time to relax because before you know it, it’s time to head back to the Kids Club to pick them up.

Need to Follow Kids Schedule

One negative of bringing kids on a cruise is that you have to adjust to their schedule. Especially with young children, your plans will revolve around their nap time. Even if they no longer take naps, you might still need to stick to their bedtime routine to avoid disrupting it, otherwise you will end up with cranky kids the following day.

Limited Shore Excursions

One disadvantage of bringing kids on a cruise is that you are limited to the type of shore excursions. Some excursions are designed for adults and teens. For example, during my Alaskan cruise with my kids, I missed out on adventurous glacier kayaking tours because my son was too young to join. Even on my Baltic cruise, we couldn’t do a tour of a Nazi concentration camp because my son was too young to go.

Can’t Go to Adult Pool

Another negative of bringing kids with you on a cruise is that you can’t go to the adult pool. You are stuck in the main pool where all the other kids are. Throughout the cruise, you’re stuck in a busier and more chaotic pool environment!

Pros & Cons bringing kids on a cruise with you

Can’t Do All Adult Activities

Bringing kids on a cruise has its drawbacks, like not being able to fully enjoy adult activities. For example, you might want to hang out at the spa’s thermal suite all afternoon, but you can’t because you have to pick up your child from the kids club. 

Or maybe you’d like to spend the day in the casino, but your kids can’t join you there. There are just a lot of adult activities that you miss out on when you have your kids with you.

Crowded Stateroom

One downside of bringing your kids on a cruise is that you end up in a crowded stateroom. Instead of having a stateroom for just you and your husband, you now have to accommodate an extra person or two in your cabin. Cruise cabins are already small, so adding an extra person can make your cabin feel cramped. Also, you’ll all be sharing one bathroom! Check out 15 Random but Useful Things to Pack to Survive Cruising with Kids

What to Pack: Cruise Packing List for Families with Kids

Cruise Ship Packing List

Get your 3 page Cruise Packing List Printable Bundle for Families with Kids.

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