Travel with Marilyn

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Articles
  • Bucket List
  • Travel Photos
  • Work with me
Home  /  Home Page Slider  /  Try Cruising on Your Next Family Vacation

Try Cruising on Your Next Family Vacation

By Marilyn Jones

“Dr. Seuss is on the loose!”, children, their parents and at least one grandmother (me) shout as we parade with the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and Sam I Am from one end of Carnival Fantasy to the other. With provided noise makers and banners, we march past shops, the casino, a café, and passengers walking along the promenade.

Our destination is Universe Lounge and an interactive reading of Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who by the cruise director with the help of lots of little passengers.

As much as cruise lines are increasing their fleets and their ports-of-call, many are also increasing their appeal as a multi-generational vacation option. According to the 2018 Cruise Critic’s Cruiser’s Choice, the top three cruise lines recommended for families with children are Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean. These and other cruise lines are recognizing the appeal of all-inclusive vacations and the convenience of unpacking once for families as well as couples.

The Dr. Seuss parade ends in Universal Lounge where the cruise director reads “Horton Hears A Who”. Photo by Marilyn Jones.

Of course, I wasn’t sure when I booked the cruise from Mobile, Alabama to Key West, and Freehold, Princess Cays and Nassau, Bahamas, if this was going to work with my three-year-old granddaughter, Ainsley.

My daughter, Olivia Moore, signs Ainsley up for Camp Ocean for children ages 2 to 11. Her age group is the Penguins for ages 2 to 5. She immediately equates it with preschool and often asks to go to “school” – even first thing in the morning!

Times are also allotted for children under the age of two, as well as Circle C pre-teens (12 to 14) and Club O2 teens (15 to 17) with their own spaces. Add to this WaterWorks with a pair of 25-metre-long racing slides and Twister Waterslide (a 91-metre-long spiraling tube), a splash pad for toddlers, a nine-hole mini-golf course and a video game arcade and you can see why Carnival is highly rated as a family-oriented cruise line.

Like the Dr. Seuss parade, there are other activities we participate in together including “Green Eggs and Ham” Breakfast, Broadway-style shows guaranteed to keep the attention of all ages, early dining, swimming and frequent stops at the Cherry On Top candy store.

Exploring Ports

We have only three Sea Days, so figuring out shore explorations and excursions is a big part of planning.

Studying the Florida Keys & Key West website, we decide to pass on the planned ship excursions and explore on our own. We start with Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, where items recovered from the 17th century Nuestra Señora de Atocha shipwreck including gold, silver, jewellery and other treasures are featured. We continue with Key West Aquarium before taking the Old Town Trolley Tour with its hop-on/hop-off feature to Earnest Hemingway Home & Museum. We walk the few blocks to the Southernmost Point and The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory before catching the trolley and riding it back to Malory Square where our tour began.

Ainsley touches Nancy the snake at Ardastra Gardens & Zoo in Nassau. Photo by Marilyn Jones.

From the sharks, sea turtles and touch-pool at the aquarium, the butterflies and the polydactyl (six-toed) cats at the Hemingway house to riding the trolley, it turned out to be the perfect combination for three generations on our first port adventure.

In Freeport, we decide to take part in a Family Beach Day; a shore excursion organized by Carnival. I am not sure what to expect, but as soon as we arrive, we are ushered into a separate gathering and told by the children’s counsellor what to anticipate from activities to lunch.

Ainsley wants to play in the water and build a “sand palace” before deciding to join the other children. The designated children’s area has playground equipment, a small swimming pool and a picnic table where the children ages 2 to 10 gather to paint sea shells and have their faces painted among other activities.

Olivia and I often check to see if Ainsley wants to join us on the nearby beach, but she always says no and continues to enjoy her time playing with the other children and joining in activities. The counsellor also takes care of Ainsley during lunch, so Olivia and I can enjoy our own lunch lazing on the beach under a bright yellow umbrella listening to the surf.

Our next stop, Princess Cays, is an area owned by the cruise company located on Eleuthera Island. The cays offers a beautiful wide sandy beach and cruise employees provide lunch nearby. There are shopping opportunities as well.

We decide to take a shore excursion to explore the island further. The excursion consists of a visit to a cave and a “shopping” stop, which is really a bar stop. It is not a good excursion for Ainsley; we should have stayed on the beach the entire time, which is included for every passenger at no extra fee.

Three generations; fun for everyone! Photo by Marilyn Jones.

Our last stop in Nassau is a hit. In additional to a city tour by a knowledgeable guide, we stop at Ardastra Gardens & Zoo. It is like being dropped into a park from another time; no glitz and glitter, just attentive employees and rambling pathways past beautiful flowers, small animals and birds. We feed lorikeets, brightly coloured parrots, and watch as flamingos “march” around an arena. When asked if anyone wants to pose with the pink beauties, Ainsley raises her hand and walks out into the arena for a closer look.

We leave the ship early on the last day and head towards home. About an hour into our drive Ainsley asks, “When can we go on the big boat again?” My answer to her is simple and quick, “I hope it will be real soon!”


IF YOU GO:

The main things to remember when booking a cruise for the whole family are to pick a cruise with built-in children’s programs, examine and re-examine shore excursions before signing up to make sure they are age appropriate, and pick a fixed time dining option to keep children on a schedule.

For more information on Carnival Cruise Line: www.carnival.com or your local travel agent.

For more articles on Carnival Cruise Line, click here.

Tags: Carnival Cruise Line, Cruise, family travel
Previous Article
Next Article

About Author

marilynjones

Marilyn Jones, a journalist and photographer for more than 30 years, specializes in travel. Her articles and photographs have appeared in major newspapers including Dallas Morning News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Sun-Time and Columbus Dispatch. As well as major magazines including Elks Magazine, Alabama Living, Military Officer, Escapees, Texas Farm and Home, Illinois Country Living, Carolina Country and Renaissance Magazine.

Related Posts

  • Bermuda Museum is filled with fascinating finds

  • An Austin Oasis

  • PLAN NOW. VISIT LATER. Lake Erie Shores & Islands

2 Comments

  1. aparna verma Reply
    February 7, 2019 at 4:52 am

    Thanks for sharing such an amazing post.
    It is always great to go on a family holiday.
    We have planned several time but for some or the other reason we had to drop our plan everytime.
    Thanks for the post.
    Cheers!!

    • marilynjones Reply
      February 7, 2019 at 5:01 am

      This cruise was so much fun! You will have a great time when your plans come together. It was truly one of my all-time favorite travel experiences.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

About Me

Marilyn Jones, a journalist and photographer for more than 30 years, specializes in travel. Her articles and photographs have appeared in major newspapers including Dallas Morning News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Sun-Time and Columbus Dispatch. As well as major magazines including Elks Magazine, Alabama Living, Military Officer, Escapees, Texas Farm and Home, Illinois Country Living, Carolina Country and Renaissance Magazine.

Social Media

My Instagram

travelingwithmarilyn

Hollywood Land at California Adventure in Anaheim, Hollywood Land at California Adventure in Anaheim, CA.
A friendly pet at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disn A friendly pet at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland Park in California.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park in Cal Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park in California.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park in Cal Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park in California.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park in Cal Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park in California.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Ga Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park in California.
Star Wars:Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Gal Star Wars:Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at #Disneyland Park in #California.
Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind at California Adven Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind at California Adventure.
Casey Jr. Circus Train at #Disneyland Park. Casey Jr. Circus Train at #Disneyland Park.
Sally and Jack from "Nightmare Before Christmas" a Sally and Jack from "Nightmare Before Christmas" at the Haunted Mansion in #Disneyland.
Toontown at Disneyland, California. Toontown at Disneyland, California.
Storybook Land at Disneyland, California. Storybook Land at Disneyland, California.
J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Ybor City, Tampa, Flo J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida.
J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Ybor City, Tampa, Flo J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida.
Touring J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Ybor City, Ta Touring J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida.

@j.c.newmancigarco #unlocktampabay @visittampabay #
@moreinybor
Happy Holidays!! Happy Holidays!!
Happy holidays!! Happy holidays!!
Happy holidays! #Christmas #holidayseason #holida Happy holidays!

#Christmas #holidayseason #holiday #holidays
Christmas in Roseland; Shreveport, #Louisiana. Christmas in Roseland; Shreveport, #Louisiana.
Christmas in Roseland, Shreveport, #Louisiana. Christmas in Roseland, Shreveport, #Louisiana.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Keywords

Africa Alabama AmaWaterways Arizona Bella Guatemala Travel Bermuda book review California Cambodia Canada Carnival Cruise Line Charleston Christmas Christmas Market Cruise Ecuador Egypt Exodus Travels family travel Florida G Adventures Germany Guatemala guidebook Italy Jordan Louisiana Mississippi Movie Locations museum New Mexico North Carolina packing tips Portugal product reviews road trip Santa Fe South Africa South Carolina Texas Turkey UNESCO Vicksburg Viking Ocean Cruises Viking River Cruises

Join my travel club.

Be the first to learn about my adventures and special promotions, by signing up for my FREE newsletter.