Posts Tagged ‘cruise babysitting’
Cruise Line Babysitting Options Reviewed
You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.
If you choose to cruise with a child under the age of 3, you’ll want to consider the availability of babysitting or other supervised activities when deciding on a cruise line. The availability of these services varies widely amongst cruise lines and can even vary by ship or time of year.
In order to help you in your decision making process, we’ve put together the top 7 cruise lines with babysitting and supervised activities for children under 3. UPDATED October 2011!
Queen Mary 2 Play Zone
- Cunard Cruise Line - Surprisingly, Cunard takes the number one spot. Staffed in the British tradition, nannies and youth counselors care for infants and toddlers from ages 1 to 6 in their Play Zone/Nursery. They will change diapers, feed and care for your little one during scheduled daytime and evening hours, which vary by itinerary (generally 9AM-Midnight with closure from Noon-2PM and 5-6PM except the first and last days). Also offered is evening group babysitting, which allows mom and dad to have a night out on the “town”. The best part…there is no limit on the number of hours your child can spend there and it’s free! Your tiny tots under 1 year old may play in the Play Zone too when accompanied by a parent or guardian (2012 itineraries will require parental supervision for children under 2 years of age).
- Disney Cruise Line – Babysitting for infants and toddlers from 12 weeks to 3 years is available in the Flounder’s Reef Nursery (or It’s a Small World Nursery onboard the Disney Dream) from 9AM until 11PM each evening (5PM-11PM on the first day) at a cost of $6/hour for the first child and $5/hour for each sibling (two hour minimum). There is an activity area as well as a quiet area for napping infants and toddlers. Nursery staff does change diapers if you provide them with supplies. You may reserve up to 10 hours in advance of sailing (18 hours for 7-night sailings, 28 hours for 10-12 night sailings and 35 hours for 14-night sailings). Additional hours must be booked onboard on an as available basis. This is the only cruise line that offers babysitting for infants under 6 months of age.
- Carnival Cruise Line – Camp Carnival is unique in that it offers daily activities for toddlers beginning at age 2 and the youth staff will change diapers. Free activities continue throughout the day (generally open at 9AM on sea days and 15 minutes before arrival on port days) until 10PM. There are also breaks during the day to allow for supervised free play by younger toddlers and infants (6-24 months). After hours group babysitting for children aged 6 months to 11 years is available from 10PM to 3AM every evening for $6.75/hour (plus 15% gratuity) as part of the new “Night Owls” program. Several different parties are also offered during the cruise for fees ranging from $13 to $33 (plus 15% gratuity). There is no limitation on the frequency of visits and participation, making this the most comprehensive program for two year old toddlers.
- Royal Caribbean Cruise Line – RCCL (along with its sister, Celebrity Cruises) is the only major mass market cruise line to offer in-cabin babysitting. From 8AM-1AM each day, you may reserve a private babysitter (two are required, but you pay a flat fee) who will care for your children in the comfort of your own cabin for $19/hour (for up to three children in a family). They will feed, change and entertain. This is the perfect situation for late night fun while the kids sleep soundly in their own bed. All children must be at least one year of age, although, I’ve heard of numerous (successful) accounts of families rounding up when they make their reservation. Another option for young children is the Royal Babies (6-18 months) and Royal Tots (18-36 months) programs, which are limited in scope and require parental participation. Oasis Class ships, along with Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas, also have an onboard nursery that offers full services for children aged 6-36 months. The fee is $8/hour and hours of operation vary according to each day’s itinerary (generally 10AM-Midnight on sea days with a closure from 4-5PM and opening 30-minutes prior to arrival on port days). The nursery is not open for babysitting on embarkation day. Reservations are first-come, first-served and you can only pre-book up to 20 hours. Additional hours are released on a space available basis.
- Celebrity Cruises – In-cabin babysitting is offered under the same terms as RCCL’s program. In addition, Celebrity offers Toddler Time, which designates varied hours each day as free play time in The Fun Factory for children under 3 who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Fun filled treasure chests, containing lots of infant and toddler friendly toys, can also be signed out and brought to your room for the entirety of the cruise.
- Norwegian Cruise Line – NCL is the other cruise line that offers daily supervised activities for toddlers beginning at age 2. However, diaper changing is not available. You will be left with a pager that will summon you should their diaper become soiled. Group babysitting for children aged 2 and up is also available from 10PM to 1AM each evening and while in port for $6/hour for the first child and $4/hour for each additional sibling. The only activity area for children under the age of 2 is the Under 2 Zoo, which is basically a conference room (on most ships) with a dozen or so well worn toys where parents can play with their kids and meet other families. No real activity programs or babysitting is available for little tikes under the age of 2, making this one of the least appealing programs for infants.
- Crystal Cruises- In-cabin babysitting is available for infants starting at 6 months, subject to availability. The fee is $10/hour for one child, $15/hour for 2 children and $20/hour for 3 children. There is also a children’s playroom available to children under 3 year old when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Children’s programs and activities may be limited outside of peak summer and holiday seasons.
Royal Tots Playtime
Our top pick for a 2-3 year old is Carnival Cruise Line as a result of their willingness to change diapers and no charge activities on port days, not to mention the ability to obtain group sitting until 3AM! For infants under one year, Disney Cruise Line wins the competition hands down, providing the most comprehensive babysitting options. Finally, in the aged 1 to 2 category, we’d have to go with Cunard Cruise Line due to it’s unlimited complimentary nursery and toddler program (this will change in 2012 when one-year-old children require parental supervision). Although, if it’s in-cabin babysitting that you’re looking for, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line or Celebrity Cruises is the way to go.
No matter which cruise line you choose, be sure to confirm the availability of the program for your sailing. Sign up immediately upon embarkation (or in advance if allowed) and partake in the various family activities that many of the cruise lines offer. The Family Treasure Hunt was one of the highlights of our last cruise! Cruising with little ones is possible if you choose the right cruise.
You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.
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Over the past few months, we’ve gathered many new readers and embarked on many new adventures. Since we post nearly daily, wading back through all of those posts for a new visitor can be quite overwhelming. So, were putting together a list of our most popular posts according to visitors. If you’ve missed any of these, you’ll want to read and share with your friends! Here are the lucky 7…
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- Cruise Line Babysitting Options Reviewed
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