CruiseCompete offers advice on baby-friendly cruises

CruiseCompete offers info on baby-friendly cruises

DETROIT, Mich. — If you’re thinking of taking a cruise with young children, you’ll want to be sure the ship has age-appropriate programs and child-care facilities.

CruiseCompete.com is offering guidelines specific to each cruise line that can help you make the right decision at tinyurl.com/yg9p43z.

Most cruise lines have a minimum age for children to sail, according to CruiseCompete, with ages ranging from 3 months on Disney ships to 12 years on Viking River Cruises.

Some cruise lines, like Oceania, Silversea and Seabourn, allow children onboard but are designed primarily for adults or mature travelers and do not offer child care or programs for kids, CruiseCompete says.

At the other extreme, Disney Cruise Line offers extensive activities for all age groups, including one of the best programs for infant care, CruiseCompete says, with nurseries that accept babies as young as 12 weeks. Parents should expect to carry a pager, as attendants do not change diapers.

Many other lines also offer some baby-sitting services, sometimes for a fee and sometimes for free, depending on the line and the age of the child.

A number of cruise lines also provide free play spaces for younger children and areas where teenagers can hang out with their peers, along with games, sports and other structured activities.

Carnival Cruise Lines has a youth program called Camp Carnival, designed for 2-11 year olds. Children younger than 2 can also play with the toys during designated family play times, though parents must be present, and some baby-sitting services are offered for children under 2 as well.

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 have nurseries and children’s centers with toys, games and activities where children age 1 or older can participate without their parents. Both ships also offer family pool areas.

Norwegian offers youth programs and group baby-sitting for children ages 2-12, including a FreeStyle Play period where all age groups play together and a Kid’s Crew program.

Royal Caribbean has activities for a variety of age groups and recently won an award from another Web site, CruiseCritic.com, as the best cruise line for families. CruiseCompete notes that Royal Caribbean has play groups for babies 6-18 months that parents can attend with their children, and its new ship, Oasis of the Seas, has a nursery with day and night child care options for children as young as six months old.