Kids On Cruising

If the fun and freedom of cruises can make you feel like a kid again, imagine how they make kids feel!

By Heidi Sarna

Grown-ups like cruises for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because they’re easy. You can turn off your brain and leave the driving and details to the captain and his crew. There are no itineraries to plan or restaurants to research, and you don’t have to constantly open your wallet to pay for things. A cruise is a vacation on autopilot.

To a kid, cruises aren’t about zoning out or taking it down a notch — they’re about just having fun. From meeting life-size cartoon characters like Disney’s Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Royal Caribbean’s Shrek and gang, to frolicking in the sprinklers of onboard water parks and jumping in playroom ball bins, kids see cruises as a three-ring circus on steroids and a suspension of reality in the best possible way.

“When are we going to be on the boat?” two-and-a-half-year-old Malcolm asked his parents on day three of a Disney Wonder cruise. He was having a ball, even if he didn’t have a clue. It was clear things gelled for Malcolm when he told his dad the “boat’s swimming.”

_{This is an excerpt only. To read this article in its entirety, pick up the current issue of Porthole Cruise Magazine, or check out our digital edition.}