Family Cruising: 5 Helpful Tips

The Itchy Feet Family love to cruise.  Our next getaway will be on a 12 night cruise out of Sydney to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Cruising can be a fantastic family holiday.  You can switch off the phone and the wifi, unplug and spend some quality time recharging and reconnecting with your family.

​As a family we find cruising provides a great balance of family time and adult time with the onboard kids club providing a great option for that balance.

If you are thinking of, or are a family that are about to head on your first cruise, here are five helpful tips to help yo with your cruise holiday.

---

1. PAck a Lanyard

All cruise passengers must carry a cruise card.  The card is used for all purchases on board as well as identification when you board or depart the ship.  The easiest way to carry the card is with a lanyard around your neck.  Of course you can buy one when you get onboard, they are the hottest seller on day one, but if you have some at home bring one along.

---

2. Register for kids club

If you have children that will be utilising the kids club, make it a priority to find the kids club and register your kids as soon as you board.  Generally kids clubs do not open until the first day after departure but are open for you to view the facility, meet the staff and complete the necessary paperwork.

​The first morning at kids club I have always found to be a bit of a nightmare so getting that paperwork done the day before helps streamline the first morning drop off process.

---

3. Photograph your daily schedule

Each night you will receive a ship newsletter in your cabin outlining the activities and events onboard for the next day.  If you don’t want to carry a piece of paper around all day and you are already carrying your phone as your camera, simply take a photograph of the schedule so you can refer to it at any time.

---

4. Don’t hold back on luggage

I always overpack on cruise holidays - because I can.  Unlike airlines, cruise ships are very generous with their luggage allowance and there is always plenty of storage in your cabin to unpack when you get there. Empty suitcases can generally be stored under your bed in your cabin. Pack plenty of options for your theme nights and get into the spirit of what is happening onboard.

---

5. Yes to hair iron - no to clothes iron

Portable clothes irons are not allowed in cabins, they are a fire danger.  The ship will have a passenger laundry with ironing facilities if you need them. However hair irons are allowed!  I know…..  

What are your top tips for cruising? We would love for you to share them with us, leave a comment below.


Penny - ITCHY FEET FAMILY

You may also be interested in our other cruising blogs:

• Christmas cruising - the pros and cons
• Look out zimmer frames, the zip lines are coming through

---