Family cruises - Christina Cherry

Are you on the high seas with the children for the first time? What are the additional costs for a family? Is the cheapest cruise offer really the best for a family? What needs to be considered on a family cruise? So that you, dear families, do not get lost in the wide variety of offers, here is an overview of the prices and services of five major cruise providers. In general, all shipowners recommend that children only be taken on the high seas from the age of six months (TUI Cruises: 12 months). Up to the age of two, babies travel almost everywhere free of charge. Baby cots are also available everywhere, but must be requested in advance and confirmed by the cruise ship owner.

The family cruise comparison

The five shipping companies MSC, Norwegian Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, AIDA Club Ships and TUI Cruises.

At NCL, children from 2 to 17 years travel at a fixed price from 99 euros.

MSC even attracts families with free travel for children. This applies to children up to 12 years of age who stay in the cabin of two fully paying adults. From 13 to 17 years old there is a fixed price of 119 euros. Solo travelers with one child pay 60 percent of the adult price for the child (up to 12 years).

Costa grants two children traveling with two adults a fixed price of € 349 per child in a separate interior cabin. On selected journeys, the children travel free of charge if they stay in the upper beds of their parents’ cabin.

At AIDA, children from 2 to 15 years are only free of charge at certain times of the year. There are fixed prices for children. If children from 3 to 15 years old want to have their own cabin, they receive a 35 percent discount when they are 3 to 15 years old and 25 percent off when they are 16 to 24 years old.

At TUI Cruises, children up to and including 14 years old can travel on the ship free of charge.

(Arrival packages are excluded)

Children up to 17 years in the cabin with 2 full payers free, if separate children’s cabin, then from 399 euros p. Child (partly possible with connecting door) 1 adult, 1 child = child pays half of the adult price

Children up to 15 years in the cabin with 2 full payers are free on many trips, otherwise from EUR 75 per child 1 adult, 1 child = child up to 15 years pays 65%, children 16-24 years pay 75% price for connecting cabins on demand

Children up to 17 years in the cabin with 2 full payers from 99, – Euro, 1 adult, 1 child = up to 50% discount on adult price, price for cabins with connecting door on request

child up to 12 years in the cabin with 2 full-paying guests from 199 euros, then reduced price as 3rd or 4th person in cabin 1 adult, 1 child = child pays full family cabins on request

Children up to 17 years free on many trips, otherwise up to 129 euros p. Child, 1 adult, 1 child = child pays 60% of the catalog price (children’s cabin and happy family – offer with connecting door available for an additional charge, on request)

Children up to 14 years free in the cabin with 2 full payers, then fixed price from 480, – Euro 1 adult, 1 child = child pays up to 75% of the adult – price for cabins with connecting door = price on request

Children up to 17 years pay the regular price for the 3rd or 4th person depending on the trip from 449, – Euro Price for 1 adult and 1 child in the cabin on request

Child up to 21 years pays the regular price for the 3rd or 4th person in the cabin 1 adult, 1 child = price on request

With the motto "Kids don’t pay anything" The Norwegian shipowner takes children and youngsters up to 15 years free of charge during the holiday season! The offer is only valid for accommodation with two parents in three and four star cabins on the Color Magic and Color Fantasy.

Children up to 15 years of age travel free of charge on two MS Europa family cruises.
On the MS Columbus 2, children aged 4 to 10 can have fun in the first Steiff world around Captain Button. In the kids club" Planet plush" Puppet theater and children’s cinema are offered.

For more children’s prices from other shipping companies, please contact our service team at: 06056 911912

Norwegian cruise line
Usually English. Childcare in age-appropriate groups from 2 to 17 years. On sea days nine hours a day (with breaks) free of charge and for a fee on port days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for children between 2 and 12 years and in the evening from 10 p.m. to 1.30 a.m. The concept for the children and youth program is new. In the "Splash Academy" children between three and twelve are looked after in three groups: from three to five years ("Turtels"), from six to nine years ("Seals") and from ten to twelve years ("Dolphins"). Of course there is also a teen program ("Entourage") for 13-14 year olds and 15-17 year olds. For very small passengers between six months and two years, NCL offers a special program in the "Gruppies" Group. The contents of the children’s animation consist of sporting activities, but also handicrafts and theater, as well as circus workshops. Theme days provide the necessary variety. Pirate days or topics like "jungle fever" and "Space cowboys" are also on the children’s program. From August 2012 the children’s program will be introduced on all ten NCL ships. In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line offers entertainment on the characters of the family channel Nickelodeon on Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Gem. Another ship from the NCL fleet attracts with the largest offer for children and young people. The Norwegian Breakaway, which set sail for the first time in April 2013. The ship is being built in the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg.

MSC cruises
Usually Italian. Supervision in three groups for children between 3 and 17 years. Childcare also on state parliaments.
from the MSC press release on the MSC Familein cruises:
MSC Cruises extends its family offer.
Nanny’s Hour, computer games, sports, theater and much more
As a family company, MSC Kreuzfahrten attaches great importance to hospitality and family friendliness. 2011 on the occasion of the cruise congress in Hamburg in the category “Family friendliness" with the cruise Gu >
For children and adolescents there are now four clubs available for different age groups instead of the previous three. The MSC Mini Club takes care of the youngest from three to six years and the junior club around the K >
In addition, MSC is now offering the Nanny`s Hour, a special offer for babies and toddlers from ten to 36 months. Every morning from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., games, baby disco, puzzles, painting and much more are offered for the youngest guests.
Various children’s areas such as sports fields, theaters and discotheques have been enlarged. On the ships of the Musica and the Lirica great For example, a special dance floor for children was set up. In addition, the opening times of the mini and junior clubs have been extended. From 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., parents can now take their children into the care of the specially trained Mini Club staff. Families with small children can borrow a baby monitor or radio alarm on board.
There are many different activities on board and there is guaranteed to be something for everyone. The youngest can show their creativity in painting, kneading, mask making. For bundles of energy there are basketball and soccer competitions, volleyball, ping pong, scavenger hunts and dance competitions.
MSC is also expanding its offering for geeks. The Teen Club is now equipped with a Microsoft XBox Kinetic, Nintendo Wii and a large selection of games on all MSC ships, with the exception of the MSC Melody. There is also a docking station for iPods, iPhones, iPads and USB readers. In the future, the sports bars and a screen at the pool will also have Nintendo Wii.
In the on-board theater, a special children’s program for families with children under the age of twelve is performed on every MSC cruise. Tarzan, Aladdin and Cinderella shows make children’s hearts beat faster, and the youngsters themselves can become a star and be celebrated as actors on stage.
"More than 15% of our guests are children, and around 30% during the holiday season," says Daniela Picco, On Board Marketing Manager at MSC Kreuzfahrten. “It is therefore our job to offer you an unforgettable vacation and variety around the clock. Half of our young and young guests are over twelve years old. It is therefore very important to us that the entertainment and childcare programs for teenagers are up-to-date ”.
The supervisors on board the MSC cruise ships have an educational qualification or a comparable qualification. And MSC Cruises’ pricing policy is also family-friendly: children up to 17 years of age travel free of charge in the cabin with two fully paying adults.

TUI Cruises
German. During the German school holidays, there are four age-appropriate groups. There are fixed childcare times on days at sea and times on state days based on the excursions offered.

The family cruise comparison

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