In recent years, my family has discovered that multi-generational travel is the absolute best. Multi-generational travel is a chance for mom, dad, kids and grandparents to explore, have fun and reconnect as a family. In practice, traveling with both kids and grandparents can pose some challenges. Different schedules and interests can make it difficult to plan a trip that the whole family can enjoy. Last month I worked with Carnival, and my family discovered that going on a family cruise is totally the way to go.
Cruising is such an easy way for grandparents and kids to travel together. Our ship, Carnival Ecstasy, had an incredible amount of activities that the whole family could enjoy. I thought it would be fun to share some of the things that grandparents and kids can do on a cruise.
Things that Grandparents and Kids Can Do on a Cruise
Family Mealtime.
Most grandparents don’t have the opportunity to enjoy mealtime with their grandchildren on a regular basis. One of the things we enjoyed the most on our cruise was having mealtime together as a family each day. From the more formal dining room to the buffet, or burgers and fries poolside, there a lot of different meal options available. Carnival has a great variety of kids menu choices, making it easy for grandparents and kids to enjoy mealtime together.
Pool-time Fun and Games.
We spent quite a bit of time by the pool on our cruise. Ecstasy had two different pool areas, and we especially enjoyed the pool that was geared toward kids. It had side-by-side racing slides and a big twister waterslide. The girls convinced their grandmother to go down the twister slide and she loved it!
By the larger pool we found a ping pong table and a shuffleboard court. Grandma Debbie was excited to instruct the girls in their first game of shuffleboard. I would have never guessed that we would have so much fun playing shuffleboard.
There was a very cool miniature golf course up on the top deck of the ship. It was the perfect afternoon activity for all three generations of our family to enjoy.
Shore Excursions.
No matter where your ship docks, you are sure to find a great excursion that both grandparents and kids will enjoy. We spent one day at the beach in Cozumel. Grannie and the girls really enjoyed spending time in the ocean looking for sea creatures.
Our ship also made a stop in Key West, Florida. We had a great time walking through the historical city, all the way to the southernmost spot of the continental United States. Along the way we stopped at the amazing Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy where Grannie and Becca paused for a goofy picture.
Family-Friendly Entertainment.
There are some great family-friendly shows for grandparents and kids to enjoy on Carnival cruise ships. Our ship had a great kid-friendly comedy show in the afternoon. There was also a fantastic broadway style stage show that we really enjoyed, and since we cruised so close to the Christmas holiday, the crew put on a holiday show that included the children who attended Camp Carnival. It was so sweet.
Speaking of Camp Carnival, just in case grandparents need a short break from the kids, Camp Carnival offers great youth programs for kids ages of all ages. There are also some fun Club O2 activities available for teens.
Planning a family cruise that both grandparents and kids will enjoy is so easy. The opportunities for fun and family bonding are endless. I hope you’ll consider planning a multi-generational cruise with Carnival. I feel pretty certain that you won’t be disappointed!
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind.
