Little pirates of the Caribbean

By Anita Dunham-Potter

Cruise columnist

updated 2:43 p.m. ET Aug. 7, 2006

As cruise lines continue to see greater numbers of family cruisers, they are investing heavily in more family-friendly features and innovations in their youth programs. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), its member cruise lines carried 1.1 million children in 2005. Carnival Cruise Line alone expects to carry a record 525,000 children in 2006, a 325 percent increase in just over a decade.

So, what’s new for kids aboard ships? The latest hip happenings include a surfing experience, cool water parks, updated teen centers, environmental education and — would you believe? — charm school. Here’s the latest on what each cruise line has to offer the littlest pirates.

Carnival Cruise Line
Camp Carnival offers morning-til-night activities in its expansive indoor play areas, which are stocked with a wide variety of games, toys and activities that focus on art, reading, science, geography and physical fitness. Kids are divided into four age groups: Toddlers (ages 2 to 5), Juniors (ages 6 to 8), Intermediates (ages 9 to 11), and Teens (ages 12 to 14). Outdoor play areas offer mini-basketball hoops, jungle gyms and other playground equipment, as well as game rooms offering the latest video and arcade games.

Kids who like to have fun in the sun also enjoy acres of deck space for outdoor games and activities such as ping-pong, volleyball and shuffleboard, along with many swimming options, including children’s wading pools and main Lido Deck pools, which have cascading water slides. Carnival also offers YSPA, a youth spa program that offers teen-specific body and beauty treatments. Recent enhancements to the program include the new fleetwide Club 02 teen program for kids ages 15 to 17, which has dedicated facilities and energetic counselors.

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Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity X-Club offers activities for toddlers to teens and is staffed with youth counselors who have received formal education in recreation, education, child development or related fields.

X-Club is broken down into five programs: Toddler Time for those under 3 (parents must accompany children), Ship Mates (ages 3 to 6), Celebrity Cadets (ages 7 to 9), Ensigns (ages 10 to 12), and Admiral Ts (ages 13 to 17). Activities include arts and crafts, games, fitness programs, movie nights and pizza and ice cream parties. On Celebrity’s Century ship, teens have their own place called X-Treme, a teen lounge that offers a video arcade, dance floor, juice bar, jukebox and karaoke, along with computers that have Internet access. Outdoor activities include pools, basketball, volleyball, paddle tennis and ping-pong.

Costa Cruises
With the launch of Costa’s newest vessels have come enhanced children’s facilities. Costa Kids Club is divided into four age groups. Mini Club, for children 3 to 6, focuses on story times along with arts and crafts, while activities in the Maxi Club, for kids 7 to 10, include treasure hunts, pizza parties, pool games, physical fitness and even some Italian language classes. There are also two teen clubs, one for those ages 11 to 14 and another for those ages 15 to 19; both offer activities from parties to dance competitions. All the new ships have extensive pool sports areas where kids can participate in active play. The recently launched Costa Concordia offers new features, including a giant poolside movie screen and a Formula 1 race car simulator.

Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises is well known for its enrichment programs, so it comes as no surprise that this luxury cruise line also offers an enlightening Junior Activities Program. Offered only in the summer and on holiday sailings, the program is divided into three age tiers: 3 to 7, 8 to 12, and 13 to 17. A variety of age-appropriate activities offers arts and crafts, backstage tours, dancing, games, storytelling and environmental learning experiences. Young athletes can take advantage of the ship’s paddle tennis court, driving nets and putting greens, and pool; they can even compete in their own mini-Olympics. A unique offering is Crystal’s cotillion classes, where young cruisers learn the ins and outs of social etiquette, poise, ballroom dancing and public speaking.

Cunard
Surprise, the Queens love kids! Both the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) and Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) give kids the royal treatment by offering supervised activities for ages 1 through teens; the QM2 also offers a Kid Zone area with a play space and splash pool. Younger kids are supervised by English nannies and can participate in activities ranging from arts and crafts to playtime in the play gym and ball bin. There are even beds for nap time. For kids 7 to 12, there is an area of the playroom that offers a more mature setting with beanbag chairs, board games and video games along with educational learning opportunities. Teen activities are geared toward behind-the-scenes ship tours and movies. Kids of all ages will enjoy the ship’s planetarium. And, in keeping with British tradition, there is a daily tea time just for kids.

Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line has nearly a full deck area devoted to the little ones, with activities that are overseen by a large number of counselors.

There are separate areas for each age group. The Oceaneer Club has separate activities for 3- to 5-year-olds and 6- to 7-year-olds. The Oceaneer Lab has interactive activities for kids ages 8 to 9 and others for kids ages 10 to 12. Kids 10 to 14 who don’t want to participate in organized activities can visit the Ocean Quest area, where they can chill out and play video games, create arts and crafts or just watch a movie. The coolest part is the scaled replica of the ship’s bridge, where youngsters can “steer” the ship in and out of ports around the globe. For teens, there are the Aloft area (on the Disney Wonder) and The Stack area (on the Disney Magic); each area is a combination dorm room and apartment offering music, games, large-screen TV, a lounge area, Internet area and shipboard programs like animation, moviemaking, karaoke, fitness classes and pool parties just for teens. There is also a large arcade area. Outdoor fun includes the popular Mickey’s Pool, which has a winding water slide and a sports deck area where kids can let off steam.

Holland America
Holland America’s Club HAL offers a variety of activities for kids ages 3 to 17. The program is divided into three groups: Club HAL Kids (ages 3 to 7), Club HAL Tweens (ages 8 to 12), and Loft and Oasis (for teens 13 to 17). Creativity and fun are everywhere with art tables, board games, toys, video games, educational learning and outdoor play on the sports court and pool area.

The Loft and Oasis areas provide teens with a perfect getaway from family members. The Loft is a cool place to hang out and has music, videos and a video karaoke system, as well as a state-of-the-art sound-and-laser-light systems for dancing. The Oasis is a secluded teens-only sun deck furnished with lounge chairs and hammocks; it has a state-of-the-art sound system, along with a nine-foot-high waterfall, cave and wading pool where kids can cool off from the sun.

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