These aren’t your grandfathers’ cruise ships, although boomers enjoy them as much as kids

By John Toth

The Bulletin

When I was younger, I frowned upon cruising because I thought it was just for older people who like to play shuffleboard on deck following afternoon tea. Now, I wish I would have started earlier, when my kids were small.

I started cruising about two years ago, after talking Sharon, my publishing partner and wife, into becoming my cruising editor, because every travel writer needs a good editor - and lounge chairs near the pool and hot tubs.

She wasn’t crazy about the idea at first, but we compromised. We would start out with a four-night cruise and see if she liked it. We would also stay in a sea-view cabin, which has a window but no balcony.

We took two cruises in sea- view cabins before I could convince Sharon to upgrade to a balcony. I wanted to be able to open the balcony door and breathe in the sea air, rather than the air-conditioned room air all the time.

The only difference between an inside cabin and a sea-view one is the porthole, which is a good size, and it’s fun to watch the waves from close up. But inside cabins are cheaper than sea-view ones, and since the curtain is drawn most of the time anyway, it may make good economic sense just to book an inside cabin.

But Sharon didn’t want that. So, we finally agreed to abandon the sea-view cabins and book only cabins with balconies.

Once we got into cruising mode, it was obvious that boomers like us did not rule the Lido Deck (that’s where the outdoor fun stuff takes place by the pools).

There have been probably more families on our cruises than people our age. I don’t even know where the shuffle board is on a ship, though I’m pretty sure they all have them.

I can honestly say that I have never played shuffle board on a ship or dry land. I don’t even know the rules. But I have done Carnival Vista’s Skyride, which was pretty cool. I also went to afternoon tea - once.

As soon as I stepped on our first ship, the Carnival Breeze, I saw that cruising is not just for old people. There were passengers of all ages - and kids everywhere - and not only with just grandma and grandpa. We met several families during our cruises, and except for a very few, the kids behaved well.

Pregnant women go cruising. We saw one dancing the night away on Harmony of the Seas. Another rode back with us from a beach in Cozumel.

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean (sailing out of Galveston) have daycare centers for kids, often free, in case the parents want to sneak away on their own. They also have elaborate water parks on the pool deck, which has to be every kid’s dream.

Adventure of the Seas sailed away on a week when schools were open. Of the 3,600 passengers, more than 500 were children. It didn’t feel like we had that many. I didn’t realize it until we were told the exact number. I purposely booked that cruise thinking that the kids would be in school. After that cruise, I didn’t care about how many kids were on board. We were all there to have a great vacation.

I kind of regret now that I waited this long to cruise. A family cruise would have been a great way to spend a summer vacation. We should have done it, but it never occurred to us.

When you visit The Strand in Galveston, look up at the enormous ship boarding passengers before it sails away on another cruise. On the top deck, there are all kinds of toys for children and adults. Kids flock to the swimming pools as soon as they get on board. I was wearing a jacket. It was January and cold. They didn’t care. I was looking for the cafeteria. They weren’t hungry.

There are ample amenities and activities on a cruise ship to appeal to all ages, making it the perfect vacation solution for multi-generational trips.

The kids’ clubs and nurseries are safe and often free, depending on the children’s ages and hours of care. The centers all have gated access, meaning people can’t just wander in; both kids and adults must be buzzed in by the staff. Parents must sign the youngest kids in and out; older kids can sign themselves out but cannot leave without alerting a staff member.

Many families don’t use this free babysitting service and do everything together. I would have used the kids clubs some, though, to get a little adult time. We did that at Disney World and enjoyed a great childless evening.

Disney World’s babysitting was not free. But it was worth it. They even let my younger son combine eating pizza with drinking whole chocolate milk, and they dealt with the results.

Would that happen on a cruise ship? I don’t know - maybe. I’ll ask some of the parents on our next cruise and report back.