No need to leave the kids at home with Crystal Cruises. Traveling with children of any age can be stressful, but Crystal is the luxury option for a family. Both ships feature a Junior Activities program for kids between the ages of 3 and 17 on Holiday voyages and almost all summer sailings. Each ship has dedicated areas for both children and teens that are supervised during activities with the Junior Activities Directors. Children - with parents' permission - are free to come and go as they please. While the Junior Activities program is not intended to be utilized as a babysitting service or daycare facility, both ships offer these services.
Fantasia was created with children in mind. Welcoming kids ages 3 - 7 and 8 - 12, there's Sony PlayStation® and Xbox 360TM kiosks and large-screen televisions, board games and computers with entertainment and education programs. For the teens there's a video arcade at Waves for teens aged 13 - 17. Don't forget about the Library, which offers a large selection of children's books and videos for in-room viewing. While traveling with Crystal Cruises, kids are welcome to see recently released films in The Hollywood Theatre.
While sailing with a Junior Activities Director, kids receive their own daily newsletter - Surf Runner or Teen Scene, depending on their age - letting them know exactly what's going on during the next day's adventures. Kids will be occupied with a wide variety of activities - scavenger hunts, pajama parties, story time, Bridge and Galley tours, karaoke with special artists' performances, pizza making, trivia, mini-Olympics, water polo, swimming, volleyball, late night pool parties, Pizza Parties Computer University@Sea® and more.
If you have a picky eater on your hands, don't worry because Crystal Cruises has thought of that. Kids of all ages will find something they like on the special Junior Cruiser's menu. Crystal's executive chefs are more than happy to prepare a custom meal for your little one. The Trident Grill serves complimentary hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and more.
Looking forward to a special dinner without the kids in tow? Crystal offers in-stateroom babysitting services for your convenience. Arrangements can be made with the Concierge at the reception desk. Fees are reasonable, at $10 per hour for one child, $15 per hour for two children and $20 per hour for three children. To satisfy safety concerns, Crystal limits the number of children per sitter to three.
With Crystal, children 11 and younger pay 50% of the minimum fare when traveling with two full fare paying adults. Keep an eye out for deals though because throughout the year, the line sets up special promotions where kids sail for free. Don't stress about space -- Crystal Symphony has ten connecting staterooms and 89 staterooms with a third berth and Crystal Serenity has 50 connecting rooms and over 150 staterooms with a third berth.
You can bring the entire family along for a fantastic trip that won't break the bank with Crystal Cruises. With its acclaimed children's programs and activities, Crystal is the luxury operator best suited for a family.