My husband and I have been on two cruises, one on Carnival Liberty to the Western Caribbean and eastern Mexico, and the other on Carnival Splendor to the Mexican Riviera.  We enjoyed these cruises as a couple, but wondered what it would be like to cruise with our family.  For our family vacation this coming winter, a cruise is something we seriously considered, so when I was offered a review copy of Cruising with Kids: A Guide to the Perfect Family Cruise Vacation, I jumped at the chance.  I hoped that I’d get some advice on what it’s like to cruise with kids in order to help us make a good decision.

What I did not expect was just how good this guide would be.  It isn’t just a book saying, “This is why we cruise with our kids and what we like about it, and by the way, here are a few tips.”  This is an excellent reference book for anyone who’s planning a cruise, especially if they’re taking their kids.  The author, Randy Poisson, has done his research and has specific information and examples to back up his ratings and recommendations.

Separated into sections that include everything from planning for a cruise to disembarking the ship, the book outlines the major cruise lines that make up the bulk of the U.S. cruise industry, and rates the lines on their family-friendliness.  Ratings are based on items such as cabin size, children’s programs, food, amenities, and more.  Cruising with Kids doesn’t just lump “kids” into one category; you’ll find reasons why one cruise line is great for infants and toddlers while another may be better for tweens and teens.  It also discusses ports of call and excursions that are best for families.

Perhaps my favorite part of the book was the information contained in charts regarding each ship in the major cruise lines.  When I was looking at cruise options for our family of six, it was difficult to find ships that had family staterooms or even connecting staterooms that would fit us.  The charts in this book are a quick reference for those who need to fit six or more in a cabin, like waterslides or ziplines, want a special program area for tweens, or are looking for special adults-only areas on board.

While I’m by no means an expert on cruises, I found that the author’s opinions about the ships and ports I’m familiar with were in line with my experiences, leading me to believe his assessments of other cruise lines, ships, and ports would be exceptionally helpful to me in planning future cruises.

The information in the book is very current, including events such as the Splendor fire and eventual recovery that occurred just a few months ago.  I hope that updated editions will be offered frequently, as changes occur quickly in the cruise industry.

I urge anyone who’s planning a cruise with children to pick up a copy of this book.  It will save you time in planning your cruise as it compiles information you’d otherwise have to scour several sites for.  While the book will be particularly helpful for first-time family cruisers, those who have cruised before will also find new information that may open up some new cruise ideas for them.

I was truly impressed with this book — it covers many aspects and angles of cruising with families in its 473 pages and is a useful addition to my travel guide collection.

To learn more about the book, visit the Cruising with Kids website.

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