What do Princess cruises offer for kids?

I have recently been on a family day ship visit with my partner and 6-year step-daughter old daughter.  We have 3 children altogether so it is very important to us what cruise-lines can offer for families.  I will particularly be looking at Princess cruises for next year as they have a great deal on now for the Caribbean where 3^rd and 4^th passengers go for £99pp.  If next year is like this year this could extend to summer holidays cruises in the near future.

We spent a lot of time in the kid’s club areas on the Caribbean Princess (which was a great insight as these are normally closed for ship visits).  The staff on-board explained that they run a fun programme for the children but also that their activities all have an educational theme as they are partnered with the Discovery channel.  Therefore, the children aren’t just being sent to kid’s club to play video games but they are being enriched throughout the day!  There was a pool area for young children, an area for games and ride-ons and lots of board games and things to play with.  They separate clubs for the following age groups:

The Treehouse- Ages 3-7

The Lodge – Ages 8-12

The Beach House- Ages 13-17

These age splits allow Princess to tailor their activities and entertainment to suit the children and so they can make friends of their own age-group on-board.

Something you may not know is that with Princess cruise-lines is that you can leave your child on-board at the kid’s club while you are in port.  Although this may not be something you would like to do all the time (as it is a family holiday) but some days in port may be long and some activities may not be suitable for children.  This option just gives parents that extra bit of flexibility to explore and enjoy a day out with the knowledge that their children will be having a wonderful day themselves and will be well looked after!  Evenings are also very exciting in the clubs and children can stay until late in the evenings while adults enjoy quiet drinks or a show.  If parents want a longer night off then there is the option for some kids-only dinners and late-night kid-sitting services for just $5 per hour per child after 10pm.

There are many things that families can enjoy together however so the kids club isn’t all that Princess have to offer for kids.  You can enjoy family movies under the stars, family shows and stargazing with Discovery at Sea.  There are family dance parties and even on occasion a family fun fair in the Piazza with lots of entertainment, mascots, magicians and entertainers!  You can enjoy sports with the children, family game shows or family friendly shore excursions.