Cruising has a reputation for being the top vacation choice for one key reason: there's something for everyone. On board today's cruise vessels, there's an entire staff on board organizing activities to insure that you and everyone you are traveling with always have a wide variety of activities to choose from. This creates some outstanding opportunities for parents. Imagine, you could choose to relax in the spa, read a book by the pool, see a movie, try your luck in the casino or attend a wine tasting while your kids are having a great time on a treasure hunt.

On board most modern cruise ships, professionally trained youth staffs run 4 to 5 different age appropriate youth programs for kids aged 2-17. Each age group has their own team of youth staff dedicated to their needs. An activity schedule is published daily that informs parents and children when and where the activities take place.

An increasing number of these activities are both educational and fun. Royal Caribbean has a program called "Mad Science" that allows kids to take part in fun and cool science experiments and activities like building rockets that they launch when they go the cruise line's private island. Princess has programs designed by the California Science Center and the National Wildlife Federation that focus upon environmental education about the areas they are visiting. Princess's environmental education program in Alaska even won an award from the National Park Service.

Bored on a cruise ship? NEVER!

Click one of the following links to each cruise line's activities for the following age groups