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If you take a cruise with your children one of the most beautiful and interesting things you will do will be the excursions. Point out to your children that it is not just a relaxing trip. The ship offers many leisures inside where fun is not lacking. But the aim of the cruise will be to be able to see landscapes and scenarios from another point of view. During which you will go on excursions in order to relate to cultures different from yours, learning in some cases a different way of life. Or to get to know the flora and fauna of the places you will visit.
Let them know that during the excursions they will have to follow specific rules. Especially if the excursion is shared with the other guests of the ship, they will have to learn to respect the timetables and to have a certain orientation so as not to get lost (inform them what is your reference bus and your guide in case they lose sight of you), it is understood that they must always be close to you. In addition, your children will always have to respect the rules of good education, without disturbing those around them, doing whims and raising their voices.
WHAT EXCURSIONS TO DO WITH CHILDREN?
As already written in the paragraph concerning “cruise planning”. Your children, especially if they are older, will have been able to take part in the choice of excursions to do once they have landed. They will have been informed already at home, offering them tours that tickled their curiosity and their interests.
Choose quiet excursions. Avoid long walks and avoid group tours if possible. So you will have the advantage of having no time limits and being in the places you like as long as you want.
If in the meantime, on a cruise, you have known families who have children like you, it may be pleasant and interesting to share this experience together, good friendships could be born.
“DO IT YOURSELF” EXCURSIONS
The excursion “do it yourself”, you can do it only after a careful study of the places to see. This study is usually a good idea to start it at home a few months earlier. In this case it is necessary to know in advance the things to see, which attraction or which museum to visit. Inquiring well in advance of the opening hours will help the family prepare the tour program, making it pleasant and child-friendly.
Once you have decided what to see, upon disembarking you can take an authorized taxi which you can contact to make you take a personalized tour of a few hours in the characteristic areas of the city or the place you intend to visit and once you have assessed the economic advantage, leave!
If you want you can participate in tours (the same that the ship sells) also organized by local tourist agencies. When you disembark you will find many companies that will offer you their tours. Such excursions are often very attractive due to the advantageous prices they offer to families with children (usually they do not pay or can take advantage of a preferential price).
Be careful though, if you do a do-it-yourself excursion, calculate the return times well. Considering also any delays in the timing. Because if you are not on the ship at the scheduled time of departure, the cruise will continue without you. The ship is required to wait only for cruise passengers who take part in excursions organized directly by the cruise company.
WHAT CHILDREN SHOULD WEAR DURING THE CRUISE EXCURSIONS
In order to make any type of excursion, children must be dressed comfortably and appropriately for the season. If rain is expected on the day of the excursion, an umbrella and raincoat cannot be missing. If you are going to a hot and sunny day, don’t forget to protect your children’s skin with a suitable sunscreen. Have them wear fresh clothing, such as shorts, dresses, cotton T-shirts and above all don’t forget your hat to avoid insolation!
WHAT CHILDREN SHOULD BRING DURING THE CRUISE EXCURSIONS
During excursions, children must have a light backpack and of the right size, to be prepared the night before, obviously under your supervision. If you want to increase the enthusiasm and success of this experience, offer them to put an old mobile phone or digital camera inside the backpack, with the excuse that you need helpers to shoot videos and take pictures. It will be interesting to find out what things were and the moments that aroused their interest during the duration of the tour.
Essential things cannot be missing. Like a bottle of water, a small umbrella in case of bad weather, paper tissues, a snack to munch in the middle of the morning. Remember that some countries prohibit the disembarkation and transportation of unpackaged fruit and food by passengers. Instead, crackers and sealed biscuits are usually allowed and can be found on the ship during breakfast.
You mothers, you can decide to put inside your backpack a cortisone cream in case of insect bites and a hand disinfectant in case of lack of water.
Cruising with children: how to plan a cruise with children.
The cruise with children: life on board the ship.
Cruising with children: seasickness.
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