Is a cruise ship safe for kids? A cruise ship can be an excellent way for kids to have independent time away from their parents (and for parents to have some independent time too). Depending on your child’s age and maturity, they may need more or less supervision.
During our cruise we had zero safety concerns about our 9-year-old and 12-year-old. Here are things that gave us peace of mind cruising with our kids:
Work with your kids to identify crew, safe spaces, and muster stations
One of the first things we did after getting on board? (Okay, other than feasting on lunch.) While at the buffet, we talked with the kids about how to identify crew and officers. All crew wore similar uniforms, as did officers, and as did room attendants. Our kids knew who to look for, what our cabin number was, safe spaces on the ship where they could gather and wait for us (such as by the soft serve ice cream station), and where we would meet in case of an emergency.
If kids get separated from their adults, crew are trained to help get them reunited.
We also talked with the kids about how the same street smarts and basic safety were in play on board the ship. Our kids understood they never were to go to someone’s cabin, or go with crew out of the ship’s public areas.
No, your kid is not going to fall off the ship
A common, and understandable fear, is that your kid will somehow fall off the ship. Decks are surrounded by various walls and barriers, some much taller than an adults. People do not just randomly go overboard.
Yes, there are accidents that happen. They are rare. Most times when someone goes overboard, it’s an adult who’s intoxicated. The few times something happens with a kid usually had something to do with a lack of supervision and unfettered access to a cabin balcony.
Supervise smaller or less mature kids, especially on your own balcony
If your cabin has a balcony, those external balcony walls are decently high, but an industrious kid could potentially climb over them. Our kids knew that on board the ship, climbing was only for the top deck’s climbing wall.
If your kid doesn’t understand the natural consequences of climbing over a balcony wall while the cold, unforgiving ocean churns many meters below, you’ll want to consider a few options:
- Keep them off the balcony altogether
- Allow them on the balcony only with a trusted adult
- Book a cabin without a balcony
Balcony doors are typically designed with some sort of child lock as well. On our balcony door, for example, there was a concealed child lock in the upper corner, far out of reach from small kids.
Cruise ships are not baby-proofed
Is a cruise ship safe for kids? That’s not the same as the ship being “childproofed.” When traveling with a baby or toddler, it’ll be good to keep in mind that the cruise ship, including your cabin, is not baby-proofed.
If we had been traveling with babies or toddlers, we might’ve brought covers for the electrical outlets. Personally, that would’ve been sufficient for our priorities.
If there’s something specific you consider for infant and toddler safety, you’ll need to bring it with you. When out and about on the ship itself, you’ll want to maintain supervision of your child the way you would in other non-baby-proofed spaces.
Food safety, hand washing, and hygiene
Cruise ships are enclosed spaces full of people. They can be inherently more vulnerable to outbreaks of anything from stomach bugs to colds. While you won’t be able to completely negate the risk of getting sick, a few simple measures on board can go a long way to preventing illness:
Wash your hands.
Seriously. The most basic health measure is so effective. On board our ship, the entrance to the buffet included a mandatory hand washing area, and we made sure to wash out hands well before every meal.
Sanitize your hands.
Our ship had sanitizer stations outside of restaurants, elevators, and other spots throughout every deck. We sanitized our hands regularly, such as before snagging a slice of pizza or a soft-serve cone.
Seek out fresh trays and platters in the buffet.
We didn’t worry much about our breakfasts and lunches in the buffet, honestly. But if we saw a fresh tray, we usually prioritized that over something that looks more picked over.
Did we get sick? While we each came down with a slight sniffle, it was nothing major. And we never had a problem with any stomach bugs.
Are cruise ships a safe place to take kids on family vacation?
Is a cruise ship safe for kids? Cruise ships are set up for safe sailing for all passengers. A few basic precautions and street smarts can be sufficient to keep you and your children safe on board, while still enjoying your cruise to the max.
