10 Tips For Successful Multi Gen Cruises

We’ve done several cruises with our extended, multi-generational family, and I think it’s a great way to vacation together. I’ve learned some things through the years, so I have some tips! 10 of them.

1. Disney Cruise – A Disney cruise is the perfect cruise line to appeal to a multi-generational group. There’s nostalgia for the older generation, there’s huge kid appeal, and there’s enough onboard to keep everyone happy. The kids’ clubs are top notch, there are spaces where the adults can get some time without the little ones, and there are lots of activities, events, and places for the entire family.

2. Make Sure Everyone Has Input on Planning – The first thing you need to do is make sure everyone has input on the big rocks in this vacation. Should we cruise? When? For how long? Don’t go all in on booking a cruise if you have a family that hates cruising. Make sure everyone has a voice and you’ll get a better start.

3. Choose a Destination and Ship That Appeals – Make sure you choose a ship that will appeal to everyone and a destination that will do the same. As much as possible! You may not make everyone happy, but you want to get as close as you can. If part of the family hates beaches (and isn’t happy to stay onboard and enjoy the ship), maybe you should avoid the Caribbean. If someone hates cold weather (and gorgeous scenery), then maybe an Alaskan cruise isn’t the best option.

4. Be Clear on Who Pays for What – If this trip is a gift from the grandparents, first – lucky you! If everyone is paying for themselves, well at least it’s clear! If someone is paying for it all, make sure there are no misunderstandings about expenses onboard.

5. Link Reservations For Dining – You’ll want to link all of your bookings together for meals. Be aware that depending on the size of your group, you may be split into more than one table!

6. Choose Staterooms Near Each Other – If possible, it’s great to be near each other onboard. If you can spring it, a multi-bedroom suite with a living room to meet up in is even better, but we were always happy just being in a row and opening up the verandah partitions between staterooms.

7. Let Everyone Do Their Own Thing – My best tips is to let everyone do their own thing. We like to tell everyone before we go – you paid a lot of money for this vacation, and you are responsible for your own happiness. We don’t have to spend every minute together, we don’t all like to do the same things. There were many times when my immediate family went off on snorkeling excursions while the grandparents did bus tours or stayed onboard and watched movies. We were all happy! This rule is so important that it should be shared with everyone very early in the planning process so that no one has unreasonable expectations that everyone in the family will want to do that niche “Marcame and Margaritas” excursion that Great Aunt Bes has been dying to do.

8. Book Excursions Together – If there are excursions that work for everyone, prioritize those. There will be many that do not work for or appeal to everyone, so if there is something that everyone wants to do, do it!

9. Meet For Dinner and Shows – The great thing about cruises is that there’s a designated time to all meet up each day, and that’s dinner. It’s the perfect time to reconnect and hear about each other’s days. We usually all headed to the show afterwards together as well!

10. Communicate Onboard – Make sure everyone understands how to get in touch with each other (the Navigator app, What’s App, iMessage, etc.) and keep each other informed of what you’re up to. As confined as the ships are, you would be surprised how hard it can be to find someone! I recommend having at least one group chat with everyone in your travel group going throughout the trip—our family normally uses the Navigator app and its native chat function for this. We like to let everyone know when we wake up and head to breakfast in case others are up and hungry. If we know we want to do a particular trivia, or eat lunch at a time, we let everyone else know they are welcome to join us. Spontaneous activities together are great!

Do you have any questions or tips for multi-gen cruising? Share them!