Are you ready for a Family Cruise?

These days, family-friendly cruising is the rule, not the exception.

We've come a long way since the days when sailing on the high seas was a pastime reserved exclusively for high-rolling socialites. Now, most new-build ships come complete with ice-skating rinks, kids' clubs, outdoor movies, and counselor-led programs from toddler to teen years.

Before you book your family on a cruise call your local travel agent like Carrie at Pineapple Travel. We look at your nearest departure ports and will provide updates on the ships. Because many cruise lines have farmed out more ships to different homeports around the United States, it's not just Florida anymore!

We've already asked the tough questions to gauge just how family friendly a cruise line will be for our guests. For example, how many onboard counselors are assigned for how many children during the kids' programming on a typical sailing? Will those counselors respect our guests' wishes regarding, for example, the types of food the children will be eating or the video games or DVDs they might watch. Do our parent clients want pagers so that their kids can contact them no matter where they might be on the ship? And, how much "family togetherness" time do our guests want, as opposed to separate activities for the children so that the parents can enjoy a break? Also walkie talkies work great on board, on our recent cruise our Son and Daughter loved using them, when they wanted me to come get them, they just paged me.  Or if they wanted to hear my voice they would just say "Mom PICK UP!". Both kids said the cruise was their favorite trip ever! 

If you plan to bring an infant on the cruise, check ahead for the cruise line's rules. While Disney accepts children as young as 12 weeks, Princess sets a minimum age of six months and Windjammer says six years!  Every cruise line has it's own rules...ask us we will find out the current policy. On the other end of the spectrum, many Carnival and Princess ships offer special amenities and programs targeting teenagers (including teen nightclubs, spa services, and pools), and Holland America's and Disney's newly remodeled ships will have a teens-only spa and activity area.

If you want a night out, leaving the kids in the cabin with a babysitter, your best bets will be those cruise lines -- including Celebrity, Crystal, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean -- that permit you to hire an in-cabin sitter via the purser's desk. Remember that Carnival and Princess do not permit in-cabin babysitting.

If you think you want a family suite, compare the cost of two adjoining cabins. The pricing may be better that way, and the parents may appreciate the chance to give their older children their own space!

What about dining? Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean (especially with its Johnny Rockets restaurants on board) make it a point to offer family-friendly menus and alternate dining arrangements if your clients have children in tow.

When you're reviewing actual itineraries, keep in mind two factors. First, cruise lines that offer private islands (e.g., Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean) may appeal to families who will appreciate the safe environment for their kids to roam a bit more freely.

Plus, parents with smaller children will prefer port stops where they can walk off the ship directly onto the pier (as opposed to transfers via tender)

Cruises are a great option for families but call or e-mail the experts before you get lost at sea looking for your family.