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Are Princess Cruises Fun for Kids? Princess Cruise Line Kids’ Activities

We spent a day on the Grand Princess to check out their new programs for kids and families. Are Princess cruises fun for kids? Read on to find out!

Are cruise ships for kids? We took a look at Princess Cruise's new Camp Discovery program for kids

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Have you ever gone on a cruise? My mom grew up in Alaska, and going there on a cruise is on my dream bucket list. This past Monday the kids and I got a small taste of what that experience might be like as we previewed the new Camp Discovery program for kids on board the Grand Princess in San Francisco.

The kids and I went on a very tiny cruise ship on Loch Ness last summer, and that is what they had in mind when I told them we would be going on a cruise ship. The Grand Princess dwarfs our Loch Ness boat, although a crew member on board this ship called it “cute”. Apparently cruise ships get much larger than this!

Are Cruise Ships Fun for Kids? Our Experience on Board the Grand Princess Cruise Ship

Going on board a cruise ship is a lot like boarding a plane, only friendlier, my kids said.

My kids noticed that getting on board a cruise ship is a lot like getting on an airplane “only the people here aren’t grumpy.”

Once on board, we were ushered to a theater, where we enjoyed a demonstration of the power of liquid nitrogen, provided by Hakim Oluseyi (of Outrageous Acts of Science and How the Universe Works” and Tory Belleci (of Mythbusters Fame). The kids declared the freeze dried marshmallows delicious!

We went on to learn about sharks from Tory Belleci. Apparently, if a shark attacks you, you want to hit it in the eye – but good luck finding that eye! Also, you do NOT want to scuba dive with sharks with a flashlight. They will think you are food!

Princess Cruise ships have special programs to teach families about the stars.

Hakim Oluseyi taught us about the night sky. Can you imagine how amazing the stars must look out in the middle of the ocean, far from all the city lights?

Eating with Kids on a Cruise Ship

Enjoying lunch on board the Grand Princess cruise ship.

After the morning’s entertaining presentations, we got to try lunch on the ship. The kids were thrilled to find gluten free options.

Guittard chocolate dipped crispy rice treat

The chocolate dipped crispy rice treats were particularly popular with my kids. They are dipped in Guittard chocolate, which is local to San Francisco and my family’s favorite kind of chocolate.

Activities for Kids on Princess Cruises

glitterific shark tattoo in Camp Discovery

After lunch we headed to the three kids’ rooms, which are divided into age groups, but with doors between the three rooms. Anna got a glittery shark tattoo in the 3-7-year-old room. She also loved playing in that indoor play space.

Playing foosball in Camp Discovery. So much fun for kids on Princess cruises!

Emma and Johnny discovered Foosball. They loved it! I think I was about Johnny’s age when I first met the game of Foosball, so this was reliving a bit of my childhood.

Making shark tooth necklaces

All four kids made shark tooth necklaces with glow in the dark beads. Lily was so proud of her necklace that she wore it to choir camp today! Her shark tooth has two teeny tiny baby shark teeth on either side. She loves to point out that she got a five-in-one shark tooth.

We spent a day on the Grand Princess to check out their new programs for kids and families. Are Princess cruises fun for kids? Read on to find out!

Can you tell they had a great day? This ship was headed for Alaska – my dream destination – and we all wanted to stay on board for the journey.

What Kind of Programming Is there for Kids on a Multi-Day Cruise?

Camp Discovery destination-themed programs focusing on the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe immerse young cruisers into the culture, nature and customs of these regions. Cruises feature fun for the whole family through a family fair in the Piazza featuring carnival-like booths and activities, family trivia, Stargazing with Discovery at Sea, family game night, and Animal Planet exclusive adventures on land. Learn more by visiting the company’s website at princess.com.

Checking out the family-friendly programming on the Grand Princess cruise ship.

Based on what you read here, would your kids think princess cruises are fun for kids? Share their feedback in the comments below, or on my Facebook page. You can also tag me on Instagram.

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

3 thoughts on “Are Princess Cruises Fun for Kids? Princess Cruise Line Kids’ Activities”

  1. The only cruise I did was without kids, but all the people who had kids seemed to love it. My Mom is a total cruise ship addict and has a “single granny friend” that she goes with.

    Someday we’ll take the kids on a cruise, but who knows when that will be.

  2. Natalie PlanetSmartyPants

    We took A on the cruise to Mexico a couple of spring breaks ago. She was in cruise camp for kids (we traveled on NCL line) and enjoyed it a lot. In fact, we really enjoyed everything except her getting sick with a stomach bug in the last couple of days ;)

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