Family resorts for vacations just started sailing a little easier. In fact, cruise vacation trends for 2013 is all the buzz for family vacas as a way to keep kids happy while also bringing families closer together. There is nothing better than relaxing and enjoying family time together…
So what’s trending for 2013? Well, for starters multi-generational groups, more specialty food offerings, and continued efforts to wow passengers with new onboard firsts like an aquapark, a glass walkway and a vertical garden!
Which cruise ship should your family go on?
According to CruiseCritic.com your family should try two of the hottest cruises serving up family fun.
Norwegian Breakaway, which will be the largest ship ever to homeport year-round in New York City beginning in May, and Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess, launching in June.
Hot new attractions and activities include.
Norwegian Cruise Line
—Crystal Symphony debuted in September with a vertical garden, which is a plant-covered freestanding living wall, 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) high.
—The MSC Preziosa ship, debuting in March, will feature what’s being called the longest single-rider water slide at sea, 394 feet long (120 meters).
—On the Celebrity Reflection, an all-glass shower extends over the edge of the ship with a wraparound verandah and special glass so you can see out, but not in.
—On Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth ships, passengers can take “back of the house” tours and visit everything from the engine room to backstage theater areas to the kitchen galley and the recycling facility.
—Carnival Cruise Lines offer TV-quality game shows at sea with passengers as participants, along with 3-D movies in theaters equipped with motion seats and special effects like wind and water.
—Holland America Line has a programming partnership with “Dancing with the Stars” while Celebrity is partnering with Zumba for fitness workouts and pool parties.
—Theme cruises woo fans of everything from country music to sports by hosting performances and celebrities onboard. NFL coach Don Shula and Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer Larry Csonka will be on a Crystal Serenity cruise this summer.
Food for thought is specialty!
Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy in October began offering a $50 per person Champagne brunch at Remy, Disney Cruise Line’s adult-only restaurant named for the character from the animated film “Ratatouille,” with dishes created by the French Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Lallement.
The Norwegian Breakaway will have everything from a churrascaria (Brazilian-style steakhouse) to separate bars for Asian noodles, gelato and raw shellfish. On MSC’s forthcoming Preziosa ship, there will be an Eataly Restaurant modeled on the Manhattan Italian gourmet food mall.
Celebrity chef Jacques Pepin has served as Oceania Cruises’ executive culinary director for nine years, and this September, he’ll be a guest on Oceania’s Riviera ship, doing a cooking demonstration, Q&A, and meet-and-greets with guests at his namesake onboard restaurant, Jacques, and the ship’s culinary center.
Multi-generational groups trends.
Multi-generational groups. Cruises are being marketed as the perfect vacation for grandparents, parents and kids to take together because they can pursue different activities onboard, then have a meal or shore excursion together. On Norwegian, for example, between 15 and 20 percent of guests on any cruise are part of a multi-generational group, according to spokeswoman Vanessa Lane.
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