Cruise Ships Offer Ideal Venues For

Multigenerational Family Vacations

Today's families are less likely to vacation as "nuclear" units. Modern family vacations might include grandparents and parents; step-parents and - children; plus cousins, aunts and uncles, and even family friends. Fortunately, the innovative and passenger-pleasing facilities, amenities and services aboard today's cruise ships are designed to satisfy the ever-changing dynamics of today's American families.

Families vacationing aboard the member-line ships of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) can spend as much or as little time together as they want. Amenities and activities include state-of-the-art spa and fitness facilities, exercise classes, golf instruction, art auctions, sports bars, video arcades, cooking classes, enrichment lectures, computer classes and more.

Although family groups typically choose to take their meals together, the diverse dining options on today's ships offer new and appealing alternatives. Grandparents might savor a quiet repast at an elegant supper club featuring menus that have been created by celebrity chefs. Parents can enjoy romantic dinners on their stateroom verandah. Kids can nosh on pizza and pasta at a Lido buffet.

Multigenerational family groups will find specially designed adjoining cabins and suites that can accommodate up to 14 people aboard some CLIA-member ships. Families can also divide members among stateroom and suite categories, based on their budgets. For example, while grandma and grandpa revel in the "suite" life, parents can reserve a balcony stateroom, while kids are accommodated in lower-category inside cabins.

Children will be pleased to discover that modern CLIA member-line cruise ships dedicate thousands of square feet to facilities designed specifically for them. Supervised activity programs offer age-specific activities tailored to their interests and needs, all led by highly trained youth counselors. Some lines even provide beepers so counselors can contact parents at any time.

On land, optional sightseeing tours blend education, fun and adventure for the whole family. Some cruise lines even have excursions designed specifically for kids, enabling older family members to embark on their own land adventures.

With babysitting services available on virtually all CLIA member-line ships, adults can spend their evenings, enjoying high-energy floorshows, flirting with Lady Luck, dancing cheek-to-cheek, or simply enjoying a moonlit walk on deck. Meanwhile, kids are safely corralled in colorful play areas that were specially designed for them. Ship staff often offers en-suite sitting for the smallest cruisers.

"Today's cruise lines expertly accommodate vacationers' renewed focus on family in all its traditional and non-traditional forms," said Terry Dale, president and CEO of CLIA, the chief marketing organization for 19 premier cruise lines and nearly 17,000 North American travel agencies.

"Because virtually everything is included in the cost of a cruise - accommodations, entertainment, children's activity programs and much, much more - family members need not worry about additional out-of-pocket expenses."

The best way to learn more about multigenerational cruise vacations is to seek the professional counsel of a CLIA travel agent.

For additional information on Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), please visit their website at Cruising.org