For parents, many family vacations aren't really vacations.
Making sure your kids have a good experience at a theme park, for example, takes an enormous amount of planning. Even when you do everything you can — pay for expedited access to rides and get up early for rope drop — there's still a lot of standing around.
The parents may enjoy some of the rides, shows, parades and meals, but most of their effort goes into making the trip as good as it can be for the kids.
That changes somewhat once you have teenagers who might be able to explore a theme park on their own, but a visit with young kids is certainly not a vacation for mom and dad.
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That's how it works on beach and resort vacations, too. Mom and dad have to spend their time making sure their kids don't drown and praising whatever they might be doing in the pool. Again, the adults may get to have some fun, but that's not the purpose of the trip.
Cruises, at least some of them, are very different. Adults and kids can be on the same family-friendly cruise and have very different experiences.
That gives the parents a chance to relax and have fun while time spent together is actually better because of time spent apart.
Royal Caribbean has built its business around families, and now a survey it commissioned has shown that kids actually want even more adults to join their family trips .
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Royal Caribbean
Kids want multigeneration cruise trips
Royal Caribbean has been leaning into the idea that cruises can be multigenerational. A survey the cruise commissioned in the UK shows that kids ages 6 to 11 support that idea.
"The responses show children are eager to make their next getaway a full-family experience, with 44% of respondents wishing to travel with grandma and 42% with grandad," the cruise line wrote.
"According to the survey, 65% of young ones say the extra fun that comes with having grandparents along for the adventure is their top reason for wanting them on holiday."
The survey also showed:
- Kids look forward to the special memories they’ll make (49%)
- The cool activities they can enjoy together (40%).
- In addition, more than a third of participants say they love being spoiled with presents when traveling with their grandparents (38%),
- 37% look forward to a little extra pampering with longer playtime.
“We know planning family holidays can be a balancing act to ensure everyone is entertained and different family needs are being met," Royal Caribean International's vice president for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Gerard Nolan, said.
"At Royal Caribbean, we’re proud to offer the ultimate multigenerational experience with something for everyone and without compromise."
Royal Caribbean has built for this idea
Royal Caribbean's ships, specifically its Oasis- and Icon-Class ships, have waterslides, Flowriders (surf simulators), play areas, ice skating rinks, rock-climbing walls, and other features that kids love.
The ships also offer tranquil spaces for adults, including Central Park, as well as adult-friendly venues like the pub and Schooner Bar, which both offer live music at night.
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The survey did show that kids have very high expectations for their vacations.
"The research further reveals that children’s ideal holiday lasts 11 days, packed with four different activities every day – adding up to 44 ways to keep kids entertained," according to Royal Caribbean.
"The top activities include swimming (67%), visiting a water park (59%) and zooming down the slides (54%). Kids also love exploring new places (45%), trying new and different foods (42%), riding rollercoasters (41%), and even zip lining (24%)."
Kids also have some vacation goals that are a little more admirable.
"Making new friends is also a key holiday highlight for 79% of children, bringing new experiences and in-person connections. With so many activities for kids to enjoy, including the industry-leading Adventure Ocean youth program, holidaymakers can choose to create more memories offline," it added.
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