Casting off with the kids
BY KRISTIN JACKSON
The Seattle Times
Las Vegas is going back to its racy roots and downplaying family tourism, but the cruise industry is taking the opposite tack.
Many major cruise lines are chasing the family market, luring kids and parents with all-day children's programs, kids-only swimming pools, pizza parties, teen discos and more.
For busy families with limited vacation time or for family reunions, cruises can appeal since everything -- room, meals, entertainment -- is organized by someone else and all under one giant floating roof.
Cruises are not a budget vacation, of course. But by shopping around, families can find discounts, especially for last-minute cruises (which in the cruise world means booking weeks, not months, ahead) or in the off-season.
If you're thinking of a family cruise, here are some things to consider:
First, work out what you and your kids want. Organized, all-day children's programs or more independence? Lots of shipboard entertainment or more outdoors-oriented sights and shore excursions? A new mega-ship or a more classic or smaller vessel? (The new ships tend to have bigger kids' areas, including special play rooms and pools.)
Study cruise brochures and Web sites. Among those with formal children's programs are Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Holland America and, of course, the Disney Cruise Line, the most family-oriented of them all. Also work with a travel agent who books a lot of cruises; a good, experienced agent can steer you toward the right ship and may be able to get cabin upgrades.
For some passengers, the ship's the thing; they just want to bask in its comforts and hardly bother going ashore. For others, the ports of call and shore excursions are what really matter.
If you want warm-weather cruising and lots of shore excursions, consider Hawaii, where Norwegian Cruise Line is becoming the leader in inter-island cruises with stops of a day (or more) at the major islands. Or take a cruise along Mexico's west coast from Los Angeles or San Diego (but be aware that the short three- or four-day cruises can draw a party-hearty crowd ).
Some other basics
•_Comparison-shop for the rates on a third or fourth person in a cabin; sometimes there are very low fares. Some ships also have cabins that sleep five. But weigh the price against the greater space and privacy of adjoining cabins -- and the pleasure of not sharing one small bathroom.
•_Most youth programs are for children ages 3 to 17, although some cruise lines will take younger children. If you have a toddler, be clear on the toilet-training issue. On many cruise lines, the youth counselors won't change diapers. Either the child can't be in the program -- or you might be paged to come do the dirty work.
•_If you plan to use a lot of baby-sitting for a younger child, check the hourly cost (unlike many of the youth programs, it's not included in the cruise fare). It could be more economical and convenient to bring along another family member -- a teenage niece or nephew -- to provide baby-sitting.
•_Ask about the availability of cribs (and make sure you cabin has room for one) and guardrails for bunk beds.
•_Outside cabins are more pleasant, but much more expensive than inside cabins. For families with older teens, parents could get an outside cabin and put the kids across the corridor on the inside. Many new ships have cabins with verandas; that's especially nice if you need to be with a young child who naps.
•_Check on meal policies. Are there assigned times for dinner, or does the ship have the more relaxed, you choose-the-time-and-table restaurants. That's much easier with young kids.
•_Older children will want to run free on ships, but go over basic personal-safety rules with them. There have been cases of sexual assault on ships by crew and passengers, including one in August when a passenger from Washington was charged with the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy on a Seattle-Alaska cruise.
If you're traveling with older children and don't want a formal kids' program or the hubbub of a family-focused cruise, choose one of the luxurious cruise lines such as Crystal, Seabourn or Silversea. Be ready to pay: Per-person prices can easily be double the fares of mass-market lines such as Carnival or Norwegian.
Whatever cruise you choose, consider buying trip-cancellation insurance, since childhood illnesses can strike at the most inconvenient times. You don't want to have to miss the boat -- and be stuck with paying for it.
NOW YOU KNOW
•_The Web site of the Cruise Lines International Association,
www.cruising.org, has information on major cruise lines, plus links to cruise companies and a searchable list of travel agents specializing in cruises.
•_Some small-ship cruise companies are listed atwww.smallshipcruises.com
It also has information on family cruises.
•_Web sites with cruise-ship
reviews by travelers includewww.cruisecritic.com,
www.cruisemates.com (with useful tips on family cruising) and
www.cruise-addicts.com
•_Frommer's Publications has useful cruise guidebooks, including some on ports of call in various areas. Its Web site,
www.frommers.com, also gives tips on choosing a cruise.
_
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Casting off with the Kids 
