Although Celebrity Cruises is known best as a luxury line — and that implies adults — it also offers a wide selection of family-friendly programming, suitable for passengers of all generations.
Celebrity Cruises is a great pick for multi-generational cruisers, as it is generally known for hosting a mature and sophisticated crowd. They manage to keep a high level of elegance, quality and service, while still accommodating families with customized kids programs and facilities.
Check out our guide to what this line has to offer, as well as some of the newest features added to the fleet:
Youth and Family Programming Aboard Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity divides their complimentary youth program into five age appropriate categories:
- Toddler Time under 3 years; children must be potty trained to participate, but parents can accompany if they’re not.
- Shipmates 3 to 5 years
- Cadets 6 to 8 years
- Ensigns 9 to 11 years
- Teens 12 to 17 years
Fun Factory is the place to go for passengers ages 3 to 11-years-old from 9am to 10pm every day. It’s especially designed for younger cruisers with the latest gaming (ships are outfited with Xbox stations for players of all ages), movies, sports, adventure science activities, crafts, treasure hunts, theme parties, karaoke and more. There are also late-evening activities ($6/hour per child) for when mom and dad need some alone time. In associate with Autism on the Seas, Celebrity Cruises has earned Autism Friendly Cruise Line Status for accessible inclusion of autistic and developmentally delayed children.
X-Club Teen Entertainment is the designated space for teens, 12 to 17-years-old, to hang out, use gaming consoles, attend late night social events, play sports, and watch movies under staff supervision. There’s also a special Teen Bliss spa menu at the onboard Canyon Ranch Spa featuring massages, mani/pedis, styling sessions and more. Celebrity has introduced the free iTake program, where aspiring young directors learn to shoot and edit video using the latest technology. iTake is available on all ships with a Celebrity iLounge.
Pagers are available for parents of children with special needs or allergies, although there are a limited number available.
Babysitting is available privately in the stateroom at $19 per hour for up to three children. On port days, there are afternoon, dinner, and late night group activities for children ages 3-11 at $6 per hour and advance registration is required.
Kids Camp at Sea offers fun and educational programs with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) projects, creative arts, culinary and recreation activities.
Families can spend time together in the pools and waterplay areas, play basketball, bocce and croquet courts, and share cooking classes.
Fun for Adults on Celebrity Ships
Celebrity has a reputation among cruisers for offering outstanding service and above average onboard fare, great for parents wanting a date night.
Celebrity offers a quite a few activities for adults including fitness activities such as spinning classes, dance lessons, food and wine pairing workshops, chef-guided cooking competitions, presentations by expert speakers, art exhibits and auctions, and language classes during the days. Celebrity has a reputation among cruisers for offering outstanding service and above average onboard fare, great for parents wanting a date night, when they can enjoy the sea-going celebrities who perform in Broadway/West End tribute shows, aerial acrobatic performances, live musical performances and outdoor concerts, as well as performances by comedians, jugglers, and magicians.
With a focus on the culinary arts, the Michelin starred chefs create globally inspired meals with local ingredients. There ar two dining styles – Main Dining, held in the main restaurant and scheduled at a set time every night, or Celebrity Select Dining giving passengers the option to eat at their leisure. There are specialty restarurants and casual dining is also offered on the Lido deck
What’s New on Celebrity Cruise Ships
In the Summer of 2017, Celebrity’s Equinox introduced year-round Caribbean sailings from Miami, for those seeking a summer getaway to the tropical islands of the Eastern and Western Caribbean Islands. On these cruises, Summer Camp at Sea entertains kids, ages 3 to 17-years-old with fun and educational activities including Adventure through Science and video production. Celebrity has recently launched exclusive sailings and new itineraries with adventure cruises to the Galapagos Islands on 10 to 15-night sailings with shore excursions guided by expert naturalists. These will be available on the state-of-the-art Xpedition, and on the 24-stateroom Xperience and the 8-stateroom (charter the whole ship) Xploration, both of which have underbone multimillion dollar upgrades. Flora, the newest ship in the fleet, whose debut is May 26, 2019 will also cruise to the Galapagos Islands.
For more information and booking details, check out Celebrity Cruises website.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
