Happy and Fun Time Dinner on MSC
MSC Cruises has introduced two dinner plans designed for children who might get antsy at a long meal. The MSC Happy Dinner serves young cruisers dinner from a children’s menu while parents are having their first courses. When the children are finished, they are picked up by Kids’ Club staff members to join their friends, leaving parents to leisurely enjoy the rest of their meal. With MSC Fun Time Dinners, children ages 3 to 11 dine in a separate, specially decorated area of the buffet restaurant with the entertainment team. Then, they can join in activities at the Mini and Junior Club. Three of the seven nights are theme parties — a Welcome Party, Italian Party, and Farewell and Birthday Party. Both children’s dinner programs are now available free on all MSC ships, but parents need to register their children in advance with the Mini or Junior Club. The cruise line has also extended the hours of the Kids’ Club programs and added a parent and baby/toddler program two hours each day for ages 10 to 36 months. Staff members will organize games and activities aimed specifically at the youngest guests and their parents, including playing with bricks, musical games, baby disco, puzzle games and drawing.
Holland America Savings
Enjoy free upgrades and Early Advantage Savings on select 2013 cruises on Holland America. Family friendly offers include free and reduced cruise fares for third or fourth guests in the same stateroom. For example, a family of four can sail the Caribbean with fares starting at $699 for the first two guests, and the third and fourth sailing free! Or book an ocean-view category for $999 and receive a complimentary balcony upgrade. Seven-day Alaska Inside Passage cruises from Seattle or Vancouver also start at $699 for inside staterooms or $999 for balconies, with free upgrades available. The promotion also includes savings of up to 50 percent by combining two cruise itineraries on select Collectors’ Voyages in Europe. A 14-day Collectors’ Voyage is priced from $1,799 per person, double occupancy, for an inside stateroom, and includes a free upgrade to an ocean-view while staterooms are available.
Breakaway Entertainment
Norwegian Cruise Line announced that the five-time Tony Award-nominated musical “Rock of Ages” will be featured on the Norwegian Breakaway, along with two additional Broadway shows: the dance sensation “Burn the Floor” and “Cirque Dreams & Dinner Jungle Fantasy.” 
Other entertainment venues will include Fat Cats Jazz & Blues Club featuring outdoor seating on The Waterfront, Headliners Comedy Club from Second City and the rock ’n’ roll dueling piano show, Howl at the Moon. The 4,000 passenger Norwegian Breakaway will arrive in its year-round homeport of New York City in early May 2013. The ship will begin weekly summer seven-day cruises to Bermuda on May 12. From October 2013 through April 2014, the ship will offer voyages from the heart of Manhattan to the Bahamas and Florida and the Southern Caribbean.
Fun and Fit on Princess
Princess Cruises revealed new and exciting fitness offerings on the 3,600-passenger Royal Princess, scheduled to debut in June 2013. 
The ship will feature a portable batting cage, laser shooting range (the first one at sea) and a new take on the at-sea jogging track with a circuit program with outdoor exercise stations set at intervals along the track. All three activities will be offered in the multi-sport area on Decks 18 and 19, appropriately known as Princess Sports Central. A golf driving facility and a center court that can be used for basketball, tennis, volleyball and badminton will also be available. On the upper deck, a Lawn Court features an artificial grassy area for bocce ball, croquet and lawn bowling. A game lounge will offer up Ping Pong and virtual options via Kinect for Xbox gaming systems. One deck below you will find the fitness center with a private aerobics studio and a selection of fitness classes like TRX suspension bodyweight training, body sculpt boot camp sessions, MyRide spinning and Chi Ball Yoga, which uses aromatherapy-scented balls to help participants relax.
Pixar Inspired Cruises
The Disney Wonder will have even more magic in store for guests beginning in September. The 2,700-passenger ship will sail four Pixar-inspired seven-day cruises along the coast of California. The cast of cruise characters will include Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie of the Toy Story series; Remy from Ratatouille; Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles; and Carl Fredricksen from Up. Your family will interact with the characters throughout the cruise and during themed dance parties. Pixar artists and filmmakers will give you a behind-the-scenes look at animated features and short films. Explore the making of Brave, a Pixar film to be released June 22. Sneak peeks of footage from future Pixar movies will also be shown. To gain a better understanding of the conceptualization behind the films, storyboards, character sketches, scale models and environment paintings will be on display. The entire collection of Pixar films, including short animations, will be available for viewing during the cruise, with special screenings taking place in the two theaters onboard. The Pixar-themed voyages will take place between September 16 and October14, 2012. They will sail from Los Angeles and call in San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico.
MSC Enhances Kids Club
MSC Cruises has enhanced its Kids’ Club programs for ages 3-17 with the addition of docking stations in the teen club, new video games in the kids club, a broader choice of family events from parades to scavenger hunts, theater program and extended hours from 9:00 am-11:00 pm. 
Pagers and beepers will be available for rent for the parents/supervising adults of children who are 3 to 5 years old, children with special medical conditions and children with special needs. MSC Cruises is introducing a daily Nanny’s Hour from 9:00-10:00 am., with games and activities for youngsters age 10 to 36 months and their parents. The cruise line has also added spa treatments for teen-agers to its menu at the MSC Aurea Spa. Among the available treatments are facials, manicures, pedicures, non-permanent tattoos and more. The ships will also offer body massages for girls and their mothers and boys and their fathers. Prices for the new teen treatments range from $26 to $66 per person. For teens 14 and older, a personal trainer in the gym can plan workouts with the parent. On this budget friendly cruise line, children age 11 and younger sail free and ages 12 to 17 sail at a reduced rate when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults; government fees and taxes are additional and certain restrictions may apply.
BVI Family Sailing
Festiva Sailing Vacations is offering a seven-day, all-inclusive sailboat package for a family of four in the beautiful British Virgin Islands. The rate for two adults and two children under the age of 16 is $5,995. 
Two families of four can share an eight-passenger sailing catamaran for seven days or families booking two cabins on the catamaran will be paired as closely as possible with a family with similar interests and children of comparable ages. The fare includes all meals, unlimited soft drinks for the kids and the standard open bar for the adults. Food and beverage options are customized for each family. Festiva operates a fleet of 44-foot and 42-foot luxury sailing catamarans on all-inclusive vacations in the Caribbean and Greece. Their 14 vessels have accommodations for six to eight passengers and are manned by a two-person professional crew. The seven-day itineraries emphasize dining, beach and water-sports activities. The British Virgin Islands are known for their beauty and calm waters. A multitude of excellent anchorages and idyllic islands make these islands one of the best locations for Caribbean sailing vacations.
MSC Enchances Kids Club
MSC Cruises has enhanced its Kids’ Club programs for ages 3-17, offering Microsoft Xbox Kinetic, Nintendo Wii and a variety of games. The teen corner now includes a docking station for iPods, iPhones, iPads and USB readers, and a social corner connected to Net TV and with Bluetooth keyboards. 
The moderately priced Italian line also is offering a broader choice of family events ranging from parades to scavenger hunts and extended Kids’ Club hours from 9:00am to 11:00pm. Pagers and beepers will be available for rent for the parents/supervising adults of children who are 3 to 5 years old, children with special medical conditions and children with special needs. MSC Cruises also is introducing a daily Nanny’s Hour from 9:00 to 10:00am, with games and activities for youngsters age 10 to 36 months and their parents. And on each cruise, a performance will be held in the theater for children under 12 and their parents. Kids will also be able to perform in a show they create and stage in the theater. Children age 11 and younger sail free and kids ages 12 to 17 sail at a reduced rate on every MSC Cruises sailing when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults! The cruise line has also added spa treatments for teen-agers from $26 to $66 and for teens 14 and older, a personal trainer can plan workouts with the parent.
Breakaway with NCL
Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway launching in April 2013, will feature the fleet’s largest facilities for children and teens.
The new teen program, dubbed Entourage, will be located on Deck 16 and include foosball and air hockey tables, gaming stations and a video jukebox for late-night dance parties. Splash Academy, the new name for the line’s children’s program, will be divided into Guppies (infants to 2 years), Turtles (3-5), Seals (6-9) and Dolphins (10-12). The two-deck facilities will be located on Decks 12 and 13, adjacent to the ship’s family cabins. Babies and toddlers under age three, along with their parents, will also have their own dedicated play space with activities. The most notable offerings for children include circus workshops (think juggling, plate-spinning and stilt-walking) through a partnership with New York-based Hilario Productions Cirque du Jour and active pursuits like soccer workshops and physical challenges in collaboration with the King’s Foundation and Camps, a U.K.-based organization. Children younger than 3 can take part in art classes, storytelling and mini-workouts with their parents. There’s no charge for kids younger than 3, but they must be accompanied by a parent. The revamped youth programs, which also include family activities like cupcake-decorating, pizza-making and game shows, are set to roll out fleetwide by the end of August.
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Explore the Ocean with Paul Gaugin
Once again, Paul Gauguin Cruises features several summer voyages with oceanographer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Youth Program. Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, and his Ocean Futures Society created the youth program, which introduces young travelers to the natural wonders of French Polynesia through hands-on learning. Under the guidance of Ocean Future Society naturalists, young people ages 9 to 17 will explore coral reefs, learn about volcanic islands and forest ecology, experience Polynesian culture, hike rainforest trails, visit ancient Polynesian temples, and more. Parents have an option to join their children on eco-excursions and other activities aboard and ashore. The Ambassadors of the Environment Youth Program is available on summer voyages of the Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia and is also available on select holiday cruises for $299 per child. Voyages with the program depart on June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23, June 30, July 11, July 21, July 28, August 4, August 11, Aug. 18, December 22 and December 29. Currently the cruise line is offering sailings for half off plus free airfare from Los Angeles on all 2012 sailings!
