Disney cruises

Ships: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder and now Disney Dream (which will launch in January 2011 ) are the cruise ships of the Disney Cruise Line.

Size (no. of passengers): 1,700 to 3,325

Cabins: there are 12 grades of accommodation. Ask Mosman Cruise Centre to find the one that suits you.

Entertainment & Activities: Spectacular deck parties starring Disney Characters alongside Disney Cruise Cast Members,
Pirates IN the Caribbean is a 45-minute deck party on the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder Celebrating what it means to be a pirate, this event begins with a pirate-themed dinner in one of the Main Dining restaurants and ends with a buccaneer bash starring Mickey Mouse and a spectacular fireworks show.

Adventures Away! Sail-Away Celebration is a 45-minute deck party on all Disney cruises at the start of a Disney cruise

For adults, each ship has both nightclubs and lounges such as the Cove Café, an adults-only lounge where passengers 18 years of age or older can enjoy mixed drinks, gourmet coffee or snacks, read a magazine, watch television or use the Internet.

Movies and Live Shows are also a major part of the entertainment.

Pools: There are a number of pools some magically themed all freshwater for kids, families and adults. For example the new Disney Dream has the AquaDuck, a thrilling 765-foot-long water coaster located at Deck 12, Midship that propels passengers up, down and around 4 decks, over the side of the ship and through the Forward Funnel! Each ship has an adults-only pool called the Quiet Cove Pool.

Kids Clubs/child care: There are a number of kids and youth clubs on Disney ships including the It's a Small World Nursery for babies and toddlers from 3 months to 3 years.

Food: Disney Cruise Line Dining includes:

• Main Dining
• Casual Dining
• Adult Exclusive Dining
• Quick Service

As well as an adults-only restaurant, Main Dining includes a ‘rotational dining system' that seats passengers in one of three themed restaurants on rotation, but with the same wait staff.

A Disney cruise is not a gourmet experience.

Point of difference: Disney characters. Passengers have the opportunity to meet and greet Disney characters throughout the cruise. These can change but Disney characters that regularly appear include:   Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, The Beast from Beauty and the Beast, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Captain Hook, Chip & Dale

Berlitz rating: 4 star

Disney Cruise itineraries take in Europe, Alaska & the Pacific Coast, Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal, Transatlantic - Ask the Mosman Cruise Centre to give you more information.

Regent

Ships: Seven Seas Mariner, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Navigator

Cabins: 11 to 13 price grades and are described as all-balcony, all-suite ships (only Navigator has some ocean-view cabins).

Size: (no. of passengers) Mariner - 708; Navigator - 530; Voyager - 752.

Entertainment & Activities: include expert guest lectures, theatre performances and daytime entertainment.  There is an interactive flat screen television in each suite with extensive media library and complimentary movies-on-demand.

Food : Up to four gourmet restaurants including the iconic new steakhouse Prime 7, and Signatures, featuring Le Cordon Bleu®-inspired cuisine, Compass Rose, La Veranda plus the al fresco Pool Grill. Free beverages including fine wines, beer and premium spirits, soft drinks, bottled water, specialty coffees and tea served throughout the ship, also the mini bar is stocked free.

Gratuities: Free 24-hour room service and no additional charge for specialty restaurants. Free pre-paid gratuities

Berlitz Rating: 4+ stars

Regent Seven Seas Cruises  are perfect for adults who want to share their travel adventures with their children or grandchildren.  Regent's complimentary Club Mariner youth programs, which operate during summer and some holiday sailings,  are designed for age groups 5 to 8, 9 to12 and 13 to 17 and are supervised by experienced and enthusiastic youth counsellors.

On some Alaska and Tahiti cruises, Regent offers a program called The Ambassadors of the Environment (AOTE) Youth Program. It is a unique program that introduces young travelers (ages 9 to 17) and their families to natural wonders and at the same times demonstrates imaginative ways to build environmental sustainability into their lives back home.

Jean-Michel Cousteau and his colleagues from Ocean Futures Society share their broad knowledge with enrichment programs, videos, lectures and shore excursions.

P&O

This cruise line, which sails regularly from and around Australia, is very popular with Australians.

Ships: Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel, Pacific Pearl and Pacific Sun sail around Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and Asia with many different itineraries.

Cabins: Many different price grades depending on size, location and whether or not you want a balcony.

Entertainment & Activities: Two characters, TC and Skipper, star in Junior Cruises Show which is suitable for the whole family.
Ocean Friends Club in association with Sydney Aquarium, features an educational interactive programme of activities, art and craft and energetic games. The Children's Centres Turtle Cove and Shark Shack are generally open from 9.00am to 10.00pm  for all children aged from 3 years to 10 years. HQ & HQ+ for 11 to 17 year olds offers sports competitions, pizza parties, PlayStation 3® competitions, talent shows, hip-hop classes, mocktail parties.

Travelling With Babies. Babies aged 12 months to 2 years 11 months travel free with two adults in a cabin. Children under the age of 3 years cannot enter the Children's Centre unless they are supervised by their own parent or guardian.  Qualified staff run a choice of activities for kids of all ages.

Food: There are a number of different dining choices available, some featuring gourmet meals by well-known Australian chefs.

Berlitz rating: 3 to 4 star.

Other cruise lines

Carnival Cruise Lines has a variety of family-friendly amenities at its fleet-wide Camp Carnival. Carnival has scheduled onboard programs for ages 2 to 14, special shore excursions for teens, and babysitting for a fee.

Costa has the Costa Kids program which offers daily activities for kids 3 to 17.

Crystal Cruises is a luxury line that offers a supervised children's program whenever a large enough group of children will be onboard. Grandparents and parents who want luxury and want to take their kids (or grandkids) along choose these ships. Crystal does not set the youth program until the ship knows the ages and numbers of kids who will be sailing.

Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 have a British style to their children's programs, and services include children's nurses and trained British nannies. The ships also have a teen center.

Holland America's Club HAL provides year-round supervised children's programs for ages 5 to 12. Some of the Holland America ships have programs for children ages 3 and up. The ships have daily activities and a "just for kids" shore excursion on its Half Moon Cay Caribbean island.

Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Kid's Crew program has a playroom staffed with youth coordinators year-round. Activities are scheduled when the ship is at sea and in port for kids ages 2 to 17. Activities for kids include dancing, arts and crafts, treasure hunts, costume-making, and games.

Princess Cruises provide age-specific activities for kids 3 to 17. The ships also include learning activities on science, wildlife, and conservation and there's a youth centre. Activities for teens include Nintendo, movies, Karaoke, and giant screen TVs. Princess also has full-time youth coordinators and group babysitting.

Royal Caribbean International has big ships with non-stop activities for children including rock-climbing walls and ice skating rinks. The RCI supervised year-round youth program, Adventure Ocean, is targeted to kids 3 to 17 in five age groups which promise to be both fun and educational. Group babysitting is also available.

Mosman Cruise Centre, Shop 3 Strand Passage, 870 Military Rd, Mosman NSW 2088. Website: www.travelchoice.com.au Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Phone 61 2 9968 1600 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              61 2 9968 1600      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Lic. No. 2TA003723.