By Sherri Eisenberg | Published on January 4, 2024
Bringing the grandparents along on a family vacation is a win-win for everyone. Grandparents and their grandchildren get to spend more time with each other and create unforgettable memories, and the parents get a built-in babysitter, allowing them the opportunity for some alone time.
Luckily, when you sail with Royal Caribbean, you have your pick of so many cruise activities for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy together.
The idea of booking a vacation for the whole family — grandparents included — may seem daunting. After all, how can you possibly find a trip that will tick everyone's boxes? Cruising is the best option for multi-generational vacations because they include so many exciting activities both onboard and off that will keep kids entertained, and they often sail to bucket-list destinations that will be sure to wow the grandparents.
The first part of planning a cruise vacation with grandparents is pinpointing a good time for everyone to travel together. Major holidays typically work for everyone. Alternatively, cruises make great surprises if you want to treat grandma and grandpa to a cruise vacation to celebrate their milestone birthday or anniversary. Or, if you're traveling in mid-September together, plan some onboard Grandparents' Day activities or gifts to show them how much you love them. They'll be so excited to find a bottle of wine and box of chocolates in their stateroom, and they'll be thrilled when dinner at the specialty onboard restaurant ends with a decadent chocolate cake.
It's an amazing feeling to see your whole family together on vacation, and you may be surprised by just how easy it is to travel this way. Think about it: Grandparents love to spoil their grandchildren and will likely be more than happy to take the kids off your hands for a little while one night. Having that babysitter on standby is so key for parents who want a night to relax and soak up vacation time.
Once the daily meals are planned and excursions are booked, your family can go their separate ways during the day as they'd like, guilt-free. Looking for things to do with your grandchildren on your cruise vacation? Figure out what they're into. One of the best ways to get a kid excited is to take interest in something they're interested in. Of course, you can chaperone the kids as they go wild playing games in the arcade or run around the water park, but finding an activity you can both do together will make the vacation even more special. For the competitive kid, cruises offer everything from basketball games on the Sports Court to mini golf, while the creative kid will love making cool crafts such as pottery at Adventure Art, an art program offered on many Royal Caribbean cruises for kids.
Taking a class and learning something new together can be a great way for kids to bond with their grandparents. There are a variety of different classes you can take at sea including yoga, cooking and dance classes. Classes are offered for all different ages, so you can find one that fits your level of comfort. At the end of the day, kids will be eager to show off the new salsa dance routine you learned or share some expertly made cupcakes you baked together with the rest of the family.