• Cruising with children ends the question: "Are we there yet?"cruise ship image by Cristina Bernhardsen from Fotolia.com
  
  Many couples find that the sun, the sea, and the scenery on cruises make travel as much fun as the destination. But what about traveling with children? Luckily, there are several cruises and cruise lines that cater to families with young children. Before going, make sure that all passports are current, even for the children. It's also important to make sure that motion sickness medication is available in children's strength.
  
  

Disney Cruise Lines

• When cruising with children, Disney is the first line to come to mind. With their three cruise ships, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream and Disney Magic, and their destinations all over the world, Disney offers lots of options for families. Staterooms are large enough to accommodate three to seven people. Disney offers several programs, including the Oceaneer Club that allows children to dress up and play as their favorite Disney Character, and the Oceaneer Lab that combines fun with science as children learn about life under the high seas. For smaller fry, Disney offers Flounder's Reef, an activity center for children ages 3 months to 3 years. Childcare is offered in the Small World Nursery.
  
  

Carnival Cruise Lines

• Camp Carnival offers activities aboard their ships for children ages 2 to 11. This program is split into three different levels: "beginners" are ages 2 to 5, "juniors" are ages 6 to 8 and "intermediates" are ages 9 to 11. Carnival also offers several family-themed cruises that feature larger staterooms near children's activities. Carnival makes it easy for parents with young children to have a good time together.
  
  

Celebrity Cruises

• Celebrity Cruise Lines offers a full range of children's activities. However, any child that participates in planned on board events must be fully potty trained or accompanied by an adult. Toddler Time is designed for children 3 and under and gives parents and children a space to play together. The Fun Factory is designed for children 3 to 11. It offers treasure hunts, video games, movies and parties. Celebrity also has electronic games available to be checked out for private use. Another advantage of Celebrity is the V.I.P. Party Pass. This pass entitles children to special opportunities such as backstage tours of the ship, movie screenings and discounts at all shops. Parents can put limits on their children's purchasing power while still allowing them to use these passes all over the ship.
  
  

Norwegian Cruise Lines

• Norwegian Cruise Lines prides itself on Freestyle Cruising. They offer plenty of family-sized cabins, and now have Nickelodeon themed cruises so little ones can play with Dora, Spongebob and all their other Nick friends. In addition to age-appropriate Kid's Crew clubs, Norwegian also offers Family Fun nights with themes such as Family Lego Hour, Family Scavenger Hunt and Family Movie Night. Norwegian does have some restrictions. They will not allow infants younger than six months to sail, and they will not change diapers. Children should be potty trained, or parents must carry a beeper to tend to their child's needs when children are left in the childcare facilities.