Before my recent Mediterranean cruise I asked my Instagram audience what they wanted to see in my cruise content. The most common answer was that people wanted to see 'what facilities and activities were on board the ship for kids', so that’s exactly what this blog post is about! I’m sharing 14 fun and child-friendly things to do on Regal Princess.
Some of these activities are best suited to older kids of 6 and over. For that reason I would say that optimum ages for cruising on board Regal Princess or with Princess Cruises would be under 2 or 6+. That said, the Camp Discovery kid’s club accepts children over the age of 3, so even for my son he could access the kid's club which was brilliant.
There is also an adult-only pool on the ship in The Retreat area which is a great option on days where your children may be in the kid's club. It's also reassuring to know that if other adults don't want to be around children they can go elsewhere.
2. Watch a film under the stars on the big screen with popcorn and cosy blankets
Older kids will love getting cosy under the stars on one of the open air cinema nights. There is a different film on every night, and the sun loungers transform with red cinema covers. Blankets and popcorn is also provided for an extra special movie experience.
3. Order a mocktail at the pool bar
Nothing says ‘I’m on holiday’ better than a tropical drink, and Regal Princess has a great selection of mocktails, so the little ones can join in too. Non-alcoholic versions of all cocktails are available, and there’s a great selection of fruity and creamy drinks on the poolside bar menu.
Top Tip: If you opt for the Princess Plus package you can try them all inclusive of your cruise price! The package offers 15 drinks per day up to the value of $12 each.
4. Make friends and join in with the activities at Camp Discovery kid’s club
Kid’s will love getting involved in the daily programme of events and activities at Camp Discovery. From crafts to treasure hunts and discos to face painting, there’s something for everyone. Often days are based on a theme and when Theo visited it was Pirate day, so he came away with a box of treasure and a pirate hat.
5. Take a trip to the Gelato shop in the ship’s Piazza
Take the kids for an authentic taste of Italy at the ship’s gelato shop. It has a huge range of flavours and toppings as well as its own seating area. Choose from a single scoop, a cone or pick an indulgent sundae from the menu. The staff were so friendly when we took Theo here; special thanks to Rachel at the gelato shop for giving Theo such a fun gelato experience.
6. Have a go at tennis, table tennis or basket ball on the sports court
The spacious sports court provides endless opportunities for fun if your child is in to ball games. There’s two table tennis tables as well as a tennis court and basketball hoops. All balls and rackets are provided so you can just show up and have fun! Courts are taken on a first-come-first-served basis. No pre-booking required.
7. Catch a musical production at the Princess theatre
There’s a different show on every night at the Princess theatre, showing at 8pm and 10pm. Keep an eye out for the nights with the full scale musical productions, as those are the ones that kids will really love. Other nights the shows might involve stand-up comedy shows which are more suitable for adults. On one night of our cruise there was a ventriloquist performing which our son absolutely loved and was throughly entertained by.
8. Be a spectator - or participant - of a Princess Live! game show
How cool would it be for you and your kids to be part of a live studio audience? Well, now they can. Princess Live! is a TV recording studio which airs game shows on its very own cruise channel. Guests can be part of the live studio audience or even be a participant. This is a great activity for all the family to get involved in.
9. Take a walk on the upper deck running track
Kids have lots of energy to burn, so take them up to see the unique running deck. The views are amazing and it’s a great place to look out for other ships on the horizon. My favourite time to go up to the running track is during a sea day as it feels so surreal to be ‘on a walk / run’ whilst cruising through the ocean. I think this is a place for kids to help them understand scale and sense of place whilst on a cruise.
10. Join the evening sleepover club at Camp Discovery
Camp Discovery runs an evening session where kids can go along, eat dinner together in the Horizon Court buffet and even have a mini sleepover on cosy beanbags when they’re getting tired. The evening babysitting service can run as late as 1am, meaning kids can have fun with new friends whilst parents get to enjoy a fine dining restaurant or simply some peaceful adult-only time.
11. Meet Stanley - the Princes Cruises mascot
Be sure to keep an eye out for the loveable and huggable Stanley bear during your cruise! Stanley is the Princess Cruises mascot and the life-size version can be found roaming the ship and meeting the guests. There are also Stanley teddies available to buy in the Regal Princess boutique.
12. Order pizza at Gigi’s and watch it being made
Located in the ship’s Piazza, Gigi’s is the ship’s pizzeria with its own open kitchen. It has been voted the ‘Best Pizza at Sea’ and I can now see why. Kids can order their favourite pizza then go over to the open kitchen to see it being made. The pizza chefs are very friendly and love to have an audience! If you’re lucky you’ll get to witness all their dough stretching and pizza tossing skills.
13. Play a round of mini golf on the top Sports Deck
We stumbled across a small mini golf course whilst exploring the ship on the first day of our cruise. The mini golf green is tucked away on the very top sports deck of the ship and could easily be missed, so be sure to seek it out! Golf balls and clubs are provided free of charge so just pick up and play.
14. Get off the ship and explore the ports
Of course, last but not least, kids will love getting off the ship and exploring the different ports. My biggest tip for cruising with kids would be to choose a cruise with ports that stop in the heart of a place, rather than ones with long transfer times. I can imagine a Caribbean cruise would be great with kids because there would be little to no transfer times and plenty of beaches to enjoy.
There certainly were many things that Theo enjoyed on the cruise! He’s really growing up now! He’s one very lucky boy to experience a cruise! ❤❤❤