We just got back from a fun family vacation at sea aboard the Norwegian Gem (see my Norwegian Cruise Line Review) and I thought I’d share some of my favorite kid-friendly activities for families on Norwegian Cruise Lines.  With close quarters (those cabins are tiny) and limited access to electronics and wifi, there is a lot of time for family bonding on cruise vacations.  Here are my top 10 Cool Things for Families that we enjoyed aboard the Norwegian Gem.

Get Crafty – Check out the ship’s daily schedule to find out about family friendly arts and crafts classes where you can make picture frames, keepsake boxes, and journals.  Don’t miss the Nickelodeon Arts and Crafts sessions in Bliss lounge.  My daughter got to decorate a Spongebob Squarepants picture frame, T-shirt and bandana.

Go to a Pajama Party – If you’ve got young children, The Nickelodeon Pajama Jam features a buffet with fun foods like tie dyed waffles and pancakes and amazing donuts.  Kids can dance with several cartoon characters while adults drink their coffee in peace.  Thats a win-win.  Although this costs extra ($20 per person), you receive free 8×10 pictures from the meet-and-great that you would probably want to buy anyway.

Dine Around the World – Check out some of the ship’s specialty restaurants to sample cuisine from around the world.  Our favorites were Le Bistro which featured a French inspired menu (and a great chocolate fondue with fresh fruit!) and the Teppanyaki restaurant where we were entertained all night with an origami menu and entertaining chef.

Get Wet – Kids and water are a natural combination.  The Norwegian Gem features a twisty waterside, pool (there is also a separate adults-only pool) and bubbling jacuzzis. The enclosed kiddie pool has a tiny slide perfect for kids five and under and a small toddler friendly playground with a see-saw. At port, explore the nearby Caribbean beaches and water attractions.

Take a Family Friendly Class – There are classes all day long where vacationers can learn about art, photography, cooking and many other topics. We especially enjoyed the Towel Folding Demonstration, Family Balloon Twisting Workshop, Family Circus Workshop, and Pastry Demonstration classes which were very family friendly. My mom and I also sampled an art class which was very informative.

Get Cooking – The family that cooks together has a good time. We attended Parents and Kids Pizza Making and Cupcake Decorating classes at La Cucina and my daughter had a blast.  The staff had everything arranged in an assembly line and kids (and adults!) got to make their own creations. This was a great opportunity for my daughter to feel grown up trying new pizza toppings and sampling new flavor combinations like pineapple and bacon, oh my!

Sea Gaze – Take in the sights from your balcony or the many onboard vantage points.  Start your sea gazing with spectacular New York City views as you depart. After a few days of sailing, my daughter and I spotted several dolphins from our balcony – an amazing sight we talked about for days! At night, check out the stars and other ships leaving port.

See a Show – I really liked that several of the shows were at 7:30 pm which was perfect after an early dinner for my young daughter. The welcome show was a nice chance to learn about the ship and activities and see some of the upcoming acts. The favorites for our multi-generational group were the welcome and farewell variety shows, World Beat and Get Down Tonight.

Strike a Pose – The ship features so many fun areas for photo ops so don’t forget your camera.  If you’re looking for something more formal, have the ship photographers get some family shots around the pool or in their studio.

Check out the Circus at Sea – The last day aboard our cruise, my daughter got to star in her very first stage performance as a tiger in the Hilario Big Top at Sea circus show.  This is a must-see adorable show where kids 3 and up perform skits and circus acts they learned during the week in the Splash Academy kids program.

What are your favorite family friendly things to do on a cruise?

Special thanks to The Moms and Norwegian Cruise Lines for hosting us on the cruise. As always, all opinions are my own.

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