Mainstream cruise lines that promote family cruises (think Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, Princess and Norwegian) will have tons of activities for kids of all ages. Ships generally have pools, dance classes, video games and arcades, Ping-Pong, basketball courts and mini-golf.

Every cruise ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet offers plenty of activities for kids, teens and adults. And if your preferred itinerary happens to take place onboard Freedom of the Seas, you're in for a real treat.

Many family cruise ships also offer water parks, rides and attractions, kid-themed venues, live entertainment and more – making cruises for babies and toddlers (as well as cruises for teens) ideal for both young and multigenerational families.

All channels* are available fleet wide to all guests. Live satellite channels include FOX News, MSNBC, BBC World News, Sky News (Europe & Australia Only), ESPN, ESPN 2 (Caribbean and Alaska Only). Various other channels are also offered based on ship's position and itinerary.

For most itineraries, the minimum age to sail is 6 months at time of embarkation. For the South Pacific, Transatlantic, Hawaii and Panama Canal repositioning cruises, the minimum age to sail is one year old at the time of embarkation.

Planning tips

1. Buy your kids a passport.
2. Make sure your ship has a nursery.
3. Be aware of age restrictions for babies.
4. Choose a ship with Splashaway Bay.
5. Choose a cruise itinerary wisely.
6. Book a ship with water slides.
7. Arrive one day before your cruise begins.
8. Get your kids involved in planning the cruise.

And while going overboard on cruise ships is a rare incidence, it does happen occasionally – young children that climb on the railings are particularly at risk. Kids roam free. While cruise ships are confined areas, they are large and full of safety hazards.

12 or younger Kids sail free is a limited time promotional offer that allows for guests 12 or younger to receive a free cruise fare. This offer is only available during active dates. To secure a Kids Sail Free promotion on a reservation, all applicable names and dates of birth must be given when making a reservation.

The perfect age for taking your kids on a cruise is when they are old enough to be excited about the experience -- when they want to check out the ship and get excited about exploring in ports of call. Maybe they are more attracted by daily ice cream, pool time and Ping-Pong than cultural immersion, but that's OK.

Dangerous surroundings. Unfortunately for parents of very small children, cruise ships are not baby-proofed. You cannot let young children play without close supervision, since there are plenty of unguarded pools to fall into, high-traffic stairways, and older children running around play areas unsupervised.

RCTV includes a 29 channel in-stateroom TV system. All channels* are available fleet wide to all guests. Live satellite channels include FOX News, MSNBC, BBC World News, Sky News (Europe & Australia Only), ESPN, ESPN 2 (Caribbean and Alaska Only).

Royal Suite Class Star and Sky guests will enjoy the Surf + Stream package. Surf the web, stay in touch via email, share vacation photos on social media, stream music and movies from Spotify or Netflix and connect using video chat apps such as Skype.