Your questions answered

Noddy on board Ventura

Children’s favourite, Noddy, will combine play and learning through fun activities and entertainment for 2-4 year olds on all Ventura holidays.

Are there any facilities for teenagers?

For children and teenagers (9-12 & 13-17 years) we arrange a full programme of activities, quizzes, deck sports, pool games, competitions and discos. Their clubhouses have music, videos, games, computers and interactive arcade games - all great fun and sure to keep older children occupied.

What qualifications do the Youth Crew possess?

All our Youth Crew, known as ‘Reef Rangers’ have extensive experience of working in the field and in the planning and facilitating of a wide range of play and leisure activities for children aged 2-17 years. Relevant qualifications for Youth Staff working with the under eights are NNEB/CACHE Diploma in Nursery Nursing, BTEC National Diploma in Early Childhood Studies, CACHE/OCR/EDEXCEL City & Guilds Certificate in Childcare & Education and/or a Teaching Certificate.

What are Family (school holiday) Cruises?

Whilst on Aurora, Oceana, Oriana and Ventura we are delighted to welcome families on all our cruises. The cruises, which are indicated as ‘family choice’, are a great choice for families wanting to travel in the school holidays.

Are there any facilities specifically for my younger children?

For children aged 2-4 & 5-8 and under two’s accompanied by a parent, Aurora, Oceana, Oriana & Ventura have playrooms, packed with ballpools and softplay areas, toys, games, books and craft material. Each is open daily and we arrange an extensive programme of play, sport and entertainment. Much as we’d like to, we regret we are unable to take babies under two during the day. In the evening you don’t even need to worry about small children (under 5 years old) as you can leave them in our supervised night nursery, though as there is limited space we operate on a ‘first come, first served’ basis daily. Opening times will be published on board. Please note that parents/guardians must ensure that infants left in the care of the Night Nursery are settled to sleep before they leave.

What facilities are provided for families?

We want your whole family to have a wonderful holiday and The Reef provides a whole range of facilities and daily programmes for children and teenagers on board Aurora, Oceana, Oriana and Ventura. The Reef is split into four age specific childrens clubs and includes Splashers for 2-4 year olds, Surfers for 5-8 year olds, Scubas for 9-12 year olds and H2O for 13-17 year olds. At the start of your holiday you’ll be invited to an informal meeting where our Reef Rangers will explain the facilities in detail, outline the events planned and the few restrictions we impose. Please note that Arcadia and Artemis are dedicated to adults and therefore we do not accept children or teenagers under the age of 18.

Each ship has the following facilities available:

Aurora - has ‘Toybox’ for the 2-4 year olds, ‘Jumping Jacks’ for 5-8’s, Quarterdeck for 9-12’s and Decibels for 13-17’s. The Terrace Pool and paddling pool on D Deck are reserved especially for children under 10 and their parents whilst the Crystal Pool is available for all passengers including children. There is also a Night Nursery for the under 5 year olds in ‘Toybox’.

Oceana - has the ‘Treasure Chest’ for 2-4’s, the ‘Hideout’ for 5-8’s and the two ‘Buzz Zone’ rooms for 9-17’s. In peak seasons of school holidays we may designate one of Oceana’s pools as family only. There is a Night Nursery housed in the children’s area.

Oriana - has ‘Peter Pans’ for 2-4’s & 5-8’s, ‘Decibels’ for 9-12’s and ‘Outerspace’ for 13-17’s. The Terrace Pool and paddling pool on D Deck are reserved especially for children under 10 and their parents whilst the Crystal Pool is available for all passengers including children. There is also a Night Nursery on G Deck.

Ventura - has Tumblers a play area for under 2s for parent supervised play, Toybox for the 2-4 year olds, Jumping Jacks for 5-8s, The Den for 9-12s and Decibels for 13-17s. The small pool and paddling pool on Sun Deck are reserved especially for children 8 and under and their parents.

During peak season we offer Slumber Time between 10.30pm and midnight for the 5-8 year olds. In addition all ships offer the use of a stateroom listening facility, which is available through the telephone system. Please note on some out of season cruises it may be necessary to change the age ranges of the clubs to 2-8s and 9-17s.

We would ask parents and/or guardians to remember that there are other passengers on board and for this reason a few of the lounges and public rooms are ‘out of bounds’ to passengers under 16. Please note that passengers under the age of 18 must travel with a parent or companion over the age of 21 and that we are unable to carry babies under the age of six months (one year for Aurora cruises R810, R814, R819, R823, R902 and R911, Oceana cruises E827, E906, E928 and E006, Oriana cruises X802, X818, X917 and X920 and Ventura cruises N818/A, N906/A, N925 and N006).

Please note that children in swimming nappies are not allowed to use the main pools but may use the paddling pools under the supervision of their parents or guardians. We also ask parents and guardians to note that children under 16 must not be left unaccompanied on the ship whilst at a port of call.