Family cruising

Child registration

Every child (6 months-17 year olds) must be registered before they can book any sessions in The Reef or Scene. You can register each child 14 days ahead of your holiday at my.pocruises.com. You can book a session once on board. If there is a high demand for a session then we unfortunately cannot guarantee a place for every child.

Safety

We know children love to be active and explore, so all of our activities and facilities have been designed to be child-friendly. Each of The Reef’s rooms feature secure door entry systems and in the Balcony cabins there are protective balcony nets, available on request. There are check in and check out procedures for the 2-12 year olds. All our Reef rangers have extensive experience of planning and facilitating activities for 2-17 year olds, as well as having enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks. In the unlikely event that you need them, our on-board medical centres are fully equipped and staffed by qualified doctors and nurses. For every child’s enjoyment and safety we have a strict child to staff ratio within The Reef/Scene.

What to bring

Please remember children will need their own passports. If you choose a cruise that departs and returns to Southampton, there are no restrictions on the amount of luggage you can bring. So long as you can fit it comfortably into your cabin then you’re welcome to bring as many essentials as you like. This means that prams are welcome, as is a favourite travel cot, as many supplies as you need and, of course, any favourite toys to make your little ones’ holiday as enjoyable as yours. If your children are going to use the children’s facility then it would be great to bring their own water bottle which they can use in the clubs.

Dining and dress codes

Children are of course welcome in all of our restaurants, but we also offer a special children’s tea every night featuring all the food that children will enjoy (*for babies we offer a selection of baby food on request). We offer a range of healthy options, including fresh fruit and vegetarian dishes. These are all served in our informal buffet restaurants so children can be casually dressed whenever they eat there. 

During the day, you can dress in whatever you like. However, on all our ships, we have two dress codes that apply in the evenings: Evening Casual and Black Tie. Nights where the dress code is Evening Casual, you can bring out your best shirt, dress and smart, dark denim. For nights where the dress code is Black Tie, make sure to pack your best tux, suit or cocktail dress.

There are some venues on each ship where dress codes don’t apply, so make sure to check your Horizon paper that’s delivered to your cabin each day to check where these are, as they vary ship by ship.  For those travelling on family-friendly ships, dress codes also don’t apply to children aged 17 and under.

*Please note: baby food must be requested a minimum of 8 weeks before sailing. We also cannot supply guests with baby food on bookings made within 8 weeks of the departure date. 

Restrictions

We would ask parents and/or guardians to remember that there are other guests on board and for this reason a few of the lounges and public rooms are exclusively for adults. Please note that guests under the age of 18 must travel with a parent or companion aged 18 or over. We are unable to carry babies under the age of six months on any of our holidays, or under one year for B326/A, B406/A, B425/A, B506/A, K322N/E/F, K405D, K406/A, K423/A/B, K505D, K506, K506D, N401, N403, N501, N504. This is due to the remote itineraries and number of consecutive days at sea. Children under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel in a cabin without a guest who is 16 or over. Children using the designated pools must be under the supervision of their parent/ guardian. All parents/guardians are responsible for the behaviour of their children. 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.

Family cabins and prices

If you’re travelling with children or teenagers our family prices on Arvia, Azura, Britannia, Iona and Ventura offer generous reductions, utilising the extra beds that are contained in a number of cabins. In twin cabins these extra beds are pull-down beds which your cabin steward will stow away by day (please note in selected Arvia, Azura, Britannia, Iona and Ventura cabins there are sofabeds instead; see deck plans for details). To calculate the family price, the first two occupants pay the adult price for the grade concerned minus any applicable savings, then add the reduced price for a child/teenager aged 2-17. Family reductions can vary by cruise, so talk to your travel agent or call our Customer Contact Centre for the reduction amount of a specific cruise. Azura, Britannia and Ventura have a number of cabins that can accommodate a travel cot for an infant aged over 6 months and under 2 years. In these cases you pay the rates available from our Customer Contact Centre. There are limited infant, child and teen places available on all cruises. It is advisable to book as soon as possible if intending to take advantage of the family prices offer. Please note family prices are not available on the first two occupants or on single occupancy, and family prices do not apply on Arcadia or Aurora - these ships are exclusively for adults. Please note there is limited availability for cabins with additional occupancy. For more information call our Customer Contact Centre on 03453 555 111 (local call charges apply).

School holiday cruises

For your convenience we have highlighted any holidays which fall in the school holiday season on our itinerary pages. These are labelled within our brochure or can be selected as a filter when searching for holidays online. Please bear in mind that school holidays can vary by school and region, so you should check the specific dates for your child’s school before you book.

Family fun ashore

There’s plenty of fun to be had with the help of your Shore Experiences team. From beach breaks and water parks to pizza making and chocolate tasting, your destination experts have it covered.