Oceana Family
There are great facilities for children, who have their own fun pool, a video game room, and coffee bar/disco on Deck 12. Please note, outside of holiday periods, or on long cruises that overlap with school holidays, Oceana might as well be an adults-only ship, considering the attitude of the other cruisers towards younger people and the very few children onboard.
The Reef offers supervised daily activities on port as well as sea days for children age 2-17. These are separated into four age groups: Splashers, 2-4; Surfers, 5-8; Scubas, 9-12; and H2O for 13-17. Splashers have their own room packed with toys, climbing equipment, and quiet areas to read or watch a film. Noddy may even pop in to play. Surfers might enjoy face painting, inventing their own chocolate bar or activities such as three-legged races and treasure hunts. Special parties might feature pirate duels or gladiator bouts. In the evening, they can relax with milkshakes and a film. Scubas have a room just for them with a jukebox and video games. Activities might include a ship-wide scavenger hunt, pool games and drama workshops. Nighttime fun features pool parties, discos and games.
Teens have the adult-free -- yet supervised -- H2O Club to call their own. Options include watching films, playing video games, air hockey or pool. Teens can also try out a drum set, electric guitar or even DJ equipment during school holidays. At night, there's a free hour in the arcade, organised competitions and a teen disco.
For parents who want to enjoy dinner sans their children, there is a special children's tea every night during family cruise holidays in the Plaza between 5.15 p.m. to 5.45 p.m. (Cafe Jardin outside of school holidays) which needs to be pre-ordered through the Kids Club. Young diners are offered sausages, fish fingers, pizza, salad, soup, fruit, vegetables and pasta at no extra fee, and will be supervised by the youth staff (though parents are welcome to join).
There is also a free night nursery up to 2 a.m. The ship is popular with families for summer cruises, and far less so for the winter cruises, so check what will be available for your kids before booking a cruise.
