Although the title is based around how to entertain children on a cruise holiday, it would be more fitting to be about how a cruise holiday can entertain your children. This is because when you choose the right cruise company, parents can relax knowing that their children are being entertained whilst under supervision in the safe hands of qualified staff.

A popular cruise line for families is Thomson Cruises. Apart from the Calypso, which is an adult only ship, all cruises supplied by Thomson are ideal for all members of the family. They offer much variety and unbeatable value. You can choose to depart from Harwich, Southampton and Newcastle, as well as the option of a fly/cruise holiday from numerous airports. This makes it far easier to find a departure point that is much closer to home, something which is ideal when you're travelling with children.

Thomson Cruises offer a vast selection of cruises throughout the Mediterranean, Europe, North Africa, Scandinavia and the Baltic's, and once on board Thomson Kidzone offers entertainment for kids with its imaginative and action packed club, which is aimed at those three to twelve years old and includes dancing, omputer games, fun activities and sports.

There is usually a baby-sitting service for children aged under three, so you will not have to worry about how to entertain very young children and will be able to lie back and relax. As well as being entertaining and keeping your children safe, this cruise line offers a specially chosen children's menu.

Carnival Cruises are another popular family friendly cruise line and their program for children is called Camp Carnival. This program accepts children from four months old and also arranges suitable activities for those aged between two and fifteen. There is also a babysitting service and supervised free play in a playroom that is full of toys, puzzles and games suitable for children of all ages, and an electronic games room that has all the latest video games.

Carnival differs from Thomson because rather than offering a day-care system for parents, it is based round providing the necessary facilities so that families can spend quality time together. There is also a water slide to provide adventure for children of all ages.

Costa cruises are also family friendly and they specialise in cruises around Italy though they also sail to South America, the Mediterranean, Middle East, Caribbean, Russia, eastern Canada and Dubai. They host a variety of entertainment to suit all members of the family and have special evening events to entertain children from three to seventeen.

So it's easy to conclude that the answer to how to entertain children on a cruise holiday is to ensure that you choose a cruise line that will do the hard work for you.

Copyright (c) 2009 directline-holidays.co.uk