GAdventures on the Amazon
G Adventures launched a newly refurbished riverboat on the Amazon River for a unique family getaway. 
The Queen Violet has 16 outside-facing cabins that carry a total of 32 passengers with large open deck spaces. The trip incorporates opportunities to interact with the locals who live in villages along the river. Your family can learn about their ways of life and observe their schools, crafts and activities. Also spend time with a local family, swim in the Amazon and observe a variety of wildlife. The new ship will be deployed for G Adventures’ Amazon Riverboat Adventure, a nine-day trip that begins in Lima, Peru. The package is priced from $1,500 per person double occupancy for departures from May 2013 – January 2014. The price includes return flights from Lima to Iquitos, six nights aboard the riverboat with meals, two nights in hotels with breakfast, arrival transfer, canopy walkway excursion in Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, and launches and excursions with G Adventures’ naturalist team.
Crystal’s Connecting Cabins
Thanks to the growing number of families cruising together, Crystal Cruises will debut nine new adjoining staterooms on the Crystal Symphony 
this June, including several with sofa beds. The luxury cruise line is refitting 18 verandah and deluxe outside staterooms, including one Penthouse Suite; so that they can be connected. Crystal said it saw 20% growth in family groups in 2012, and already has booked more families in 2013 than it did all of last year. The Crystal Family Memories program offers family groups free berths, shore excursion credits, and other amenities. All-inclusive fares for Crystal Symphony’s 2013 voyages start from only $1,630 if booked by June 28.
Quantum of the Seas Excites
Royal Caribbean International announced some of the major features for its new Quantum of the Seas, 
the first of a new class of two ships. The ship will feature a number of awesome “firsts,” including a giant moving observation platform, called the North Star. Similar to the London Eye, the North Star will have a 14-passenger, glass-enclosed cabin that extends above the ship and the sea on a giant cherry-picker at heights up to 300 feet. Also featured is RipCord by iFly, an indoor skydiving experience. Seaplex will be the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea. Your family can experience a circus school with flying trapeze or play basketball on a full-size regulation basketball court. At night, ride on a first-ever bumper car ride or roller skate. Also new will be Two70, a multi-level great room lounge named for its 270-degree panoramic sea views through giant floor-to-ceiling glass walls spanning almost three decks at the stern of the ship. At night those same windows will be transformed into giant video walls with a variety of images. Every show at Two70 will immerse the audience through a combination of live performers, including aerialists, as well as video and digital scenery. Quantum’s new, larger staterooms enable innovation in design, storage and comfort including the industry’s first virtual balconies, video walls that will project the ship’s exterior sea views live. Family-connected staterooms will deliver more flexibility, using three different stateroom categories to form a special layout that provides separate bedrooms and bathrooms for all. A new indoor pool with operable roof and a H2O Zone kids’ aqua park will be featured on the top deck. Quantum of the Seas will offer Caribbean and Bahamas sailings out of Bayonne, N.J., at least though its first year of operation. The ship will begin sailing in November 2014, but is now open for bookings for members of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program, and on June 4 for the general public. Quantum’s sister Anthem of the Seas will make its debut roughly a year later, in November 2015.
Cousteau Savings
Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment youth program is free on select Paul Gauguin Cruises this summer when booked by April 30; a savings of $299 per child. Cousteau, an oceanographer and environmentalist, and his Ocean Futures Society created the program to introduce young travelers to the natural wonders of French Polynesia through hands-on learning. Open to youths aged 9 to 17, the program lets your children explore coral reefs, hike rainforest trails, experience local culture, and visit ancient Polynesian temples. They also learn how black pearls and vanilla are cultivated, how volcanic islands become coral atolls, and how to paddle an outrigger canoe. Parents are encouraged to join their children on eco-excursions and other activities aboard and ashore (may have an additional cost). The program is offered free on the following voyages: the seven-night Tahiti & the Society Islands cruises departing June 1, June 8, July 6, July 13, July 27, August 3 and August 10. Also eligible is the 11-night Cook Islands & Society Islands departure on June 15.
Waterslides at Sea
MSC Cruises newest ship, the MSC Preziosa, features a waterpark and waterslide. Located on Deck 16, the Doremi Castle Aqua Park 
will have a pathway of water features such as sprays, fountains, water pistols, water cannons and valves. A drenching bucket slowly fills until it spills its water on people below. The Vertigo waterslide is over 42 feet high and 394 feet long, with a diameter of 3 feet. You will travel at an average speed of 20 feet per second. The slide shoots out over the edge of the ship for 30 feet. Certain sections of the slide also feature translucent bands of color which catch the light, creating a strobe effect as you zip through. The minimum height is 47 inches. Children under 47 inches can ride double and single slides. Children’s Club staffers will supervise the area daily. Through November, the ship will sail around the Western Mediterranean. Between winter 2013 and spring 2014, MSC Preziosa will operate on South America cruises from Santos, Brazil.
Children Save in Galapagos
Ecoventura, an operator for four vessels in the Galapaos, has recently earmarked several cruises throughout the year for families with children
ages 7 and up. They also have special sailings for families with teens. Dates coincide with school breaks including the summer months. Children ages 7-11 will receive a 25 percent discount (plus 50 percent off air into the islands) and 15 percent for ages 12-17 per each paying adult with a few departures offering 5 to 15 percent discounts on adult fares. The sailings feature local naturalists on board and age-appropriate activities depending on the ages and number of children on board. On land you will experience the islands with guided hikes, snorkeling and kayaking. On board visit the bridge and learn about navigational charts and tie nautical knots with the captain. Special parties include games with prizes, drawing contests, ice cream social sundaes and the King Neptune costume party and talent show. Kid-friendly food and family-friendly board games, books and DVDs are also available. The company has three first-class motor yachts that sail with up to 20 passengers and one dive live-aboard for up to 16 divers.
Silversea Special
A cruise is a great way to spend time with family and friends. Especially when the third person can sail for half the current published fare! For a limited time only, Silversea is offering third party half-price fares on a magnificent array of destinations. Your family can go whale watching in the Inside Passage of Alaska, taverna-hopping in Santorini, Greece or museum-browsing in St. Petersburg, Russia. From Alaska to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Baltic — it’s the perfect opportunity to experience the luxury of Silversea. Choose from sailings from June through August.
Crystal Expands Kids Free
Crystal Cruises is expanding its Kids Sail Free program from four voygaes to 21. 
With the promotion, kids aged 17 and under can sail free when sharing a stateroom with two adults. Now included in the program are seven- to 15-day voyages in the Mediterranean, Western Europe, North Cape, Baltic, British Isles, Canary Islands, and across the Atlantic from May to December aboard Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. For this growing population of “junior cruisers,” Crystal will add Magic Castle at Sea shows and classes during summer cruises. Every Crystal cruise also offers family-friendly learning and entertainment, including iPad Digital Filmmaking classes (in association with USC’s School of Cinematic Arts) and dedicated on-board kids and teens spaces.
Children Fly Free to Galapagos
Lindblad Cruises is now offering free round-trip air from Miami for children ages 18 and under on select August sailings of the 
96-passenger National Geographic Endeavor. This 10 day trip (with a seven night cruise) visits seven different islands and will provide your family with an abundance of wildlife viewing along with kayaking, snorkeling, Zodiac cruising and hiking. The ship also offers a glass bottom boat, expedition leader and four naturalists (including a Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor, an undersea specialist and a wellness specialist) on board each sailing. Add-ons to Machu Picchu or the Upper Amazon River are also available. Lindblad believes sharing an expedition with your kids or grandkids is a life-enhancing experience. So take $500 off for each child under the age of 18.
Royal Teen Lounge
Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess will debut with expanded space for children and teens for a new level to the onboard experiences. The newly designed teen lounge gets an outdoor area that offers club lighting, contemporary seating and a wading pool. Pre-teens (ages 8-12) also get an expanded outdoor area with lounge chairs and games. A special play area for children under age three will delight babies and toddlers. The 3,600-passenger boat will also feature a greatly expanded atrium, a dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on the water; the new Princess Live! television studio; a pastry shop; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.
