No sooner had I written how mean cruise lines are when it comes to charging for kids than news came winging my way from Crystal that it is offering free cruises for kids in 2010.
OK so they actually only go free on two cruises. but that's two more than last year and more importantly, the offer applies to all those aged 17 and under so they, at least, are playing fair with families.
I'm not convinced Crystal this is an ideal cruise line for young children as they generally want to play with kids their own age, but I took my daughter, aged 15, on Crystal Serenity this summer, cruising from Pireaus to Civitavecchia, and we had a ball.
On port days, we went off and did our own thing, discovering local sights, lunching ashore and fitting in a bit of shopping as well.
On board, she quickly discovered the video library and was happy relaxing with a film while I was working. She was also old enough to appreciate the fine and friendly service and also to enjoy the good food in the main dining room and the speciality restaurants.
After dinner, she usually met up with the handful of other teens on board and they'd hang out at the swimming pool as they weren't allowed in any of the bars without parents after 11pm.
In fact that was her biggest complaint because after all the last thing she wanted was mum hanging around with her friends. And mum wasn't too keen to act as chaperone either.
Crystal definitely needs to do something about that policy if it wants to win the hearts and minds of the under-18s. I couldn't see why they couldn't go in the nightclub - especially as few other passengers did.
Crystal's two kids' free cruises are on Crystal Symphony. One is a round-Britain voyage from Dover on June 14, the other a Baltic cruise from Copenhagen to Stockholm on August 7.
Prices start from £1,942 per person for the round-Britain cruise and £2,048 cruise-only for the Baltic cruise. Contact Crystal on 020 7287 9040 or click here for more information.
Jane Archer
