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However, with children as young as one and three years old, I think you'll be much more comfortable on one of the larger ships, such as those plying Alaskan waters from the Carnival, Holland America, Princess, NCL or Royal Caribbean fleets. Staterooms on the smaller ships tend to be tighter than the big ships and it might be difficult fitting a crib in them compared to the big ships. Plus, toddlers are very active and they have more room to roam on the bigger ships. Holland America and Royal Caribbean offer private babysitting while Carnival has group babysitting. While you may see wildlife from your large ship, though, there is a greater chance of seeing Alaskan wildlife from the deck of a small ship.

So I think you have to weigh your odds to see which is more important--seeing wildlife or the comfort of the littlest ones in your group.

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Palatine, IL: Are there any options for families over 4 besides buying two cabins? (out of the question). I am a single mom with 4 children ranging from 10-16...and we would love to take a cruise. Just curious!!! I am never able to do online price checks because they will never alow 5 passengers...which we most definitely are.

Luisa Frey Gaynor: Yes, it does get pricier when you need a cabin for families with more than four members. A number of the larger cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean Int'l, offer family cabins which can generally sleep more than four in various configurations. I suggest, though, that you start researching your cruise about a year early if you're looking for family cabins--there are limited quantities of them and they tend to get booked early. Royal Caribbean is also a good choice since they have a very good youth and teen program and their ships have lots of active, outdoors activities which children teens enjoy. I suggest RCI's Voyager class of ships for your teens especially.

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Phoenix, AZ: Every two years, my mother-in-law's relatives get together for a July 4th family reunion. Since we are scattered from coast-to-coast, with the highest concentration in the midwest, we take turns hosting the event in our hometown or somewhere nearby. Rather than going to Iowa again, I would love to propose a family reunion on board a cruise ship. The passengers range from elderly (60s, 70s) to babies, to just about every age in between. There are typically between 50 attendees and most can stay about 4 days, usually over a weekend. What would be the best type of cruise to take and which port would be best to depart from? Obviously, we'd prefer southern California, destination Mexico.

Luisa Frey Gaynor: Please see my response to the Maplewood, MN question about family reunions.

Specifically, if you're interested in a short 3, 4, or 5-day cruise to Mexico, I suggest Carnival (4 day cruises from Los Angeles and 5 day cruises from San Diego) or Royal Caribbean (3 and 4 day cruises from Los Angeles). Other lines, such as Princess, NCL or Holland America offer cruises to Mexico but they are 7 days or longer.

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have plenty of great programming for little ones in your group. Carnival's youth program starts at age 2 (youth counselors change diapers) and includes group babysitting. RCI's youth program starts at age 3 (must be potty trained) but there is private babysitting and daily 45-minute Fischer Price Aqua Babies and Tots interactive sessions (caregiver must be present) for those under three years old.

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Scottdale, PA: What are the best cruiselines for toddler/preschooler activities?

Luisa Frey Gaynor: Most cruise lines' complimentary youth programming starts for youngsters aged three years old and over who are potty trained. However, there are a few lines which offer other options for toddlers and pre-schoolers.

Disney Cruise Line has a wonderful nursery for infants and toddlers under three years old. It's staffed with professional nannies and there is an hourly fee. The nursery is not open round the clock but it does have hours daily. I suggest you book your desired nursery times soon after embarking the ship.

Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line both offer youth programming for those two years and older. While Carnival's youth counselors change diapers, NCL's don't. Thus, parents will get a beeper on NCL cruises if their little one is in diapers. The NCL youth counselors beep parents to come and change diapers themselves. Carnival also has group babysitting for little ones in the late evening and also early morning of port days.

Royal Caribbean has Aqua Babies (6 to 18 months) and Aqua Tots (18 to 36 months) programming daily on all its ships. The activities are hosted by a youth counselor and feature Fisher-Price toys. Care givers must be present with the little one during the daily 45 minute interactive play session.

Note that most cruise lines post a sign which does not allow those in diapers in the pools aboard ships. Disney Cruise Line is one of the exceptions since part of its kiddie pool has a separate filtration system, and thus they allow diapered children in designated parts of the Mickey Pool.

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Fort Lauderdale, FL: Hi Luisa, What is the best way to find a criuise deal for a single mom with two teenage boys? Are there any friendly cruise lines who do this? The children rates I have seen are per paying adult. Your help is appreciated.

Luisa Frey Gaynor: Unfortunately, cruise lines do not offer a single parent rate. Thus, even if your second passenger sharing a room is a child or teen, they still have to pay the full second person rate. (Usually you pay the same rate per person for the first two people sharing a cabin and then a lowered third and fourth berth fare for any additional people in the cabin regardless of age.)

One option is to check out Costa Cruises' Caribbean sailings from November through April, when kids 17 years and younger sail free with two full paying people in their cabin. While one of your teens would have to pay the full adult rate, at least the second child would go free. MSC Cruises offers the same deal on its fall through spring Caribbean cruises as well as its summer Mediterranean sailings.

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Burlington, VT: My husband and I are considering a cruise with our somewhat shy 15-year-old daughter. Are all the teen programs the same, or might there be one or two that would be better for a kid who isn't ready to jump right in?

Luisa Frey Gaynor:

Actually, "jumping right in" is the best way for a teen to meet other teens. Last year, my also somewhat quiet teenaged daughter was on a cruise and she hesitated until mid cruise to check out the teen program, despite my urgings to go earlier in the cruise. By the time she decided to go to some of the organized teen activities, many of the kids had paired up already with their new found friends and she felt left out. At the end of the cruise, she vowed that on our next cruise she'd go to the teen programming the first day right away in order to make some friends to hang out with during the cruise. Even if it takes some bribing, try to get your daughter to go to the teen orientation session the first night right away to see what it's all about.

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Columbus, OH: We are a family of five who would like to try a cruise vacation to Nova Scotia this summer--late June or early July. My teenager, the oldest, is easily bored and doesn't really want to go. Are there any cruise lines that offer activities that teens would enjoy? She's fourteen. Thanks!

Luisa Frey Gaynor: I suggest checking out Carnival's five-day cruises to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada. Carnival has a very good teen program complete with disco nights, scavenger hunts, going to see shows together, pool parties, etc. Carnival ships also have a spiral slide and a video arcade, which teens enjoy too.

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Carlsbad, CA: I would like to make reservations for a family reunion which numbers 23-25 people during the week of Dec 26 2007 on a cruise ship sailing either to the Caribbean or around the Hawaiian Islands. There would be additional expense of airfare no matter which coast we depart from . Do you have any suggestions for the most economical itinerary and how to obtain the best cruise price? Thank you so much.

Luisa Frey Gaynor: If you're considering Hawaii, I recommend going on a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise around the Hawaiian Islands for a week. They specialize in Hawaii and are the only cruise line that can sail solely around the Hawaiian Islands without having to call at a foreign port. NCL has a good youth program for those aged 2 to 17 years. If little ones aren't potty trained, parents will get a beeper to alert them when they need to come change a diaper. Hawaii is a wonderful destination for all ages.

Since you're considering a holiday cruise, I suggest you look into it soon ... they book up quickly.

For getting comparative rates, go to web sites like www.CruiseCompete where you can plug in your desired dates and destination and cruise only agencies will email you back what their best rates are. I suggest booking through cruise only agencies rather than big, anonymous groups like Expedia, since cruise only agencies are experts in this area. These days, rates don't vary too greatly due to new rules set by the cruise lines in an effort to level the playing field. You should call the cruise only agent before booking since they may be able to offer you a better deal verbally than what you see on line. Also, with human contact, you know who to go to if you encounter a problem after you book.

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Los Angeles area (Granada Hills), CA: We are looking for an Alaskan cruise for our family. We also would like a land extension into the Brooks Range. We are attending a wedding in Eugene OR on July 14 and want to leave following that. My son is 13 years old. We are very adventourous and enjoy outdoor sports like hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, bicycling, and camping.

Luisa Frey Gaynor: Since you're "outdoorsy", I suggest going on a small ship adventure to Alaska. Some of the lines you might want to consider include Lindblad Expeditions and Cruise West. On these lines, you'll have guided nature hikes ashore and you'll be able to see wildlife much more "up close and personal" than on the big ships.

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Pocono, PA: We live in PA and we dont like to fly--is there any cruise that leaves from NY or NJ, and what are the recommended cruise lines? Thank you.

Luisa Frey Gaynor: There are a few different directions you can cruise to from New York City and New Jersey ports. In the summer, you can head to Bermuda (see answer to Brooklyn, NY) or go north to New England and Canada. Carnival is your best bet for a family friendly cruise to coastal Canada. Alternatively, there are a number of cruise lines, such as NCL, which offer year round cruises from New York all the way down to the Bahamas and the northern tip of the Caribbean.

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Germantowm, MD: My sister and I are trying to plan a cruise for her family (two kids ages 4 & 7) and mine (no kids). Any suggestions for a cruise or cruise line with activities for all of us together and then just for the adults/kids separate? Thanks!

Luisa Frey Gaynor: Actually, all of the big cruise lines offering youth programs are very family friendly, but definitely have tons for adults to do on their own. I recommend Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Costa, NCL or Disney Cruise Line. Actually, Disney has an adults only section on each ship containing a few bars, night clubs, etc, as well as an adults only pool and adults only area of its private beach in the Bahamas.

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Cincinnati, OH: Luisa, What advice to you have for a family of 6 adults, 3 teens and one infant to book a Caribbean cruise on short notice for the week of March 10th out of any port? We are not fond on Carnivale lines.

Luisa Frey Gaynor: At this short notice (for March 10), you won't be able to be too picky. If you prefer not to cruise on Carnival, I suggest Royal Caribbean since they have a huge fleet and hence, probably the best choices left for a Caribbean cruise next month. This is spring break season so it might be tough to get the cabins you want--but you never know!

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Kingston, NY: We have small children and we are looking to cruise. Is there any cruise you would suggest?

Luisa Frey Gaynor: Please see the answer to the question from Scottdale, PA regarding options in cruising for little ones. Thanks!

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Judy, Charleston, WV: We are a family of four ages 44, 46 with children aged 9 and 15. This is our first cruise. We will depart Ft. Lauderdale, FL on July 29 on a 6 day cruise visiting Freeport, Bahamas and Costa Maya, Mexico. As we have never cruised before, do you believe a 6 day cruise to be a good choice? As first time cruisers with older children what advise would you give? Any information about excursions would be appreciated as well. Thanks

Luisa Frey Gaynor: Yes, I think you'll enjoy a six day cruise. Frankly, on a three or four day cruise, you're just getting relaxed and it's all over!

Some advice I can offer regarding older children and teens aboard ship is to set some limits before your cruise. This includes curfews (mainly for your teen -- the teen programming starts later in the evening and goes into the wee hours of the morning) as well as limits for on board spending. The video arcades and internet use can get pretty pricey if your teen is really into them, like most teens are!

Also, I suggest leaving a note pad at a central place in your cabin for the teen to leave you notes as to where he/she is since on board ship, the teen will probably have a lot of freedom. We've always taken walkie talkies aboard ship with us so that my 13 year old daughter can get a hold of us when she's off on her own. I guarantee that by the end of the cruise, both children will have made some new friends and will want to cruise again!

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Luisa Frey Gaynor: Thanks for all your interesting questions. I hope you and your family will sail the high seas soon ... once you do, I bet your kids will be hooked on cruising like mine are. (My 13 year old daughter has been on over 25 cruises!)

Smooth sailing!