A.F.
M., I am a single parent too and when my daughter was 7 I took her on her first cruise and I did the Big Red Boat back in 1992 and then I started taking her on the Carnival Cruise Line. They are inexpensive and they have a fantastic childrens program. The only time I saw my daughter was when we ate and when we went on excursions.
One thing my daughter liked about the Carnival Cruise Lines was they had a 24 hour pizzeria. Even though she would eat her meals during the regular times, if she felt like eating a pizza she can get one anytime she wanted it.
Also depending on where you live you need to take in consideration in regards to the early or late seating. If you live on the East Coast, you will probably want the early seating because your body is on the same clock as the cruise but if you are from the west coast you need to do the late seating for breakfast which is around 9am with your body clock is telling you it is 6am. For dinner late seating is 8pm or 9pm which is 5pm or 6pm.
When you pack, do not overpack, less is more. You will buy t-shirts and clothes while you are on the cruise and you will need room in your suitcase to bring back souveniers.
Make sure the itenary includes Nassau Bahamas. They have a wonderful straw market with home made wares and commercial made items too. They also have tasty home made Carribean food that you can purchase.
But before you go to the straw market you should take a taxi to Paradise Island and go to the Atlantis Hotel. They have an aquaraium that is to die for and your daughter will love it. You can walk around the hotel and check out the manta rays and the giant tortoise. You can not tour the Atlantis Hotel underground Lost City because you have book a room to do that, but you can walk around and go to the beaches. The hotel is amazing in itself.
Another good place to go is Virgin Islands. Tour Black Beard Castle and go to the top of the hill and look down and look at the beautiful grounds below. The only thing is that on Wednesday it rains, don't ask me why but it does. Every time I go to the Virgin Islands the schedule is always on a Wednesday and it rains each and every time and I go different times through out the year and it still rains.
If you go to San Martin be careful, on the French side of the Island there is a nude beach, I was unaware and I had to cover my daughters eyes, but she told me that she already saw the man. LOL. But the history of the Island is very interesting.
St. Lucia is another pretty Island, but you need to be careful when you do a tour on this Island, it is best to go through the cruise line on this island. The history of this island is interesting to.
When you do go on the cruise, the must have things to pack are the following traveling items and you can buy the travel size at Walmart, Target or probably and drug store. Toliet paper, toliet seat liners, anti bacterial soap, wipes, and hand santizer. Whenver you go off the ship, just make sure these items are in your backpack.
Email me if you have any more questions. ____@____.com. Since the first cruise when my daughter was 7, I have taken her on a cruise every 2 years up until 2001. We are going on the Disney Cruise in September and I am so looking forward to it.