mama2sydni

So, Rachelfran...Did you make a decision?

This is what I know from my experience on the Star 3/30/14:

-7-10:30 is free of charge.

-after 10:30 was $6/hour per child

-Yes, they came in jammies

-Yes, there is a "quiet" room to sleep if needed.

-My daughter (5) loved the splash academy, but once 10:30 rolled around, she really wanted to be in the stateroom sleeping. The staff on the night we did use late hours was GREAT at convincing her to stay and she ultimately had a great time.

-I am a teacher/parent and I am pretty hesitant about any "day care" services offered when on vacation. I have to say that of the 3 cruise lines we have tried (Disney, Royal Caribbean and NCL) my daughters favorite club was the one on the Star. The staff was great, organized, and kept the children active and busy from the moment she stepped foot in the zone. I was impressed about how they handled disruptive behaviors, and the care and respect they showed my child. Hopefully the quality of the youth staff is consistent throughout the cruiseline.

I have not been on the Dawn, but I have been on the Star...her sister ship. I would assume things are pretty similar.

Shows were at 7 and 9 each evening.

There was a solo/single meet and mingle each evening offered on the ship. If she is outgoing and willing to jump in and meet people that might be the place.

We brought our own decorations (printed on magnetic "paper") to decorate our door, and had no problems.

I would think your TA could specify a day/meal for the cake to be presented.

The gift certificate, if you choose to buy one, will be placed in the cabin on the bed at turn down your first night on board.

What an amazing birthday! Have a wonderful time!

Dining IS a lot more crowded when there are lots of kids...especially the 5-630 time slots since kids clubs typically close from 12-2 and 5-7 so families naturally tend to choose those times to dine. That being said, when we chose to use the MDRs during those times we never waited more that 20 minutes to be seated.

On the cruise we were just on, there were tons of family activities like cup cake decorating, pizza making, lego craft competitions, family karaoke... I can just imagine the additional options they would have because of Christmas.

Again I say...go for it. Choose the cruise with the best price and best perks and make your reservation. I was told that if you book as a group (3 or more staterooms) there are also additional perks/discounts...but I am not sure what they are.

Maybe we will see each other on the Dawn:D

We are booked on the Christmas cruise out of New Orleans on the Dawn.

Went on the Star over Spring Break and there were 300ish kids on that cruise. One 5 yr old was mine, and she LOVED the kids club. We didn't notice too many obnoxious kids on the cruise...those who were poorly behaved were attached to obnoxious parents so it was expected.

I say go for it! Cruise experiences are what you make them...go with a great attitude and a smile for everyone and you will have a great time!

Hi, which month are you referring to? On the NCL Star Roll Calls, I see the first one listed as March 30. Do you have a link to the one you are referencing? Thank you so much.

Hi there. The dailys that I am referring to are from the March 16 cruise to the Mexican Riviera. If you go to the roll calls for the Star, click on March 30, 2014, they are on page 9 towards the bottom.

Hope this helps!

There are dailys posted in most of the roll call boards from the cruise on the 16th.

we have cruised with our daughter since she was 3. First cruise was Disney Dream. A great cruise but a bit pricey. Second was the RCCL Allure. She loved the Allure club just as much if not more than Disney. We will be cruising for the 3rd time on NCL in March, and her first question was, is there a kids club and when is it open.

So, I would second the comments about saving money and booking amazing excursions.