Family Schedule On Board w/kids club - How Do You Plan?

[goofygal531]

This is our first cruise as a family of four that both children are eligible for the kids club. I have so many questions!

 

I've read the camp capers, so I'm familiar with the activities and time schedule.

 

I'm curious how frequent cruisers plan a family schedule on board. This is what I'm thinking of doing on sea days and would like input from the pros:

 

In the morning, I plan to have breakfast in the MDR as a family. I like the relaxed atmosphere of the MDR, plus I find it easier to be served with children rather than tackle the buffet on vacation :D

 

Afterwards, I plan on dropping both kids in the kids club then enjoy some much needed quality time with my husband.

 

Lunch time, get the kids from the camp, have lunch in the MDR then return them to the camp until dinner break.

 

Bring the kids to the buffet at 5:30 to feed them then drop them off at the Kids buffet at 6pm (I don't trust my kids to eat a quality meal without me, they can have dessert with the kids club).

 

Have a relaxing dinner with my husband then get the kids at 10pm.

[Scrapchick]

You don't say how old your kids are... Once they turn 8 they can usually sign themselves out and then you lose a lot of control over how long they are in the kids club, unless you specifically prevent them from signing themselves out. As kids get older they tend to lose interest in organised activities and want to hang out away from the kids club.

 

You also haven't factored in any time for the pool or for spending time with friends your child has met on board. To be totally honest, it all seems to be about how much time you and your husband are going to get to yourselves... Not trying to be mean at all, but I'm not getting the sense that you want to spend time with your kids except to feed them.

 

I personally can't imagine sitting through breakfast and lunch in the MDR with my DD as well as dinner. She hates long drawn out meals and breakfast will end up being a good hour, lunch may be too. The buffet is your friend on a ship when you have kids... My DD would simply resist that much time spent sitting at a table eating.

 

I think you have a good plan and think you have it all figured out, but the reality is often different once you actually get on the ship... I would wait till you get on board before going into such detail. Do you really want every single day mapped out in terms of how much time you spend with the kids before you even get on board?

 

We were on the Pride for our one and only Carnival cruise when our DD was 2 and I was very disappointed by the kids facilities... A dark, completely enclosed space on a lower deck with a narrow entryway and no view of the ocean whatsoever. You might revise your plans once you get on board and see what everything is like on the ship!

[rjm11]

sounds like a great plan if your kids love the kids club... mine were OK with it for a couple of hours a day, but wouldn't have wanted to be in it that much. We usually used it for an hour or so in morning... then had lunch, naps/pool/sport court, dinner, and shows together. Sometimes they would also want to go back in the evening for a little bit, and we'd hit the spa or fitness center.

 

I'd leave it flexible... let them look over the schedule with you and plan for what activities sound good...

 

I agree with you about the MDR vs. the buffet.... sometimes we'd order room service for lunch or dinner as an alternative...

[e050377]

I don't know what the kids club is like on Carnival, but my kids absolutely loved the kids club on HAL. When we planned the family trip I had planned to keep them with me most of the time, as HAL's club was really small. My kids would beg to go to the club, even when we were on excursions that I planned for them!! They had a couple of video games and a TV in the club, but what made it the best was the counselors. There was so much going on. My kids didn't need as much stuff as they have at home to stay entertained on the ship.

 

We are heading into our second family cruise and the one thing I learned is to not over plan! If your kids love the kid's club your plan will be awesome. If they don't have a back-up!

[junglejane]

It would help to know how old your kids are. With my kids, as they have gotten older (and more experienced with what to expect in the kids' program) they have become pickier about what they want to do. My older DD is now 14, so she reviews the teen schedule to see what sounds like fun and shows up for that (after letting us know what she's doing, of course). The younger DD is 9, and on our last cruise on the Mariner OTS she would definitely review the schedule and decide what she wanted to do. When she was younger (4-8), she wanted to spend every possible moment in the kids' program. But now she definitely wants to pick and choose. I didn't feel she was ready to have sign-out privileges, so I would agree to pick her up based on when she would finish the scheduled activity that she wanted to do.

[alj1208]

Here's what we're thinking with our 4.5 year old DS on our March cruise.

 

We will first make sure we take lots of time to explore the cabin and ship together. That way, we introduce him to his new environment, and we experience that as a family. That includes the kids club orientation.

 

Then, we plan to try and follow the schedule he's used to at home, which is nursery school from 9 to noon (translate to going to the kids club in the morning). We then do lunch and down time at home in the afternoon (translate to lunch with us and some playing at the pool, hanging out in the cabin, or some other type of family fun).

 

Our son is not a great eater, so we would have him eat at the buffet with us for an early dinner. Room service is also an option on our cruise line. If we think DS is comfortable, we will have him do a few hours at the kids club evening program so we can have dinner as a couple. My feeling is, we do that two or three nights, but not the entire cruise. DH and I might also switch off staying with DS so that we can each have some alone time.

 

On port days, we plan to do a morning, family-friendly excursion, then afternoons at the kids club.

 

Every family is different, and you know your kids. If you think they will have fun and be comfortable at the kids club for a good portion on the cruise, go for it. After all, it's just a week. I am an at-home mother, and it's not a vacation for me if I don't have some adult time!

[Kerry's Girls]

I'm all about spending all my time with my kids on vacation, but I must say that the last couple cruises the sea days have been pretty much exactly as you've planned. We enjoy all meals in the MDR and the girls are begging to go to the kids club at all other times. I would look through the capers each day and choose at least one activity to enjoy together as a family and either pick them up from the kids club, or go to the pool after lunch and then take them to the kids club. Playing a game on board or even just eating an ice cream together on deck are always some great times - even as fun as the adventures we have in port sometimes.

 

Best,

Mia

[goofygal531]

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions.

 

My kids will be 7 and 4 at the time of our cruise. The little guy is currently in full day preschool. They both attend summer camp for 5 hrs a day in the summer and love it. They are both very social and love meeting new friends.

 

They beg me to take them to this grocery store near our summer house that has a free kids club. I wind up sitting in the cafe drinking coffee while they beg me not to come and pick them up! I know they will enjoy the organized chldrens activities on board.

 

Of course I don't plan to stick with an itinerary for our family vacation. I don't want them all day and night in the kids club, I want to do activities with them. But I know they will beg to go to the kids club most of the time.

 

Regarding dining in the MDR, breakfast and lunch are very peaceful there. It's our time to have a quiet, relaxing family meal. I know my kids will not want to sit through a long MDR dinner, so I'll take them to the buffet then enjoy my dinner without them.

 

I think cruising is the best family vacation. You do activities as a family then the kids can go play in the kids club, mom can hit the spa, dad the casino and everyone is happy!

[goofygal531]

After all, it's just a week. I am an at-home mother, and it's not a vacation for me if I don't have some adult time!

 

Same here! I don't get a break. We have no family in the area and baby-sitters on a regular basis add up. I'm looking forward to some me time, couple time and family time.

 

I'. We enjoy all meals in the MDR and the girls are begging to go to the kids club at all other times. I would look through the capers each day and choose at least one activity to enjoy together as a family and either pick them up from the kids club' date=' or go to the pool after lunch and then take them to the kids club. Playing a game on board or even just eating an ice cream together on deck are always some great times - even as fun as the adventures we have in port sometimes.

 

Best,

Mia[/quote']

 

I did notice they had lots of activities that required a parent to attend, like the build a bear. I plan to join the kids.

 

When I pre-registered for the kids club online, it asked if I give permission for my 7 year old to swim in the pool. Do the kids get pool time? Is this just for the older ones?

[cb at sea]

The dining room for breakfast is NOT as long as at dinner! Don't be dissuaded...it's MUCH nicer than the buffet!!!!

[Scrapchick]

My DD used to live in the kids club... As long as it's the child driving the desire to spend time there, not the parents I think it's fine... We also never get a lot of time alone and have no family nearby or babysitter, so I totally understand the desire for "grown up time".

 

As my DD has grown up she has chosen to spend less time in the kids club but when she was younger she was up there waiting for the door to open and had to be dragged out at the end of the day. I have absolutely no problem with kids club being used on ships or parents getting some time alone together...

 

I do think you need to bear in mind things don't always go according to plan... Many a specialty restaurant dinner has been cancelled at the last minute because our DD got sick and we all huddled in the cabin with room service instead, or ate in shifts at the buffet. Many a romantic evening was scuppered because DD decided she didn't want to go to the kids cub that night after all... Best laid plans etc...

[goofygal531]

 

I do think you need to bear in mind things don't always go according to plan... Many a specialty restaurant dinner has been cancelled at the last minute because our DD got sick and we all huddled in the cabin with room service instead, or ate in shifts at the buffet. Many a romantic evening was scuppered because DD decided she didn't want to go to the kids cub that night after all... Best laid plans etc...

 

Of course, life happens.

 

I have sailed with infants, I know all about room service dinners :D