Mediterranean with little kids?

[shod]

Thinking of going late April on a 12 night holy land cruise out of Roma on the RCCL Mariner. We have always cruised with our kids (my son is a platinum member on princess) But all our previous cruises were in the Caribbean.

 

My Son is going to be 8yo and my daughter will be 5yo by april...

 

Im concerned about how interesting all the sight seeing might be for the kids as we have never done a non-beach centric vacation before. Im pretty sure my son will be mildly interested by I have no idea how my dd will find the sight seeing.

 

My kids love the beach but I am not sure it will be warm enough in early May to bath in Greece or Israel or at least use the pool on the ship on at sea days....

 

If you have cruised with young kids, please comment on how they did...

 

If you are familiar with the kids club on Mariner please post your thoughts of the program.

 

thanks

 

S

 

PS leaving the kids at home is not an option. Pushing this out a couple years is but we would love to go asap

[Pat&Liz]

Hiya,

I can't answer how your kids will enjoy the sightseeing, as I have no experience with this and my own boy is only 2!

 

Greece in May should be fine for swimming/bathing though, provided it's sunny of course. (which is should be!)

 

I suppose the thing to look at would be to see how you can make the sight seeing fun for them. Perhaps you could do some research and create some i-spy type activities to keep them interested. I think it would be a good experience for them, and something different to just playing/swimming on the beach! :)

[Florida_cruisers]

My son has been on many cruises with us since he was 14 months, but only one in Europe, the Baltic one when he was 18 months. We stayed in London for 2 nights pre cruise to do some sightseeing. He really did great, we took the stroller with us and he would nap there (he was a sleeper, still is). The biggest sacrifice was going to bed at 7:30pm with him since I insisted on keeping up with his regular routine. If he does not get rest he gets cranky and we pay for it later. Two nights we did get a babysitter for one hour so that we could enjoy the shows. On ports he did great sight seeing with us, but I would try to be accommodating too. One day in Ireland while touring a castle we found a playground and we just let him swing and around, be A kid.

 

During dinners I would try to feed him first and have him watch a DVD while we finished our dinner and it worked out fine. but your children are much older than mine was at the time and they should do great. Just try to take things down to their level so they understand and grasp some of the sites

 

Just remember that a cruise with children is very different than with just you and your spouse, but you are still creating great memories for the family, even if your child is still little

[luvscruising2007]

My question for you is: Do you go sightseeing with your kids at home or on other type vacations? If yes, do you go for several days at a time? If no, why not? How do they do when they are sightseeing? Do they have meltdowns. You know your kids better than anyone. I have not taken this itinerary but from most reviews it is very port intensive.

Just some things for you to think about.

[shod]

luvscruising2007 - good point. didnt think of that. They never melt down... my son is very curious and my daughter, if she doesnt keep up, she likes to nap (might bring an umbrella stroller - we have not used that in a long time) and Ipod touch usually keeps her busy as well.

 

Thanks for making me think along these lines.

[pvmkmyer]

We took our kids on this itinerary in 1995, when they were 11 and 8. Our younger daughter did fine. It was a 2 week cruise for the holidays and we were in Nazareth on Christmas Eve and Bethlehem on Christmas Day. Talk about crowded sightseeing! However, you should know it is a very port-intensive itinerary, in particular the stops in israel and Egypt. For Egypt you will dock in either Alexandria or Port Said. Both are a long bus ride to Cairo and the pyramids. Your kids may get bored in the Egyptian Museum, but they will probably love the pyramids and the Sphinx. You can expect 2 or 3 very long days, 12 or more hours off the ship. Our trip went to Egypt first and then Israel. After Ashdod the next day we stopped in Cyprus, and we decided to take a day off and we didn't get off the ship. This was a great decision. We were all exhausted after the few previous days, and all benefitted from the down-day. The next stop was Rhodes, which was great because you can sight-see and then wander at leisure. Our older daughter was pining for her dogs by this point in the trip and befriended a stray on the beach who followed us most of the afternoon, all the way back to the ship. She was thrilled!

 

Best of all, even our younger daughter, now 24, still remembers the trip! And for the cost, we are very grateful.

[Can'tWaitToGo!!]

Thinking of going late April on a 12 night holy land cruise out of Roma on the RCCL Mariner. We have always cruised with our kids (my son is a platinum member on princess) But all our previous cruises were in the Caribbean.

 

My Son is going to be 8yo and my daughter will be 5yo by april...

 

Im concerned about how interesting all the sight seeing might be for the kids as we have never done a non-beach centric vacation before. Im pretty sure my son will be mildly interested by I have no idea how my dd will find the sight seeing.

 

My kids love the beach but I am not sure it will be warm enough in early May to bath in Greece or Israel or at least use the pool on the ship on at sea days....

 

If you have cruised with young kids, please comment on how they did...

 

If you are familiar with the kids club on Mariner please post your thoughts of the program.

 

thanks

 

S

 

PS leaving the kids at home is not an option. Pushing this out a couple years is but we would love to go asap

---------------------------------------

Our family moved to Europe when the kids were 5 and 7. A cruise ship is the easiest way to see Europe with children. The food is "the same". The shipboard language is English. The cabin will be like those experienced in the States...and begins to feel "like home".

 

The big difference is a European itinerary can make you feel pressured to take advantage of the time you have...and pushing the kids too hard results in no one having any fun. You have to decide which is better: seeing everything at a breakneck pace or truly enjoying & absorbing a smaller portion.

 

We make sure we take food and water bottles from the ship: like packaged fruit loops for a quick "safe" snack.

 

Wherever you go, find the McDonalds. We stop whether they need to go or not....it stretches the time until the "emergency" and there is nothing in sight.

 

We aim to be Flexible: Kids will surprise you in with what they are interested in. My 5 year old son loved sitting in cathedrals just looking (go figure). My 7 year old daughter discovered she enjoyed 10th century religious art (huh???). There is simply no way to know what will catch their interest.

 

We either hire a private guide or Do-It-Ourselves and ULTRA prepared with what we plan to do, how to get there, how much it will cost.

 

We go European: We budget to hang out in a cafe and just soak up the environment. It gives their shorter legs a break.

 

Last, here is something completely subjective, but the kids clubs on the European circuit have a very small caregiver to child ratio. You will get to know the guys & gals in charge very well. My husband & I always chose a port that isn't very interesting to them (or we've done before) and ask the kids if they would prefer to stay on the ship. This is common on the Disney Boat, where they give you a pager. Here, there is no pager. However, the ship is every bit as secure and frankly Europe is significantly safer for children than the US. I can only remember 1 child going missing in the last 3 years and the entire CONTINENT was up in arms. Obviously, this is our home, so we have a different comfort level. I can say though, sitting ALONE on the grass in the Circus Maximus looking at the Palatine Hill with a bottle of vino & my honey was a spectacular way to remember we love each other!

 

Good luck!

[new-empty-nester]

I see your cruise starts in Rome. I don't know the other ports, but have traveled to Rome a couple times, so I can give you some ideas of things to do there (assuming you'll have a day or two there prior to sailing).

 

As another poster suggested, a key is to not push it. You'll never "see it all" anyway, so just pick your spots and then you'll enjoy what you do see.

 

I'd make a point to visit the Colisseum and Roman Forum. Both of those should be interesting to your kids. Tip: to avoid the long line to get Colisseum tickets, walk down the street (past the Arch di Constantine) and on the right-side of the street is another ticket office that sells tickets to the Colisseum, Forum, and Palantine Hill (or combo-tickets). Buy them there, then tour the Colisseum next, then Forum, ending at the Capitoline Hill (opposite end of the Forum, with great views of Forum from the hill. If also touring Palatine Hill, do it before the Forum to avoid extra walking.

 

A visit to the Vatican might interest you, but probably not your kids. Note: it cost $ to tour the Vatican museum (which includes lots of paintings, tapestries, frescos, sculptures, etc. Highlights are the Rafael rooms and the Sistine Chapel), but St. Peter's Basilica is free. So, you might consider just visiting the Basilica, but not the museum. I'd think you could spend an hour or so inside the Basilica before the kids get bored. You'd see plenty in that time, including Michelangelo's "Pieta" (just to the right of the main entrance). Your kids would probably enjoy climbing the stairs all the way to the top of the dome. The view from up there is fantastic. If you do go to St. Peter's, I'd suggest early morning for a couple of reasons: First, the sun will be at your back as you take photos (from the east end of St. Peter's square). Also, it is much less crowded; when crowded, it really detracts from the Spiritual feeling that you get from the place.

 

Just across the bridge from St. Peter's Square is Castello St. Angelo - an old castle, with lots of papal history. We did not find time to tour this, but it might be a place that would interest your son.

 

Get a map and chart out a walk from Campo di Fiori to the Pantheon, Piazza Navonna, and Trevi Fountain. It could end up a long walk with kids, especially if they are in the hot sun. But not as bad if you linger a bit at each place. I'm guessing it's a total of about 2 miles, maybe less. But the rest-stops along the way (and gelato!) make it feasible to do with kids. And it's a good way to see some Rome highlights, without paying cab fares or hassling with buses - which tend to be filled with pick-pockets (more on that later). Some thoughts on each location...

 

- Campo di Fiori (translates to "field of flowers") is an outdoor market (fruit, produce, spices, fish, etc - and of course flowers). It's a nice place to visit, and in the corner of the plaza we found a place with the best pizza we've ever had. (And the least expensive meal we had all week in Rome!) Your kids would probably enjoy the pizza, and also some fresh fruit from the market. (Note: this plaza can be difficult to find, as it is completely surrounded by buildings, with narrow passage-ways between the buildings leading into the 4 corners of the plaza. If you take a cab here, the driver can point you in the right direction.)

- Pantheon - may or may not interest your kids. They won't likely have the patience for you to spend a lot of time inside, but 10-15 minutes is plenty of time to just see it. FWIW - the artist Rafael is buried here; his tomb is on the left side of the building as you enter. (If you're into that sort of thing.)

- Piazza Navonna - this large plaza is a gather place for local artists to sell their wares. If you want to buy some Italian artwork, this is a relatively inexpensive place to do it. (Be sure to haggle with them to get the best price you can.) Also here is a famous sculpture/fountain by Bernini "Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi" (translates: fountain of four rivers). Around the edges of the plaza are restaurants, gelato shops, and a place specializing in chocolate - give your kids an energy boost!

- Trevi Fountain - great for people watching. But don't try to swim (or let your kids go in)! There's a huge fine for anyone caught doing that (and they most definitely WILL catch you; they have security cameras everywhere). A couple of nice gelato spots around the corner on either side of the fountain.

 

Other options:

- Spanish Steps (I'd guess a 10-15 minute walk from Trevi Fountain; much longer from the other places I mentioned. May be best to take a cab to/from this location.) Just down the street from the Spanish Steps is a McDonalds, which I believe is the world's largest. You won't see the big golden arches though; it doesn't look like the McD's in the U.S. from the street, so it won't be as easy to find.

- Catacombs - your kids will either be freaked out, or totally fascinated. You decide.

 

A word of caution: beware of pick-pockets. Especially near the Colisseum, Trevi Fountain, or any other place where large groups of tourists gather. And be aware that the pickpockets may be just as likely to be old women or young kids - the types of people you may least suspect.

 

Note: if you just have a day in Rome, you won't have time to do everything I mentioned above. You'll wear yourself (and your kids) out. I'd allow 4+ hours for the long walk I described (with those rest-stops along the way). And I'd allow 4+ hours for Colisseum/Forum. And keep in mind that Rome is not right on the sea; it's probably at least an hour to get to the cruise port.

 

This is only a fraction of what you can do in Rome, but more enjoyable for kids than endless shopping and touring churches and museums.

 

One final tip: Keep an eye out for drinking fountains throughout Rome. The water is very drinkable, and very refreshing. This was a pleasant surprise. Take an empty water bottle, and keep refilling it. This will help keep your kids refreshed too, especially if it is a hot day.

 

Have a great trip!

[sailawayjack]

Thinking of going late April on a 12 night holy land cruise out of Roma on the RCCL Mariner. We have always cruised with our kids (my son is a platinum member on princess) But all our previous cruises were in the Caribbean.

 

My Son is going to be 8yo and my daughter will be 5yo by april...

 

Im concerned about how interesting all the sight seeing might be for the kids as we have never done a non-beach centric vacation before. Im pretty sure my son will be mildly interested by I have no idea how my dd will find the sight seeing.

 

My kids love the beach but I am not sure it will be warm enough in early May to bath in Greece or Israel or at least use the pool on the ship on at sea days....

 

If you have cruised with young kids, please comment on how they did...

 

If you are familiar with the kids club on Mariner please post your thoughts of the program.

 

thanks

 

S

 

PS leaving the kids at home is not an option. Pushing this out a couple years is but we would love to go asap

 

:cool:Personally I'd advise against it. Took my girls to Williamsburg when little. All they cared about was going back to the hotel and going swimming. Young kids will be bored on that trip, plus it is very shore intensive and they will be beat at the end of the day. I carried a 5 yr old around Disney World once. Europe would be worse. Wait until they are old enought to understand what they are seeing:cool:

[I'm on holiday]

:cool:Personally I'd advise against it. Took my girls to Williamsburg when little. All they cared about was going back to the hotel and going swimming. Young kids will be bored on that trip, plus it is very shore intensive and they will be beat at the end of the day. I carried a 5 yr old around Disney World once. Europe would be worse. Wait until they are old enought to understand what they are seeing:cool:

 

I agree! DH and I even waited until our daughter was 5 to take her to Disney World. We thought it was the perfect age. As for a Med cruise, I'd definitely wait a few more years - it would be more meaningful and enjoyable for the children.

[okiebaugh]

We took our daughter on a med cruise when she was 7 and did the baltics with her at 12 and our 3 yr old son. They did great. I'd say it depends on your kids. Ours are great travelers and love the kids clubs, which gave us the flexibility to leave them on board at some ports. We do private tours so that we can move on at our pace and don't subject others to the kids.

[boulders]

I took ds when he was 4 on a Med cruise, this past May. He had a ball. He loved Pompeii and Rome. The Mariner itinerary looks fabulous, but I think we'll have to wait until 2012 or later when my oldest ds will be old enough to leave home alone.

[ebds4]

travel, travel travel with your kids just be flexible you dont have to see EVERYTHING-- do half the things at a slower pace wth lots of ice cream breaks. buy two cheap cameras and let them take their own pictures for a memory book. I agree, take lots of food from ship for them to eat-- espsecially in egypt. in isreal the food and water is all safe so no problem there--might be a good idea to get a simple childrens book about each countyr beforehand for them to skim throough.and dont feel guilty if you leave them in the kids program on the boat some days enjoy the steps to get somewhere, not the destination.

[illiniwahoo]

Just be aware how much more excursions are than in the caribbean, even private ones. I'm planning now and am shocked at the costs!

[spanner14]

We took our DD on her first cruise when she was 8, and it was a port-intensive week-long Med cruise. She LOVED it! Her favourite excursions were Monaco (we went on the train on our own), Pisa and Pompeii.

 

I think I would definitely advise taking an umbrella-fold stroller as there can be a LOT of walking on Med cruises. In Italy, an ice-cream stop can be a life-saver, particularly as the ice cream is so delicious!

 

One of the reasons my DD liked Pompeii so much is that she'd been learning about the Romans at school, so if you could get a couple of children's books about the Romans before you go, that would definitely help.

 

In Rome I'd definitely recommend the Coliseum but again get a book beforehand so that the children have an idea of what Rome and the Coliseum would have looked like in Roman times.

 

I think if you don't plan on trying to do and see too much, but have quality and family friendly stops at the places you definitely want to see, you should be fine. Only you know your children but my DD loved the Med at 8.

 

I would point out though that we went late May/early June when the weather was warm enough to swim but not too hot to walk around. I'm not sure if it will be warm enough to use the pool (which would be a shame) in late April.

[chamoloco]

I'm booked on this same cruise out of Rome (April 29th) with my 3 kids who will be 14, 12, 10 at the time it sails.

 

Last year we took the RCL Splendour out of Venice around the same time. We had a great time.

 

I feared that there would be no kids on the RCL Venice cruise. But I found it was wrong; the number of kids on boards was perfect (not too may and not too few). I did notice that most kids on board in April last year were American but they were expats kids who are already living in Europe.

 

If you're American and you live in Europe, an RCL cruise is great. There is an American feel to it (the food, drinks the language) . American kids love the taste of going back home for a week or so.

 

On the other hand if I was coming from the US I would not do it. Young kids don't understand jet lag - Why can't they fall a sleep at night, why are they tired in the day, why aren't they hungry at meal time, why are they hungry when there's no food around. Adults understand that jet lag feelings are normal but with a jet lag kid all you get crankiness and bad tempers. It is not worth it. They will not have fun and neither will you.

 

So if you're living in Europe by all mean take a cruise. If you're coming from the US don't bring kids that are too young (preteens and younger).

[boulders]

 

On the other hand if I was coming from the US I would not do it. Young kids don't understand jet lag - Why can't they fall a sleep at night, why are they tired in the day, why aren't they hungry at meal time, why are they hungry when there's no food around. Adults understand that jet lag feelings are normal but with a jet lag kid all you get crankiness and bad tempers. It is not worth it. They will not have fun and neither will you.

 

So if you're living in Europe by all mean take a cruise. If you're coming from the US don't bring kids that are too young (preteens and younger).

 

LOL. :p It was me who fell unconscious at 5:30 pm the day before the cruise, after landing in Spain at 2 pm. The kids were fine and went to sleep at their regular times (8 pm and 10 pm). I woke up at midnight, took a sleeping pill and was unconscious until 7 a.m.The kids slept until 8 a.m. (or until it was time to leave for port for the oldest). They had no problems with jet lag. My kids understand that dark means sleep time and light means wake up time. Their body clocks are easily adaptable. We've been travelling to different time zones for years.

[spanner14]

I'm booked on this same cruise out of Rome (April 29th) with my 3 kids who will be 14, 12, 10 at the time it sails.

 

Last year we took the RCL Splendour out of Venice around the same time. We had a great time.

 

I feared that there would be no kids on the RCL Venice cruise. But I found it was wrong; the number of kids on boards was perfect (not too may and not too few). I did notice that most kids on board in April last year were American but they were expats kids who are already living in Europe.

 

If you're American and you live in Europe, an RCL cruise is great. There is an American feel to it (the food, drinks the language) . American kids love the taste of going back home for a week or so.

 

On the other hand if I was coming from the US I would not do it. Young kids don't understand jet lag - Why can't they fall a sleep at night, why are they tired in the day, why aren't they hungry at meal time, why are they hungry when there's no food around. Adults understand that jet lag feelings are normal but with a jet lag kid all you get crankiness and bad tempers. It is not worth it. They will not have fun and neither will you.

 

So if you're living in Europe by all mean take a cruise. If you're coming from the US don't bring kids that are too young (preteens and younger).

 

Does depend on whether you're able to take a daytime or nighttime flight though; I think those nighttime transatlantics are enough to give anyone jet lag whereas in the day even I'm fine with the flight.

 

Children deal with jet lag much easier than adults though; I think they're fairly adaptable. I have a friend who brings his children back to the UK from the West Coast to visit relatives; they've been doing it since they were very little.

[Can'tWaitToGo!!]

I think the question is what you want to get out of this cruise.

 

If you are doing this to enjoy yourself with your husband, wait until you no longer have children at home. Then, you only have 2 opinions on what you should do instead of 4!

If you and your husband are excited to go and you want to expose your children to other cultures, this is the perfect time while they are still able to experience new things with innocent curiosity instead of fear.

If you are doing this to have the children really "remember and revere" the experience, this is going to be child dependent.

 

ANY European cruise is merely a sampler of places you may want to return to for an extended visit. Most ports, even the most benign, you can easily return and simply absorb the culture versus racing around to "see the sights". There is a difference in seeing something to check it off the list versus "hanging out" and getting a feel of the place.

 

Our favorite times have been watching the kids digging in the dirt with sticks in the Roman Forum pretending they are excavating or squishing flowers along the trail to Eze as we returned from the perfume factory....making their own, of course. But, you have to allow the "down time" to let these things just happen. Children experience things in a different fashion.

 

As for jet lag, kids recover MUCH faster than adults (this is from an informal poll of the jet set mom's). Seatback entertainment and 24 hour room service is a wonderful thing. You can bring food into Europe. So, we bring granola, beef jerky, and goldfish crackers...and the portable food we don't eat on the airplane goes in the bag. We also bring the "bribe bag": Starbursts, Sunkist fruit snacks, ... So, if they just can't seem to make it any farther.... 2 more blocks and you get a treat!

 

We also bring 5 dice, UNO cards, a pad of paper, and colored pencils. With this, we have made paper airplanes to fly in St. Peter's Square (GREAT pictures), played Yatzee in a pizza joint in Split when it was raining, and played UNO at a gadzillion train stations.

 

Being a mom, means being prepared. This is no different and it can be done enjoyably, IF you want to put the upfront work into the planning.

 

About tours, we balance. We're on the April 18th - Athens/Cairo. So, we're going a stripped down private 2 day tour of Cairo. But, we're doing Athens on our own (easy public transport), Rhodes on our own (don't know exactly what yet), Kusadasi on our own (we've been there before so don't need a tour), and Naples...haven't decided it's our 4th time (the kids love the museum, we like Amalfi, we feel we SHOULD go to Pompeii...although having done Herculaneum it could be skipped).

 

A quick word, I don't know about other people, but we have found that if we do something "because we should" we don't end up enjoying it. This is doubly true with kids. You know their limits better than anyone.

 

We also use this time as a teaching tool - that parent's have rights too. Shore day #1 is Mommy's day. Sea Day #1 is Girl's Day etc. They trek along, so the next day we will mini-golf, ice skate, roller blade, and participate in the family scavenger hunt. Shore day #2 is Daddy's day. So, Sea Day #2 is Boy Day with Rock climbing, shuffle board, a ping pong tournament, and Board Game battle (they have Battleship, Life, etc. on board). By switching off, everyone gets a little something.

 

Life doesn't have to end when you have kids. And there are definitely some vacations I WON'T take with my kids (safari with my husband was AWESOME...with my particular children it would be painful). But, they can surprise you.

 

Best Wishes.

[boulders]

Oops double post. The boards are really slow this morning.

[boulders]

I think the question is what you want to get out of this cruise.

 

If you are doing this to enjoy yourself with your husband' date=' wait until you no longer have children at home. [/quote']

 

I'm going to disagree with this one. I used to do this, until dh died when he was 42. There's no guarantee that your dh will be around once the kids are gone. Five per cent of dh's aren't alive at that point. Another large percentage are gone because life with their dw isn't so exciting any more. Don't wait to enjoy life - it will be gone before you know it. :o