Good Cruise line for taking 3 y.o. to Southern Caribbean?

[FTCCO]

What cruise line would be best for visiting the Southern Caribbean with a 3.5 year old ?

 

We originally wanted to go to Europe, but in December that didn't seem to work out for the cruise ship schedules. So then we thought the Dutch/French Caribbean islands might be a good idea, and I particularly wanted to go to Curacao, though I suppose there are other interesting ones too. We just want something that has a different feel than just "Beach Vacation" as we've been to Hawaii recently.

 

Disney is an obvious choice for kids, but My DH would prefer to cruise on another line besides Disney, then maybe spend a few days at WDW.

 

 

So far, the best routes I've seen are from HAL or Celebrity, though I'm not sure how much there is for a 3.5 potty trained and self-sufficient (unless she's asleep) kid to do on them.

 

 

We want a good family pool, but don't mind if there are no water slides. At 3.5, she probably can't use them (she can't swim without floats on yet). As for us, we'd love lectures and Broadway style shows, but don't care much about drinking, shopping or gambling.

 

From what I've read on these boards, it sounds like these 2 lines would be ok choices, but it is always good to hear people's experiences and thoughts before making a choice. Especially if I should really consider another line that I've overlooked.

[Megsie1000]

We're taking what will be our 3.5-year old on the Eurodam in January. Last summer we sailed when our girls were 4 & 7 and they ADORED Club HAL ... as in, begging to go there every waking moment. I won't hesitate for a moment to take the 3.5-year old boy there this year since he'll be old enough, he's potty trained now and I know he will love it just as much.

 

The nice thing about HAL for a younger child (as long as they are potty trained and 3) is that the kids' club is very approachable. HAL ships tend to have less children on them, but for us that is a positive b/c the kids' clubs have smaller groups of kids in them. There seem to be enough kids to make friends & play but not so many that it might seem overwhelming to a small child. And they seem to get lots of individual attention from the counselors. My girls were so attached to the counselors at the end of our Alaska trip that they cried when it was time to say "goodbye." They still talk about it and it was over a year ago. They did crafts, had theme nights, got face paintings, played outside and in, etc., etc.

 

If you choose HAL, you'll want to research the ship, though. Some of them are less kid-friendly than others. I think the Prinsendam, for instance, only takes kids when they are 5 for Club HAL. I *think* you would be fine on any of the other HAL ships. The Lido pool is fine for kids as long as they are potty trained. We're sailing on the Eurodam and also renting a Lido Cabana so that we have a central location to gather and chill when the kids want to swim, etc.

[Takemetoaspa]

I don't believe Disney does a Southern Caribbean route. Royal Caribbean is very family friendly with lots of activities to do on the ship. Look for the Adventure of the Seas doing the Southern Caribbean.

[khm1]

I vote for Royal Caribbean. It is great for kids that age. We cruised S. Caribbean with our then 3.5 year old on the Serenade this past January and it was great! Adventure and Serenade cruise Southern routes from San Juan. I have sailed on both of these ships and have sailed from SJ several times as it is my favorite port of debarkation. Good luck!

[dforeigner]

Since you are thinking between Hal and X, Celebrity would be my choice.

[FTCCO]

It's too bad that Disney doesn't go beyond St. Martin (Marten) and St. Thomas, but thanks for the suggestion to look at San Juan RCCL departures.

That may prove to be what we want.

 

Of course, that means an extra flight and hotel nights, but it definitely seems more family friendly than the other lines that hit the islands we want to see. I've read a few suggestions to look at Princess too, but somehow they don't strike me as all that family friendly. At least not as much as RCCL.

 

 

Does anyone have suggestions for what cabin type? We'd prefer a sofa bed, and if there's a balcony, we'd prefer plexiglass so that the kiddo can see without being tempted to climb. I looked at the D1 class pictures, but couldn't get a good view of the railing situation, but it had the sofa I think.

[c-cruise]

We did the HAL 7 day Southern itinerary out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Westerdam to HMC, Curacao and Aruba this past Feb with our 3yr old and 1yr old - then drove up to Disney afterwards. Really enjoyed this itinerary and HAL has always been fantastic with our kids.

 

With a 3yr old I would defiantly be looking to avoid the extra flights and hotel nights to get to San Juan.

 

As far as cabin type I would go with as much space as you can afford and definitely a balcony.

[Keith1010]

I would recommend Celebrity or Princess for children including a three year old.

 

Keith

[dforeigner]

As far as cabin type I would go with as much space as you can afford and definitely a balcony.

 

Yes, this way you can have some alone time out on the balcony while the little one naps or goes to sleep at night.

[Mack2]

We did a southern Caribbean trip with the kids aboard Royal Caribbean.... the Adventure out of San Juan.

 

My daughter was under 3 at the time, we had a good trip... that's the trip where we went to the Ostrich Farm in Curacao and have the picture of her holding the baby ostrich.

 

 

 

We been on RCI, Disney, Carnival, and Princess with the kids... I will say that the kids loved the "kids club" on each of the lines. It's a vacation, so I don't think they compare and quantitate the fun they have on each different ship...

 

I will say that I was disappointed with the older kids' "club" aboard Princess. The one year we did Princess, Princess put the older kids in a conference room on the other side of the ship away from the regular kids club. I thought that was strange... but my eldest still enjoyed it, so I can't complain THAT much.

 

 

I think when it comes to deciding on which cruise line to take, you will be happy with whatever you choose. From haunting the CruiseCritic boards, it's apparent that all kids love the "kids club" regardless of which cruise line they're on... so parents get to really make the IMPORTANT decisions... like which amenities and itineraries do you want to experience.

 

Most kids will be happy just being away. Heck, we took the kids skiing this past winter for a weekend, stayed at a Comfort Inn... My younger two were so happy with the indoor pool at the place, they were upset when they found out we were only there for a night.

[FTCCO]

Mack 2, that's an adorable picture of your daughter, and also, your perspective (that most of the usual suspect cruise lines have good programs for kids) helps.

Even before I saw your post, we started seriously looking at a San Juan departure for a cruise on Adventure of the Seas. The only thing that does worry me is the flying in and out of San Juan, rather than cruising out of Florida.