Any tips for cruising with kids?

[TexasPride]

My family will be cruising the Carnival Magic in August 2013. We will have a 9 year old by the time our trip arrives. We need suggestions for traveling with her so that things are fun for her and so that we can enjoy the trip as well. Any tips are welcome! Thanks!

[Keith1010]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Be sure to put your child in the Carnival Children's program where your 9 year old will be kept busy and will be with children of a similar age. That will be one of the highlights of the cruise for your child.

 

I would also post on the Carnival Cruise Line Board as well.

 

Keith

[SadieN]

Check out the Family board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

[paul929207]

Involved her in planning for the ports you will visit.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Just keep them going ..

[chipq]

My daughter, now 9 is a three Carnival Cruise veteran and loves Camp Carnival. Pre cruise we let her and her brither (11) partcipate in the planning of what to do at the ports. When we are on board we let her go through the activity schedule and note what she wants to participate. We don't see her too often on cruises because she meets her own new friends and has loads of fun.

 

My daughter is a social butterfly and makes friends very easily and loves the scavenger hunts, the video game dance competitions, the arts and crafts etc. To be able to participate in the scavenger hunts, participants must be allowed to sifn in and out of the youth program. They group them in threes and fours with a list and send them off. Some groups are more competitive than others like my daughter's group on our June cruise. One hunt I saw her and her team mates taking a break for ice cream and on another hunt they took a break for pizza.

 

I do reccomend attending the Camp Carnival mixer on sail night, usually around 8:00. Its is an opportunity for kids to meet the counselors and other camp participants before camp actually opens. Another event that both my kids really enjoy is the late night party (fee involved) that runs until 3:00 am and the couselors escort the kids back to their cabins.

 

Now there are kids who for one reason or another do not like the Camp Carnival and do not attend. There is still plenty of fun to be had at the pools and there is an arcade and mini golf etc. In my case Carnival is three for three. Both my kids have had a great time with Camp Carnival on all three of their cruises (and mom & dad benefit from getting adult time). Hope you find similar success with your daughter.

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[lbt43]

My family will be cruising the Carnival Magic in August 2013. We will have a 9 year old by the time our trip arrives. We need suggestions for traveling with her so that things are fun for her and so that we can enjoy the trip as well. Any tips are welcome! Thanks!

 

My tip is to leave em behind.

[Treven]

My tip is to leave em behind.

Ditto, leave them at home!

[GORDONCHICK]

My family will be cruising the Carnival Magic in August 2013. We will have a 9 year old by the time our trip arrives. We need suggestions for traveling with her so that things are fun for her and so that we can enjoy the trip as well. Any tips are welcome! Thanks!

 

Do you normally travel with your daughter? Cruising isn't much different other than you can't just swing by the mall or Target to pick up something you've forgotten.

 

I would encourage you to join your cruise's roll call. You can virtually meet others who you'll be on the ship with and you can also find out if they have children as well. Involve her in the researching of excursions. Help her choose a fancy dress for one of the elegant evenings. Research the ship and find interesting areas your daughter might be interested in.

[TexasPride]

Thanks Gordonchick! We travel with our daughter quite frequently but this is our first cruise. She has no clue about the cruise and we're trying to keep the news from her for as long as possible. Otherwise, we will never hear the end of things. LOL.

 

 

Do you normally travel with your daughter? Cruising isn't much different other than you can't just swing by the mall or Target to pick up something you've forgotten.

 

I would encourage you to join your cruise's roll call. You can virtually meet others who you'll be on the ship with and you can also find out if they have children as well. Involve her in the researching of excursions. Help her choose a fancy dress for one of the elegant evenings. Research the ship and find interesting areas your daughter might be interested in.

[SMerritt]

Have some nice family dinners in the MDR

 

No "electronics"

 

Get a table just for your family, enjoy some conversation and the ambience, dining in the MDR is actually entertaining

 

Possibly a special dress for formal night and make it an "occasion" - little girls still like to dress-up don't they?

[SMerritt]

Have some nice family dinners in the MDR

 

No "electronics"

 

Get a table just for your family, enjoy some conversation and the ambience, dining in the MDR is actually entertaining

 

Possibly a special dress for formal night and make it an "occasion" - little girls still like to dress-up don't they?

 

OOPS didn't see BOY - PLEASE do not buy a dress!:D

[cb at sea]

Your daughter will have a blast....as will your entire family. That's all this is...a family vacation!

 

Definitely get a guidebook and let her start reading up on the places you'll visit....you read it, too! That's the best way to get the most out of your time ashore!

[printingchick]

Many kids absolutely LOVE the kids' clubs, but mine wasn't interested at that age. As others have said, I made sure to include my son in the planning and we looked at lots of photos of the ship and ports on-line.

 

My advice would be to realize that she will likely need some downtime. I took my son on a couple of cruises at around that age (one at age 10, the other at around age 13) and he needed to go back to the cabin at some point during the day and just chill out for a while. There is SO MUCH going on every day on a cruise ship and I think the kids sometimes get over-stimulated. Heck, the adults get over-stimulated. On a recent cruise with my daughter, in her mid-20s, we took a late afternoon nap pretty much every day! I dont' think we could have enjoyed any night-life on board without those naps!!

[Cruisin' Chick]

I find it amazing (and a little rude) when someone starts a thread about bringing their child on a cruise, and some people suggest leaving the child behind. Not everyone wants to do this. Not everyone has a trustworthy relative they can leave children with (we certainly don't). And many cruiselines do market to families.

[mabones]

Drink plenty of Alcohol! Kid's Club!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Romantic Dinners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kid's Club !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TexasPride]

We're trying to keep this on the down-low for as long as possible. If we can only keep her grandparents from letting it slip! ;) Otherwise, I will be bombarded with questions multiple times a day for the next several months. LOL.

 

We're studying ancient history right now and I know she will go crazy over the ruins at one of the ports.

 

Your daughter will have a blast....as will your entire family. That's all this is...a family vacation!

 

Definitely get a guidebook and let her start reading up on the places you'll visit....you read it, too! That's the best way to get the most out of your time ashore!

[TexasPride]

Thank you for all the information. Seeing responses like this are very encouraging.

 

Our daughter is pretty social as well and our hope is she'll enjoy the camp events. I don't feel comfortable with her signing herself in and out of the program. Maybe that will change once my hubby and I see things in action.

 

 

My daughter, now 9 is a three Carnival Cruise veteran and loves Camp Carnival. Pre cruise we let her and her brither (11) partcipate in the planning of what to do at the ports. When we are on board we let her go through the activity schedule and note what she wants to participate. We don't see her too often on cruises because she meets her own new friends and has loads of fun.

 

My daughter is a social butterfly and makes friends very easily and loves the scavenger hunts, the video game dance competitions, the arts and crafts etc. To be able to participate in the scavenger hunts, participants must be allowed to sifn in and out of the youth program. They group them in threes and fours with a list and send them off. Some groups are more competitive than others like my daughter's group on our June cruise. One hunt I saw her and her team mates taking a break for ice cream and on another hunt they took a break for pizza.

 

I do reccomend attending the Camp Carnival mixer on sail night, usually around 8:00. Its is an opportunity for kids to meet the counselors and other camp participants before camp actually opens. Another event that both my kids really enjoy is the late night party (fee involved) that runs until 3:00 am and the couselors escort the kids back to their cabins.

 

Now there are kids who for one reason or another do not like the Camp Carnival and do not attend. There is still plenty of fun to be had at the pools and there is an arcade and mini golf etc. In my case Carnival is three for three. Both my kids have had a great time with Camp Carnival on all three of their cruises (and mom & dad benefit from getting adult time). Hope you find similar success with your daughter.

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[Wylie Coyote]

Hello....

 

I have only cruised on Carnival once. I was amazed at how many children were on a 7 night cruise during school season. Regardless of whether the kiddos like the kids club, they all seemed to make friends and we would see large groups of children of varying ages roaming and exploring the ship- sometimes supervised, sometimes not.

 

Carnival certainly caters to families with children. There is way too much to do for a 9 year old to become bored.

 

I would not worry too much about people being offended on a Carnival cruise for someone including their young ones on a vacation.

 

 

 

 

Your family will have a great time.