First Time Cruisers - Allure with an 8-year-old

[seaotter15]

I have been avidly reading posts here for the past 2 months and thought it about time I joined. :)

This will be our family's first cruise ever - decided on the Allure due to the Dreamworks Exeprience.

Can anyone out there recommend specific things your children REALLY enjoyed and/or did not enjoy at all. Our son is 8.

We have reserved all three character breakfasts already.

Thank you for any / all tips!!

[MrCruzeaddict]

Your family will have a blast. Your son will love the Dreamworks charactors, HECK I loved the Dreamworks charactors!. They have them at various places around ship, usually the Promenade. Plenty of photo ops! The Allure also has an outstanding water park like area for the kids. We saw kids having the time of their lives!

 

 

Joe<------Would sail on the Alure again in a heartbeat! :D

[seashinesunshine]

I have been avidly reading posts here for the past 2 months and thought it about time I joined. :)

This will be our family's first cruise ever - decided on the Allure due to the Dreamworks Exeprience.

Can anyone out there recommend specific things your children REALLY enjoyed and/or did not enjoy at all. Our son is 8.

We have reserved all three character breakfasts already.

Thank you for any / all tips!!

 

my son loved snorkeling, he was 9 the first time. We went on a snorkel excursion that we snorkeled from the boat, not land. When he got in the water, he was just sputtering, stuttering, saying "mom this is so cool, mom this is so cool" He hadn't even looked down yet. I told him to put his mask on and look under the water, he came up sputtering so much he could hardly talk. Discovery Channel came to life in front of his eyes. Very positive experience and I am so glad I could give it to him. He did practice in the pool before we left.

Also, buy him his own camera and let him take photos of whatever he wants. He will have so much fun showing people HIS photos and you will be amazed at what he finds important enough to photograph. You don't have to spend a lot. Just have extra memory and batteries.

[seaotter15]

Thank you both for your replies! Good to hear about the snorkeling as that is something we were thinking of trying.

[ARCruisinNana]

If you don't want to spend every minute together, check out Adventure Ocean. They have great activites for the kids. They can go as often or as little as they want. There should be an open house Day 1 afternoon.

[Beth C]

Definitely get him a camera - it'll amaze you what HE will see from his vantage point and take photo's of that you never would have considered...

 

This is the perfect time of year to get one too... I just 'gifted' one of my older digital cameras to a friend for their pre-teen to take on vacation. Its probably 5 or 6 yrs old - 6mp, good zoom that takes great photos. I never seem to get rid of the old camera when I get a newer better one so I have a collection of them taking up space in my desk drawer (kinda like that Motorola Flip Phone circa 1990 that's in the bottom drawer... I should take that brick in to re-activate of these days ;) wonder if I can get any app's on it lol)

 

Throw the question out to family and friends if anyone has an old digital camera they want to unload for $20 or so and i'm sure you'll be inundated with offers to just take it off their hands! If he happens to lose it you're not really out much... plus you can't get him a disposable camera... he wouldn't know what to do with it... what??... roll this dial to turn the film... what's film?

[Irish Stepper]

We took our first cruise when my boys were 7 and 9. They spent all their time in Adventure Ocean whenever it was open. They would hurry up and eat their dinner in the evening, and I'd leave the table to take them to check them in and then I'd come back for my dessert. :rolleyes: Then they'd beg us to let them stay there for "late night party zone" until 1am every night. On days that we had an island excursion, I'd have to talk them into going with us, because they wanted to stay on the ship! He will have a great time. Don't be surprised if you don't see him much during sea days. :D

[pihanettie]

It all depends on your children. Mine (8 year old boy and 9 year old girl) did not like Adventure Ocean, thought is was boring, feel they are too grown up for the characters (which is one reason they did not want to do another Disney cruise). My son wanted to do ping-pong and shuffleboard, my daughter rock climbing. They both loved the carousel and my daughter set a goal to ride evey single animal, which she did. They also liked the balloon artist and would show up for all of those as well as face painting. Did miniature golf twice, ice skating 3 times. Would go on "scavenger hunts" to find all the metal tubes and look inside to see the 3D images.