What ship has the best waterzone/play area for a 5 year old?

[PoppyMac]

Wierd question, but I am so overwhelmed by choices. I was going to go on my first cruise last January, but due to finances, it fell thru. I totally had it figured what cruiseline, itenerary etc. Seems my needs and wants have changed a bit.

 

Planning for next year. My kids are 5 and 18. My son needs a great kid club and would like to know which cruiseship has the best waterzone/play area? He would prefer that kind of thing to a pool.

Anyone have pics or know which ship and which line is the coolest?

Thanks for any help!:)

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

If I were a child that age, I know I would just love the H2O Zone water parks on Royal Caribbean Freedom Class and Oasis Class ships. I am certain my sons when they little would have wanted to spend hours there. Too bad those ships didn't exist when my sons were little.

[reney313]

Fully agree with previous poster. For a 5 year old and 18 year old on the same cruise, Freedom class (Freedom, Liberty or Independence) on RCI hands down.

[#1TravelMom]

I highly recommend the EPIC. There are awesome waterslides for your older child(and possibly the 5 yr. old depending on height. They also have a play area with small slide and characters. There is also an area near the pools with sprayers. The pools also have a wide ledge area that's very shallow. The kids really liked playing there also.

[t_car]

I agree with other posters that RCI Freedom or Oasis class, and NCL Epic offer the best selection of water activities for both ages.

But you need to be mostly careful with the 18 year old.

5 Year olds are generally easier to please, and most ships have tons of activities and clubs where your child will meet others in the same age group.

Almost all cruise lines stop their teen clubs at 17 year olds. Reality is that the 18 to 20 year olds are basically left to their own devices, without supervision.

So probably best to choose a ship that has lots for the 18 year old to do.

I have been on many cruises where I have seen these older teens get into trouble with underage drinking, wild parties, drug use. One one occasion the family was escorted off the ship in Ochio Rios, Jamaica. On another, the teen was arrested after arriving back in home port.

 

Sorry, not trying to be a downer, just stating reality. When our 19 year old son came with us on one cruise, the only thing that helped was that the cruise was very port intensive, and not much time on the ship. A lot of the big mega ships have basically become more of the destination than the ports visited, so a lot more time is spent on board. So more opportunity for trouble.

 

Good Luck.

[PoppyMac]

Thanks for the info..and the pictures were great! The Freedom of the Seas looks like what I most was thinking in my mind. I am more worried about my 5 year old, my 18 year old and I are gonna stick together and as long as the little guy is busy and happy, her and I will be happy as clams to lay around and read and hang together.

Thank you again..this helps alot! :)

[Cuizer2]

Thanks for the info..and the pictures were great! The Freedom of the Seas looks like what I most was thinking in my mind. I am more worried about my 5 year old, my 18 year old and I are gonna stick together and as long as the little guy is busy and happy, her and I will be happy as clams to lay around and read and hang together.

Thank you again..this helps alot! :)

 

More H2O Zone photos ...

 

Be advised, the pool is deep (see the 5' 7" sign in the corner). Unless your five year old is currently being recruited by one of the college basketball powerhouses, he will not be able to stand (I don't know why Royal Caribbean made the kids pool so deep) ...

 

 

 

 

 

[bevomom]

Completely agree with the RC recommendations. For both age groups!

[Krazy Kruizers]

More H2O Zone photos ...

 

Be advised, the pool is deep (see the 5' 7" sign in the corner). Unless your five year old is currently being recruited by one of the college basketball powerhouses, he will not be able to stand (I don't know why Royal Caribbean made the kids pool so deep) ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love your pictures as well.

Thank you.

[Krazy Kruizers]

A couple of years, a waitress we know asked us about ships for children. She had at that time a 5 and 7 year old.

I told her about the Oasis -- they went on it and her children loved it. So much that this summer they will be on the Allure.

[Cuizer2]

Wierd question, but I am so overwhelmed by choices. I was going to go on my first cruise last January, but due to finances, it fell thru. I totally had it figured what cruiseline, itenerary etc. Seems my needs and wants have changed a bit.

 

Planning for next year. My kids are 5 and 18. My son needs a great kid club and would like to know which cruiseship has the best waterzone/play area? He would prefer that kind of thing to a pool.

Anyone have pics or know which ship and which line is the coolest?

Thanks for any help!

 

I just got off the Carnival Splendor. Here are the pictures of the water works on the Carnival Splendor ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cuizer2]

Of course like all Carnival ships, it has a water slide for the bigger kids ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Feelin' Nauti']

Of course like all Carnival ships, it has a water slide for the bigger kids ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where did you fit in? :D