Kids on Celebrity Solstice, first time X cruises

[suziewoods]

Hi we are booked on Solstice for the Christmas New Zealand cruise. This is our first X cruise and we have only ever done 1 other cruise, Carnival Spirit last year. We have a 7 year old daughter and I was wondering if anyone had any experiences or tips for cruising on X with kids. She loves making new friends so I'm hoping there will be other kids on the ship, but was wondering if anyone knew what the program was like at the kids club. She doesn't like doing 'baby' things but loves making friends. Thanks.

[Keith1010]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

There is a roll call for your cruise where other members from Cruise Critic who are on the cruise post. This link will take you there and you can see if other members will have children on board. On Holiday cruises you will find children on board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1691106&page=3

 

Keith

[6andy6]

Hi we are booked on Solstice for the Christmas New Zealand cruise. This is our first X cruise and we have only ever done 1 other cruise, Carnival Spirit last year. We have a 7 year old daughter and I was wondering if anyone had any experiences or tips for cruising on X with kids. She loves making new friends so I'm hoping there will be other kids on the ship, but was wondering if anyone knew what the program was like at the kids club. She doesn't like doing 'baby' things but loves making friends. Thanks.

 

Not got children..and a Christmas cruise may be different ( due to it being holidays and all), but on my New Zealand cruise in March on the Solstice you could count the number of kids under 10 on one hand....or so it seemed. You would see them in the buffet at dinner time with the children's programme hosts and even them a couple were officers children ( we know as we spoke to the officer..and his wife...who both worked on the ship). Even when we walked by the kids club it always looked empty.....

[ladylemondrop]

Hi! There are plenty of facilities on board to keep kids happy, the Fun Factory is big, and usually grouped to age, with lots of varied activities, there is also an arcade, a sports deck, etc. I would imagine at Christmas they would do some christmas activities for the kids too.

 

Children also enjoy the cruising aspects that adults enjoy, the theatre shows, meals, swimming etc. Mine love the waffles and the sweet dispensers!!

I would imagine there will be some other children on board if it falls during a school holiday, but its not like Disney or Royal Carribean, (no ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls or people dressed up like tv characters)

 

Just go and enjoy it, the ships are beautiful!

[Ma Bell]

Our grandchildren have always enjoyed themselves on Celebrity. Seven is about the perfect age for Celebrity's children's programs. I'm sure she'll have a wonderful time.

[dorisis]

There will not be a lot of children onboard that cruise. Do take a few things your child enjoys using on her own and maybe some games you can play together.

 

Make it a learning experience as well as a fun vacation.

[2theship]

All it takes is for her to find one or two new friends and she'll have a wonderful cruise. Since it's a school holiday nearly worldwide, there's a good chance of more kids than usual on that itinerary. A few years ago we took a two-week Baltic cruise with our then pre-teen girls. The kids staff told us that up until that point they'd had hardly any kids on board. But, for our cruise and the one after, there were over 100 on each sailing. What I always loved about Celebrity was that their programs weren't jammed with kids.

 

As someone mentioned, check your roll call and you may be able to get a feel for the number of kids. Keep in mind that the roll call is probably only 5% to 10% of the total passengers and there might be families that have never heard of Cruise Critic.

[suziewoods]

Thanks everyone. As you said it only takes 1 or 2 other kids her age and she will gave instant friends! As its school holidays I'm hoping that will be the case. If not she will be spoilt by the crew in the Fun Factory and will hang out with us by the pool and in the bars and theatre :-)

[The_Big_M]

There will be a lot of kids onboard that cruise.

 

I sailed on the equivalent on Millennium a few years back and we had around 500 children onboard. As Ma Bell said, it's a great age as well.

 

You'll get the program for the next day each evening so can check whether you're interested in all the activities.

 

Just make sure your daughter goes the first evening so they can make friends at the beginning with everyone. It makes it easy then trying to settle in later.

[tampacruiser]

We have been on Sostice twice now, first in the Eastern Carib in 2009 and we just got off this past Friday from Alaska. Both times there were during periods when school was out and there were plenty of kids on board. My kids both did the kids program back in 2009 and this time my 15 year old was in the X club and met quite a few new friends, my son is now 18 so he was not part of it this time. I believe last week in Alaksa my daughter said they were told there were over 200 kids on board. I would guess on a Christmas cruise you would find the same thing since most schools are out on break. Both of my kids loved the Solstice both times and they have also been on RCL, Carnival and Holland America.