1st Family Cruise - 40's w/ 6 & 11 YO

[1stTimeCroozer]

Hello Cruise Critic Community.

 

My wife and I have taken 2 cruises and this forum has been instrumental in deciding what cruises we took. We've taken cruises from Florida on the Voyager (7 days) and also from Maryland on the Grandeur (5 days).

 

We haven't cruised in about 8 years and now we are looking at options. We are thinking of leaving from Florida or possibly Baltimore, MD to save the airfare. We are looking for a 7 day cruise. The 6 year old is totally stoked. The 11 year old is scared of sharks. She does not understand how big these ships are.

 

A few questions -

 

1. We are leaning to Royal Caribbean since we know it and we liked our experiences. Do you concur it is a good child friendly line?

2. How did you handle the accommodations? We don't envision all bunking in together. Do you go double rooms - w/ pass through doors? Do you go parents room with balcony and then inside for the kids? Is that too young for them to have their own room?

3. I've read some good things about the child programs on the vessels - we don't want our kids in daycare during the trips - but a few hours a day would be nice to have some quiet time. Did your kids like the activities?

4. Would you lean towards one of the big boats - or a smaller ship? We have not been on the bigger ships (2 classes) yet. Is tendering / docking a complete mess where kids are prone to frustration with wait times?

 

Any other insight you would care to offer is appreciated. I searched a bunch of threads and most commentary seems to be about kids 3 and under....

 

Have a nice weekend.

 

1stTC

[SportsMomof4]

Hello Cruise Critic Community.

 

My wife and I have taken 2 cruises and this forum has been instrumental in deciding what cruises we took. We've taken cruises from Florida on the Voyager (7 days) and also from Maryland on the Grandeur (5 days).

 

We haven't cruised in about 8 years and now we are looking at options. We are thinking of leaving from Florida or possibly Baltimore, MD to save the airfare. We are looking for a 7 day cruise. The 6 year old is totally stoked. The 11 year old is scared of sharks. She does not understand how big these ships are.

 

A few questions -

 

1. We are leaning to Royal Caribbean since we know it and we liked our experiences. Do you concur it is a good child friendly line?

2. How did you handle the accommodations? We don't envision all bunking in together. Do you go double rooms - w/ pass through doors? Do you go parents room with balcony and then inside for the kids? Is that too young for them to have their own room?

3. I've read some good things about the child programs on the vessels - we don't want our kids in daycare during the trips - but a few hours a day would be nice to have some quiet time. Did your kids like the activities?

4. Would you lean towards one of the big boats - or a smaller ship? We have not been on the bigger ships (2 classes) yet. Is tendering / docking a complete mess where kids are prone to frustration with wait times?

 

Any other insight you would care to offer is appreciated. I searched a bunch of threads and most commentary seems to be about kids 3 and under....

 

Have a nice weekend.

 

1stTC

 

I can answer a couple of your questions.

 

In my opinion, a 6yo & 11yo should not be in their own room. I believe some cruise lines wont even allow that. My 15 year old twins are in their own room but it is a balcony adjoining room. If you really wanted to do this, I would do adjoining rooms, definitely not 1 across the hall.

 

My 7yo goes to camp carnival occasionally when there is an activity he is interested in so DH & I can do some adult things. He doesn't mind it but doesn't want to be in there too long.

 

We have only been on a large ship with my kids so that I'm not sure about. We are leaving today for our cruise & this is the 1st time we have tender ports. They are pretty quick & efficient in getting everyone off the ship so I am not too concerned with that.

[RSLeesburg]

Hello Cruise Critic Community.

 

My wife and I have taken 2 cruises and this forum has been instrumental in deciding what cruises we took. We've taken cruises from Florida on the Voyager (7 days) and also from Maryland on the Grandeur (5 days).

 

We haven't cruised in about 8 years and now we are looking at options. We are thinking of leaving from Florida or possibly Baltimore, MD to save the airfare. We are looking for a 7 day cruise. The 6 year old is totally stoked. The 11 year old is scared of sharks. She does not understand how big these ships are.

 

A few questions -

 

1. We are leaning to Royal Caribbean since we know it and we liked our experiences. Do you concur it is a good child friendly line?

2. How did you handle the accommodations? We don't envision all bunking in together. Do you go double rooms - w/ pass through doors? Do you go parents room with balcony and then inside for the kids? Is that too young for them to have their own room?

3. I've read some good things about the child programs on the vessels - we don't want our kids in daycare during the trips - but a few hours a day would be nice to have some quiet time. Did your kids like the activities?

4. Would you lean towards one of the big boats - or a smaller ship? We have not been on the bigger ships (2 classes) yet. Is tendering / docking a complete mess where kids are prone to frustration with wait times?

 

Any other insight you would care to offer is appreciated. I searched a bunch of threads and most commentary seems to be about kids 3 and under....

 

Have a nice weekend.

 

1stTC

 

We just took our first cruise on Grandeur this past year with our 4 year old, and were asking ourselves some of these same questions. Here are my comments...

 

1. Yes. RCI is very child friendly; however, I have seen people rave about the kids clubs on Celebrity, Carnival, NCI, Disney, and Princess, so I think almost any of the major lines would be great for a family. In general, the newer and bigger the ship, the more there will be for kids.

 

2. For Grandeur, we met another couple traveling with two smaller kids - they booked two connecting OV rooms, and loved it. Grandeur has 4 two bedroom suites, but they are almost impossible to get - they book very fast. We were only three, so could fit into one room. We did book a suite, so we could get priority boarding and disembarking - this was great as our son is not that patient. But, if you get to Baltimore early, say. 10:30-11:00am, you should breeze through boarding. Getting off is a different story unless you walk off with your own bags - this is true for any RCI ship...

 

3. Our son liked the kids club, but only after he made some friends. Depending on when you are traveling and how many kids are on board and how outgoing your kids are, I would think they would make friends and enjoy the kids club. Our son only went a few times and only for a hour or two each time. He wanted to spend more time in the pool.

 

4. I think your 6 y/o would love Grandeur, but your 11 y/o might be bored. Another option might be Explorer out of NJ. It has a lot more for kids. We are trying to get one more year out of Grandeur in 2014, and then I think if we may need to move up to a bigger ship, as the small pool and kids club may not be enough for him. But, you don't have to go to the largest ships first. The Radiance class ships have more stuff for kids than Vision class (Grandeur). I like the idea of moving up in classes as our son grows up...lol.

 

We have never tendered, so cannot comment on that.

[Aggiebuttercup]

I cruised with a 6-year-old on Disney. We loved the Disney experience, but she really enjoyed the cruising experience most. There is a lot to do on any ship outside of the kids' club (dancing after dinner, movies, pools, room service, coloring in the lounge where you can see out the window). She spent an hour or so in the kids' club every day, but she had more fun outside of it. Even dinner was exciting - all the courses and the new foods and, best of all, dessert!!

 

We travelled with a friend and her 6-year-old granddaughter, and we gave the girls more freedom than if we had been home. If they were together, they could go from the cabins to the kids' club alone, or from the cabin to the movie theater.

 

I think when we next cruise we are going to put the kids in an adjoining room rather than across the hall, unless I can convince a teenage cousin to come along and make sure they won't leave the room after dark.

[smalltownmomwa]

We took our 7 & 9 YO's on a cruise. We all bunked together in a large balcony (mini-suite on NCL). We have gone camping a lot in trailers & motorhomes so don't mind being in the same room. An inside or one OV would have been too cozy though. Next cruise, we will look into adjoining OV's. We would absolutely not put our kids across the hall. They would have been terrified, and I would not be at all comfortable either.

 

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

[HPEmom]

We have 3 children, now ages 14, 7 and 4. We have taken them on Carnival Dream and RCCL Freedom of the Seas both out of Port Canaveral. My younger ones absolutely love RCCL's Adventure Ocean and would ask to go to "class" every day. The kids participated in everything from singing with the staff in the dining room, being in the talent show (everyone wins first place), participating in the Christmas Story program, being pirates that did a little skit/song, watching the Madagascar parades, you name it. The oldest one who at 12 could sign herself in and out of the kids program also loves cruises and still stays in touch with a couple of the kids she met from Great Britain and one from Australia. One night she asked if she could eat dinner with a friend she had made and her family instead of ours : ) Key here is to make sure the kids go to the meet & greet/open house on the first night. That way they see and meet many of the other kids on the ship.

 

For accommodations, the first cruise we took the little ones on were 2 connecting cabins (ocean view). You will have to list one adult in each cabin but they dont care about your actual sleeping arrangements. We also used a baby monitor to listen in on the kids so we could hear when they awoke etc. But they usually just came in through the connecting door. Last cruise in 2012, we had 2 cabins next door to each other but not with a connecting door inside. It was still perfectly fine. Used the baby monitor, had key cards to both rooms since the little ones didnt hold their cards, etc. Even then they were newly 3, 5 and 12, we had no issues with the rooms. I don't think I would do across the hall because the rooms don't always line up as perfectly as the deck plans but the adjacent cabins were perfect for us. For lots to do on the ship for your kids I would recommend the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral.

[cb at sea]

I would do connecting cabins, if you want some privacy. You will have immediate access thru the pass-thru door, but you don't have to "bunk" together! I think your kids are a bit young to be across the hall.

 

A couple of RCI ships have a balcony that connects to an inside room....they are the last cabins in the aft section (on the side of the ship)....that could be a great option, if you don't want the kids in their own balcony....which they have no need for!!!!

[Onessa]

1. We are leaning to Royal Caribbean since we know it and we liked our experiences. Do you concur it is a good child friendly line?

Our DD is now 18YO but we often travel with extended family with younger ones. RCCI is a great line, their kids activities are great on any of their ships (particulary for the under 12YO set). And the teens (as your kids get older) like the larger ships that have a lot of whiz-bang activities (flow rider, zip lines, etc.)

2. How did you handle the accommodations? We don't envision all bunking in together. Do you go double rooms - w/ pass through doors? Do you go parents room with balcony and then inside for the kids? Is that too young for them to have their own room?.

There are only three of us and we are pretty tolerant of each other, so we've always stayed together.

You can book adjoining cabins or cabins across the hall from each other. Many lines will require you to have an adult "booked" in each room -- how you choose to use the rooms is up to you. Also, check the prices of some of the family suites offered on many cruise lines.

Set up "rules" with your kids (even if the cabins adjoin) to help keep them safe.

3. I've read some good things about the child programs on the vessels - we don't want our kids in daycare during the trips - but a few hours a day would be nice to have some quiet time. Did your kids like the activities?

Most of the kids programs are not "day care" -- they are activities geared toward kids. Most kids don't want to be doing adult activities and (even though you are probably great parents) probably don't want to spend all day with you. My DD has always enjoyed meeting and playing with other kids.

Activities vary by age levels - but include games, sports, and crafts. Kids typically get their own daily itineraries of activities that you can use to plan their time "away" from you.

4. Would you lean towards one of the big boats - or a smaller ship? We have not been on the bigger ships (2 classes) yet. Is tendering / docking a complete mess where kids are prone to frustration with wait times?

For most U10 or U12, the activities they are interested in are those that are easily filled on the smaller ships. Some kids really want the skating rinks, or flow riders, or zip lines, or merry-go-rounds, or whatever -- for those you need to go to a larger ship.

Docking is generally pretty stress free -- some lines at some times of the day. Tender ports can get a bit more stressful. The smaller ships tend to have fewer tender ports.

Any other insight you would care to offer is appreciated. I searched a bunch of threads and most commentary seems to be about kids 3 and under

....We have always included our DD in planning our trips. We like family vacations and feel that it is most appropriate to participate in family activities -- so vacations with the "kid" were didfferent than those pre-kid. Maybe no tour of a vintner, but the trip to the castle was just as nice.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Onessa

[Lerin]

1. We are leaning to Royal Caribbean since we know it and we liked our experiences. Do you concur it is a good child friendly line?

All the mass market lines are child friendly.

 

2. How did you handle the accommodations? We don't envision all bunking in together. Do you go double rooms - w/ pass through doors? Do you go parents room with balcony and then inside for the kids? Is that too young for them to have their own room?

I'd do 2 rooms with the door between them open, that what you'll have 2 bathrooms as well as a space to be if someone is sleeping. It's no different from how you sleep at home, right? Actually, they will be much closer to you than at home probably.

Due to their age you won't be able to book them in their own room. You'll have to do mom+11 year old in 1 room and dad + 6 year old in the other. Once onboard nobody cares who sleeps where.

 

3. I've read some good things about the child programs on the vessels - we don't want our kids in daycare during the trips - but a few hours a day would be nice to have some quiet time. Did your kids like the activities?

This is a parenting decision, but they really aren't "day care". Day care in my opinion is just kids running wild playing with random toys.

Carnival for example calls it "camp", Holland America calls it "club". And they are, they really are more similar to a school enrichment program with specific activities at scheduled times. On some lines the kids get to spend the week scheduling and rehearsing for a show on the last day. We were on one over the 4th of July where the kids spent a few days making banners and costumes and then practicing USA songs. On the holiday they got to parade through the ship. The most difficult thing about the kids clubs is parents getting upset when their child wants to go to them rather than have family time. ;) Be sure to take your kids the first day as that is when kids find friends and get to know what it is all about.

 

4. Would you lean towards one of the big boats - or a smaller ship? We have not been on the bigger ships (2 classes) yet. Is tendering / docking a complete mess where kids are prone to frustration with wait times?

Depends on your definition of big or small ships. Regardless it's really a personal preference. Kids your age should have no problem with waiting in line to tender or dock.

 

Any other insight you would care to offer is appreciated.

Since your 11 year old is scared of sharks, I'd suggest you take her to see some large ships. If you live near a port, drive over so she can watch what goes on. Even better if you live somewhere where you can take a tour of a ship Doesn't have to be a cruise ship, any large ship will do. I take it she's never been on a boat? Maybe a quick trip on a ferry will help to calm her nerves. If that is no do-able, then You Tube some videos of cruise ships so she can see what is going on. You can even You Tube very specific things such as "11 year old tendering on Royal Caribbean" .

 

Good luck and have fun. :cool:

Edited January 4, 2014 by Lerin

[xcell]

1. We are leaning to Royal Caribbean since we know it and we liked our experiences. Do you concur it is a good child friendly line?

Love RCCL especially for the kids but I would pick Freedom or Genesis Class (they will love the Allure or Oasis). Plenty of things to do...our kids are 10 and 7

 

 

2. How did you handle the accommodations? We don't envision all bunking in together. Do you go double rooms - w/ pass through doors? Do you go parents room with balcony and then inside for the kids? Is that too young for them to have their own room?

 

If you can afford getting two rooms then that would be good. You may also want to price our a suite, then you get the perks of the suites as well (double points, private area on their private islands, lounges, etc...).

 

We are able to cruise RCCL with a balcony with all 4 of us. Sometimes we bring the grandparents along, and get adjoining rooms (built in baby sitters). plus if they are over 65, sometimes you can get a senior discount (put one in each room). You may have to book the rooms 3 and 3 if they cannot find a 4 and 2 side by side.

 

Don't even try to put 4 in a room on NCL - we just came back from the Epic and it was super tight. Thank god we brought along the grandparents. However, if you are only there to sleep, then I (personally) would not pay the extra fee for another room.

 

 

3. I've read some good things about the child programs on the vessels - we don't want our kids in daycare during the trips - but a few hours a day would be nice to have some quiet time. Did your kids like the activities?

 

If only a few hours, then all the kid clubs are about the same. I personally like the RCCL as they had more stuff to do that didn't centre around video games and TV.

 

 

4. Would you lean towards one of the big boats - or a smaller ship? We have not been on the bigger ships (2 classes) yet. Is tendering / docking a complete mess where kids are prone to frustration with wait times.

 

Go BIG or don't go at all - seriously - they big ships are good for everyone (with kids). I found myself on the smaller ships bored where as the Allure/Oasis was filled with lots to do. IMHO. And if you are going big, I liked RCCL better than NCL and Disney....

[Faeton]

Something I just recently learned, is that the RCI's Freedom class has more than a few family cabins that are ~300sf, and is meant to hold 5-6 people (has a sofa bed and a bunk bed).

 

They can't be booked online normally, but the unsold ones often are released to the general public about 1 month before the cruise date. You can get some great deals on those rooms (more like suites), but there is a large element of risk.

 

If you're feeling lucky, you could maybe entertain that option instead of getting 2 rooms.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I would rather have connecting cabins with 6 people. If you get a 300 sq ft cabin- there is still one bathroom and one television.