Anything besides Disney for kids?

[Berkster]

Hey there fellow cruisers! I just wanted to ask about a "kids cruise" since i get some great advice last time about the girls getaway! I'm taking my two darling god children. (I'm also their aunt!) My vca travel agent insists that Disney is the only way to go. And while I love these kids more than life, Disney seems tobe a bit pricey!! Any other ideas!?

[doone]

How old are the children you are taking?

[serene56]

I too have to ask--how old are the kids.

See, camp age is different on each cruiselines.

 

Royal camps kids must be 3 years old at time of sailing and potty trained. no accidents allowed.

 

Carnival and PRincess have a program that allows 2 year olds and will change diapers.

 

No diapers in the pool on any of those ships.

 

 

soo-- tell us how old are the kids.

You will need passports fro eevryone next year...and letters from parents stating its ok to take them out of the country.

[surrocruiser]

I've taken my 2 daughters on Norwegian Cruises(S.S. Norway and the Sun). I was not very comfortable with letting them join Kids Crew on the ship b/c 1.) I trust no one and 2.) I wanted them with me. After they talked me into it and I found more info I decided to let them go. The NCL crew is very well trained and all have a background in child development.

 

Their dad took them on a Disney last summer and even though they said they liked the Disney theme, they never got to swim b/c there were so many kids having accidents in the pools. They started cruising at the ages of 5 and 7. They are now 9 and 11. I've asked them repeatedly and both agree, NO MORE DISNEY. They didn't get to feel special from any of the crew members like they did on NCL b/c they were only one of a billion kids on board. They wouldn't turn it down b/c it would still be a cruise and they both do love them, but the NCL experience was much better for them. I personally have never been on Disney. Looks beautiful and may be perfect for some people. However, my daughters are usually right on, so I trust them. I'm booked on Caribbean Princess in September (adults only) to test it out for them. We are planning a cruise for 2006.

 

Good luck and enjoy no matter what you decide.

[2Cruise4Ever]

We took our 2 on NCL's Dawn last month (DD-2yo and DS-7yo). They had an absolute blast!!! I could not keep them out of the Kids Crew. Every counselor employed by NCL for the Kids Crew either has a degree in a child education related field or is currently seeking a degree. The place was extremely secure. And, there were so many activities that they absolutely crashed in bed at night. We kept them with us a good part of the time. But, after several begging episodes, I finally relented and signed them up. Boy, am I glad I did. I originally thought it would just be glorified babysitting, watching movies all day. I was WRONG!!! They had theme parties, pizza making, pirate night, pajama parties, ball pit, arts n crafts, etc, etc, etc. You name it, they did it. I spent some time in the kids' pools (that's right, there's more than one). And, frankly, they were better than the adult pool. The adult pool was way, way, way too crowded and absolutely NOWHERE to sit. The kids pools had plenty of room for all the kids plus their parents. We can't wait to do it again!

 

 

On a side note: the cruise line industry has made some major changes over the last decade in order to compete with Disney. They are so much more kid and family-friendly than they used to be. You can definitely get a big bang for your buck on any of the mass-market lines; not just Disney.

 

Happy Sailing!!!:D

[njcruisingmom]

Don't know where you're looking to sail from, but I can say that our two DDs -- 9 and 5-1/2 -- absolutely loved our recent cruise to Bermuda. The crew treated them like princesses, they loved the kids program at night, the beaches were beautiful and they had the pool on sea days. What more could a kid want.

 

Can't speak for Disney (except I dont' think they go to Bermuda.) We felt very safe with kids in Bermuda too. Not at all uncomfortable wandering around Hamilton and St George. We did a glass bottom boat tour and a horse and buggy ride, but if your godchildren are older, there are snorkel excursions, horseback riding, and other activities for older kids.

 

My two loved the kids programs (we were on Celebrity) but even if we hadn't had the kids program, they would have had a wonderful trip.

[tribbs1]

We just did a Carnival cruise w/our 4 kids (16,15,15,10). They are probably older than your neices, but Carnival does a great job w/kids of all ages. If the kids have been to Disney don't bother paying the cruise prices w/ them.

[ponstad]

We went on a cruise on Carnival with our kids and two grandkids several years ago - the grandchildren, especially the 8 year old girl, had a great time. From what I saw, the counselors were really involved with the kids, and made sure that everybody joined in; they had a varied selection of activities, and a pool just for kids. The 4-year old boy also went off happily to camp each day.

Also, the wait staff in the dining room went out of their way to spoil the kids.

[goodml]

Our two kids are now 12 and 15. They started cruising when they were 3 and 5 (almost 6) and they've been on two Carnival and two RCI cruises. They loved the kid's programs on both. Don't even have a preference of one over the other - just loved them both. I've never been able to justify spending the extra $$ on Disney when we've had such great experiences with CCL and RCI. You can't miss with either of these two. One other thing. My son was 14 on our last cruise and had no interest in the teen program so I will have to agree that it definitely depends on the age of the kids.

[Catrin]

Another vote for Carnival!

 

ALthough I am a Disney fanatic, I must say that our vacations were much more enjoyable on the two cruises we have taken as a family.

 

The Camp staff was wonderful - and the kids loved meeting friends for the week. They were never exhausted like Disney. They loved swimming in the pool, going to the beaches, eating Pizza and Ice Cream and even some of the shows!

 

They had great activites in camp like Arts and Crafts, Trivia, Scavenger Hunts, talent shows, etc. Camp was from 9-12, 2-5 and 7-10. My kids usually went in the morning, and then at night after dinner. They did not HAVE to go.. they wanted to go! They even had after hours for a fee.

Good Luck Deciding!

Catrin