First time cruising with our kids....

[Momma2PirateNPrincess]

My dad decided to take us all on cruise Jan 2015. It will be my parents, myself, hubby and our 2 kids, who will be 7.5 and 4.5 at the time of cruise. We'll be on the Fascination for 5 nights and have 2 ocean view rooms on the empress deck. I *think* we're next door to each other. I know we have a LOT of time until we cruise but things have been on my mind so here it goes!

 

Ok, so a few questions...

1. Tell me about the camps on board and if my kiddos are of a good age to attend?

2. Sleeping arrangements....right now it's set up to have my daughter (7 y/o) in the room with grandma/grandpa because we were concerned about how to sleep 4 in a room. *IF* she decides she doesn't want to stay in there with them, will they bring us an extra cot? or will we have to just put her on the top murphy bed?

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food?

 

Thanks all! Any other tips for traveling with the kiddies would be much appreciated!!

[bunchesofun]

Ok, so a few questions...

1. Tell me about the camps on board and if my kiddos are of a good age to attend?

Not sure about this age. Our youngest was 11 when we first cruised, but she love camp

 

2. Sleeping arrangements....right now it's set up to have my daughter (7 y/o) in the room with grandma/grandpa because we were concerned about how to sleep 4 in a room. *IF* she decides she doesn't want to stay in there with them, will they bring us an extra cot? or will we have to just put her on the top murphy bed?

Never heard of a cot. Not really any room for one. If it's a cabin for 4 the sofa turns into one bed, and a pull down from the ceiling directly above the sofa for the fourth

 

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?

Room service included, but be sure to tip $1 to $2 (or more) depending upon how much is ordered.

 

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food?

Yes there is typical kids foods available. Plus there are other dessert options like banana splits which we have had before off the kid's menu

Edited April 22, 2014 by bunchesofun

[hlb76]

My dad decided to take us all on cruise Jan 2015. It will be my parents, myself, hubby and our 2 kids, who will be 7.5 and 4.5 at the time of cruise. We'll be on the Fascination for 5 nights and have 2 ocean view rooms on the empress deck. I *think* we're next door to each other. I know we have a LOT of time until we cruise but things have been on my mind so here it goes!

 

Ok, so a few questions...

1. Tell me about the camps on board and if my kiddos are of a good age to attend? YES!!! Your kids where about the age of mine when we started cruising. They LOVED camp especially at this younger age. They would beg to go to camp every morning and not want to leave when we would pick them up

 

2. Sleeping arrangements....right now it's set up to have my daughter (7 y/o) in the room with grandma/grandpa because we were concerned about how to sleep 4 in a room. *IF* she decides she doesn't want to stay in there with them, will they bring us an extra cot? or will we have to just put her on the top murphy bed? I would double check your cabin and make sure they are rated for 4. not all cabins are. If they are you will have at least one pullman or a pullman/couch combo

 

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?you bet it is! Just remember to tip

 

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food? Yes in the MDR there will be a kid menu. Pizza is on the lido 24/7. Plus other options available through out the day on the buffet. Camp does offer dining option if they prefer that.

 

Thanks all! Any other tips for traveling with the kiddies would be much appreciated!!

 

My biggest tip is go in with an open mind and know there will be hick ups along the way. The kids will be treated like Kings/Queens during dinner ( or at least that has been my experience) Pack lots of sunscreen!! ENJOY

[momonthego17]

My youngest DD was 4 and she enjoyed the kids club. My oldest DD was 6 and in a different kids club but she enjoyed it as well. Now, many cruises later they are not using the kids club (11 & 13) but it was handy when they were little. Nice to have a little mommy and daddy time :)

 

My DDs love ordering off the menu at the MDR. Maybe your kids will think its exciting to order a 'didja ever' like alligator fritters for an appetizer. My girls love frog legs and escargot because of cruising.

 

Check out 'high tea' around 3:00 on a sea day (look at your fun times). My girls love having there cup of tea or hot chocolate with the little sandwiches and desserts. Nice break after a day of sun.

 

Also look at your fun times for Towel Animal Theater. The kids make a towel animal then a really cute show is put on for them. Check out my reviews for more detail and pics ( link in my signature)

 

Have a great cruise!

 

 

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[cruizinisthebest]

Ok, so a few questions...

1. Tell me about the camps on board and if my kiddos are of a good age to attend?

Your kids are a good age to attend. Camp is from ages 2-11 and the age groups are divided from there. 2-5, 6-8, 9-11. Hopefully they will like it. Mine loved Camp Carnival on their first cruise last year.

 

2. Sleeping arrangements....right now it's set up to have my daughter (7 y/o) in the room with grandma/grandpa because we were concerned about how to sleep 4 in a room. *IF* she decides she doesn't want to stay in there with them, will they bring us an extra cot? or will we have to just put her on the top murphy bed?

Are you booking a quad? That’s the only way to guarantee a bunk/Murphy bed. And I’m not sure if the Fascination has sofa beds.

 

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?

Room service is included, but it is customary to tip.

 

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food?

Yes. There’s kids type meals on the kids menu in the MDR. And if they eat in camp they will be served familiar, kid-friendly type of meals.

 

Thanks all! Any other tips for traveling with the kiddies would be much appreciated!!

Other tips that come to mind:

 

Register your kids for camp online before the cruise. Makes it easier during that hectic camp orientation.

 

The camp will provide you with a cell phone for kids ages 5 and under (it’s not fancy but it made me feel better having one). Try to get to camp early so you make sure you get one. I never used it to call camp but like I said, it made me feel better having one.

 

Bring plenty of stuff like Tylenol, little tummies, all things you as a mom know to bring along anyway. I also brought ginger candy and kids bonine for my kids in case they had any sea sickness. My son did feel a little “weird” as he put it while we were in the dining room all the way aft. He was fine after I gave him some ginger candy to suck on. Never needed the Bonine.

 

You can bring a limited amount of soda/juice onboard, which helps save money if you don’t want to buy the drink package and if they don’t like the free stuff.

 

If you use the search button on here, there’s a lot of good info about camp carnival. I searched like crazy last year! Enjoy your family cruise.

[rrraydon]

My dad decided to take us all on cruise Jan 2015. It will be my parents, myself, hubby and our 2 kids, who will be 7.5 and 4.5 at the time of cruise. We'll be on the Fascination for 5 nights and have 2 ocean view rooms on the empress deck. I *think* we're next door to each other. I know we have a LOT of time until we cruise but things have been on my mind so here it goes!

 

Ok, so a few questions...

1. Tell me about the camps on board and if my kiddos are of a good age to attend?

 

My 16 yo has been cruising since she was 8. She LOVES the camp. She now LOVES the teen groups. :D I took my 5 yo granddaughter on a cruise last year and she loved it as well and still talks about the camp on the "big boat".

2. Sleeping arrangements....right now it's set up to have my daughter (7 y/o) in the room with grandma/grandpa because we were concerned about how to sleep 4 in a room. *IF* she decides she doesn't want to stay in there with them, will they bring us an extra cot? or will we have to just put her on the top murphy bed?

 

Did you book a cabin that holds 3 or 4? If it's 3, they MAY bring a cot IF you have a nice steward. If the steward is a stickler for the rules, you may have to double the kids up on one bed. Yes, they do have cots.

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?

 

Room service is included, but, it's mostly sandwich and salad kind of things.. not hot meals. Also, all the sandwiches come with either chips or pretzels. So, sometimes we just call and order a plate of chips and a plate of pretzels whenever we just want a snack.

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food?

 

My daughter still orders from the kids menu in the MDR in addition to the regular adult menu. She loves their mac & cheese and their chicken nuggets. I order the mac & cheese as an appetizer every night also. I also order a banana split for dessert every night.

 

Thanks all! Any other tips for traveling with the kiddies would be much appreciated!!

 

Have a great cruise!!! :D

[Momma2PirateNPrincess]

Wow you guys rock! Thank you SO much for the responses and tips!!!

 

rrraydon...we are booked in 2 triple occupancy rooms. We were originally going to do 4 in 1 room, 2 in the other but wanted to at least have the pull down beds in both. There are no pull out couches that I'm aware of.

[rrraydon]

Wow you guys rock! Thank you SO much for the responses and tips!!!

 

rrraydon...we are booked in 2 triple occupancy rooms. We were originally going to do 4 in 1 room, 2 in the other but wanted to at least have the pull down beds in both. There are no pull out couches that I'm aware of.

 

 

I can't remember if the Fascination has the couch or the pull down in their triples. We sailed her so long ago. They still might both fit in one.. maybe.

 

Hopefully, your steward will bring a cot if you end up needing it. :)

[apey9995]

My dad decided to take us all on cruise Jan 2015. It will be my parents, myself, hubby and our 2 kids, who will be 7.5 and 4.5 at the time of cruise. We'll be on the Fascination for 5 nights and have 2 ocean view rooms on the empress deck. I *think* we're next door to each other. I know we have a LOT of time until we cruise but things have been on my mind so here it goes!

 

Ok, so a few questions...

1. Tell me about the camps on board and if my kiddos are of a good age to attend?

2. Sleeping arrangements....right now it's set up to have my daughter (7 y/o) in the room with grandma/grandpa because we were concerned about how to sleep 4 in a room. *IF* she decides she doesn't want to stay in there with them, will they bring us an extra cot? or will we have to just put her on the top murphy bed?

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food?

 

Thanks all! Any other tips for traveling with the kiddies would be much appreciated!!

 

1. I think your kids are the perfect age to enjoy camp. They will be in different age groups though. My boys loved camp carnival... lots of fun activities!

 

2. The Fascination doesn't have sofas in the oceanview rooms... they have either a trundle bed, a pull down bunk, or both in some rooms. If you go to the carnival website and look at the deckplan, and find your room it will tell you what the setup is in the description and the maximum occupancy. If your max occupancy is 3 they will not bring you another cot (at least thats their policy, but you might get lucky and your steward might make an exception).

 

3. Others already answered... here's the room service menu for breakfast and lunch/dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

4. They do have a separate kids menu... not sure if this is a current one, if I remember right they also had mac and cheese. But gives you some idea...all the general "kid" foods are on there! :) Of course they can order off the main menu too if they want. My kids did a combo of both.

 

 

Hope you have fun! We are doing this same cruise in October!

Edited May 3, 2014 by apey9995

[KatieCharlotte]

My dad decided to take us all on cruise Jan 2015. It will be my parents, myself, hubby and our 2 kids, who will be 7.5 and 4.5 at the time of cruise. We'll be on the Fascination for 5 nights and have 2 ocean view rooms on the empress deck. I *think* we're next door to each other. I know we have a LOT of time until we cruise but things have been on my mind so here it goes!

 

Ok, so a few questions...

1. Tell me about the camps on board and if my kiddos are of a good age to attend?

2. Sleeping arrangements....right now it's set up to have my daughter (7 y/o) in the room with grandma/grandpa because we were concerned about how to sleep 4 in a room. *IF* she decides she doesn't want to stay in there with them, will they bring us an extra cot? or will we have to just put her on the top murphy bed?

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food?

 

Thanks all! Any other tips for traveling with the kiddies would be much appreciated!!

 

One of the great things about cruising is that you can visit new places but return to a ship with foods you know your kids will like. The kids' menu has all the basics, but my 5-year-old ordered fried chicken and fruit off the adult menu every single dinner. And if they don't like what they get, you can always stop at the buffet, grill (hot dogs, hamburgers, often chicken tenders), pizza, or deli (grilled cheese!) after dinner. :D In the ports, we brought pre-packaged snacks, including Goldfish crackers from home and cereal boxes from the breakfast buffet. And they'll eat ice cream 24/7. That's basically the highlight of the cruise for most kids.

 

My youngest was 4.5 for our first cruise. We found that she did fine in Camp Carnival as long as we only left her for an hour at a time. We had to drag my older daughter away from her friends at Camp.

 

We had a great cruise with five people in an inside cabin, so four can be done. There's an amazing amount of space in the drawers; just put your empty suitcases under the bed. And we use the closets and a flashlight for mini kid changing rooms. :) But, if you're in a room with a max occupancy of three, they probably won't allow a trundle bed, and if your kids are like mine they will be fighting over who gets to sleep with the grandparents anyway.

Edited May 4, 2014 by KatieCharlotte

[justusfour2014]

We just sailed on the Fascination in March - family first cruise. It was hubby, me, son (14) and daughter (11). We had an inside cabin that had 2 pullmans on the wall. All beds were comfy, even had a trundle bed under our king, if needed.

 

My kids didn't participate in the camps, so can't help ya there. The food (my son is very picky) is great and many things to pick from. My son was happy with the selections, and our dinner waiters even got him to try something different.

 

Have a great time, the Fascination, we thought, was a great ship!

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[OCruisers]

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food?

 

Yes, room service is included at no extra cost.

Yes, they have a children's menu.

Look forward to having a great cruise! :)

LuLu

[Almost Packed]

My dad decided to take us all on cruise Jan 2015. It will be my parents, myself, hubby and our 2 kids, who will be 7.5 and 4.5 at the time of cruise. We'll be on the Fascination for 5 nights and have 2 ocean view rooms on the empress deck. I *think* we're next door to each other. I know we have a LOT of time until we cruise but things have been on my mind so here it goes!

 

Ok, so a few questions...

1. Tell me about the camps on board and if my kiddos are of a good age to attend?

]Camp is awesome! Your kids are great ages to really enjoy it! My youngest started going when he was 6. He loves loves loves it and they are very safe. [/color]

 

2. Sleeping arrangements....right now it's set up to have my daughter (7 y/o) in the room with grandma/grandpa because we were concerned about how to sleep 4 in a room. *IF* she decides she doesn't want to stay in there with them, will they bring us an extra cot? or will we have to just put her on the top murphy bed?

Depending on your cabin set up, if you are in a cabin that sleeps 4, you will have bedding for 4. I don't know about them bringing a rollaway bed in.[/color][/color] But sleeping 4 to cabin is doable. Just be organized. There are tons of tips to help with that. My favorite thing to travel with for organization my over the door shoe holder. It keeps the little ones shoes all together in the bottom row, leaving me more space in the closet. I also give him a pocket or two to store his things. It keeps the cabin tidy and keeps everything neatly organized. We all know where everything is-in the shoe holder lol.

 

3. We have cruised before but it's been a long time. Is room service included?

 

Room service is certainly included. I sometimes order cookies and milk at night right before bed for my kiddo(s) and us too!

4. And that leads into another food question...do they serve kid type meals? You know, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, nuggets, hot dogs, etc. I am just wondering if my children don't like what is being served can they request these types of food?

 

]Absolutely! In the Main dining room, they have a kids menu. Also, with camp, the option is there for the kids to have dinner in camp with their new friends. We use to make sure our kids had dinner every night with us, but then they started begging to have dinner with friends at camp. So dh & I gave in. Now my youngest is 9 and almost always orders off the adult menu. He loves the fried chicken lol.[/color]

 

Thanks all! Any other tips for traveling with the kiddies would be much appreciated!!

 

Tips-we take a cheap air mat purchased from the dollar store to use at the beach. When we are done, we usually give it away to another child. I'm not sure if ya'll are flying or driving, but of course, things to keep the kiddos busy while traveling. We take a "makeshift" yahtzee game with us. it's a ziploc bag, 5 die and a pad of yahtzee score sheets and a cloth napkin to lay on the tabletop to keep the dice from banging and rolling around and clanking. We can play it on the plane, in the airport, we play on the ship and in our cabin before bed. It's fun and easy and fits in my purse.

 

Have fun, your kids will enjoy it, and you'll love the escape time while kids are in camp!

Edited May 4, 2014 by Almost Packed