Cruising with Kids

[wezie]

Hi. I have a question about cruising with kids. My brother and his wife want to bring their kids on a cruise. What other things are there for kids to do, other than the pool or camp carnival?

[In2why]

I think my kids loved cruising even more than I did which is saying something. They enjoyed the same things we did; the food, exploring the ports, dancing on deck, watching the ice carving, the kids programs of course which are a lot more than people imagine since they planned midnight parties, scavenger hunts and other fun things to do. They also loved just relaxing on the balcony, sleeping like babies as the ship rocked, and meeting up with their friends to play basketball or mini golf. It was the perfect mix of family time an adult time, and as the Mom I can certainly say it was my most relaxed vacation since I didn't have to worry about feeding everyone, keeping the kids entertained as we traveled, or herding them. It was a great experience for the kids and us. I think the only way it would be an issue is if being drunk all vacation is the goal and in that case I wouldn't bring them. We were easily able to carve out alone time, just the two of us every day when the kids were doing their own thing even when we all shared a cabin. It just meant being spontaneous which was even more fun.

[Cruising4]

Pools on any ship are too small for the number of passengers. The new ships like the Breeze have a water park with slides for all ages, mini-golf, ropes course (limited hours), 4-d movie theater, family movies at night under the stars, family comedy shows, foosball, pool, and basketball.

 

I think cruising is the perfect family vacation! Plenty of family time while offering separate activities for parents and kids.

 

How old are their children?

[shellsd]

plenty to do. I gave my kids a choice between Disney World again or Carnival again and they were extremely enthusiastic in picking Carnival. Mine are 6 and 10.

[keelyhealthnut]

Just in my experience and what our kids enjoyed on our cruise...honestly they were super impressed by the meals. Haha. We didn't avoid the MDR (I have heard that some with kids do) and they really enjoyed course after course of food. At home we always share a couple of plates to stay on budget so it was special to them. One got salad and the other got spring rolls as an appetizer every day. They had a hard time adjusting back to regular life after that! LOL Eating ice cream in the middle of the day, pizza before bed, room service. Yeah, they spent plenty of time very happily eating. :D

 

They loved hanging out on our balcony, breathing in the ocean air, feeling the breeze, and spending time together. They're pretty young, but they got a kick out of going up and down the clear elevators! Every night they looked forward to playing putt-putt and they really loved the live shows. We played board games in our room and card games in public areas.

 

They never set a foot in Camp Carnival and they only went swimming twice. There was plenty to do and the newness of it all is wonderful. I loved seeing it all through their eyes.

Edited January 30, 2015 by keelyhealthnut

[KatieBug28]

We had my younger cousins as well as my kids with us last time, and they all had a great time!

 

They were so excited to visit a new country, and wanted to learn all about Mexico before we left. They had a great time in the ports and really enjoyed trying new activities there (whale watching, ATVs, etc.).

 

Onboard, they all really enjoyed camp, as well as the mini golf course, trivia, dance classes, and just about all of the other family-friendly activities that were available. We even took them to the piano bar one night when it was empty, and had a blast! They liked the shows in the main lounge OK, we took them to see a few that seemed appropriate. We also watched a few movies on the big screen under the stars and took a lot of family walks up on the sport deck, talking about what we wanted to do next or what we had enjoyed.

 

Someone else was mentioning food, and for some reason, this was highly entertaining for the kids in our group, too. They loved getting dressed up for dinner in the MDR and trying all the stuff on the "Didja Ever" section of the menu. And the older ones really liked that they could order "adult" entrees instead of being stuck with chicken nuggets, etc. They also though room service was awesome, and had fun ordering that a few times while watching a movie in the cabin. The girls tried afternoon tea, and that was great as well.

 

Overall, I almost feel like there is MORE for kids to do than adults. They all had a blast and can't wait to do it again.

[CatlinSTJ]

It will also depend on the ship you sail. My kids love cruising - my youngest cruised for the first time at 5 and was hooked, she keeps asking to live on a cruise ship. For older teens, they can make friends and do the different activities (which often take place outside Of Circle C and and Club O2.) there is a game room on each ship, but the quality and size will depend on the ship and that can get expensive quick if you're not careful. My kids all loved the family friendly shows, going to the dining room, and even hanging out in the library playing board games.

 

 

Next cruise: Celebrity Constellation July 2015

[A&Jfamily]

Hi. I have a question about cruising with kids. My brother and his wife want to bring their kids on a cruise. What other things are there for kids to do, other than the pool or camp carnival?

 

Check out the special interest cruising family board....more information that you can possibly imaging!

[wezie]

Thanks Everyone for your help....the kids are 2, 4, 5 and 6. I know they won't be able to do a lot of the things mentioned, but it does sound like there will be a lot for them to do.

[A&Jfamily]

My kids have been cruising since 2 and 8 respectively and have loved camp and never been bored a minute.

 

 

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