Is Freedom too family friendly for people who want less kids

[mlmbar]

Considering Freedom for Aug 2016. Been on Jewel, Allure, oasis, and will be on Adventure this Sept. Special birthday day cruise for my BFF , want Caribbean and like Freedom. Is it too family friendly for two grandmothers who really don't want to be on a very family oriented cruise?

[gerif]

Any of the summer months would be prime time for kids on any ship. If you want a cruise with fewer kids, I'd choose September.

[Retired LEO]

Considering Freedom for Aug 2016. Been on Jewel, Allure, oasis, and will be on Adventure this Sept. Special birthday day cruise for my BFF , want Caribbean and like Freedom. Is it too family friendly for two grandmothers who really don't want to be on a very family oriented cruise?

 

Whenever school is out there will be ALOT of kids.

[Susie51]

There will plenty of activities you will enjoy. Have fun with your BFF

[LadyBeBop]

We picked the FOS because it was family friendly. Since we are going at a non-peak time, I hope there are enough kids that my six-year old granddaughter can play with.

 

Less than six days to go until Sunday. Can't wait.

Edited April 20, 2015 by LadyBeBop

[micmacmissy]

We went in January (after new year's) and there were less than 250 kids on a ship of 3,000 people.

 

But in August...yeah, there are going to be a LOT of kids.

 

Look into Celebrity instead- cost will be the same and experience will be more refined with a lot fewer kids!

[loveJake]

We went in January (after new year's) and there were less than 250 kids on a ship of 3,000 people.

 

But in August...yeah, there are going to be a LOT of kids.

 

Look into Celebrity instead- cost will be the same and experience will be more refined with a lot fewer kids!

 

We are going on January 3rd and looking for college age kids for our grandson, is that maninly the age you saw? College break is not over for him at this sailing.

Edited April 20, 2015 by loveJake

[spookwife]

Considering Freedom for Aug 2016. Been on Jewel, Allure, oasis, and will be on Adventure this Sept. Special birthday day cruise for my BFF , want Caribbean and like Freedom. Is it too family friendly for two grandmothers who really don't want to be on a very family oriented cruise?

 

Any sailing under 10 days during the summer will be inundated with families/kids.

 

want less kids, go ten days or more or sail in September through Mid November, the first 2 weeks of December and then late Spring( mid April through the end of May to avoid the Spring Break Crowd)

 

Or, sail a premium line which does not cater to families or children.

[mlmbar]

We went in January (after new year's) and there were less than 250 kids on a ship of 3,000 people.

 

But in August...yeah, there are going to be a LOT of kids.

 

Look into Celebrity instead- cost will be the same and experience will be more refined with a lot fewer kids!

 

Celebrity is not an option for now since they don't sail in the summer. We are looking at Aug 28 so hoping kids will have started school. I know they do in some areas

[temple1]

There will be a lot of kids, but except for the main pool area they usually seem to be under control. We are just back from an 11 night cruise on a competitor and were surprised at the number of kids (of all ages) on board. Now days with so many home schoolers and special kids (my kid is so smart s/he can miss a week of school (spring break plus a week) any cruise unless it is billed as adult only will have its fair share of kids.

 

By the end of August most school systems are back, the primary ones still out are NY and VA.

[Funky Chicken]

Just off Freedom yesterday with a 9 year old.

If anything the ship felt less accomodating to kids than others. The kid load was very light compared to the week prior which was the last real spring break week according to the staff at Adventure Ocean.

It's all in the week you sail.

[marci22]

You can use strategy to avoid them for the most part. Take a later dinner seating, don't sit on the pool deck (go one deck higher), relax on your balcony.

 

I think you can avoid kids but if you don't want to actually see kids? Not happening.

[mlmbar]

You can use strategy to avoid them for the most part. Take a later dinner seating, don't sit on the pool deck (go one deck higher), relax on your balcony.

 

I think you can avoid kids but if you don't want to actually see kids? Not happening.

 

Of course we expect to see kids. We have our own kids and grandkids. We just don't want to be overwhelmed with kids. Yes, we always do late dinner and we usually get chairs above the pool deck. We aren't anti kid just prefer less . I was a teacher for more years than I want to admit so take it from that LOL!

[39august]

That last week in August should have noticably fewer kids on board than earlier in the summer. And the Solarium is the perfect place to avoid children.

[reallyitsmema]

August will still have lots of kids on Freedom. If you want to avoid kids, wait until after Labor Day to cruise. We have sailed Freedom on a sailing that ended Labor Day weekend and there were 800+ kids on board. There are still many school districts that don't start school until the Tuesday or Wednesday after Labor Day.

[mlmbar]

August will still have lots of kids on Freedom. If you want to avoid kids, wait until after Labor Day to cruise. We have sailed Freedom on a sailing that ended Labor Day weekend and there were 800+ kids on board. There are still many school districts that don't start school until the Tuesday or Wednesday after Labor Day.

 

We don't have that option

[Jiffymom]

I understand what you want. I didn't feel there are too many kids. I just stayed away from the kids pool or kids activities. I felt most children were in there own little pool area. I doubt you would be sitting there anyway.I think the clubs and entertainment were very adult oriented

I do suggest you get my MTD so you can eat alittle later than the young ones. Oh who knows maybe they will have DD by then.

Have fun

[micmacmissy]

We are going on January 3rd and looking for college age kids for our grandson, is that maninly the age you saw? College break is not over for him at this sailing.

 

We went later than that, January 26th, I think it was. Don't know how many college age kids will be onboard. One thing you might try is to join the roll call for your sailing and see if anyone there is bringing college aged kids.

Edited April 20, 2015 by micmacmissy

[mlmbar]

I understand what you want. I didn't feel there are too many kids. I just stayed away from the kids pool or kids activities. I felt most children were in there own little pool area. I doubt you would be sitting there anyway.I think the clubs and entertainment were very adult oriented

I do suggest you get my MTD so you can eat alittle later than the young ones. Oh who knows maybe they will have DD by then.

Have fun

 

Good suggestions. We only do MTD or specialty. Forgot about Solarium because Nov on Jewel we never used it because we didn;t like it. BUT on Oasis and Allure we pretty much only went there

[stoneharborlady]

My three past cruises have been Princess, and I was very happy with them. But summer of 2016 we are looking at Freedom as Princess will not have ships in the Caribbean, and neither will Celebrity or HAL. Only Carnival and Royal Caribbean. To be honest, I have twice sailed in July, on large Princess ships, and hardly ever noticed the 600 kids on board. We never had a problem with any of them.

[dcgrumpy]

My husband and I went on FOS at the end of August without the kids a number of years ago.

 

We had a great time. I'm not sure how many kids were on board but not enough that I really even noticed them. We never went to the main pool and we had late dinner seating.

 

The end of August shouldn't be too bad since most kids are back in school.

[paulh84]

I doubt there are many schools out there any more that wait until Labor Day to start. Labor Day is also late this year (9/7) so most kids will be several weeks into school by that time. I doubt there are many on board, and the ones that are will probably be younger than kindergarten age and stay close to the H20 zone. I think you'll be fine.

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

If you specifically do not want a lot of kids around, that ship during that time is a poor choice. June-August are prime family cruise months and the Freedom will have tons and tons.

[dcgrumpy]

If you specifically do not want a lot of kids around, that ship during that time is a poor choice. June-August are prime family cruise months and the Freedom will have tons and tons.

 

We always go on vacation the week before Labor Day because almost the entire country is back in school by then. I really don't think she'll find a ton of kids onboard that late in the summer.

[reallyitsmema]

We always go on vacation the week before Labor Day because almost the entire country is back in school by then. I really don't think she'll find a ton of kids onboard that late in the summer.

 

Many school districts in the northeast are not back in school by then. We have also sailed that week with over 800 kids, many from New England states, New York and New Jersey.