FREEDOM - cruising with 3 and 5 year old

[bigeagle12]

Taking kids and grandkids .. please tell me everything there is to know about cruising with a 3 and 5 year old .. kids program, H2O zone, etc.

[Clarea]

Taking kids and grandkids .. please tell me everything there is to know about cruising with a 3 and 5 year old .. kids program, H2O zone, etc.

Here is an excellent thread on Adventure Ocean:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2060369

[bigeagle12]

Here is an excellent thread on Adventure Ocean:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2060369

 

 

Thanks Bob :-)

[bigeagle12]

Any real life experiences?

[amiller2850]

Have taken our kids now ages 8&10 on 12 cruises. Went on freedom OTS last July. What specific info do you need? Kids club is free. They will want to be there all the time. Time is booked there in 3 hour increments. You don't have to stay all3 hours of each session though. The staff seems to really cater to the kids and enjoy having them. There is a pirate night, kids talent show, lots of games and science experiments. We have found RCCL kids club teachers to be top notch on all ships. Favorites are Messy Jessie, Cookie, Cucaracha, Music, and Obi Wan. We have run into some of them on several ships.

 

 

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[amiller2850]

h2o zone is fun too, but the ship is so large there is tons more to do. Don't forget to treat them to Ben n Jerrys also!

 

 

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[bigeagle12]

h2o zone is fun too, but the ship is so large there is tons more to do. Don't forget to treat them to Ben n Jerrys also!

 

 

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Thanks for the information. Definitely want them involved in kids club but also want chance for whole family to be together.

 

Good to know they do not have to attend entire 3 hour sessions.

 

Trust me grandma will spoil them the entire cruise.

[amiller2850]

Thanks for the information. Definitely want them involved in kids club but also want chance for whole family to be together.

 

Good to know they do not have to attend entire 3 hour sessions.

 

Trust me grandma will spoil them the entire cruise.

 

 

It's easy to do!!! Have a fabulous time! Freedom is a great ship!! By the way if Stacy greets you at the buffet every morning in her hula skirt and flashing glasses, tell her Matthew said hi! He danced with her last summer every morning before breakfast. Had a blast every morning!

 

 

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[Queen of Oakville]

My kids were probably 4 and 6 when we sailed FOTS.

 

It was a great cruise.

 

With your kids being a bit younger, be sure to research height and weight restrictions on activities before you tell them about it.

 

Be sure to book the DreamWorks Character Breakfast ( you can do this online - look under specialty dining). The character experience is good (not great). It's not "in your face" like Disney - but the service side isn't there either. You could be lined up to meet Fiona and just as your little one reaches the front of the line - Fiona might get swapped for another character.

 

Be sure to take in the parades - lots of fun and high energy.

[LuCruise]

Thanks for the information. Definitely want them involved in kids club but also want chance for whole family to be together.

 

Good to know they do not have to attend entire 3 hour sessions.

 

Trust me grandma will spoil them the entire cruise.

 

That's how I feel too. We're going on family vacation so the point is to be together.

 

Freedom has the DreamWorks characters (parades, meet and greets), mini golf, ice skating , not sure if they are big enough for rock wall, arcade, h20 zone.

 

These ships look great for kids.

Edited June 9, 2015 by LuCruise

[bigeagle12]

That's how I feel too. We're going on family vacation so the point is to be together.

 

 

 

Freedom has the DreamWorks characters (parades, meet and greets), mini golf, ice skating , not sure if they are big enough for rock wall, arcade, h20 zone.

 

 

 

These ships look great for kids.

 

 

Is there an age limit on H2O Zone?

[Clarea]

Is there an age limit on H2O Zone?

No, you can jump in if you like.:)

[scooter90]

In July we are cruising on the Liberty with our kids and three grandkids (ages 3, 7 and 10). I'll do my best to bring you updated planners and information after we return.

 

Our youngest daughter, now 21, always LOVED the AO programs and met kids she still communicates with to this day. She's been telling her nieces and nephew all about it to get them excited to participate.

 

As it is a family cruise, they won't be there all the time but will participate to give the grown ups some free time too!

[bigeagle12]

No, you can jump in if you like.:)

 

 

Bob, I am sure I will .. while the women are sunbathing .. I am sure my son, son-in-law, and I will have kid duty .. and if I am in the sun I will need to be wet

[breeze123]

We've enjoyed lots of family activities as well. Bingo, Disney trivia, etc. Just check the Cruise Compass and you'll find lots of things to do.

[BlueSkiesTX]

In July we are cruising on the Liberty with our kids and three grandkids (ages 3, 7 and 10). I'll do my best to bring you updated planners and information after we return.

 

Thanks! We will be traveling during Thanksgiving with our three girls (7, 5, 3) and would love any tips/hits and misses.

[cariocadagema]

Last time we sailed on the FOS we did the characters breakfast but I'm not sure we had to book it and it was free.

Do I have to book it prior to sailing now?

Is there a charge for the character breakfast?

--------

2nd question :)

 

I have a five year old who will be six in the end of September, I believe she would enjoy the 'Explorers' room much more than 'Aquanauts', do you think they would let me switch? has anyone picked another room,on adventure ocean, before?

[Queen of Oakville]

Thanks! We will be traveling during Thanksgiving with our three girls (7, 5, 3) and would love any tips/hits and misses.

 

We've never done it - but the space offers an ice-cream soda mani/pedi (or something like that) for little girls.

 

...just in case you want to treat your grand-girlies.

[LoveMyBoston]

We are just off Liberty of the Seas. My son is 5 and will be 6 at the end of September also. I asked Adventure Ocean on the first day whether he could be moved up and they were very honest about it and said that in this case they would have the next 2 older groups combined so he would be a little too young and they wouldn't recommend it. They turned out to have great activities for his age in the Aquanats room and he loved it!! So you may want to inquire on the first day but in our case it worked out great to leave him with his age group.

[TheGaDawgFan]

Our then 5 year old had a blast! We're actually sailing again on Thanksgiving.

 

He loved the H2O zone and pretty much would have spent the whole cruise there.

 

We all loved the ice skating show.

 

The character lines are usually super short (maybe a family or 2 in front of you), so I wouldn't pay for a character breakfast.

 

We mainly spent the day as a family, and our son went to AO after dinner. Pirate night was a lot of fun for our son, and they do a cute parade with it.

[Queen of Oakville]

Our then 5 year old had a blast! We're actually sailing again on Thanksgiving.

 

He loved the H2O zone and pretty much would have spent the whole cruise there.

 

We all loved the ice skating show.

 

The character lines are usually super short (maybe a family or 2 in front of you), so I wouldn't pay for a character breakfast.

 

We mainly spent the day as a family, and our son went to AO after dinner. Pirate night was a lot of fun for our son, and they do a cute parade with it.

 

Do they charge now for the character breakfast? They were free when we sailed FOTS and Oasis.

 

The experience of the character breakfast is a bit different than the photo ops throughout the week. Unlike Disney, the characters don't really interact much. It's a quick photo and then onto the next kid. Whereas at the breakfast, the characters circulate through the room. Plus you get all the characters at the breakfast.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Queen of Oakville

[Clarea]

Do they charge now for the character breakfast? ....

I believe there is a charge for adults now.

[amiller2850]

Is there an age limit on H2O Zone?

 

 

No there is not.

 

 

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