Mom's comparison of RCCL,NCL, and Disney

[melinda0222]

Let me start by telling a little about myself. I am a mother to 3 boys(11,9,7) and I have gone on 9 cruises total. I have had the privilege of beingon the Disney Dream, Norweigan Getaway, and RCCL Independence of the Seas in the last 15 months. I feel like I have a unique opportunity to compare the 3 from a mothers perspective. This is just my opinion and observations, to help other parents.

 

 

My first comparison will come directly from my boys and it involves the kids clubs. My boys enjoyed all 3 kids clubs but the Disney's kids club blows the rest out of the park. The amount of activities and the type of activities were better. The fact that Disney lets my kids play together is an additional bonus. The actual kids club is much bigger on Disney. From a parents perspective Disney's kids club has a lot of advantages. The first, and biggest, is that it doesn't close down during the day. Both NCL and RCCL only keep their kids club open for 3-4 hours at a time. It seemed like everytime my husband and I finally got relaxed, one of us would have to leave to go get the kids. We don't stick the kids in the club and then forget about them for the rest of the day, but we do enjoy the freedom that comes with deciding when to take the kids out. In addition both RCCL and NCL charge a fee after 10pm per kid and Disney does not. I also like the GPS's they put on the kids, to make it easier to find them. Don't get me wrong my kids enjoyed all the kids club but Disney was better.

 

 

The next comparison is the food. We have enjoyed the specialty restaurants on all 3 ships and we believe that it is most definitely worth every dollar we spent. Let me also tell you that my husband and I enjoy food. We feel like good food is essential in vacation. We have also stayed at multiple different all inclusive resorts, so I feel like we have a pretty good idea on the limitations that cruise ships face in feeding the masses. I just recently got off IOS so my opinion of the food is very fresh in my mind. Let me state that I seem to remember feeling like the main dining room food was average on both Disney and NCL. I don't remember being overly impressed but I wasn't disappointed either. However I was disappointed in IOS food. I definitely felt like they didn't deliver average to good cruise food. My Mom was also on IOS and she has more than 35 days with RCCL and has gone on numerous other cruise lines and she felt the same way I did. I do feel like food is very individual to the ship, so I wouldn't base my dislike of the IOS food on all RCCL ships. My personal opinion, as we continue to go on other cruises, is to do more specialty restaurants.

 

 

Along the line of the food, is how you dine. On Disney you rotate restaurants with your severs. This is great for the younger kids as each dining room is unique. On NCL you have freestyle. You decide where and when you want to eat. On the Getaway they had 5 free main dining rooms, all a little different. I loved, loved the fact that you could not make reservations at the main dining room. You show up when you want. I recall only ever having a wait at 1 restaurant and we left and went to another dining room that had no wait. On IOS they have my time dining. I felt like there was a pressure, with a family of 5, to make a reservation time 2 months before we left. I felt like if you didn't have a reservation and wanted to eat during “busy” times you would be waiting. I have to say I strongly disliked this. I loved being free to eat when and where I wanted to dine. NCL wins this hands down for me. We also felt like the lunch options were very limited on IOS compared to NCL and Disney. In general I preferred the food on NCL over the other two. The Getaway had 20+ restaurants on board and we really enjoyed the variety.

 

 

The entertainment is my next comparison. The general nightly shows are significantly better on Disney. There really is no comparison. The talent, show, production,etc... just makes Disney shine. I will say that I felt like RCCL had better small acts. I really enjoyed the live band that we found on IOS. Don't remember finding that on NCL or Disney. Disney has less adult shows than the other two lines. I really feel like this area is a wash between the 3 lines. I feel like what you find and do is subjective to each ship and to each person. However if you want a big nightly production that can be enjoyed by all, Disney will not disappoint.

 

 

My last comparison is the actual ship. So in this case I am comparing the Dream, Getaway, and IOS. I also recognize that the Getaway was a brand new ship when we went on it. The Dream and IOS are a little older, but by no means old, so I feel like comparing these 3 is fair. Each ship had its pluses and minuses. The IOS had really great kids pools. My kids loved being able to swim in a pool. The NCL and Disney don't have the best pools. The NCL had 5 water slides. The water slides were amazing and enjoyed by my older two, husband, and my self. Everyone also enjoyed the Aquaduct but after that there wasn't much in the way of pool area for Disney. This is a toss up between IOS and Getaway. It all depends on weather you prefer slides or pools. The adult only areas on the Dream are amazing. They are secluded and virtually empty, so it is a really great area on the ship. The Getaway has an area called the Vibe, which is amazing. Yes it costs and there are limited tickets sold, but if you are lucky enough to get them, it is like you are on your own ship. There is a private area of comfortable chairs with umbrellas, bar, and hot tub all with an amazing view. The IOS adults only area was not secluded and people could walk through it. It was really crowded. It was a disappointment for my husband and myself. Disney doesn't have a rock climbing wall or any other things to do on the ship. There big draw is all the characters. So if you have kids that are of the age where the characters are important, than this is huge draw. The Getaway had so many amazing things to do. We were huge fans of the ropes course, rock climbing wall, trampoline bungy jumping. My older two kids were never board while on board the Getaway. My youngest was 6 at the time and I think he would have enjoyed the characters a little more. The IOS had some fun things, but it seems like all there things had long lines and were not meant for my kids ages. The rock climbing wall was better on IOS, taller. IOS has the flowrider, which didn't do a lot for my kids. In fact my youngest couldn't do it at all. There was an ice skating ring, but we never made it there other than the ice show. In general we as a family preferred the Getaway when comparing ships.

 

 

I hope this helps out others who are trying to make a decision. In general my advice is that if you have younger children and price isn't a huge sticking point, then Disney all the way. You and your kids will enjoy your time more. Disney just does a better job of taking care of the young ones, which in turn makes your vacation better. If your kids are getting older 8 and up then consider the Getaway. The ship itself has so much to offer, and the freestyle dining makes vacation more enjoyable. I can not recommend the IOS. While we had a good time, there were too many things we didn't enjoy. Maybe going on one of RCCL newest ships would be a very different experience than IOS? Remember this is just my opinion. Feel free to ask questions and I will do my best answer them.

Edited February 21, 2016 by melinda0222

[titangas]

Paragraphs and spacing are your friend, your post is hard to read as it is now.

 

I agree with most of what you said.

 

Bottom line is that Disney really is much better for families, but that comes at a significant cost -- No casino is a big factor in that because of lost revenue, and that would be the biggest drawback that many might have beside cost.

[fshagan]

Thanks for a great review! By the time we started cruising our kids were in their early and late teens, so we haven't seen much of a comparison of the kid's clubs. I would expect Disney to be a bit better than the others due to their content, but I didn't realize the limited hours on both NCL and RCCL. On the Magic, our young teen stayed with the teens club the entire trip and really enjoyed it. It's nice to hear they keep the younger ones just as captivated today.

 

I like the way you presented the review and enjoyed it very much!

[hansolosmom]

i just wanted to add, it also depends on the kids.

We did a combination of Disney and Royal ships when my boys were younger. First time on a cruise they were 4 & 6.

 

Mine never really liked going to the kids clubs until they were older 8-10 range. While they enjoyed Disney, they also really liked the pool/water park area on Royal. Freedom of the Seas was their favorite between the water park, flowrider, rock wall and ice rink. Of course though as they became teens, they enjoyed both Princess and Celebrity.

 

I agree with you on the adult area difference between Royal and Disney. Too much walking through on Royal. Although on one Disney trip there was a woman with a small baby in the adult area and no one would tell her to leave. That was annoying,

 

I wish they would have had the cool NCL ships when the kids were younger and we could have tried them too. Although I think their complaint would be the pool area is too small, since that's usually where we end up on the ship most often.

Edited February 21, 2016 by hansolosmom

[KarimaJ]

I am trying to decide if we should try the Getaway, we have done Disney. The only difference is that indeed the kids club on disney is geared more towards little ones. My daughter was 9 and didn't want to stay there, said it felt "babyish" lol. She was happier with the pool but would love the slides, rope course now. She is 11. We also liked dining and entertainment on Disney. Good shows.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[melinda0222]

I am trying to decide if we should try the Getaway, we have done Disney. The only difference is that indeed the kids club on disney is geared more towards little ones. My daughter was 9 and didn't want to stay there, said it felt "babyish" lol. She was happier with the pool but would love the slides, rope course now. She is 11. We also liked dining and entertainment on Disney. Good shows.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

My boys were 10, 8 when we went on Getaway. They loved the ropes course. They harness you in and you walk on ropes set different ways. There is a plank you walk out on that is over the ocean. I was worried they would be scared of it, but they loved it. My husband and I also loved it. The slides are awesome, with one that the bottom falls out below you. My oldest prefers the Getaway.

 

He also liked the kids club on the Getaway. There wasn't much room, but they took the older kids up to the sports court. The rock climbing wall as also a hit. I will say the pools are very small.

 

As far as dining goes, I really loved the variety and the freestyle. One of the free dining rooms had a live band playing with a dance floor, so my husband and I could dance while we were waiting for dinner.

 

I remember being disappointed in the shows. They really wont compare to Disney.

 

If you decide to go on the Getaway I recommend a few things. First get a Vibe pass. This made our trip. You can't reserve ahead of time. You must be towards the front of getting on the ship and immediately go down to guest services to get a pass. You could also look at The Haven. This is a secluded area for rooms on the Getaway. Again you will pay more, but compared to Disney it will be close. Also since it sounds like your daughter is the same age as my oldest, grab a few walkies. We would let him sign himself out as long as he had the walkie and let us know. We were in constant communication. Make sure you get decent quality with a 1-2 mile radius. This will help with the limited hours of the kids club.

 

Hope this helps

[Nola26]

I see talk about Vibe which has a cost and very limited passes, but not Spice H2O which any adult can access on the Getaway. I really enjoyed my time there. Big screen had sports (soccer), fun music mix in background, two hot tubs, cooling water feature, mobile drinks servers that also rotated through with cold towels. It's close to Flamingo Grill and buffet so easy to run up for a quick snack too.

 

If your budget or luck don't allow for a Vibe Pass the free adult area is pretty nice too. It seems even nicer on the Escape.

[Donna_In_India]

Thanks for taking the time to share your opinions. In 7 months we've sailed Disney, NCL, and Royal. We’ve done a few Disney (most recently the Fantasy in February), a few NCL (most recently the Getaway in August), and an RCI (the Oasis also in August).

 

Our daughter was almost 6 on our last Disney cruise (Fantasy) and just over 6 in August. My biggest issue with the Disney kids’ clubs is that the age groups “mix”. While that may have been great for you, I really would never be comfortable with a 3 year old being able to mix with a 12 year old and in fact, the only time my daughter went to the club on Disney I found her very(very) upset on the older kids’ “side”. She was completely turned off by the club and I could not get her in again. She has previously been in the kid’s club on the Epic and Breakaway and enjoyed both very much. I think it depends on the age of the child. I did ask on NCL why the clubs closed and the reason is because parents did indeed drop their children off for hours and hours on end. Personally, that’s not our idea of a family vacation.

 

We found the food very good on NCL (except La Cucina). Disney for the most part had very good food (we didn’t like that there was no option of a dinner buffet). Royal’s food was not good at all. We’re not the types that get warm & fuzzy with our wait staff (indeed, our waiter on the Fantasy told us 5 of 7 nights that we HAD to give him an excellent review on the comment cards – most annoying!). We sailed with a group (8 on the Breakaway, 11 on the Getaway) and didn’t make any reservations on the Breakaway. We waited EVERY single night – a minimum of 30 minutes – NOT fun with hungry kids! Lesson learned – we booked everything for our party of 11 on the Getaway. Unfortunately when we boarded we found that there were activities going on when we were booked to be at dinner. I didn’t like that we felt like we HAD to book all our dinners – sometimes you just don’t know what you’ll want to do!

 

As far as entertainment – for families, Disney rules. I was surprised to find that Royal had excellent shows for my daughter – the ice show, the aqua show, and Cats. NCL loses when it comes to family entertainment. Our kids did enjoy a limited amount of time at the Glow Party and 70s party on NCL.

 

Even without slides, the pool area on the Oasis was great. The slides on NCL were good but the pool area was horrible (so overcrowded) and tiny – and the deck was so slippery – watched many people go flying. Aquaduct on Disney was fun but again the pool and splash areas were so small.

 

Overall we found the most amount of family activities on Disney – lots of dance parties, etc. NCL had a few and less on RCI. We never felt crowded on the Fantasy(and it was a holiday week), slightly so on NCL and packed in on the Oasis. We didn't enjoy the buffet set up on the Oasis - it was very weird - just didn't flow. The rooms on Disney were probably the most functional. Oddly the insides on the Getaway seemed a little better than the balconies. Crew on Disney is excellent but NCL's were great as well. I did not like the overall set up of the Oasis - I hated the Promenade and just felt so detached from the sea/ocean - much the opposite of the Waterfront of NCL.

 

In the end you have to take into account the ages of your children and what they like to do. NCL is great for older kids. At 6 my daughter loved the ropes course and rock climbing walls. On the Oasis she loved the pool area, the rock climbing wall, and the carousel. (The Oasis was the only ship she asked to go on again.)

 

We have a Disney cruise coming up (might be our last). We had SO many changes to our Getaway cruise between the time we booked and the time we sailed that it left such us with such a bad taste...we'd be hard pressed to book with NCL for a long time. As far as RCI - we booked a summer cruise because of the itinerary but I really wouldn't consider cruising with them again. So 2017 for us is going to be all land vacations!

Edited February 21, 2016 by Donna_In_India

[TowerOrchard]

Just to provide another data point, my kids did not enjoy the kids's club on the Disney Fantasy at all. There is no doubt about the fact that it looks cooler - who wouldn't want to hang out in Pixie Hollow or Andy's bedroom? But once the wow factor of the theming wore off, my kids had an overall bad time there.

 

There are just SO MANY kids on a DCL cruise that it is impossible for them to get a lot of one-on-one interaction with the counselors. My kids are also at the younger end of the age range (they were 6 and 4 during our cruise last May), and they definitely got intimidated by "the big kids" sharing the same space. I was very disappointed at how all the kids were herded together there.

 

On the other hand, my son loved the clubs on NCL (my daughter was too young to go on our last NCL cruise). They don't look as cool, but they had tons more interaction with counselors, were separated into age appropriate groups, and he particularly loved the circus performance at the end of the week.

 

I do agree that closing the kids' clubs down in the middle of the day requires an extra level of scheduling that I'd rather avoid on a cruise, but I'd still choose the level of attention that NCL provides over the crowded chaos of the kids' club on the Fantasy.

[melinda0222]

Just to provide another data point, my kids did not enjoy the kids's club on the Disney Fantasy at all. There is no doubt about the fact that it looks cooler - who wouldn't want to hang out in Pixie Hollow or Andy's bedroom? But once the wow factor of the theming wore off, my kids had an overall bad time there.

 

There are just SO MANY kids on a DCL cruise that it is impossible for them to get a lot of one-on-one interaction with the counselors. My kids are also at the younger end of the age range (they were 6 and 4 during our cruise last May), and they definitely got intimidated by "the big kids" sharing the same space. I was very disappointed at how all the kids were herded together there.

 

On the other hand, my son loved the clubs on NCL (my daughter was too young to go on our last NCL cruise). They don't look as cool, but they had tons more interaction with counselors, were separated into age appropriate groups, and he particularly loved the circus performance at the end of the week.

 

I do agree that closing the kids' clubs down in the middle of the day requires an extra level of scheduling that I'd rather avoid on a cruise, but I'd still choose the level of attention that NCL provides over the crowded chaos of the kids' club on the Fantasy.

 

Goes to show you how much every kids and for that matter adults opinions vary. My kids went on the Dream when they were 3, 5, 7 and loved the kids club. They didn't want to leave. We would make them leave for a late lunch and some pool time. We went in the fall and it never seemed crowded or chaotic. When we went on NCL my oldest really enjoyed the kids club and the circus performance but the younger two didn't like the kids club as much. They were 10, 8, 6 on that cruise. On RCCL my older two seemed to enjoy it more. When I asked them which they liked better my oldest said it was a tie between NCL and RCCL, youngest said Disney, and my middle one said RCCL over NCL but he couldn't remember Disney. They never had a bad time, and a day in the kids club is better than a day at school. Really you can't go wrong.

[melinda0222]

Thanks for taking the time to share your opinions. In 7 months we've sailed Disney, NCL, and Royal. We’ve done a few Disney (most recently the Fantasy in February), a few NCL (most recently the Getaway in August), and an RCI (the Oasis also in August).

 

Our daughter was almost 6 on our last Disney cruise (Fantasy) and just over 6 in August. My biggest issue with the Disney kids’ clubs is that the age groups “mix”. While that may have been great for you, I really would never be comfortable with a 3 year old being able to mix with a 12 year old and in fact, the only time my daughter went to the club on Disney I found her very(very) upset on the older kids’ “side”. She was completely turned off by the club and I could not get her in again. She has previously been in the kid’s club on the Epic and Breakaway and enjoyed both very much. I think it depends on the age of the child. I did ask on NCL why the clubs closed and the reason is because parents did indeed drop their children off for hours and hours on end. Personally, that’s not our idea of a family vacation.

 

We found the food very good on NCL (except La Cucina). Disney for the most part had very good food (we didn’t like that there was no option of a dinner buffet). Royal’s food was not good at all. We’re not the types that get warm & fuzzy with our wait staff (indeed, our waiter on the Fantasy told us 5 of 7 nights that we HAD to give him an excellent review on the comment cards – most annoying!). We sailed with a group (8 on the Breakaway, 11 on the Getaway) and didn’t make any reservations on the Breakaway. We waited EVERY single night – a minimum of 30 minutes – NOT fun with hungry kids! Lesson learned – we booked everything for our party of 11 on the Getaway. Unfortunately when we boarded we found that there were activities going on when we were booked to be at dinner. I didn’t like that we felt like we HAD to book all our dinners – sometimes you just don’t know what you’ll want to do!

 

As far as entertainment – for families, Disney rules. I was surprised to find that Royal had excellent shows for my daughter – the ice show, the aqua show, and Cats. NCL loses when it comes to family entertainment. Our kids did enjoy a limited amount of time at the Glow Party and 70s party on NCL.

 

Even without slides, the pool area on the Oasis was great. The slides on NCL were good but the pool area was horrible (so overcrowded) and tiny – and the deck was so slippery – watched many people go flying. Aquaduct on Disney was fun but again the pool and splash areas were so small.

 

Overall we found the most amount of family activities on Disney – lots of dance parties, etc. NCL had a few and less on RCI. We never felt crowded on the Fantasy(and it was a holiday week), slightly so on NCL and packed in on the Oasis. We didn't enjoy the buffet set up on the Oasis - it was very weird - just didn't flow. The rooms on Disney were probably the most functional. Oddly the insides on the Getaway seemed a little better than the balconies. Crew on Disney is excellent but NCL's were great as well. I did not like the overall set up of the Oasis - I hated the Promenade and just felt so detached from the sea/ocean - much the opposite of the Waterfront of NCL.

 

In the end you have to take into account the ages of your children and what they like to do. NCL is great for older kids. At 6 my daughter loved the ropes course and rock climbing walls. On the Oasis she loved the pool area, the rock climbing wall, and the carousel. (The Oasis was the only ship she asked to go on again.)

 

We have a Disney cruise coming up (might be our last). We had SO many changes to our Getaway cruise between the time we booked and the time we sailed that it left such us with such a bad taste...we'd be hard pressed to book with NCL for a long time. As far as RCI - we booked a summer cruise because of the itinerary but I really wouldn't consider cruising with them again. So 2017 for us is going to be all land vacations!

 

Really enjoyed reading your opinion. I can relate to a lot of what you said. Thanks.

[KarimaJ]

How much does the Vibe cost? And kids can go in there too?

[mjkacmom]

How much does the Vibe cost? And kids can go in there too?

 

I think it's up to $99, no kids.

[Julienatul]

We are also seasoned cruisers. In a few weeks it will be my 10 year-old's 20th cruise.

 

I agree with a lot of your review. However, I second the other's opinion of Disney. My kids were NOT a fan of Disney kids clubs. They were also intimidated by the amount of kids all together and refused to go after the first day. I also did not care for the "GPS tracking". I like the counselors to know my kids personally not have to track them by GPS bracelets. Mine do better with smaller groups and more one on one interaction. We like NCL, Royal and Carnival for the fact that they are separated by age group. We did enjoy the shows on Disney though although my kids preferred NCL when they had NICK activities-slime show, Dora dance party, Nick live poolside. That is no longer an option though. For me, I prefer NCL and Royal to Disney. Disney was just too many kids, too much all the time and not enough adult time. I like that there is a mix of adult activities on the other lines. Disney is all geared towards children all the time. My kids also like NCL better just for the variety-rock wall, trampoline, ropes course, mini golf, multiple restaurants etc.

[jewelmick]

Thanks for the review and replies. I was getting a bit worried about our upcoming Med cruise on the NCL Epic.

 

We have cruised 5 times on DCL (Wonder and Magic) and I LOVED to classic look and feel of the smaller more intimate ships. We all found our favorite areas/crew members and went back to them again and again...for me it is the Cove Cafe and my daughter (now 13) have always managed to make a friend in the kids area to hang with for the trip. I really like the more traditional meal service and having the same severs really adds a personal touch...we made good use of room service as well. My daughter got in the habit of a Mickey Bar on the balcony every night before bed and the one night we forgot to order it, they knocked on the door with it right on time! NO one can beat the Disney touch.

 

That being said, I feel like we may never take a Disney cruise ever again...they have become much too expensive. Our last trip was on RCCL FOS and it was very nice. I found the shop to be a bit larger then the Wonder with much more "activity." Food was not quite as good, but my daughter (then 11) had just as much fun with the friends she made in the club. I found a quiet cosy spot and made do. For the price difference, half of the similar itinerary on DCL, it was worth the trade offs.

 

The Epic will be, by far, the largest ship we have cruised on. I remember one cruise we were docked next to the Epic in Nassau maybe? and everyone on board was making fun of how ugly the Epic was...when the horn blew our captain blew our horn (When you wish Upon a Star) and everyone cheered. Is it weird that I will miss a horn?

 

I am worried the Epic will be TOO big, busy, and crowded. As long as I can find a quiet place and daughter makes a friend or two I will be happy. Plus, this is a very port intensive cruise with only 1 sea day for the week, so we will only really be onboard in the evenings.

I will still reserve most dinner at the specialty restaurants and probably avoid the buffet as much as possible.

 

Just a side note, my aft balcony for the week was half the cost of comparable on DCL.

[melinda0222]

Thanks for the review and replies. I was getting a bit worried about our upcoming Med cruise on the NCL Epic.

 

We have cruised 5 times on DCL (Wonder and Magic) and I LOVED to classic look and feel of the smaller more intimate ships. We all found our favorite areas/crew members and went back to them again and again...for me it is the Cove Cafe and my daughter (now 13) have always managed to make a friend in the kids area to hang with for the trip. I really like the more traditional meal service and having the same severs really adds a personal touch...we made good use of room service as well. My daughter got in the habit of a Mickey Bar on the balcony every night before bed and the one night we forgot to order it, they knocked on the door with it right on time! NO one can beat the Disney touch.

 

That being said, I feel like we may never take a Disney cruise ever again...they have become much too expensive. Our last trip was on RCCL FOS and it was very nice. I found the shop to be a bit larger then the Wonder with much more "activity." Food was not quite as good, but my daughter (then 11) had just as much fun with the friends she made in the club. I found a quiet cosy spot and made do. For the price difference, half of the similar itinerary on DCL, it was worth the trade offs.

 

The Epic will be, by far, the largest ship we have cruised on. I remember one cruise we were docked next to the Epic in Nassau maybe? and everyone on board was making fun of how ugly the Epic was...when the horn blew our captain blew our horn (When you wish Upon a Star) and everyone cheered. Is it weird that I will miss a horn?

 

I am worried the Epic will be TOO big, busy, and crowded. As long as I can find a quiet place and daughter makes a friend or two I will be happy. Plus, this is a very port intensive cruise with only 1 sea day for the week, so we will only really be onboard in the evenings.

I will still reserve most dinner at the specialty restaurants and probably avoid the buffet as much as possible.

 

Just a side note, my aft balcony for the week was half the cost of comparable on DCL.

While Epic doesn't have Vibe it does have Posh. Maybe this is the area you need to make the ship fee smaller. I know nothing about Posh but maybe someone can help. I can only say that Vibe made the Getaway feel small.

[MandyGirl]

Good review - the Mom perspective is so important. Our kids (now 9 and 5) also love Disney (they have 66 nights onboard DCL ships) and are good at letting me know their differences they see in kids clubs for sure among the Disney ships. The funny thing is right at my younger child's third birthday, she would not stay in Disney Oceaneer club at all on that 14 nt sailing. Not even with big sister. But we spent 3 nights in Barcelona after disembarkation from DCL and then boarded NCL Spirit - and I could not pry her out of there. I think the breakdown of age groups on NCL made her feel more comfortable. Each kid is so different at whatever age they are at - my two alone are night and day [emoji23] but I will say they both voted without hesitation to take a NCL cruise next month over Disney World where I had each meal in our dining plan perfectly scheduled. Go figure ...

[njmomof2]

The Epic will be, by far, the largest ship we have cruised on.

 

While Epic is "larger" because of the gross tonnage, it's actually a bit smaller than Freedom. Epic is 1,081 feet in length, with a beam of 133 feet.

 

Freedom is 1,112 feet in length with a beam of 185 feet.

 

So you've actually cruised on a "larger" ship when you sailed on Freedom.

 

The difference in tonnage is 155,873 for Epic v. 154,417 for Freedom.

[jewelmick]

While Epic is "larger" because of the gross tonnage, it's actually a bit smaller than Freedom. Epic is 1,081 feet in length, with a beam of 133 feet.

 

Freedom is 1,112 feet in length with a beam of 185 feet.

 

So you've actually cruised on a "larger" ship when you sailed on Freedom.

 

The difference in tonnage is 155,873 for Epic v. 154,417 for Freedom.

 

 

I never actually looked at the tonnage...the Epic just seems so much bigger...maybe because it is so boxy? and tall? How does the layout effect this?The FOS did not seem too big, just about right actually...plenty to do, but not overwhelming.

 

Thanks this makes me feel less anxious about it.

[krencymom]

Thanks for comparing for us. We are thinking about going on the NCL Getaway this summer. We have 2 boys ages 9 and 5. After reading the reviews for ports and seeing the excursions offered, I am thinking my 5 year old won't have a lot to do. I have been reading about Belize and Honduras. It sounds like the activities (snorkeling, cave tubing, etc) are things that our little guy may not be old enough to do or enjoy.

 

I also read that the kids zones are broken up by ages. My younger will be in ages 3-5 and older in another. It worries me that my little guy won't want to stay by himself. You also noted that they are only open at certain hours of the day. I was not looking for a daytime babysitter but thought their hours would all day so we could come and go at different times.

 

My husband and I are wondering if we should table our cruise with NCL Getaway until our youngest is older and can partake in more activities.

 

I am interested in your opinion as a mother.

[melinda0222]

Thanks for comparing for us. We are thinking about going on the NCL Getaway this summer. We have 2 boys ages 9 and 5. After reading the reviews for ports and seeing the excursions offered, I am thinking my 5 year old won't have a lot to do. I have been reading about Belize and Honduras. It sounds like the activities (snorkeling, cave tubing, etc) are things that our little guy may not be old enough to do or enjoy.

 

I also read that the kids zones are broken up by ages. My younger will be in ages 3-5 and older in another. It worries me that my little guy won't want to stay by himself. You also noted that they are only open at certain hours of the day. I was not looking for a daytime babysitter but thought their hours would all day so we could come and go at different times.

 

My husband and I are wondering if we should table our cruise with NCL Getaway until our youngest is older and can partake in more activities.

 

I am interested in your opinion as a mother.

 

So my youngest was 6 when we went on Getaway. He did the rock climbing, slides. They have a younger version of the ropes course that he liked but he did once for 15 mins and then was done. He was too scared to do the bigger version even though he was tall enough.

 

He did fine in the kids club but he had his older brother. He also did fine by himself on this cruise but I think it really depends on the kid. There are a ton of activities planned for the kids and if your son will be willing to join them in the beginning he will most likely meet friends.

 

We just got back from Beiize and did a private snorkeling trip. My 7 year old struggled due to the current. He is a decent swimmer.

 

So hear is my opinion. If going on a cruise. If you don't go on cruises frequently and going on the Getaway is most likely the only cruise you will take, then I would give it a year or two. If you cruise a lot and see yourself taking another one in a year or two then I would go on the Getaway. There is so much to do and you won't be disappointed. I just think the ideal age for this ship is about 6-7 for your average child to fully enjoy the ship.

 

Don't know if it is in your budget but a land and sea trip with Disney might be your best answer. We did this in 2011 and our kids were 3,5,7. We did the parks then relaxed on the ship. I think with the Star Wars stuff added to the Disney Dream your 9 year old would have fun and their age groups can mingle. They have separate activities for different age groups but your 5 year old would have the comfort of his brother being reachable. Just a thought.

 

Happy planning. My boys love cruising they have been on 4 cruises and they have always enjoyed them and we have always had a great time.

[MandyGirl]

Krencymon - mine were 9 and 5 for Belize and Honduras over thanksgiving and gave up Disney world over spring break to return to those ports on different ship :) look at Charlie's cavetubing in Belize and Little French Key in Honduras [emoji106] mine loved those in November and doing LFK again

[Aggiecruiser01]

Hi! Thanks for all the input! We have been on 2 Disney cruises with our kids and all had a great time :)... We are booked to sail on the Liberty of the Seas RCCL in May (first time for our kids to sail RCCL) They are 6 and 8 so they will be in the same age group kids program. I guess my questions are.. what should I expect? How big are the groups? We are going in mid-May when most schools are in still session. Do parents get a pager? Are they pretty engaged for the 3 hours and what do they do? I heard the counselors will pick them up at the end of dinner- true? Any other added details would be appreciated!

[mickev99]

What a fabulous thread you started! Thanks for all the details and thanks to everyone else for chiming in with more info and comparisons as well!

[melinda0222]

Hi! Thanks for all the input! We have been on 2 Disney cruises with our kids and all had a great time :)... We are booked to sail on the Liberty of the Seas RCCL in May (first time for our kids to sail RCCL) They are 6 and 8 so they will be in the same age group kids program. I guess my questions are.. what should I expect? How big are the groups? We are going in mid-May when most schools are in still session. Do parents get a pager? Are they pretty engaged for the 3 hours and what do they do? I heard the counselors will pick them up at the end of dinner- true? Any other added details would be appreciated!

 

There are no pagers. No way for them to get in touch with you unless it is an emergency. My kids loved the kids club and always had plenty to do. We went over presidents weekend and there were a lot of kids but not overwhelming. They will pick them up after dinner but only the 6pm dinner and they pick up at 6:45. We never used it because of my time dining. Hope this helps. My kids really enjoyed their time.