Making a kids first cruise memorable

[cruizinisthebest]

Wow! I wonder sometimes if people realize how judgey they can sound on these threads. If OP wants to do something extra special for her kids good for her! We are Disney freaks, my kids have been many times and I still try to throw in one thing extra thing each time. They are very well aware of how lucky they are to be able to travel and we do play with them and spend lots of time with them on vacation AND at home.

 

If they want to go to the kids club on the ship great, if not that's great too.

If they choose to go are we bad parents because we dumped them in "camp"? Nope - we gave them a chance to be independent, meet new friends and experience new things. If they choose to hang out with us are we bad parents because we are overprotective, sheltering helicopter types? Nope - we are hanging out with our kids while they want to hang out with us - those days are short trust me I know (my kids are 24,18,18,8,6).

 

I appreciate the replies that were actually helpful to the OP. Our extra special thing this trip will be a catamaran snorkeling with the turtles trip in Barbados. [emoji3]

 

 

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Trust me, people realize how judgmental they are being in these and other threads. They do it purposely. It's really stupid and childish.

 

I didn't really think there was anything wrong with saying that taking them is a treat all its own. I truly feel that way. BUT I also have offered the OP suggestions to add a lil extra something special. There was nothing wrong with the question.

 

You're not a bad parent or running away from family time if you put your kids in camp. Camp is a good thing for kids who enjoy it. Mine do. They haven't ever been forced to go or dumped there. It's a choice and they are excited to have it. And it doesn't consume all of their time while on the cruise.

 

People need to chill out on this board. Alot of petty swipes and nastiness. Ridiculous and says alot more about those who engage in that nonsense than it does a parent simply asking for friendly suggestions on how to make her kid's vacation even more awesome than taking it in the first place.

 

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[canadaman111]

I agree with what a few others have said. Just getting to take your kids on a cruise will be memorable. We have a cruise booked for feb 2018 and our kids are already excited. The last big family trip we took was in 2011 to Disney World. That will be 7 years between trips and with the older ones going off to college in a few years I am pretty sure this cruise will be our last big family trip.

 

I am happy I have been able to do these things with my kids. I never got to go anywhere as a kid.

[Warm Breezes]

We've done 10 cruises without our kids and 3 with, we have another b2b planned for next spring.

My kids are now 11 & 14 but started cruising when they were younger (8 & 11)

I will say that they will love it beyond measure.

My son is older and I thought for SURE he wouldn't adore it as much as my daughter would.

But man alive I was SOOO WRONG.

They got along better then they ever have.

They both hated the kids camp (I assumed they would love it and we would be stuck dragging them out kicking and screaming)

All they wanted to do was stick with us. We went to a beach every port, just got in a cab and went. They didn't pester for fancy stuff. They just wanted a cold drink, a lounger and an umbrella. They build sand castles together, looked for shells together and played in the water together.

Their favourite thing was dinners. They loved having fancy food and being served and spoiled in the dining room.

I always insisted that they both write in a journal every night.

This was easy for my girl, my son however fought it tooth and nail till the first cruise was over and we were home.

Where we went, what they did, what they loved, what they ate at supper, what we did on the ship.

They look back on that ALL the time now.

We also sprung for the movies they sell of the cruise itself and made sure we did formal pictures each cruise.

Now its just to see how little they were when they started.

We haven't done a Carnival Cruise yet. Only RCCL

I hope you guys have a WONDERFUL time away.

But prepare for a bit of a problem once its over.

If your kids are anything like mine, they will begin the countdown for the next cruise when you hit the ground on the day you disembark.

Also, I can't even fathom taking a cruise with just my husband any longer.

The kids would be so heartbroken that I couldn't ever do it.

Now we go to Vegas for some "together alone" time but cruising is strictly a "whole family" vacation!

Safe Travels!!!!

Chass

 

LOL...DH and I did the Vegas thing for quite a while for our adult time and the cruises with the family. Enjoy it while you can. It gets more difficult to make the times work when the high school/sports/college/working years start for them. My kids live at home while going to a local university...while they are highly independent even while living at home, I think this Mom is going to have a hard time when they start leaving the nest, especially with DS already applying for jobs for when he graduates in places thousands of miles from home :(.

[funfamilyfun]

Our kids have been on several cruises. They enjoyed all of them. I really do not think you need to do anything "special." The cruise will be exciting enough. I would strongly suggest getting the kids to go to the kids clubs. This is where they will meet other kids their ages and have a great time. Have fun.

[Je Souhaite]

This completely depends on the kids' personalities and how much togetherness everyone wants. Some kids love Camp Carnival and some hate it. My kids spend most of the time hanging out together and meeting kids at the mini golf course or the foosball tables, but they have also enjoyed time in Camp Carnival. IMO, it's best to be flexible and do what works for your family. You don't have to put them in camp for the entire day. You can pick up the schedules and choose activities that look fun.

 

I'll never forget her name. Rachel.

 

We were at a 6 top, where another couple had a daughter the same age as ours.

 

After the first night's dinner, we were asking where they'd be so that maybe the kids could play being they bonded so well. We were told she was getting dropped off at the kids club immediately after dinner.

 

We were wrong thinking this one a one time event. She was dropped off at camp after dinner every meal. We eventually found out she was in the camp all day and only taken out where meals were not supplied.

 

We wondered why she was brought on the cruise at all.

[mizzoutiger76]

My plans are to relax and not be mom as they know me. This means pop and ice cream whenever they want, moms wallet being a little looser, and free roam of the ship at their leisure. They will probably each get a couple cruise related gifts at Christmas and maybe a gift card each for their own on board credits.

 

They are going to get stuck doing the formal night dinner, they don't know that yet but that's my one non-negotiable food related thing.

 

My first cruise was with my family, I was probably 16. My parents let my siblings and I (all younger) have full run of the ship. We're all pretty shy, so we stuck together most of the time.

 

My absolute favorite memory of that trip (now nearly 20 years ago) was that all four of us would go out (without our parents) at midnight to get pizza and ice cream. My brother and I, who usually fought like cats and dogs, bonded on that cruise.

 

I'm taking my oldest on his first cruise in December and my plans are much like yours. Unlimited soda, pizza, dessert and ice cream, an arcade card, looser wallet.....and hopefully a midnight run for pizza ;)

Edited March 29, 2016 by mizzoutiger76

[RuthlessBoss]

I'll never forget her name. Rachel.

 

We were at a 6 top, where another couple had a daughter the same age as ours.

 

After the first night's dinner, we were asking where they'd be so that maybe the kids could play being they bonded so well. We were told she was getting dropped off at the kids club immediately after dinner.

 

We were wrong thinking this one a one time event. She was dropped off at camp after dinner every meal. We eventually found out she was in the camp all day and only taken out where meals were not supplied.

 

We wondered why she was brought on the cruise at all.

 

You didn't elaborate why the child spent so much time there. Maybe the club is what made the cruise special to her, maybe it was the doing new things or the socializing.

[SMHCPA]

His name was Evan and he was four. I will never forget his name because I gave birth to him.

 

10 day cruise with mom and cousin (12) out of Galveston.

 

He spent every second possible in the kids club. See his mom stayed home with him and he absolutely loved playing with all the other kids.

 

She made him eat dinner with them every night. Most nights he cried and begged to eat with the other kids. She also made him go to the ports with them. Most times they all came back early because although he loved the beach he didn't want to miss the planned kids activities.

 

He is 18 now and still speaks fondly of that cruise.

 

 

 

 

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[cruizinisthebest]

You didn't elaborate why the child spent so much time there. Maybe the club is what made the cruise special to her, maybe it was the doing new things or the socializing.

Or maybe the child preferred camp in the evenings more so than the daytime. During the day, my kids are usually with us and tend to enjoy camp in the evening from dinner on.

 

Why does anyone care or wonder how other people are spending their vacation?

 

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[Je Souhaite]

She made him eat dinner with them every night. Most nights he cried and begged to eat with the other kids.

 

 

 

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That's embarrassing. Ever figure out why he didn't want to eat with you.

 

Your post made me cry. :(

[Je Souhaite]

You didn't elaborate why the child spent so much time there. Maybe the club is what made the cruise special to her, maybe it was the doing new things or the socializing.

 

Oh the kid made it quite clear she didn't want to go.

 

But I never asked her why.

 

It was sad really. She was NEVER given a choice.

[SMHCPA]

 

 

Oh no! I'm so sorry' date=' didn't mean to make you cry. He is a well adjusted successful young man now so no need to worry about him - thanks though [emoji3'].

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

talk about topic creep; this is a thread about things parents can do to make a cruise special for their children and everyone has a different way of making special family memories. Some of you are really getting way off base here and losing the plot...

[BeagleOne]

What about doing some sort of countdown, since you have about a year to go? Have some kind of countdown board in the kitchen with the number of days on it, and every month on the date, do something special that's cruise-related.

 

Have them research things to do in the ports, and as others have said, have them each pick an excursion if that's within the budget.