Kids on Celebrity

[love2driveinct]

My kids will be 11, 15, and 18 and have cruised three times before, but not with Celebrity. We are looking at a June Alaska cruise and I'm sure there will be many families on board, but I was wondering what to expect as far as kids go in general. Will they be everywhere, crowding pools and whirlpools and running amuck? (Like I experienced on a RC cruise a few years ago where there were large youth sports teams and they all liked to stay together so you had to plan your day around them.) I am hoping for a slightly more peaceful experience... LOL

 

Any thoughts?

[photomikey]

My daughter is 6 and we've taken two Celebrity cruises.

 

There is a teen club (X club) that they can sign in and out of. Once they meet on the first day they seem to clique up and travel in packs. They do all meet back in X club frequently and the kids do shift from clique to clique. The club has staff and they will plan activities for the kids that some or all will participate in. I was impressed with the kids club and have no reason to believe X club would be any less fulfilling.

 

We only cruise during the school year so I don't know what the chances are of encountering a big group of rowdies. I know it happens and the only thing I know to minimize the chances of it is to cruise during the school year. :-)

[SWFL Cruisers]

I sailed on the Reflection in March during spring break and expected a lot of kids but to my surprise I really did not see them. The activities director told me that there were over 200 kids on board but they kept them busy with all of the activities they offer. Yes the outside pool was full but the solarium was peaceful for the most part.

[bremenkat]

We cruised last year in the Baltics with our teenage daughter. This was during the UK school holidays. There were a number of children on board but they never caused any problems.

The teens did tend to hang out together but in groups of 4 or 5 rather than en masse. Did occasionally see them in groups at the pool and there was an informal game of pool volleyball - mixed ages. But when some of the younger ones got a bit noisy they were quick to tell them to calm down.

There were a few comments on how they made a real effort for formal nights as well - a lot of them were in lovely dresses and tux's.

I think it might depend on where you cruise but you shouldn't have a problem.

[dkjretired]

On Alaska cruises, using the pools, whirlpools, etc are really secondary activitles largely because it can still tend to be cold and rainy. We did the Solstice to Alaska and none of this happened.

[love2driveinct]

On Alaska cruises, using the pools, whirlpools, etc are really secondary activitles largely because it can still tend to be cold and rainy. We did the Solstice to Alaska and none of this happened.

 

Good point... I forgot about this.

[lovescarborough]

We did Solstice to Alaska in June 2014 . It was 84f , almost the hottest temperatures they have had ! Hardly noticed any kids onboard.

[gopro63]

So will we now hear a topic I am a young couple and I want to take a cruise in.. and will their be a lot of Elderly around... (JK)

 

It's life, there will be more adults around then you will see kids, the kids will go where ever they like do whatever they want they will even go into and stop in the Adult pool area, while it clearly is posted and says "No Kids allowed.

 

the Parants hang there, kids got to see parants and you can not deprive a child from that.

 

Yes kids go a ton of things to do and they will have Ping pong set up on the highest Deck by the elevator, for one.

 

I wish you the best and enjoy your cruise ...

[love2driveinct]

We did Solstice to Alaska in June 2014 . It was 84f , almost the hottest temperatures they have had ! Hardly noticed any kids onboard.

 

Wow -- 84! How fun!

[love2driveinct]

Thanks everyone. I feel confident that there will be a nice balance between kids and adults, with maybe a bit more kids than usual since it'll be summer break. I am fine with that, of course, because I want my own kids to have others to hang out with.

[SunnyAJ]

My kids will be 11, 15, and 18 and have cruised three times before, but not with Celebrity. We are looking at a June Alaska cruise and I'm sure there will be many families on board, but I was wondering what to expect as far as kids go in general. Will they be everywhere, crowding pools and whirlpools and running amuck? (Like I experienced on a RC cruise a few years ago where there were large youth sports teams and they all liked to stay together so you had to plan your day around them.) I am hoping for a slightly more peaceful experience... LOL

 

Any thoughts?

 

We have always cruised Celebrity with our kids (boys 14 and 16) and it's been terrific! We just returned from the Caribbean on Celebrity Reflection and it was great as always. I was thinking there would be more kids because it was around spring break, but there were the perfect amount. Unless you are looking for them, they are not distracting. My youngest son spends a lot of time on the basketball court and always found a friend or two to play. (Even if there weren't a lot of kids up there, he even joined in with some dads who gave him some great b-ball tips!)

 

In case you are interested, I've just posted the kid's activities for the teens (your kids will fall in these groups) so you can see what kinds of things the programs offer.

 

http://www.myvirtualvacations.net/celebrity-cruises-for-kids.html

 

Hope this helps!

[teachatthebeach]

We cruised last June to Alaska with our 11 year old. There were about 250 kids on this sailing which many onboard considered to be a lot. It was a little chilly for the outdoor pools. My daughter spent free time in the kids club and really enjoyed herself and met some really nice kids. IMHO, the kids on board were really well- behaved .

[markluke]

My kids will be 11, 15, and 18 and have cruised three times before, but not with Celebrity. We are looking at a June Alaska cruise and I'm sure there will be many families on board, but I was wondering what to expect as far as kids go in general. Will they be everywhere, crowding pools and whirlpools and running amuck? (Like I experienced on a RC cruise a few years ago where there were large youth sports teams and they all liked to stay together so you had to plan your day around them.) I am hoping for a slightly more peaceful experience... LOL

 

Any thoughts?

on our March cruise during spring break there were more seniors crowding the family pool than kids. On S class ships the solarium pool is for adults only so there is a quiet refuge available.

[markluke]

People wanting no children on a cruise are also the kind that take Disney cruises and complain about it being full of kids.

 

During my cruises I rarely see any kids misbehaving, and certainly not mine. I can't always say the same about the adults.

 

Makes sense about opening up the solarium pool to all when the outdoor pools are closed. If the weather is really bad I can't imagine that many people will be using the pool anyway!

Edited April 18, 2016 by markluke

[villauk]

 

I wish I had taken my kids to Alaska when they were young.

 

Don,

 

We did just that. Now they want to go back :rolleyes: :D!

[Jack Staff]

What are the rules on using the solarium? I think its adults only and it may have a different age limit when sailing from the UK ?

 

If you want quiet that area may be an option although I have never had an issue with kids on board and we sail in the UK summer holidays.

 

This year we are doing the Baltic cruise and it may be a bit cool for the outdoor pools.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Jack Staff

[wallie5446]

My kids will be 11, 15, and 18 and have cruised three times before, but not with Celebrity. We are looking at a June Alaska cruise and I'm sure there will be many families on board, but I was wondering what to expect as far as kids go in general. Will they be everywhere, crowding pools and whirlpools and running amuck? (Like I experienced on a RC cruise a few years ago where there were large youth sports teams and they all liked to stay together so you had to plan your day around them.) I am hoping for a slightly more peaceful experience... LOL

 

Any thoughts?

 

Even in June it will be a tad 'COOL' :eek: during the day in Alaska, and the pools are not heated. So as far as crowding goes, your kids wont have to worry much.

 

Running amuck? Most families that sail on Celebrity have children that were taught manners and the problems you mention we have not seen on Celebrity. We took our DD on 10 cruises, on 5 different lines by the time she was 18, and Celebrity is her favorite. She went to work on ship for RCCL in 2004.

 

Alaska will have a lot less kids than a Caribbean sailing, so they will need to be able to create their own entertainment. It should be " a slightly more peaceful experience... " unless your kids are prone to saying, " I'm board, there is nothing to do".

Edited April 19, 2016 by wallie5446

[worldtrekker]

We sailed on the Solstice to Alaska during a July when our children were 9 and 13. There were over 200 children on board. They still talk about it being one of the best holidays they have had, and preferred that cruise to RCCL.

 

I agree with the poster that described the teens moving in small clusters of 4 or 5, eating together or hanging out playing cards. They did not seem intrusive on the ship. Our 9 year old prefered to stay in the club area with the games and activities.

 

They opened the indoor adult pool to children for 1 hour once or twice a day; the times were noted on the daily activity sheet. The rules appeared to be followed as I was there for lunch one day and there were no children during that time.

 

Enjoy!

[dkjretired]

What are the rules on using the solarium? I think its adults only and it may have a different age limit when sailing from the UK ?

 

If you want quiet that area may be an option although I have never had an issue with kids on board and we sail in the UK summer holidays.

 

This year we are doing the Baltic cruise and it may be a bit cool for the outdoor pools.

 

Solarium is for adults, here is the exception from the Celebrity web site, US edition.

 

* During inclement weather and select hours, the ship may permit the Solarium Pool (if covered) to be used by persons under age sixteen (16) provided they are directly supervised by a parent or guardian.

[DrivesLikeMario]

OP, your kids will have a really good time. ;) Our youngest son had 23 cruises in by the time he was 22 yrs. old. Take them, they'll have a blast. But, I understand your desire to not have a ton of kids onboard. That's exactly the way we felt then and even our kids didn't want a ton of out-of-control kids onboard with them.

 

People are saying there have been around 200-250 kids. IME, that is NOTHING! RCI sails often with well over 1,000 kids on summer & holiday sailings. Maybe that's what you experienced?

 

People will tell you to take a longer cruise. Well, that didn't work for us. Our Princess ship had 2214 people, of which 750 were kids. That was one big mess & I don't ever want to experience that again. :eek: :eek: :eek: Bottom line, I think you'll be fine with Celebrity. ;)

[IsanTom]

My kids will be 11, 15, and 18 and have cruised three times before, but not with Celebrity. We are looking at a June Alaska cruise and I'm sure there will be many families on board, but I was wondering what to expect as far as kids go in general. Will they be everywhere, crowding pools and whirlpools and running amuck? (Like I experienced on a RC cruise a few years ago where there were large youth sports teams and they all liked to stay together so you had to plan your day around them.) I am hoping for a slightly more peaceful experience... LOL

 

Any thoughts?

 

I would recommend sending the kids to Camp and enjoy a nice cruise by yourselves especially in Alaska!

[CanadianDee]

Celebrity is an awesome choice for families!

 

We were on the Reflection this past January with our five year-old granddaughter and had a blast. While there weren't many kids onboard, our granddaughter was fortunate to meet kids from pretty much around the world. She recognized her new friends readily in the pool* and everywhere onboard.

 

She dressed up every night for dinner and the tables around us - and our wait staff - would compliment her on her clothing and "princess" manners. She felt like a princess! We were a bit concerned because we'd read on these boards about people (see some of the above posts) who don't like kids and families on Celebrity. We needn't have worried. Passengers and staff alike were wonderful.

 

In December we are scheduled for a Disney cruise - our first time on Disney - with our kids and grandkids. We expect a very different experience. I'm sure we'll have a great time, but for different reasons. I would cruise Celebrity with grandchildren again in a heartbeat.

 

*A note on the pool. On the Reflection, there is one adult pool and one family pool on the main deck. The family pool got quite crowded during the day, so we started going to the pool after dinner. We were the only swimmers, the pool was lit up beautifully - an absolute delight.

[donaldsc]

Enjoy your cruise, I wish I had taken my kids to Alaska when they were young.

 

We took our very well behaved 10 year old granddaughter on a 2 week trip to Alaska without her parents. One week on ship and one week on a DIY land tour. It was one of the best trips to Alaska that we have taken because we got to see AK through the eyes of an intelligent inquisitive 10 year old. She is now 14 and she still talks about the trip.

 

We also try to take the grand-kids to western states National Parks every summer again without their parents. The plan this summer is to do Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly.

 

DON

Edited April 29, 2016 by donaldsc

[love2driveinct]

Thank you for all of the great responses. Even the not-so-great responses... lol

 

First I'd like to say that I would not bring my kids on a trip like this if I were in any way concerned about their behavior. We are really looking forward to sharing the beauty and wonder of Alaska with them and are confident that they will enjoy it immensely and act appropriately at all times (or at least, most of the time ;) .

 

One of my "kids" is actually an adult and too old for the kids' clubs and too young for the 21+ activities, but thankfully she is outgoing so I think she will be fine. Besides, this trip is to celebrate her graduation and we would be happy for her to spend time with us before she goes off to college.

 

My experience on the RCCL cruise just left me a little bit concerned that something like that could happen again because this is a summer trip. But even my Vacation Planner said it was highly unlikely there would be any large school or sports group on a Celebrity Alaska cruise. The kids on the RCCL cruise were not actually misbehaving in any way, they just liked to stay together in big groups, so it seemed like whenever you went to the soda station, there were 30 of them waiting to fill up. Or whenever you went to the pool, there were 50 of them in there. They all seemed to be having a wonderful time and I understand they actually performed on the ship (they were a dance group), but sometimes I felt like they overwhelmed the public areas on the ship. Not to mention that my youngest didn't enjoy the kids' club because all of the girls there already knew each other and weren't interested in making new friends. So anyway, that was my experience, not a huge deal. We all had a fun vacation. When I originally posted this I knew very little about Celebrity, but thanks to this board and the terrific folks here, I know a lot more about what to expect. Let the countdown begin -- eight weeks from today! :)

[MandyGirl]

I must share a "thank you" to all who posted in this thread. We have not been on X in a few years and our children will be onboard with us for the 15-night Panama Canal on Infinity in November (ages 6 and 10). While it is their first cruise on X, they each have over 100 nights onboard other cruiselines, so I am interested in how it will compare in their eyes. We use our cruises for family bonding and cultural / educational experiences. In fact, our oldest has not been in a kids club in her past three 7-night cruises (one had a minimum age of 8 to even board the ship and had no kids club) and our youngest didn't go to kids club either her past two 7-night cruises. I did tell them they have to at least check it out on Celebrity. We dined with Texed from the boards back in 2009 and his son loved kids club then, so we hope the amazing positive feedback is still the same :) Our rollcall has not had anyone else share they have children, so I don't anticipate this one to have many. In fact, after being on these boards since 2000, it may very well be the first rollcall I have been on without a single child.

 

I am hoping they open the Solarium an hour or two a day to families like stated earlier in the thread and in their US policy notes. Contrary to popular belief on some cruise boards, some families do have exceptionally well-behaved children who unlike some adults know how to stand in a line properly and use manners ;)