looking for kid info

[Mom3Boys]

Hi,
We will be taking our two boys on our November cruise (Star Princess). Can anyone share links to other reviews regarding the kids programs. When I try to look on this board it has been saying that the search feature is down. I have tried for a couple of days but have been unable to bring up past questions regarding kids and the program. I have went to the Princess site and it is just general info. I would like to hear from other cruisers that have taken their kids. My boys are 6 and 12. Would like to know what my kids can expect on board ship. My husband and I have sailed twice on Princess but I didn't notice the kids activites since my boys weren't with me. Now I wish I had paid attention! I appreciate any links, comments, websites with additional info. Thank you, Linda [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

[pattie63]

Hi - We've not been on the Star but we'e been on the Grand and Coral. Here's from an earlier post. I this does not help, then get back to us with specific questions.

FROM MY EARLIER POST --

We're just off the 1 April Coral Panama Canal with two boys (8 and 10). Our boys did not spend alot of time in the Kids Zone during the day (we enjoy their company) but they did want to go at night. First let me start by saying how excellent I thought the Kids Zone Staff was. They were mostly late 40's/early 50's women who really seemed to enjoy the kids and make them feel special. The Princess Pelicans are aged 3 -7 and they are in a separate room. the Princess Pirateers are aged 8 - 12 also have their own room. In addition, there is a Playstation Room that all children onboard the ship can use (although not when they are signed into the Kids Zone). My kids LOVE the kid's dinner that they had two nights. The entire Kids Zone was clean, bright and cheery (somewhere on line, there is a really good virtual tour of the area I'll post it if I can find it otherwise someone will know where it is). They have a separate kids only bathroom. Activites for the Pelicans (I've got the Patters in front of me) included t-shirt coloring, ice cream party, crafts, Simon Says, mini-olympics, Miami SeaQuarium, DiscoMania, Island Night, Freeze Dance Competition, walks around the deck, PJ Party, Basketball shootout, etc. For the Pirateers, they had Ping-Pong challenge, ice-cream, scavenger hunts (I was NOT thrilled that my 8 yo was roaming the ship with two 12 YO without my permission though), Playstation Hour, Mini-Olymipics, Brain teasers, DiscoMania, Backward PJ Party, Island Night, etc. At night, they had movies for the kids including Inspector Gadget 2, Finding Nemo, Good Boy, etc. One day they had a really good party in the Wheelhouse lounge with a magician, ballon making, ice-cream, stuffed animals, etc. Overall, my boys seemed to like the Kids Zone during the times when they were in attendance.

QE2 - 2000
Grand Princess - 2002
Coral Princess - 2004

[Mom3Boys]

Pattie, Thank you for the info. That was exactly the kind of information I had been trying to find. I know the boys will have a good time but I just wondered what they would be doing at the kid zone. I have never been able to get the search feature to work for this subject. Thank you, Linda [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[cjh]

Last July I had a 5 year old and 13 year old on the Star. They had a blast in the kids program especially the younger one. We will be sailing again in February on the Star and they can't wait.

Star Princess 7/03(Alaska)

[sue d. miller]

[url="http://members.fortunecity.com/parnami/StarPrincess/index.htm"]http://members.fortunecity.com/parnami/StarPrincess/index.htm[/url] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

Sue
7 days on Star Princess 10/24

[Mom3Boys]

Sue, thank you for the website info. It was not only informative but beautiful pictures.

I do have another question CJH. You said your younger child had a blast. Did the 13 year old get bored and did he enjoy being in a separate program? Thanks for your replys! Linda

[rumbaLiz]

The teenagres tend to link up at the begining of club time and after a while, ditch the activity in the club if it dosnt suit them and just generaly "hang out".

My daughter was 14 last year when we went on the Golden, she really loved it all. Most afternoons after being out with us during the day, she would meet up on the Teen Deck where theyd sit in the hot tub, chat and sunbathe till quite late, then theyd meet up and have evening dinner either in the Horizon Court, or in the PC dinning rooms where they felt quite grown up having their own table,which they reserved in advance, but I told her that they must all behave in an adult manner if they wanted to be treated like adults. Spying on them one night, they were sitting very quietly enjoying eachothers company, the food and their new found freedom. She did of course eat with us some nights.

Teens after evening meals head straight back to their staerooms to change out of smart clothes and into casual wear and swim wear because that teen only hot tub sure is popular,

funny thing though was that the webcam was focused right on that particular tub.

The teen zone staff seem to be great at getting the kids introduced to each other at the start of the cruise and at the registration meeting really made it all sound such fun, my daughter went on her own and made friends straight away and they still send e-mails to eachother.