Is Celebrity really a great choice for children (10 -13 year olds)?

[fairy100]

I would like to book Celebrity (would be Silhouette and Scandinavia/Russia cruise) with children aged 10- 13 years but our agent thinks:

 

1. There is not enough for older children to do on the ship and

2. childrens' clubs are not up to the standard of other lines.

 

While I know RCI has water slides, flumes, bowling alley would it be that much better for children? Anyone been on Celebrity or Silhouette in particular and have an opinion on this? Thanks.

[markeb]

We don't have kids, and haven't been on Silhouette, but I don't think your agent's concerns really apply on this itinerary! The Russia/Scandinavian cruises are EXTREMELY port intensive. I'm far more worried about your teenageers becoming bored with "another Eastern Orthodox Church" or "another museum" on this one. And it concerns me that your TA doesn't recognize that.

Others will answer more with the activities, but the RCI ships that do those itineraries don't have all the activities you're listing either.

[jelayne]

We did Russia/Scandinavia on the Celebrity Eclipse. There were a quite a few children since these cruises are when school is out. On the few sea days we would see groups of children participating in the children’s club program out and about. I recall they did a scavenger hunt and seemed to be having a great time.

 

That is a great cruise.

[fairy100]

We don't have kids, and haven't been on Silhouette, but I don't think your agent's concerns really apply on this itinerary! The Russia/Scandinavian cruises are EXTREMELY port intensive. I'm far more worried about your teenageers becoming bored with "another Eastern Orthodox Church" or "another museum" on this one. And it concerns me that your TA doesn't recognize that.

Others will answer more with the activities, but the RCI ships that do those itineraries don't have all the activities you're listing either.

 

Thanks for the reply. I should add that we have gone with that itinery as this was the only one that fitted with the dates we have to cruise and not because we particularly went for this route - to be fair as first time cruisers I am sure any would suit and the itinery for this cruise does encompass lots of places we have never been to before. Of the 14 days 6 are at sea (and 3 are docked at St Petersburg) so things to do on the ship are really important - if the children are bored I don't think we woud enjoy it as much.

[fairy100]

We did Russia/Scandinavia on the Celebrity Eclipse. There were a quite a few children since these cruises are when school is out. On the few sea days we would see groups of children participating in the children’s club program out and about. I recall they did a scavenger hunt and seemed to be having a great time.

 

That is a great cruise.

 

Thanks for the reply. Yes itinerary does look good :)

[dkjretired]

Celebrity has great children’s programs, we’ve had many parents come on here and say their children liked Celebrity more than Disney. The programs are more personalized, different than other lines. My kids grew up on Celebrity and loved every cruise.

[shebring02lx]

I could be mistaken but I recall reading or hearing that Celebrity's kid's programs include educational STEM type programs. Which for me is a huge plus ..... I don't know if this applies to your particular sailing or itinerary but if so, that would be exciting!

[chemmo]

We cruised and did land tours with our son world wide when he was younger than yours and we always had a fabulous time!

 

We chose itineraries and excursions with variety and as a family did background research so that sites we saw we could appreciate. We varied train rides, boat trips, snorkelling, historical sites and nature treks. We did not do a ‘cooler’ cruise when our son was as young as your kids simply because we wanted to include some water/beach activities. We did visit many historical sites, however.

 

On sea days we were all often just glad to crash out. We always took playing cards with us and our son also had some sort of latest Nintendo....We have cruised with RC and Celebrity. Whilst our son always had a go at the latest addition on each of the RC ships (climbing wall, zip line....) they were never central to cruise enjoyment. He sometimes made friends poolside but rarely wanted to join in clubs. Please be aware that the facilities on RC ships vary massively depending on the class of ship. You need to research which RC ship you would be on and exactly what extra activities it has.

 

How well your cruise will suit your children will depend on their interests and how well you can put your itinerary together....a snag on a Baltic cruise can be the weather. Sea days on most of our cruises have involved some time poolside. For youngsters this can be a great area to make friends as well as swim. The inside pool is adults only (both lines) apart from about one hour (family time) usually declared on colder cruises. Slides and flowriders have limited appeal when it is cold or raining!

 

Quite simply if I was you I would put together a plan of what you intend to do each day of your cruise and be open with the children about the time spent in coaches getting to sites and what they will see when they get there....Discuss it with them and see what they say. I think the ship (RC or X) is less important than making sure you choose an itinerary and activities you all enjoy.

Edited April 30, 2018 by chemmo

[villauk]

We went on a Baltic cruise when’s our kids were 8 and 10 - the ship was Connie. Our travelling companions’ DS was 9 at the time. We all had a fabulous time and enjoyed the ports immensely. I did make a journal pre cruise for them to complete during our vacation - facts to find, photos to collect, answers to complete about the ship and itinerary and a place to keep memorabilia such as coins, pamphlets etc. It kept them busy while waiting for dinner each evening. Pre cruise, we also ensured that we chose excursions that would pique their interest e.g. Vasa Museum; HOHO boat in Stockholm; Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen; Anne Frank House in Amsterdam (they were covering this topic in school at the time), Tram Bike Scooter in Tallin; the hidden fountains at Peterhoff and the beach in Warnemunde.

 

The kids club was amalgamated into one with the older group as there were not many children onboard (this was a sailing during the main 6 week U.K. summer holidays). They enjoyed the fact that they were able to have more personal attention as there were fewer children - more time on the table tennis, Xbox etc. The staff also arranged scavenger hunts, talent contest, sports competitions etc.

 

We’ve also sailed on Silhouette - the kids love the LCG (they are able to make their own flatbreads and concoct their own preference of toppings - great fun for all the family).

 

As a side note, our children had already sailed to Alaska prior to our Baltic cruise and had loved the experience, so they were very familiar with long-distance travel and gaining knowledge from their worldly experiences; they didn’t use the added activities very much on Royal when they were younger so that is a factor you need to consider when you decide which line would most suit your own children. They are all in their late teens now and have asked several times if we could return to Alaska - this is the year - before the eldest goes off to university :cool:. Any questions, ask away.

[schnauzersrule]

We were on the Silouette in May of 2016 sailing the same itinerary. I have to assume our trip was before schools let out for summer vacation. We were told there were 9 children on board. I only saw 2 sweet toddlers who were running their family ragged! When the 2 encountered one another they were fascinated with each other and it was adorable to watch.

[Miaminice]

Silhouette is a great ship. Actually she is our favourite. Celebrity is a good cruise line. However, the reason why many of us feel at home there is that the libe caters to adults and that there are very few families. And Celebrity kind of wants to keep it that way. There is an entertainment program for children but it is definitely inferior to the ones of other cruise lines - by intention, it is no priority on Celebrity ships.

 

 

Royal Caribbean is the family line of the same corporation. As much as I personally love and prefer Celebrity, I would not recommend it to families with children. For the sake of both sides...

[cynbar]

I haven't taken children that age on Celebrity, but I wouldn't hesitate to do so. The kids programs seem to get very good reviews on these boards, even though the ships don't have all the "bells and whistles" of some other lines. Why not start a separate post asking for more specifics and copies of the programs from parents who have cruised Celebrity with their kids of similar ages? That will help you decide if the offerings would appeal to your group. But personally, when doing Europe, it's more about the itinerary, and I would worry more that your kids would be bored on land than on the ship. Pick the itinerary your family wants, the ship activities will take care of themselves.

[MightyMike]

Back to your original question about the number of children onboard and the standards of other lines.

 

The number of children onboard is hit or miss. You really won't know until you get onboard. Celebrity knows the counts from the reservations, but I think it is highly unlikely they would share even a hint of what the counts are ahead of time.

 

I agree with your travel agent that the children's clubs are not up to the standards of other lines. As an objective measure, look at the deck plans and compare the amount of space dedicated to kids. Celebrity doesn't come close to Royal Caribbean or Carnival (and of course, Disney). Look at the kids' dailies. Celebrity's offerings are sparse compared to other lines. In addition, if you search you will find posts on this site complaining of Celebrity cancelling what few activities they have due to "lack of participation."

 

Trust your instincts.

[theSHAH]

To bank off this thread a little instead of making my own, how many children can I expect to see on Celebrity during a Greek Isles cruise in October? I've only ever cruised RC during the summer months and wondering how many less kids I can expect on a line and itenary that caters to them a little less during the school year

[fairy100]

Silhouette is a great ship. Actually she is our favourite. Celebrity is a good cruise line. However, the reason why many of us feel at home there is that the libe caters to adults and that there are very few families. And Celebrity kind of wants to keep it that way. There is an entertainment program for children but it is definitely inferior to the ones of other cruise lines - by intention, it is no priority on Celebrity ships.

 

 

Royal Caribbean is the family line of the same corporation. As much as I personally love and prefer Celebrity, I would not recommend it to families with children. For the sake of both sides...

 

 

Thank you for this - I love your tactfulness :)

[villauk]

And Celebrity kind of wants to keep it that way.

 

 

This would suggest otherwise:

 

 

 

 

 

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[Algebralovr]

I don’t see travel dates, but I’d go anyway. We’ve seen plenty of teens and tweens on Celebrity ships, both in the Caribbean and Europe. On our last Europe trip, there were over 500 people under 18 on board, and they kids club had lots of activities. It is, however, hit and miss.

 

Do you play board games and card games with your family? Do your kids read or are they content with their handheld games? If any of these, you’d be fine. The kids don’t need to be entertained all the time. It is good to let them practice being happy in a less stimulating environment.

[Blockschip]

The number of kids depends on when you go. We took our two teen boys on the Equinox April 7-15. There were 10 teens in total on board, according to the staff. We were told there were over 200 on board the week before.

It really depends on your kids. Both of my boys (who are really polar opposites) told me that they were happy that we didn't go on Royal or even Celebrity the week before, because they would not have wanted to have to deal with that many kids trying to use the XBox or other things at the same time.

[markeb]

We've done two longer Northern European cruises, including to Saint Petersburg, on Royal Caribbean. These were summer cruises, with schools out. There seemed to be significantly fewer children onboard than on shorter, Caribbean cruises. We had good weather on both of them, but I only remember going to the pool, for instance, on the Russian cruise, and only one day. On our Norwegian/Iceland itinerary, the outer decks were actually closed at one point. Depending on the child, a 14 day cruise in that part of the world would either be challenging, or extremely exciting. Hard to say which.

 

From what I've seen, I'd generally agree that Celebrity's children and teen programs are more limited than Royal's, I think they're fine. The Russian itinerary really requires smaller ships, which is why I mentioned a lot of the activities your TA mentioned won't really apply. I don't know what all is on the 14 day itinerary you're looking at; our Baltic cruise remains our favorite and there was so much to do along the way. We didn't do any of the "amusement" activities, but Tivoli Gardens for instance, should be great for them. The itinerary just kind of draws you to history, architecture, and art, so keep that in mind.

[Miaminice]

This would suggest otherwise:

 

 

 

 

 

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Look at Celebrity’s pricing and discounts for children and look at the pricing for children on lines that cater to families by definition (RCCL, NCL, MSC, Costa etc.) and you will see how serious Celebraty is about bringing youngsters on board. ;)

 

But again... there are cruise lines for everyone. The reasons why most love one more than the other are probably excactly the opposite reasons of the ones preferring the other lines.

 

Most people prefer Celebrity because it is a more grown up, upscale and, to be honest, more “kids free” line (compared to the lines listed above). And rightly so... So why would or could I recommend such a cruise line to folks with kids?!

 

It’s kind of like recommending a Porsche to someone wanting to pull a trailer. It works... but does it really make sense? :D

[Queen of Oakville]

My kids are 11 and 12, having sailed, Disney, RCL, HAL, and Carnival .... Celebrity is their favorite.

 

But my kids don't like the kid's clubs with hundreds of kids and constant noise. They won't even go to the kid's clubs on those ships.

 

My kids would not be keen on the itinerary you selected. As others have mentioned your focus should be more on the right itinerary.

[villauk]

Look at Celebrity’s pricing and discounts for children and look at the pricing for children on lines that cater to families by definition (RCCL, NCL, MSC, Costa etc.) and you will see how serious Celebraty is about bringing youngsters on board. ;)

 

But again... there are cruise lines for everyone. The reasons why most love one more than the other are probably excactly the opposite reasons of the ones preferring the other lines.

 

Most people prefer Celebrity because it is a more grown up, upscale and, to be honest, more “kids free” line (compared to the lines listed above). And rightly so... So why would or could I recommend such a cruise line to folks with kids?!

 

It’s kind of like recommending a Porsche to someone wanting to pull a trailer. It works... but does it really make sense? :D

 

I was not querying why you personally would not recommend X, but the statement you made in your post that ‘X wants to keep it that way’ yet they continually send emails/ promotions such as the one I posted above ;). I believe the statement was actually your personal opinion, which is fine as it makes my teens happy: they hate a ship being overrun with unruly kids that prevent them from using the facilities :cool:.

 

As I pointed out in my initial post, only the OP knows their own children and whether they need the added amenities that other lines provide, not all kids are the same.

 

Btw, I don’t need to look at X’s pricing for kids, I’ve been paying it for the last 8 years, several times a year ;).

[Miaminice]

I was not querying why you personally would not recommend X, but the statement you made in your post that ‘X wants to keep it that way’ yet they continually send emails/ promotions such as the one I posted above ;). I believe the statement was actually your personal opinion, which is fine as it makes my teens happy: they hate a ship being overrun with unruly kids that prevent them from using the facilities :cool:.

 

As I pointed out in my initial post, only the OP knows their own children and whether they need the added amenities that other lines provide, not all kids are the same.

 

Btw, I don’t need to look at X’s pricing for kids, I’ve been paying it for the last 8 years, several times a year ;).

 

 

And you still don’t think that cruislines offering discounts for kids are trying to attract families more than one that makes them pay the full price?!

 

Why do you think Celebrity does not offer any discounts? Because it wants to be seen as family friendly?

 

It‘s just a factual observation... regardless of how many times a year YOU pay for it :rolleyes:

[villauk]

And you still don’t think that cruislines offering discounts for kids are trying to attract families more than one that makes them pay the full price?!

 

Why do you think Celebrity does not offer any discounts? Because it wants to be seen as family friendly?

 

It‘s just a factual observation... regardless of how many times a year YOU pay for it :rolleyes:

 

You obviously missed the promos from last year on X that were advertising big discounts for 3rd and 4th occupants on several sailings then :confused:?

[lamb616]

I would like to book Celebrity (would be Silhouette and Scandinavia/Russia cruise) with children aged 10- 13 years but our agent thinks:

 

1. There is not enough for older children to do on the ship and

2. childrens' clubs are not up to the standard of other lines.

 

While I know RCI has water slides, flumes, bowling alley would it be that much better for children? Anyone been on Celebrity or Silhouette in particular and have an opinion on this? Thanks.

When are you looking to go? Are there no NCL or RCCL going around the same time?

I'm bringing my kids (12 & 16) on the same itinerary next summer (2019) on RCCl. It only has 4 sea days out of the 14.

 

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