augirl409 Posted May 24, 2019 #1 Share Posted May 24, 2019 My husband and I are planning a cruise for the two of us and our eight children (will be ages 18,17,13,11,9,5,5,and almost 2) for next May. We have narrowed it down to a five day on either the Dream or the Valor.(same destination) A little info...we won’t be doing kids club. Our older three are boys and are responsible enough to walk around and explore (eat, arcade,etc) together without us for certain amounts of time. We cruised without the kiddos on the Fantasy last month and LOVED the simplicity/size of it. Because it’s so small, walking around with all eight kids would be no issue. But the pool was ALWAYS either too crowded to fit anyone else in or it was closed, so I know they would have been bored during sea days with little to do. Here are my concerns (having never been on either ship myself)... Is the Dream so big that navigating it with five younger children (and some times all eight) in tow will be difficult? Does it’s size make pool/water areas a bit less crowded and easier for young children to play and have fun in the water? Does one have an advantage over the other for families? I’d love any helpful info you can give! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauer-kraut Posted May 24, 2019 #2 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Why wouldn't you take advantage of the kid's club? The younger ones 9-5 might really have a lot fun and give you a break. Any pool on any ship will be crowded.... they always are unless its an Alaska sailing. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggtjr Posted May 24, 2019 #3 Share Posted May 24, 2019 50 minutes ago, augirl409 said: My husband and I are planning a cruise for the two of us and our eight children (will be ages 18,17,13,11,9,5,5,and almost 2) for next May. We have narrowed it down to a five day on either the Dream or the Valor.(same destination) A little info...we won’t be doing kids club. Our older three are boys and are responsible enough to walk around and explore (eat, arcade,etc) together without us for certain amounts of time. We cruised without the kiddos on the Fantasy last month and LOVED the simplicity/size of it. Because it’s so small, walking around with all eight kids would be no issue. But the pool was ALWAYS either too crowded to fit anyone else in or it was closed, so I know they would have been bored during sea days with little to do. Here are my concerns (having never been on either ship myself)... Is the Dream so big that navigating it with five younger children (and some times all eight) in tow will be difficult? Does it’s size make pool/water areas a bit less crowded and easier for young children to play and have fun in the water? Does one have an advantage over the other for families? I’d love any helpful info you can give! Why not enroll you children ages 2 to 13 in the youth group. They can meet new friends and the programs are great. For the 2 year olds, they will give you a phone to contact you. The 11 and 13 year olds can check themselves out of the area with parent permission. Sometimes they can hang out with their new found friends. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolOne56 Posted May 24, 2019 #4 Share Posted May 24, 2019 I would pick the Dream, it has the Water Works - for the kids. Dream also has Ocean Plaza - all ages. Volleyball & basketball for the older boys. The Dream holds almost 1600 more passengers than the Fantasy. I don't have small ones, but why not let the little ones try Camp Carnival on the first day - they may like it. The pools are crowed on all ships. 😁 Happy cruising! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic6318 Posted May 24, 2019 #5 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Hi Welcome to cruise critic. The older kids won't have any problem finding things to keep themselves entertained, and as you say, if they are responsible, they won't get into trouble. However, I think it's an almost unanimous question on why you wouldn't let your younger children enjoy the kids clubs. They don't spend the entire time there, but when they are there they are being entertained. It's not for everybody, but many children have a lot of fun. They can try it and if they don't like it, they don't have to go again. It also gives you a bit of a break. As mentioned, the pools on all the ships are always a crowed area (especially on sea days). The fact that the ship is larger doesn't change anything, it just means there are more people on board. Typically finding seating would be a challenge. The water slides are always fun for the ones that would be tall enough, and the "water works" area would be nice for the 5 y.o.'s, and would be much larger on the Dream. For your youngest, be aware that children must be potty trained to go in any of the pools. have a great cruise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augirl409 Posted May 24, 2019 Author #6 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Yeah, we won’t be doing the kids camp. We enjoy spending our vacation time together as a family and they just aren’t interested. I will definitely look up Ocean Plaza! And they would definitely enjoy the basketball! Does Valor not have that?🤔 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augirl409 Posted May 24, 2019 Author #7 Share Posted May 24, 2019 3 minutes ago, Nic6318 said: Hi Welcome to cruise critic. The older kids won't have any problem finding things to keep themselves entertained, and as you say, if they are responsible, they won't get into trouble. However, I think it's an almost unanimous question on why you wouldn't let your younger children enjoy the kids clubs. They don't spend the entire time there, but when they are there they are being entertained. It's not for everybody, but many children have a lot of fun. They can try it and if they don't like it, they don't have to go again. It also gives you a bit of a break. As mentioned, the pools on all the ships are always a crowed area (especially on sea days). The fact that the ship is larger doesn't change anything, it just means there are more people on board. Typically finding seating would be a challenge. The water slides are always fun for the ones that would be tall enough, and the "water works" area would be nice for the 5 y.o.'s, and would be much larger on the Dream. For your youngest, be aware that children must be potty trained to go in any of the pools. have a great cruise Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvercrikhix Posted May 24, 2019 #8 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Welcome to Cruise Critic. Daycare & Kids Camp aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, spending time together is a great idea too! Hands down, definitely go on the DREAM over the Valor. There is nothing wrong with the Valor, but the DREAM has much much much more to offer your large family. Have a Great Family Cruise! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augirl409 Posted May 24, 2019 Author #9 Share Posted May 24, 2019 2 minutes ago, silvercrikhix said: Welcome to Cruise Critic. Daycare & Kids Camp aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, spending time together is a great idea too! Hands down, definitely go on the DREAM over the Valor. There is nothing wrong with the Valor, but the DREAM has much much much more to offer your large family. Have a Great Family Cruise! Thank you!!!!!!! (especially for not asking why we don’t just put the kids in Kid’s Camp!😁) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallnthensome Posted May 24, 2019 #10 Share Posted May 24, 2019 With that many kids you should look at the Newer MSC Seaside...... amazing jungle pool for kids and the best water park at sea for kids ..... best pricing for kids as well. It’s great ..... check it out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tapi Posted May 25, 2019 #11 Share Posted May 25, 2019 Personally, I would go with the ship that offers the most, and in your case it will be the Dream. We had a great time on that ship. With that said, our last cruise was on the Fantasy, and we had a great time. Yes, the ship was older and smaller, and the pool was always packed (which we used one time for like 2 minutes and got grossed out with so many people in it), but we did spent a considerable amount of time at the water slides. I’m all about family time as well and that’s a big reason why we go on vacation; to spend time together as a family. But what I’m going to say is not meant to lecture you, just to share my family’s experience. My kids did go to the kids club at night for a few hours after dinner. They’d beg to go. Turns out that, for them, having fun with newfound friends while mom and dad enjoyed a little bit of time together to reconnect was a great way to enhance our vacation. The reason why I’m sharing this is to reinforce selecting the Dream which has better kid facilities. Even if you’re not planning on using them, taking them into consideration to make your decision is, in my humble opinion, good advice in case they do want to attend and you discover that you wish to have a little time to yourself. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplephenom Posted May 25, 2019 #12 Share Posted May 25, 2019 I think walking around as a group of 10 will be difficult on either ship. The decks aren’t that wide, everyone walks at different speeds, everyone stops to check things out and there are other people doing the same things. I say that to tell you, getting around really doesn’t matter- it’ll be somewhat difficult on either ship, but you are used to keeping your family together so it’ll be just fine. The dream is a nice choice- more to do while you’re on the ship, but the youngest kids may get overwhelmed at the pool area when it starts to get crowded. I don’t know if you’re planning beach excursions but the younger kids may enjoy water time more in ports. Whatever you decide, have fun! With that many people I bet you’ll get home with fun memories and good stories. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augirl409 Posted May 25, 2019 Author #13 Share Posted May 25, 2019 2 hours ago, Tapi said: Personally, I would go with the ship that offers the most, and in your case it will be the Dream. We had a great time on that ship. With that said, our last cruise was on the Fantasy, and we had a great time. Yes, the ship was older and smaller, and the pool was always packed (which we used one time for like 2 minutes and got grossed out with so many people in it), but we did spent a considerable amount of time at the water slides. I’m all about family time as well and that’s a big reason why we go on vacation; to spend time together as a family. But what I’m going to say is not meant to lecture you, just to share my family’s experience. My kids did go to the kids club at night for a few hours after dinner. They’d beg to go. Turns out that, for them, having fun with newfound friends while mom and dad enjoyed a little bit of time together to reconnect was a great way to enhance our vacation. The reason why I’m sharing this is to reinforce selecting the Dream which has better kid facilities. Even if you’re not planning on using them, taking them into consideration to make your decision is, in my humble opinion, good advice in case they do want to attend and you discover that you wish to have a little time to yourself. Did you find the pool/pools less packed on the Dream than on the Fantasy? (Side note: we loved our cruise on the Fantasy!) And about the Dream offering more than the Valor...what would those things be exactly? I’ve seen that it has volleyball and Valor just has basketball and Valor doesn’t have Water Works. Is there something else that I’m missing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augirl409 Posted May 25, 2019 Author #14 Share Posted May 25, 2019 1 hour ago, purplephenom said: I think walking around as a group of 10 will be difficult on either ship. The decks aren’t that wide, everyone walks at different speeds, everyone stops to check things out and there are other people doing the same things. I say that to tell you, getting around really doesn’t matter- it’ll be somewhat difficult on either ship, but you are used to keeping your family together so it’ll be just fine. The dream is a nice choice- more to do while you’re on the ship, but the youngest kids may get overwhelmed at the pool area when it starts to get crowded. I don’t know if you’re planning beach excursions but the younger kids may enjoy water time more in ports. Whatever you decide, have fun! With that many people I bet you’ll get home with fun memories and good stories. Thank you! What type of things does the Dream have that the Valor doesn’t? I don’t want to miss anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryred Posted May 25, 2019 #15 Share Posted May 25, 2019 (edited) Just some food for thought on the kids camp, but not necessarily endorsing the use of it for your family. Enroll in it as it is included as part of your fare as much as the dining room, library, game/card room, theater, pools, or sports deck center are. Enrollment does not mean that anything has to be attended it just registers the child as a possible participant. to the camp activities Attend the embarkation day tour or orientation as a family to get the cruise long activity schedule for each age group. Most of the activities are just for the kids in a specified camp area while some are family oriented and done as a family unit elsewhere on the ship. From there you can decide if this could be something that benefits the family. The camp operation is broken up into "sessions" with several activities offered at a specified time during that "session", but if only 1 activity appeals there is no reason to stay for the entire session. The schedule for operation usually runs ... 8-10am for interactive family playtime especially for parents/guardians of toddlers and children under 2 10am-noon morning session of activities noon-2pm closed for lunch 2-5pm afternoon session of activities 5-7:30pm closed for dinner though there may be several nights for the kids to attend a dinner with the counselors at the buffet 7:30-10pm evening session of activities after 10pm the camps turn into the Night Owl at fee group "evening care" so parents can enjoy some adult activity time During each 2 -3 hour "session" anywhere from 2 -5 activities are offered, from the counselors simply reading aloud a Dr. Seuss book while costume characters visit to individual or whole age group craft activities to digital photo scavenger hunts with families making up the teams to being part of the Dr. Seuss parade. There are some at fee activities like the Build a Bear workshop for families (usually held away from the camp rooms), but no fee alternatives are also offered at the same time inside the camp. If any of the activities are of interest to your family all that needs to be done, as long as the kids are already registered during the online check-in, is to sign the child(ren) in at the camp area at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled activity. The only exclusion is the dinner with counselors, which require a seperate sign-up. Edited May 25, 2019 by maryred spelling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augirl409 Posted May 25, 2019 Author #16 Share Posted May 25, 2019 16 minutes ago, maryred said: Just some food for thought on the kids camp, but not necessarily endorsing the use of it for your family. Enroll in it as it is included as part of your fare as much as the dining room, library, game/card room, theater, pools, or sports deck center are. Enrollment does not mean that anything has to be attended it just registers the child as a possible participant. to the camp activities Attend the embarkation day tour or orientation as a family to get the cruise long activity schedule for each age group. Most of the activities are just for the kids in a specified camp area while some are family oriented and done as a family unit elsewhere on the ship. From there you can decide if this could be something that benefits the family. The camp operation is broken up into "sessions" with several activities offered at a specified time during that "session", but if only 1 activity appeals there is no reason to stay for the entire session. The schedule for operation usually runs ... 8-10am for interactive family playtime especially for parents/guardians of toddlers and children under 2 10am-noon morning session of activities noon-2pm closed for lunch 2-5pm afternoon session of activities 5-7:30pm closed for dinner though there may be several nights for the kids to attend a dinner with the counselors at the buffet 7:30-10pm evening session of activities after 10pm the camps turn into the Night Owl at fee group "evening care" so parents can enjoy some adult activity time During each 2 -3 hour "session" anywhere from 2 -5 activities are offered, from the counselors simply reading aloud a Dr. Seuss book while costume characters visit to individual or whole age group craft activities to digital photo scavenger hunts with families making up the teams to being part of the Dr. Seuss parade. There are some at fee activities like the Build a Bear workshop for families (usually held away from the camp rooms), but no fee alternatives are also offered at the same time inside the camp. If any of the activities are of interest to your family all that needs to be done, as long as the kids are already registered during the online check-in, is to sign the child(ren) in at the camp area at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled activity. The only exclusion is the dinner with counselors, which require a seperate sign-up. Thank you for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryred Posted May 25, 2019 #17 Share Posted May 25, 2019 The Dream offers Deluxe Family Oceanview cabins for 5, which provides more room than other standard staterooms. These cabins have the a king bed (or can be separated into 2 twins), 2 upper Pullman bunks and a sofa day bed. It also contains 2 bathrooms, 1 being the standard shower, toilet, vanity w/ sink set up and the second having another vanity w/ sink and a junior tub. This chart from Carnival might help you compare some of the other features.. Carnival Dream Remove Carnival Dream from compare list Carnival Valor Remove Carnival Valor from compare list Add Ship SHIP DETAILS Ship Details Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Gross Tonnage 130,000 110,000 Guest Capacity 3646 2980 Length In Feet 1004 953 Onboard Crew 1367 1180 DINING Dining Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Guy's Burger Joint BlueIguana Cantina Steakhouse Dining Room Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Lido Restaurant Seafood Shack Pizza Pirate Swirls 24-Hour Room Service Bonsai Sushi Ol' Fashioned BBQ The Chef's Table Coffee Bar Seaday Brunch Mongolian Wok Pizzeria del Capitano Steakhouse Selections The Carnival Deli Kids' Menus Breakfast Grill Bottomless Bubbles Chef's Choice Dining Room Breakfast Good Eats Kids' Meals for Campers Pasta Bella Salad Bar Sweet Spot Special Diets ACTIVITIES Activities Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Make It With Michaels Cooking Demonstration Atrium Mixologist Competitions Bingo Onboard Internet Art Exhibitions Mini Golf Alchemy Martini Tasting Games Art Seminars Volleyball Ocean Plaza Library Master the Martini Art Auctions Art Games Basketball BARS CASINO ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS KIDS & TEENS Kids & Teens Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Zumbini Seuss at Sea Camp Ocean Club O2 Circle "C" Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast Night Owls Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea Seuss-a-palooza Story Time Seuss-A-Palooza Parade Video Arcade Towel Animal Theater Arts and Crafts OUTDOOR Outdoor Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Serenity Adult Only Retreat WaterWorks Pools Twister Waterslide SHOPS SPA & FITNESS ITINERARY Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Carnival Dream Carnival Valor BACK TO ALL SHIPS Carnival Dream Remove Carnival Dream from compare list Carnival Valor 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augirl409 Posted May 25, 2019 Author #18 Share Posted May 25, 2019 9 hours ago, maryred said: The Dream offers Deluxe Family Oceanview cabins for 5, which provides more room than other standard staterooms. These cabins have the a king bed (or can be separated into 2 twins), 2 upper Pullman bunks and a sofa day bed. It also contains 2 bathrooms, 1 being the standard shower, toilet, vanity w/ sink set up and the second having another vanity w/ sink and a junior tub. This chart from Carnival might help you compare some of the other features.. Carnival Dream Remove Carnival Dream from compare list Carnival Valor Remove Carnival Valor from compare list Add Ship SHIP DETAILS Ship Details Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Gross Tonnage 130,000 110,000 Guest Capacity 3646 2980 Length In Feet 1004 953 Onboard Crew 1367 1180 DINING Dining Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Guy's Burger Joint BlueIguana Cantina Steakhouse Dining Room Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Lido Restaurant Seafood Shack Pizza Pirate Swirls 24-Hour Room Service Bonsai Sushi Ol' Fashioned BBQ The Chef's Table Coffee Bar Seaday Brunch Mongolian Wok Pizzeria del Capitano Steakhouse Selections The Carnival Deli Kids' Menus Breakfast Grill Bottomless Bubbles Chef's Choice Dining Room Breakfast Good Eats Kids' Meals for Campers Pasta Bella Salad Bar Sweet Spot Special Diets ACTIVITIES Activities Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Make It With Michaels Cooking Demonstration Atrium Mixologist Competitions Bingo Onboard Internet Art Exhibitions Mini Golf Alchemy Martini Tasting Games Art Seminars Volleyball Ocean Plaza Library Master the Martini Art Auctions Art Games Basketball BARS CASINO ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS KIDS & TEENS Kids & Teens Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Zumbini Seuss at Sea Camp Ocean Club O2 Circle "C" Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast Night Owls Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea Seuss-a-palooza Story Time Seuss-A-Palooza Parade Video Arcade Towel Animal Theater Arts and Crafts OUTDOOR Outdoor Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Serenity Adult Only Retreat WaterWorks Pools Twister Waterslide SHOPS SPA & FITNESS ITINERARY Carnival Dream Carnival Valor Carnival Dream Carnival Valor BACK TO ALL SHIPS Carnival Dream Remove Carnival Dream from compare list Carnival Valor Thank you! I have looked at that on the Carnival website and that’s what made me ask. I was hearing a lot of “the Dream has more to offer” but according to this comparison, I could only find volleyball and waterworks as an extra that Valor doesn’t have. I thought maybe I was missing something! Thanks for the info on the rooms! I’ll check those out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacationdreamer<>< Posted May 26, 2019 #19 Share Posted May 26, 2019 On 5/24/2019 at 5:20 PM, augirl409 said: My husband and I are planning a cruise for the two of us and our eight children (will be ages 18,17,13,11,9,5,5,and almost 2) for next May. We have narrowed it down to a five day on either the Dream or the Valor.(same destination) A little info...we won’t be doing kids club. Our older three are boys and are responsible enough to walk around and explore (eat, arcade,etc) together without us for certain amounts of time. We cruised without the kiddos on the Fantasy last month and LOVED the simplicity/size of it. Because it’s so small, walking around with all eight kids would be no issue. But the pool was ALWAYS either too crowded to fit anyone else in or it was closed, so I know they would have been bored during sea days with little to do. Here are my concerns (having never been on either ship myself)... Is the Dream so big that navigating it with five younger children (and some times all eight) in tow will be difficult? Does it’s size make pool/water areas a bit less crowded and easier for young children to play and have fun in the water? Does one have an advantage over the other for families? I’d love any helpful info you can give! Hi OP! DH and I have six kids and we love cruising. We, too, use kids’ clubs sparingly. Our kids just prefer to be with us and vice versus. We only done Disney and NCL so far, but have a 5-N Valor cruise coming in August. We’d like to do Vista next year. I guess I can’t do much help you, as just encourage you that cruising is a wonderful family vacation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacationdreamer<>< Posted May 26, 2019 #20 Share Posted May 26, 2019 I’ll say that for our first cruise we categorically we’re not planning to use the kids’ clubs. We did visit each one (DCL) on embarkation and we did some family programming in them. On our NCL cruise we again visited the clubs on embarkation and got schedules. It turned out that then 12 yo DD wanted to play some deck games (dodgeball and volleyball) when her kids’ club did. We were able to watch it and she had a great time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augirl409 Posted May 26, 2019 Author #21 Share Posted May 26, 2019 33 minutes ago, Vacationdreamer<>< said: Hi OP! DH and I have six kids and we love cruising. We, too, use kids’ clubs sparingly. Our kids just prefer to be with us and vice versus. We only done Disney and NCL so far, but have a 5-N Valor cruise coming in August. We’d like to do Vista next year. I guess I can’t do much help you, as just encourage you that cruising is a wonderful family vacation. Thank you!!! We are very excited! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandmarnnurse Posted May 26, 2019 #22 Share Posted May 26, 2019 On 5/24/2019 at 7:16 PM, augirl409 said: Yeah, we won’t be doing the kids camp. We enjoy spending our vacation time together as a family and they just aren’t interested. I will definitely look up Ocean Plaza! And they would definitely enjoy the basketball! Does Valor not have that?🤔 Stick with the Dream, or any ship in the Dream class. Much more for your kids to enjoy. My daughter sailed the Valor and was very disappointed. I just sailed the Breeze, and have the Magic booked for April—both in the Dream class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerseygirl1416 Posted May 26, 2019 #23 Share Posted May 26, 2019 When my kids were younger they never used the camp either. They’re 3 brothers and had plenty to do together and with the other kids they met doing different activities, so I get it. I’d pick the Dream because of the added waterworks but I do want to warn you that Carnival doesn’t allow any swim diapers or children not potty trained in any of the water features. This even includes the splash pad area. Have a great cruise on whichever you decide. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a,j,&fam Posted May 27, 2019 #24 Share Posted May 27, 2019 From what I gathering, sound like the Dream will be the best option. Ik the the Dream have the Ocean view cabin that can hold up to 5 people, also has tub and shower great get everyone clean. Or can go the Suite way on the valor. When come to tough choice between to we but the facts out to the family and a silent vote taken. At the end of the day the wife and myself have the finally say. Keep us posted which way you go, best of luck to you and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnorris10 Posted May 29, 2019 #25 Share Posted May 29, 2019 Good tip about the pools since your not wanting to take advantage of the kids club how about take advantage of early morning pool time - If you go first thing in the morning say 7 am everyone else is still sleeping or trying to get breakfast .... Have one of you stay and watch the kids and have the other go grab a couple of plates of random things pasties, sausages, bacon, biscuits etc so the kids can grab a bite take a swim grab a bite take a swim etc this way you can get the early morning swimming done before it gets crowded -- when it gets crowded go ahead and leave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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