Cruising with a child under 12

[MommaBear55]

On 8/31/2021 at 8:23 PM, cured said:

Perhaps you should present your "scientific" evidence to Royal Caribbean, the Bahamian government, the US Virgin Islands, St. Maartin, and all the other islands that have ship excursion only rules and see if they will change the rules for your child.  I am sure they will consider your evidence over all the actual immunologists, infection disease specialists, and scientists they all have consulted before making the rules that are best for their countries.

Thank you so much for saying this. In these days of "Dr Google" everyone thinks they are an expert.

[jerseygirl3]

On 8/31/2021 at 7:53 PM, micruiser2002 said:

Not sure what science it makes sense of, as I said above even the vaccinated can get and spread the virus (and WORSE not know it because they may be symptom free).  And even on ships tours the children can come into contact with the same people they would if on a private tour, so it is not preventing those under 12 from coming in contact with the same people outside of the ship as those not on a ships tour.  This policy is not going to prevent additional infections.  

Vaccinated have a lower viral load and subsequently what they shed is less virulent.
 

Btw, I’m very surprised, given how many children are contracting the Delta variant, that people are taking so many young children onboard cruise ships at this time. 

[Exit6cruisers]

On 9/1/2021 at 8:29 PM, dominicr said:

Where did everyone get their kids under 3 tested at?  Walgreens and cvs both say 3 and up and my little one just turned 2 a couple months ago so can’t do that one.  

Quest diagnostics will do testing for your 2 year old, can schedule in advance no Dr referral needed

 

[Jzx1103]

So we have a Thanksgiving Mexican Riviera cruise booked on the Navigator. I heard with current Covid protocals. You can only take kids off the ship if you're doing an excursion with Royal and not book on your own. However today when I went to look up excursions to book on the Royal website. Literally all of them says minimum age is 12, while some have minimum age of 15. I know for a fact that the type of excursions I looked at allowed kids under 12 before. So is Royal pretty much saying kids under 12 can't get off the ships at all without directly saying it? Anyone brought kids under 12 onboard recently have any experience? Is Adventure Ocean open all day during port stops and can we leave them in Adventure Ocean duringthe entirety of our excursion?

Edited September 6, 2021 by Jzx1103

[sabres431]

 

11 hours ago, Jzx1103 said:

So we have a Thanksgiving Mexican Riviera cruise booked on the Navigator. I heard with current Covid protocals. You can only take kids off the ship if you're doing an excursion with Royal and not book on your own. However today when I went to look up excursions to book on the Royal website. Literally all of them says minimum age is 12, while some have minimum age of 15. I know for a fact that the type of excursions I looked at allowed kids under 12 before. So is Royal pretty much saying kids under 12 can't get off the ships at all without directly saying it? Anyone brought kids under 12 onboard recently have any experience? Is Adventure Ocean open all day during port stops and can we leave them in Adventure Ocean duringthe entirety of our excursion?

 

It looks like most of the Beach Excursions don't have restrictions for our Nov. 7 cruise(St. Thomas/St. Maarten) but some of them have odd age restrictions that I would guess wouldn't be there pre-covid.

[katmmoore]

Update time! Just got off of the Ovation of the Seas with our 6 year old daughter! 
 

Initial testing at the pier — nice and easy. They hardly go up their little noses and then you wait. They said 30 minutes but it was an hour so just be prepared for some waits! They tested again on day 6 and also nice and easy. For those results they email and bring a copy to your room. Thankfully negative both times!! 

 

Adventure Ocean — as others have mentioned you are given a block of hours at the start specifically 4 3 hour blocks. We booked those days 1 for the evening session that night and then all 3 the next day. At the check in for the 7PM-10PM session on night 2 we simply asked to book the sessions for the next day. Zero problems at all! On sea days she was there for all sessions and stayed onboard in Juneau when we got off (she wasn’t feeling any shore excursions! The crew was amazing as always, late night for adventure ocean ran till midnight. The kiddos did all wear masks inside but for our daughter she has to wear one at school so it wasn’t a big deal to her! 
 

For getting off of the ship she was required to have a shore excursion booked and it was checked before getting off that she was on the list of approved under 12 year olds to get off with an excursion. We did the musher camp in Skagway and the taste of Sitka in Sitka (totems, salmon running, raptor center, bears). She had a blast everywhere. We were allowed to go to the stores at the specific place the excursion went, there was no wandering around town with unvaccinated minors! 
 

On the ship itself there were places she couldn’t go but it wasn’t a huge deal. We mostly did trivia in Schooner as it was for everyone so she could come too, vaccinated only was at amber and oaks. The buffet closing early was a bit tough for dinner as the main dining room isn’t our style so we mostly did pizza and room service for dinner with her! We did the dining room a few times and although they’re great at bringing out the kids food first it just means the kids have to sit there longer while the adults finish. Food was excellent though! 
 

Ovation also has the kids splashbay, it was Caribbean she would have lived in it but being it was alaska she only did it once before we left Seattle but it was a blast for her! 
 

We felt incredibly Safe the entire time. The ship definitely tried to take every precaution and it felt safer than going to target! 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 9/5/2021 at 10:27 PM, Jzx1103 said:

Anyone brought kids under 12 onboard recently have any experience? Is Adventure Ocean open all day during port stops and can we leave them in Adventure Ocean duringthe entirety of our excursion?

tons of people did, just read the recent reviews.

I also have a Thanksgiving cruise and booked 2 RCI excursions with my 10 yo (just beach trips).

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 9/5/2021 at 10:27 PM, Jzx1103 said:

However today when I went to look up excursions to book on the Royal website. Literally all of them says minimum age is 12,

make sure your cruise allows unvaxxed kids. 

 

[Ashland]

5 hours ago, katmmoore said:

Update time! Just got off of the Ovation of the Seas with our 6 year old daughter! 
 

Initial testing at the pier — nice and easy. They hardly go up their little noses and then you wait. They said 30 minutes but it was an hour so just be prepared for some waits! They tested again on day 6 and also nice and easy. For those results they email and bring a copy to your room. Thankfully negative both times!! 

 

Adventure Ocean — as others have mentioned you are given a block of hours at the start specifically 4 3 hour blocks. We booked those days 1 for the evening session that night and then all 3 the next day. At the check in for the 7PM-10PM session on night 2 we simply asked to book the sessions for the next day. Zero problems at all! On sea days she was there for all sessions and stayed onboard in Juneau when we got off (she wasn’t feeling any shore excursions! The crew was amazing as always, late night for adventure ocean ran till midnight. The kiddos did all wear masks inside but for our daughter she has to wear one at school so it wasn’t a big deal to her! 
 

For getting off of the ship she was required to have a shore excursion booked and it was checked before getting off that she was on the list of approved under 12 year olds to get off with an excursion. We did the musher camp in Skagway and the taste of Sitka in Sitka (totems, salmon running, raptor center, bears). She had a blast everywhere. We were allowed to go to the stores at the specific place the excursion went, there was no wandering around town with unvaccinated minors! 
 

On the ship itself there were places she couldn’t go but it wasn’t a huge deal. We mostly did trivia in Schooner as it was for everyone so she could come too, vaccinated only was at amber and oaks. The buffet closing early was a bit tough for dinner as the main dining room isn’t our style so we mostly did pizza and room service for dinner with her! We did the dining room a few times and although they’re great at bringing out the kids food first it just means the kids have to sit there longer while the adults finish. Food was excellent though! 
 

Ovation also has the kids splashbay, it was Caribbean she would have lived in it but being it was alaska she only did it once before we left Seattle but it was a blast for her! 
 

We felt incredibly Safe the entire time. The ship definitely tried to take every precaution and it felt safer than going to target! 

Did you book the Musher Camp with the ship or privately? We'll (extended family including a 5 & 8 year old) be doing this during our Sept 2022 cruise and would prefer to book directly. I've contacted the company and hoping to get an answer from them eventually.

[katmmoore]

50 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Did you book the Musher Camp with the ship or privately? We'll (extended family including a 5 & 8 year old) be doing this during our Sept 2022 cruise and would prefer to book directly. I've contacted the company and hoping to get an answer from them eventually.

We had to book through the ship this year because of covid restrictions! We couldn’t get off with our daughter without a booked excursion through the ship. But In normal times they do sell excursions in town in Skagway and prebooked private ones! 

[Txdnadoc]

On 9/10/2021 at 7:03 PM, katmmoore said:

We had to book through the ship this year because of covid restrictions! We couldn’t get off with our daughter without a booked excursion through the ship. But In normal times they do sell excursions in town in Skagway and prebooked private ones! 

Do we include kids too young for vaccination on the vaccine status request form?  RCL told me no, but they emailed me the form again.   Thanks for any insight you can provide!

[Ashland]

On 9/10/2021 at 4:03 PM, katmmoore said:

We had to book through the ship this year because of covid restrictions! We couldn’t get off with our daughter without a booked excursion through the ship. But In normal times they do sell excursions in town in Skagway and prebooked private ones! 

Thanks...hoping this policy is changed by our Sept 2022 Alaska cruise....I always prefer to book privately even when the ship offers the same excursion.

[Littlestar80]

Do you what is the vaccination policy at Antigua. Can unvaccinated kids under 12 go to private excursions? 

[cured]

5 hours ago, Littlestar80 said:

Do you what is the vaccination policy at Antigua. Can unvaccinated kids under 12 go to private excursions? 

As of right now, no. Assuming you are leaving out of Florida, here are the protocols for all cruises leaving out of Florida:

 

Going Ashore

Healthy Shore Excursions

Royal Caribbean has worked with local tour operators to ensure they follow our Healthy Sail Panel health guidance for all Shore Excursions. These tours are available at a variety of price points and may be purchased in advance on Cruise Planner or once onboard using the Royal Caribbean App.

Requirements for Going Ashore

Below are our current tour requirements at ports of call, which are subject to change as we continue to evaluate circumstances around the globe.

No Tours Required for Vaccinated Guests
Fully vaccinated parties may book a shore excursion or visit the port freely.

Tours for Families
Families traveling with unvaccinated kids must purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean if they wish to go ashore. This applies to all ports of call except Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Port Canaveral, Florida. Vaccinated parents wishing to go ashore freely can visit our youth facilities onboard to learn about drop off program hours and availability, and reserve time for their child on the day they wish to go in port.

Tours Recommended in Port Canaveral, Florida
For ships that stop at Port Canaveral, we strongly recommend that families traveling with unvaccinated kids purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean if they wish to go ashore. Additionally, we recommend the use of face masks when going ashore.

No Tours Required at Perfect Day
Tours or planned activities are not required of any guest who wishes to go ashore at Perfect Day at CocoCay, our private destination.

Edited September 14, 2021 by cured

[spooky981]

On 9/10/2021 at 12:52 PM, katmmoore said:

Update time! Just got off of the Ovation of the Seas with our 6 year old daughter! 
 

Initial testing at the pier — nice and easy. They hardly go up their little noses and then you wait. They said 30 minutes but it was an hour so just be prepared for some waits! They tested again on day 6 and also nice and easy. For those results they email and bring a copy to your room. Thankfully negative both times!! 

 

Adventure Ocean — as others have mentioned you are given a block of hours at the start specifically 4 3 hour blocks. We booked those days 1 for the evening session that night and then all 3 the next day. At the check in for the 7PM-10PM session on night 2 we simply asked to book the sessions for the next day. Zero problems at all! On sea days she was there for all sessions and stayed onboard in Juneau when we got off (she wasn’t feeling any shore excursions! The crew was amazing as always, late night for adventure ocean ran till midnight. The kiddos did all wear masks inside but for our daughter she has to wear one at school so it wasn’t a big deal to her! 
 

For getting off of the ship she was required to have a shore excursion booked and it was checked before getting off that she was on the list of approved under 12 year olds to get off with an excursion. We did the musher camp in Skagway and the taste of Sitka in Sitka (totems, salmon running, raptor center, bears). She had a blast everywhere. We were allowed to go to the stores at the specific place the excursion went, there was no wandering around town with unvaccinated minors! 
 

On the ship itself there were places she couldn’t go but it wasn’t a huge deal. We mostly did trivia in Schooner as it was for everyone so she could come too, vaccinated only was at amber and oaks. The buffet closing early was a bit tough for dinner as the main dining room isn’t our style so we mostly did pizza and room service for dinner with her! We did the dining room a few times and although they’re great at bringing out the kids food first it just means the kids have to sit there longer while the adults finish. Food was excellent though! 
 

Ovation also has the kids splashbay, it was Caribbean she would have lived in it but being it was alaska she only did it once before we left Seattle but it was a blast for her! 
 

We felt incredibly Safe the entire time. The ship definitely tried to take every precaution and it felt safer than going to target! 

 

Did she enjoy herself in the kids club? I'm on the threshold of taking a three year old and a five year old in November. I want to ensure two things:

 

1) They have a good time. I want Adventure Ocean to be enjoyable for them so that they don't fight us going there.

2) My wife and I get plenty of alone time. I'm worried about signing up for "sessions" such that we may only get three hours of time together per day. I was hoping for much more than that.

[seabeew]

I think the Adventure Ocean experience is dependent on the ship, number of children on the ship, and ship protocols. We were on the Adventure of the Seas in June. Our grandson was a few weeks away from his third birthday and was not eligible for Adventure Ocean. The ship did not have a program for under threes. We talked to a parent of two elementary school age children and she said the program was almost empty due to low numbers of kids onboard. She could have booked them any number of hours. She also said they had to wear masks and had to stay six feet apart at all times even though they were siblings and the only kids in the program. 
 

We were on the Odyssey of the Seas a couple weeks ago and he could go to Adventure Ocean. We were initially given 18 hours for the week so we booked the 7-10 time slot. By the next day we could have booked as much time as we needed. We did end up booking a couple sessions until midnight and we brought him in later those nights. When he was in the program, there was never more than one child with him. The counselor told us most kids were coming in the day time , but they were never full.

Masks were required at all times.
 

The counselors were very hands on. Our grandson brought back very elaborate art projects and he loved going there. You could tell the two young women working with his age group really loved kids and were very interested in making sure the kids we’re having a good time. 
 

Our concern was that the kids could only bring water to the program and no snacks. Nothing to eat or drink was provided. We couldn’t bring and bedding and nothing to sit on was provided. I’m not sure if that was standard in the past as he had only been the infant program until now. The play area had lots of kitchen and related sets built in to the wall , but no utensils or tools to play with. There were not any blocks or games out, either. So it was a very sterile environment. 
 

All in all it was a good experience for all of us. He enjoyed it and we could have child free time. Some parents did have the kids in the program while they did unrestricted shore excursions. I don’t know how the program handled food during those extended hours. They probably took them to the windjammer, which was not open at night.