Cruising with kids... on the Beyond... (March 26 7nt Western) (Review)

[fryfrye]

In February of 2023, our kids (DD10, DS13) asked if we could go on a cruise for their spring break in March of 2023.  They are fairly well traveled (or were pre-covid) and have been on 9 Disney Cruise since they were old enough for the kids clubs.     For parents reading this with kids of this age, you know that they are very well adapted to doing their own "research" on YouTube etc -- and we offered up three cruises to them to pick from (all 6/7 nights, all on new or newer ships from FLL or MIA on either the Norwegian Joy,  Odyssey of the Seas, or the Beyond for them to research. 

 

We were somewhat surprised when they both came back (and this is a very rare occasion) and suggested the Beyond.   We were planning to book two balcony rooms and fares were within $100 total per cabin for a cruise-only type fair (deselecting the "free at sea" offerings from NCL since we don't drink and prefer a traditional main dining room experience).    After doing our own research (reviews of the Edge class with kids are pretty sparse), we decided to book to infinite veranda staterooms on the Beyond, a Concierge guarantee was actually cheaper than a regular veranda at the time we booked so we did that... and about 48 hours later we were assigned connecting staterooms on deck 11 aft. 

 

There are tons of great reviews on the ship, the rooms, the shows, etc....  this review is about Kids and the Beyond (and we suspect all the Edge class ships during appropriate times of the year).  

 

If you want to stop reading now and get to the point, here is the short points based review from DD10 (10/10), DS (7.5/10).   When asked to think back to their last Disney Fantasy cruise with the same scoring system , the results for comparison were DD10 (8/10),  DS (7/10).  

 

DD10 won the vacation -- we are pretty sure she had the best time ever -- and for parents with kids in this 10-12 range, I think Celebrity may be better than anything Disney has to offer.  The small group experience  was so much better than 100s of kids in the "the club" or 100s of kids in line  experience she had on her previous cruises.   The space in the club may be small in comparison, but the Camp at Sea staff do a fantastic job utilizing the whole ship for adventures including Scavenger Hunts,  Egg Drop Challenges,  Dodge Ball (or something like dodge ball), etc.    On sea days, we would catch our daughter with a small group from the club out on these adventures.  Crafts, Art, STEM,  and physical activities challenges happen on a "customized" schedule -- and we noted that the staff adapted the activities for the types of kids that were in the program for our week...  video games were played, but more often we saw jump-rope challenges, hunts, and trivia become more pronounced as the week went on.     Outside of the club our DD enjoyed the main dining room menu, but was sure to be done with dinner by 7 to rejoin the camp at sea activities each night until 10.    We offered her freedom to get lunch and snacks on her own, and on more than one occasion we parented from a distance to ensure that she was behaving.   Swimming on ship typically happened late night and we were off the ship each port day for beach breaks and such.   She was very proud to win the camp-at-sea overall challenge for her age group.    We can honestly say that there were no negatives for our DD on this trip -- and we think she made a few friends that she will keep in touch with. 

 

DS13, rated the kids program lower than Disney by about 2 points. (7/10 vs 9/10), although he has never experienced Disney as a "teen".   For this cruise, there were a healthy number (70) of teens in the 13-17 range, however only about 20-25 of them ever showed up to the Basement for organized activities.   There were a good number of extended families traveling on this cruise with kids in this age group, and they mostly did their own thing.     DS stated that the 15-17 year olds that came to the program grouped up and did things, and those teens were open to having the younger teens join them (and he did for a few things), but it was clear early on that hanging around outside of organized activities really wasn't his thing.     He enjoyed the small group challenges like scavenger hunts, dodge ball, egg drops, gaga-ball, movie night, etc but it was clear that he was a little bored mid-day on sea days.     Honestly, I think maybe I was a little bored myself on the last sea day 🙂.   Our DS did enjoy his expanded freedom on this trip, ate dinner each night with us in the main dining room, but "met up" for breakfast and snacks with a few of the boys each day.    Teens /vs/ Teens water volleyball  on our last sea day was a nice activity, and the teen "basement staff" worked hard to try and find the right mix of activities.   While our DD was too busy to join us in the theater, our DS did make a few of the shows -- and was enthralled by the technology in the theater -- and had a fun time with the magic act on the last night.    

 

So, did we book another cruise for next year on Celebrity?  No, err.. not yet...  ugh kids can be so difficult 🙂 on day 5 we asked each of them if we should book for the same week in 2024  -- DD --YES! , DS --yeah, maybe?   So we asked them to talk with the other kids to see if they were on RCCL, NCL and how they liked it...  not much surprise here, the 10-12 year olds were ALL having a blast on this cruise and while they missed a few other activities they all wanted another cruise on the Beyond -- the teens were a mixed bag with their reviews...  one common theme that rang true with our DS from his experience on  Disney -- which was "RCCL is cool, has lots to do, but you have to wait in line for almost everything including ice cream, pizza, etc"  --  These were almost the exact phrases our kids used when they selected the Beyond.  We talked to other parents, and they all said the same thing "Kids are having an amazing time, but we keep double and triple checking to make sure its true" 

 

As a parent, I will say that many of the other parents (that we met) were like us -- older (we are both in our late 40s) -- and I think this may be the niche that Celebrity is going after with their program.   Ours kids aren't angels -- but they are generally well behaved -- and the kids on this cruise were also well mannered and behaved.   In fact, the entire ship was well mannered and well behaved (and we can state for a fact that we've seen our fair share of not well behaved adults on our Disney cruises). 

 

So you are a parent reading this review and you're saying "dammit, this doesn't help."  maybe these final  parting thoughts will help:

 

1/. If you had kids later in life -- and you enjoy a more refined experience - book it,.

2/. If your kids hate lines, crowds, and noise -- book it.  Seriously, book it.  

3/. If your kid(s) don't mind bigger crowds of kids, and are looking for a themed experience -- skip it. 

4/. If your ok with 800-1000 kiddos and you might want to ride the slide, drive the race cart, or experience VR on the ship yourself -- skip it. 

5/ If you AND your kids can sit down for a 60-90 minute dinner and have a conversation without devices or gimmicks -- book it.  

6/ If you have been there done that with Disney, RCCL, NCL, etc... and your looking for change of pace -- book it. 

7/ If it's your first cruise or first cruise with kids -- you should likely skip it... (unless of course #2) 

 

I hope this review will help parents who are on the fence make a decision -- 

 

I suspect that at the top level of the Royal Caribbean Group, there is battle that is brewing between Celebrity and RCCL leadership on just how much Celebrity can go after the Gen X, Y parents has just begun -- and I think the Edge class is the start of that battle.  

 

I tend to lurk more than post, but if I have time I will try to answer any questions -- but I think I've covered most of it. 

 

 

[Hafa2990]

We are on Apex with DS8 and

DD10 soon - and are #7 and #2 of your list above. This review is immensely helpful and has me feeling much better about our trip!! This seems like it will be the right vibe for our family. I’m also glad to hear that the kids are not stuck below deck all day and that the programs get them out of the kids’ bunker and onto other area of the ship.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review!

[chimchimtx]

Thanks for the review. We typically book S class when school is in session and see so few kids I wasn't even aware this existed.  We are about to take my almost 22 year old and her BFF on a cruise to celebrate their college graduation.  We showed them several ships to choose from with lots of fun things to do and warned them none of those things exists on the Equinox. We also made it clear there would be nearly zero people in their age group on board.   They are both only children and 100% in the #2 and #5 category.  They took one look at the other ships and shuddered, not #4s at all.  They were both in town this weekend and commenting on how they can’t wait for unlimited drinks, food, and poolside reading time.  I know they are the right temperament to really enjoy Celebrity even on an older ship.  Bigger is not always better for everyone.  My daughter would have definitely wanted the smaller ship when she was their age as well.  

[Bo1953]

Thank you for the review... @fryfrye your review almost tacks with friends who cruised with us and their, then, six (6) yo... on The Edge.

 

First two (2) nights she wanted to be with the group, by night three (3) dinner could not be over quickly enough in order for her to get to Camp... 

 

The coup de grâce was the sleep over at the camp... parents were nervous, as expected, but their DD was insistent, won out and had a fantastic time!!!

 

She preferred Camp to tours (even when it was closed they had to take her down so she could verify) LOL

 

This was her first cruise and parents are thinking of taking her on RCL... thinking she might like it, we shall see...

 

Thank you again and bon voyage

[cw2go]

Fabulous Post! I've sailed Celebrity many times with my sons and they both loved it! Just as you described it suited their personalities. I wouldn't say Celebrity is a great fir for all kids, no more than I would suggest that RCCL or NCL is. 

 

No one size fits all. 

 

Patty 

Edited April 4, 2023 by cw2go

[stringbean10]

Wonderful review! 

We had a similar experience on Beyond in February with our 10 year old and 8 year old.  The kids club staff was fantastic and our kids begged to go from open to close.  We kept checking on them to make sure it was true too!  (I wish they had some sort of pager system or something in the app - we made several unnecessary trips to the kids club) 

We have sailed Royal Caribbean with the kids since they were infants.  Royal Caribbean is great for activities but the kids club can be chaotic and overwhelming.  That said, we have Icon booked for 2024. Two different vibes and experiences. 

 

1.If you had kids later in life -- and you enjoy a more refined experience - book it,.

2/. If your kids hate lines, crowds, and noise -- book it.  Seriously, book it.

3. If you AND your kids can sit down for a 60-90 minute dinner and have a conversation without devices or gimmicks -- book it.  

    * La Petite Chef was a BIG HIT! 

4 If you have been there done that with Disney, RCCL, NCL, etc... and your looking for change of pace -- book it. 

 

^^^^^^ This all applies to my family and I completely agree!  

 

We did participate as a family in trivia, golf, archery, pickle ball, the silent disco, zumba, etc. We hid and found ducks!  The kids loved everything!  We ate as a family in the steak house, la petite chef and Raw on 5.  My kids adored the staff (especially cafe baccio) who greeted them by name and were so sweet!  

 

Thank you so much for this review and I wish someone had provided this info before our first Celebrity cruise.  These boards had me so worried we would be eating scraps and with a bunch of grumpy folks about to mutiny.  We had a WONDERFUL time! 

 

We loved the trip so much we booked another Edge Class cruise this weekend!  Love it! 

[Butterfly0822]

Loved your summary  -- thank you for sharing!!

 

My DD11 loved all the things your daughter loved when we were on our Reflection cruise in December. We are embarking on Apex next week and can't wait!

 

My kid loves hot tea, lingering at dinner, reading, and making friends, too. The kids club in the evening was great fun for her, but she also enjoys more traditionally "adult" activities and doesn't need all the activities the family mega ships offer. 

 

Like you, we have done Disney. And NCL.

 

I think we are so happy on Celebrity. It meets both our needs and there were loads of fun things for us to do together.

 

[sunshinegirl89]

Thanks for your review!  While my kids are older teens, we are also trying Celebrity (Apex) in December after 11 Disney cruises with them.  We are looking forward to a quieter, more laid back ship.  We sailed on the Fantasy December '22 and while we had a good time, there were WAY too many very young, out of control kids and not enough places to escape them (DS is still 17 so sadly the adult areas were out).  We are excited to try Celebrity with them!

[BuckeyeMark]

This is a really fine review.  Well done and well written.  Speaks to what parents want to know.  Thank you!

[docsneeze]

Best review ever!!!!   So well-balanced and pertinent to those of us who are older parents wanting a more refined experience than RCL, Disney, etc.  We cruise all of these lines and are looking forward to more substance and less gimmicks than on other lines.  We are looking forward to cruising on the Apex in June and your comments have reassured us of the best experience for our family vacation.

 

     Our son is only 5 yo.  Can you share any experiences of children on Celebrity in this age group?  

[fryfrye]

@docsneeze I know they had some younger campers in the program, when we visited that age group was doing what looked like fun activities for that age -- Im not sure if they get those kids out of the secure area like they do for the 10-12 year old group.      

 

We had the earlier MDR, and there was another family with a child that looked to be 5-6 who ate dinner each night with their parents and we wouldn't have known they were there!  

[fryfrye]

2 hours ago, stringbean10 said:

  My kids adored the staff (especially cafe baccio) who greeted them by name and were so sweet!  

 

I totally forgot this --  we are not coffee drinkers so we didn't goto the cafe very much (ok, maybe a few sweet treats),  one of the staff somehow knew who our DD was and commented that she was a "frequent flier... and talker :)"  --  I think hot-chocolate may have been involved.   

[stringbean10]

It looks like 5 year olds are "shipmates" at the kids club and are in the 3-5 year old group.  My daughter is 8 so we did not experience that part of kids club but we could see it.  On Beyond, they had a great play area next to the 6-10 year olds.  It looked like the little kids were very happy with toys, a play kitchen etc.  Again, the staff was top notch!  I hope you have a great cruise! 

[cruiser9697]

Great review and I know it will help parents who are unsure about Celebrity. Some children are just not as happy in a crowded, louder environment. They thrive in smaller group settings. I had one of each and your review would have been very welcome when they were that age.

[woostergirl]

Great review! Our kids also loved our cruise on the Beyond. The activities the Camp at Sea puts on, especially dodge ball and the campout night in Destination Gateway were really nice. Our kids really loved those.

 

The other activity my 11 year old loved was the cardboard armory session. The kids made all kinds of armor with cardboard (shields, swords and helmets) and then they played games with their armor towards the end of the cruise. She loved it so much all the "armor" travelled home with us!

 

We also did the famiily scavenger hunt and some other famiily events coordinated by Camp at Sea. Between their activities and the port days, there was plenty to do for everyone.

 

Our next Celebrity cruise is on the Millennium, which is much smaller, so I'm a little worried but hoping Camp at Sea will work its magic there too!

[Cruising7in2017]

We LOVED our Edge cruise last summer to the Mediterranean with our 9, 11 and 12 year olds. They are well traveled and enjoy exploring new places and spending time as a family. We prefer our waterparks to be on land and don't like loud noise, long lines and constant entertainment.

We always ate as a family in Luminae, our youngest one particularly enjoyed the kids club. Since this was a port heavy cruise they didn't use it much during the day but after dinner most days. Our older two went to the shows, played trivia and just enjoyed relaxing. We are booked on the Panama Canal Beyond 11 night for Christmas/New Years and are venturing off to Athens in  March to catch the Infinity to Isreal & Egypt (picked this one based on itinerary). I will be curious to see how they compare. 

[patterson3]

Great post! We're taking our son on his first Celebrity cruise on the Equinox in January, but he'll only be 22 months old, so his experience will be a little different than that of your children. We also have a Ascent cruise booked for the week of his 3rd birthday already, but as he gets older I expect to try out different cruise lines for various experiences. I assume that he'll be looking for more of the water slide/rock climbing/etc. types of experiences as he gets a little older, but who knows? When I think back to when I was 10, 11 or 12- I would've preferred the QM2 experience to anything offered by RC, Norwegian, or Carnival....haha

[Cap_D]

On 4/4/2023 at 4:01 PM, docsneeze said:

Best review ever!!!!   So well-balanced and pertinent to those of us who are older parents wanting a more refined experience than RCL, Disney, etc.  We cruise all of these lines and are looking forward to more substance and less gimmicks than on other lines.  We are looking forward to cruising on the Apex in June and your comments have reassured us of the best experience for our family vacation.

 

     Our son is only 5 yo.  Can you share any experiences of children on Celebrity in this age group?  

A fabulous post!  As our DS would say "don't worry."

 

This is us, and just off Apex in the Caribbean.  Parents in upper 40s (working nonstop) and DS is 5.5 yo.  We concur with everything stated above, not interested in lines, want some refined decor, food options (at times), and service, and have a DS that enjoys being an individual, time with family, and loves preschool and learning.  Celebrity on Edge in 2022, and Apex in 2023 met those needs. 

 

Camp at Sea staff was terrific, tireless and friendly through out the cruise around the ship when we saw them.  Introduce your child early to Camp at Sea, talk about it before the cruise, and then execute once on board.  We also suggest introducing your child to as many crew as possible and appropriate.  They were terrific at seeing and treating our DS like an individual, listening to his desires (at meals), and so on.  And, empower your child to help with the elevators, navigating the ship, and more.  There's enough going on to be entertained as a family.  We often found it hard to get to a show and have dinner, but that was our own scheduling issues.  Family Camp at Sea activities were great (bingo during Deal or No Deal, campout with s'mores, bracelet making with assistance from staff, etc).  

 

Also, as you probably have had some gaps in vacations and protocols with your child due to the pandemic, we also would share that it may help to reserve with the child "pool" time, so they don't feel like Camp at Sea will cause them to miss out.  

 

Speciality restaurants and anywhere else on the ship that you may think could be not kid friendly is not the case.  Eden was a highlight for the entire family, as was Eden Cafe.  Waiter Chet was present at both, and his enthusiasm was as high for our son's experience as it was ours and other cruisers without kids.

 

We were fortunate to have a cruise with performances by Magician Jessica Jane who was kid friendly, personable outside of her show and had a great message.  Also, we observed a child do late night karaoke where the band and lead singer helped and everyone watching cheered the child on. Very supportive and embracing.  (Celebrity seems to attract nice people, who want something nice, which makes sense for themselves and other guests).

 

Attend a navigation or meet the cruse event, kids love it and crew is very engaging.  

 

Tip:  order room service breakfast each day to arrive when child wakes up, and order an item or two to make a snack or peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the mid-morning snack to avoid the sweets around the ship.  Helpful for port excursions too.  Also, there is vitamin water available if one asks, and bartenders will make mocktails with reduced amounts of syrups, just a splash of juice, etc. if you can't do just water (our child's default and preference).  That said, bring a water bottle your child is used to and enjoys.  The aluminum bottles can be difficult for kids, although they are better than in the past (perhaps different rim), and there are paper straws available. Crew will help with opening, carrying, etc.  

 

Other Tip:  Just ask crew.  They are their to help, know each other, will pop up at other places throughout the cruise, etc.  

 

I'm sure the Disney Cruise is fun, but this can be and probably will be more of a well rounded vacation.  

 

Would be pleased to help answer any questions.

[Cap_D]

Frequently Offered Tip:  The back of the OVC is a perfect place to sit and "make camp," away from the pathways of guests zig zagging at the stations or venturing back and forth, there will be servers that will come by and can help with drinks, napkins and the things that parents need, kids can be kids and spread out, etc.  There's also a drink station within eye shot of all the tables, as is the pizza area.  

[docsneeze]

30 minutes ago, Cap_D said:

A fabulous post!  As our DS would say "don't worry."

 

This is us, and just off Apex in the Caribbean.  Parents in upper 40s (working nonstop) and DS is 5.5 yo.  We concur with everything stated above, not interested in lines, want some refined decor, food options (at times), and service, and have a DS that enjoys being an individual, time with family, and loves preschool and learning.  Celebrity on Edge in 2022, and Apex in 2023 met those needs. 

 

Camp at Sea staff was terrific, tireless and friendly through out the cruise around the ship when we saw them.  Introduce your child early to Camp at Sea, talk about it before the cruise, and then execute once on board.  We also suggest introducing your child to as many crew as possible and appropriate.  They were terrific at seeing and treating our DS like an individual, listening to his desires (at meals), and so on.  And, empower your child to help with the elevators, navigating the ship, and more.  There's enough going on to be entertained as a family.  We often found it hard to get to a show and have dinner, but that was our own scheduling issues.  Family Camp at Sea activities were great (bingo during Deal or No Deal, campout with s'mores, bracelet making with assistance from staff, etc).  

 

Also, as you probably have had some gaps in vacations and protocols with your child due to the pandemic, we also would share that it may help to reserve with the child "pool" time, so they don't feel like Camp at Sea will cause them to miss out.  

 

Speciality restaurants and anywhere else on the ship that you may think could be not kid friendly is not the case.  Eden was a highlight for the entire family, as was Eden Cafe.  Waiter Chet was present at both, and his enthusiasm was as high for our son's experience as it was ours and other cruisers without kids.

 

We were fortunate to have a cruise with performances by Magician Jessica Jane who was kid friendly, personable outside of her show and had a great message.  Also, we observed a child do late night karaoke where the band and lead singer helped and everyone watching cheered the child on. Very supportive and embracing.  (Celebrity seems to attract nice people, who want something nice, which makes sense for themselves and other guests).

 

Attend a navigation or meet the cruse event, kids love it and crew is very engaging.  

 

Tip:  order room service breakfast each day to arrive when child wakes up, and order an item or two to make a snack or peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the mid-morning snack to avoid the sweets around the ship.  Helpful for port excursions too.  Also, there is vitamin water available if one asks, and bartenders will make mocktails with reduced amounts of syrups, just a splash of juice, etc. if you can't do just water (our child's default and preference).  That said, bring a water bottle your child is used to and enjoys.  The aluminum bottles can be difficult for kids, although they are better than in the past (perhaps different rim), and there are paper straws available. Crew will help with opening, carrying, etc.  

 

Other Tip:  Just ask crew.  They are their to help, know each other, will pop up at other places throughout the cruise, etc.  

 

I'm sure the Disney Cruise is fun, but this can be and probably will be more of a well rounded vacation.  

 

Would be pleased to help answer any questions.

Thank you Cap_D!!!  Busy at work but saw this post and just wanted to express my appreciation for all of your tips.  We will actually be doing Disney cruise TA in May and then Celebrity Apex to Iceland in June so your experience is very helpful as to how we will approach this.  Trying to get all of the long trips in before KG starts this Fall.  Thought Eden was just for adults.  Will definitely try to introduce him to crew and participate in Family Camp at Sea.  Thank you once again!

[Lmm79]

Thank you for your input on kids- we (44, 47) are taking out 9.5 and 13 year olds on the cruise from New Jersey to Iceland this summer.   They are very well traveled, but it’s good to hear positive feedback for kids. I am hopeful they might let the 9.5 year old move up to the older group for kids as sea as I think he would have more fun.  We have a lot of sea days and it will be too cold to swim outside. We are also planning on bring an assortment of card and board games. 

[kag19]

Thank you for your review! We have our first cruise with the kids booked (9 and 13) on Royal later this year and I know we will have a great time but kind of wishing we had done Celebrity instead. Hearing the details of the activities at camp will be helpful in booking the next one with the kids because I am sure their first cruise will not be the last!

[ewalla]

This thread is so helpful! We are booked for a 9 day Spain, France and Italy cruise on the Reflection this July with an 11 yr old daughter and 12 yr old son. Only other cruise was Disney pre-Covid. My daughter loved it but my son was not a fan - too boisterous and too themed and too...well, Disney. 😁 I am really hoping Celebrity is more to his liking and it sure seems like it will be. Also sounds like my daughter will get a good enough social experience at Camp at Sea too. 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned. I would love to give my kids freedom to explore the ship together on their own - possibly going to the buffet or to get ice cream or play ping pong, etc. Did you feel comfortable letting your kids wander without you? 

[Hafa2990]

2 minutes ago, ewalla said:

One thing I haven't seen mentioned. I would love to give my kids freedom to explore the ship together on their own - possibly going to the buffet or to get ice cream or play ping pong, etc. Did you feel comfortable letting your kids wander without you? 

 

Hi - we just got off Apex with 8 & 10 kids. I would say that as the week went on, we gradually allowed them a bit more freedom to go places on the ship, but not necessarily "wander" outright. If we were at the pool, we would let them go into the buffet and get a plate and bring it out and sit with us. If we were in Eden and they wanted to go back to the room and swap out books, or if the 10-year-old wanted to go sign into kids club, we'd let them do that. But it generally wasn't open-ended wandering; typically go-here-come-back kind of thing. Having a meeting spot if you get separated is key -- ours was to just go back to the room. 

 

I think so much depends on your kids, their maturity level, comfort, etc. Our kids loved the cruise and ship and hopefully yours will, as well!

 

[Cap_D]

On Apex two weeks ago we noticed several small groups of kids and kid siblings exploring the ship.  Not sure what age any of them where, but they were all well behaved.  Our 5.5 y son wasn't allowed to leave our sides nor did he want to, but he knew his way around deck by deck after about a day, often helping us find our way.  My take is kids love the art work and Eden, and the E-class ships have many landmarks.