kids on msc 12-18-06 christmas

[Mz. Charlie]

Hi everyone, it's my husband and I first cruise; our girls have cruised before with their grans. Does MSC have alot for the kids to do onboard? Are there more families traveling for Christmas. Do they deocrate nciely for the holidays? Does everyone do the ship's excursions or diy? Hope this post was correct....

[mbkcruiser]

Hi,

Yes, I was wondering the same thing. It is the 4th cruise for my husband and myself and the second for our sons. Age 12 and 8. We had them in a 'Kids Club" last cruise and they loved it! Does anyone know if the Lirica has a kids club and how is it?

[dis2cruise]

Hi we are going on the opera for the winter break (feb 16-27th)

I actually called msc and they said they have a kids program especially

with a holiday like winter break. Now with your cruise I would think the

same thing there will be lots of kids around.

 

I was looking at photos of different msc ships and I believe i saw

a picture of your ship with the kids program room however, i do

believe by looking at that picture it was for the little ones not for the older kids.

hth,

cheryl

[Mz. Charlie]

I saw that photo also, the girls are 14 & 9 so that worried me a bit. But I must say the 14 year old hasn't gotten all into the teen thing so she plays right along with lil sis.

 

I'm really excited. Do you'll do the ships excursions? They can get pretty pricey for a family of four at the various ports,suggestions....

 

Mz. Charlie

[coachsoftball]

My family will be on the lirica on 12/18. 15 yo son, 13 yo daughter. We are doing some ships excursions and some on our own. Fishing in Roatan, tour in Cayman, and tour in Costa Rico on own. Columbia and Panama through ship.

[Magwa]

The kids playrooms are for the little kids.. the older ones/teens meet up in the disco/nightclub during the day or at various 'sports' comp venues. They do not have a specific 'teen room'. The teens also have various discos in the evening before the adult discos start.. then they are oomphed off to bed at midnight.

[Cruisechik]

My family will be on the lirica on 12/18. 15 yo son, 13 yo daughter. We are doing some ships excursions and some on our own. Fishing in Roatan, tour in Cayman, and tour in Costa Rico on own. Columbia and Panama through ship.

 

You may want to consider hiring a taxi driver in Panama. We did this. He took us to the Gatun Locks, Lobster Beach, the Portobello fort, and some hotel. Ask to skip the hotel, it's basically a stop to buy trinkets. We also stopped at a local grocery store.

 

We paid $25pp plus a BIG tip for the three of us (2 years ago). Our driver was great. He gave us tons of information about Panama and we spent as much time as needed at each stop. When you enter the port area, you will get tons of people offering you a taxi. Insist on seeing the car first and insist on a/c. You'll pay less if you get your own taxi and you will know your driver.

[MartyC]

there is no kids program on msc. there is a small room for reallly small children and not sure if they ever use it. this cruise line is not for kids. yes, i was on it, I also have information from msc that there is a kids program confirmed right up to the VP of operations and he must work for a different company cause msc does not have a kids program. book another cruise if you have kids, don't rob them of a great cruise trip. No i am not an msc hater i just wish someone would have been honest with us before we booked and went on an msc cruise.

[MartyC]

I am reading some of your sailing dates above and I see some of you will loose your deposits if you cancel. If the kids program is important to you then bite the bullet and cancel and book something else. Some people like to go on cruises and be with there kids as a family for a week and will adapt we saw them sitting around together playing cards and stuff. Others like us want our kid to have just as much fun as we do and she didn't. I have been on numerous cruises 10 and they all had excellent kids programs except msc. i actually went to the 1 kid councellor on board and said i was told from head office for msc that there was an excellent kids program. i was even faxed a kids daily planner. I was told by this councellor that head office does not know anything about the kids program on the ships and they were wrong.

[Magwa]

I had better tell my children that all the kids clubs and teen activities they have taken part in on MSC vessels were a complete figment of their imagination and did not take place.

 

http://www.magwa.co.uk/lirica/msclirica2.htm

 

some comments I made on Lirica are near the bottom with a few photos and link to more.

[Magwa]

Perhaps non-holiday sailings ex Florida, which I note tend to be full of Florida retirees, don't run a kids club, as maybe there are no kids, or very few. However in the Med it is a different story. To say out-right "there is no kids program on msc" is not correct; even Monterey [bless her fate] had a kids programme.

[MartyC]

Sorry I thought the posters above were asking about the kids program for cruising in the caribbean not the med. My mistake. The actual kids program information MSC faxed me was actually from the med and it looked like kids had lots to do so I bet it was not a figment of your imagination. MSC told both my travel agent and I that the same program was run in the Caribbean and it wasn't. I had to use lots of my imagination to keep my kid entertained because MSC wasn't . I wish I could have had your experience because thats what I was expecting. I went in prime winter holiday season and there were lots of kids on board not just retiree's from Florida, and all the kids wandered around with very little to do. I do have to give MSC kudo's for the Baseball great program because if it was not for that it would have been a complete and total bust for my kid and many more kids All I can do is advise others of what I experienced on the MSC cruise. I guess we will both get an update when some of the above return. If the kids program was fixed it would be a pretty good cruise. Who knows it could be really different as I am seeing specials on MSC for kids sailing free. Just take lots of games to keep the kids busy if MSC doesn't have their kids " Caribbean Program". together.

[Magwa]

The OP did not stipulate where the cruise was, nor even which vessel, therefore responses really need to clarify, as anyone in the future just glancing through would have no idea and may just think "no kids program". MSC have Christmas cruises ex Brazil, US, Med and South Africa. I expect they all vary in what is offered regarding entertainment.

 

If we even knew which country someone was posting from it may help too; it should be compulsory to indicate such, as it can make a big difference. Mz Charlie may have been after info on a Brazilian cruise for all we know; in which case everything probably differs again.

[Mz. Charlie]

My apologies as I'm not very familiar with the lingo that should be used on message boards. I do believe for the most part that those of us traveling on the 18th know where we are going...I'll do my kids a favor and contact MSC once again with the info that I've read here today to verify a kids program.

 

My husband and I enjoy our girls on all of our vacations but we also like for them to have their own time. They enjoy meeting other kids from different countries and they live in the pool. So I'm pretty sure we'll have a good time even if there isn't a scheduled kids program.:)

[mbkcruiser]

Wow! Lots of excitement going on posts regarding Kid's Club. I'm with Mz. Charlie on this one. I haven't posted much before either and I have no intention on cancelling a cruise even if they don't have a kids club. My boys are old enough ( 12 & 8 )to keep entertained. They only did 1 kids club on the other cruise they went on "Celebrity Zenith" and had a blast. This ship has many other 'fun' things to do that the Zenith didn't. they are more interested in the Video Arcade, pool, shuffleboard, fuse ball tables, ping pong and of course mini-golf!

We will find out once we board the ship if there is a kids club or not. there is also a room filled with books and board games too which I read about so they will be entertained. They ususally bring their own hand held video games where ever we go too! Plus with our excursions planned they won't be bored!

I do believe though, since this is a sailing in the Caribbean during Xmas, that the ship will have some kind of a "kids" thing going on. It will be fun regardless and I am looking forward to it.

[dis2cruise]

I think it would be in the best interest of msc to have

a kids program during your week or any other week that the

kids have off from school.

 

could you imagaine 100 kids

running around with nothing to do....now that would

be very, very scary lol!!

 

cheryl

[Magwa]

I am sure there must be something for them and I hope you all have a great time whatever.

 

[i sailed on HAL's Westerdam in Jan last year {Eastern Caribbean}.. because there were only 7! children aboard the kids club did not run.. so it's really a hit and miss affair even on the large US based vessels out of vacation time..]

[cmjaffe]

OK, not sure if things have changed from last December on Lirica, but this was our experience... kids were 13 (DS) and 9 1/2 (DD)... both veteran cruisers... both have done kids programs on RCCL, X and Carnival so I believe they know a "decent" program... we went on Lirica with little expectations on a kids program. On most cruiselines they usually don't have much planned for teens (this is across the board on RCCL and X) in the AM, some icebreaker activities and usually they "hang out" or usually play cards and have a teen disco. On Lirica they hung out in the disco in the evening until around midnight when they were "kicked out" and then they hung out around the ship. Nothing really planned for that age group. (Son usually stayed w/us and enjoyed the entertainment on ship... doesn't need an organized program for his cruise-experience... at this point in time he's done over 10 cruises so at some time it's "been there/done that.. though not jaded). Daughter was hoping for some kind of kids stuff. She has enjoyed RCCL and X programs in the past.. both highly structured (during high volume kids on board/holidays and) and slower times. On Lirica all that was offered at first was a daycare room where the kids were "wild"... not Libby's thing so she stayed w/us... did the arts and crafts activity that was offered once in AM and PM.. there's a LONG break mid day when there's not much (actually nothing if I remember correctly) going on from 12 until around 3PM.. the animations reaction was "we should stay out of the sun)... before and after that time they had board games available to borrow.. Alex played alot of fooseball and ping pong. That was "ok" for him.. it was a very laidback, lowkey cruise experience... enjoyable for what it was and fit what our family was looking/expecting for MSC... we did NOT board the ship expecting the entertainment/activities on RCCL/X etc. There were some decorations for Xmas but not much done on Xmas or Xmas eve. Only the little kids got gifts from Santa at around 4PM on Xmas day... otherwise nothing (and the gifts were really kiddie stuff.. DD didn't want anything to do with it.. like a bubble wand.. really "small" tokens).

Hope this helps... just plan on alot of "family time" and bring game boys, i-pods and other stuff "just in case". Also FYI on Lirica there were very few tables that accomodated parties larger than 4 so if you're hoping/expecting to sit with another family you'll be disappointed there.

Carolyn

[LiricaBound]

Hi y'all, just chiming in after a long hiatus from these boards. There wasn't much activity going on w/re to the Lirica threads so I took a break ;) .

 

My DH and DD (who turns 12 on New Years Day) are going on the Lirica Holiday cruise sailing out of FLL on the 18th of Dec. I've chatted with a couple of you before and it's good to "meet" more people who are going.

 

We're not so much concerned about an organized kids program as we are the shore excursions. We still haven't received anything from MSC, and their website offers nothing. If it weren't for Coach on here, I wouldn't know anything! I'm nervous about Cartegena though.

 

I've read lots of reviews, both negative and postive about this cruise line, but all I have to say is that regardless, it beats sitting at home, or worse, enduring the hussle and bussle of the holidays at home again! I'll put up with an inside cabin, and will be adventurous and open-minded with the food, and I couldn't care less if Santa drops a trinket in my daughter's lap -- we'll be together and experiencing 5 countries! And getting a helluva deal to boot. I'm getting really excited!

 

Can't wait -- hope to meet each of you in person!

 

Cheers,

Whitney

[cmjaffe]

Whitney...

with that attitude you and you're family will have a great time...

the cruise is what YOU make of it.. the ship was very nice and as long as weather is cooperative how could you go wrong.

Enjoy

Carolyn

[Mz. Charlie]

Wow, Whitney. I'm so feeling you on your idea of the cruise! I can't wait to get outta here and have some fun.

 

We did Christams away last year also and it was far better than staying home, cooking all day and night, eating-getting stuffed, taking a nap, visiting folks around town and there you have it the day is done. Like you said, we'll be seeing 5 different countries and with a great deal!

 

Actually my girls love traveling so they say it doesn't matter if they never spend another Christmas at home and hey afterall our focus as parents is to make sure our kids enjoy their holidays!

 

I CAN'T WAIT!

 

Charlie

[Xantiah]

Hello All :)

Just found this forum. We are a family of 5 from Norway. The "kids" are nearly 18, nearly 16 (boys) and nearly 12 (girl). I am happy to see there will be more kids on this cruise as i started a bit to worry about it.

I enjoyed to read your posts.

Just the last packing left, we leave tomorrow for Florida :)

 

Cant wait,

 

Pia