Do Your Kids Enjoy the "Cruise Experience"

[Cruise Arizona]

OK this may seem kind of odd,

 

Bu I asked my kids the other day what they enjoyed the most about the last cruise.

 

First of course, they said the Fun Factory Kids Club, but then I asked what else.

 

Here's what they said:

 

Meeting people

Getting dressed up

Dining in the fancy dining room and getting to order fancy food.

The Production Shows.

Days at Sea

Playing chess with new friends on formal night in Michaels Club

Dancing at the the theme parties.

 

I think they might have had just as good a time with-out the club as they did with it.

[Arubalisa]

Our daughter would say, the kid's club, the food (especially the shrimp and lobster) and getting dressed up at night.

[crusinmama06]

Yeah my daughter looks for dresses all year long, planning what to wear on their next cruise. And she is only 6. :p

 

She really loves the kids clubs.

[mom2tcdx2]

We were on the Caribbean Princess in May and I think my kids - ages 8 and 10 at the time only went in the kids area 3 times or so. They much preferred to be near the pool. My daughter loved getting dressed up for dinner each evening and being dressed up for formal night. My son however is just content to be anywhere if he has his game boy with him. They liked the t shirts they got to color, the ice cream eating contest, and playing the video games. We will go again in November for the Eastern Caribbean cruise and hopefully they will do a little more in the kids zone. Have already told them I would like to be able to go up to Skywalkers at least once during the trip.

[snowy owl]

ohkay well me and my mom are reading this and i have to say one thing. Well ill tell you right now, im 14 and ive been on 5 cruises. Lately in school ive been asigned a few different assignments where my teachers think im crazy. In art i am currently drawing a picture of the carnival valor && in my computer class i am doing a project about carnival and the history. so yah i pretty much enjoy everything that involes anything about cruising. ive so far only been on carnival and i personally love the camp carnival system. i like all the fun activities they plan out. the teen clubs are so much fun also. the dinner is almost my favorite, i love getting all dazzeled up for stuff esspecially when i can get my picture taken. days at sea are the best though. i like getting off at islands but i think just relaxin on the ship is more fun. personally one day i would like to work on a cruise ship, i think that would just be the life. sorry for the typing errors.:)

[Sashalanda]

Snowy Owl , I was very glad to read your post. We are bring our sons for their first cruise Jan 4th. One son is 18 and one is 13. Our 13 yr old is very sociable so was a bit concerned he would be bored. I know our 18 yr old will be ok cause he is very laid back and quiet..not requires other ppl. Now I am thinking my 13 yr old will have a good time. Thanks for posting :D

[HunnyBunnyTink]

I'm 17 and I love the whole cruise experience. Going to see FREE shows, getting dressed up for a different dinner, hanging out with people i meet and doing all the fun things.

[raina*faith]

My girls are very social and they just had a great time in the Optix club. They love dressing up and just being out at sea!

[Laurin612]

We took our kids on their first cruise in April, 2005 when our son had just turned 3 and our daughter was 7. They LOVED it! They really enjoyed the kids club activities and the food. The dressing up--not so much! Neither of them is a fan of dressing up, but, then again, neither are DH and I!

 

In fact, they loved cruising so much that they were disappointed when they found out that our subsequent vacation was to be Disney World and not a cruise:p!

[I&MsMom]

I had to chuckle at your post, Laurin612. We've only cruised Carnival, and our kids LOVE it!! So much so, Funship Freddy is seriously giving Mickey a run for his money in our house! :p They were 5 (turning 6 on the cruise) and 25 months the first time, and we're planning another cruise for our next vacation. Not a peep out of them about doing something else. They can't wait to board. When DS (now 7, almost 8) sees the ship for the first time, he always announces loudly "There she blows!" and I know at that moment it's for real! Every bit as much excitement as arriving in "the World"! :D

 

Happy cruising everyone!! :)

[katyjeka]

We took our girls on their first cruise last Dec.(2,3 and 10 at the time)Our oldest has been to Disney World more times than I'm willing to admit and we felt we all needed a change. Well, I don't know if we'll ever get them back to Disney. Our entire family had the time of our life. I've never left a vacation feeling more relaxed and fulfilled. Oops, your asking about the kids, sorry!! Our oldest cried on the last night, and so did the friends she made. She begged us to take her on another. Our other two lived at the kids pool and, much to our surprise, loved the shows. They loved all the attention the crew members gave them, and thought the cabin was the greatest thing ever to sleep in. It made us wonder why we thought they needed such big bedrooms at home!! The girls served mom and dad tea parties on our balcony, that they still talk about today. Our oldest thought the local people on the islands were the coolest. She would talk to them and was not the least bit shy. It was fun watching her interact with people from all over the world. Needless to say, we leave in a few weeks for another 11 days. The countdown has begun.

[dianelevene]

My girls (ages 6 and 7) would say that they love pretty much everything about cruising. But more specifically they would say they loved: dressing up for dinner every night, eating shrimp and lobster, going to the kids programs, the musical theater shows, going to the beach on the islands, snorkeling and all the waiters/waitresses and cabin stewards they have met.

 

They went on their first cruise on Costa when they were three and four years old. We are going on their fourth cruise in January aboard the Noordam and we are really looking forward to it. I booked the cruise yesterday and my younger daughter rushed upstairs to pick out what to wear each night and to see if her sandals from last summer still fit her. My older daughter has cried at the end of the last two cruises because she became so attached to the staff in the kid's programs.

[dianelevene]

My girls (ages 6 and 7) would say that they love pretty much everything about cruising. But more specifically they would say they loved: dressing up for dinner every night, eating shrimp and lobster, going to the kids programs, the musical theater shows, going to the beach on the islands, snorkeling and all the waiters/waitresses and cabin stewards they have met.

 

They went on their first cruise on Costa when they were three and four years old. We are going on their fourth cruise in January aboard the Noordam and we are really looking forward to it. I booked the cruise yesterday and my younger daughter rushed upstairs to pick out what to wear each night and to see if her sandals from last summer still fit her. My older daughter has cried at the end of the last two cruises because she became so attached to the staff in the kid's programs.

[DiveMaster]

Son Stephen, age 11 says what he enjoys most is seeing sea animals and being able to relax and walk around the cruise ship.:D

 

Our daughter would say, the kid's club, the food (especially the shrimp and lobster) and getting dressed up at night.

[seashell36]

I've asked the kids this after each cruise. I thought that with different embarkation ports and different ports of call their favorite things would change. I was wrong. DD (13 on the last cruise) likes the teen club, meeting new people, having her picture taken, dressing for dinner and the actual dinner itself. DS (7 on the last cruise) likes spending days at sea, all the ice cream he can eat, the islands we visit, and dinner in the dining room. The last night of the cruises, when the waiters sing both kids end up in tears. I think they enjoy the dining room experience as much as DH & I do.

[mcfam5]

My kids LOVE the all you can eat ice cream! My youngest (6) loves Camp Carnival, my oldest (13) loves exploring the ship and the shows.

 

We were planning a trip to return to Disney World this Thanksgiving and they instead wanted to go on another cruise. So, Disney reservations got cancelled and cruise ship.....here we come!

[MamaParrotHead]

My kids are definately hooked, which is a relief to me (their cruising-addicted mother, LOL).

 

I think one of my kids' favorite thing about the cruise is the beach time...just playing on the beach and in the ocean and just being kids.

 

My daughter enjoyed all the shrimp cocktail before dinner, her favorite. They both enjoyed Camp, begged to go at every opportunity. My daughter discovered virgin strawberry daiquiris, "strawberry smoothies" she calls them, and is hooked. We taught them to snorkel prior to our last (their first) cruise and they like that, particularly my son. They enjoy having their own cabin (OV connecting to ours) and I think they actually ENJOY every fast-paced moment...fun things to do, new places to see, lots to keep them busy. Our last sea day it actually was rainy, but they were OVERJOYED at the fact that they could now just veg in the cabin and stretch out and watch TV, LOL.

 

I had given them the choice between cruising or Disney for our last family trip. Thankfully they chose cruising and have become as addicted as I am. We now call my son "Capt. Carnival", LOL, he LOVES to sit with me at the computer and look at what's in store for the next cruise. We made a paper chain when we booked our upcoming cruise and every FRiday we take a link off...it's a fun way to count down the weeks.

[jaixrx]

Great thread!

 

My boys (8 and 9) went on their first cruise (Dream) in April. They loved all of the non-camp activities such as basketball, mini golf and the shows. Their favorite part was definitely the entire dining experience. They enjoyed eating steak every night and dressing up. My youngest even requested I slick back his hair "like Jack did on Titanic". We had a great wait staff which made their experience very enjoyable.

[MellowMel]

My kids, now 9 1/2 & 7, have been cruising for about 4 years now. They like many of the things you have listed. But one thing that hasn't been mentioned that they love sooooooo much is how they can lower the shower head so it's just the right size for them. Funny how the little things can be so impressive!

 

My daughter also likes being able to order multiple things on the menu and she can order on the adult menu instead of the child's if she wants. My son likes being able to eat steak every night if he wants.

[junglejane]

Our two DD's are 9 and 13. They enjoy many of the things already mentioned, such as meeting new people, dressing up, eating in the MDR (and occasionally the specialty restaurants) and being able to choose from the adult menu. The older DD likes to be more adventurous in what she orders, whereas the younger DD likes to be able to order steak or a hamburger every night. They both have food allergies and they feel more confident ordering food on the ship versus eating in some of the ports.

 

The 13 year old has recently experienced the teen program and is enjoying her chance to ditch Mom and Dad and have a little freedom to (responsibly) explore the ship with new friends. I do think that 10-11 (or 12) can be tricky ages because sometimes they start to feel too old for some of the kid activities but aren't old enough for the teen activities yet.

 

One thing that others haven't specifically mentioned: I think our kids enjoy the chance to spend time away from parents and/or siblings, regardless of what they're doing -- just getting away for an hour or two can be a good thing. When we go on a land vacation, the family is together 24/7 for a week or more at a time. We take sightseeing land trips and are on the go all day with little down time. (When we get home we need a vacation from our vacation.) Sometimes nerves get frayed. Mom and Dad get grumpy. Sisters bicker (causing more parental grumpiness). Cruising gives us all a chance to have a little time away from others, which helps maintain family harmony. Gotta love those sea days, too. We feel like we "have" to relax, lol.

[Onessa]

DD's nearly 15YO and has been cruising with us her whole life (don't make me count, my head already hurts today!) When she was younger she LOVED the kids club -- met friends there, did all of the activies, and her on-ship life really revolved around the kids club.

 

Now that she's "aged out" of the kids stuff, she reallly doesn't participate in many of the teen activities and uses them just to meet kids her age.

 

She loves dinner in the MDR and participates in the conversations with the adult strangers we are seated with. She likes the live music and some of the shows. We've done two Celebrity Solstice cruises and she doesn't miss a Hot Glass Show. She'll climb the rock wall on RCCI, skate, or play croquet or whatever with her friends.

[Kerry's Girls]

I've been cruising since I was a kid before there were kids clubs - just sometimes a crew member who was assigned to the kids if there were a bunch on a particular cruise. That's why I've never been worried how good a kids club is or how many kids are on board - I know my girls will have fun no matter what, and they do.

 

Best,

Mia

[Julienatul]

My kids LOVE cruising which is great because so do we. My daughter begs to go on cruises and throughout the year finds clothes "this would be a great cruise dress" or "do you think I could do this or that or wear this or that on our next cruise?". I think her favorite things are dressing up for dinners, the kids club, getting to eat whatever she wants whenever she wants, getting quality time with us without distractions like when we are home. She loves swimming, beaches, the production shows etc. There really isnt anything she doesnt like. I went on cruises with my family when I was young so its great to be able to do the same with them.

[griffy116]

My Grandson is 16 and we have just put the deposit on cruise number 9 for him. As soon as we booked, he said, "1 more and I'm Diamond Status." He loves the excursions. His favorite excursions are Dolphin Swim, Whale Watch, and the Jurassic Park tour in Hawaii. He was disappointed we didn't get to go on a cruise this summer. He loves trying out different foods and will try anything on the menu. He's quiet and laid back and doesn't really care for the kid or teen club. Usually a cousin of his is on the same cruise and they hang out together. This past summer, they had their own cabin for the first time and loved that. They had a jar full of dollars to pay for room service late at night. They are booked for a Promenade Room on the next cruise. We told the room steward to let us know if the room was a mess and that we would be checking on them. We had a key to the room and made random checks to make sure the room steward didn't have a problem with a big mess. They were very careful to keep the room neat. It's a wonderful experience for kids.

[Too blessed to be stressed]

This will be my daughters first cruise with us. She has been hinting she wants to go. She is 13. A couple years ago we went to disney and had a blast. She was at such a good age. She rode all the fun rides. We felt like a kid with her. Anyway I said all that to say I think we will have even better times on the cruise. To look at the world through a childs eyes just brings a whole new level of excitement for me also. I can't wait to see her expression as she experiences all theese new things: Her first look at the ship docked in port, exploring the ship, our balcony, the food and the choices, the kids club, the blue beaches!, snorkling, exploring ports, the pictures(I want her to take one at every opportunity), new cultures, new countries, ect.

 

I know this is not exactly what was asked. This post got me thinking about how she will react to all theese new experiences. I hope she will

go to the kids club. She still enjoys hanging out with her mom and dad, and I really enjoy hanging out with her as well. She's my baby, I know she is 13 but she my youngest and I know how they get to where they just want to be with thier friends.

 

What a awesome life experience this will be.