Celebrity Transatlantic w/ kids. Worried.

Hello all,

 

I am hoping some of you with some recent input can help me out.

 

My family is booked on a 15-day Transatlantic cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette. It is a part of a month long trip to Europe, and is the trip of a lifetime. The cruise would be for the final 15-days of the trip, ending in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

My kids are 8, 9, and 11. They are all great kids, but they are still kids. They slouch in chairs, touch things as they walk by (walls, chairs, pictures!), sometimes balance on curbs, sometimes have poor table manners, etc. They're not little adults walking around in kids' bodies. To be clear, they have manners, they are not rambunctious, they listen well, and are wonderful. BUT, they are children, with all that entails.

 

My kids are on a short leash, would never be a roving gang traveling the ship and terrorizing people. They won't have electronic devises at meals, but they will at other times.

 

They all love to read, and are happy to curl up and relax. We've cruised several times on shorter cruises (3, 4, and 7 days) and they've adjusted well to the rhythm of cruising days. They were all on more child-friendly lines.

 

I've been reading tons on the celebrity boards and there is definitely a ton of anti-kid sentiment. Oftentimes the advice to those looking to avoid kids is to go on a long cruise during school days. Exactly the cruise we are taking our three on.

 

With just two weeks left until the "penalty phase", I am seriously doubting my decision.

 

Any input from recent, long-sailing, Celebrity cruisers. Or anyone?

 

I am days away from a breakdown.

take your kids, and have a great trip! :)

With few kids on the ship, they will get great attention in the kids club, maybe focused on their likes. There will be lots to do, but make sure they have their electronics...Have a great time. EM

BirthdayGirl, I'm so glad you made over here to the Family board! There has recently been a lot of anti-kid negativity on the Celebrity board, but most of it is attributable to just a couple of very vocal anti-kid posters. The on-board atmosphere is completely different. In fact, I think that when there are fewer kids, people are less stressed out by them and appreciate their youthful presence in a way they don't when the ship is overrun with kids.

 

Bottom line: make your decision based on what is best for your family. Do not, I repeat do not, forego a vacation that you want to appease some grumpy kid-haters on Cruise Critic.

 

Having said that, I can relate to your concerns about the sea days on a T/A. On the plus side, the Fun Factory should be in operation even if there are only a few kids. Also your kids have each other. I'm hoping that some other experienced family cruisers will chime in with some helpful advice.

You and your kids will have a great time...no worries. Celebrity is no less "family friendly" than any other line. There will be plenty to do for everyone! And you must realize that the CC cruisers are but a teensy percentage of the folks who cruise....so take things you read with a grain of salt....it's not the majority of the cruising public's opinions, as far as kids go!!!

I just get so nervous when a whole thread is about how to separate the kids away. I don't want to feel like we have to hideaway, or that the kids can't be kids for any of the 15 days.

I just get so nervous when a whole thread is about how to separate the kids away. I don't want to feel like we have to hideaway, or that the kids can't be kids for any of the 15 days.

You don't need to hide your kids. Let them go and have a great time. There won't be many other kids onboard to length of cruise and time of year. Don't let the opinions of a vocal few affect your decision to take this wonder leg of your vacation of a lifetime.

 

You kids will be welcomed and it sounds like you have brought them up right. It's the experience of a lifetime for them.

 

Go!!!!! Plus who knows, seeing good kids like yours might ease the opinions of a few on board.

I was following the thread over at Celebrity, it was just a dogpile for a few folks longing for the old days when all children as well as those adults that did not have their certificate from Charm School were not allowed on board.

 

We have done B2B to Alaska twice on the Celebrity Millenium, both times late season (so few kids). 14 days each time, the boys(9 and 7) loved it so much after the first trip that they asked to do it again. The Fun Factory had between 5 and 10 kids (3 to 4 staff!), the good thing about the low numbers is that the staff could go off the script if the kids wanted. Didn't hear a single bad peep from any guest, the dining staff was great to bring the kids their food on a quicker schedule so there was no complaining.

 

Overall, having sailed both RCL and X, the boys both prefer X by a fair margin. Ignore the downers on the other thread, your kids will have a fun time.

You'll be fine. Have a wonderful time. The transatlantic will be fun for the whole family. There are all sorts of things to do on a big ship. I'm sure you are already aware that there will be few children on the ship because of school being in session and the length of the cruise. Celebrity is my favorite cruise line with kids. The old fuddy duddies that post on the Celebrity board- are just a fraction of the passengers onboard. I have found so many grandmotherly types on Celebrity that enjoy seeing well-behaved kids. I'm sure that the crew in particular will LOVE seeing you kids. They will get so much attention from the crew and counselors in the Fun Factory. Don't worry at all. It will be a real adventure. Enjoy Europe- I'm jealous!

 

Your kids will play together- so the youth program won't be as important. Having said that- the youth program will be available and I'll bet your kids will fall in love with the counselors. Because there will be very few school age children- they will probably combine the older kids with the younger ones and there will be activities in spite of the small number of children onboard. Definitely go to the Fun Factory the first day onboard so that they can see what is available to them. There are x-box games available in the Fun Factory. There are family scavenger hunts, etc. They may really like having this kid only area to hang out! It will be their own little world on the ship- free of old people.

 

I have done two TA's by the way and loved them.

 

Make sure to bring book or kindles with books downloaded on them. I found the library on my last two Celebrity cruises to be really lacking.

The Princess board also has its kid-haters and the mods don't do anything about that. Since you already are aware that there will be few kids onboard, and your kids are very close to each other in age, and plan to have them bring things to do...then just go ahead and ignore the old fogeys.

 

Our last cruise was a two-week one, but at holiday time, and there seemed to be a lot of elderly people (I'm in my late 50s so well aware I'm getting there). There were a lot of complaints -- not about the kids, but about some people over 60. Even a retired school principal, that we ate twice with, said some of her peers were the rudest she's ever encountered on a ship. My daughter, 13 at the time, related some stories to us about some going up to she and other teens and making snarky comments. We witnessed a situation in which there was heated words between one man and some teen boys. We're not sure who started it, but it could have easier have been this man coming after the kids, acting like they shouldn't have been allowed on the ship. Considering that the last couple weeks of December may be the only time some families can travel...and the higher cost of the holiday cruises, we were wondering why someone in that age group would go at that time.

 

Anyway, hopefully your kids won't be hassled and that even after you return, there will be posts from people here saying it was a pleasure to see well-behaved kids onboard. I think the under 18 group could use some good PR.

As long as you realize there will be very few, if any, school age kids on board, and the kid's program could be very limited, you'll be fine. I've been on a lot of longer cruises on Celebrity, when school is in session, and to be honest, I never saw more than 2 or 3 school age kids on board. This is definitely not meant to discourage you about the cruise, but just realize it won't be anything like when you cruise when school is in holiday mode. If your kids are happy with just finding things to do by themselves, and you're prepared not to have all the things going on that you're used to on lines like RCI or Carnival, it will be fine. Also know that it might be too cool for swimming, so be prepared for that eventually. But sometimes, they will allow kids in the adult only indoor pool if it's too cold for the outdoor pool, but again, be prepared for getting some "crap" from the more mature crowd who really don't like kids in the solarium pool area.

 

As for the Celebrity board, to be honest, Celebrity isn't known to be AS family friendly as other lines because they don't have all the bells and whistles of RCI, NCL or Carnival such as the big pools, huge kid's clubs, rock climbing, in line skating and all that. But that doesn't mean that families don't cruise Celebrity, and those that do love it. It's just that most families cruise that line during summer and holiday seasons, and the line is then taken over by a far more mature crowd, especially on longer cruises and trans ocean sailings.

We did a TA on the Celebrity Millenium in May of 2005. There were 20 kids onboard. So I would expect no more than 20 on yours (age 1-17). The majority of the kids were 5 and under.

I think this thread may be the most positive and reassuring series of posts I have read on CC in a very long time.

 

I was having some of the same concerns as the OP about our upcoming cruise. It is so nice to FINALLY see a thread that is not anit-kid. It also has turned taken a "preachy" turn offering unsolicited parenting advice and / or judgment.

 

My faith in CC has been restored!! :)

 

OP: have a great time. I'm sure your children will LOVE everything about your trip.

I feel so much better after reading these responses.

 

When we chose the cruise, we knew it wouldn't be geared towards kids. We're fine (even happy) with that. We just don't want to be bringing kids on a ship for two weeks if they're not tolerated by other passengers.

 

Our kids will be happy as clams to hang together in the kids' area or even in the Hideaway.

 

We know it may be too cool to swim, but I bet the kids will manage to squeeze in a dip or two. Even if I wouldn't dare to put my toes in!

I looked at your itinerary and it looks great!

 

You will be surprised how warm it will get as you head to Florida. The average temp in Ft. Lauderdale in December is 75. So I do think you'll have opportunities to swim. Usually they allow kids in the indoor pool anyway if the air temps are too cold outside. And then there are always the hot tubs.

 

Definitely try Qsine($40 per person) and Bistro on Five ($5 per person)while onboard. The kids will love both.

What does everyone think about the 15-day cruise after spending the previous 15 days on vacation in Europe? I think that it would be tough for kids, or even many adults, to be away from home that long.

What does everyone think about the 15-day cruise after spending the previous 15 days on vacation in Europe? I think that it would be tough for kids, or even many adults, to be away from home that long.

 

I think it depends on the kids and what those 15 days in Europe entail. If you're doing full touring days, a 15 night cruise with lots of sea days might be great for everyone to recharge and relax.

 

In our case, we miss our dog when we travel, but always video some extra footage to bring with us and we know he is well cared for.

 

To the OP, your kids will have a great cruise with Celebrity- check out the game room for cards, scrabble and possibly monopoly. The fun factory will have Wii games available, and there will be things like the sports deck, ping pong and shuffleboard to keep them having fun during your 7 sea days to Ft Lauderdale (yes, a great itinerary!).

 

Enjoy your fantastic trip!

There will be very few kids but if they are like our kids when they were that age they will have a great time. I sailed on a 15 day cruise on Celebrity a few years ago (Hawaii cruises). There were very few kids and I spoke with the parents of the kids and they siad the kids were having a great time.

 

Keith

What does everyone think about the 15-day cruise after spending the previous 15 days on vacation in Europe? I think that it would be tough for kids, or even many adults, to be away from home that long.

 

It's such a long trip. We have done 2-3 week trips with them before and they have mostly done well. My daughter is actually quite a homebody - she does miss home and bed and the cats. To help, we have rented an apartment in Paris for our entire stay there, so even when we take overnight trips, we come back to the same "home". Her bedroom window looks out on the most spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower, which is something she requested. We also have a family stateroom on the ship which will enable her to have her own bed and space.

 

Also, my parents are meeting us in Rome to board the ship and sail with us. That ought to please everyone. Ya-ya and Pa-Pa time is always appreciated!

 

The trip is more like 27 days - so not quite 15 days before the ship. More like 10.

To answer the question about being away from home for that long.

 

In 2007 we did a 12 night Med cruise, a few days on land in Madrid, Barcelona, Venice and London and then a transatlantic (26 days). We loved it.

 

In 2008 we did a 12 night Greece and Turkey, followed by Merano in the Dolomites, Salzburg, Southampton and a 12 night British Isle cruise. So again we were gone nearly a month. We weren't homesick.

 

The hardest part of travel for us was the land part. You are always looking for things to do with kids day and night. On the cruise ship- it is very relaxing.

We have taken our kids on several 3 week European trips, including two Med cruises and one British Isles cruise. They sometimes get a bit homesick but they love the sea days. On our pre-cruise land trips, we tend to pack in nonstop activities and sightseeing. By the time they board the ship, they are longing for a chance to relax and slow down. They always tell us "more sea days."

 

We spent 10 days in Paris over Spring Break, also renting an apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower (did you use Paris Perfect, by chance?). We had a great time but our kids said cruises are better!

 

Also, I think your kids are at an ideal age for the Fun Factory, especially the 8 and 9 year olds. I think Celebrity does a really good job with that age. Having a few other kids is nice but more kids does not necessarily make for a better experience, a fact which seems to escape those who try to direct all families to Carnival and Disney.

 

A few years ago, some of our empty nester friends gave us some valuable advice. They said, don't hesitate to travel as much as you can when your kids are in elementary and middle school. Because once they reach high school, it will become much more difficult. We have found this to be very true. Our oldest DD is a sophomore. It has been a real challenge to schedule trips around her school demands, including honors and AP classes, sports, extra curriculars like speech and debate, community service requirements, etc. The summer is also becoming filled with opportunities for her to do internships or attend sports or speech & debate camps. Our vacation desires now have to be worked around so many things that she needs or wants to do. Next year she will be a junior and we will start visiting colleges. So I don't regret any of our trips, even though each one may have had moments here and there of homesickness.

 

We spent 10 days in Paris over Spring Break, also renting an apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower (did you use Paris Perfect, by chance?). We had a great time but our kids said cruises are better!

 

Also, I think your kids are at an ideal age for the Fun Factory, especially the 8 and 9 year olds. I think Celebrity does a really good job with that age. Having a few other kids is nice but more kids does not necessarily make for a better experience, a fact which seems to escape those who try to direct all families to Carniva.

 

A few years ago, some of our empty nester friends gave us some valuable advice. They said, don't hesitate to travel as much as you can when your kids are in elementary and middle school. Because once they reach high school, it will become much more difficult. We have found this to be very true. Our oldest DD is a sophomore. It has been a real challenge to schedule trips around her school demands, including honors and AP classes, sports, extra curriculars like speech and debate, community service requirements, etc. The summer is also becoming filled with opportunities for her to do internships or attend sports or speech & debate camps. Our vacation desires now have to be worked around so many things that she needs or wants to do. Next year she will be a junior and we will start visiting colleges. So I don't regret any of our trips, even though each one may have had moments here and there of homesickness.

 

We did use Paris Perfect. We are staying in the Romanee'. So excited for that.

 

I agree that more kids does not = better. My kids, in particular, are easily overwhelmed and overshadowed in a giant group of kids. They really prefer to hang together on vacations and are typically separated in larger groups. My middle son and youngest daughter are best buddies, so being apart on vacation is not for them. They would choose to be in the room together watching TV over being in kids club separated.

 

The timing of this trip was good for us. Oldest is in 5th grade, youngest in 2nd. All three are great students and motivated. Husband has a long sabbatical from work. Silhouette has a family stateroom that is perfection for us. Cruise was a bargain. All the things lined up to make it an easy call to try. As the deadline closes in, I'm having some anxiety creep in. ;)

Paris Perfect is a great company. We have rented apartments in Manhattan, London, Rome and Paris. Our experience with Paris Perfect was hands down our best rental experience. They were very professional and a pleasure to deal with. (Our worst experience was a VRBO rental in Manhattan where the A/C broke and the owner was difficult to reach and didn't get it fixed while we were there.)

My girls were younger when we did a long crossing on a more "conservative" line - we did a two week from Los Angeles to Hawaii and back on Princess with only 4 port days the whole time and still none of us were ready to get off the ship when it was over. There were very few kids, but the ones who were on board were having a great time in the kids clubs. It's still one of the most relaxing and enjoyable cruises we've ever done. I think it sounds like a perfect way to end a European trip. I'm envious.

 

All the best,

Mia

It sounds like an incredible trip and I am envious as well! I think many adults who do the "dog pile" on the kid hater threads are simply jealous that they a) never did that for their children and b) forgot what it was like to be a child a long time ago.

 

What an amazing experience you are providing for your children!