Which cruiseline would you pick if sailing alone with young children?

Hi! I just joined cruise critic today and I'm already receiving a lot of helpful information. I posted in first time cruisers and was directed here.

I'm trying to plan a trip for this Winter to escape the cold and maybe distract from the first holidays without my wife. As a widower I'd be sailing alone with my 2 children, 5 (girl) and 3 (boy). I would want to spend the majority of time with them, but a short break would be nice. I would hope that if I'm alone there would still be activities I could enjoy, I'm 29 if that makes a difference. I'm a little worried about managing them both on a vacation as I haven't done it before, they aren't wild kids or anything, but things are a lot more exhausting when it is just you. So if anyone has sailed as a single parent with kids of similar ages I'd love to hear any advice you have!

With children in those ages is there a line you would recommend? Why?

Did you find your kids wanted to attend kids camp activities? Any safety issues?

I'm sorry I know this maybe a little much for one post and I know it is all subjective. I'm trying my best to research in the limited free time I have now. I was thinking Disney originally but the more I read on here I'm wondering if we should go another route due to the price difference.

I've sailed Disney in the past couple of years with two different kids in that age range. Here are some Disney things:

Unlike every other line, kids clubs on Disney are not separated by age. All kids ages 3-11 are together. If your kids are outgoing, they will love it. If they are shyer, this may be difficult for them which means they won't want to go in the clubs and you won't have any alone time!

Disney offers more events you can do as a family. My youngest has some significant disabilities and therefore cannot go to the clubs without us. However, there are tons of activities you can do with them.

Disney is most strict on ages. They will NOT allow kids at any adults only event, so if your kids hate the clubs, you won't be going to anything but family events. If they love the clubs, you will have tons of opportunities to do adults-only things with other young parents.

Disney doesn't offer a buffet dinner in the evening (all other cruiselines do). The buffet turns into a casual restaurant or there is the dining rooms. The rotating dining rooms are great, but if sitting through a long dinner (1-1.5 hours) everynight is too much for you and your kids, your only other options become hitting the buffet very early (befor 4:30) or ordering room service. With other lines, you can do a buffet dinner every night and pretty much get the same things offered in the main dining room.

Every line has a kids menu. I think Disney and Carnival have the best kids menu!

Carnival has fun clubs that your kids will be grouped in together. So does RCCL and NCL, but I only have personal experience with a 3-year-old on Carnival so won't speak to the other lines! Most of the carnival ships have splash parks. Disney has a smaller one for kids in diapers on the Dream/Fantasy, but Carnival has a huge one for older kids. I like the splash parks better than the pools because I find it really hard to safely watch my kids or enjoy water time with them in a pool. I think most ships pools can get so crowded they are dangerous. Disney pools are REALLY CROWDED! Carnival will allow an adult to attend the club if there is a special needs child (you didn't say but I will include just in case).

Disney has shows that are the most enjoyable for younger kids.

Royal Carribean is great for teens. Don't have experience with their kids clubs at the age you have kids, just older. They have a lot of features on their ships that raise the price that you probably won't use (rock wall, flow rider). I have found them to be as expensive as Disney so don't think you are "saving". The DreamWorks experience occurs VERY late (parade at 10) and there isn't an equivalent show like you get with Disney Characters. Royal also has the bigger splash parks.

Some people love the split baths on Disney and a tub is included in a standard room on Disney. I personally find them stressful because it is two bathrooms to look for stuff in. I hate looking for stuff but seems to occupy a vast majority of my time at home as well as vacation! One other little thing that makes Disney room layout my least favorite is that the sofa bed is near the window in a balcony room with the bed closer to the door (every other line I have been in reverses this). First problem is that you enter the room and it is narrow as you have the bathrooms on one side and closet on the other. Then you hit the bed. It becomes like a block when trying to get your kids in, especially if someone is sleepy and you are pushing an umbrella stroller(bring one for your 3-year-old). You end up constantly directing your kids to go all the way in, because they naturally stop when they hit the bed and then ou are stuck in the doorway. Second problem is that the sleeping area for kids is now closer to the balcony so you end up having to try and keep them asleep if you use your balcony after putting kids to bed or having to keep from waking them up if you want to enjoy a few moments of quiet on your balcony in the morning while they are still asleep. Room design is much more open if you come in the room and hit the sofa area first!!

If you want to do a Western or Southern Carribean with lots of ports, your ship won't matter much! They are all more similar than different!!

I've would definitely recommend that Carnival Breeze. They have a spectacular play area with splash area and small slides.. The little ones in our group played here for hours. You can just sit and relax and watch.

Carnival has great kids club activities. And you have plenty of things to do while they are there. Sorry to disagree with the recommendation of Disney. Unless you are wealthy and have a high budget you could do 2 or 3 vacations for the same 0price.

I have travelled alone with two young children on many of the cruise lines - what you want to look at mostly is if your kids can participate in the kids program. If your 3 year old is potty trained, you can pretty much take your pick of lines based on convenience, itinerary and price.

To me, cruising is by far the best way to travel alone as a parent. While the children are in the kids program, there are always activities to join where it doesn't matter that you're alone, and it's easy to sit at any bar and end up in a group conversation.

For meals with the children, I found it easier to have a table just for the three of us since I know it's not other cruisers' preference to sit with young children, but you could also request to be seated with another family if you prefer. I strongly suggest the main dining room for all meals - it's very difficult to manage the buffet alone.

I would also suggest a Sit n' Stand stroller. Even if your kids do not usually use a stroller, you want to have a place to let them sit during long waits (checking in, waiting to debark the ship in port, etc.). It's also helpful if they fall asleep at the kids club - you don't have to drag them back to the cabin, but can put them in the stroller.

Have a great time. One other benefit, as a widow, I found a lot of peace being at sea. Something very healing about it.

Best,

Mia

Our daughter had just turned 3 when we cruised last November. We didn't bring a stroller and never really saw the need for one.

Does the three year old still nap? Is he still using diapers?

If the child still naps, I would recommend looking at a line with more flexible hours, like Celebrity, Princess or Disney. The Princess kids clubs only close for an hour at lunch and dinner, and Disney is open all day long. Celebrity kids clubs are open from 9 am -10 pm, with a fee if you want to leave your child there at lunch and dinnertime. When we sailed HAL and NCL with a napping child, it was frustrating for my son because every time he woke up from a nap he wanted to go to the kids club, and it was about to close. On sea days NCL is closed from 12-2, and 5-7. HAL kids clubs are closed from 11:30-1, and 4-7. It sounds like you don't plan on sending your children to the kids clubs all day long, but it can be really frustrating to plan your time around the kids club hours, plus on NCL the kids activities like the pool were crowded when the kids clubs were closed.

In general, people seem to really love Disney cruises. The one issue to consider is that most cruise lines group the kids clubs by age (3-5 year old are together, 6-8 kids play together). I have not sailed Disney yet and hope someone will correct me if I am wrong but I believe Disney tends to allow children of a much larger age range together in their kids clubs. I believe the 3-12 year old children are all together, which is great if you have children in a family group who all want to play together. But I believe I have read some reviews by parents of younger children whose kids did not enjoy Disney kids clubs as much as the other kids clubs since it was overwhelming for them to be with kids so much older. That's really going to depend upon your child's temperament - my son is 4 and would be in heaven in a kids clubs with big kids. But I wanted to warn you about that since it is another factor to consider and you don't want to be in a situation in which your child doesn't like going to the kids club.

Strollers are definitely something that varies by family. But life with two kids is very different than one. Carrying a sleeping three year old is very different than carrying a sleeping a toddler while trying to keep track of a walking 5 year old in a crowd. With one child you hold her hand and have one free hand to hold something else, open doors, etc. With two children if you need to hold both of their hands you are out of hands. (Although some families with 2 kids also ditch the stroller by the time the youngest is 3, it's a very different proposition.)

We just took two 4 year olds on a cruise and I brought two umbrella strollers with links. The width of the strollers+links meant it couldn't be used on the ship but I brought them mostly for a pre-cruise visit to Seattle and because I knew I would have the kids by myself at least one day in port. When I went on/off the ship by myself I made my kids push their own strollers through the narrow hallways while I supervised. We didn't use the kids area when they were likely to be sleeping so didn't have that issue and otherwise didn't need them on our ship.

From what I understand Mia is one of the best resources for cruising with kids so take my "I took this one cruise in July" advice for what it is, but my two favorite meals were the one I did in the buffet with my kids while the ship was in port (so it was it quieter) and when my husband was dealing with a plumbing issue so I took them to one of the restaurants that had a small breakfast buffet. My brother-in-law convinced us to have breakfast in the main dining room one morning after going on and on about how he thought the buffet would be easier when his son was little until they did the dining room once and they would never go back. We tried that one morning and I much preferred the buffet for being able to get my kids what they wanted and not having to wait around until it was ready. I also know that would have been more challenging solo when it was super-busy. But if you think you would prefer a buffet it could be worth checking it out. I mostly mention this because if you told my husband he should not eat in the buffet at all it would have ruined his cruise.

I didn't think I would send my kids to the kids area as often as I did. My son loved it and wanted to go all the time. My daughter is less-outgoing so didn't beg to go like he did, but she definitely enjoyed it. The staff in the kids area on our ship was great and very good with the kids.

The check-in out process was very secure. We were on Norwegian and they scanned both the adults key card and each child's card on check-in and check out. The kids also had bracelets with their name and other important information and then name tags that they were very careful to remove as each child left. (I got informed I was going on a cruise so didn't compare with other lines but I understand this kind of safety practice is pretty standard. And while some people complain about age groupings, procedures, and occasionally that activities were boring for their child, I haven't seen complaints about security or the staff in any of the stuff I've read here.)

The only thing I was disappointed in with having young kids was the evening/night activities. The evening sessions were mostly scheduled from 7pm to 10:30. I would usually pick my kids up by 9:30 and frequently my kids hadn't gotten a turn yet for some main part of the evening's activities (on superhero night my daughter didn't have a cape yet and was disappointed they didn't get to decorate their capes, one other night they were making balloon swords and my son ended up coming out with one of the room decoration balloons because he was so upset that the didn't get one yet, and things like that). I would have thought 3-5 year olds would be winding down after 9pm not starting a brand-new-big activity. Similarly the advertised late-night activities for kids staying from 10:30 to 1:30 was things like dodgeball. We never used the kids ares that late so I don't know how active it really was (although the one time I walked by that late the kids I could see from the doorway were running around). If you want to enjoy late-night entertainment you might look for reports on late-night kids activities on any ship you are considering.

Strollers are definitely something that varies by family. But life with two kids is very different than one.

I see your point, and admittedly, I never thought about that, as we are a one-child family. The other thing is that around the time our DD turned 2, she didn't really want to be in her stroller - she was happier just walking (unless it was a really long distance). By the time we went on the cruise, she hadn't been in a stroller in months. Hence the reason why we didn't bring one.

The size of the cabin may be important to you. The largest standard cabins tend to be on Carnival and for a 29 year old- I think this might be to your liking. It trends younger. NCL has small cabins but a good youth program and a very relaxed vibe onboard- very casual and good with kids. Royal Caribbean has a great youth program and fun ships too.

My personal favorite is Princess because it has great pools, an outdoor movie theater and really pretty interior. There is plenty for kids to do outside of the youth program. The cabins are well designed with plenty of storage for luggage and clothes. So that would be my first choice of all the cruise lines.

Just did two Celebrity cruises and found them slipping. They used to be my favorite but I was pretty bored and the cabin layout is poor for a family of three.

Have a great time- I've traveled as a single parent for over a decade and it's a great way to travel with kids. They are happy and you'll have some adult time.

Royal

I would suggest Royal Caribbean or Disney. Both are really great. As others have mentioned, Disney does put ages 3-12 together which can be an issue depending on the child (DD was 4 and did not want to stay at kids club on Disney because of the older kids). There was plenty to do outside the kids club (water slide, Nemo's Reef, character greetings, dance parties, mini golf, shows, etc).

An Oasis class ship on Royal Caribbean would be great. The kids programs are great and there is a lot to do together too (mini golf, carousel, shows, Boardwalk parties, great splash area).

I would suggest Royal Caribbean or Disney. Both are really great. As others have mentioned, Disney does put ages 3-12 together which can be an issue depending on the child (DD was 4 and did not want to stay at kids club on Disney because of the older kids). There was plenty to do outside the kids club (water slide, Nemo's Reef, character greetings, dance parties, mini golf, shows, etc).

 

An Oasis class ship on Royal Caribbean would be great. The kids programs are great and there is a lot to do together too (mini golf, carousel, shows, Boardwalk parties, great splash area).

Don't forget the DreamWorks characters, parades, shows, character breaksfast on Oasis class ships and others such as Freedom of the Seas, Liberty, Voyager, etc

Our daughter had just turned 3 when we cruised last November. We didn't bring a stroller and never really saw the need for one.

You might quickly see the need for one if you were cruising alone with two young children. Here are just a few situations to consider: What do you do if both are sleeping when you pick them up from the kids club? What do you do if one gets hot/doesn't want to walk anymore/stubs their toe while in port? Carrying a child + the bags + holding the hand of another is not easy. How do you contain two young children while standing at the check-in and having to give the attendant your attention? And again when going through immigration at the end?

I think Rebecca makes a great point about Carnival being a good choice age-wise (for the OP and his children).

I am a widow and I took my daughter (aged 10) on a royal caribbean taster cruise in October last year. I was terrified as I'd never travelled 'on my own' before. I had sleepiness nights wishing I'd not booked it, thinking I'd made a big mistake. I needn't have worried though, we had a ball. Dd loved it and so did I. I did feel slighty uncomfortable at first - it seemed that all the kids were with both parents or grandparents and I did feel quite alone. BUT I was really glad I took the plunge, so much so I subsequently booked another cruise and we are going on Saturday on a 2 week cruise around the Mediterranean, again with Royal Caribbean. Dd can't wait:)

It's sad isn't it - my husband and I had talked of a cruise, just like you and your wife, unfortunately it wasnt meant to be was it.

I think a cruise would be perfect for you and your little ones.

You might quickly see the need for one if you were cruising alone with two young children. Here are just a few situations to consider: What do you do if both are sleeping when you pick them up from the kids club? What do you do if one gets hot/doesn't want to walk anymore/stubs their toe while in port? Carrying a child + the bags + holding the hand of another is not easy. How do you contain two young children while standing at the check-in and having to give the attendant your attention? And again when going through immigration at the end?

Aww, I already gave him a hard time and he already posted an apologetic "I never thought of that" reply. You have better examples to make the point, but I think we can leave him alone now.

First of all, my condolences on the passing of your wife. How very tragic for you and your children.:(

How recently did your wife pass?

If I were in your situation and recognizing there will be a whole well of emotions for all of you ... I might not recommend Disney or Royal or Carnival. I think that while it might be enjoyable for your kids; it might be too "rah rah siss boom bah" with all the noise. Depending on how recently your wife passed and how your children are adjusting - would families everywhere make them feel out of sorts?

I might recommend a more adult cruise line like HAL or X. Less children for sure - depending on when you sail; so I think you would not feel out of sorts.

The kid's clubs on these lines are awesome. My kids are 8 and 9 and they prefer HAL and X to other lines. They are not boisterous kids and honestly get put off by children who are noisier/more boisterous than they are.

My kids were 3/4 or 4/5 when they sailed HAL and they LOVED IT!!!!! But X is their new favourite. Because there are fewer kids on board the child/counsellor ratio is better. The kids are generally all known by first name (from the first night) so it is a far more personable experience for them. Way different than Disney or Royal where there will be many more children on board, and kids don't get that 1:1 attention that they will get on a smaller line.

My kids have done 2 Disney ... they enjoyed it for what it's worth but they don't want to do it again.

Got an email yesterday that X is having a kid's sail free promo right now (but you might have to pay for one child in lieue of second adult and get one child free).

However, if you are looking for an escape from reality and want your kids to have that magical holiday, then definitely consider Disney or a Royal DreamWorks cruise. It all depends on what you are looking for.

First, I am sorry for your loss. I hope you and your family are doing well.

We have done both HA and RC multiple times with our kids at those ages.

Our experience has been that the RC ships have a lot more "stuff" going on for kids and families, but since the HA ships generally have fewer kids onboard, our kids seem to get a lot more attention from the ClubHal staff.

Note that your 3yo will need to be "potty sufficient" to utilize the kids club on almost all of the major cruise lines.

I would echo the statement above to try and use the main dinning room for meals if possible. The buffets are hard to manage with two adults and young children, doing it with one person will be a major challenge. In our experience, dining room staffs are generally pretty good about learning what your kids like and getting food in front of them quickly. That lets you focus on entertaining the kids while someone else worries about the food.

Ports may be a challenge as well, I would recommend that on at least one port day, stay on the ship and utilize the pool etc. Having the run of the ship on port days is a lot of fun with the younger kids.

Good luck!