Families cruising together, question?

I have read a lot of threads about kids, and families cruising, so I have a question;

Why do you bring your kids with on the cruise?

If you don't want to do things with them most of the time on the vacation why did you bring them with?

If you have a small child that needs "baby sitting" when leaving the ship in port, and during the day so you can go swimming, or to the shows, why did you bring them with instead of leaving them home?

Do you plan your activities around the kids, that you enjoy, or what you enjoy, and they just have to do it, or stay on the ship?

I am not judging, just wondering,

I see a lot of kids on the ships and most are having "cruise" related fun, playing games, swimming, which is great.

I guess the real question is why do you bring "little" kids and babies on the cruise?

For us, it is because we love them and want to enjoy being and doing as a family.

We compromise on what they want to do and they compromise what we would like to do.

One day they will not want to hang out with mom and dad, so enjoy it while you can!!!

:D

My kids are 11 and 13 and have been on 22 cruises. I stay home with them full time, and I always have. We homeschool, and we get LOTS of family time. Cruises are a time for all of us to have fun and spend some time AWAY from each other! My son is devastated b/c his sister is once again about to be in the same age group with the kids' program on board. He doesn't WANT to hang out with her on vacation!

Sure, we could leave them home and have our alone time and save half the money we spend - but they LOVE cruising, because it's very fun for them to do the camp activities, make new friends, and do a few excursions. We spend maybe an hour a day with them on sea days and 4 or so hours on port days, IF we do an excursion. At this point, I have to beg them just to go to elegant night dinner with us - they're having too much fun to hang out with mom and dad! Of course we spent more time than this with them when they were younger - but at 11 and 13, they are good doing camp/circle c stuff, and we are good having some much needed adult time.

My kids are 11 and 13 and have been on 22 cruises. I stay home with them full time, and I always have. We homeschool, and we get LOTS of family time. Cruises are a time for all of us to have fun and spend some time AWAY from each other! My son is devastated b/c his sister is once again about to be in the same age group with the kids' program on board. He doesn't WANT to hang out with her on vacation!

 

Sure, we could leave them home and have our alone time and save half the money we spend - but they LOVE cruising, because it's very fun for them to do the camp activities, make new friends, and do a few excursions. We spend maybe an hour a day with them on sea days and 4 or so hours on port days, IF we do an excursion. At this point, I have to beg them just to go to elegant night dinner with us - they're having too much fun to hang out with mom and dad! Of course we spent more time than this with them when they were younger - but at 11 and 13, they are good doing camp/circle c stuff, and we are good having some much needed adult time.

In a case like this, their time away from parents is actually a learning experience in itself. The exposure to others.

For us, it is because we love them and want to enjoy being and doing as a family.

We compromise on what they want to do and they compromise what we would like to do.

 

One day they will not want to hang out with mom and dad, so enjoy it while you can!!!

:D

Great. That's how it should be.

But, you can't do that with babies or toddlers.

In a case like this, their time away from parents is actually a learning experience in itself. The exposure to others.

Just to clarify, as many people have the idea that all homeschooled kids are socially isolated - my kids get tons of social interaction and have more friends than I did at their age. My house is also the "social hub" for preteens in our neighborhood - they love hanging out here, having sleepovers, etc. In summer and on the weekends, my daughter is often gone from dawn til dusk hanging out with friends - my son is more of a homebody and enjoys playing games with his online friends on the pc.

ANYWAY - this is off topic, but I know there is a big perception of homeschooled kids being uber religious, sheltered, isolated, etc. This is not us :-)

We took our kids last cruise ages 14 and 10 at the time and had a blast,that said we are cruising in 8 days and no kids this time and only reason is school and thier grades are not good enough to go,,, our rule is honor roll you go, below you stay.. They are upset buttt we planning another cruise in a few months and grades are starting to climb already lol.. I am all for bringing your kids, {if you watch them] I have seen many of too young kids running free with no parent supervision shame on them.. We ended up not staying out late, no adult comedy shows ect. because we had our kids but the fun they had made it worth it and we will do it again..

I've wondered this and could not imagine bringing a baby or toddler, but there are so many situations why families would bring young kids that I don't judge them. One case my be a large family cruise with grandparents that would want to take part of the babysitting duties.

We took our 8 year old with us starting 3 cruises ago then we went on one with out her in Nov. and missed her the whole time. We had her try the kids program the first cruise and she hasn't done it since. We won't make her but she knows and understands that there is times we will do what she wants and and times we will do what we want.

I remember being on a cruise in 2009 and eating in the buffet and there was a hole table of kids eating lunch with a kids counselor and they didn't look happy. It seemed so sad to me. It was a port day. But once again each there own.

We are similar to Rowan555. My incredible spouse actually does laundry on the cruise so for that week I don't have to. When DS started cruising at 3yrs he really didn't goto the camp/club. Now at 11 he has a blast with other kids. He loves cruising, we could go without him but ...

Never gone ashore without him. He actually has some cool ideas for shore excursions.

Rowan555 - more and more ppl are seeing the upside on homeschooling. We are losing the stigma (I hope)

We started taking our kids cruising when they were 2 and 5. I always say that I think that a cruise is the perfect vacation because it blends the both of best worlds. We get to have family time together and DH and I get to spend some alone time while they are in camp. We don't have any family close to where we live and I am a stay at home mom so adult time is very rare for us. Our kids love camp so they are happy to go and have fun and that way DH and I can go to the spa or casino and do our thing. We always pick excursions that we can all participate in and enjoy together. At this point our kids love cruising so much that I would feel guilty about not taking them. We do slip in a few nights away for land vacations, though.

I have read a lot of threads about kids, and families cruising, so I have a question;

 

Why do you bring your kids with on the cruise?

 

If you don't want to do things with them most of the time on the vacation why did you bring them with?

 

If you have a small child that needs "baby sitting" when leaving the ship in port, and during the day so you can go swimming, or to the shows, why did you bring them with instead of leaving them home?

 

Do you plan your activities around the kids, that you enjoy, or what you enjoy, and they just have to do it, or stay on the ship?

 

I am not judging, just wondering,

 

I see a lot of kids on the ships and most are having "cruise" related fun, playing games, swimming, which is great.

 

I guess the real question is why do you bring "little" kids and babies on the cruise?

I bring my kids with me on a cruise because they are my kids and they come with us on all vacations as well as everywhere else. Personally, I can't understand people who leave their kids at home.

We live far away from family, only have one set of grandparents who we would trust to watch them and they work full time and use their vacation time for their own vacations. Also, I'm not comfortable being separated from my young children for such a long period of time.

Will I use the kids clubs? You bet. As mentioned before we live far from family and due to the expense we very rarely get a paid babysitter so we very rarely get a break from taking care of our kids 24/7.

We will plan activities based on what the whole family wants to do. Sometimes we will do things together and some times we will do things apart. I don't see the need to cater completely to my kids wants on the cruise when the cruise ship offers kid's clubs so they can go and have fun doing age appropriate activities while DH and I get a chance to read or sit in a hot tub alone. We will also spend plenty of time together swimming, eating and exploring the ports.

My husband and I have been on cruises both with and without the kids. Our last cruise the kids were (4, 7, 14) and they all had a blast! The younger ones we had to drag away from Camp Carnival to do things with us. The older we had to set check in times since he also wanted to do things with Club O2. For shore excursions, we planned together as a family so everyone had fun. Are some things a little bumpier with 3 kids on the cruise, sure but overall it is a TON easier than a land vacation. If one kid wants a burger for lunch and another wants a taco---no problem on a cruise! Do I still like cruises without the kids? Of course, but as they get older it becomes a lot smoother.

We take vacations with and without the kids. We have cruised without them because we have been blessed with grandparents who offered to babysit. When we decided to take a cruise with them, we chose a ship with a lot of onboard family activities. We're bringing one child who is not yet school age because our older children are at perfect ages to enjoy the trip. We've taken trips where we're moving from hotel to hotel as we see new places, and this will avoid that hassle. It will be a good blend of new experiences and relaxing family time. We won't have to worry about our picky eaters while everyone still gets to try new foods. And we won't stress about what every meal costs for five people. Things won't go perfectly, but things never do.

We expect to spend most of our time together. However, we will also send them to Camp Carnival for an hour or two, at least on sea days, so we have a little time to relax, like we normally would at home, and because we're sharing one cabin at night. :) We will probably eat one elegant night together in the mdr and one alone, with the kids in Camp Carnival. Both are experiences we rarely have at home. We planned shore excursions that we would all enjoy. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving them on the ship, but that's me. Because I can occasionally vacation without the kids, I totally understand why someone without family who are willing and able to babysit would cruise with kids and enjoy some activities the kids can't or don't want to do, on or off the ship.

Although I never did a a cruise vacation with our kids when they were babies or toddlers, the reasons we traveled everywhere with our kids when they were that age were:

1. We enjoyed being with our kids. I was a stay-at-home mom and I still enjoyed being with them all the time. Now that they are grown, I'm glad I did it.

2. We did not live near any family members--in fact, we lived half-a-world away--so having the kids stay with the grandparents, or vice versa, was not an option.

I try to keep these reasons in mind when we see parents with small kids on board.

I bring my kids with me on a cruise because they are my kids and they come with us on all vacations as well as everywhere else. Personally, I can't understand people who leave their kids at home.

 

We live far away from family, only have one set of grandparents who we would trust to watch them and they work full time and use their vacation time for their own vacations. Also, I'm not comfortable being separated from my young children for such a long period of time.

 

Will I use the kids clubs? You bet. As mentioned before we live far from family and due to the expense we very rarely get a paid babysitter so we very rarely get a break from taking care of our kids 24/7.

 

We will plan activities based on what the whole family wants to do. Sometimes we will do things together and some times we will do things apart. I don't see the need to cater completely to my kids wants on the cruise when the cruise ship offers kid's clubs so they can go and have fun doing age appropriate activities while DH and I get a chance to read or sit in a hot tub alone. We will also spend plenty of time together swimming, eating and exploring the ports.

This.

not sure why some bother. On our new year cruise, there was one 15yr old girl who was at the 02 club all day every day until the early hours of the morning and went on the 02 club off shore trip as well. She even had her dinner alone at the buffet, my daughter went over to sit with her when she saw her eating alone. My girl expressed that she felt so sad for this girl. Her words ' she has everything money can buy but dosen't seem to have a real family' - It was so so sad

... and no kids this time and only reason is school and thier grades are not good enough to go,,, our rule is honor roll you go, below you stay.. They are upset buttt we planning another cruise in a few months and grades are starting to climb already lol..

LOL, I like that rule :D

I was the one ditched.I had to insist on her spending time with me and not running with her new found friends.This was probably the only thing I did not like this time I set some rules.At first she did not even want to go to kids program I insisted she at least try it and I would be back to get her in hour I even sat outside area for twenty minuted then popped in to see if she was miserable she wasnt.I think programs are great to meet some friends your own age but at same time I selfishly dont want her gone too much.Would love to hear someone elses thought rule or how they would handle this.

Our son has been traveling with us since he was 9months old. He is now 9 and has been to 58 countries. He has been to most major landmarks in the Americas and Europe and those he doesn't remember, I have a full library of photo/scrap books to refresh his memory.

He went on his first cruise when he was 3. We bring him because we like to have him around. Sometimes he has had a babysitter if we wanted a later dinner but during the day he does whatever we do. Swimming, tours, whatever. As he has gotten older we do an adult tour then something for him. He does at times go to the kids clubs on cruise ships.. but that his choice.

We also go to resorts or hotels that have organised kids activities so he has the option of hanging with us or spending time with kids this own age.

For us a family vacation isn't about forcing time together, its about each of us enjoying the time and doing what we want together.

I just love having my family near me.:)

Our DD will be almost 4 when we take her with us on a cruise next summer. We are cruising with extended family and specifically chose Carnival so those in our family with kids under 3 could enjoy the freedom the Kids Camp will give them.

Why do you bring your kids with on the cruise?

To have memories and experiences together as a family. The length of a cruise is more time that we're comfortable leaving her with a sitter.

If you don't want to do things with them most of the time on the vacation why did you bring them with?

We have no intention of not doing things with her while we're on vacation. Sending her to camp gives us a break from watching her, she gets to have fun with kids her age. We need breaks from her at home too.

If you have a small child that needs "baby sitting" when leaving the ship in port, and during the day so you can go swimming, or to the shows, why did you bring them with instead of leaving them home?

See above responses. (We will not be leaving her behind when we are in port. It's our choice not to, but I don't judge anyone who will.)

Do you plan your activities around the kids, that you enjoy, or what you enjoy, and they just have to do it, or stay on the ship?

We will absolutely plan excursions and activities that all three of us can and will participate in. Or in one port we may stay on board together so we can enjoy the quieter time in the pool all together.

I guess the real question is why do you bring "little" kids and babies on the cruise?

DD is old enough to remember our upcoming trip. She'll remember the boat, the dinners, the room, the beach, being with her cousins, and having fun in camp.

We traveled a lot before we had DD, and while we cut down a bit after having her, we're starting to travel more again. As she gets older we will expect her to help us plan trips and activities on them. Even at 3 we're open to doing things that are her choice any time she asks.

Thank you, for all the responses,

I agree with most if not all of the responses,

Bring the kids, so you have family time, doings together.

I just always wonder about the people that pay to bring kids (small) are brought, but left with camp 90 percent of the time, so the parents don't have to do things with them, or so they don't get in the way.

Every cruise we have been on with our kids, (3) we always had dinner together, went to port together, and yes they did do things with friends they had met, but for the most part we did things together, because we wanted to make memories for a lifetime.

Our family chose to cruise for the first time at our daughter's graduation from high school. Although she was still an ungrateful teen at the time, she now tells us that was her most memorable trip (Alaska and land portion)- well, that's quite a testimonial as we have trekked to Machu Picchu and Europe now together. Anyway- we would take grandkids on a cruise, but suspect they would not appreciate the whole experience as much as an older child/quasi-adult might. There are so many places on land where camp counselors dance around a room with kids... it seems that a cruise is best suited to a particular kind of child's personality which makes the expenditure worthwhile. JMO.

I have to say that the tone of your questions implies that you are judging parents who bring their young children on cruises. My question to you is, why do you ask? Seriously. My feeling is, do what works for you and your family. If you want to bring the kids, go for it. If you want to leave them at home, go for it. Keep in mind that not every parent has grandparents or other reliable help with whom to leave children while on vacation. Also, many parents enjoy bringing the kids and don't feel guilty about enjoying some adult time in the process. Why should they have to explain?

I have read a lot of threads about kids, and families cruising, so I have a question;

 

Why do you bring your kids with on the cruise?

Because we enjoy cruising so much, we want to share the sea, the ports, the whole adventure with our daughter. Besides, when I was child, I never went farther than 200 miles away from home.

On the other hand, my hubby's family went to Europe (his father was born in Romania, which was one area they visited) and Israel.

So even though we haven't taken her all over the world, at least we have taken her to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii. It's a start. Maybe while she's a teen, we might actually take her to South America.

 

If you don't want to do things with them most of the time on the vacation why did you bring them with?

When we are in port (since the time, she was 8), she goes with us in port. She even helps with the planning and suggests some sites she wants to see.

 

If you have a small child that needs "baby sitting" when leaving the ship in port, and during the day so you can go swimming, or to the shows, why did you bring them with instead of leaving them home?

Actually our girl has been in the pool on the ship ever since she completed swimming classes -- and my hubby is often in the pool with her, or else near he pool supervising. She also comes with us to many of the shows, and has since she was 23 months of age (and yes, we sat near the back, just in case we had to make a quick exit -- but it wasn't necessary as she loved the music and dancing.). In fact on the cruise we just finished, she came with us to one show and she behaved better (at age 15) than the adults who were rudely talking. But then, she's performed in music recitals and in many stage productions.

She did stay in the kids' programs when she was much younger as she didn't have an interest in seeing some of those ports. So why not let her enjoy hanging out with kids her age?

 

Do you plan your activities around the kids, that you enjoy, or what you enjoy, and they just have to do it, or stay on the ship?

We will do things together, but we also feel it's important than kids have fun with their own age. Why else does summer camp exist? And why force any one in the family to do something they don't want to. And that includes my hubby and myself, as well as our teen.

I am not judging, just wondering,

 

I see a lot of kids on the ships and most are having "cruise" related fun, playing games, swimming, which is great.

 

I guess the real question is why do you bring "little" kids and babies on the cruise?

I wonder more about parents who post that their kids will be always with them on the ship and don't intend to use the kids' programs. It's their choice, and hopefully they do know what their kids want to do. But to make a blanket statement that their kids are going to enjoy hanging out with their parents, but not with other kids...maybe they should at least check out the program and let the kids decide for themselves.

Plus, despite what many people who are judgmental say (they won't remember, etc.), kids do have memories going back. Often we'll ask our girl if she remembers x, and she often does have some memory, even if it happened years ago. You'll be surprised. I'm in my 50s, and there's some things I remember going back to when I was before six years of age.

Besides, the more experiences (hopefully good ones) that a young child, even a baby has, the more brain growth (synapses) he or she will develop.

I bring my kids with me on a cruise because they are my kids and they come with us on all vacations as well as everywhere else. Personally, I can't understand people who leave their kids at home.

 

We live far away from family, only have one set of grandparents who we would trust to watch them and they work full time and use their vacation time for their own vacations. Also, I'm not comfortable being separated from my young children for such a long period of time.

 

Will I use the kids clubs? You bet. As mentioned before we live far from family and due to the expense we very rarely get a paid babysitter so we very rarely get a break from taking care of our kids 24/7.

 

We will plan activities based on what the whole family wants to do. Sometimes we will do things together and some times we will do things apart. I don't see the need to cater completely to my kids wants on the cruise when the cruise ship offers kid's clubs so they can go and have fun doing age appropriate activities while DH and I get a chance to read or sit in a hot tub alone. We will also spend plenty of time together swimming, eating and exploring the ports.

The above post explains our situation so well. My hubby's and mine parents lived not too far away, but we didn't feel comfortable with leaving an active child with any of them. When my daughter was an infant, and the day center we used would close at the end of the year for their vacation, and it was not a good time to take off from work myself as it was typically a busy time, I left my daughter with some specific instructions about her care, which my MIL seemed to ignore (not intentionally, but...). And my mother, the one grandparent still alive, definitely wasn't capable of taking care of her for even a few hours.

So bringing our daughter along on our first vacation since her birth -- 23 months later, it was a joy to watch her explore the ship. Even though she was a month too young for Camp Carnival, it wasn't a problem. Once she was old enough, she would say upon awakening, "Is ship school open yet?" She has fun and we get plenty of "alone time" without worrying about what's going on back in Los Angeles if she was there.

It wasn't til her teenaged years that she would spend more time out of the kids' area...she would make friends with kids her age, and they would arrange their own activities. And just last month, she and kids her age were exploring the art gallery (we were nearby and heard her voice -- she was leading a discussion of the artwork! It's nice to know those field trips to the Getty and LACMA came in handy.

And if you have looked at how much school work kids have nowadays, even in first grade, you wouldn't begrudge them a nice vacation.

So for the OP, a better question would be, why would parents NOT take their kids on their cruises?

Why do you bring your kids with on the cruise?

 

If you don't want to do things with them most of the time on the vacation why did you bring them with?

 

If you have a small child that needs "baby sitting" when leaving the ship in port, and during the day so you can go swimming, or to the shows, why did you bring them with instead of leaving them home?

 

Do you plan your activities around the kids, that you enjoy, or what you enjoy, and they just have to do it, or stay on the ship?

DD has sailed with us at 15 months and is about to do her second cruise with us at 23 months. We live in FL, so cruising is the natural easy choice in getting away. A toddler on a plane is not the funnest of activities, i know because we just flew across the country for Christmas. I like that we can drive to a port, park, and hop on a ship and start vacationing.

We bring DD because, strangely enough, we enjoy being with her! Rates for young ones are very reasonable. It is a well valued vacation for the services and experiences you receive in return, not to mention the places you get to go are great. Even though she is not quite 2, you can tell she is enjoys her self. We have only sailed DCL with her and she loves meeting the characters.

We don't put her in the nursery for any more than 2 hours at a time per sea day. It gives her a chance to play with other kids in a controlled setting and have access to toys. On port days, I do A LOT of research and find the best choices of things we can do as a family. If that means I don't get to do the BEST snorkel spot on a particular island, oh well. That is part of being a family. You have to compromise. When DD is older we can return and snorkel together. As for dinner and shows, she handled both very well. Because of the activity during the day her nap schedule was shifted to a bit later. This allowed her to eat dinner in the dining rooms with us and attend the shows. She fell asleep each night during the show, and we took turns night to night holding her until the show ended and we could put her in bed.

The activities I choose are ones that I think everyone will enjoy and feel it was worth their money/time. I do all the research, and love to do so. My DH barely puts his 2 cents in, not because I don't ask, but because he knows that I spend a lot of time selecting the things we do, and I don't make my decisions lightly. Though, we are normally quite adventurous when we travel, even on cruises, it has been nice taking her along with us. It allows us to slow down and enjoy the relaxation part of a vacation as well. If she wants to nap on the beach, then so do we, and it's not all that bad.

We could be the type to do more activities without her, but then, as you said, why did we bring her anyway?

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