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Best STARTING age for a kid to cruise


Cookson

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My wife and I were just talking about this..... we have a 2 year old(will be 3 in April) and just wondered what you guys thought was the EARLIEST age you would be ok with bringing a kid on a cruise? Our son at 2 is simply just too wild, so we got a baby sitter. We were thinking 4 would probably be the best age to first bring a kid at. Whatcha think? Are 3 or 4 year olds annoying on the cruises that you've seen?

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Don't really have an answer to your question but my wife and I have had the same conversations over the past year or so. We've finally broken down and have decided to bring our now 3 and 6 year old along with us this July on the Liberty. They will both have birthdays at sea so we thought it would be sort of fun. Its nice to see that someone else has been going though the same thought process. Good luck.

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age 12, maybe 10 if they are mature enough. i'm definitely the odd person out but i think that that a cruise is for enjoyment and not constant baby sitting. preschoolers won't remember a thing about their cruises, elementary kids get bored very easily and rest and relaxation isn't part of their lexicon. by the time a kid is twelve they know enough about life to be easy on a ship and can find tons of things to do and usually really enjoy all the new experiences and are somewhat mature enough to know how to behave. with a 12 year old it becomes easier to pick excursions, to allow them some free time without constant supervision.

 

young kids are a joy but they are a lot of work and most won't really understand the experience and usually aren't real comfortable with strange places and new experiences. by their tweens they are ready to grasp all of it and then the experience is great for both kids and adults.

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My wife and I were just talking about this..... we have a 2 year old(will be 3 in April) and just wondered what you guys thought was the EARLIEST age you would be ok with bringing a kid on a cruise? Our son at 2 is simply just too wild, so we got a baby sitter. We were thinking 4 would probably be the best age to first bring a kid at. Whatcha think? Are 3 or 4 year olds annoying on the cruises that you've seen?

 

We started at 4. And are quite happy in that decision.

 

We did cruise about 4 times without her, 3 of which were short cruises, and our hearts ached not having her with us, but that disappears real quick when we returned, and is only a distant memory.

 

And we have enjoyed every one of the 9 cruises she joined us on. And not once anywhere did I ever consider raising a kid, "WORK".

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We have a 3 year old and an 11 month old. Our 3 year old started cruising at 12 months old, then again at 17 months old and again at 24 months old. Here's our take. We've enjoyed every cruise we've taken, but based on what we've learned, the age when you bring your kids along for the first time should be determined more by what type of activities are available for your kids age group on the specific cruise line or ship you'll be sailing on. For example, we would've waited longer to sail on Carnival the 1st time, but we would've been OK taking a very small child on Royal. Here's what we've learned:

 

- 12 months (5 nights Fascination from Jacksonville to Key West and Nassau): This was our first experiment and in the most part, we enjoyed it. But it opened our eyes to the realities of traveling with a small child. Many meals at the buffet. Going to bed early. Missed elegant night, etc. Most importantly, we learned that maybe we should've waited until our son was old enough to attend Camp Carnival. There were moments when we needed a break, and we couldn't take one, period.

 

- 17 months (7 nights Allure of the Seas to the Western Caribbean). WOW! What an amazing experience! Not only for us but for our son as well! We don't regret one moment from this cruise! There was SO much to do for everyone! Royal's kids program starts at 6 months of age, so he was able to attend the Royal Baies and Tots program. Several nights we took him there for a few hours while mom and dad tried the alternative restaurants, watched a show, went dancing, or simply spent some relaxing time at the adults-only Solarium. The rest of the time, there was SO much to keep or son entertained that it seemed like he was having more fun than us. This ship had a large free play area with toys where our son could blow off some steam at any point in time, in addition to a carousel, a dedicated temeprature controlled pool and water park exclusive for babies and toddlers, the Dreamworks Experience (with shows, appearances and breakfasts featuring the characters from movies like Shrek, Kun Fu Panda and Madagascar) a kids mini golf, and even a dedicated kids area including a water park at their private beach in Labadee! NO REGRETS about taking our son at 17 months on this cruise! Simply amazing for the entire family!

 

- 23 months (7 nights Carnival Dream to the Western Caribbean). Our son missed the cutoff for Camp Carnival by one month, but we couldn't sail any later since my wife was pregnant and approaching the cutoff. We brought grandma along this time, so she was able to babysit for us a few times. One great thing we did was to book a balcony cabin so that we could still enjoy the ocean even if we couldnt leave the cabin during nap times. Also, even though the offerings for kids under 2 on Carnival are limited, we still learned to took advantage of whatever they offered. For example, they did offer baby sitting until 12pm on port days, as well as drop off and free play time on sea days. Knowing that at other times we would be creating our own fun, we brought toys and other forms of entertainment from home. It wasn't the most ideal, but we had a wonderful time!

 

We our now gearing up for our daughter's 1st cruise (she'll be 17 months old when we go to Alaska on Holland America), and while she will be too young for the kid's program, my parents are coming along to help us out (Well, its more like WE are coming along with my parents. This cruise is really for them!) D

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We took our daughter at 7 and she had a blast. But there's no definitive answer to that question. As long as they are camp carnival age I would say that's old enough. My last cruise my nephew took his 1 year old, never would I do that.

 

 

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We are leaving next Saturday on the Liberty and this will be cruises number 6 & 7 for our five year old. She remembers a lot about the cruises we have taken. (All 5 of her cruises have been in the last 2 yrs) she loves Camp carnival for a few hours each day but then we love doing activities with her. We have no problems finding shore excursions to go on with her that we enjoy.

 

I think the answer is there is no perfect age to start kids cruising. Depends on your family and what you want out of a vacation. Do what's right for your family!

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age 12, maybe 10 if they are mature enough. i'm definitely the odd person out but i think that that a cruise is for enjoyment and not constant baby sitting. preschoolers won't remember a thing about their cruises, elementary kids get bored very easily and rest and relaxation isn't part of their lexicon. by the time a kid is twelve they know enough about life to be easy on a ship and can find tons of things to do and usually really enjoy all the new experiences and are somewhat mature enough to know how to behave. with a 12 year old it becomes easier to pick excursions, to allow them some free time without constant supervision.

 

A preschooler can absolutely remember details. I remember details of a family vacation from when I was 3, and it's almost 40 years later. I also have a 3.5 year old that can tell me all about our family vacation 2 years ago, as can my 5 and 8 year old nieces.

 

 

 

Anyway, we're taking our 3.5 year old on her first cruise this summer because she is old enough to remember it, she's a good traveler already, and she can go to the camp for an hour or two every day for entertainment for her. I do think a cruise is more difficult than a land-based vacation because of crowd factor, and I can't let her have as much freedom as I would in a different setting. The camp allows for a good in-between. Being potty trained was also a deciding factor. We did not want to bring her on a cruise before now and not have her in the pool if she wants because of diapers.

 

But, I think if you're worried your own kid is going to annoying, it's probably too soon for you to take them on a cruise.

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We brought our son along for a 5 day when he was 7 months old. He was very well behaved and we had a GREAT time but, with that being said, he is NOT going on this one in a few weeks ( he's now 2 ) because he's SO completely into everything and won't even sit still in a stroller! It would be more work on us then anything so he's staying home with my sister.

 

My daughter first went on one when she was 18 months and doesn't remember it but she was a perfect angel. I would've brought her back even at my son's age now because she was just such a laid back baby. She went again at 5 and had a BALL and now it's the only vacation she ever talks about. She's going with us again ( just Mommy, Daddy, and her ) and she's about to be 7. She's THRILLED and has so many memories of the first one ( down to the free ice cream, picking whatever she wants from the menu at dinner, and the towel animals). We feel this will be the perfect getaway for us since we are expecting #3 later this year- she needs that one on one time before there are TWO wild boys running around! LOL

 

So, I think it depends on YOU and YOUR CHILD. If you can still enjoy your vacation and they seem to enjoy it -go for it!

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Guest LoveMyBoxer

Our Son's first cruise was when he was 4 and he absolutely remembers all the highlights from that trip. Really enjoyed every second of watching his face as he enjoyed every single new experience. He was never bored, and he let us know if he wanted to spend time in the kid's club or with us. He also loved getting dressed up for dinner. I don't consider spending time with my Son "babysitting"! He is now 12 and has completed 22 cruises.

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I think it really depends on each kid and their personalities. We are taking our kids next time and they will be 6 and almost 3. I know my 6 year old will be great but I would not bring the younger one if we weren't traveling with family. We'll have an aunt and uncle and a set of grandparents with us (along with 2 other kids). We have 3 rooms next to each other with balconies so we can hang out when the kids go to bed.

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My wife and I were just talking about this..... we have a 2 year old(will be 3 in April) and just wondered what you guys thought was the EARLIEST age you would be ok with bringing a kid on a cruise? Our son at 2 is simply just too wild, so we got a baby sitter. We were thinking 4 would probably be the best age to first bring a kid at. Whatcha think? Are 3 or 4 year olds annoying on the cruises that you've seen?

 

We are taking ours this July and he will be one. The only reason we booked is because we have lots of family going who promised to help with him. (I got it in writing) :D If it was just me and hubby, we would not cruise until baby was a bit older--at least out of diapers. We waited to go to Disney until our other son was almost 5.

 

When my boy saw Mickey and Handy Manny the first time, I teared up. They will not remember going but you will always have those memories!!

 

 

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I think 3.5 is about right. At least for me- I knew he was completely potty trained and could enjoy the youth program and the pool. I did sail with him before that though and it worked out ok- not great.

 

So again I think between 3-4 is the best time.

 

I have raised two boys (ages 25 and 12) and I can tell you that the best years are between 3-13. After that they are less interested in spending time with their parents. So take advantage of the time when they want to be with you. It's fleeting (pun intended)

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It depends on the kid and the parent(s). My son went on a cruise at just before age three (no kid club), at age 3.5 (with kid club), and now again at 8. I didn't enjoy the younger ages - his nap time was so inconveniently scheduled during something I wanted to do. (The nerve!) His schedule really dictated our schedule. It's not a bad thing, but we also did a lot of Disney then, and there we could pop him in a carrier and have him nap on me as we walked around EPCOT. Yelling out answers in trivia with a napping toddler on me, not so much.

 

But then, obviously, I don't go on a cruise to relax - I want to DO things. I get bored on beach vacations.

 

Now, at age 8, I know he'll get a lot out of the experience. But he's a giant science and history nerd, so traveling for him (and with him) is very exciting. We might have done another cruise earlier (probably around age five was when he started getting really fun), but he also started getting motion sickness then, so... This cruise will be an experience in SeaBands.

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When my boy saw Mickey and Handy Manny the first time, I teared up. They will not remember going but you will always have those memories!!

 

Amen to that! For the record, before we had kids, we swore we would NEVER fall for all the Disney stuff, yet we found ourselves planning our first Disney trip when our son was 2 (and my wife was almost 8 months pregnant with baby #2).

 

As we flew to Orlando, we kept asking ourselves if we were insane, what had we done, etc, etc. That is until we walked through the gates of the Magic Kingdom and saw our son's eyes light up and started jumping in amazement. My tough as nails, never shed a tear wife couldn't hold it any longer and just started crying tears of joy. I'll admit I joined in.

 

To all the people who say "don't take a child on vacation because they won't remember" think about YOUR memories. They may not remember, but YOU will! :)

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Amen to that! For the record, before we had kids, we swore we would NEVER fall for all the Disney stuff, yet we found ourselves planning our first Disney trip when our son was 2 (and my wife was almost 8 months pregnant with baby #2).

 

As we flew to Orlando, we kept asking ourselves if we were insane, what had we done, etc, etc. That is until we walked through the gates of the Magic Kingdom and saw our son's eyes light up and started jumping in amazement. My tough as nails, never shed a tear wife couldn't hold it any longer and just started crying tears of joy. I'll admit I joined in.

 

To all the people who say "don't take a child on vacation because they won't remember" think about YOUR memories. They may not remember, but YOU will! :)

 

Funny! I was 7 mos pregnant when we went to Disney last April. (Not my brightest idea)!

 

 

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Amen to that! For the record, before we had kids, we swore we would NEVER fall for all the Disney stuff, yet we found ourselves planning our first Disney trip when our son was 2 (and my wife was almost 8 months pregnant with baby #2).

 

As we flew to Orlando, we kept asking ourselves if we were insane, what had we done, etc, etc. That is until we walked through the gates of the Magic Kingdom and saw our son's eyes light up and started jumping in amazement. My tough as nails, never shed a tear wife couldn't hold it any longer and just started crying tears of joy. I'll admit I joined in.

 

To all the people who say "don't take a child on vacation because they won't remember" think about YOUR memories. They may not remember, but YOU will! :)

 

I had to laugh at your post.

 

DW and I were typical kids cruising in our 20's and hated the thought of kids on ships.

 

10 years later, plus another 4 when we took our daughter on her first, we chose Disney. Land portion was good, cause it was the 1 year anniversary of 9/11, and the parks were EMPTY. We actually just stayed on some of them and rode again, as there we NO LINES.

 

When we got on board, and rounded the corner to the Disney kiddie pool, and all the kiddies, DW and I just turned to each other, and broke down laughing. WHAT HAD WE DONE!!!????

 

And loved every minute of it!.

 

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My son loves to travel. I can remember his skipping through the airport at age 6 because he was so excited to go to Madrid. He doesn't remember much about that trip except for the one little girl he met on the ship (Elizabeth from Hong Kong)- who also has a home in Silver Spring Md. near us. We visited her there after our Med. cruise.

 

Here are some of my favorite cruise pics...

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madrid.jpg.f75b96063abbd3c3760bc792d005df8c.jpg

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. . . preschoolers won't remember a thing about their cruises, . . . .

 

I don't agree with you at all. You would be surprised what a pre-schooler remembers.

 

My son and his wife have travelled a lot (mostly because of work) with their 2 daughters, who are now aged 3 and 1.

 

They are a tight family group, mostly because they have been living and working overseas, far from close family support. Their 2 children go everywhere that they go and they would not have it any other way. The children already know how to behave on planes, trains and boats.

 

When I see them, I am always surprised how much the 3-year-old can remember and relate about where she has been. She not only remembers the names of places and what she did there, but she also remembers the names of people she met - her memory for names of people she met casually is better than that of her father.

 

Pre-schoolers are little sponges, soaking up information (even stuff you wish they wouldn't!) as fast as they can. It's not just short-term memory, either, because my little DGD can tell me about things that she did a year or more ago.

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As a mom to many (five between the ages of 10- 16), I'd say the best ages are 4 - 10. They can use the pools and the kids clubs, and still LOVE hanging with the parents, and really love the novelty of eating out at every meal. I've found that the 10 - 12 year old kids clubs are a little boring. On our last cruise, our oldest was 14, and she had a blast. However, mostly with her new found crowd of other teens. She did come on excursions with us (reluctantly), and some meals, but they were getting fewer by the end of the cruise.

 

I admit they really don't remember much from vacations when they're younger. Sure, a 4 year old will remember, with great detail, vacations from the past year or so, but by the time that child is 10, there is little left (unless you talk about it often, but it's really not their memories). So what.

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age 12, maybe 10 if they are mature enough. i'm definitely the odd person out but i think that that a cruise is for enjoyment and not constant baby sitting. preschoolers won't remember a thing about their cruises, elementary kids get bored very easily and rest and relaxation isn't part of their lexicon. by the time a kid is twelve they know enough about life to be easy on a ship and can find tons of things to do and usually really enjoy all the new experiences and are somewhat mature enough to know how to behave. with a 12 year old it becomes easier to pick excursions, to allow them some free time without constant supervision.

 

young kids are a joy but they are a lot of work and most won't really understand the experience and usually aren't real comfortable with strange places and new experiences. by their tweens they are ready to grasp all of it and then the experience is great for both kids and adults.

 

This has not been my experience. My kids started cruising when DD was 4 and DS was 7 which was the right age to start for us. I have found vacationing with my children to be enjoyment for all of us and I do not consider it babysitting. Both of my kids remember their first cruise and they are now 16 and 18 and have been on 9 cruises with our 10th coming up this summer. Neither of my kids were bored on this cruise or the ones that followed. Both of my kids knew how to behave from their very first cruise. They could sit through long dinners without whining or complaint and they enjoyed the experience, especially with the waiters doting on them.

 

Both my kids enjoyed our first cruise so much that when we asked them 3 years later if they wanted to do a cruise or Disney World they chose a cruise immediately. DD even entered a talent show on her second cruise when she was 7 doing a tap number (she is a competitive dancer). They were on 5 cruises before DD turned 10 and they enjoyed every one of them. We had ports where we had beach days, we rode jet boats, went snorkling, visited a pirate museum, rode on glass bottom boats and semi submarines, and swam with the stingrays...all before DD was 10. My kids have always enjoyed the production and comedy shows, playing bingo and trivia games, relaxing on the Lido deck, playing mini-golf, basketball or soccer and playing card games on the Promenada or on the Lido deck with DH and myself and eating ICE CREAM. One of the things they never got into was the kids clubs. They tried them but they were always in different age groups so they preferred to hang with each other and with us.....which was not a burden to us. These were family vacations meant to spend time together and we had a blast.

 

IMHO the right age depends on your kids. I would have taken DS on a cruise at 2 or younger in a heartbeat. He only cried when he was hungry or needed a change and that was always an easy fix. If he was tired he just fell asleep...no matter where he was or what we were doing. DD was a different story. Before she could talk she was constantly crying. It was almost impossible to find the problem and resolve it for her. We refrained from taking her anywhere and when we did we were prepared to leave in a hurry. Once she could communicate with us the crying stopped. We were able to start taking her out without any outbursts. Each kid is different. Parents need to be parents and know their children and their limitations. Some kids can handle vacations and cruises earlier than others....only you know if that child that can handle it is yours or not. Some parents can not handle vacationing with their kids. I find this a shame for the kids but we are not all the same. You all have to do what is right for your family.

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Amen to that! For the record, before we had kids, we swore we would NEVER fall for all the Disney stuff, yet we found ourselves planning our first Disney trip when our son was 2 (and my wife was almost 8 months pregnant with baby #2).

 

As we flew to Orlando, we kept asking ourselves if we were insane, what had we done, etc, etc. That is until we walked through the gates of the Magic Kingdom and saw our son's eyes light up and started jumping in amazement. My tough as nails, never shed a tear wife couldn't hold it any longer and just started crying tears of joy. I'll admit I joined in.

 

To all the people who say "don't take a child on vacation because they won't remember" think about YOUR memories. They may not remember, but YOU will! :)

 

My absolute favorite cruise memory was from our first cruise. We did 4 night Disney World/3 night Disney Wonder. DD who was 4 at the time had just seen Tinkerbell fly down from a castle in Disney World and was convinced she was real. The production show showed Tinkerbell on the screen flying over our ship sprinkling pixie dust as the ceiling twinkled. DD looked up at me with wonder in her eyes and asked "Does this mean we can fly?" That alone made everything worth while.

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My absolute favorite cruise memory was from our first cruise. We did 4 night Disney World/3 night Disney Wonder. DD who was 4 at the time had just seen Tinkerbell fly down from a castle in Disney World and was convinced she was real. The production show showed Tinkerbell on the screen flying over our ship sprinkling pixie dust as the ceiling twinkled. DD looked up at me with wonder in her eyes and asked "Does this mean we can fly?" That alone made everything worth while.

 

Love it! Always good to have a vacation sprinkled with pixie dust.

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I find it odd that "a cruise is meant for enjoyment", was used to persuade someone NOT to take their child. That's the very reason why I want to take mine. Perhaps not everyone enjoys the company if their babies.

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