Cruising with four kids

Hi cruisers,

My wife and I have four rug rats (3, 6, 9 and 11) and we decided some time ago that we really needed to take the kids on a cruise. We figure its a great chance for them to run off and be kids while we relax. The primary goal of the trip is for us to relax but the only way thats going to happen is if the cruise is blindingly entertaining for all four kids at once. The kids love swimming and water slides (appropriate for their age) and to be able to disconnect from them we will need a great kids club for each of them, preferably in pairs (oldest two together and youngest two together).

I have been studying the critics and reviews and getting hugely mixed messages about which line and which ship to take. It is very hard to get a clear answer of which ships we might get connected rooms. There are lots of "kids free" offers at the moment but we can't always get the most of them due to requiring two state rooms on most ships.

So far, Disney Wonder for 5 nights out of Miami is leading the pack. They have lots of connected staterooms and my kids love all things Disney. But their high price tag and the cost of travel to FL means five days is the maximum cruise duration.

Next in line is the NCL cruises with their Nick themes: Norwegian Jewel for 7 nights out of Houston, Norwegian Epic and Getaway for 7 nights out of Miami. Other options are Carnival Miracle for 6/7 nights out of Los Angeles, RCI's Freedom of the Seas for 7 nights out of Orlando. RCI and Norwegian we should be able to get two of the kids for free (one in each room).

We have set a budget of $5,000-$6,000 and are based on San Francisco. We only have the month of November 2014 to do this (for various reasons). If at all possible I want to avoid the worst of the chaos (does that rule Carnival out?) Can anyone suggest what they would recommend?

Almost EVERY ship has connecting cabins...you'll just have to check the deck plans...they are clearly marked. They go fast, so book as soon as you decide which ship you'll be sailing!

All of your preferred lines have kid's clubs...It's possible that the 2 youngest kids might be in separate age groups....again, check each line for cut-off ages. Sometimes, they'll allow the older kid to drop down an age group...they won't allow the younger one to move up.

I would base my decision on which ship has the cabins available that you need! All will give you a great time.

I would definitely do the Star Princess out of San Francisco. I think you will have a fantastic time. That saves on flights to and from Los Angeles. Princess has a lot to offer the kids and I'm sure they would have a great time.

I would also go with Princess. Sailing from SF will not only save money but stress. We have over 80 days on Princess and my son loved every minute. Especially if your children haven't sailed before, they will be thrilled. The children's staff was always great and very attentive. Disney is made for kids but my son felt like he was just another number, not an individual. He would rather be one of 20 kids in an age group than one of 200 (or more).

No matter which line you choose, I do not believe the 3 year old and 6 year old will be together.

Hi cruisers,

 

. Other options are Carnival Miracle for 6/7 nights out of Los Angeles, RCI's Freedom of the Seas for 7 nights out of Orlando. RCI and Norwegian we should be able to get two of the kids for free (one in each room).

 

We have set a budget of $5,000-$6,000 and are based on San Francisco. We only have the month of November 2014 to do this (for various reasons). If at all possible I want to avoid the worst of the chaos (does that rule Carnival out?) Can anyone suggest what they would recommend?

I'm a bit of a cruise snob, but the Carnival cruise we did out of LA for my girls' 8th birthday was one of the best vacations we've had as a family. The longer cruises (as opposed to weekend) are not "party" cruises and we didn't notice any big difference between the passengers on that ship from the RCCL or NCL cruises we've done. Now I will admit, we avoid the buffet, which may make our experience different, but the kids were thrilled with all Carnival had to offer (tons!), and Carnival has an adults only area (confirm this is the case on your ship) where you can retreat while your kids are in the kids club. Being able to drive to the port would certainly save on your expenses, and we had an amazing time in Cabo (one beach day, one whale watching/party boat day) and Puerto Vallarta (we did swimming with wild dolphins, or you can have a beach day at a local resort).

Best,

Mia

Hi cruisers,

 

My wife and I have four rug rats (3, 6, 9 and 11) and we decided some time ago that we really needed to take the kids on a cruise. We figure its a great chance for them to run off and be kids while we relax. The primary goal of the trip is for us to relax but the only way thats going to happen is if the cruise is blindingly entertaining for all four kids at once. The kids love swimming and water slides (appropriate for their age) and to be able to disconnect from them we will need a great kids club for each of them, preferably in pairs (oldest two together and youngest two together).

 

I have been studying the critics and reviews and getting hugely mixed messages about which line and which ship to take. It is very hard to get a clear answer of which ships we might get connected rooms. There are lots of "kids free" offers at the moment but we can't always get the most of them due to requiring two state rooms on most ships.

 

So far, Disney Wonder for 5 nights out of Miami is leading the pack. They have lots of connected staterooms and my kids love all things Disney. But their high price tag and the cost of travel to FL means five days is the maximum cruise duration.

 

Next in line is the NCL cruises with their Nick themes: Norwegian Jewel for 7 nights out of Houston, Norwegian Epic and Getaway for 7 nights out of Miami. Other options are Carnival Miracle for 6/7 nights out of Los Angeles, RCI's Freedom of the Seas for 7 nights out of Orlando. RCI and Norwegian we should be able to get two of the kids for free (one in each room).

 

We have set a budget of $5,000-$6,000 and are based on San Francisco. We only have the month of November 2014 to do this (for various reasons). If at all possible I want to avoid the worst of the chaos (does that rule Carnival out?) Can anyone suggest what they would recommend?

Some great deals out there - in this thread, one woman got two connecting rooms on Breaway for 7 people for $2900. Another got 4 people on Oasis for $2200. I would start doing some mock bookings for Getaway, Epic, and Freedom, and see what offers best deal after you factor in airfare.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1992431

Also, you may also want to include Liberty of the Seas, which is same size as Freedom, but does 5 day cruises.

PS: Star Princess is only offer 10 or 15 day cruises out of SF in November, so that may not fit your needs. There is a Princess cruise out of LA that does a 7 night itinerary, but can't remember which ship.

We've now cruised 2x with our 4 children. It's fun but busy.

Our kids were 3,4,8 and 9 when we sailed last week.

Connecting cabins are awesome. We put all 4 kids in one room while DH and I had the other. We were on the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas, Cabins 6111 and 6113. They were awesome. We loved this ship. We had a great balance of adult time and family time. Our kids did camp (be prepared though, ages are 3-5, 6-8, 9-11). for a few hours each day. They also enjoyed the flow rider, rock climbing, family scavenger hunts, hot tubs, splash area/pool, 3D movies, etc.

We also love Carnival. In fact my kids like Carnival more. The Breeze is our favourite for our kids' ages. We did it last year when they were 2,3,7,8 yrs. They love the ropes course, 5D theatre, mini golf, water slides, etc. Also way more selection of food on Carnival.

We haven't done Princess with kids or NCL at all.

book early to get connecting cabins. Let me know if you wants pictures of a cabin with 4 bunks pulled down on RCCL

Our kids were 3,4,8 and 9 when we sailed last week.

Wow, we are almost mirrors.

We also love Carnival. In fact my kids like Carnival more.

What the kids enjoy is way more important in the end. We can get more pleasure out of not seeing them for a day than out of having the potential for fun without the time.

book early to get connecting cabins.

What is "early" ? It is March and I want to travel in November. Are we likely to find connecting rooms still?

Let me know if you wants pictures of a cabin with 4 bunks pulled down on RCCL

Yes please!

I would also go with Princess. Sailing from SF will not only save money but stress. We have over 80 days on Princess and my son loved every minute. Especially if your children haven't sailed before, they will be thrilled. The children's staff was always great and very attentive. Disney is made for kids but my son felt like he was just another number, not an individual. He would rather be one of 20 kids in an age group than one of 200 (or more).

I would definitely do the Star Princess out of San Francisco. I think you will have a fantastic time. That saves on flights to and from Los Angeles. Princess has a lot to offer the kids and I'm sure they would have a great time.

The flights alone to FL are at least $2,000 so event the 10 day trip out of SF is cheaper than the 5/7 days out of FL. I agree with the thoughts here.

Star Princess is only offer 10 or 15 day cruises out of SF in November, so that may not fit your needs. There is a Princess cruise out of LA that does a 7 night itinerary, but can't remember which ship.

We can definitely do 10 days if the price is right. Is 10 days too long? Will the kids not get bored?

Carnival Miracle and Crown Princess depart Los Angeles with itineraties that suite us. Are these good ships for us?

No matter which line you choose, I do not believe the 3 year old and 6 year old will be together.

Such is life :(

I am not seeing any connecting cabins on Star Princess. EM

I am not seeing any connecting cabins on Star Princess. EM

On the 4th and the 14th? :(

Argh! I can't find any connected rooms on any of the west coast ships.

Is there a trick to finding them?

On Princess the younger two would be in one group (Pelicans, 3-7) and the older two would be in another (Shockwaves, 8-12).

Princess is a great line with kids. The only downside with Princess is I'm not aware that they have a lot of connecting rooms. Sometimes the balconies connect, but not a lot of insides or outsides with connecting doors inside. We have cruised with our three kids on Princess and the way we did it was we took Grandma and Grandpa along to share a cabin with our older two and we kept the baby.

On Princess the younger two would be in one group (Pelicans, 3-7) and the older two would be in another (Shockwaves, 8-12).

That would be perfect :)

We have cruised with our three kids on Princess and the way we did it was we took Grandma and Grandpa along to share a cabin with our older two and we kept the baby.

Grandparents have to be good for something :)

Wow, we are almost mirrors.

 

 

 

What the kids enjoy is way more important in the end. We can get more pleasure out of not seeing them for a day than out of having the potential for fun without the time.

 

 

 

What is "early" ? It is March and I want to travel in November. Are we likely to find connecting rooms still?

 

 

 

Yes please!

Early for connecting cabins is around now. I wouldn't wait too long as I notice they fill up quick. Also, if you can't see any, sometimes calling and getting the cruise line rep to look is easier.

For pics, I haven't figured out how to post on here I can try to message you.

Butterfly farm.

Cabin in 4 beds

We are cruising the middle of May, with CCL and with 4 kids. Ours are spaced out alittle bit more (10, 7, 5 and 5, yes twins!) but I can say, make sure they are old enough to go into a "club" type on the cruise you are heading for (give yourself a break from the kiddos!)...

Also, I would find the closest/best cruise that fits your needs and sticks within the budget. It would save the headaches of "are we there yet?" and also, having to go through both TSA to get on a plane and then customs/security to get onto the boat (along with the whole, bags checked, unchecked, rechecked, and keeping up with 4 kiddos, while handling shuttles/bus service), especially with their age...

We try to simplify as much as possible. I hear you on the $$ though. We had to book 2 separate rooms OV but we could not get a connecting room (even 3 months out), so definitely book early!!

Happy cruising and I hope to hear about your wonderful cruise!

Also, if you can't see any, sometimes calling and getting the cruise line rep to look is easier.

I took that advice and called NCL. I got connected balcony rooms on the Breakaway out of NYC. It's only a few $100 out of our budget ($5000 for the cruise and about $1800 for the flights) but it means a trip to NYC, which was on my to-do list for the family anyway.

The tickets are fully refundable so I am still searching, but I have an excellent fallback.

My investigations last night revealed:

- The Carnival Miracle out of LA is a bit cheaper but not by much. I can't confirm connected rooms without talking to them.

- To afford Disney Wonder we would have to shorten the trip to 5 nights

- Same with RCL

- The Princess Star out of SF is too expensive (10 nights)

I took that advice and called NCL. I got connected balcony rooms on the Breakaway out of NYC. It's only a few $100 out of our budget ($5000 for the cruise and about $1800 for the flights) but it means a trip to NYC, which was on my to-do list for the family anyway.

 

The tickets are fully refundable so I am still searching, but I have an excellent fallback.

 

My investigations last night revealed:

- The Carnival Miracle out of LA is a bit cheaper but not by much. I can't confirm connected rooms without talking to them.

- To afford Disney Wonder we would have to shorten the trip to 5 nights

- Same with RCL

- The Princess Star out of SF is too expensive (10 nights)

Awesome. It's practically a brand new ship, tons to do for the kids, and lots of entertainment for the family. Nov should not be too cold (hopefully) - maybe warmer than SF ;). Enjoy!

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Have you looked into a family room on RCL? We have a trip booked on Freedom of the Seas in August out of Port Canaveral. With the kids free promotion going on, we are paying around $2400 for the week (2 adults and 3 kids-originally $3400). The room is listed as much bigger than a regular cabin with enough room to sleep 6 if you are ok with all being together. We are in a Family Promenade Stateroom. If you google it, there are a bunch of photos on the web so you can see the size of the rooms-they have 4 bunk beds for the kids. You have to call RCL to price those rooms (they cant be booked online) and I have heard that they go quickly, but it could be worth a shot.

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You have to call RCL to price those rooms (they cant be booked online) and I have heard that they go quickly, but it could be worth a shot.

It is definitely worth a shot. I will give them a call tonight.

Have you looked into a family room on RCL? We have a trip booked on Freedom of the Seas in August out of Port Canaveral.

Great call. Now we a second booking - the Family Promenade room on the Freedom of the Seas. It was $2450 plus tips, insurance and alike, $2800. I still have to add the cost of getting us all to the Port which is at least $2500 extra. But we are making progress.

I won't give up on sailing out of SF yet. I spoke to them last night and they are too expensive today but thats because they don't have any sales (pun intended) on yet. I will keep my eye out for that to change.

blindman2K...........We were on Freedom of the Seas last year and loved this ship.

Keep in mind that leaving from NY in November it is going to be cold.....and cold at sea until you get further south. For this reason I would take the cruise out of Florida.

Thats definitely something to consider! Thanks.