Take young kids on Royal Princess??? Too sophisticated?

Hi!

My husband and I (40 yrs old) are considering taking our children ages 5 & 8 on a Caribbean cruise in November. Looking at the Royal Princess for 10 nights - either the Eastern Carib or Southern Carib itinerary. Both have fantastic ports - which is why we are interested.

The question is, will the ship be too sophisticated (i.e. boring) for the kids to enjoy for 10 nights? We want them to have a great time onboard. There isn't a kids' pool, etc. and most all videos I have watched of the ship are ALL adults...

Does anyone know if many children travel on this ship? Would one itinerary be better suited than the other? I think I have read that the longer itineraries attract and older crowd.

Thanks for your input!! :)

Jennifer

The Royal Princess as with most Princess ships, is well equipped with things to keep children occupied, interested and happy. Here's a link specific to the Royal Princess with the children's facilities:

http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/rp/amenities_publicrooms/under_18/

Itineraries leaving of southern US ports (Florida and Texas) which occur during traditional Spring Break times are more likely to have kids on them as they are out of school anyway. These times vary from region to region so one cannot say definitively which week would be better than others.

Since you state that your children are 5 and 8 please be aware that Princess won't put them in the same children's area. This may be a deal breaker for you or it may not be of importance. It is, however, something of which to be aware.

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Kids & Teens

Royal Princess’ youth and teen center is fully equipped with everything from the latest video games and movies, arts and crafts and a DJ booth – plus a dedicated outdoor space for each age group.

• Pelicans (Ages 3-7) – There’s an exciting toddler area, a mini air hockey table, great arts and crafts stations, plus a space for group activities like movie nights.
  
• Shockwaves (Ages 8-12) – Offering games and activities like air hockey, skeeball, and video game stations – not to mention a dedicated lounge with a giant TV and arts and crafts tables.
  
• Remix (Ages 13-17) – Featuring a new lounge area, perfect for meeting new friends, with skeeball, foosball, and great video games.
  

we sailed on the Royal Princess in the Med. In 2013 with my stepdaughter and her family including two girls ages 5 & 9 at that time. The girls loved the ship and the kids program which they asked to go to on sea days. They liked most of the entertainment and the staff is great with kids.

While I feel that the larger Royal Caribbean ships are a bit better for the kids with the Kids pool areas, I'm sure they would love Princess. The ten day itineraries are so nice, but agree with others that unless the dates are over Thanksgiving week there probably won't be a lot of kids.

Hi!

 

My husband and I (40 yrs old) are considering taking our children ages 5 & 8 on a Caribbean cruise in November. Looking at the Royal Princess for 10 nights - either the Eastern Carib or Southern Carib itinerary. Both have fantastic ports - which is why we are interested.

 

The question is, will the ship be too sophisticated (i.e. boring) for the kids to enjoy for 10 nights? We want them to have a great time onboard. There isn't a kids' pool, etc. and most all videos I have watched of the ship are ALL adults...

 

Does anyone know if many children travel on this ship? Would one itinerary be better suited than the other? I think I have read that the longer itineraries attract and older crowd.

 

Thanks for your input!! :)

Jennifer

I think the key word is November. A shorter cruise around Thanksgiving would have many kids on most mass market lines, including Princess. For the same lines, you most likely not see too many school-aged, non-homeschooled kids the rest of November.

Princess doesn't have the waterslides, rock climbing walls, etc., but it does have a full-fledged kids' program with plenty of activities. And the kids can use the pools (other than any that would be adults-only, but that would be only one, and not the main ones). I certainly wouldn't go by posted videos.

The 10 day cruises (vs the 7 day or shorter) usually have an older crowd. It's one of the reasons we prefer the 10 days in the Caribbean instead of the shorter ones. Sometimes there is only a handful of kids onboard and sometimes only about 40-50.

We did a family cruise on the Royal Princess in early December 2013. Our youngest member was my DB's 7 year old grandson. i don't remember how many kids were on board (some but not many). He had a blast! He loved the kid's club even more than the excursions.

I just got off the phone with Princess.

The 10-night Eastern Carib currently has 3 children booked.

The 10-night Southern Carib currently has 4 children booked.

Needless to say, there's a lot of time before departure date and it could acquire more children; but, so far just a small few.

However, they did confirm that the kids club will still be operating.

Do you think there would be many adults in their 20s, 30s, 40s? Husband and I are both 40.

Thanks!

Last February we took our DS, DIL and 5 y/o grand daughter on the Royal out of FLL. There were perhaps 8 or so onboard her age group and she had the time of her life. We practically had to drag her out of the children's club and out of the main pool. There is a somewhat shallow area at one end for young kids. She had a great time.

If there is only a small number (2 or 3 or so) in one age group they sometimes put two age groups together in the club but do keep the older ones separate. Your kids will love it.

I did a cruise (10 days- Panama Canal) with my then 10 year old. He was one of 3 kids. He had a blast and hung out with the other kids both in the club and elsewhere. RC would likely have offered more but he had no point of comparison. He shot baskets by the hour, swam and did shore excursions. He also loved the pizza!!!:D

I'd say go for it!

It's an enjoyable family holiday; I'm sure the kids would have a nice time in the Fun Zone (club). There are plenty of activities for them to do. And, there is the swimming pool, evening shows, afternoon tea, all the ports. It's a great way to travel.

I've taken my son all around the world on voyages that have been over 60+ days (sometimes with no other children onboard) - no issues for him; he loves being on a ship.

Cheers.

I just got off the phone with Princess.

 

The 10-night Eastern Carib currently has 3 children booked.

 

The 10-night Southern Carib currently has 4 children booked.

 

Needless to say, there's a lot of time before departure date and it could acquire more children; but, so far just a small few.

 

However, they did confirm that the kids club will still be operating.

 

Do you think there would be many adults in their 20s, 30s, 40s? Husband and I are both 40.

 

Thanks!

I am a big fan of the kids' clubs on Princess. My grandsons can't get enough of the place. With several months to go, it's pretty certain there will be an increase in the number of kids on the ship. Adults in their 20s, 30s, maybe not so many, but lots of 40s will be on board. You know, even people over the age of 40 can be interesting, and many do not even use walkers! ;)

I am a big fan of the kids' clubs on Princess. My grandsons can't get enough of the place. With several months to go, it's pretty certain there will be an increase in the number of kids on the ship. Adults in their 20s, 30s, maybe not so many, but lots of 40s will be on board. You know, even people over the age of 40 can be interesting, and many do not even use walkers! ;)

I find my old skates work great! :)

OP - I took my five-year-old daughter on the Royal Princess TA (and Baltics) last April and she had a ball. True, only about 10 kids on the ship but that meant more one-on-one time with the counselors and, sometimes, she had the kid's club to herself (which she loved). True, the ship doesn't have rock climbing walls, etc., but it's a beautiful ship and Mom and daughter had a great time! I say go for it. :D

You need to think long and hard about your choice. Other cruise lines have much more to offer. Princess is our line of choice we rarely see children really enjoying the company of sever other children in the same age group. More often hanging with parents all day. When we traveled with our children and now grandchildren, we made a point of having many children aboard. With lots of kids on ship adults are more excepting of the "childrens' natural behavior" and a good time was had by all.

I just got off the phone with Princess.

 

 

 

The 10-night Eastern Carib currently has 3 children booked.

 

 

 

The 10-night Southern Carib currently has 4 children booked.

 

 

 

Needless to say, there's a lot of time before departure date and it could acquire more children; but, so far just a small few.

 

 

 

However, they did confirm that the kids club will still be operating.

 

 

 

Do you think there would be many adults in their 20s, 30s, 40s? Husband and I are both 40.

 

 

 

Thanks!

We took our kids on the Sun Princess Transpacific 30 day cruise in 2007, they were 7 and 11 at the time and had only been on carnival and Disney before that and they loved the Princess cruise.

There were only 8 children in total so the activities were combined but they got to do great activities that don't happen when there are 100's of kids.

They got to decorate cakes in the galley which they gave the room Steward, they did scrapbooking, ceramic painting and lots of other activities not usually available and loved the club.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You need to think long and hard about your choice. Other cruise lines have much more to offer. Princess is our line of choice we rarely see children really enjoying the company of sever other children in the same age group. More often hanging with parents all day. When we traveled with our children and now grandchildren, we made a point of having many children aboard. With lots of kids on ship adults are more excepting of the "childrens' natural behavior" and a good time was had by all.

You don't see them because they are off enjoying themselves in the kids' club facilities where they have lots of stuff to keep them entertained.

OP-we took our son on his first cruise (HAL) when he was 5. There were not many kids on board and they had a kids' club and small arcade on board and that was it specifically for kids... He and we had and wonderful time! We had to drag him from the kids' club where he had lots of attention and fun and he also got lots of attention from the other workers. I think it really depends on your children and their interests but it has been great for us to have our son there each time!

Just got off the Royal Princess 10-day Eastern. We are 62 and 63 and thought we were among the younger passengers onboard. Most were older. There were a few young folks and almost no kids. You might want to think about a shorter cruise or a different time of the year if you want more folks your age.

I think that for kids, Royal Caribbean cruise lines or Disney may be a better choice.

Hi!

 

My husband and I (40 yrs old) are considering taking our children ages 5 & 8 on a Caribbean cruise in November. Looking at the Royal Princess for 10 nights - either the Eastern Carib or Southern Carib itinerary. Both have fantastic ports - which is why we are interested.

 

The question is, will the ship be too sophisticated (i.e. boring) for the kids to enjoy for 10 nights? We want them to have a great time onboard. There isn't a kids' pool, etc. and most all videos I have watched of the ship are ALL adults...

 

Does anyone know if many children travel on this ship? Would one itinerary be better suited than the other? I think I have read that the longer itineraries attract and older crowd.

 

Thanks for your input!! :)

Jennifer

Cruise agent here..though I love Princess, I would never book a young family on Princess, only because there are better choices for kids...everyone in the cruise travel industry knows that Princess, HAL & Celebrity are geared towards the mature passenger..we are going on the Regal next month, but for young families, I would try (in order) RCI's Oasis/Allure Of The Seas, Freedom class ships ( there are 3), Disney Dream/ Fantasy ( $$), or NCL Getaway, or the Carnival Breeze, Dream, or Magic..all these ships have KID'S pools areas designed for kids..the RCI ships have a skating rink with Russian, Canadian & US skaters dancing to great music, and they always bring children out to be involved in the show- and on the Oasis & Allure, they have a Boardwalk area with a carousel, Johnny Rockets for burgers & malts, and an AMAZING dive & water show in the Aqua Theater..a MUST for all-kids LOVE it! Disney is $$, but IN ANOTHER class by itself...the new NCL Getaway has slides, and a ropes course that kids like , and all these ships have amazing video arcade rooms with hi tech games now, full court Basketball, mini golf & Disney & NCL have FIREWORKS at night...personally, if I had kids that age I would choose Oasis/ Allure, Disney ( NOT the Wonder or Magic), then NCL, then Carnival...go to You Tube and look at videos of these ships- you will be stunned at what they have for kids now...again, we love Princess..have been on 30 cruises, including ALL but Costa & MSC ( BTW, MSC Divina is a great choice for kids!)..any specific questions here, give a shout...

Big Al

Cruise agent here..though I love Princess, I would never book a young family on Princess, only because there are better choices for kids...everyone in the cruise travel industry knows that Princess, HAL & Celebrity are geared towards the mature passenger..we are going on the Regal next month, but for young families, I would try (in order) RCI's Oasis/Allure Of The Seas, Freedom class ships ( there are 3), Disney Dream/ Fantasy ( $$), or NCL Getaway, or the Carnival Breeze, Dream, or Magic..all these ships have KID'S pools areas designed for kids..the RCI ships have a skating rink with Russian, Canadian & US skaters dancing to great music, and they always bring children out to be involved in the show- and on the Oasis & Allure, they have a Boardwalk area with a carousel, Johnny Rockets for burgers & malts, and an AMAZING dive & water show in the Aqua Theater..a MUST for all-kids LOVE it! Disney is $$, but IN ANOTHER class by itself...the new NCL Getaway has slides, and a ropes course that kids like , and all these ships have amazing video arcade rooms with hi tech games now, full court Basketball, mini golf & Disney & NCL have FIREWORKS at night...personally, if I had kids that age I would choose Oasis/ Allure, Disney ( NOT the Wonder or Magic), then NCL, then Carnival...go to You Tube and look at videos of these ships- you will be stunned at what they have for kids now...again, we love Princess..have been on 30 cruises, including ALL but Costa & MSC ( BTW, MSC Divina is a great choice for kids!)..any specific questions here, give a shout...

 

Big Al

Thank you for all the details. Those ships and cruise lines sound great and I has researched them all. The only thing is our key attraction is the ports, not the ship amenities. We want to visit a lot of ports in the east or south Caribbean and can't find any that are port intensive other than princess or serenade of the seas. These are leaving from Florida. We cannot make it to San Juan so these seemed like the best choice.

Do you have any suggestions for a cruise visiting 5-6 ports?

Thanks

Jennifer.

You don't see them because they are off enjoying themselves in the kids' club facilities where they have lots of stuff to keep them entertained.

That's exactly what was going on in my head. I have been on cruises that undoubtedly had a lot of kids (the time of year is the key) and I know if I don't see a lot of kids, it's because they are being kept busy. In fact, on one of my first cruises (before I had my kid), we were walking through the buffet dining room and there were a group of kids working on a craft (maybe cookie decorating) at some of the tables. It hadn't occurred to me before that a cruise vacation would be great for kids. Later on in that cruise, we were enjoying the view by one of the indoor windows when some kids came up to us who were on a "passenger scavenger hunt." We really tried to find some squares we could sign off on (some years later, our own daughter came up to us with her passenger scavenger hunt form and hubby signed off on "bald passenger" for her).

Other than a water slide, our girl wouldn't have been interested in some of the features that are listed here as a must for kids -- the rock climbing walls, ice skating (she tried back when she was 5, but just didn't take to it), etc. She does like using the pools, watching movies on the big screens, going to the big production shows, etc., and those are activities she can do on Princess. She does like to be with kids her own age (our first Princess cruise was when she was 5 and there were only two other 5-year-olds, but she really liked her "shipboard romance" with one of them:) ). We took that cruise despite it being during mid-February because we were offered a friends and family discount, and wanted to try Princess anyway.

I agree with Big Al that his suggestions are cruises that are "better" for kids. Those cruises are not "better" for us, however.

Our kids have been delighted with Princess and we have never felt the need to gear the whole trip to them. We prefer Princess and they have had a great time and we have all enjoyed a family vacation.

They might have preferred Oasis, wave riders etc, but we would not. Also, I suspect if you take them on a high octane kids cruise you will not find they enjoy Princess the next time! We always put energy into Ports and excursions that would interest the kids.

Thank you for all the details. Those ships and cruise lines sound great and I has researched them all. The only thing is our key attraction is the ports, not the ship amenities. We want to visit a lot of ports in the east or south Caribbean and can't find any that are port intensive other than princess or serenade of the seas. These are leaving from Florida. We cannot make it to San Juan so these seemed like the best choice.

 

Do you have any suggestions for a cruise visiting 5-6 ports?

 

Thanks

Jennifer.

If the ports are the most important, then the Princess cruise is best..BUT, you asked if the kids would be bored, or if this was a good cruise for kids..that's 2 different questions & answers...to see 5-6 ports , you MUST take either a 7 night cruise from SJ, or like you mentioned, a 9 or 10 night cruise from South Fla... the Royal Princess is a beautiful ship, but just read some of the previous posts- many say that Princess is more mature & they didn't see too many kids on board...I think you'll be fine with the Princess cruise, but next time, keep in mind what I & some others have suggested for that age group- RCI, Disney, NCL & Carnival..have a great cruise!

Big Al

I applaud the OP for looking for port intensive itineraries for your family. It sounds like you are not looking for the bells and whistles on a ship to "keep our kids entertained while we soak up the sun kind of cruise". Sounds like you are really thinking about a great family vacation. Good for you!

There is something to be said about teaching kids about travelling, learning about different cultures, having inter-generational opportunities, etc. From what I have read, Princess does have activities and space for the kids to enjoy - just not things like rock climbing walls and skating rinks! There will be so much for them to do and experience in each port.

I think kids need space to play, to experience their environments and to be creative. They don't always need to have the big exciting glimmering ships with every imaginable activity to fill every waking hour. (and not that I'm bad-mouthing that style of cruising as I know that it too can be a fun family vacation as well - just different!)