First time Cruise kids or no kids

My DH has booked a cruise giving me plenty of time to get use to the idea of leaving my kids behind :(

I have never left my kids for more than one night. Is it bad to travel with them how kid friendly is carnival cruise line? (4 yr old & 2yr old)

& for you parents that leave the kids at home how can i prep? :confused:

thanks in advance

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Carnival is very kid friendly ... but with the age of your children it would probably be lots more enjoyable for you without them IF you can make good arrangements ... like with their grandparents.

Carnival is a very family friendly line. The children can go to the kid's clubs for activities and have fun. Also depending on the ship there will be a kids pool area for splashing/swimming.

I think you need to go over to Family Cruises under SPECIALTY CRUISING on the main Cruise Critic page and you can ask about travelling without children there, you will get a lot of information on those boards.

Maybe your DH just wanted a nice time alone with you to rekindle your relationship.

Carnival is a very family friendly line. The children can go to the kid's clubs for activities and have fun. Also depending on the ship there will be a kids pool area for splashing/swimming.

 

I think you need to go over to Family Cruises under SPECIALTY CRUISING on the main Cruise Critic page and you can ask about travelling without children there, you will get a lot of information on those boards.

 

Maybe your DH just wanted a nice time alone with you to rekindle your relationship.

Thank you for the page suggestion will definitely look at that..

in 5 years we have never been apart from the girls for more than a day.. a cruise to rekindle our relationship would be ideal!

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Carnival is very kid friendly ... but with the age of your children it would probably be lots more enjoyable for you without them IF you can make good arrangements ... like with their grandparents.

thank you! this website is very helpful and enjoyable.

grandparents would love nothing more than to have the girls all to themselves for more than a day.. I'm just that paranoid mom and scared that i would ruin my own trip by worrying.

The grandparents raised you adults...they will take even BETTER care of their grandkids than they EVER did their own kids! No worries! Bonding time with G-parents is a GOOD thing!

What's there to worry about? The grandparents raised you, or your husband depending on what grandparents you use, so if they did a good job raising you then you have no worries.

The ONLY thing I would worry about traveling without your children is discovering how fun it is to sleep as late as you want, eat when and where you want without anyone melting down, drink one more than you would if the kids were there etc etc.

It is important to nourish your relationship as a married couple. You are very fortunate to have grandparents who want to take their grandchildren and are physically able to do that.

I am sure you will have many wonderful times with your kids on other trips.

You can easily stay in touch via internet. If you have iPhones on both ends you can stay connected with iMessage and face time. If not, there are apps such as Whatsapp that can go between different phone types with text and calls.

I'm not trying to say you shouldn't take your children, there are benefits of that. But do consider taking advantage of time to invest in your marriage. Raising children is rewarding, but it's tough and it can be a challenge to find time to nurture your relationship as a couple. Good luck with your decision.

We've taken several trips without our 5, starting when they were little. No regrets, gets easier each time, and do well worth it! Our first cruise was when they were 9, 7, 4, 2 and 2 (10th anniversary). We were giddy the whole time, so relaxing! They came on every cruise after that, starting when the youngest were almost 5.

If your younest isn't potty trained, no swimming or splashing. And not all kids like the clubs.

Next week we are going on our first vacation without the kids and they are 9,13, and 17. I think I'm past due. If you feel comfortable , leave them and have fun. Take them on the next one when they're a little older. My girls loved the kids club when they were younger, but now they like to roam the ship in packs.

If you decide to take them, carnival is super family friendly. Avoid cruises shorter than five days since they have more of a party atmosphere.

My DH and I have just celebrated our 31st anniversary, and our kids are now grown and out on their own. Every five years of our marriage, we did one special vacation without the kids. It gave us time to be husband and wife and not mommy and daddy. As long as you are leaving them with someone you trust to handle everything, you will have no worries. Just make sure you provide your caregiver(s) with an authorization to make decisions on medical care, etc. in your absence. Just in case.

Our kids were 1 and 3 when we took our first cruise. Took them when they were older and could really enjoy it themselves. I say, go and enjoy yourselves alone.

My DH has booked a cruise giving me plenty of time to get use to the idea of leaving my kids behind :(

I have never left my kids for more than one night. Is it bad to travel with them how kid friendly is carnival cruise line? (4 yr old & 2yr old)

 

& for you parents that leave the kids at home how can i prep? :confused:

 

thanks in advance

Carnival is VERY kid friendly. You could take them with you if you want.

You will not worry half as much leaving them as you will when they are teenagers!. Different types of worries come with different ages. They will be fine and will learn that Mommy and Daddy come back. Start with shorter stays with grandparents (or whomever they will stay with). Overnight, then two nights. It will be a special time with them and will give you some peace of mind when you leave for a week. Go and enjoy yourself. It is healthy for both you and your kids to enjoy events separately.

My kids are grown and I still miss them everyday....but it does not stop me from cruising. Although we are taking them to the Caribbean next March.

How long until your cruise? If you have time, I would suggest starting to have the kids stay with the grandparents for some extra time, increasing little by little to one overnight, then two, then three....to make them, and yourselves, more comfortable with the process. Or, if the grandparents are too far away for casual overnights, try at least enrolling your kids in daycare or some other program, to get them used to spending time away from you.

For your first cruise, I think by yourselves would be nice...you can try everything without worrying about keeping the kids on a schedule with meals and naps and bedtime. You can figure out "how to cruise", then try another trip with the kids included once you know what you're doing!

The first time we left our kids when they were little, they stayed overnight with the grandparents and we went to a hotel in the city -- sat around at a bar for hours talking, drinking beer and eating spectacular non-kid-friendly food. Then enjoyed some quality, uninterrupted alone time, and slept in past noon. One of our top 3 best dates, just because it was soooo refreshing to not feel like responsible parents for one night! :D When we came back the next night, the kids had been spoiled rotten and had the time of their lives at the grandparents. "When are you guys going on another date?!?" It's a blessing to be able to reconnect with each other as the people you were BK (before kids!) and to not grow to resent perfectly normal kid behavior...as a previous poster said, raising kids can be exhausting. Rewarding -- absolutely! But exhausting, too.

If you want to take your kids, there are certainly many things they might enjoy on the ship. But I remember seeing the stress on another couples face at dinner one night mid-cruise, because their daughter refused to go to the kids club and wanted lots of attention. Not over-the-top -- just normal, excited little kid...but I don't know if they really enjoyed their cruise. A lot depends on your kids' personalities, and whether time away from you in the kids club will work.

Good luck with your decision, and hope you have an awesome cruise either way!

Take time for yourselves.:) Leave the children home. They will be fine.

Just an update.. this weekend my parents did a camping trip and i decided to let my oldest go up with them and when i came for her the second day she cried because she wanted to stay longer, guess i was the only one freaking out. makes me feel a lot better about my decision to not take the kids. i have a year to prep leaving the younger one i know she will have fun. Both grandparents are planning already i know they will be in great hands.

hearing all the stories about couples going out and all the positive things about no kids is making me more anxious to go!