cruisebunny32

Momto5

Thanks for the great review. We are sailing on silhouette in 7 more weeks.

I am glad you enjoyed Celebrity. I just wanted to comment on your last lines about taking the kids. I have 2 kids and my son has been on 8 cruises. He loved the kids program on Celebrity. They have events all the way up to teens. If you liked it so much, I am sure they will too!!! Just think about it. I did a review quite a few years back. You can look it up if you want!

Hello.

I have cruised for many years on Celebrity. My son has been on 8 Cruises. He loves the kids programs. They have so many activities. Every day has a theme. They do lots of crafts and games, free playtime etc. The Fun Factory is very colorful and inviting. The staff people are usually college age and the younger ones really love them. They are split into groups by age. You can come and go as you please you just have to sign in and out. They can stay all day if they want in port. While at sea you have to pick them up for lunch. Activites are scheduled around the 6pm dining seating. There are some times of the year where there are lots of kids on board, like Easter break (week before and after Easter depending on where you live). Other times there were smaller groups of kids esp when they are in school. I have not sailed during summer, so can't judge the summer for you. Hope that helped!!!!

Deck - Panorama

Cabin # - 9303

Class – Concieres

Starboard or Port Side - Aft

Bed near?(balcony or bath) –bath

Quiet Cabin (With comments on problems. Note if connecting. ) – Barely heard a thing.

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Beautiful view of the back of the ship. Love seeing the wake pass us by.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Balcony was average size, although it appeared larger than cabin 9301 next door.

Was wind a problem? NO

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? There was soot on the floor of the verandah. It was a little annoying, but did not ruin my cruise. I didn't have any soot falling on me while we were sailing. Sat on verandah every day.

Any specific problems with this cabin? None

Any other comments? No covering on Verandah...sun all day.

MLAW...thanks for posting stuff on the teen program!!!;)

wantogo...No problem. I felt the same way as you did...that is why I started this thread 3 years ago...to give info on the kids program. I am glad it has lasted as long as it has. Post here when you get back! As for the counselers...they are mostly college age kids (I can say that now....LOL) and they really seem to love their job! In fact, I would have to say that most of the employees that I have met in the 11 plus cruises I have been on have been very nice and accomodating. They all seem to like their job. (this was not the case on the Glory-we heard employees complaining). Some of the counselers we have seen on other ships and they remember the kids! That is nice! since we only cruise once a year.

jaycor...My kids are not in the teen group yet...so I really can not comment. I would guess if you ask if she can go with the 9-11 group that they would be able to tell you yes or no. They may not be as many kids and they combine groups in this case. I know that when my neice and nephew went a few weeks before Easter that they still met some kids their age and really had fun. Solstice has the X-club for teens and it has a coffee bar I believe..they also have disco nights some times.

wantogonow (love the name)-Century will have similar programs as M-class, except the room is not as big, so they have events other places...they go to the cafe or to another room to do things. We have not used he kids programs on the C-class ships..but this is what I am told. The programs are cruiseline wide. Some people may be on spring break, as some school district use different times. If there are less kids they get more 1:1 time and are more flexible with what they can do. They probably ask them what they want to do. They also had Wii last year on the Summit and Guitar Hero. So they will find something! They have lots of stuff going on all day on the ship...trivia, bingo, cooking demos etc. I would hope they could find something interesting that they like.

Fred...The $6/hour fee is for the 2 hour lunch and dinner breaks and for each night after 10pm. Depending on the cruise...sometimes the nights were free the first night and the formal nights...one cruise it was just one formal night. I do not recall how much the flat fee was, but I was thinking it was around $125 but it might have been more...so don't quote me on that. We did not use this, since we had not paid near that much on previous cruises. It worked out that if the child was there most of the pay times, you would get a discount, versus paying $6/hour.

I do not have a daily program, but would be happy to answer any specific questions.

Daveyal...the program is cruiseline wide. I am sure it will be similar to what I have described here. I sail the Soltice in April, so you will know more before me. I am sure your daughter will have fun!

dixcy...I am sure your daughter will love the cruise!

The Basketball court is for anyone to use...doesn't have to be just the kids club! I have seen guys up there playing as well.

Most of the things are the same and what I typed is a pretty good picture of what you will find on M-class ships. This year they had a Wii.

The things that have changed include...there has been a toddler area on the ship the last few years. You can take your toddler to the fun factory when it is open and they have various toys to play with. You have to stay with them. This past March 2008 on Summit I took her to the toddler area and since she was just shy of being 3, they allowed us to join the 3-6 group. I had to stay with her, but she had fun. We played Duck Duck Goose and What time is it witch. She had a blast and it was fun for me to hang out with her.

Things to do besides the kids program...most of the events are geared towards the adults..where the kids program is geared towards the age groups. They have trivia, games, ping pong, shuffleboard, basket ball court, swimming. I am sure they will have fun with whatever you decide to do!

Just bumping this up. Some things have changed a little, but it is a good picture of the M-class kids program.

Yes...you are correct. On our last cruise you could pay an upfront fee that covered all of the "off times" that you would pay the extra money. That is only valuble if the kid is there every time. You just have to weigh when they will be there, and decide if that is right for you.

The kids get a daily program each night in the stateroom for the next day....just like the adult daily program. It lists all of the events for the day, the times ect. They can come and go whenever. If they are going to be out of the Fun Factory...it will list where the activity will be held.

The activities are all free. They only charge for 12pm-2pm and 5pm-7pm This is $6/hour/child. They also feed them as these are meal times. On sea days I think they require you to pick them up at least once during the day. It may be both times...now that I think about it.

The states thing is probably finding our about states, or state capitals. They actually may learn some things..which is also fun if they don't realized they are learning!

I did write this review in 2005 and I just bumped it up since I noticed people asking lots of questions about the kids program.

oavech...They have themed programs every day. Each day is different. They may do a Disney theme with a recent movie release, or aliens, or spongebob, or pirates. Each day you get a Daily with the activities that will be going on that day. They can attend what they want. You just pick them up when you want. During Sea Days i think you have to pick them up for lunch. It is the island days that you can pay the $6/hour and they will feed them lunch.

nerysj...they do have a teen area on the Connie...and they will make one if they don't have one. They also have an arcade. The do a meet and greet the first night so they can all meet each other. They do not have as many programs. X does cater to kids...the staff usually have their own kids and miss them. We traveled with Teens in the past and they made friends during the week and still talk with these friends.

Here are a few additions to the Fun Factory that I have noticed since I first posted this thread:

Celebrity is always making changes and really listen to what people say on the comment cards.

This past March we were on the Summit and they allowed my almost 3 year old to come in and play in the Fun Factory...the catch is that an adult had to stay with her. One time the little kids were leaving for some outside time. They allowed us to go also and we played some games such as "What Time is it Wolf, and Duck, Duck, Goose" It has been a while since I played these games! I don't know if they allow all ages to do this...my dtr is tall and talks very well for her age...so maybe they thought she was old enough. By the way...they do have a master list of all of the kids and their ages on board...they can easliy check for age and will ask for a birth cert/passport if they doubt the age.

They also had a Toddler room which they had on her first cruise in 2006. They had Toddler toys and cleaned them regularly.

This past year Celebrity has teamed up with Leap Frog and has quite a few of their fun but educational toys available.

The continued to have Family events on the ship including Family Bingo, A Talent Show, Scavenger Hunt.

We sailed over Easter and they had an Easter Parade and Egg hunt, complete with Easter Bunny, baskets and cool prizes.

The kids also get to visit the Bridge and Backstage in the Theater.

And my son LOVED the kids program. They have separate groups...3-6, 7-9, 10-12, and teens. They all have separate programs....although on weeks with smaller amouts of kids they may combine groups. The Fun Factory in on deck 10 or 11 in the back of the ship. They have a large ball pit area, big screen tv for movies, arts and crafts room, a row of playstations and tons of board games etc. The place opens at 9am and closes around 1am. During meal times in port you have to pay $6/hour but they do feed the kids. The programs are slated around early seating. They have slumber parties at night. Each program has a theme. They do a scavenger hunt, talent show, bridge tour etc. They feed them snacks too. They had a ton of college age counsellers that they kids really loved. They also did stuff around the ship. They also had family activites like bingo, kareoke etc. I am sure your kids will have a blast and meet some new friends. They won't want to spend time with you doing "boring stuff"

I did a review of the kids program in March when we returned from our last cruise...I can try and find the link for you.

I know you will have a blast on the Connie and so will the kids!

Alisia

this thread is still going on! I am so glad that everyone has such great things to say about the programs on all of the celebrity ships. I have heard the comparison of Disney as well! I also had a friend go on Norweigen this past fall, and they had the kids in an inside cabin! That is just insane. Anyways....keep it going!

Bambi

That is a very interesting story about the kids program on Disney. The prices on Disney are much higher as well. Thanks for the imput. I probably won't sail on anything more than Celebrity, but I can pass along the info to friends!

Just moving this up in case someone needs the information!

Happy cruising!

I am sure they will have a kids program on a 14 day cruise. They have the room and the staff. Don't know that there will be that many children, but you never know. I am sure your kids will enjoy themselves, even getting some 1:1 time with the counselers.

They have special itineraries for each of the age groups, all have a little something different. You get them in your cabins the night before.

Like someone said, yes there is a casual option for dinner in the cafe area. You do have to reserve your spot and there is a gratuity of something like $2 per person.

Yes, there is a special kids menu at dinner. They have hamburgers, hotdogs every night, sometimes pizza, and another entree, like chicken, turkey, steak. They also have appetizers like fruit and a soup option. My son did the fruit every night and loved it. They usually bring out his dinner while we are having our soup and salad. He was fine. He really enjoyed the dinners in the dining room and the waiter and asst waiter really catered to him with special things he requested.

The kids can also eat lunch and dinner with the program. They take them to the cafe for lunch and dinner. The dinner even had a menu. One night we went to the specialty restaurant, and my son ate at the kids program and they had his favorite...chicken nuggets.

As far as the smaller ships like Horizon and Zenith, of course the kids room is much smaller, but they do have programs similar to what I described. I am sure any child would have a blast!

I guess no one else has any questions about the kids program. I know I had a ton, so I figured I would bump this up again for anyone who needs the info!

Happy cruising!

cher amie: I don't know much about that program, but they do have one for the teenagers. They had the play stations, they have that dancing game that you see in arcades and also had a Teen Tower, just for teens (on bigger ships). They do have a social on the first night and everyone gets to meet and they kinda do their own thing. We cruised with teens on the Millie two years ago and they made friends that they still email today. I sure they have a blast too, getting away from all those adults!

pbk: Hello again, we cruised with you on the Millie! I remember your daughter loved the program also. Yes, I am part of the Pat C group, but they are currently cruiseing on the Summit, we cruised separately this year. Hope things are going well. We rebooked on the Connie for next spring!

Qualicom: Glad I could relieve your fears. That is why I posted a review, for people like me who had a little knowledge, but never experienced it myself. My son had so much fun! He can't wait to cruise again!

Robin G: I am sure they have similar programs in Europe and the Med. They have the big beautiful facility and the staff, so I am sure they continue. I don't know how many kids are on board, but I am sure since it is the summer months that many do travel. The small group this time was nice, they got more 1:1 time with the counselers, who are college age girls and boys. They eat that up! Check out the Celebrity website, click on the carribean, and the Connie and do a virtual tour of the facility, you get a feel for what is there!

I just returned from the Connie and I figured I would post a review of the Kids program that Celebrity provides. I have not seen much on this topic in the past!

Before you board the ship, there is a table for the kids that you must visit. It is for the YEP or Youth Evacuation Program. Your children will recieve a hospital type bracelet with your Muster station Letter. If there is an emergency while your child is in the kids program, they will automatically take them to your muster station and meet you there! That is peace of mind!

Later on sail away day, they had an open house so you could check out the Fun Factory and an orientation time. You must fill out a registration form which lists allergies, people who can pick up your child and a password you must use (until they get to know you). They do not allow kids under 10 to leave unless a parent or person you give permission picks up your child. They also have a phone number available if you need to check up on them.

The Fun Factory is very colorful and had LOTS of activities for the kids. There is a ball pit and slide area, A TV area, a craft area, a science area and a game area, complete with every board game there is, plus a row of playstations with all the lastest games.

It broken up in different age groups 3-6 (shipmates) 7-9, 10-12 etc. My son was in the 3-6 age group, but since there were only 60 kids on board, 42 of them able to attend the fun factory activities, I think that they may have combined the 3-6 and 7-9 groups. They have 13 staff on board, but only a few were there at a given time, since it was a small group. They told us that for spring break they have a week with 400 kids and 600 kids coming up. So I am sure that they enjoyed this week of relaxation! If the child is not 3 AND potty trained, they are not allowed to enter the Fun Factory. They do have toy chests available that they rent out for the week for the smaller kids. They also offer babysitting in the cabin for a fee. This week there were `18 toddlers on board, so they have several family events planned so they could attend as well.

Every day is broken up into 3 different sessions. The Fun factory opens each day at 9am and is open till 1am, or til the last child leaves. You could leave them there they whole time if you wish. They will feed them lunch and dinner and snacks. The sessions are 9am to 12noon. 12-2pm is lunch break. If you are in port, they charge $6 per/hour per child for this time period. then 2pm-5pm is the 2nd session. 5pm-7pm is dinner, which is usually free, since you are usually at sea. finally there is a session 7pm-10pm which works out great if you have early seating and you want to do some things on the ship at night without your child. At 10pm starts the slumber party. They wind them down and put them on mats to watch movies. It also costs $6/hour for this time frame. They gave us the first formal night free on our cruise. If you use the mealtimes, they ask that you sign them up ahead of time. For lunch they take them to the buffet area. For dinner they have a pre arranged menu of kids food. I am sure that they would deviate if necessary (since the pizza and grill are open).

The sessions all have themes. Pirates, spongebob, disney, be a star etc. They made several crafts and gave them all a backpack and a t-shirt to take home. They also made a video of the kids that they played the last day, but you cannot buy this!

My son had a blast! One day we planned to go to the beach and my son opted to go to the kids program instead (he loves the beach). That tell me a lot right there! He could not wait to get to the Fun Factory every day! They give you a daily program in your stateroom each night and he loved it when I told him what was planned for the next day. On the pirate day, they dressed up as pirates, complete with face paint, hats and swords and paraded around the ship. They were so cute! They also dressed up as aliens one time.

If anyone has any questions....feel free to ask! I really did not intend for my son to spend as much time as he did there, but it was his vacation, and that is where he wanted to be! It allowed me time to spend with my husband and our friends we traveled with, and I actually got to rest! Imagine that!

Enjoy your cruise!