Which cruise would be best?

[fllcruiser78]

Hi, My daughter (just turned 3) my husband and myself (30's) are booking a cruise for the end of Nov (this year). I want a boat that offers things for my daughter to do. We brought her on Carnival Glory last yr but she refused to stay in the kids club but, they didnt try really at all to convince her to either. All kids need some time to adjust. So, this yr she is a little older and says she will go into the kids club but who knows. So if not we would like a boat that has a pool/splash area maybe for her to play in or something along those lines. I just saw a post on the Epic which seems to have alot of stuff for kids to do but its out of our price range for now( since its so last minute). They only have balcony cabins left at this point. So, our options are Norwegian Dawn (5 days), Celebrity Century (5 days), Norwegian Pearl (7days), Carnival Valor (7 days) or Princess crown princess (7 days). Now for the 5 day ones they are very close in price but NCL is cheaper. The 7 days cruise Princess is cheapest. I thought Celebrity and Princess were more adult oriented and not much for kids to do so I worry about that or being stressed out if my daughter happens to act up and it bothers the older cruisers. I have read alot of people have had no problems with this issue but I dont want to feel like a burden my whole cruise either. Even though we have a child I would like a relaxing vacation. We dont drink and dont want to be around alot of drunk cruisers or loud blaring music at the pool but understand most of the ships are that way at the pool.

 

So, if you guys can steer me in a direction i would appreciate it. I have read alot on the boards but would just like more personalized info for my situation.

 

Thanks in advance!!

[Julienatul]

My DD woudnt try the kids club until she was almost 4 but now I cant get her out of it!!! We tried 3 times at age 2, twice at age 3 and finally as she almost approached 4 she decided she would go. She also goes to daycare everyday so we couldnt figure out why. It really had more to do with her personality than the counselors. She was afraid to leave us.

[cb at sea]

Princess sounds like it would be fine...and, you'll be saving a few bucks! They also have a kid's club...and while it's not as comprehensive as Carnivals, it will be just fine.

There are all ages, and should your daughter "act up", it's no ones problem but yours and you'll handle it...so don't worry too much about the other passengers....they have either HAD kids, or were kids!!! They'll get over it!

[fllcruiser78]

Thanks for the replies so far. If I was to pick the ship that would have the most for my daughter which one would that be? And which one do you think has the best food? We were shocked with our cruise on Glory the food was not really good at all and we were expecting to gain weight and I ended up loosing 10 pounds (which is never a bad thing!) But would like to eat some good food also!

[Honbun]

I've sailed on NCL and Celebrity with my DD since she was almost a 3 yo (celebrated her 3rd birthday on NCL). She says that NCL and Celebrity are her 2 favorite kids clubs. Celebrity is a little more formal, but both have a lot of activities and DD will not be bored.

 

As for food, we prefer Celebrity. While the food quality has dropped on all cruise lines, we think Celebrity is still the best. They have a lot of kid-friendly fare as well as great offerings for the adults. Cova Cafe is our favorite. They always pick up right away that my DD's favorite are the chocolate croissants. After the 2nd day, they would always set one aside for her and have it all plated and warmed up before she even hit the counter!

[mary_228]

Our youngest was three when we started cruising as a family. That ship was the Celebrity Mercury, a sister ship to the Century that you have mentioned. As I recall, the counselors actualy got the children into swimsuits and applied sunblock when the kids went into the adjoining splash pool (just forthe kids club, so very secure). There was a ball maze - what kid doesn't like that- and they took the kids on excursions to the buffet for ice cream mid afternoon and did face painting (pirates, of course), and walked them around the ship, to the passengers delight. So adorable. This was many years ago, so hopefully others will comment on whether Celebrity still does this. It is a nice, smaller ship which is much easier for the little ones, as far as walking here and there. There are also fewer children so the Youth Staff is able to give more attention to the kids.

 

We just sailed on the Crown Princess, which is a great ship with tons of fun things for adults to do and very good food. It has a mini golf course that your child might enjoy as well as Movies Under The Stars, where your family can watch (and your child will probably sleep) on comfy, padded lounge chairs, while stewards bring pizza, warm cookies and milk to you. Popcorn is available for self serve. Another plus is anytime dining in which you can have a quick meal is your child becomes fussy, without abandoning your tablemates mid-meal. Alternatively, you can feed her a quick buffet or room service meal, see if she'll go to the evening portion of the kids club, then have yourself a nice dinner for two or join others as they arrive at the Dining Room without worrying about having to be seated at a certain time. The kids program has plenty of organized activites that will engage your child. Hopefully she will be more willing to go this time around. And if you have a great experience with the kids club, please don't forget to mention it on the feedback forms and leave a tip is you are so inclined. The workers there are poorly paid, just like everyone else working in the cruise industry.

[#1TravelMom]

We have been on 3 Princess Cruises with our little girl. She was age 3, 4, and 5. They have a great kids club and surprisingly, she didn't seem to miss any of the things she has done on the ships that are considered more "kid-friendly". The kids club staff has always been great. Of all the choices you mentioned, we've done most. I definately recommend Princess - in my opinion, I would choose it if it were the most expensive.