First Time Family Cruiser Questions

[craigandjessica]

My husband and I took our first cruise last year and now are thinking of taking our 3 kids (boys ages 5, 8 and 11 when we cruise) on a family cruise in lieu of Christmas presents next Christmas. We sailed on the inspiration last year and had a great time but would like to try a newer ship for more activities for the kids. We have looked into booking a family cabin on the dream since it will sleep 5 and have the separate shower bathroom. I am a worrier and am seeking advise and tips about cruising safely with young kids. So here are some of my questions I am hoping you can help me out with:

 

What are rules you set up with your kids prior to cruising to keep everyone safe?

 

Do the kids have to have a passport to cruise?

What are the most kid friendly ports?

 

What are extra costs incurred on the cruise with kids? (like in camp carnival)?

 

Will the kids be in the same room in camp carnival even if they are in separate groups?

 

What are the basic hours of camp carnival?

 

What do you bring for formal night for your kids? polo’s or dress shirt & ties?

 

My oldest gets car sick on long trips, he has never been on a plane(or ship) is car sickness mean he will more likely get sea sick or motion sick on a plane?

 

Will my 5 year old get really bored in camp carnival since the age group is 2-5? Will the activities be too babyish?

 

If my son is 5 years 5 months old, if the activities are too boring for him (since he has 2 older brothers, he is used to playing with older kids) would they allow him to go to the 6-8 yo age group or is that pretty strict?

 

For my husband and my 5 night cruise or S&S bill at the end of the cruise was $300 (We paid for gratuity and excursions prior to cruise) and spent close to the same amount on shore, if we prepay gratuity and excursions how much more $$ do you think a 7 night cruise with 3 kids will cost? Are we fooling ourselves thinking we can get by with $1000 cash? We only had 2 ports on our cruise and the one we are looking at booking has 3 ports. I know spending is an individual thing but just wondering what your experience is with spending when you travel with your kids.

 

Do the kids have spending rights on their s&s cards or just my husband and I?if so, can you limit it?

 

We don't use credit cards and on our last cruise secured our S&S account with cash. Will we have to have $200 cash for each of the kids' cards too?

 

Is there a better way besides a lanyard to keep the kids from losing their S&S card?

 

We live in Minnesota and with the weather we plan on flying in the day before we cruise to be safe. Since we are looking to cruise out of port Canaveral what are some options to save money. We fly into Orlando and would need to stay at a hotel. Would it be better if we get a hotel near airport, book one with free airport shuttle then hire out shuttle to take us to the port the next day OR stay in a hotel near the port. We could rent a car but don't know if that would be cheaper or just taking shuttle taxi. Which one do you think would make the most sense both economically and logically?

 

I know this is a lot of questions but we have never taken a big family vacation. My kids have never been on an airplane so this is a big deal for us and them. I just don't want to spend all of the money and make stupid little mistakes that could screw it all up. Anything you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!

[acceber32]

I can't answer most of your questions but I thought I would answer what I could. We are sailing on the Dream in January and I have found that renting a car is the cheapest way to get from airport to port and back. Check out the Florida departure board, there is a thread that talks all about Port Canaveral and it has all the rental companies listed there. Plus, all the options for a private car or shuttle if you choose to go that route and hotel information.

We are taking our son (who will only be 17 months so not old enough for Camp Carnival) on his first cruise and are very excited. When I did all the Fun Pass information there was an option to allow charging privileges to my son's S&S account so you can put "no".

As for the passport, we did not get one for DS. I kind of feel like I should have but it’s not required and it would have been for my peace of mind. This is what Carnival’s website states:

Are passports required?

Carnival requires guests to provide proper travel documentation in order to travel. The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. Non-U.S Citizens must contact the appropriate Consulates, U.S. Embassy and U.S. Immigration office to inquire about necessary travel documentation. Carnival assumes no responsibility for advising guests of Immigration requirements.

It is recommended that all guests travel with a valid passport during their cruise. This will enable guests to fly from the U.S. to meet their ship at the first port should they miss their scheduled embarkation and allow guests that must disembark the ship before their cruise ends due to an emergency to fly back to the U.S without significant delays and complications. It is also recommended that all guests travel with a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond completion of travel.

I don’t know what the norm is for formal nights for kids but we did buy our DS a pair of slacks, button down shirt, tie and vest for formal nights (also his Christmas outfit). From what I have read the dress code for children seems to be a bit more relaxed than adults. But the same thing goes, if you want to dress to the 9s then go for it.

My DS also gets car sick so I am worried about him getting sea sick; however, I don’t believe the two are connected. I get car sick, sick flying and some times get sick on small boats (like if we had to tender in to port and the seas were rough) but I do not get sick on the big cruise ship. My husband on the other hand gets sick on the cruise ship but no where else. We swear by the sea bands (they are elastic bands you wear around your wrists with a little button that pushes in at the pressure point). And your children are old enough that they would leave them on if you wanted to get those and forgo doing medicine (I’m not a big fan of giving my son a lot of medicine and having to deal with the side effects).

As far as cruise ports go, I have nothing but my opinion on this. We chose the Eastern Caribbean because I felt like some of the Western ports were not as safe as the Eastern. We are going to Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. However, we are not getting off the ship in Nassau (we have been there before and don’t really care for it). After we booked our cruise though a passenger was killed in St. Thomas so that didn’t make me feel very good about our choice. I do think they have cleaned up the crime for the most part involved with that incident. With all that being said after reading a lot of information on these boards I think that most ports try to keep their crime to travelers at a minimum because it is their main source of income.

I think that’s about all I can answer. Hope it helps.

[MMsteffey]

Here's one opinion from one experienced family:

What are rules you set up with your kids prior to cruising to keep everyone safe? Be considerate of other passengers. No climbing, running, or roughhousing in or out of the cabin. No running down the halls, no playing in the elevators. Do not go in another room without permission from your parent. Do not go anywhere with anyone who is not your parent without explicit permission from your parent. Adult only pool is for adults only. No signing yourself out of camp. Pick a designated meeting point on the ship in case you do get separated. Put a card from the ship in your kid's pockets when you're in port with the departure time on it. I think there is a long old thread on this topic with some good suggestions (and a little flaming) -- try searching for it.

 

Do the kids have to have a passport to cruise? check your cruise docs and search this board for lots of information, misinformation, and opinions on this topic

What are the most kid friendly ports?

 

What are extra costs incurred on the cruise with kids? (like in camp carnival)?

 

Will the kids be in the same room in camp carnival even if they are in separate groups?

 

What are the basic hours of camp carnival?

 

What do you bring for formal night for your kids? polo’s or dress shirt & ties? dress shirt and tie

 

My oldest gets car sick on long trips, he has never been on a plane(or ship) is car sickness mean he will more likely get sea sick or motion sick on a plane?

 

Will my 5 year old get really bored in camp carnival since the age group is 2-5? Will the activities be too babyish? depends on the mix of kids in the club for your particular cruise and the crew. Can go either way.

 

If my son is 5 years 5 months old, if the activities are too boring for him (since he has 2 older brothers, he is used to playing with older kids) would they allow him to go to the 6-8 yo age group or is that pretty strict? Be prepared for it to be very strict. They have his birth date on file from boarding docs.

 

For my husband and my 5 night cruise or S&S bill at the end of the cruise was $300 (We paid for gratuity and excursions prior to cruise) and spent close to the same amount on shore, if we prepay gratuity and excursions how much more $$ do you think a 7 night cruise with 3 kids will cost? Are we fooling ourselves thinking we can get by with $1000 cash? We only had 2 ports on our cruise and the one we are looking at booking has 3 ports. I know spending is an individual thing but just wondering what your experience is with spending when you travel with your kids. We gave kids an allowance and had to be firm about it. Be prepared for lots of spending opportunities in port and in the shops on board ( our last cruise had a Build-a Bear set up and LOTS of toys in the shops.)

 

Do the kids have spending rights on their s&s cards or just my husband and I?if so, can you limit it? Depending on the cruise line you can deny or limit it

 

We don't use credit cards and on our last cruise secured our S&S account with cash. Will we have to have $200 cash for each of the kids' cards too? We have never had to do that, but policies change.

 

Is there a better way besides a lanyard to keep the kids from losing their S&S card? Not that we have found. (5 cruises) I take a sharpie to put each kid's initials on the card. Also keeps them from getting mixed up in the cabin.

 

We live in Minnesota and with the weather we plan on flying in the day before we cruise to be safe. Since we are looking to cruise out of port Canaveral what are some options to save money. We fly into Orlando and would need to stay at a hotel. Would it be better if we get a hotel near airport, book one with free airport shuttle then hire out shuttle to take us to the port the next day OR stay in a hotel near the port. We could rent a car but don't know if that would be cheaper or just taking shuttle taxi. Which one do you think would make the most sense both economically and logically? Price the cruise line's shuttle from Orlando airport on the day of the cruise. Probably at least $25/pp. Then look into car rental -- it's not a very long drive and you may get hit with a drop off fee. I'd recommend Pricelining hotels in Orlando and near Port C. Unfortunately there are a lot of variables for you to consider. Hopefully someone on this board has already grappled with this :cool:

 

I know this is a lot of questions but we have never taken a big family vacation. My kids have never been on an airplane so this is a big deal for us and them. I just don't want to spend all of the money and make stupid little mistakes that could screw it all up. Anything you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!

bon voyage

[cb at sea]

The 5 year old will NEVER be anywhere alone on the ship, so YOU should control that S&S card....the child will have no need to keep track of it! Might be the same for the 8 year old....that depends on you. The older child will (if you allow it) be able to come and go, so that child will need their S&S card on them at all times.

 

Again, since the younger children will always be with you, there's no need for them to have to purchase anything...you can do it, if needed.

[jam82]

What are extra costs incurred on the cruise with kids? (like in camp carnival)?

It really depends on you. I only have one DS, so I'm sure when multiplied by 3 that things could get expensive in a hurry. I went on a 14 cruise with DS last month and spent about $40 extra on him. (t-shirts, toys, junk) He's almost 4, so his needs might be less than those of older kids. He asks for everything, but I have no problem telling him no. After all, you're cruising. I feel that in itself is worth something. Many people buy kids the 'coke card' and build a bear. We have one build a bear and we don't need another. Babysitting charges or late night party charges might also be something to budget for.

 

Will the kids be in the same room in camp carnival even if they are in separate groups?

Sometime maybe. Usually they would be in the same room for port day play and late night babysitting. Other times they would probably not be together. The age groups are 2-5, 6-8, 9-11.

 

What are the basic hours of camp carnival? Usually it goes like this:

Embarkation night: Maybe they open at 8:00, maybe not until 10:00pm.

Port Days: Arrival in port until until 5:00pm and then 7-10.

Sea Days: 9-12, 2-5, 7-10

Every night: Late night sitting from 10pm-3am.

 

Hope that helps.

[RoadTripFanatic]

My husband and I took our first cruise last year and now are thinking of taking our 3 kids (boys ages 5, 8 and 11 when we cruise) on a family cruise in lieu of Christmas presents next Christmas. We sailed on the inspiration last year and had a great time but would like to try a newer ship for more activities for the kids. We have looked into booking a family cabin on the dream since it will sleep 5 and have the separate shower bathroom. I am a worrier and am seeking advise and tips about cruising safely with young kids. So here are some of my questions I am hoping you can help me out with:

 

What are rules you set up with your kids prior to cruising to keep everyone safe?

1.Thou shall not climb on anything other than the ship .

2. Remember that there are other people on the ship. That means between the hours of 10p.m.-10am you should not run, scream, yell or skip down the halls! (This applies to adults too in my humble opinion!!) In fact you should NEVER do these things but you want get in big trouble during awake hrs.

3. Do not crank up the volume on the TV or radio louder than neccessary. Your neighbors can hear you. (Also no screaming on the balcony because your neighbor can hear you too!)

4. Be respectful to others on the ship. Use your polite words to all of the staff and fellow cruisers. If you are rude you will lose your camp time. If you are rude to the staff you are in even bigger trouble.

 

Do the kids have to have a passport to cruise? Depends on the cruise.

What are the most kid friendly ports? I would avoid Jamaica!!

 

What are extra costs incurred on the cruise with kids? (like in camp carnival)?There are a few extra costs with camp carnival but we usually avoid them. The big one is the build-a-bear. We just don't go. Also don't forget to tip your counselors at the end of the trip.

 

Will the kids be in the same room in camp carnival even if they are in separate groups? No

 

 

What do you bring for formal night for your kids? polo’s or dress shirt & ties? Either one are fine. If you are wearing a formal I would have them in dress shirts. BUT if they already own polo shirts don't spend the money unless you really want them dressed up.

 

My oldest gets car sick on long trips, he has never been on a plane(or ship) is car sickness mean he will more likely get sea sick or motion sick on a plane? As a child I used to get really sick on long trips but I had no problems on a plane. Take something like Bonine jr. just in case. If the flight is turbulant he could have some problems. :(

 

Will my 5 year old get really bored in camp carnival since the age group is 2-5? Will the activities be too babyish? DD has never been bored with Carnival's kids camps.

 

If my son is 5 years 5 months old, if the activities are too boring for him (since he has 2 older brothers, he is used to playing with older kids) would they allow him to go to the 6-8 yo age group or is that pretty strict? Only if there is a sibling in that group.

 

 

Do the kids have spending rights on their s&s cards or just my husband and I?if so, can you limit it? They do not have to have spending rights. DD never has had spending rights on her card.

 

 

Is there a better way besides a lanyard to keep the kids from losing their S&S card? I keep DD's card with me at all times. She doesn't need it when she is on the ship. She is either with me or in the kids center.

 

 

quote]

I hope this helps.

[seashell36]

What are rules you set up with your kids prior to cruising to keep everyone safe?

The only other rule that I can think of is if you give your oldest sign out privileges for Camp - we will be here (fill in the blank) if you sign out for a reason that we have not discussed you must find us immediately. If you don't you lose sign out privileges.

Do the kids have to have a passport to cruise? for the Dream cruise - no they don't. For now you don't have to have a passport as long as you are a US citizen and you depart and return to the same US port.

What are extra costs incurred on the cruise with kids? (like in camp carnival)? There is a fee for after 10pm babysitting or "pajama party".

It is $6 for the first child and $4 for each of the other kids. One night each cruise they have a late night party for each group (not sure about the 2-5 year old group - it's been a while). There is a set charge for the party - but the kids don't have to attend. There's also the build a bear activity - it can get expensive fast. We avoid that if we can.

Will the kids be in the same room in camp carnival even if they are in separate groups? The younger two may be in the same room, on opposite sides of the room.

If my son is 5 years 5 months old, if the activities are too boring for him (since he has 2 older brothers, he is used to playing with older kids) would they allow him to go to the 6-8 yo age group or is that pretty strict?

It varies from ship to ship, cruise to cruise. If there are a lot of kids on the cruise they may not consider the move. The only thing you can do is ask.

What do you bring for formal night for your kids? polo’s or dress shirt & ties? DS has worn both of these to different formal night dinners. They both look good and are acceptable.

My oldest gets car sick on long trips, he has never been on a plane(or ship) is car sickness mean he will more likely get sea sick or motion sick on a plane? Since you've started planning so far in advance you can talk to their pediatrician about this. I talked to my kid's doctor (who cruises with her family). She told me what she takes for her kids - but I wouldn't want to give you medical advice.

Are we fooling ourselves thinking we can get by with $1000 cash? No you're not fooling yourself. You can do this - we've done it. We paid the tips and gratuities ahead of time. We paid for the excursion we wanted to take. The children get allowance and some birthday money - they saved their money to spend on what they wanted - gifts for friends, etc. I think on our Legend cruise we had a sign and sail bill of $500 ( thats mostly photos, milkshakes, and babysitting).

Is there a better way besides a lanyard to keep the kids from losing their S&S card? DH or I keep the kid's S&S cards with us until they earn the privilege to sign themselves out. After that it goes on a lanyard and the child is responsible for it. The younger kids will either be with you, your DH or in camp.

On the subject of the best ports - it's really subjective. I wouldn't cruise to Jamaica either. We've done both eastern and western Caribbean cruises on Carnival. You can check out the port of call boards. Are you more interested in active excursions (zip lines), beach excursions, historical (like the ruins in Mexico). That information will help anyone give you more information on which cruise is best.

Hope this helps!

[VinnieV33]

CraigandJessica - I have many of the same questions as you do. Have three boys that have never cruised before. My wife and I went on sveral cruises years ago before kids. Now we are thinking about getting back to the cruise vacations. You are further than us as you seem to have landed on Carnival. Why did you pick Carnival? I am really worried about them being bored and information on the kids programs is really hard to find (except Disney).

I thought all passengers over 2 needed a passport by air or sea when leaving the US. We are also from Minnesota so we would most likely stay a day before and after in whatever city we depart from.

[seashell36]

Michele (cruisinmama06) has put together a really great photobucket page with kid's club listings from a majority of the major cruise lines. Among all of the mothers and dads on this board we can answer (or find the answer) to most questions.

 

My family has only cruised on Carnival. But, I can say that my kids have never been bored on a cruise either in camp or with us. There is always something going on to catch and hold their interest. They love the waterworks, mini golf and eating in the dining room.

 

Whatever questions you have just ask we'll be glad to help you out. We love getting more families hooked on cruising!:D

 

Here's the shortcut to Michele's photobucket page: http://photobucket.com/cruisekidpages

[Cruisin' Chick]

My husband and I took our first cruise last year and now are thinking of taking our 3 kids (boys ages 5, 8 and 11 when we cruise) on a family cruise in lieu of Christmas presents next Christmas. We sailed on the inspiration last year and had a great time but would like to try a newer ship for more activities for the kids. We have looked into booking a family cabin on the dream since it will sleep 5 and have the separate shower bathroom. I am a worrier and am seeking advise and tips about cruising safely with young kids. So here are some of my questions I am hoping you can help me out with:

 

What are rules you set up with your kids prior to cruising to keep everyone safe?

The above posters have excellent advice, but definitely your five yr old and eight yr old should be signed in to Camp Carnival (w/o sign out priv.) or with you or your husband. I would take an even stricter stance and say the 11 yr old too should not be wandering about the ship, even if it's to walk from CC to your cabin.

My daughter will be 13 on her next cruise and I am putting together a list of rules for her. Hopefully she'll meet other young teens who are not into getting into trouble.

 

Do the kids have to have a passport to cruise? I would definitely consider getting them if you're planning to do more trips out of the US. I got my daughter her first passport at age 3 and like the fact that I have something official with her photo on it. Just got her second renewal this fall. Yes, it's an expense, but if you don't wait til the last minute, you save on the expedition fees.

Where it is vital to have the passport is if there's any possibility that you may have to fly back to the States. Birth Certificates aren't enough in this case.

What are the most kid friendly ports?

 

What are extra costs incurred on the cruise with kids? (like in camp carnival)? Camp Carnival and the other kids' programs on other lines don't have a charge. It sounds like Carnival has added some activities that they charge for (like Build a Bear) since we last been on a Carnival ship. So let the boys know ahead of time that you be the one deciding if they can do a specific activity == so they won't be disappointed if you don't want to pay for it. There will be tons of fun for them even if they're not inside the CC room 100 per cent of the time.

 

Will the kids be in the same room in camp carnival even if they are in separate groups?

 

If you're going during Christmas (and not on the smallest ship that may not have as much space dedicated to the kids' program), there should be lots of kids. So they will divide up the groups and have each one in the different rooms. Else, it would be too chaotic.

 

What are the basic hours of camp carnival? Somebody posted the hours but you can always double check the Carnival website.

 

What do you bring for formal night for your kids? polo’s or dress shirt & ties?

 

My oldest gets car sick on long trips, he has never been on a plane(or ship) is car sickness mean he will more likely get sea sick or motion sick on a plane? I'm the one in the family who tends to get motion sickness (can't read in a car or a train). Talk to his pediatrician about child-friendly remedies and try them out on him ahead of the cruise. Bring a couple of the most successful types. He may be all right but you want to be sure.

 

Will my 5 year old get really bored in camp carnival since the age group is 2-5? Will the activities be too babyish?

 

If my son is 5 years 5 months old, if the activities are too boring for him (since he has 2 older brothers, he is used to playing with older kids) would they allow him to go to the 6-8 yo age group or is that pretty strict?

 

There should be a variety of activities. So some will be fine for him. There should also be some video games in the room (at least there were in the youngest group when my daughter was three on the Paradise) so hopefully if the main activity doesn't strike his fancy, he will be allowed to go on a game.

 

I think about 90 per cent of the time, any requests to move kids up to the next age group will be turned down for many reasons. 1) the counselors for each sailing were hired on the basis on how many kids in each group. 2) insurance reasons 3) many parents will claim their children are "more mature for their age" -- and most of those parents will be wrong 4) just think, if you're 8 years old and there's a 5 year old in your group, you may not like it.

 

For my husband and my 5 night cruise or S&S bill at the end of the cruise was $300 (We paid for gratuity and excursions prior to cruise) and spent close to the same amount on shore, if we prepay gratuity and excursions how much more $$ do you think a 7 night cruise with 3 kids will cost? Are we fooling ourselves thinking we can get by with $1000 cash? We only had 2 ports on our cruise and the one we are looking at booking has 3 ports. I know spending is an individual thing but just wondering what your experience is with spending when you travel with your kids.

 

Do the kids have spending rights on their s&s cards or just my husband and I?if so, can you limit it?

 

My daughter has never carried her S&s card yet (last cruise she was 8). If she wanted to get something like a hot chocolate or buy something in the store, one of us will get it. She had never had to go into the cabin by herself. Again, this will change on our next cruise as she will be a teen:eek:, but her card will be tied in with ours since she obviously doesn't have a credit card. So once again, some ground rules (like buying drinks for her friends -- she's much too nice about spending on others). Else she will be still paying for her expenses on this trip when she's 15.:rolleyes:

 

We don't use credit cards and on our last cruise secured our S&S account with cash. Will we have to have $200 cash for each of the kids' cards too?

 

Is there a better way besides a lanyard to keep the kids from losing their S&S card?

 

I've learned that things can fall out of kids' pockets. Lanyards at least can stay on.

 

We live in Minnesota and with the weather we plan on flying in the day before we cruise to be safe. Since we are looking to cruise out of port Canaveral what are some options to save money. We fly into Orlando and would need to stay at a hotel. Would it be better if we get a hotel near airport, book one with free airport shuttle then hire out shuttle to take us to the port the next day OR stay in a hotel near the port. We could rent a car but don't know if that would be cheaper or just taking shuttle taxi. Which one do you think would make the most sense both economically and logically?

 

Never been to that port. But I definitely always recommend coming in at least the day before a cruise. Just in case there's problems with the flight -- you don't want to be stressing over anything while trying to travel with small kids.

We had problems with our hotel in Miami that was near the airport. Had to keep changing rooms as there were the stank from tobacco -- even in a room on a non-smoking floor. My hubby felt it was because airport hotels tend to be used by businesspeople a lot -- and they may smoke more on the average than parents. Just a thought. But I usually recommend to people on the western destinations board on cruise critic, not to stay at hotels in the LAX area of LA as it's not a nice area (think lots of strip malls in the literal sense:eek:). Much better to get a shuttle from the airport area and stay closer to the port. That way, in the morning of your cruise, you're nearby. And many hotels that cater to a cruising crowd will shuttle you for free to the port.

 

I know this is a lot of questions but we have never taken a big family vacation. My kids have never been on an airplane so this is a big deal for us and them. I just don't want to spend all of the money and make stupid little mistakes that could screw it all up. Anything you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!

 

One more suggestion is that you go to a travel agency in your area that has the words "cruise specialist" in their phone book ad. Talk to them about any concerns and they should be able to find the right cruise for you and help you with the logistics.

[craigandjessica]

CraigandJessica - I have many of the same questions as you do. Have three boys that have never cruised before. My wife and I went on sveral cruises years ago before kids. Now we are thinking about getting back to the cruise vacations. You are further than us as you seem to have landed on Carnival. Why did you pick Carnival? I am really worried about them being bored and information on the kids programs is really hard to find (except Disney).

I thought all passengers over 2 needed a passport by air or sea when leaving the US. We are also from Minnesota so we would most likely stay a day before and after in whatever city we depart from.

 

 

We settled on Carnival due to the price difference. The cruise we are looking into with prepaid gratuity for all 5 of us for a 7 night cruise is under $3000. We figured $1000 to $1500 for flights and $1000 spending cash puts us around $5000 to $5500 for a week vacation!!! Can't even walk onto a disney ship that I have seen for that. Though disney looks great we can't afford it. I have tried to look at royal caribbean but can't find a ship that lets you book 5 in a room online. If anyone knows a royal caribbean ship that I can price compare online for a family of 5 in a cabin I would love to price compare.

[chipmaster]

Did Carnival many years ago for value and over Christmas. Kids had a blast, dont' forget to budget for excursions. Some ports you can do a lot on your own, but some stops there are exciting stops where some of the most fun things do cost dollars.

 

Seems like you got lofs of good answers but I'll add a few comments.

 

Manage the kids the same way you might at an amusement park/shopping mall ( one they know really well ). The kids will learn the ship and places like the kids area, dining area, pool and location of your cabin in no time. Its sepreate and personal as to how you manage things like independence and spending.

 

Formal cloths, on those night the young kids will do fine with anything but shorts and t-shirts. Of course for those special nights if they wear what you'd have them to a wedding, nice formal dinner that will be better.

 

Good luck!

 

We settled on Carnival due to the price difference. The cruise we are looking into with prepaid gratuity for all 5 of us for a 7 night cruise is under $3000. We figured $1000 to $1500 for flights and $1000 spending cash puts us around $5000 to $5500 for a week vacation!!! Can't even walk onto a disney ship that I have seen for that. Though disney looks great we can't afford it. I have tried to look at royal caribbean but can't find a ship that lets you book 5 in a room online. If anyone knows a royal caribbean ship that I can price compare online for a family of 5 in a cabin I would love to price compare.

[ladylite]

Several people have mentioned to stay away from Jamaica when traveling with children. I'm just curious why? I'll be traveling with four children (14-8) and that is one of our ports.

[Cuizer2]

Several people have mentioned to stay away from Jamaica when traveling with children. I'm just curious why? I'll be traveling with four children (14-8) and that is one of our ports.

 

The Jamaican street vendors are very aggressive. Many people find their aggressive sales tactics intimidating and thus feel threatened. As a result they don't feel Jamaica is safe for children.

[ladylite]

Thanks for the reply, Cuizer2. We are city folks through and through and they are really looking forward to climbing the falls, I was a little concerned that I was going to have to cancel. I chose a guide that is supposed to be good at avoiding the worst of the aggressive sellers, wish us luck.

[Cuizer2]

Thanks for the reply, Cuizer2. We are city folks through and through and they are really looking forward to climbing the falls, I was a little concerned that I was going to have to cancel. I chose a guide that is supposed to be good at avoiding the worst of the aggressive sellers, wish us luck.

 

Dunn's River Falls is the most fun I had while working hard ...

 

 

I'm the one in the bathing suit.

 

 

 

Obviously you enter the falls at the bottom and exit at the top. And at the top, on your way back to the parking lot you will have to run a gauntlet of street vendors.

 

I have been to Jamaica before and was prepared for this. My sister and brother-in-law had not been to Jamaica before, and although warned, needed a little help. My brother-in-law had one nephew by the hand and I had the other. Of course when an adult put something out in front of a six or nine year old they tend to grab it, and the street vendors consider that a sale. So I gave each something to hold in one hand and since an adult had the other hand, neither could grab anything. However, they managed to slip a necklace around my sister's head. That cost us $2.

 

So, one thing you can do is make sure the kids have no empty hands.

 

The other option is to walk along the side walk to the bottom of the falls, and then go back to the parking lot from there. The street vendors are at the top, not at the bottom.

 

Good luck.

[fisherhum]

We have done 3 cruises on 3 different lines with the kids. They have been the following ages in the various trips, 4 &6, 6 & 8, 7 &10.

They have NEVER been bored on a cruise and absolutely LOVE the sea days. They actually were excited that our next cruise has only 3 ports and therefore an extra day at sea.

 

What are rules you set up with your kids prior to cruising to keep everyone safe?

Up til this year we have not let the kids sign out of the kids club and with the exception on maybe going to get a drink/snack in the cafe (from the pool or closeby) haven't really let the kids be by themselves on the ship. Now that DS will be 11 when we head on the next trip we may let him have a bit more freedom, but we will need to see how well he gets around on the ship. Often I find the kids get quite disoriented and can't easily find the room/ etc. Otherwise, we keep the same type of rules we have at home.

Do the kids have to have a passport to cruise?

we are from Canada and now need a passport to travel into the US so we always have a passport. Even if you don't need it I would recommend getting one for the kids. If we didn't have one I wouldn't have anything with photo ID for the kids.

What are the most kid friendly ports?

 

What are extra costs incurred on the cruise with kids? (like in camp carnival)?

Really the only extra costs are ones that you agree to.. ie shopping, arcades etc. the Kids clubs are free. We are quite strict with the kids and they have never been allowed to charge on their cards (you can cancel this at the pursers desk once on board). We give them spending money (even when they were little) and they can only buy what they have money for. I think this is a good way to teach them about how much things cost as it could be really easy to just spend a ton.

Will the kids be in the same room in camp carnival even if they are in separate groups?

I had the same worry the first time they cruised. They were in the same room sometimes but not always. I think it really will depend on how many kids are on board. We found that as we often travel on non peak times, there are not many kids and they combine the ages. Either way, the kids have enjoyed the clubs on all the ships. For mine, the deciding factor is often whether they find another kid that they really connect with. The instructors on all the ships have been great.

What are the basic hours of camp carnival?

 

What do you bring for formal night for your kids? polo’s or dress shirt & ties? As I love to get all dressed up we have treated formal night as a really special occasion and brought ties/vest for my son and a fancy dress for dd. They love it and we get a great family photo op.

 

My oldest gets car sick on long trips, he has never been on a plane(or ship) is car sickness mean he will more likely get sea sick or motion sick on a plane?

 

Will my 5 year old get really bored in camp carnival since the age group is 2-5? Will the activities be too babyish? Mine have been at the top of the age group and we have found that they do age appropriate activities depending on the age of the kids in the room.

 

If my son is 5 years 5 months old, if the activities are too boring for him (since he has 2 older brothers, he is used to playing with older kids) would they allow him to go to the 6-8 yo age group or is that pretty strict? as I mentioned above we have found that they combined the groups whene there were not a lot of kids on board (last cruise only 35 total from baby to 18)

 

For my husband and my 5 night cruise or S&S bill at the end of the cruise was $300 (We paid for gratuity and excursions prior to cruise) and spent close to the same amount on shore, if we prepay gratuity and excursions how much more $$ do you think a 7 night cruise with 3 kids will cost? Are we fooling ourselves thinking we can get by with $1000 cash? We only had 2 ports on our cruise and the one we are looking at booking has 3 ports. I know spending is an individual thing but just wondering what your experience is with spending when you travel with your kids. We did the last cruise with cash and managed just under $1000. I think that if you plan ahead and don't go crazy with every 'selling' opportunity it is really easy. Basically keep track of what you buy and know where you are. I found the drinks and raffle/bingo/ etc were the most expensive and could easiily rack up the bill.

 

Do the kids have spending rights on their s&s cards or just my husband and I?if so, can you limit it?

We always cancel the spending rights. just in case

We don't use credit cards and on our last cruise secured our S&S account with cash. Will we have to have $200 cash for each of the kids' cards too?On the last 2 cruises they kept a Family/cabin account. it didn't matter whose card was used.

 

Is there a better way besides a lanyard to keep the kids from losing their S&S card? I don't usually let the kids keep their cards. But when they do have them a lanyard seems to work best.

 

We live in Minnesota and with the weather we plan on flying in the day before we cruise to be safe. Since we are looking to cruise out of port Canaveral what are some options to save money. We fly into Orlando and would need to stay at a hotel. Would it be better if we get a hotel near airport, book one with free airport shuttle then hire out shuttle to take us to the port the next day OR stay in a hotel near the port. We could rent a car but don't know if that would be cheaper or just taking shuttle taxi. Which one do you think would make the most sense both economically and logically?

 

I know this is a lot of questions but we have never taken a big family vacation. My kids have never been on an airplane so this is a big deal for us and them. I just don't want to spend all of the money and make stupid little mistakes that could screw it all up. Anything you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!

 

The thing I like about taking the kids on cruise vacations is that you can worry and research and plan all these things ahead of time. Then once you are on board it is all EASY! All the decisions are made, We don't usually do a lot of excursions but spend time at the beach and exploring the cities we are in so that tends to keep the costs down as well.

:)

[kassimer1]

At the ages your kids are they cant leave the camp unless you sign them out. And at thier ages i would not let them roam the ship alone.

Think of the ship as a city. the same rules you have for being in a city they need to follow there.

 

I dont know if they have to have a passport since i dont know what ports you are stopping at but to be safe i would get one. Hopefully

your trip will be fine but for example when the carnival ship last month caught fire they were going to have to stop in mexico and fly

people back to the states , unfortunetly if you didnt have a passport it would have made it harder. Fourtunetly they towed it ti california

and they didnt need the passports but in an emergency its better to be safe than sorry.

 

camp carnival is included in the cost of your room unless its after 10 pm then its 6$ an hour. They generally wont let you put your

child in a different age group but i guess it depends on the councilors. Also they clise for lunch on port days but you can pay i think if you

want and they wuill take your child with them to lunch.

 

Polo shirts and dress pants / kakies are ok for formal nights.

 

Your oldest might get sick on the boat so i would take some motion sickness patch or pills with you.

 

You can put money on the kids s&s card but you have to really force the issue. they didnt want to for our cruise in june but they finally did.

I think 200$ cash for each of the kids is a but much. they will go thru that in the arcade in a couple of days. I would put half on the first day

then add the other half halfway thru so they still have some for most of the trip.

[Cuizer2]

At the ages your kids are they cant leave the camp unless you sign them out.

 

Unless the rules have changed, by age nine the kids can sign themselves in and out of Camp Carnival.