Best STARTING age for a kid to cruise

[RoadTripFanatic]

We started cruising with our DD when she was 2 years old. In fact she did two cruises at the age of two. There were grandparents along on both of the trips. We had a blast. At age 3 we started using the kids centers. She loved it. In fact once she hit 4 she wanted nothing to do with us on the ships. She was all about playing with the kids. It was great being able to take a break and sit by the pool. I have no regrets starting that early with DD. Oh and yes we did our one Disney cruise when she was in 3rd grade. DH who doesn't like Disney said he enjoyed the cruise. She will be taking her 13th cruise over Spring Break!

[Warm Breezes]

I find it odd that "a cruise is meant for enjoyment", was used to persuade someone NOT to take their child. That's the very reason why I want to take mine. Perhaps not everyone enjoys the company if their babies.

 

I thought the same thing. One of my greatest joys is seeing everything through their eyes and sharing the experiences with them. We do take vacations without kids to reconnect with each other but IMHO a vacation with kids is priceless and a priority at least once a year and more if we can swing it.

[croozymooner]

We took our eleven month old on a cruise with just the two of us on Norwegian and I can't say I recommend that.

[askimdog]

We stopped cruising until our child was old enough to apreciate it. Could not see spending the $ on a young child who it meant nothing to. Then we choose where to go which would be good for her ( no owned islands which are just beaches). We waited untill she was about 7.

[Kerry's Girls]

The best age to start cruising for us was: as soon as I wanted a vacation where someone else was doing all the cooking and cleaning so I could just spend time with my kids. Resorts are more expensive and condos are MUCH more work, so cruising was the best vacation for us. I'm only sorry I waited until 13 months since that first cruise was the best time I'd had with my kids up to that point. My girls are eight and don't remember most of the trips we've been on, but I don't consider that a waste. The memories for me are priceless. Since I have to work full time, I want to spend my vacations with my kids - even if we aren't together every minute of the vacation. Of course, if my kids weren't easy travelers, it would be different - we would wait for my sanity and for the sake of other passengers.

 

Best,

Mia

[jandlrojas]

We started cruising with DD at age 3. She loved it!! She even remembers the name of the waiter we had. She has been on 2 cruises and we are planing the 3rd June 2013. We chose Carnival when she was 3 so we could use Camp Carnival! Every child is different. DS is 17 and has been on several cruises and traveled Europe. Both kids enjoy cruising and it's an easy way to accommodate both kids and the parents.

[crusinmama06]

My girls started cruising as infants because MY memories are priceless not theirs ;)

 

I don't care how much they remember - its how much *I* can remember. I could be dead next week. Do I really want to wait to start living life with my kids? Nope - not really.

 

And actually - my girls can remember the cruises starting at around age 2.

[junglejane]

I think 3.5 is about right. At least for me- I knew he was completely potty trained and could enjoy the youth program and the pool. I did sail with him before that though and it worked out ok- not great.

 

So again I think between 3-4 is the best time.

 

I have raised two boys (ages 25 and 12) and I can tell you that the best years are between 3-13. After that they are less interested in spending time with their parents. So take advantage of the time when they want to be with you. It's fleeting (pun intended)

 

Once again I agree with Rebeccalouiseagain. We started cruising when our youngest was 4. I think that people are overly hung up on whether or not the kid will "remember" the cruise. Whether or not they remember it isn't as important as: did everyone enjoy it at the time? I like what Cruisinmama06 said: MY memories are priceless, not theirs. :)

 

And Rebeccalouiseagain makes a very important point about the fact that, as your kids hit the teenage years, they may be less enthusiastic about spending time with mom and dad. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from some "empty nester" friends of ours about 6 years ago. They said: "take those trips NOW with your kids, because when they are older teens, they won't appreciate it and may even resent you for taking time away from their friends." Our 16 year old DD is a great kid, but we are already starting to feel the push back. Part of her knows that she should be "grateful" that we want to take her on a cruise, but another part of her would rather just hang out at home with her friends. So I'm paying forward the advice that I got, and saying do it now.

[gymbomb]

Once again I agree with Rebeccalouiseagain. We started cruising when our youngest was 4. I think that people are overly hung up on whether or not the kid will "remember" the cruise. Whether or not they remember it isn't as important as: did everyone enjoy it at the time? I like what Cruisinmama06 said: MY memories are priceless, not theirs. :)

 

And Rebeccalouiseagain makes a very important point about the fact that, as your kids hit the teenage years, they may be less enthusiastic about spending time with mom and dad. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from some "empty nester" friends of ours about 6 years ago. They said: "take those trips NOW with your kids, because when they are older teens, they won't appreciate it and may even resent you for taking time away from their friends." Our 16 year old DD is a great kid, but we are already starting to feel the push back. Part of her knows that she should be "grateful" that we want to take her on a cruise, but another part of her would rather just hang out at home with her friends. So I'm paying forward the advice that I got, and saying do it now.

 

 

 

I was about to disagree with you, but then I remembered that when I was 16 I decided to stay with a friend instead of going on a trip with my parents and part of the extended family. My grandparents even offered to pay for said friend to come on the trip with us if I'd gone.

 

Many people outgrow that stage though. I went on quite a few great trips with my parents throughout my 20's, and now in my early 30's I have two more planned for this year. A mother/daughter cruise with my Mom, Aunt, and early 20's cousin in March as well as a couple of weeks at the beach with my parents in August with my husband joining us for the part he can get off work.

 

So I definitely think enjoying family trips while they're young is important, and if you're lucky you'll be able to enjoy them when the kids are older too :)

[junglejane]

Gymbomb: I hope and think you're right, that it's a phase. For our recent Christmas cruise, DD was wishing we could take along her boyfriend -- that is so NOT HAPPENING.:eek: So for those of you with younger kids, enjoy cruising with them. :)

[Sandpiper10]

Our DD's were 3 & 6 for their 1st cruise and it was great. We picked a 5 night destiny to Grand Turk, HMC and Nassau b/c they love the beach. We enjoyed beach days at the 1st 2 stops and then took them to the zoo in Nassau. We gave them down time every day in our cabin to just relax, unwind or take a nap. We only ate in MDR on 1 formal night and stuck to buffets the rest of the time. DH and I also had them back in the cabin by 9pm every night. We moved at their pace the whole trip and it was every enjoyable. They still talk about that cruise and in 2 weeks, they will be on their 3rd cruise. Last years cruise was much different at ages 5 & 8. They loved the MDR and ate there every night. They are addicted to cruising and DH and I love hearing them say "when are we cruising again"

[gymbomb]

Gymbomb: I hope and think you're right, that it's a phase. For our recent Christmas cruise, DD was wishing we could take along her boyfriend -- that is so NOT HAPPENING.:eek: So for those of you with younger kids, enjoy cruising with them. :)

 

 

I will add that it was the specific itinerary and combination of family members that I wanted to avoid as it just sounded dreadfully boring -- I happily went to the beach for a week with my parents at that age. So for anyone encountering that problem, just consider the teens preferences a bit when planning the trip, and if that doesn't work have hope that they will outgrow it :)

 

No kids for me right now, but if/when I have one I am definitely looking forward to cruising with them!

[milton333]

I'm not sure I understand the question.

 

We're a family, we vacation together. It's a question of whether we're vacationing on a cruise ship or at a land-based resort. It's not a question of whether we'd leave our son behind while we vacationed. That's not why we take time off work to vacation.

 

There are big advantages to a cruise ship when vacationing with little ones. Being close to your room at all times, and having room stewards who can learn the nap schedule and clear out without a hassle if they happen to be in the room when you need it (amazing how hard it is to get the cleaning staff out of a room when you have a cranky, tired toddler, in an ordinary resort). No elaborate plans for meals and entertainment that get ruined by a child's changeable mood - there's always another option a staircase or elevator away. If you plan well, no need for car seats on your entire trip. Etc.

[redxpanda]

DD's first cruise was at 15 months. She had just started walking, though I was hoping she'd be a bit better before we left, but you can't predict that when you book a cruise months in advanced! We cruised on DCL and are going again next week. DD will be almost 2 on this cruise. She can't go to kids clubs alone but we will go to open house and use the nursery sparingly and have grandparents with us this time to help.

 

Dinners were a little long, but manageable at 15 months. She is a really good eater, and tried everything we ordered. She loved meeting new people and the characters. She LOVED the nursery (toys!). She watched most of the shows with us at night. She dressed up as a pirate with us and did well with taking photos.

 

Our DD is generally good, eats anything, and therefore I had a feeling she would do well on the cruise. The only downside, for us, is that she needs a nap each afternoon. The upside is that you can take turns babysitting the nap, if there is an activity someone wants to go to. Also, if it was a port day, I sometimes needed a nap too, so it all worked out well.

 

EDIT: I wanted to add that we got a couple of the BEST photos of her at that age while on the first cruise. The best part about them is that we were both able to be in the photo with her because it was taken by the ship photographers. It was also nice to get photos of us all dressed up.

 

 

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[fungirl76]

Took my dd on her first cruise at age 2. She loved every minute of it and as a result so did we. We ate dinner every nite in the MDR without a problem. Yes, it is a different type of fun when taking kids along and you may not get any alone time but we cruise or land vacation as a family to be together. We are taking dd on her second cruise next month; she is now 3. She also went to Disney world at age 2 and like others have said....my memories of our family vacations are priceless. My personal opinion is the younger they start to travel, the better they travel. We started traveling with DD at 9 months and she is a pleasure to travel with.

[Cruisin' Chick]

age 12, maybe 10 if they are mature enough. i'm definitely the odd person out but i think that that a cruise is for enjoyment and not constant baby sitting. preschoolers won't remember a thing about their cruises, elementary kids get bored very easily and rest and relaxation isn't part of their lexicon. by the time a kid is twelve they know enough about life to be easy on a ship and can find tons of things to do and usually really enjoy all the new experiences and are somewhat mature enough to know how to behave. with a 12 year old it becomes easier to pick excursions, to allow them some free time without constant supervision.

 

young kids are a joy but they are a lot of work and most won't really understand the experience and usually aren't real comfortable with strange places and new experiences. by their tweens they are ready to grasp all of it and then the experience is great for both kids and adults.

 

We are leaving next Saturday on the Liberty and this will be cruises number 6 & 7 for our five year old. She remembers a lot about the cruises we have taken. (All 5 of her cruises have been in the last 2 yrs) she loves Camp carnival for a few hours each day but then we love doing activities with her. We have no problems finding shore excursions to go on with her that we enjoy.

 

I think the answer is there is no perfect age to start kids cruising. Depends on your family and what you want out of a vacation. Do what's right for your family!

 

I disagree with the first post I've quoted. As others have said, you'll be surprised at what kids will remember. There's at least one thing I remember when I was 3 (getting stung by a bee) and some things I remember about when I was about 5 -- and I'm in my late 50s!

 

Sometimes we'll ask our 15 year old about something in her past, and she'll sometimes she'll remember (and sometimes even details). She likes the fact that we have photos of her for the other events -- so she knows she just wasn't dropped off at a grandparent's (and one reason is that we didn't feel that any of them would have been able to handle her for more than a few hours in all honesty), but got to go on cruises to places like the Caribbean and Alaska.

 

Plus, many studies on cognition will state that the more you expose an infant's mind to various experiences, as well as languages, the more synapses will be developed.

 

As long as a little one is healthy and you're not taking them to a place that's lacking proper facilities, and you're willing to make it a vacation around their schedule, there shouldn't be a problem.

 

My hubby was hesitant about taking her on a vacation, so we stayed home for almost two years after her birth, other than day trips. But we decided to take another cruise when she was 23 months of age. One month short of Camp Carnival, but we had wanted to follow the cruise with a trip to see tall ships and that's when they were touring. As it turned out, we all had fun. NO problems at all. I just made sure to have a good supply of diapers and pullups. We did a three-day cruise and then a three-day hotel stay. She didn't fuss at all. Since then, she's been on eight cruises, the last one last month at 15 years of age. 71 days on cruise ships.

 

To the OP, just judge for yourself how your child is. If a teething infant/toddler, then probably not a good idea. But otherwise, if you feel you are ready, do a short cruise and see. If the child isn't old enough for the kids' program, he or she will be with you the whole time, unless you bring along other family members who can pitch in. If the child is old enough, bring them to the kids' area the first night and let him meet the other kids and see the room. You may find they won't want to leave. And may be like my daughter who would ask in the mornings, "Is the ship school open yet?"

[kandjrolls2]

I would like to add that no one, kids or parents, are guaranteed tomorrow. Anything could happened and I would hate to think I was waiting for my kid to remember a trip in full before I took her anywhere. And let's be honest, can you remember details of every vacation took as an adult? I don't. I can't even remember the name of the first cruise I took.

[Julienatul]

We started sailing with our kids when they were infants 7 months and 8 months. They are now 7 and 4 and love cruising over any other vacation. Of course they don't remember when they were infants but I have great pictures and memories that are priceless.

[cantwait2cruise]

This is a timely thread for me because we took an almost 4 year hiatus from cruising due to having small children. I actually just went back and looked at a post I made after a cruise with our 17 month old where I said we wouldn't cruise again until our kids were old enough for the kids clubs. (I can't believe I actually kept my word because I love cruising!)

 

Now that our girls are 3 and 5, we have just booked a cruise to celebrate our 10 year anniversary and we are looking forward to a mixture of family time and hopefully some down time with them at Camp Carnival.

 

Side note: We have been to Disney the last three years with them starting when they were 1 and 3. We love Disney and had great times, but wow, Disney is not a VACATION...it is a trip. It is a lot of work with small children and very exhausting because you are go, go, go trying to see everything.

 

We are hoping for a more relaxing vacation in March. ;)

[nanwel]

Took both my grandkids on disney from age 12mo - again at 23mo & 11mo (2) kids then - now 6 & 8 have been on many cruises, to resorts to lived abroad 1 yr - travel is nothing to them, but like previous cc member - they are sponges & enjoy & remember everything!

There is babysitting - we did not find it needed, but not ones to 'drop off the kids". Going on RC Allure in March

[mikesteg]

We cruised with our twins at 7mo, 13mo, 23mo, 2.5, and 3 (and 2 more booked). Obviously we enjoy it, but I will say that the in-between ages are a workout. Before they are mobile it is great. Once they can go off to Camp, it works well also.

 

Kids do change your cruising style, but that is the case regardless of what vacation you do. Leaving the kids at home is not an option for us, both for personal preference and lack of availability.

 

I don't know what the kids will remember in 20 years, but I do know that my wife and I don't remember most of our cruises distinctly ourselves. :o We do remember swimming with the dolphins, and the kids also do. Beyond that, just about everyday the kids go "on vacation" which involves packing their bags with toys, getting a hotel room, swimming in the hot tub, and recently they've begun getting a rental car. (Who needs a Game Boy? ;))

 

I don't regret and I don't believe I'll ever regret giving them those experiences. To me, that is a big part of being a parent. And as others have said, we get quite a lot of the the experience ourselves. It's a win/win/win/win. :D

[Rphgirl]

I didn't feel it was fair to take my child on Caribbean cruise until she was old enough to get in the pool. Swim diapers are absolutely not allowed (on RCCL). Therefore she was almost 3 and my son was 5. They played in the aqua zone during the day and it was great. We take our kids to main dining room every night and the waiters take care of them with fruit,chicken strips,spaghetti,ice cream. The next year we took them to kids camp after dinner for a few hours and dad and I enjoyed shows,casino,drinks. We picked them up about 10pm each night. Overall it worked out well and our kids are about to embark on their 4 th cruise in March.

[crusinmama06]

I didn't feel it was fair to take my child on Caribbean cruise until she was old enough to get in the pool. Swim diapers are absolutely not allowed (on RCCL). Therefore she was almost 3 and my son was 5. They played in the aqua zone during the day and it was great. We take our kids to main dining room every night and the waiters take care of them with fruit,chicken strips,spaghetti,ice cream. The next year we took them to kids camp after dinner for a few hours and dad and I enjoyed shows,casino,drinks. We picked them up about 10pm each night. Overall it worked out well and our kids are about to embark on their 4 th cruise in March.

 

Well to be "fair" - your diapered infants would have been allowed in the "Baby Splash Zone" on RCI ships (Freedom and Oasis class).

 

So your info is a little misleading to new cruisers reading this. Babies on RCI aren't allowed in the main pools. They ARE allowed in the Baby Splash Zone.

 

 

[Rphgirl]

Yes there is a baby splash zone on the ship. There is about 2 inches of water in this zoned area with all kinds of rules. Older siblings and adults are not supposed to be in this water and need to shower after so that u don't spread any waste from this 2 inches of water. Also my almost 3 year old was not entertained in this 6x6 area and was more than able/capable to run around in the sprays and fountains of the 5 inch deep play area of the entire aqua zone but was not allowed because she had a swim diaper on. We were disappointed that the diaper police chased us off as we thought the whole area was appropriate and allowed for our child when booking the cruise as we're many other families. The baby zone you have pictured is great for a baby/small child but not an energetic 2/3 year old.

[crusinmama06]

Yes there is a baby splash zone on the ship. There is about 2 inches of water in this zoned area with all kinds of rules. Older siblings and adults are not supposed to be in this water and need to shower after so that u don't spread any waste from this 2 inches of water. Also my almost 3 year old was not entertained in this 6x6 area and was more than able/capable to run around in the sprays and fountains of the 5 inch deep play area of the entire aqua zone but was not allowed because she had a swim diaper on. We were disappointed that the diaper police chased us off as we thought the whole area was appropriate and allowed for our child when booking the cruise as we're many other families. The baby zone you have pictured is great for a baby/small child but not an energetic 2/3 year old.

 

And this is why I am correcting you. (Actually the water is 6")

 

People come to these boards for information before they book a cruise. They research. I know I do. At every stage I planned where my kids would be allowed to play and would that be enough for them?

 

So when my youngest was an infant - we did a Disney cruise - but she would have been just as fine on Freedom/Oasis class.

 

We waited until she was 2 AND potty trained to do Carnival so she could use the pools AND camp carnival (they change diapers - not needed for us).

 

When she was 3 - we celebrated her 3rd birthday on Freedom - again - so she could use Adventure Ocean and the entire H2O zone.

 

So I do agree with you - it would be tough to keep an energetic 3 year old in the Baby Splash Zone and out of the rest of the H2O zone. And you say "you didn't know when you booked it". Well that's what these boards are for - to inform the next parent. ;)

 

And the deck patrol were doing their jobs. I wish the other cruise lines would have the same deck patrol.