Youngest age a child can enjoy a cruise?

[rayswoman]

My son was barely 3 when we took him with us for the first time on the Conquest. He talked about it afterward nonstop for 15 months until we took him again in February (at age 4). He can't wait for the next one.

 

He was glued to our sides for the entire cruise. We had fun, he had fun, and he remembered it too.

 

The important thing is that your daughter is with you. I'm sure she would have a great time. I know some parents go on vacation to "get rid of the kids", but there are plenty who spend the whole time with the family and enjoy every minute.

 

I think your daughter will have fun too, as long as she's with you!

 

Rebecca

[Jenna1983]

I vote for 21 LOL

 

In all reality, my parents had booked us on a cruiseline the year after we had our first "real" vacation to Disney World. We would've been 9 & 12. However, the cruise line disbanded before it really ever got off the ground. It was basically geared towards kids.

[AnsJMc]

We took our son on his first at 4 and a few months. It was do-able. And he spent a lot of time at camp carnival.

[L2J]

When they are a) Old enough to book one themselves and b)have a job and can pay for it themselves.

[halos]

When they are a) Old enough to book one themselves and b)have a job and can pay for it themselves.

 

LOL!!

That's exactly what I said until I caved...... :o ..well technically, my DH caved. He booked it. Who was I to refuse???? ;)

[L2J]

LOL!!

That's exactly what I said until I caved...... :o ..well technically, my DH caved. He booked it. Who was I to refuse???? ;)

 

I need to have a chit chat with your DH ;):p

[waterrats]

I'm 33. Anyone want to adopt me for a week of cruising?

 

 

 

I have a 3 and 6 yo. We were trying to figure out the best age to take the 6yo. We want to still party at night but don't want to be parenting too much during the day. At what age is good to let them run around by themselves with little supervision? When she does cruise, we will be bringing Grandma along to help watch. We figure if we are paying for the cruise, she can't complain about how much she will have to watch her.

[ElCruiso]

Many just turn em loose as soon as they board and collect them up in 7 days. You''ll find em in the hot tubs , playing on the elevators, throwing food in the buffett and swimming in the adult only pool, as well as sneeking in and out of the Casino. I can't even imagine a summer cruise, OMG !!!!!!! :eek:

[hods93]

We are taking my son who is 12 on his third cruise this summer. We also have a four year old daughter who is also joining us. My children do not go in hot tubs, throw food or play on elevators. My children behave the way my husband and I do in a polite respectful manner. Perhaps the children referred to belong to the adults that are drunk by noon or the ones smoking in non-smoking areas or maybe the ones that are using language that would make your hair curl. I feel bad for my kids that they need see this.

 

I do realize that these adults are in a small minority. Please do not judge all children by the actions of a few. My kids love cruising. It is a time for us to be together as a family, no phones and few interuptions. My children do not run wild. We eat together, swim and have fun. While expensive, cruising is a great family vacation. Carnival is a terrific choice for families. :)

 

Lee Anne

[L2J]

Perhaps the children referred to belong to the adults that are drunk by noon or the ones smoking in non-smoking areas or maybe the ones that are using language that would make your hair curl.

 

What does one have to do with the other?:rolleyes:

[hods93]

Sometimes it is not just kids that are poster children for bad behavior.:)

 

 

Lee Anne

[vital1]

My son was 3 1/2 on his first cruise. It was a family reunion cruise so he had a lot of attention. We were on Celebrity Century. I took him to the "family night" dance in the early evening at the disco and he had a blast dancing with others his age. He went to the children's club on the sea days and cried when I came to get him. We went on a dolphin excursion and he was scared of the dolphins splashing him, but he still got in the water with them.

 

Just us 2 are going on a cruise July 2nd and he'll be 5 1/2 yrs old. He's already wanting to meet "new friends on the big boat". He remembers the activities and also wanted to go on another dolphin swim. Yes, we are going in Cozumel. (what can I say, he's my only child:o )

 

All of that said, I also agree that it depends on the child. He was potty trained and had taken swimming lessons prior to the cruise. We had a great time and I hope we have a better time in a FEW days! If the child is a problem on land, it just might be more of a problem at sea.

[glrounds]

her first sentence was "big boat out there", which she said in our cabin just after we boarded.

 

A little off topic but just have to relate this story.

 

I was on the PRIDE 2 weeks ago. PRIDE's supper club is called David's and has a huge statue of Michelangelo's David in the center of it, as anatomically perfect as Michelangelo can get. :D

 

I was riding in the elevator when a man I had played poker with stepped into the elevator. He had his little daughter age about 4 with him. As we were riding down to the Atrium, his gorgeous daughter looked up at her Father and asked, "Are we going to have dinner in the PEE PEE room again tonight, Daddy ?" :D

 

I thought I was going to die . . . . the whole elevator cracked up . . . .

 

"From the mouths of babes . . . "

[OJulie67]

We took our oldest daughter on her first cruise last year at age 5. She still talks about it and really loves cruising...We had a wonderful time. She had her 2nd cruise this year and enjoyed it as well...BUT,

We took our 22 month old this year as well. She got very little out of it...and it was a whole lot more work for us!:rolleyes: If I had it to do over again, she would have stayed home with Auntie again. I missed being able to go out to the casino, and the clubs etc...as well as enjoying our meals slowly.

Our oldest loves the kids clubs, so she constantly wanted to be with her new friends...the baby wasn't old enough for the clubs...which called for VERY early nights in for us.

I say, unless your fine with going to bed early and not going to any night time activities...Go for it. Otherwise, leave baby with Grandma or auntie and have a nice relaxing vacation with your hubby!!

[The Cruisers]

My wife and I have talked about this very subject. We have a DD that is almost 2. We want her to enjoy the cruising experience with us, but we decided that she needs to a least be 5 before she goes on her first cruise with us. We want her to be at an age that she can remember her first cruise. Plus now she is at the clingy stage where she will only go or stay with a few people, so if we took her now, we wouldn't get much enjoyment out of the cruise. So our DD will have to wait a while before she goes with us, but once she gets to that certain age, she will come with us (unless the DW wants a getaway with just us).