Children on a Panama Canal Cruise

[BunnyLebowski]

Am very excited to have snagged a Royal Suite on the 15 night Infinity 4/13/15 Panama Canal Eastbound last night. That sailing has been sold out of suites (and balcony cabins for that matter) and this just opened up so am feeling lucky.

 

Am wondering about demographics on the sailing. I'm in my 30's, DH in his 40's and we are bringing DS 10 and DS 12. The itinerary coincides with school vacation where we live so they will only miss a few days of school for this life experience.

 

I'm assuming this longer sailing will skew older, but will ours be the only kids onboard? Would be interested to hear about prior experiences of those who have done similar itineraries in the past. Thanks!

[jelayne]

You may want to ask this question on the roll-call for your cruise that way you can find out from those sailing with you how many are traveling with children.

[Ruthk]

I find that with the longer sailings there is a much older crowd. On our Panama cruise we definitely had lots of senior citizens who were well traveled and interesting to talk to. It was not a partying crowd. I really don't remember any children at all. I only go on longer cruises and must say that I have seen very few children over my years of cruising.

The Panama cruise could be a great learning experience for your 2 children - though who knows if they would like to sit through some of the Panama lectures, but it would be a good holiday, they would learn, and watch, how the canal system works. You got a great suite - go - and have a wonderful cruise.

[teecee60]

Am very excited to have snagged a Royal Suite on the 15 night Infinity 4/13/15 Panama Canal Eastbound last night. That sailing has been sold out of suites (and balcony cabins for that matter) and this just opened up so am feeling lucky.

 

Am wondering about demographics on the sailing. I'm in my 30's, DH in his 40's and we are bringing DS 10 and DS 12. The itinerary coincides with school vacation where we live so they will only miss a few days of school for this life experience.

 

I'm assuming this longer sailing will skew older, but will ours be the only kids onboard? Would be interested to hear about prior experiences of those who have done similar itineraries in the past. Thanks!

 

I was on Infinity for a 14 night Panama Canal cruise 3 years ago, with a very similar itinerary. It was my first cruise with X and it was absolutely wonderful. Average age was 68 with fewer than 20 under the age of 18. The kids club facilities and staff are GREAT even if there are not a lot of kids. ;)

 

Your children are at an almost PERFECT age to make this a life changing experience where they could very easily learn more on your two week cruise than they would in an entire year in school. :cool:

 

MAKE IT an educational experience. Geography, history, oceanography, meteorology, climatology, anthropology, medicine, physics, engineering, economics, international trade, food, customs. Doesn't have to relate just to the canal but to every city, plane, port, terminal, ship, person, profession.

 

Hope you guys have as much fun as I did! ENJOY! :)

[parallax]

I think that you will find there will always be children on a cruise. We have taken our daughter on cruises that are outside spring or summer break (11 night Italian cruise being the last). On one cruise there were 50 to 60 kids and my daughter made friends with a couple other children. I use to fret about these things but they always seem to work out. My guess is there are parents who taking the same approach you are.

[Shake]

On a mid to late April 14 night cruise there more than likely be less than 10, maybe 5 pre teen children. When we did a 15 night Trans Atlantic in November 2013 I remember seeing maybe 3 kids on that cruise.

 

Push your cruise back 2 months say between June and August.

[Cookie77]

We took the Panama Cruise last November and there was a total of ONE child on board. We didn't see any until a few days after the cruise started and we were so surprised to hear happy child like sounds one day at the pool. After that we saw the same child several times and she looked about eight years old. I thought it must be lonely for her but she seemed happy and it looked like her parents did a lot with her.

 

I would guess there might be a few more during spring break time. It is a good idea to check the Roll Call for your specific cruise.

 

Have fun!

[miched]

When I see youths on board it makes me really happy for them that they have the opportunity to do something that I never had the priveledge of experiencing when I was young. Many that I have experienced on board were more polite and better behaved than some adults and I have acknowledged it to the parents.

 

Since you're asking this question I am sure that you are responsonsble parents and also want the best experience for them. Sometimes less is better as they will have more individual contact with the staff and not have to put up with unruly, rude, or pushy children that are more apt to be the rule when there are more that are all competing for the individual attention.

 

X may not have all the bells and whistles of the other ships but this is also your cruise and I think it will be a will be a winner for all.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've done a couple of the two week Panama Canal cruise. The last one (on Princess), we had heard that there were 8 children on board, which sounded about right, by the few we saw. Most were pre-schoolers.

 

This was an early December cruise, so most kids would be in school. Other longer cruises have had from 10 to 40 children/teens. They usually seemed to be having a good time. I agree that your children are at a perfect age for the canal.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Nebr.cruiser

[sunnygidget]

There were only 2 kids on our Panama cruise. Longer cruise, fewer kids. A very senior crowd.

 

One was a young male teen, he seemed to be busy and having fun, acted very adult. A lot of ping pong and pool games, cards, chess, movies, always someone willing to partner, not just his family.

 

The 5 year old girl was having a blast. She became the little darling of the cruise, very mature for her age, very proper, never made a scene (that we saw). Her family was always very close by, but honestly the whole ship watched out for her. Playing games in the water, teaching her card games. It was like a ship full of grandparents, when one got tired another stepped in to play.

 

Both sets of parents laughed and said they almost had to make an appointment to play with the kids themselves. The children never expected anyone to play with them, it just sort of happened.

 

It's never been like that on any of our other cruises. Usually if there is only 3 or 4 kids on board we never really see them much.

[UandMe4Ever]

You may want to ask this question on the roll-call for your cruise that way you can find out from those sailing with you how many are traveling with children.

I agree. The best place to see if there are any children on that cruise is check the Roll Call, even if they are not going to the M&G.... They might even call the line and see if they could give them an idea about how many children/teens are going.

 

Although it's a nice ship, we noticed they are not really geared up for children. They may have some things to keep them busy. It's a long canal day and they might become bored just watching the up and down of the ship passing through the locks.....

 

We've been on many and see very few children, whether 7, 10, 12 or longer cruises.

 

I don't want to sound like a party pooper, just telling the facts as we saw them....

 

Good luck to them with that great Suite!!!

Edited August 31, 2014 by UandMe4Ever

[cruisead]

We've done 4 Panama Canal sailings on Celebrity, and there were less than 5 school age kids on board every one of them. Quite a few infants and toddlers, but the school age kids were all under the age of 9.

[X-elite]

We did B2B Panama Canal cruises on Century last year. Average age was up (given the longer length of the cruises). Perhaps the most wheelchairs I've seen on a cruise ship (sort of the way my folks describe their typical HAL cruises). Only a handful of children as well (also typical on longer cruises). The OP's sons are old enough that they will remember the canal transit; however, I hope the number of sea days isn't too boring for them.

[warmwinds]

On our PC cruise there were exactly 3 kids on board - an infant, her 5 yo brother, and another 8 yo. I asked the parents how their kids were enjoying the cruise, and both said the kids LOVED it because even though it was just them, they had the full attention of the counselors (and since both were virtually only children - one because she was, and the other with only an infant to interact with - they were used to be alone and had no problems.)

[parallax]

I always wonder where people get these numbers. The only place that will give you an accurate count is from the staff of the kid's club. There are always more kids on board than one thinks. It is also important to remember this cruise will also be over many peoples' spring break. There will be like minded parents.

[alcpa1]

We were on the Infinity last March and there were about a dozen teenagers on the ship. They came from Canada, the US, and several South American countries. They were so intrigued by the locks and dams and many of us watched them enjoy the transits as much as we did. They also played a lot of ping pong and hit the afternoon ice cream venue daily.

I am guessing that your cruise will leave from California so your children can experience Mexico and the Canal.

If you overnight, or stop in Colon, use caution and don't let them venture beyond the port gates alone. It's a fairly seedy neighborhood. It may also prove to be a cultural awareness experience too.

[miched]

I always wonder where people get these numbers. The only place that will give you an accurate count is from the staff of the kid's club. There are always more kids on board than one thinks. It is also important to remember this cruise will also be over many peoples' spring break. There will be like minded parents.

 

Ask the captain or any officer. They get a manifest and post it in the bridge that lists how many children, and also the number of passengers plus the count of what country they are from. Plus no shows.

 

You can also ask the Captain club rep about how many Elite and etc are on board, and they can also tell you how many are celebrating a birthday and etc.

 

Happy cruisng 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited September 1, 2014 by miched

[travln1234]

Thank you for asking this question. I've been wondering the same thing. Celebrity has the itinerary I am most interested in and I will be taking my almost 10 year old (in 2016).

Edited September 7, 2014 by travln1234