Is 'Celebrity' any good for children?

[wallie5446]

Looking at ideas for next year and I fancy trying Celebrity however we shall be taking our 11 and 14 year old and need to choose a line that they will enjoy too. Have sailed on Cunard & P&O before but without children.

 

We took our kids on Celebrity the 1st time in 1994, at 12 & 16, when there were not the wonderful 'kids' programs of today. They have also sailed on Cunard, HAL, NCL, & RCCL. The DD went to work on ship for RCCL in 2004, her last sailing with us was on the Freedom in 2011.

Our Son last sailed with us in 1999. Celebrity is still their favorite.

[camella]

My daughter grew up on Celebrity. We have taken RCCL and Celebrity both and she enjoyed Celebrity much more. She is now in college and we have cruised on Celebrity with her for the past 18 years. She actually didn't like RCCL because the food was awful and the teens club was ages 12-17, which is a huge range! I will tell you that she mentioned the last time we went, she was 17 at the time, that she made a mistake not going to the kid's club the first day, because after that first day, everyone is kind of paired off with their little groups. Other than that, she loves Celebrity! Hope this helps.

[dkjretired]

Clearly this is your opinion. Posting it repeatedly doesn't make it true. I really wish you would stop posting your opinion as fact.

 

My kids love Celebrity and rank it as their favourite. That doesn't make the best line for all kids.

 

Exactly and as I noted in an earlier post, the only ones who complain are those who have never taken a child on a Celebrity Cruise.

 

Sort of like someone asking the poster did you go on that snorkeling trip in Bermuda and answering, no that's a terrible trip but I've never been on it.

Edited September 14, 2015 by dkjretired

[wallie5446]

Ya know, the more I ponder over this question and read the comments, I have come to yet another concept.

 

Celebrity is good for Parents that take their kids. It helps us teach them a few of the very basic rules of manners and how to conduct themselves in public. Because there are not the built in all day n evening places to 'dump' them like other lines. Just a thought. I know return you to my normal non thinking self!:rolleyes::D

[Gaynors]

We've been sailing with our kids since they were 18 months old and they've been on Celebrity, Costa, NCL, RCI, MSC, and Princess. They are now 12 and 14. If you asked them, Celebrity is their favorite, even as pre teen and teenager. Yes, they enjoy all the bells and whistles of the big RCI ships but can also relax and enjoy themselves on Celebrity.

 

It all depends on your kids needs and what your expectations are. Just printed out our Xpress pass today for our 1st "S"class sailing on the Silhouette for Thanksgiving and I know the kids are almost as excited as I am :eek::D.

[dkjretired]

Ya know, the more I ponder over this question and read the comments, I have come to yet another concept.

 

Celebrity is good for Parents that take their kids. It helps us teach them a few of the very basic rules of manners and how to conduct themselves in public. Because there are not the built in all day n evening places to 'dump' them like other lines. Just a thought. I know return you to my normal non thinking self!:rolleyes::D

 

You are so correct, just the dining concept. When our kids started to cruise I believe they were 8 and 10. At the time they enforced the dining dress across the whole ship and if you did not dress up you were basically stuck with room service for your evening meal as there were no other options. They learned manners, were dressed nicely and consequently we have some great pictures of our family. At least once my son and I rented tuxes.

 

I am not advocating this now because times have changed but just commenting on Wallie's post.

[Queen of Oakville]

Going a bit off topic here ... but I don't think that a cruise is the time to teach manners; it's the time for children to practice what they have been taught at home, all year long. My children know how to behave in the MDR because we take them to nice restaurants all year long. My children know how to sit through/enjoy/appreciate a production show, because we take them to see live theatre at home.

 

 

For the child that enjoys dressing up, enjoys the entertainment, enjoys quiet relaxation time, enjoys adult interaction, prefers smaller group environments, enjoys good food, appreciates good service, etc. - Celebrity can be a wonderful cruising experience.

 

For the child that wants to be screaming amongst 400 other children, eat a quick dinner and get picked up by counsellors so they can rush off to the kids clubs, craves the activities like ziplining, waterslides etc, has not yet discovered their inside voice - Celebrity would not be the best fit.

 

But we can have the same discussion about adults. The adult that wants to be the first to sign up for the belly-flop contest, hairy leg contest, and getting drunk by 10AM, insisting on wearing what they want when they want .... might be better suited to another line other than celebrity.

 

 

I'm the first person to stand up and say what an awesome cruise line Celebrity is for families, especially MY family; but that doesn't make it the best cruise line for all families.

[Queen of Oakville]

You are so correct, just the dining concept. When our kids started to cruise I believe they were 8 and 10. At the time they enforced the dining dress across the whole ship and if you did not dress up you were basically stuck with room service for your evening meal as there were no other options. They learned manners, were dressed nicely and consequently we have some great pictures of our family. At least once my son and I rented tuxes.

 

I am not advocating this now because times have changed but just commenting on Wallie's post.

 

 

I agree Don. My kids started cruising even younger (I think they were 2 and 3). They have a strong appreciation for the dress code. They look forward to cruising so they can have those opportunities to dress up. When my son was 7, he requested a tuxedo for his birthday because he wanted to look his very best on our cruises. Even at home, when going somewhere new, he will ask me about the dress code for the location/event, and if I tell him "formal, smart-casual etc." he knows exactly what clothes to pick out from his closet.

[norwegianwood57]

Clearly this is your opinion. Posting it repeatedly doesn't make it true. I really wish you would stop posting your opinion as fact.

 

My kids love Celebrity and rank it as their favourite. That doesn't make the best line for all kids.

 

And posting your diatribe does not make it so , either.

 

Celebrity is NOT the best line for kids.

[dkjretired]

And posting your diatribe does not make it so , either.

 

Celebrity is NOT the best line for kids.

 

It's just like food depends on the child and besides, that was not the question asked..

[Queen of Oakville]

And posting your diatribe does not make it so , either.

 

Celebrity is NOT the best line for kids.

 

 

You clearly do not understand what I am saying.

 

You are saying, firmly, that Celebrity is NOT the best line for kids.

 

I am saying, it depends on the child. Clearly, by the numerous responses on this thread and others, Celebrity is the best line for SOME kids.

 

You seem to THINK you know what ALL children want/need. The flaw in your thinking is that not all children are the same.

[wallie5446]

Looking at ideas for next year and I fancy trying Celebrity however we shall be taking our 11 and 14 year old and need to choose a line that they will enjoy too. Have sailed on Cunard & P&O before but without children.

 

I hope thru all the 'fun' we were able to shed a bit of lite :eek: on the subject and be of some kind of help.:D

[ShakeDaddy]

http://experience.usatoday.com/cruise/story/best-of-cruising/2014/02/17/10-cruise-ships-sure-to-please-kids/5558913/

 

Not real surprising that Celebrity is nowhere to be found in the top 10 for kids.

 

Posters here want their children to like Celebrity but they don't. AND kids want their parents to like Disney, RCCL and NCL but they don't :rolleyes:

 

Bottom line, who pays the bill?? :D

[wallie5446]

http://experience.usatoday.com/cruise/story/best-of-cruising/2014/02/17/10-cruise-ships-sure-to-please-kids/5558913/

 

 

 

Posters here want their children to like Celebrity but they don't. :D

 

Ahhhh, I must have missed those post.:confused:

[ginak1112]

http://experience.usatoday.com/cruise/story/best-of-cruising/2014/02/17/10-cruise-ships-sure-to-please-kids/5558913/

 

Not real surprising that Celebrity is nowhere to be found in the top 10 for kids.

 

Posters here want their children to like Celebrity but they don't. AND kids want their parents to like Disney, RCCL and NCL but they don't :rolleyes:

 

Bottom line, who pays the bill?? :D

 

 

My husband and I love RCCL, Princess, Celebrity and NCL along with Celebrity and other lines as do my kids (although they are 21 and 25 now). My daughter celebrated her 1st bday on a RCCL ship! We cruise different lines for different reasons. Celebrity is my last choice to sail on in the Caribbean and my first choice to sail on in Europe. Not much excitement on Celebrity in the Caribbean but it's perfect for a port itinerary cruise in Europe. IMO of course.

[Gaynors]

http://experience.usatoday.com/cruise/story/best-of-cruising/2014/02/17/10-cruise-ships-sure-to-please-kids/5558913/

 

Not real surprising that Celebrity is nowhere to be found in the top 10 for kids.

 

Posters here want their children to like Celebrity but they don't. AND kids want their parents to like Disney, RCCL and NCL but they don't :rolleyes:

 

Bottom line, who pays the bill?? :D

 

Yes, it is true I pay the bill.. but if you walked up to my kids and asked them their favorite cruise line they would say Celebrity. They have been on RCCL and know the difference. We have twice (as a family) chosen Celebrity over NCL to go to Bermuda and the kids knew the difference in the ships.

 

Not all kids (and adults too..) need to have lots of bells and whistles to make it an enjoyable vacation. We've done both types of cruises and prefer Celebrity as a family and I'm pretty sure we are not the only ones ;);).

[dkjretired]

http://experience.usatoday.com/cruise/story/best-of-cruising/2014/02/17/10-cruise-ships-sure-to-please-kids/5558913/

 

Not real surprising that Celebrity is nowhere to be found in the top 10 for kids.

 

Posters here want their children to like Celebrity but they don't. AND kids want their parents to like Disney, RCCL and NCL but they don't :rolleyes:

 

Bottom line, who pays the bill?? :D

 

I don't understand your statement, believe I know what my kids liked when they were young and now that they are older, they still love Celebrity.

 

I don't go along with these surveys because too often they go by reputation. Celebrity always had this reputation of not being good for kids but that is from people who don't have a clue about reality. Celebrity still tops the list of most cruise lines in food which reflects their reputation from the Michel Roux area but having been around then, the food is not the same as it was 20 years ago.

[Queen of Oakville]

Yup, the author of that article for USA today offers no information on what data he used to compile his list. It doesn't look like it was based on any survey or fact. The article is based on what the author believes would make for an enjoyable vacation for most families.

 

The best evidence comes from families whose children have sailed on multiple lines and are in the best position to rank their favourites based on their actual sailing experiences.

 

For my kids it would be ranked by them (based on their actual sailing experience) as:

1. Celebrity

2. HAL

3. Royal

4. Disney

5. Carnival

 

We are sailing on Oasis with friends in 2016 on a group cruise. When I told my kids (who are spoiled to say the least!); they asked if we could go on our own and sail Celebrity or HAL instead. So here's a case of them going on a sailing because I'm paying the bill, and they sail where I book :D