NCL Epic - Med with 5-Year-Olds

[TwinMom123]

Hello, all! I have greatly appreciated reading so many reviews of the different tours and excursions, and reading different opinions on the "must-see" attractions in each city.

 

My family is cruising from Barcelona on 6/26/16. We are a total of 9 but my husband and our 5-year-old twins will be doing plenty on our own. I am wondering if anyone else has taken this cruise with young children, and what the best plan of action may be? I want to see as much as possible but 9-hour excursions will not be the way to go. My children are well-behaved but like other kids their age, they need to stay entertained to be happy. We travel with them often and they are familiar with some of the landmarks we are planning to see (thrilled to see Pisa!), but I am holding out hope that someone else has taken this cruise and can provide some guidance on how to make it enjoyable and well-executed!

 

I appreciate any tips! We will have Grandma for some babysitting, but I know the kids will wear her out and I don't want to depend on that too much. Leaving them in Splash Academy is only an option for me if we are hopping right off the boat and staying nearby, which I realize isn't ideal in most of these ports.

 

TIA for any help!

[nadeki]

we did the Baltics when my kids were 2 and 4 and did not do many tours....a few years later we did this Med trip on the Epic...such a difference. We did private tours and told the driver each day we did not need to see it all. Before we arrived we suggested they know where a park is to play. There seem to be a lot more parks in Europe and the kids loved them! There was a really great one in Rome overlooking the city and I am sorry I don't know the name. It was where the shoot of a cannon each day at noon if they are not at war!

 

At five years old I imagine your kids are going to fall asleep in the transportation.

 

You will have fun just can't push it too hard. Plan your meals accordingly as they are just kids and can't sit for two hours.

[TwinMom123]

we did the Baltics when my kids were 2 and 4 and did not do many tours....a few years later we did this Med trip on the Epic...such a difference. We did private tours and told the driver each day we did not need to see it all. Before we arrived we suggested they know where a park is to play. There seem to be a lot more parks in Europe and the kids loved them! There was a really great one in Rome overlooking the city and I am sorry I don't know the name. It was where the shoot of a cannon each day at noon if they are not at war!

 

At five years old I imagine your kids are going to fall asleep in the transportation.

 

You will have fun just can't push it too hard. Plan your meals accordingly as they are just kids and can't sit for two hours.

 

Nadeki, thank you! I figured private was the way to go here. Did you book in advance? We were in Hawaii pre-kids and when we got off the ship we found a private driver and had the best experience! She took us swimming in caves, to a local restaurant, and spent the day showing us so many things we would have never found on a ship tour. I am crossing my fingers that we can get this lucky again...but is it better to book in advance? Thanks for your advice, especially on the food. My kids are the King&Queen of snacks!

[BirdTravels]

The challenge will be is that those 9 hour tours a long since the ports are very far from the main cities (especially in morning and afternoon traffic). So, even with a private tour, if you want to get to the major cities, it will be long ride (e.g., to a park overlooking Rome).

 

Do your homework. Decide what you want to see (even with a drive by) and schedule in kid time.

[GORDONCHICK]

The best and most reputable/recommended independent tour guides will already be booked and not hanging out at a port hoping to snag a gig in Europe. I would definitely suggest booking in advance. Head over to the Europe board and check out each of your ports of call and look for recommendations and ideas of what you'd like to see and do.

 

I find traveling with children (my DS is now 15, but we've traveled with him since he was 2.5), planning things like this in advance is a good idea, but leaving extra time for spontaneous things is good, too (like playing in a park or grabbing gelato). Early bedtimes on a port-intensive cruise is important as well - helps keep some of those meltdowns at bay.

[Dramamamahil]

I am doing this cruise with my 6 and 9 year olds in July. I planned a bunch of kid friendly independent tours. I can give you my plans and the tour companies we used if you'd like!

[TwinMom123]

I am doing this cruise with my 6 and 9 year olds in July. I planned a bunch of kid friendly independent tours. I can give you my plans and the tour companies we used if you'd like!

 

I would absolutely love that! Thank you!

[Dramamamahil]

I'm taking the cruise leaving on 7/6 from Rome so I don't have rome excursions planned as we are touring Rome prior to the cruise. There are plenty of child friendly Vatican or Coliseum tours if you google that.

 

Florence - Exclusive Pisa & Florence tour with Discovery Tours (this one is a long tour that's particularly kid focused but seeing David and the toper in pisa were important to me! Our kids are too young to climb pisa though.)

 

Cannes - Scents and Tastes of the French Riviera with Private Shore Trips (I'm excited about this tour! We are visiting a candy factory, olive oil factory, and perfume factory.)

 

Barcelona - Dragon Hunt, Family Orientation to the Gothic Quarter with Context tours - this one is specifically for kids and only 2 hours.

 

Naples –Child Friendly Tour with AP Tours (visiting ruins, making pizza and gelato. We are not going to Pompeii because it is supposedly very hot with no shade available and a bit of a ride to get there so we decided it wasn't really kid friendly and are seeing Herculaneum instead)

 

In Marseille we just plan to go to Aix en Provence to visit the Market in the AM and then have lunch.

[nadeki]

We booked all our tours with romecabs.com...then we could communicate ahead of time. They were fantastic. We do not try to push too much in a day and they were surprised when around 3PM we would say enough. This cruise we did not use the kids club at all as they did not need more stimulation!

 

Cannes: Great little beach and train ride as you exit the tender

 

Naples: Pompeii....miserable with kids and heat! Sorrento was cuter for walking around

 

Pisa: well the tower was the best part

 

Palma: we walked to a local mall and they had fun stuffed animals for the kids to ride around on ( for a fee.)

 

It is a different trip when kids are along but when you are powered by nutella and gelato it is doable.

[TwinMom123]

I'm taking the cruise leaving on 7/6 from Rome so I don't have rome excursions planned as we are touring Rome prior to the cruise. There are plenty of child friendly Vatican or Coliseum tours if you google that.

 

Florence - Exclusive Pisa & Florence tour with Discovery Tours (this one is a long tour that's particularly kid focused but seeing David and the toper in pisa were important to me! Our kids are too young to climb pisa though.)

 

Cannes - Scents and Tastes of the French Riviera with Private Shore Trips (I'm excited about this tour! We are visiting a candy factory, olive oil factory, and perfume factory.)

 

Barcelona - Dragon Hunt, Family Orientation to the Gothic Quarter with Context tours - this one is specifically for kids and only 2 hours.

 

Naples –Child Friendly Tour with AP Tours (visiting ruins, making pizza and gelato. We are not going to Pompeii because it is supposedly very hot with no shade available and a bit of a ride to get there so we decided it wasn't really kid friendly and are seeing Herculaneum instead)

 

In Marseille we just plan to go to Aix en Provence to visit the Market in the AM and then have lunch.

 

Thank you so much for your help!!! I appreciate all of the details. I may follow your plan almost exactly :)

[TwinMom123]

We booked all our tours with romecabs.com...then we could communicate ahead of time. They were fantastic. We do not try to push too much in a day and they were surprised when around 3PM we would say enough. This cruise we did not use the kids club at all as they did not need more stimulation!

 

Cannes: Great little beach and train ride as you exit the tender

 

Naples: Pompeii....miserable with kids and heat! Sorrento was cuter for walking around

 

Pisa: well the tower was the best part

 

Palma: we walked to a local mall and they had fun stuffed animals for the kids to ride around on ( for a fee.)

 

It is a different trip when kids are along but when you are powered by nutella and gelato it is doable.

 

RomeCabs.com looks great - thank you!!!

[Dramamamahil]

Thank you so much for your help!!! I appreciate all of the details. I may follow your plan almost exactly :)

 

Since you are doing it the week before I do, I hope it goes well and you'll have to report back so I can make last minute changes!!

[TwinMom123]

Since you are doing it the week before I do, I hope it goes well and you'll have to report back so I can make last minute changes!!

 

Sounds great!! I will do that :)