Cruise With Kids recommendations

[GabbyKeira]

My husband and I have cruised twice without our kids. We're looking to take our kids (18, 11, and 9) in 2019. I would be interested to hear which cruises/itineraries you enjoyed with your children and how did you book your cabins? Thank you

 

 

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[Ashland]

We've enjoyed RCI's Oasis class or Freedom class eastern caribbean. Book two "connecting" cabins and book directly with the cruiseline. That way you'll know and get exactly what you want....if after booking you decide to transfer it to a TA for additional perks you can do that within the 60 day time limit from booking date.

 

Enjoy whatever works for you.

[in2up2]

We've cruised with our kids both in the Caribbean and in Europe (Med and Baltics). They love both experiences. Obviously, the Carib is more about the sun, and ship amenities may matter more. Europe cruises are all about the ports, the history, etc, but in general are also longer, and more expensive. We have always cruised on Celebrity. I answered your question about cabin types on the kids on X thread. If you book with a knowledgeable agent who knows the line and it's fleet, you will get what you want plus the extra perks an agency often offers.

 

 

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[GabbyKeira]

Thank you both so much! I definitely have a soft spot for Celebrity - I appreciate the input!

 

 

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[SuiteTraveler]

The best ships for family cruising are:

 

RCCL

Oasis class

Freedom Class

Quantum Class

 

NCL

Epic

Getaway

Breakaway

Escape

 

Carnival

Magic

Breeze

Vista

 

MSC

Seaside

 

These are the ships that have the most onboard activities, shows and food options to appeal to all ages.

 

In regards to cabins, the cheaper way is usually to get 2 cabins with a connecting door. On NCL there are 2 bedroom suites that also have a fold out sofa in the living room in The Haven that are awesome. RCCL has Royal Family and Aquatheater (on Oasis class) suites which offer multiple bedrooms and bathrooms.

 

I would be hard pressed to choose between the Med and the Caribbean. I love both of these cruises so much but they are so very different. The Med is port intensive. Generally, the ship becomes something of a floating hotel as you are off the ship by 8:30 or 9 each morning and don't come back until around 5pm for dinner and usually to pass out in bed from exhaustion. On 3 Med cruises, I managed to see 2 shows onboard. These Med cruises usually only have 1 sea day. Because of this, it makes sense to choose this cruise based on the ports, not on the ship. Pretty much any cruise ship can make a competent breakfast and dinner. So, you can be more price conscious about a Med cruise which makes sense because the shore excursions will be rather expensive unless you DIY. The Caribbean is, of course a more relaxing cruise where the ship matters more. For that, I tend to want a newer ship with lots of shows, great food and lots of activities onboard as there will be more sea days. Any of the ships I listed above fill the bill.

[GabbyKeira]

That's wonderful information - I think Mediterranean is definitely just a DH and I cruise. I think the Caribbean is an easier first try for them! I'm looking forward to our upcoming cruise March 2018 sans kiddos [emoji6]

 

 

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[SuiteTraveler]

In terms of the ships I listed, the Oasis class are amazing ships. Harmony is the newest and the only one that has waterslides. Oasis and Allure only have flow riders. They all have rock climbing walls, mini golf, sports court, zip line. These ships have some of the best shows at sea - high diving, ice skating, acrobats, a broadway musical, comedy club - you have to make reservations for the shows, but they are really great! The kids clubs are very active. There are a number of specialty restaurants onboard that are well worth trying as well as the MDR and many other free restaurants. These are massive ships and yet they never feel crowded. There is so much to do onboard you cannot do it all in a week, but you will have a great time trying!

 

The NCL ships I listed have a major water slide park topside and a ropes course, bowling, sports court, rock wall climbing, bowling. They have Cirque du Soleil show which costs extra, then there is Burn the Floor (ballroom dancing show) and a Broadway musical. They also have Howl at the Moon (dueling pianos). On NCL, typically people eat in a different restaurant every night. There are 2 MDRs and then a Manhattan Club which is also a MDR but with live entertainment. Of the Specialty restaurants I like Le Bistro, Cagney's and Ocean Blue best. Moderno and Teppanyaki are good for what they are. Sushi is good. We are ALWAYS in The Haven on NCL ships and they have a great spa with the best thermal suite at sea that you can get a spa pass for which is where you will find me pretty much any afternoon. The kids clubs are very active. The Haven includes a The Haven restaurant and this is where we typically eat breakfast and lunch each day (unless I get a lobster roll at Ocean Blue). You can also have dinner in The Haven and it's really good. There is the private pool and also the sundeck - a great place to chill out and read a book. The negative is that the non-Haven areas of the ships do feel a bit crowded and frenetic except for in the thermal suite of the spa.

 

Carnival shows are focused mainly on stand up comedians with 2 rather high school type production shows during the week. They have a piano bar which is fun to go to. I also like their Chef's Table event. Frankly, I think their MDR food has taken a big turn for the worse this past year and we mostly eat at the Steakhouse onboard which costs extra. For breakfast I go to the MDR and for lunch I go to the buffet - usually get a turkey wrap at the deli station and maybe some salad.

 

MSC is a much more sophisticated cruise. This line is out of Italy and the food onboard is Neapolitan. They have an area called the Yacht Club and this is where you would probably want to be on this ship as it is all-inclusive. There is a restaurant for Yacht Club guests, you get butler service and all beverages are included including everything in your mini-bar. The price is more similar to a junior suite on other ships. The shows are some of the absolute best at sea with Broadway caliber performers - including the dancers and they perform a different show every single night. There is usually an opera show one afternoon and it was AMAZING! The casino is non-smoking. There are specialty restaurants onboard this ship including one that serves a tasting menu, however the suite guest restaurant brings in dishes from the specialty restaurants every night, so I never felt the need to pay to eat at any of them, although next time, I'd probably try the one that serves the tasting menu. Within the Yacht club, there is a private pool for suite guests, a large lounge with live music and a bar and a buffet which they refresh every 3 hours with great food. If you let your butler know, you can also get afternoon tea served and they do that right as well. The Seaside has a full scale waterpark onboard.

[SuiteTraveler]

Finally, in terms of Celebrity, these ships are lovely, but there is not much onboard for your kids. There is just a kids club which feels more like an afterthought. Given, when I was growing up and I was on my dad's ship, there was not much to do onboard back then and the "swimming pool" was about the size of a hot tub. I did things like plot the ship's course, identify passing ships, reading books (I worked my way through the ship's library alphabetically and read every book onboard) and I liked going to the MDR for lunch with dad and I'd go back for tea in the afternoon as dinner was later in the evening and I needed a snack. It was on dad's ship that I first ate caviar and got to have some of the crew food which was from all around the globe. Sometimes I'd play cards with some of the passengers or a board game if I was lucky enough to find someone willing to play. One passenger taught me how to crochet when I was 13 and another taught me how to do needlepoint. Sometimes I'd set a goal like climbing every passenger staircase in under an hour or to walk around the promenade deck 20 times and go try to do it, being careful not to disturb passengers. So, I survived without a lot of things for kids to do onboard when often I was the ONLY kid onboard. If your kids are quieter and similarly good at entertaining themselves and into fine dining, I think Celebrity would be a great option for them. It's just that RCCL, NCL, Carnival and even MSC offer so much more in the way of activities for kids.

[GabbyKeira]

Sounds like I found one of the most experienced cruisers on the board to share their experiences. I appreciate the detail and you have really helped us with our planning.

 

I loved the stories about when you were growing up - thank you

[griffy116]

My Grandson grew up cruising on Royal Caribbean cruises. His first was at age 3 and he's now 23 and Diamond on his own status. He has seen the cruises on Royal go from a pool and kid's club to arcades, water slides, rock climbing wall, flow-rider, teen clubs, adult nightclubs, basketball courts and all the bells and whistles. There was always a cousin or a friend on board to hang out with too. He's going with us on our first Celebrity cruise in June and is taking a friend. He's now less interested in the bells and whistles and more interested in the ports and the food. It depends on what you think your kids will be looking for on a cruise. Are they content to hang out at the pool or a kids club or are you looking for plenty of activities for them to enjoy while you chill in an adults only area? It's been too many years since we've sailed on Carnival to comment and we've yet to cruise on Celebrity so my opinion is limited to what they offer on Royal Caribbean ships. LOVE the Freedom class ships.

[GabbyKeira]

I'll definitely check out Royal first. The kids would be content to be by the pool but I'm sure wouldn't complain about Bells and whistles. Thank you for your input!

 

 

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