Nervous about taking kids on cruise for first time

[FSU Girl]

I want to make sure the kids have a good time. It’s not their first cruise, but it’s my first time taking kids on a cruise so it’ll be a completely different vacation than just adults on a cruise. They are two girls 9 and 14 and it’ll be their first time on Harmony of the Seas. They are used to Disney cruises so I want to make sure I do everything I can to make sure they have a good time. It’s over the 4th of July holiday so I’m guessing the cruise will be really crowded. What will be the best time to take them to the kids club? I’ve read they can get filled to capacity and I know they’d be sad to be turned away.

 

Is there anything I should plan on doing for them? I’ve signed up for all the shows, but we have three sea days so there will be a lot of down time. Is there a particular pool that’s good for kids? The younger one is very adventurous so I know she’d like to do the zip line and slides. Do I need to sign up for that before the cruise?

 

Just feeling a little anxious and any tips are welcome :)

[Grandma Dazzles]

Before getting the kids excited/psyched up about things they can do, check the height and weight requirements. Zip line I think is 52" in height and must weigh 75 pounds; might be tough for the 9-year-old. Also, assume you know they will be in different age groups in Adventure Ocean.

[micmacmissy]

Oh my gosh - you are not going to have ANYTHING to worry about. Aside from the kids clubs (stop there on first day and get them registered, you should have no problem getting them in after that), there is plenty to do - they will not be bored!

 

Prebook your entertainment in advance to avoid waiting in line or being shut out. Kids will love the aquatheatre and ice rink shows - and possibly the main theatre shows, depending on what they are.

 

You will need to sign waivers for rockwall and zipline - you can do that before you get on the cruise. ***Be sure to bring closed-toe shoes for zip line and long pants if they want to ice-skate...flip flops/shorts are a no-go***

 

There are parades in the promenade, stuff going on in the Boardwalk area (we went for Easter and they had special Easter activities - I'm sure they will for the 4th of July, too). Mini golf, flow rider (which is fun to watch even if you're too chicken to try). Seriously...they're going to have a blast and nothing to worry about!

[papaflamingo]

We did a family cruise with our 2 sons and their families. Our grandkids are 12-7 (four boys and a girl). We were on Oasis. Due to weather we only had 2 port stops, so 4 days at sea. The 12 year old spent his days on the stand up Flow rider and was doing 360's by the end of the week with a few forays to the rock climbing wall and zip line. The 7 year olds spent their days in the kids pool (yes, they have a GREAT kids pool on board). The 11 year old granddaughter and 10 year old grandson did a variety of things, flow rider, rock climbing, miniature golf, sunning on the balcony. We all enjoyed dinners and shows as a family, then the 12 year old headed to the teen club where he met a number of kids. In the evenings, the other kids had their Ipads for games, did school work, or played board games. No one wanted to even bother with the Kids program. That was their choice. Most kids, from what I read, love the kids program. We did this cruise in Oct. and the kids still talk about it and are always asking when we're going again. So, bottom line, your kids are going to LOVE it! No worries. LOTS to do. And lots of kids to hang out with.

[ONECRUISER]

Before getting the kids excited/psyched up about things they can do, check the height and weight requirements. Zip line I think is 52" in height and must weigh 75 pounds; might be tough for the 9-year-old. Also, assume you know they will be in different age groups in Adventure Ocean.

Didn't even think about that. Fortunately my granddaughter is 8, 55" and 89#, and enjoyed the Zip line. Hopefully OP kids are same...

[Grandma Dazzles]

Didn't even think about that. Fortunately my granddaughter is 8, 55" and 89#, and enjoyed the Zip line. Hopefully OP kids are same...

 

Lucky! I only mentioned so that OP did not disappoint kids. Average height/weight for an 8-year-old is 50" and 58 pounds and a 10-year-old is 54" and 72 pounds according to the charts I have. I know how strict they are especially with the zip line because of insurance requirements. Hopefully OP will be okay, as they won't "fudge."

[gerif]

Make sure they go to Adventure Ocean the first night to meet the other kids in their group. This is where initial friendships form. No one wants to be the new kid later in the week.

[FSU Girl]

The 9 year old is really tall for her age so I think she’s over that height restriction. We looked on the website at a few things she’d like to try and she noticed some had age restrictions so she won’t be disappointed when we get on the ship.

 

All these responses are great to hear and make me feel a lot better

[calbma13]

Make sure they go to Adventure Ocean the first night to meet the other kids in their group. This is where initial friendships form. No one wants to be the new kid later in the week.

 

Any idea what time on the first night they meet at Adventure Ocean?

[gerif]

Any idea what time on the first night they meet at Adventure Ocean?

No but it will be listed on the cruise compass in your cabin when you board.

[melski]

Any idea what time on the first night they meet at Adventure Ocean?

 

First night opens at 8 pm. The other nights AO opens at 7pm.

[Grandma Dazzles]

The 9 year old is really tall for her age so I think she’s over that height restriction. We looked on the website at a few things she’d like to try and she noticed some had age restrictions so she won’t be disappointed when we get on the ship.

 

All these responses are great to hear and make me feel a lot better

For the zip line they are really strict on weight - otherwise they won't let her try. Have fun! For ice skating kids will need long pants and full socks.

[FSU Girl]

For the zip line they are really strict on weight - otherwise they won't let her try. Have fun! For ice skating kids will need long pants and full socks.

Thanks! Long pants and socks probably wouldn’t have been on my packing list for a Caribbean cruise in the summer lol

[uksimonusa]

Our daughters first cruise was when she was 5 on the Sovereign. She had so much fun, begged us to let her stay for late night at the kids club every night and enjoyed the ports. She's now done 30 + on the smaller and bigger ships and is still excited to be joining us on Oasis in April at age 23 and in Med School. She is also an FSU Girl, Class of 2016.

[andrew2346]

With those ages HOTS is going to blow Disney out of the water. You have nothing to worry about. My kids were on the Fantasy and then the Anthem. No comparison lol : ) Enjoy!

[lbjen]

We went on Oasis the week after 4th July last year. The pools were crowded on sea days but deserted on port days, we got to really enjoy them on those days. We didn’t find the rest of the ship to be crowded at all. The windjammer would get busy if you went for a late breakfast or lunch, but you can easily avoid that by going earlier.

 

The kids club for your 14 year old has much shorter daytime hours than the one for your 9 year old. The meet and greet on Day 1 for the teens was at 8pm for an hour.

[tanyaewa]

My kids have been on 6+ cruises on various cruise lines and have never ever ever had a boring day. And they don’t do kids clubs....