Do you cruise with your children?

[isujim]

Empty nesters now...........they have been on cruises with us.........but one is 35 and one 30...........now it is just us. until we breakdown and take those grandkids.........(yes that will be coming soon)

[maurick]

We took our Twin DS and DD when they were 6 on first cruise. We waited till they could attend the children programs. Now, they are young adults and have cruised with friends the last 2 yrs and still go with us at times.

[CruisinMommas]

On our first cruise almost 20 years ago took the DDs on a Disney cruise. What with college and weddings cruises stopped. Now we are empty nesters. We got back to cruising and I would one day like to take a family cruise once the grandkids get some age on them. I do not want to be the Nana nanny on the ship. I want to enjoy all the goings on.

[Maxiecat3]

Our first cruise 3 yrs ago was a short 5 day cruise to see if we would like it. My DD was 16 and DS was 13. They loved it some much we went last year for my DD HS graduation and are going next year for my DS HS graduation. My son is already planning our cruise for 2009 which will fall into my DD college graduation. Shortly though, the kids will be on their own and it wil be much harder to do a family vacation together. Down the road, after marriages, I would love to travel together again (With them covering their end).

[andnickali]

We are fortunate to have a wonderful Godmother that watches our kids so we can get away once a year. She has kept the kids 3 times and we've gone on a cruise each time.

 

Last January we took the kids for the first time (and of course they loved it) and as long as we can continue to find good deals we will take them when we can. I think taking a cruise can be less expensive than a local beach vacation!

[CaptData]

I took my DS and his bride on a honeymoon cruise. My DD is getting married on board the Freedom. I paid for both cruises, ut they paid/pays for on board expense.

 

I'm taking my two eldest grandchildren as well, DDs of the bridal couple. They girls are 5 and 9. I'll bring the other two grandchildren and their mom and dad, they are 1 and 2 but I will wait until they are school aged. Most of the time I travel by myself.

[TonyaJune]

We love to cruise with our daughter who will be 17 years old in a couple of weeks, but my husband and I also enjoy cruising alone. That's why we are we are cruising to Bermuda alone for our anniversary in 10 days, but taking our daughter with us when we cruise on the Freedom in November.

[cruisebabe43]

When our kids were small, our vacations consisted of going to Grandmas! (No money!!!) Now that they and our bank account have grown, we travel alone. Did my part--raised my kids--love them, but they are adults and if they want to cruise, they can earn the money for it themselves, just like we did!

Cruising is for hubby and myself to enjoy!

 

You said exactly what I have been thinking and trying to communicate to others that think we should bring the kids. This is something for me and hubby to enjoy!

[Sheffie]

As CB and other said, we didn't have the $$ to cruise when the kids were growing up. It was camping trips for us! Now that they have grown up we are lucky enough to be able to cruise once a year. I thought about taking the grandkids and my DH said to bring a picture of them! We do enjoy our time together!

[sharpie13]

Yes we travel and cruise with our children. Our boys, now 19 and 17 have been on 4 cruises with us. We have one rule, that they dress and attend dinner in the dinning room with us each and every evening. We find this a perfect time to share the experiences of the day. We have never had a problem or incident and they have always had fun on both shore excursions with the family or with their peers on board. Earlier this year we put together a group of four families for an Alaskan cruise, 8 total youth members, boys and girls ages 14-20 and again had no problems. They all dressed for the formal nights, yes they looked at it as sort of a prom with a bunch of friends and had a blast on the trip. All 16 of us are getting together for a barbecue this weekend to share pictures.

[debs1204]

I have 2 boys aged 11 and 9 and no we dont take them with us on cruises. We treat our yearly cruise as our "quality" together and I feel it does your relationship wonders to have that special "child free" time. Me and my husband are both on our second marriages so when we cruise my children are well cared for at their Dad's, thus giving them quality time together as well as us having quality time together - so everyone's happy.:D

 

To make sure the children dont miss out we always take them on a land holiday and make sure we do the things they want to do.....

 

I do miss them when we're away and I'm always very excited about coming home to see them, they cant wait to see us either, first words are normally "what did you buy us??" !!!!!!! :D

[zuscruiserz]

3 cruises with kids, 3 without. But believe me, we still get our family vacations in even if they don't cruise with us! We generally do 2 large vacations per year with various long weekends and holidays spent camping or at the beach. Next year's Freedom cruise is (of course) with our kids! Can't wait (but trying to squeeze a short 4 dayer in w/DH only before then :D ).

 

Edited to note - and at 16 each girl can decide to cruise with mom only, or add a friend to the family group (they would have their own cabin, of course!). Oldest DD and I just did our first mother/daughter cruise when she turned 16 (on the cruise) this past Feb - loved it!

[Onessa]

I not only love every member of my immediate family, I also reall LIKE them - - I can't imagine needing or wanting to "get away" from any of them. We vacation together (land and sea). The experiences I have in my travels are so enriched by the insight members of my family bring and I can't think of anything that makes me as happy as seeing my DH and DD happy. DH and I have ample opportunity in our lives to spend quality time together and are confident enough in our relationship that we are able to share each other with our daughter.

[morgan1312]

We took our youngest daughter on a cruise when she graduated from high school, that was our 3rd cruise and the first one we could afford to take any of the kids. Since then we've been on 6 more cruises and have taken her son (now 8) with us on 5 of them, since he was 3, if she comes with us, she pays her way but we always pay for our grandson.

 

He has loved every cruise, stayed in Adventure Ocean while we were in ports when he was smaller, but now keeps up with us where ever we go. He actually requested that we go on the Freedom when he saw it advertised last year so we're leaving on FOS this coming Sunday...

 

AO staff has been fabulous on every RCI ship we've been on in each of the age groups he's been in. He really looks forward to the activities and doesn't consider it as 'day care' at all...we have trouble getting him out of there.

[libertybelle41]

We have always cruised with our two boys (17 & 20).

It won't be the same without em' when we start going by ourselves:(, but on the plus side it will be cheaper because we won't have to travel during school

vacations:) .

[lauren0309]

We've done two with them and two without. Next one in January is without them. Our first one, I wanted to try it out so we went when the kids had school and grandma watched them. Our second cruise I wanted to bring the kids so they could experience the excitement of the cruise on which unfortunately my older son got mono on the cruise and was very sick and had to stay in his room the whole time. The third one my husband and I took alone again for his birthday, and the last one we went on we brought our kids again since my son was sick on his other one I felt bad so booked another one. This time my husband and I will be going alone again for my birthday. No kids!!!

[mumofsons]

First cruise we did was the Disney Magic and yes the kids were with us. Second one was a four dayer - just DH and myself. We did Mariner of the Seas in January and brought the kids and my mother. We have one planned for November - just the two of us! Can't wait. We love family cruises but we REALLY love the just the two of us cruises.

[zuscruiserz]

First cruise we did was the Disney Magic and yes the kids were with us. Second one was a four dayer - just DH and myself. We did Mariner of the Seas in January and brought the kids and my mother. We have one planned for November - just the two of us! Can't wait. We love family cruises but we REALLY love the just the two of us cruises.

 

Ditto - Mum!

 

Cruises with and without kids are like two totally different vacations - with kids I'm in "mommy mode" (as DH calls it), and without kids - well, you know ;) .

[nosmothj]

My wife and I have cruised both ways. Our first two were awards from work and could not bring our boys along. Will we wee on the ship we kept talking about how we would love to take the whole family.

 

Well we end up taking them on 3 cruise with us and they had such a great time. The experience and excitement they got gave us such joy.

 

This year we will be going on our 25th anniversary cruise with out our boys and although happy to be going really wish we could have them with us.

 

They are now 21, 19 & 16 and we realize with work and school it is becoming hard. Next year we are going to try again with them and we hope we van all go.

 

I would highly recommend anyone how has children and had them to experience life with them, take a cruise if you can. It is an experience you and them will hold the rest of our lives.

[caribbeanfever]

We have done both, also. Our first cruise, just the two of us, our next four with our four children(starting when they were 13,16,18 and 20)--separate rooms, of course. We even did two with our parents--can't begin to tell you the memories we all have. Actually, on our fifth cruise our second daughter couldn't come because she was newly married and going to Midwestern Univ. for grad school, but she went with her husband on his first cruise and he is now hooked, too.

 

If we would have waited till our kids were adults, we would have missed out on some wonderful vacations. With so much for all age groups to do, especially on the Voyager class ships and the Freedom, which we did on July 9th, my husband and I still manage to have plenty of alone time together!

[crazycruisinmom]

We cruise both ways. Our first cruise was by ourselves, it was our anniversary. We loved it so much, we took our children on the next one. We are all hooked on cruise. Our children are now 21,20 and 16 and they get upset if we go with out them. People can't believe our older children still go with us on vacation. But I quess as long as we pay for them they will continue to go.:D

[caribbeanfever]

We cruise both ways. Our first cruise was by ourselves, it was our anniversary. We loved it so much, we took our children on the next one. We are all hooked on cruise. Our children are now 21,20 and 16 and they get upset if we go with out them. People can't believe our older children still go with us on vacation. But I quess as long as we pay for them they will continue to go.:D

 

We did the same thing, except we have four. Your right, as long as we pay for them they will continue to go, but as long as we can afford it, we will! We have had more fun on vacation with them since they were teenagers and are now young adults--had fun with them when they were little, but it was more work.

[Esmerelda]

My answer to the poll was YES! As a single mom years ago (remarried in May of 05 :) to my absolute dream man!), our first cruise was a totally last minute thing. My kids were both in year round elementary school. Basically, they would go 9 weeks and be off 3 (its a super school year). Anyhow, this would be their last time (due to age difference) of being off at the exact same time together. I planned our cruise about 21 days before the boat left! We had never cruised before and I got a great deal on Carnival. We did a 4 day cruise for about $700 total for all 3! I wasn't sure how my boys would like it....they LOVED it!! They were 6 and 9 then...they are now 11 and 15 and are crusing once again with us next summer on the Freedom...only they have no clue this time.....I'm so excited to tell them!

 

After our first 4 day cruise ended...the only complaint they had on that last day was "the cruise was too short....." go figure...LOL

 

Esmerelda

[SissasMomE]

My daughter's first cruise was when she was 7. She's 9 now, and has been on 3 cruises. I think it's the ideal vacation because we can do things together as a family, but i also get to do adult things at night when she's in the kids program. It's something special for both of us.

[CaribbeanCrush]

We haven't taken the kids with us, but promised them that they get to go next time.