luvsviola

We have always gotten one for my 7 year old special needs son. Otherwise, just the 2-5 year old usually get them.

We are Oct 2017. When I find the deals, I book since I'm paying for 5. :)

I vote Dream (and have booked it twice) because I like the itinerary better.

Awesome! Sailing March 20, so loving your review!

We bring both our Baby Jogger City Mini (for in port) and a Chicco umbrella for my 2 kids, as well as a preschool size Kinderpack mesh carrier. I love my BJ, but it doesn't fit though the door. So for around the ship, we use the umbrella. I have 3 young kids, so I need a stroller on the ship for crowd control (middle one is special needs/runner). I got some stares for having my 5 year old in a stroller, but too bad for them...I can't keep up with a 3 year old (worn on my back), special 5 year old (in the stroller), and 7 year old by myself at the buffet without it.

We do the grand suite with 3 kids. The extra space and having a bathtub is worth the extra cost to us. For us, the room is home base and we hang out/watch movies/relax there throughout the day so the kids can make it til 10 without self destructing.

Here is a pic of it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByVyBV6epQnjU1hlVDJxdXdydE0/view?usp=sharing

The extended balcony is worth the little extra too.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByVyBV6epQnjeFZNMHlBeEFTZUU/view?usp=sharing

Here is the oceanview room. My kids are all ADHD, so this would be a nightmare for us. We need more space to move.

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab214/k2excursion/Carnival%20cabins/Fantasyquint1.jpg

We have done the Grand suite on Fascination. Yes, it is more money. But the HUGE extended balcony is worth its weight in gold with little ones. And there is a ton of room, and a bath tub. We just opted for a shorter cruise to compensate for the difference in price. I think our family of 5 was right about $3200 for a 5 day on Fascination, and we got to go to Half Moon Cay, which is paradise.

I can't figure out how to get the pics to show up, but you can click the links to see them.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByVyBV6epQnjU1hlVDJxdXdydE0/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByVyBV6epQnjeFZNMHlBeEFTZUU/view?usp=sharing

We've also done the family cabin (deluxe oceanview) on Dream, and it was nice, but there were bunk beds for the oldest 2 kids.

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByVyBV6epQnjU1hlVDJxdXdydE0/preview" width="640" hei

We've got one in March and one in 2017. Hoping to have it at least by the second one when I'll have kids aboard with me.

Sadly, this problem isn't unique to Carnival.

We had a very embarassing situation when DH's family took the extended family to Disney World a few years ago. Hubby and I and our kids secretly were going down a few days early to have some private family time before 15 more relatives who CANNOT make decisions quickly show up and slow us down all day.

We specifically told NO ONE we were going early.

Disney sent our tickets with our confirmation to FIL's house. He was listed nowhere on our reservation.

FIL was then unhappy, and we were found out, and it created a ton of issues.

I was livid.

We love Fascination because it is closer to us (Indiana) and we can drive it in a day. We get the grand suite extended balcony and pretty much sit in the lounge chair the whole cruise. I'm not one to party, but I always have a good relaxing time. We have 3 little kids (were 7, 5, and 3 last cruise) and they find plenty to do.

The Serenity deck was always deserted in the evenings, which we loved.

Half Moon Cay is my favorite place on earth.

We loved Camp Carnival for my kids on Fascination, but my 5 year old son got kicked out after 45 minutes most days on Dream. He is special (medicated ADHD and ODD) but is mainstreamed at school and not a problem IF the workers attempt to play with him or interact with him. Like I said, on Fascination, he did great! But the Dream staff refused to do their jobs and play with him, instead just sitting was letting the kids play most of the time, and they said he was too crazy to be in there.

I was not impressed. This time, we left the kids at home. If we could afford Disney, we would. But as a family of 5 in one room, Disney requires a suite, and it is simply not in the budget.

Which would you do? We booked Big French Key through Carnival for $60 a person on sale.

However, this is our first vacation without our 3 young children. We are looking for the very best possible day. We don't drink much (maybe one drink). He likes to snorkel. I like to sit in the shade or walk on the beach.

Not sure which to pick!?!

We used the shower in the room with the toilet as a hamper when traveling with 3 young kids who all use the tub anyway.

Big mistake. Sewage came up the drain and got all over our clothes.

You are now warned. :)

I would love to cruise without my kids. My dream is an Alaska cruise. Alone.

But sadly there is no one who can keep them. Son is special needs (tube fed) and the only relative who can care for him for more than a couple hours is my mom, who is our normal daycare. If I am off work, she wants to be off work too. She does so much for us there is no way I would ask for more.

Biggest annoyance are the packs of middle schoolers RUNNING around on the ship. I hate when packs of them crowd in the elevator, and just ride up and down.

I also hate when I see kids leaving dishes just anywhere on the ship. Parents need to speak to their kids about where to leave plates if they take them out of Lido...sitting on the deck or on the steps or wherever is not appropriate!

My kids are 7, 5, and 3, and I am trying to teach them to walk, be quiet, and be respectful. I wish other parents did the same. Kids in large groups act dumb, even if they are great kids normally.

I am traveling with kids 8, 6, and 4 on Carnival Dream next October. The beach excursions seem to be 8-12. That is so lame! Are there any good beach excursions through private companies that last longer and are pretty beaches? Any recommendations for kids? Cave tubing is out (youngest is TINY for her age).

Last time we did the snorkeling wonders of the barrier reef, but it was kind of expensive since the kids can't snorkel.

Thanks!

Kristen

Carnival Dream (and the dream class) have Deluxe Oceanview rooms that sleep 5. They have 2 bathrooms in them, but are extremely reasonable in price. We are doing a 7 day for $2400 as a family of 5. King bed, sofa, and two pull down beds.

So sorry OP. That sucks.

I guess you can look at it this way...you would have been with kiddo all the time at home too, so at least you are on vacation. :) We chose Carnival specifically because my youngest could get dropped off at 2. Wish you had that chance.

On Fascination, often the 6-8 and the 9-11 groups were together because there just aren't that many kids. They split more by interests than age and all were in the same room. Hope that helps!

We do Carnival. Kids are 7, 5, and 3. But...we waited til the youngest was 2 so she can go play with the other kids for an hour during dinner. 2 hour dinners don't work with 2 year olds very well. We don't leave them there all day, but that hour or two is glorious.

We also like to cruise with a balcony so kiddo can go to sleep and we have somewhere to go where we can talk. Usually the kids sit out there and color and play. We (gasp) prop the door open. It makes the room not seem so small.

Carnival has Build a Bear program anyone can use. Kids of all ages are allowed in the kids club after 10 pm for a fee. I think there are some family parties up there as well.

Kids in swim diapers aren't technically allowed in Water Works at all, but I've never seen an employee ask someone with a swim diaper to leave.

We bring our own seats.

I have this to make carrying the seat around easier after getting out of the car/through the airport. http://www.amazon.com/Childress-Ultimate-Seat-Travel-Black/dp/B0009RNXNA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413225689&sr=8-2&keywords=carseat+bag

We use the seat on the plane to contain the child. It is just easier if kiddo is strapped down. Saves EVERYONE's sanity. The cares harness is a joke. I borrowed one once going to Disney and my kid wouldn't stay in it at all.

I wish Carnival did more 7 day cruises out of the ports near me. I am trying to book for next year the week of October 11, and not finding a ton of 7 nights on the week I can go, and I've already been most of the places they visit. I don't want to go to Nassau or Freeport, and don't really want to do Cozumel. Limited to Baltimore, Jacksonville, Charleston, Port Canaveral, or New Orleans due to driving time with 3 young kids from Indianapolis. And most of those itineraries suck or I've done them before. Oh well, at least I'm on vacation.

We bring a Chicco umbrella. First cruise we brought our Baby Jogger City Mini, which I strongly prefer, but it doesn't fit through the cabin door. Definitely a deal breaker when returning from port hot and sweaty with the stroller loaded down!

I also agree a baby carrier is necessary. We still wear our 3 year old. It is just easier most of the time. Kindercarry makes the Kinderpack which has a mesh panel to keep you and baby cooler. We have a preschool size and my 3 and 5 year olds still fit.

Ship excursions still often are vans and not busses. In 10 excursions I've only had a bus once. I use a car seat with a carseat backpack I got on Amazon.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forums mobile app

We travel with a Chicco umbrella and a good babycarrier. We have a Kinderpack preschool size with mesh and a BabyHawk Oh Snap for our 5 and 3 year olds. Strollers don't go in the sand very well, and the carriers come in very handy.

We took a Baby Jogger City Mini (our normal stroller) on our first cruise, but it didn't fit through the cabin door. Too wide. Oops.