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Interesting how you first criticize kids for being kids but get so offended regarding perceived ageism. Celebrity has made the decision to provide very limited access to the Solarium for children. If you dislike it so much, why won't you use another cruise line? Losing customers may be the best incentive for changing policy.

We took our 5 year old on Apex last year for a 12 day cruise. He loved Camp at Sea and there were different programs for each day of the cruise. Counselors were great and with fewer kids (10 on our cruise), they devoted more individualized attention to all of the kids there. RCL and Disney can sometimes be overwhelming in their kids clubs. He also liked the better food. RCL is more gimmicky with slides, waverider, etc. but Beyond also has a larger pool then most RCL ships which will better accommodate their swimming activities. I should also say that kids on Celebrity are generally well behaved and respect other guests. I know that there are some individuals on these boards that would do anything to discourage children taking a Celebrity cruise. From personal experience, I think both children and their families will have a great time. Enjoy!!

We sailed on Apex with our 5 y/o in June 2023 to Iceland and he loved it. There were only about 10 kids on board including the Captain's daughter and everyone had a great time. Kids Club is well run with very personalized attention from the counselors. We limited our excursions to shorter ones focusing on Icelandic culture instead of long road trips to natural landscapes but still was a great experience for our family. You will have a great time if you choose Celebrity. Food was generally available for younger taste profiles. RCL will have more kids but the food quality is not as good. We have done RCL to Mediterranean which was nice also but felt more "gimmicky" with better quality of experience to ports on Celebrity. Enjoy.

Cruised with 5 y/o on Celebrity, RCL, and Disney all in the past 13 months. All have excellent kids clubs. Almost all kids under 10 y/o seemed to really enjoy themselves. Our little guy preferred to spend most of his time in the clubs as the counselors were great!!! We previously sailed on RCL with an excellent club but pools were smallish and food was mediocre unless specialty restaurants. Disney was transatlantic and nice if you are a disney lover but the kids clubs were very electronic video oriented whereas Celebrity and RCL were crafts oriented which our kid loved. Food is also so-so on Disney. Celebrity was the best overall as the Club was less crowded and the counselors interacted most with kids. Even the Captain's 9 y/o daughter was in the club everyday participating in activities! Celebrity has the largest pool which was least crowded. Solarium pool off limits to kids except for restricted late afternoon hours 5-7 which most adults are at cocktail hour anyhow. The food was best on Celebrity. All ships have attractive Kids Clubs which kids preferred to participate with other kids rather than just swim in the pools. Best yet, for parents with young children who want to spend all their time in the clubs, it gives us the chance to do what we need most, namely catch up on sleep!!!!

Took Celebrity Apex to Iceland in June with 5 year old. Less than 12 kids total on Board and almost all of them hung out in the Kids Club all the time. Kids Club was great with lots of personalized attention from counselors so no need to interact with other activities on board. Did have family hours in Solarium from 4-11 due to cold weather ports but rarely saw children in there. Families who cruise Celebrity are travel savvy and make sure their kids act respectfully. Even the Captain's daughter participated in the Kids Club. Everyone had a great time, both children and adults. Enjoy your trip.

Glad you mentioned the rest of the crew as we found them very interactive with our little guy. In fact, the Captain had his family on our cruise and his 9 y/o daughter and wife participated in the kids club activities despite his child's limited English knowledge (they are from Crete). What better way to reach out to families then to have to the Captain's wonderful family as a welcoming presence!

For our June sailing to Iceland and Ireland, there were only about 10 children on Board. There were 6 counselors in the Kids Club, Camp at Sea, and there was a lot of interaction between the kids and the counselors. The club itself was on the 3rd deck and fairly quiet with games and crafts activities. There were some video activities but mostly the kids played with each other. Our 5 year old loved it! In contrast, we were on the Disney cruise 1 month prior and our little guy hated it due to the craziness and overwhelming chaos of kids running around. We felt the counselors were glorified babysitters and did not interact as much with the kids. We chose Celebrity for the same reasons you did and were delighted with everything. The environment is much calmer but definitely not boring. Our 5 y/o son was begging to go to the kids club all the time as did the other kids on the ship. Jimena is the club leader and she was wonderful. Not to sound selfish, but it also allowed my wife and I to relax knowing he was happy in the club. Sorry for the long response but as parents with young children, we need to help each other in making sure our families are happy. Hope you have a great trip!!

We are presently on Apex staying in the retreat with a 5 year old. Having cruised for 10 days so far, we have had a great experience. The staff at Luminae become well acquainted with your family and take extra steps to accommodate your needs. They serve the children early and put us in a pleasant but relatively inconspicuous area of the dining room. There is only one or two other children, both infants probably similar to your child in the retreat on this sailing. No issues we have seen at any time. We had one or two days in which our child became slightly restless due to length of meals but we time it for him to go to the Kids Club at 7 pm and then finish our meals. He loves the Camp at Sea club here so can't wait to go. We quickly and quietly take him out of the restaurant way before his "playfulness" becomes disruptive. The other guests seem to enjoy having our son around although I am sure there are a few who don't. Nevertheless, the Luminae experience has been very good. Our butler, Gwen, has been very helpful. She went out of her way to get children's drawing materials, snacks, and other things to accommodate our 5 y/o. We wish we had similar services available when our son was an infant on previous cruises. All of the wait staff have gotten to know our son and have made it pleasant for everyone in the setting of a largely adult crowd. As mentioned previously, the kids club is great and was actually preferred by our son relative to a Disney cruise we took one month ago. There are very few families but everyone seems to watch out for each other. We did not use the retreat much as our son wanted to stay in the kids club but it was a nice area to relax and read or whatever. We had a trip to Iceland so did not experience Retreat pool but thought it was nice that Celebrity extended family hours from 4 to 11 in the evenings. Only saw one family in the pool ever and they were enjoying themselves without being disruptive. Ship is beautiful, food is very good, and the crew has been excellent. We also had concerns about taking our child on Celebrity after reading some of the comments on these boards. Thankfully, we did not experience any negativity. Our son was well accepted by almost everyone, fellow cruisers and staff. I think you and your family will have a wonderful time. Enjoy.

Just read an article highlighting tipping customs in different countries. Americans have a culture of tipping that is now extending even to fast food workers. In Japan it is considered an insult to tip. There are mediums between these extremes. Bottom line is to tip according to your beliefs regarding service. We like to tip ship workers who strive to make our experience enjoyable but no one should feel uncomfortable if tips are already included.

No and neither do I speak for the adults but I am willing to tolerate unavoidable bad behavior so as to not escalate an already bad situation. Sometimes just better to walk away. In any relationship, whether marriage, friends, or fellow passengers, one can't change others behavior but you can control how YOU react to it.

We DO supervise our kids. Most important lesson is to teach children to respect others. We also choose other cruise lines based on itineraries and other factors. Prefer the higher quality offerings on Celebrity and not the gimmicks on Carnival, RCL, NCL, etc. We also don't complain nearly as much as what I see others complaining about on these threads. Once again, behavior issues are not limited to the younger set.

Don't forget the family is also paying premium prices for the kid to stay in their suite so in all fairness the cost does not matter.

Actually cruises may be cheaper than assisted living facilities!!!

Not sure why this needs to be repeated but Celebrity is also geared to families but just in an upscale market. It is not an Adults Only line as it has Kids Clubs. The Solarium is adults only except for a limited 2 hours a day in most instances. Why would you think otherwise? The demographics of cruising is changing and families want an upscale choice such as Celebrity instead of the gimmicks with Carnival, RCL, NCL, etc. I think we can all live with this. If not, there are other choices which are adults only. Doubt it would be a good business decision for Celebrity to be adults only exclusively.

I agree!! I am a 67 y/o grumpy old man with a 5 year old child. I understand your concerns and I appreciate your willingness to compromise for the sake of others. That is why we do everything possible to respect other passengers by ensuring our child is not disruptive to other passengers who deserve a peaceful vacation. Thank you.

Do you honestly feel that families using the Solarium space for 2 hours a day outside of prime use hours will spoil your vacation? Celebrity would not likely emphasize it as a mixed use space if it is adults only for 22 hours a day or even for 14 out of 16 hours a day assuming it is closed during night time. That would be truly false advertising. I understand your concerns but we have used Oceania and Viking when we prefer a kids free vacation in the past. Not ready for Virgin Cruises but that is another choice. However, I think you would probably have a great trip taking Celebrity even with the so called family hours in the Solarium.

Does that include a cruise to Iceland? There is a difference between cooler weather and freezing my tail off weather. Where are they going to swim?

I imagine Celebrity looks at the demographics of their passengers and realizes that there are a number of families that prefer the higher quality offerings of Celebrity as opposed to other mass market lines like RCL, NCL, Carnival, etc. They often are working couples who have more disposable income to spend on Celebrity's offerings. Celebrity has very good kids clubs so obviously they want to attract families. I also think the vast majority of Celebrity families are very respectful of their fellow passengers. Providing limited family hours when others are most likely drinking at Happy Hour or working out before dinner is not unreasonable. The Solarium offers a unique experience that is not the same as the outdoor pool. Unfortunately, there are sometimes adult passengers that behave more childishly than the children. Respect is always a two way street. There are numerous other cruise lines that have no childrens' facilities. We are all free to choose.

Thank you Cap_D!!! Busy at work but saw this post and just wanted to express my appreciation for all of your tips. We will actually be doing Disney cruise TA in May and then Celebrity Apex to Iceland in June so your experience is very helpful as to how we will approach this. Trying to get all of the long trips in before KG starts this Fall. Thought Eden was just for adults. Will definitely try to introduce him to crew and participate in Family Camp at Sea. Thank you once again!

Best review ever!!!! So well-balanced and pertinent to those of us who are older parents wanting a more refined experience than RCL, Disney, etc. We cruise all of these lines and are looking forward to more substance and less gimmicks than on other lines. We are looking forward to cruising on the Apex in June and your comments have reassured us of the best experience for our family vacation. Our son is only 5 yo. Can you share any experiences of children on Celebrity in this age group?

Just you

As a parent and fellow passenger, Thank you. Agree with above. Many school districts such as ours, now have year round schedules with only 6 weeks in summer, one week off in September and February and 3 weeks at Christmas so there are opportunities for both students and teachers to vacation at less expensive times.

You didn't read or didn't care to understand someone else's point of view. You have twisted my words beyond belief. Nothing reflects my viewpoint. Kids don't sail free on Celebrity so they should be allowed within restrictions to enjoy things like heated pools in cold weather. They go to sleep at 8 pm, so they don't infringe on your entertainment. They obviously eat less so they don't contribute disproportionately to food costs. They don't drink alcohol so no worry to run out of your favorite drink on board. They are secluded to the Kids Clubs for the most part so don't use the gym, health club, bars, wine tastings, cooking classes, enrichment activities, etc. all of which adds to trip costs for all passengers. With few exceptions, parents who take their kids on Celebrity understand the need for a higher standard of behavior amongst adults and to be respectful and obey rules. To be fair, I would suggest asking Celebrity if you could attend their Kids Clubs. By the way, to wakepatrol, everyone farts in elevators, everyone deals with it, even kids. Don't worry, I will not participate further in this thread. I wish you all safe and enjoyable travels.

Please read the original post. There is nothing in there mocking people who don't like children. Nor does our family feel like we are elitists with superior entitlements. Just saying that as opposed to some lines where kids sail free, parents on Celebrity know we do not get such freebies for our kids. I also stated that we should have some limited access to the solarium pool in cold weather while respecting the time limits and and the other passengers on board. Has nothing to do with paying a lot of money and everything to do with compassionate access for a limited time. Does not matter how much money we pay, we still won't use the Solarium outside of designated access hours. That is just being respectful to others.

Sorry Zitsky but sadly there are many posts throughout the Celebrity boards that express displeasure with kids around. I am only focusing on the accessibility of the Solarium pool during cold weather for families at limited times. There have been many people who feel that kids should not even be allowed on the ship at all. I have reason to believe that we have all been children at one time. There are no diaper rules for seniors either. No, I do not wear diapers yet. You mock the cost of taking children along but my point is they are just as entitled to use of facilities (with some restrictions of course) as you are! Other cruise lines have no children facilities like Virgin, Viking, Oceania which we will not sail. We all have a choice.