Best (Most Fun) Ship for a 5 Year Old???

Hey everyone,

I asked this on another forum but was advised it may get better results here...

I am actively trying to plan a cruise for Summer 2018 and having trouble settling on one choice. The debate goes on and on in my mind. My wife and I will be sailing with our daughter who will have just turned 5 when we sail. She LOVES the pool and water slides, so finding one that will be most fun for her is a priority. In the past we did a couple Disney cruises and loved those but are looking at a smaller budget now.

I think I have narrowed it down to three options at this point:

1. Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas

2. Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

3. Norwegian Getaway

They each seem to have their own advantages, whether is is Splshaway Bay, more kid-friendly dining, a carousel, etc. and it seems hard to see exactly what is available on each ship during the day.

For a little extra info, she is 42" now and probably 45" by July when we hope to sail... since height restrictions factor in. Also, we do not use the kids clubs where you drop them off. Since we are so busy during our normal life we try to focus on the things we can do together while on vacation or cruising. She is just in that tricky spot where she gets bored with kids play areas that are "too little" and wants a bigger pool, bigger slide, etc but is not ready for the full size fun just yet.

If anyone has any thoughts on what ship will be most entertaining for her... or if you want to point me to another one that I may have not considered yet... I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

I think any will suit a 5 year old...they aren't really picky, you know! Plenty to do for any age, on any ship. I don't believe there is a slide on Adventure, but if it's not there, she won't miss it. RCI isn't known for water slides! And to be honest...it's 25 seconds of "fun" when there is one. It's not a huge loss.

We went on the Getaway when my son was 6. He loved the water slides, but he was probably too big for the “little kids” splash area and too small for the pool. He liked the mini golf and bungee trampoline, but was too short to enjoy the ropes course (and the little kids’ version is arguably meh). I think the Getaway would probably be fine for your daughter, though you are right that she may miss out on a few things by being a smidge short.

Have you considered the Harmony of the Seas? It has a lot of the elements of the Oasis, but with an improved splash park and added water slides. We are taking our son (now 8) on the Harmony in a few months and are very excited for the trip. It has the carousel, climbing wall (and other climbing areas for kids), lots of kids swimming and splash areas, the aqua theater, ice skating rink and a whole lot more. The Harmony also has the Dreamworks characters on board (Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda), with photo ops, parades and character breakfasts. NCL no longer has any characters on board, since they ended their contract with Nickelodeon in late 2015/early 2016.

Also consider Allure of the Seas which is a wiser ship to the Oasis. Had my five year old grandson on the Allure and he loved it!

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We were on Liberty and my kids had fun in the splash zone area and the pool. We spent a lot of time at the pool.

We did the MSC Divina with my 5yo twins...While not visually as impressive of a kids area as some others, the ladies who worked it were awesome and my kids really enjoyed it...and they sail free, which I enjoy :) . you may want to look into the MSC Seaside coming soon. We also did the NCL Getaway with our kids and almost 4/yo...we really liked that as well.

Agree with those above that suggested the RCI Oasis class. Recently have done the Harmony with grandson (4 years old) and he enjoyed all the ship had to offer at this age. You and your child will not be disappointed.

We have done 2 cruises so far with Carnival with my daughter (first cruise on the Pride she just turned 5, second cruise on the Freedom she turned 6 on the cruise). She did a couple of the events with the kids clubs but not too often. She enjoyed the slide on the freedom and the pools there. On the Pride, she really liked the fact that there was an indoor pool that she could swim in when the weather was colder, but you will likely not have that issue in Summer.

On of the best places on the Freedom that she enjoyed was the Library. It was right near our dining room and we were able to play board games while waiting for dinner. She also really enjoyed the music shows, although I sometimes had to carry her back sleeping (and she was getting heavy).

We are booked for another cruise this March on the Carnival Ecstasy. It will be smaller than the other ships, but the mini-golf and waterworks areas look like they will be a lot of fun for her (who now will have just turned 7).

Just wanted to add that RCI Adventure of the Seas does have water slides now, and going in for some other improvements this winter. We just got off Navigator, and loved this class of ship. There is a lot to do - our son is 8 and loved it.

That being said, Harmony is an amazing ship too! With the water slides and abyss, it gives you just a tad bit more than Oasis - but it comes with a higher price tag.

I saw Getaway returning to port yesterday when we returned on Navigator, and she also looks amazing! Finally, another ship you could look at is MSC Seaside. She is brand new and also looks amazing.

Lots of choices!

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Disney?