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Baby on Allure or Harmony vs Disney Fantasy


flcruisechick16
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Hi there, I am hoping for some feedback. I have cruised Disney and Celebrity with my 2 older children but haven’t done RCCL yet. We have a new baby this year that will be about 10 months when we sail. The only cruises that I can see accommodate babies and families of 5 are Disney and RCCL. We did Disney when my middle daughter was 18 months and they were amazing! But right now, we can sail in Grand Suite on RCL with the Suite perks for $2000 less then a family balcony on Disney. Disney has gotten so expensive! Has anyone cruised in RCCL with a baby? Any feedback? Is there a kids menu in coastal kitchen? Did you feel the Royal Tots and Babies program was high quality. I am sad to not have the Disney ‘magic’ but hoping maybe their prices will go down when they add the new ships in a few years and the youngest will be older to enjoy it. Our two older children will be 7 and 9 for this cruise. Anyone been on both that can compare? Thanks again!!

 

 

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Don't hold your breath about Disney prices dropping; I have been watching their cruises for over a decade and all I have seen is increases...and I thought it was unreasonable in 2007! Same with the park. People are paying what they are asking, so no reason for them to drop prices.

 

Once your little one is older, I would suggest you look at other lines like RCI, Carnival and NCL to see what fits your family best - especially since you will have teens/tweens. Personally, we have ended up on Carnival (and Princess) because the price is right and we have a fun vacation, and they have more variety than any cruise line in the Caribbean, so we can cruise different places in the limited break times they have, without taking them from school and extra-curricular activities. Princess is becoming our choice for cruising the world like Europe, South America and Asia as we become empty-nesters and have the time and freedom to take longer vacations.

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I'm sailing Allure with a 10 month old in just under 3 weeks, but I have no Disney Cruise experience. Will try to remember to report back then if no one has responded about cruising allure with an infant by then!

 

 

 

Awesome, thanks so much!!

 

 

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Don't hold your breath about Disney prices dropping; I have been watching their cruises for over a decade and all I have seen is increases...and I thought it was unreasonable in 2007! Same with the park. People are paying what they are asking, so no reason for them to drop prices.

 

 

 

Once your little one is older, I would suggest you look at other lines like RCI, Carnival and NCL to see what fits your family best - especially since you will have teens/tweens. Personally, we have ended up on Carnival (and Princess) because the price is right and we have a fun vacation, and they have more variety than any cruise line in the Caribbean, so we can cruise different places in the limited break times they have, without taking them from school and extra-curricular activities. Princess is becoming our choice for cruising the world like Europe, South America and Asia as we become empty-nesters and have the time and freedom to take longer vacations.

 

 

 

I know, it’s tough! I took my 2 older kids on fantasy for 7 days in a balcony in 2014 and 2015 for around 3000 each time. (Florida residents) Now we can’t find one for less then 7k. I love princess and celebrity as well, but they don’t cater to the baby. No childcare option or splash pad etc. In a few years I plan to return to them. Just want to take my kids this year if possible and Disney and RCCL are the only ones who accommodate infants. Thanks for your feedback

 

 

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I know, it’s tough! I took my 2 older kids on fantasy for 7 days in a balcony in 2014 and 2015 for around 3000 each time. (Florida residents) Now we can’t find one for less then 7k. I love princess and celebrity as well, but they don’t cater to the baby. No childcare option or splash pad etc. In a few years I plan to return to them. Just want to take my kids this year if possible and Disney and RCCL are the only ones who accommodate infants. Thanks for your feedback

 

 

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Wow, $7k for a balcony??? We're paying just over $2k for our Allure Oceanview balcony in October (not a family balcony though, just a standard size). I definitely could never justify 3x the price just to sail Disney, so I understand you wanting the info about RCCL.

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Happily ever after could you please confirm the nursery hours when you sail? Someone in another thread posted the brochure and it looks like the nursery might be closed all afternoon for mommy and me play time on sea days and I’m wondering if that’s fleetwide.

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When you say "accommodate a baby", what do you mean? If you give us specifics of what you are expecting for the baby, may e we can suggest if any other cruise lines are an option. Nearly all cruise ships will allow you to sail with a baby.

 

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I think OP meant cruise lines that provide staffed childcare for babies like they do for children. As far as I know, RCCL, Disney, and one Norwegian ship are the only options with childcare for children under 2.

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Happily ever after could you please confirm the nursery hours when you sail? Someone in another thread posted the brochure and it looks like the nursery might be closed all afternoon for mommy and me play time on sea days and I’m wondering if that’s fleetwide.

 

 

 

Yep, I'll check it out and try and take a picture of the posted hours. I know the kids clubs close for a few hours in the afternoon on sea days, not sure about the nursery.

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Cruising RCI with a baby is almost as good as Disney. The only difference imo is the baby splash area on Disney ships is a a little better and the nursery on Disney is open continuously whereas on RCI the nurseries can sometimes close for a couple hours midday. Other than that from a baby standpoint they are equal as the only thing babies do is eat and sleep. That’s all that matters. They don’t really care about amenities.

 

We just posted an article on our blog about cruising with babies.

 

https://thesmallworldfamily.com/2018/09/19/how-to-take-a-cruise-with-a-baby-and-have-a-great-time/

 

Hope that helps some.

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Yes, looking for a cruise that has child care available for babies. And also one that has cabins that can accommodate 5 with a balcony. And activities for the big kids (7 and 9). Would need to have child care for the baby though so we can have a few hours here and there to relax a bit, go to an adult dinner perhaps etc. I am a stay at home mom and don’t get out much at all, so looking for a little bit of grownup time and then lots of fun family time with my gang. It seems like the oasis class ships on RCCL and Disney are the best options from what I can see but I am always open for ideas!! Thanks again!!

 

 

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Yes, looking for a cruise that has child care available for babies. And also one that has cabins that can accommodate 5 with a balcony. And activities for the big kids (7 and 9). Would need to have child care for the baby though so we can have a few hours here and there to relax a bit, go to an adult dinner perhaps etc. I am a stay at home mom and don’t get out much at all, so looking for a little bit of grownup time and then lots of fun family time with my gang. It seems like the oasis class ships on RCCL and Disney are the best options from what I can see but I am always open for ideas!! Thanks again!!

 

 

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Your only cruise lines that offer childcare for babies is RCI on all but a handful of ships. Disney on all ships and the Norwegian Escape. My wife homeschools so we can travel and cruise more, so I totally understand the need for adult time. That is why we live cruising.

 

Also nursery times can be different between ships on RCI.

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  • 2 weeks later...

You are in a bit of a tough spot and you will need to evaluate what is on the RCI ship and the temperament of your middle child and depending on size, maybe your oldest too. We did not do an Oasis class ship until mine were 8 and 11 because they were too small for the flow rider and many of the other activities on board. At 8 and 11 my oldest made the weight for the zipline by 2lbs and my youngest had to watch. For our family, and their temperaments spending a week in a confined space with a bunch of things that look REALLY fun, but they can not do is NOT a vacation. Some kids just role with it. So just be make sure you know exactly what your kids will be able to do.

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On the RCI ships that we have used the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery...it was just amazing...professional staff giving loving care and attention to our little one.

 

You might consider a family suite that has an additional sleeping area...and do remember that you can be booked in a cabin that will accommodate 4 even though you'll be 5 due to the pack-n-play policy...but the Family Suites are wonderful.

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