Which ship with 3 & 5 yr olds?

[2preschoolers]

We went on our 1st family cruise in Jan on the Carnival Liberty. They loved Camp Carnival (aside from DD2 not liking when Funship Freddt showed up!). But there were lots if things I wasn't thrilled about....

 

LINES - breakfast, lunch - huge lines! By the time I got the kids food, then went back for my own, and DH getting his - meals would easily take 90+ minutes. The buffet lines were insane. By day 2 we decided to just go to the main dining room for bkfst, b/c it was much quicker. But still, we'd have preferred buffet most days.

 

POOL CHAIRS - impossible to find. Maybe it's like this on all ships? We found it very frustrating.

 

NO KIDS POOL - there wasn't a toddler- type pool. So the girls never got to go in the pool.

 

CFL and RCCL always seem to be what's talked about most for famalies. But I've been looking at Princess or Celebrity. And open to any suggestions. But mostly, we're looking for Caribbean - good kids club, splash pool/fun kids pool, and more civilized ways to eat bkfst/lunch. We went in January, I might add. I'd hate to see the lines in peak season!

 

Thanks!!!!

[MamaParrotHead]

We went on our 1st family cruise in Jan on the Carnival Liberty. They loved Camp Carnival (aside from DD2 not liking when Funship Freddt showed up!). But there were lots if things I wasn't thrilled about....

 

LINES - breakfast, lunch - huge lines! By the time I got the kids food, then went back for my own, and DH getting his - meals would easily take 90+ minutes. The buffet lines were insane. By day 2 we decided to just go to the main dining room for bkfst, b/c it was much quicker. But still, we'd have preferred buffet most days. We've never had a problem. Breakfast in and out in under 30 minutes on any of our Carnival cruises. What time were you going to eat?

 

POOL CHAIRS - impossible to find. Maybe it's like this on all ships? We found it very frustrating. Hmmm...what time were you up and looking for chairs? We always get chairs on the upper decks, near the stairs, so it's not necessarily "pool side", but a few short steps to the pool. We were up on deck before 9 and never had a problem. I think this varies depending who is on the ship, where you're looking and what time you get up.

 

NO KIDS POOL - there wasn't a toddler- type pool. So the girls never got to go in the pool. There is a toddler pool up outside of Camp Carnival. http://www.carnival.com/Deck_Plan.aspx?shipCode=LI&icid=CC_Carnival Liberty_230 Check out Deck 12, right next to Camp Carnival.

 

CFL and RCCL always seem to be what's talked about most for famalies. But I've been looking at Princess or Celebrity. And open to any suggestions. But mostly, we're looking for Caribbean - good kids club, splash pool/fun kids pool, and more civilized ways to eat bkfst/lunch. We went in January, I might add. I'd hate to see the lines in peak season!

 

Thanks!!!!

...

[2preschoolers]

Thanks! Yes we saw that pool but it seemed more like a wading pool. I'm looking for something s bit more fun - like with splash areas or small slides. I know some ships have Waterworks that supposedly have areas for younger kids. But wondering what other options there are. Some deck plans show a kids pool, but it's hard to find pix of them.

 

Breakfast - normally 830-9a. No way on earth I'd get my crew up & out any earlier .... Specially on vacation. Haha. Chairs - we sometimes looked just after bkfst, or sometimes after lunch. They just didn't seem to have enough for the number of guests.

[Julienatul]

We have sailed Carnival many times. We have also sailed RCCL and NCL and Disney. All buffet lines will be long at peak times. Its best to divide and conquer. Dad stays with the kids or they come along if old enough and you split up...pizza station, hot dog station etc. If you get there right as the stations open the line isnt too bad. Breakfast, my kids are up at the crack of dawn so never a line for us. Keep walking around you may find shorter lines toward the back of the buffet restaurant, dont just hit the first one you see, many times right around the corner or through the next door is another station open.

 

As far as deck chairs, RCCL is a bit better in that dept as they dont allow people to save chairs. They will move items after 30min.

 

As far as kids pool/splash park, most ships have a slide but they do have a height restriction so check. Splash parks are on alot of ships too. I dont believe their are any on Princess or celebrity though but I may be wrong, I have never sailed them.

[cb at sea]

RCI has buffet "stations", so you don't need to stand in a huge line to get a pat of butter....you just wander from station to station.

We do prefer the dining room for breakfast, tho...I'd rather be served everything, than having to get it myself, especially, with kids!

Unfortunately, if you have to be right beside the pool, ALL ships will be crowded...if you can go up a deck, there are PLENTY of loungers!

Few ships allow the diapered set into the pools.

[2preschoolers]

Thanks!! Neither wears diapers anymore. So that's not an issue. I did find that 3 of the Celebrity ships have splash pools for the kids. As well as a few Princess.

 

Pricewise, I think I'd rather stay with CCL, RCCL or NCL - so does anyone have a fave for little ones on those 3??

[A&Jfamily]

If they don't wear diapers (and thus are potty trained), you might want to look at some of the Carnival Fantasy Class ships that have the evolutions of fun upgrade. They have slides and a splash zone.

[crusinmama06]

Carnival has always been maddening to me for the very reasons you mentioned -- lines, lines and more lines. The traffic flow on their ships is just bad. There are lines for customer service. Lines for the buffet. Lines to move through the shopping area because the traffic kind of deadlocks. :eek: Tried them 3 times -- no more, thank you.

 

As a family we prefer the Freedom class ships of Royal Caribbean (Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Independence of the Seas)

 

I think my kids would probably enjoy NCL. I recently did a ship tour of one of their ships and I really think the kids would like what they had to offer. I didn't see the same lines that Carnival had. So I am looking to bring the kids on a NCL ship and try them for a full sailing.

 

I can tell you, I really don't think my kids are ready for Celebrity yet. It is REALLY too sedate for my kids. My kids want lots of activities. And although Celebrity has a kids club, they don't have a water park, rock wall, ice skating rink -- so I just don't think we are ready to make a jump to Celebrity -- just too dull for my kids.

[MNmomof4]

My 3 and 4 yr old loved the waterworks on carnival fantasy ships and loved the slides and waterworks on carnival dream. My kids enjoyed all the hot tubs on the dream and weren't really interested in the pools. I've been on 3 carnival ships and never really encountered lines. I think it depends on when you go. Disney is pricey but they have a mickey pool that your kids might like.

[southt00]

Hi:

 

We took our four year old on the Independence of the Seas. We loved it! We were very hesitant to cruise with a child and are now planning a second cruise....

 

The splash pad is huge. You can sit on the edge and enjoy a drink while the kids run around the splash pad. Very, very enjoyable. We had fun there too!

 

Dinners were surprisingly enjoyable. We did the main dining room but also did buffet a few nights and really enjoyed the laid back ambience of the buffet but with similar dinner features as the main dining room.

 

DD enjoyed the kids club, much to our surprise, and spent a few evenings there so we got to enjoy a few specialty restaurants.

 

Would definitely recommend this class of ship.

 

T.

[sprockie]

We tried Carnival (Liberty) with our 3 and 8 year olds last February, and we found the same thing. So crowded and lines lines lines, loungers being saved from early in the AM and none to be found later in the day. We also found the volume of the music/band on the lido deck to be way too loud for it to be enjoyable - I couldn't hear my kids talk (or yell) to me around the pool.

We sailed Holland America many times before kids and this December, we are giving them a try with kids. I have heard tons of good things about their kids club. Although they are not as populated with kids (which is a good thing in my opinion) in the kids club, it's more individualized for the kids. I don't recall ever feeling "herded" on HAL and there was always a deck chair to be had.

I just booked an outside cabin for four for $1500.00. Kids sailed free and that included a $150.00 shipboard credit. Can't beat that!

[jam82]

Here my thoughts on which cruises we like best:

 

Celebrity - Traveled without children, loved everything about it. Best food I've ever had on a cruise. It is an older cliental and the sidewalks roll up early. I will not take my DS, 3, on Celebrity because I don't think they have enough for him to do. They did not allow children into the spa pool.

 

RCCL - Traveled without children and thought it was very nice. Good food, long lines, and some of the ships have excellent water areas for kids. Pool chairs were hard to find. Kids program is suppose to be very similar to Camp Carnival. DS has not sailed on RCCL. We were waiting until he was 3, and haven't booked one yet, but it's on the short list.

 

Costa - Traveled without children. They are suppose to have a good kids program. Not a lot of WOW, but it was an excellent relaxing cruise and we did not have to fight for chairs or stand in long lines. I don't think there was a splash pool. ????

 

Carnival - We've sailed Carnival with DS during the last 3 years. I don't think Carnival is as nice as other lines, but before my son turned 3 it was our only option so we have grown to love it for what it is. The food is fine, the lines are long, and it is hard to find a chair. We tend to avoid the buffet and opt for the MDR or room service for breakfast. We spend a lot of time in the cabin or on our balcony. The Fantasy class ships with the Evolution of Fun upgrades are great for the kids. I don't like the fact that it is at the back of the boat where the rails are ladder rails as oppose to glass. LOVE Camp Carnival. Used Camp Carnival on 10 cruises and never had a bad experience.

 

NCL - Cruised without children. I would go back on them with my DS, it just hasn't happened yet. I liked the Freestyle cruising. People say good things about the kids club. Found that you often had to wait for a table even if you had a reservation. Didn't have the crazy lines like Carnival and RCCL, still lines.

 

HAL - Cruised with DS. Loved HAL in general. Very good food, beautiful ship, great staff. Never felt crowded, except for the in buffet during the main lunch and dinner hours which we usually avoided. They didn't have a splash zone for the kids. No problem with getting a chair, but it was an Alaskan cruise. Club HAL was horrible. The activities they planned were not age appropriate for a 3 year old. (Write a letter to the captain, or View the Glacier. Really, we just spent all morning on the balcony viewing the Glacier. I wanted DS to go to the Club to play with toys, not to do something he could have done with us.) I could have gotten over the activities if the staff had been flexible and nice, but the were rude and rigid. They were a bunch of young kids who said they didn't want to find real jobs, but the truth was that they didn't want any job. If a child was unable to do the planned activity, then they were made to sit on the side in a line with other children who were not able to do the activity. Just sit, no toys, no books, just sit and watch. IMHO, when you have 20 kids, and 5 of them can't do the activity, maybe there should be an alternate activity. They only had two times per day that there was free play where they could play with toys or books. The rest of the time was the planned activity or sit on the line. HAL also does tend to roll up the sidewalks early. I'd cruise them again, but not until DS is way older.

 

Princess - Up next - TBD.

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

Hmmm...never had an issue with lines on Carnival either at the buffet or the shopping areas...maybe it depends on the time you go to the buffet...my recommendation would be to look at all lines but also look at the different classes of ships...I've been on a couple of RCI cruises and totally enjoyed CCL so much more, but I think it's because of the class of ship...so in my opinion that can make a big difference. We are taking our kids on our upcoming cruise (they are 6 and 7) and we considered RCI, Holland, Princess, etc. but we went with CCL for the kid activities...we'll see if we made the right choice!

[crusinmama06]

It doesn't matter the time -- breakfast, lunch or dinner. They have one line on each side going into the Carnival buffet instead of the buffet stations that RCI has on their ships.

Here are some of the lines we encountered...taken at different times...different areas....

yeah...no thanks...I never travel during the busy season so I can't even imagine what this would be like during high season. :eek:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[A&Jfamily]

It doesn't matter the time -- breakfast, lunch or dinner. They have one line on each side going into the Carnival buffet instead of the buffet stations that RCI has on their ships.

 

Here are some of the lines we encountered...taken at different times...different areas....

 

yeah...no thanks...I never travel during the busy season so I can't even imagine what this would be like during high season. :eek:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle:

 

I know you are not a Carnival fan, so please forgive me for diagreeing with you on this one. While I have seen an occasional line like the one in the top picture to get to the main buffet - usually at a breakfast rush, for the most part, I have not seen tons of lines. This is what your first picture seems to show because the side station is closed and at lunch, that would be open for deli, I think.

 

I will agree that the Conquest class ships have the worst flow of the Carnival fleet, and the hardest time with lounge chairs, if you want to be on the main Lido deck. But I have never had a problem finding a chair in another place. Often there are stacks, and I just grab one and put it where I want.

 

What struck me about your post the most though was I wouldn't consider the middle pictures to have lines. The second one appears to show a couple of people standing at the dessert area admiring - nothing is being served from there then, with a few in the actually buffet line behind and a couple at the drink station. And the third shows a few people getting food from the buffet, but the others appear to be just walking through - again - yes a Conquest Class ship can be crowded walking through at times.

 

The last picture - yep. It's a line at Customer Service. And it happens sometimes. But, there are plenty of times to go like early morning, during dinner hours etc, where you will walk right up.

 

On a Conquest class ship, you are correct that the main buffet has 2 lines - one coming from each side, but there are two main buffets - so 4 lines total. There are also 2 outside food tations - on the Glory for example, one is now Mongolian Wok, and the other burgers etc. There is also Deli, Burrito buffet (inside Lido restaurant), Fish and Chips (Deck 10), and another grill station on one side, and Pizza on the other, at the rear of the ship. I have NEVER seen a line at dinner in 5 cruises as most people seem to eat in the Dining Room.

 

That said - I don't like "self-serve" when on vacation. So more often than not, you will find me in the dining room!:D

[crusinmama06]

A&J -- you can disagree with me :D:D:D. I know you like Carnival. That's why its great that there are so many options -- or we would have some really busy ships.

 

Top picture -- yep, the deli was closed, have no idea why. And the buffet stretched back past the deli. And I don't remember it being prime time or anything because I never used the buffet as our prime source of food since we always ate in the MDR (does that make sense? Loved the lunch food in there). Wish I could take the Carnival Chefs to RCI ships.

 

2nd picture -- that was the line of people that was starting to form to dive into the specialty desserts. Can't remember the name of that buffet. Was it a chocolate lovers buffet or something? They placed it there, at the end of the normal buffet which when it was open caused a deadlock for people trying to get there food from the other buffet (chaos ensued -- no pictures from that, but we had a good chuckle watching from the second overlooking level)

 

And that customer service line -- I am telling you, we couldn't get near it. We tried so many times. We kept trying to ADD money to our account since I had opened a cash account. The people both in front of me and behind me were removing tips. I was surrounded by people bragging about how they were "saving money by removing tips" and how much money they would be saving. :eek:

 

Maybe I have been spoiled by the RCI mega ships over the past couple of years. So that's why I am taking a step back and doing Grandeur. We'll see if its a megaship thing or a cruise line thing. :D

[bbrme]

We went on our 1st family cruise in Jan on the Carnival Liberty. They loved Camp Carnival (aside from DD2 not liking when Funship Freddt showed up!). But there were lots if things I wasn't thrilled about....

 

LINES - breakfast, lunch - huge lines! By the time I got the kids food, then went back for my own, and DH getting his - meals would easily take 90+ minutes. The buffet lines were insane. By day 2 we decided to just go to the main dining room for bkfst, b/c it was much quicker. But still, we'd have preferred buffet most days.

 

POOL CHAIRS - impossible to find. Maybe it's like this on all ships? We found it very frustrating.

 

NO KIDS POOL - there wasn't a toddler- type pool. So the girls never got to go in the pool.

 

CFL and RCCL always seem to be what's talked about most for famalies. But I've been looking at Princess or Celebrity. And open to any suggestions. But mostly, we're looking for Caribbean - good kids club, splash pool/fun kids pool, and more civilized ways to eat bkfst/lunch. We went in January, I might add. I'd hate to see the lines in peak season!

 

Thanks!!!!

 

I think NCL might work better for you. We were on the NCL Jewel last year with our kids 6 & 8 and they loved it. They have a small kids pool off to the side with a little water slide and a kids only hot tub. They also have a kids only section of the buffet - my kids loved this - with small chairs and a seperate buffet area with food just for them. It was standard kids fare - spaghetti, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc for lunch and dinner, bacon, hard boiled eggs, cereal, etc for breakfast, and they always had fresh fruit and juice. It made it much easier to get them fed without having to fight the buffet lines. My kids also really liked the kids club although DD6 wished they had more arts and crafts.

[A&Jfamily]

A&J -- you can disagree with me :D:D:D. I know you like Carnival. That's why its great that there are so many options -- or we would have some really busy ships.

 

Top picture -- yep, the deli was closed, have no idea why. And the buffet stretched back past the deli. And I don't remember it being prime time or anything because I never used the buffet as our prime source of food since we always ate in the MDR (does that make sense? Loved the lunch food in there). Wish I could take the Carnival Chefs to RCI ships.

 

2nd picture -- that was the line of people that was starting to form to dive into the specialty desserts. Can't remember the name of that buffet. Was it a chocolate lovers buffet or something? They placed it there, at the end of the normal buffet which when it was open caused a deadlock for people trying to get there food from the other buffet (chaos ensued -- no pictures from that, but we had a good chuckle watching from the second overlooking level)

 

And that customer service line -- I am telling you, we couldn't get near it. We tried so many times. We kept trying to ADD money to our account since I had opened a cash account. The people both in front of me and behind me were removing tips. I was surrounded by people bragging about how they were "saving money by removing tips" and how much money they would be saving. :eek:

 

Maybe I have been spoiled by the RCI mega ships over the past couple of years. So that's why I am taking a step back and doing Grandeur. We'll see if its a megaship thing or a cruise line thing. :D

 

I will be waiting to see what you think. 'Cause I agree that comparing a mega ship to anything but another mega ship just isn't gonna work.

 

My one RCI cruise was not on a mega ship - and it almost kept me from cruising again because the customer service was blah at best, and the waitstaff seemed annoyed. And the OV room was TINY; you literally passed the closets and walked straight into the bed - with 2' on either side to the walls.

 

Maybe its just that karma thing - you get a good experience with one and tend to want to stick with it.

[6rugrats]

On the last picture in post #14 - is that actually a woman walking around in a bathrobe??

[jam82]

It certainly appears that way. It's a Carnival tradition. I've seen that done every time I've cruised Carnival. Actually, I also saw people do the same thing on HAL. Go figure.

[rolloman]

Ok let me add my two cents.

Carnival- It is like everyone is on the ship for free from a time share program. Horrible, cheezy, long lines and the kids club from my experience is lame. Party Atmosphere.

 

Holland America- Not impressed, unless you have found yourself recently window shopping for walkers, depends, scooters or replacement hoses for your oxygen tank. My family just got off the Eurodam (the brand new ship) and it was beat.

 

Disney- No one can compare. Taking care of kids is what they do. Food, Service, kid activities, everything... 5 stars. Trouble is... you get what you pay for...expensive, save now for the new Disney Dream, it should be spectacular.

 

RCCL- IF you go on a Voyager class or Freedom Class ship, it is absolutely perfect for a family of the ages you described. Great pools, room to roam, nice cabin size, great kids clubs and instructers.

 

Princess- I have no complaints, they do a lot for your children

and the food is outstanding, it just does not size up to the RCCL ships mentioned above when it comes to activities for children.

 

NCL-I pick them a very close 3rd only if you choose a Jewel class ship- Jewel, Gem, Pearl, Jade (new Epic, my review just days away). It is like they combined the best from every line on this style ship. The only reason I say its number 2 is because the cabins are smaller as well as ship layout is kind of tight.

 

Celebrity- My favorite line period, just not for kids though. The new Solstice class ships are incredible.

[crboggs]

We took our 3 and 6 year old on Liberty of the Seas back in June and thoroughly enjoyed it. They had a blast and really enjoyed the Adventure Ocean stuff. We also thought the Windjammer was set up and spread out pretty well to avoid long lines.