Celebrity Eclipse or Disney? Your opinions...

[alj1208]

We want to cruise in March with our 4.5 year-old son. We've cruised Celebrity in the past, but without our child. The concern about Disney is crowded kids programs and theme park atmosphere might be too much stimulation for our son. He has ADHD but no other special needs. My gut tells me he'd do better in a kids program that's quieter, with more individual attention. Crowds are also a problem, and we never saw crowds or lines on our last Celebrity cruise. I heard Celebrity's new ships, including Eclipse, have a little more for kids than the M-class ships. Your opinions...?

[queenL]

I see no one has answered your post, so I'll take a stab at it. I think kids at that age will enjoy a cruise regardless of which line you choose. I've never been on Disney but I have sailed Celebrity before. If you think your son will do better with a quieter line than go with Celebrity. A word of caution, the time of the year matters quite a bit. If you are able to travel when school is in session (fewer kids) than Disney might not be as bad as you are expecting. Likewise the reverse is also true. I've been on a Celebrity cruise with lots of kids when it was during a school break.

[sargenet]

I understand your situation! My son was diagnosed when he was almost 5 with ADHD. He had been on a previous cruise on Holland America (Westerdam) but it was a short cruise and it was not very crowded in the kid's program. He really enjoyed himself and had a fit when he had to leave! He couldn't wait till it opened back up again so he could go!

 

My son just turned 7 and we haven't cruised since he was 4. But I am trying to decide about doing another Holland America cruise. We are going to go during Thanksgiving since he is in school, and I know there are larger crowds.

 

The Eurodam has 4 port days. And since he enjoyed himself so much on our last HAL cruise I think he would enjoy this cruise. I just am not sure about 7 days! I am also thinking about the Century for 5 days. It only has 2 port days. I have been on that ship before it was redesigned and had a gerat cruise.

 

I have TOTALLY avoided Disney and the other RCCL, NCL and Carnival cruises that week. I have been on all the lines including Princess, but that was before I had a child! I have been on Disney twice and it was VERY busy and lots of kids!

 

If your child is anything like mine, the more chaos...kids..excitement.. the worse he is! Too much stimulation!

 

I have given thought to the new Celebrity ships, but I honestly don't know how my son would do on 7 days... especially since they seem to do only 3 port days.

 

I think with both Celebrity and HAL you have to consider things to do on the sea days. How much will your child be able to handle in the children's program? If things go badly, with too much stimulation, will you be able to keep him occupied if he doesn't go to the children's program?

[alj1208]

Thanks so much for your thoughts. We are going in Early March, before Spring Break, and while school is in session, so maybe not as crowded.

 

The cost of the Disney Cruise is also a factor (twice the price). I guess I feel like the babysitting/child care might be more individualized and appropriate for our son on Eclipse, but I am REALLY nervous about him acting out or becoming overstimulated while in public areas of the ship in an adult atmosphere like Celebrity. Don't get me wrong. We are really good at managing his behavior and removing him from situations that might be too much, but I sort of figure a kid having a melt-down on a Disney ship will be in good company. I am also thinking Disney would have more we could do together when he's not in the kids club.

 

Worrying about my child's behavior in public is a huge stresser for me on a daily basis. We don't medicate because of his young age. Sargenet... How did your child do in the public areas of HAL?

[sargenet]

My son did ok on HAL. But he had a MAJOR meltdown the first night. It was time to leave the kids program and he did not want to leave..... as we were walking to our cabin he LOST it! Screaming fit! I was totally mortified. We got him to the cabin and he calmed down. I think he had such a good time and it was a whole new experience for him that day (and a long day with coming from hotel to getting on board).

 

He calmed down after that...but we did one day in Nassau (so he was with us) and then the next day he was with me in the morning at Half Moon Cay (which was a HUGE success).

 

Dinners were great. We did not take him to the dining room. We actually made him take a nap in the afternoon (even though he was 4). Actually it was "just resting his eyes". Then we went up to the buffet and got him his meal. I loved the food on HAL. The evening buffet was top notch. And then he would head over to Club HAL at 7pm when they open.

 

They needed to keep him busy though. I noticed that one night everyone was watching a movie. My son was too hyped to sit and watch. He wanted to color and play with the toys.

 

About ADHD and medication: I do not medicate my son. And I have to admit that the teachers at school are amazed. I have spent the last 2 years trying to figure out if certain foods make him more hyper. Last spring I finally figured it out. At first I thought it was red dyes, artifical colors and high fructose corn syrup. True... these food items will send him in to a tail spin!!! But I also found out that all corn products have that affect on him.

 

I was buying organic foods with corn and it would make him hyper. So now we try to avoid corn products all together. My son just turned 7.. and I can tell when he eats something with corn... and so can he. I can ask him how he feels and he will say "Mommy...I feel really hyper". He'll even tell me not to feed him that again!

 

I swear it has made our life easier. At first my husband said I was crazy... and then he saw the changes in our son when he maintains his diet. I have to pack his lunch each day, and I read labels. I even try to find menus and ingredients online for restaurants.

 

So what I like about a cruise is that I can take him to a buffet and make sure he is careful with what he eats. I honestly would not take him on a cruise where we had a set dining time, he would never survive the whole meal. We like making sure he is fed, and then going to dinner while he is in the kid's program.

 

As far as Disney... yes, you can spend more time with him. You will all go to dinner together. Not sure if they had changed it or not, but the few times I cruised with them dinner took a long time. He can either go with the kids or go with you to a show. I love Disney's evening shows! But the ships have A LOT of energy.

 

If money isn't an issue.. Disney might be the way to go, but I would lean towards a ship where you could have "anytime" dining.

[Marie51]

Thanks so much for your thoughts. We are going in Early March, before Spring Break, and while school is in session, so maybe not as crowded.

 

The cost of the Disney Cruise is also a factor (twice the price). I guess I feel like the babysitting/child care might be more individualized and appropriate for our son on Eclipse, but I am REALLY nervous about him acting out or becoming overstimulated while in public areas of the ship in an adult atmosphere like Celebrity. Don't get me wrong. We are really good at managing his behavior and removing him from situations that might be too much, but I sort of figure a kid having a melt-down on a Disney ship will be in good company. I am also thinking Disney would have more we could do together when he's not in the kids club.

 

Worrying about my child's behavior in public is a huge stresser for me on a daily basis. We don't medicate because of his young age. Sargenet... How did your child do in the public areas of HAL?

 

Here is my take on Disney......it is over run with children of course and the characters scared my grandchildren. Considering the high price of Disney I would not do it again. The grandkids liked Carnival & Royal Caribbean much better.

[GatorMomInNC]

Thanks so much for your thoughts. We are going in Early March, before Spring Break, and while school is in session, so maybe not as crowded.

 

The cost of the Disney Cruise is also a factor (twice the price). I guess I feel like the babysitting/child care might be more individualized and appropriate for our son on Eclipse, but I am REALLY nervous about him acting out or becoming overstimulated while in public areas of the ship in an adult atmosphere like Celebrity. Don't get me wrong. We are really good at managing his behavior and removing him from situations that might be too much, but I sort of figure a kid having a melt-down on a Disney ship will be in good company. I am also thinking Disney would have more we could do together when he's not in the kids club.

 

Worrying about my child's behavior in public is a huge stresser for me on a daily basis. We don't medicate because of his young age. Sargenet... How did your child do in the public areas of HAL?

 

I am sailing in April with my 2 young sons on Equinox. Although neither have been dx with ADHD, they are very hyper and I was, like you, worried about their behavior, especially in the MDR. But I didn't want to eat buffet every night. Then I found out that on Celebrity you can order the MDR food to be delivered room service. Hallelujah! First of all, we don't have to dress up on formal night, and second, if my kids are "in a mood" and I know there might be problems, I can just order room service.

[brazilgirl]

Celebrity has a wonderful kids´club , it is a hidden gem. The staff is very attentive , patient and very well-trained. There are tons of great activities (the kids are never bored!!!) .

 

We were on a 14 day cruise on the Infinity (to Antarctica) and due to weather issues , we ended up spending 10 of the 14 days on board. The staff was amazing , creative and extremely patient.

 

We were on the Constellation in the Baltics (also 14 days)and there was a young boy you I believe had ADHD. The staff gave him lots of one on one attention.

 

I am sure Celebrity would be a good fit. Like the previous poster , I frequently would order from the MDR for my kids , then take them to the Fun Factory so DH could enjoy a quiet dinner. They also offer pizza , steak etc on the room service and chocolate chip cookies. Very nice!

 

Have fun!

Kim

[alj1208]

So we decided on Eclipse. I did an about face after telling the travel agent to go with Disney. Disney was going to end up being a $7,000+ vacation. Celebrity Eclipse totals out under $5,000, airfare and transfers included. I am crossing my fingers that the Fun Factory will be okay for my son, and that I am able to keep him appropriately behaved in public areas of the ship. Now the question is: are the locks on the sliding glass veranda doors high up? My son will NEVER be alone in the room or alone on the balcony, but it would give me extra peace of mind to know the slider will be secured with a lock he can't reach. Moms..... what have you done about the balcony issue?

[GatorMomInNC]

So we decided on Eclipse. I did an about face after telling the travel agent to go with Disney. Disney was going to end up being a $7,000+ vacation. Celebrity Eclipse totals out under $5,000, airfare and transfers included. I am crossing my fingers that the Fun Factory will be okay for my son, and that I am able to keep him appropriately behaved in public areas of the ship. Now the question is: are the locks on the sliding glass veranda doors high up? My son will NEVER be alone in the room or alone on the balcony, but it would give me extra peace of mind to know the slider will be secured with a lock he can't reach. Moms..... what have you done about the balcony issue?

 

I'm curious about this too, as I am going on my first balcony cruise with the kids on the Equinox in April...

 

I know, Disney is SOOO much more expensive than the other cruise lines, and I don't know why. I would like to try one sometime, but I have an annual pass to WDW and go 4-5 times per year, not sure what more my kids could get out of a Disney cruise that would be worth spending so much more money. BTW - for that $2k you saved on the cruise you can buy 4 annual passes to Disney World!

[CruiseMum24]

So we decided on Eclipse. I did an about face after telling the travel agent to go with Disney. Disney was going to end up being a $7,000+ vacation. Celebrity Eclipse totals out under $5,000, airfare and transfers included. I am crossing my fingers that the Fun Factory will be okay for my son, and that I am able to keep him appropriately behaved in public areas of the ship. Now the question is: are the locks on the sliding glass veranda doors high up? My son will NEVER be alone in the room or alone on the balcony, but it would give me extra peace of mind to know the slider will be secured with a lock he can't reach. Moms..... what have you done about the balcony issue?

Having just returned from my first cruise with the kids, (P&O Ventura) I was pleased to discover the balcony doors have high level locks. Before setting sail I had nightmares about my kids getting out on the balcony, climbing on chairs etc (they are 2 & 4!) but was instantly reassured.