Europe for young kids - is it too boring?

[craftycousins]

Thinking of taking another cruise late 2011 and my husband and I both would love to go back to Europe but question whether it will be hard with little kids. We are from Australia and were in the USA last year at Disneyland and also took a cruise to the Caribbean which of course my daughter LOVED.

 

We were specifically looking at the Norwegian Jade sailing October 1 st for 14 nights.

 

My DS will be 2 y.o (he will pretty much go with the flow) but my main concern would be my 6y.o DD.

 

I would love some feedback from people that have taken there kids to Europe

[graceinmelbourne]

Thinking of taking another cruise late 2011 and my husband and I both would love to go back to Europe but question whether it will be hard with little kids. We are from Australia and were in the USA last year at Disneyland and also took a cruise to the Caribbean which of course my daughter LOVED.

 

We were specifically looking at the Norwegian Jade sailing October 1 st for 14 nights.

 

My DS will be 2 y.o (he will pretty much go with the flow) but my main concern would be my 6y.o DD.

 

I would love some feedback from people that have taken there kids to Europe

 

Hi,

 

We are also from Melbourne and we recently took our 2 kids on a Mediterranean cruies. Ours are older than yours though at 10 and 13 and they loved the cruise and enjoyed visiting the various ports. I would say the younger daughter had less of an appreciation of the places she was seeing but she thoroughly enjoyed it and did not complain once. The 10 year olds favourite port was Rome and our older daugther loved Venice and Florence. With a 6 year old they are more likely to get tired and perhaps bored after a few hours though the fact that you are doing different things and seeing different places each day will help. I would not try and drag them to museums and art galleries though. We saw all the main sights in Rome with a private tour guide and in Florence and Venice we just wandered the streets and explored. We did a few of the main sights in each city but didn't try and cram too much in. Don't forget you can bribe them with a gelato or some other food treat. In Dubrovnik we walked the walls and then had a swim at the beach which they enjoyed. Keep in mind that using a stroller in some places in Europe could be difficult as they streets are busy with lots of steps. Use a lightweight stroller if you can. They loved the ship - Royal Carribbean Brilliance of the Seas and didn't want to leave at the end of the cruise.

[craftycousins]

Thanks for your feedback, I think were pretty sure were going to go but we do know that there will be things we won't get to see but that's okay by me I will just be excited to be going on another cruise, probably wouldn't matter where it was!!!

[Kerry's Girls]

My twins spent their 5th birthday on a Med cruise on the Jade and it was spectacular. I agree with the previous poster about using private guides to create your own kid-friendly itinerary (no museums, go-at-your-own-pace) and not cram too much in to each day. We also stopped to play in playgrounds with local kids when possible. Europe was like a fairy land to my kids and they absolutely loved it. Though NCL isn't my favorite generaly, the Jade is a great way to go for Europe because of the come-when-you-want meal system and casual dress. My girls met tons of kids from all over the world in the kids program, and we used the Roll Call here to get with other families to arrange private tours together.

 

We looked through books and watched travel shows for the year leading up to our cruise so my girls would have some idea of what they were visiting and really anticipated each place since they had seen the pictures/videos already. Also made sure that they never got hungry or thirsty in port - I brought a backpack with water, lots of snacks & treats and if it was a long drive into town (Rome & Cairo required long trips into the city) I brought Leapsters or the portable DVD player - though they really ended up looking out the window on the way there and sleeping on the way back.

 

Best,

Mia

 

Best,

Mia

[chipmaster]

Much depends on your children, almost any child will enjoy a beach oriented trip and don't know many who don't enjoy Disneyland.

 

Europe, YMMV, that being said my daughter who was 7 didn't hate it and had many special moments she remembers. Were there times she was bored many ( Vatican, long rides etc. ) but aso many timeless moments; climbing Pisa, catching pigeons in San Marks, running the ruins in Pompeii and Ephesus etc.

 

Its really a joint adventure and much comes to how parents react and deal with heat, long rides and when little things go badly or well.

 

Personally I'd not do it with a 2 year old and wait a few more years, but that is me. Each stage of raising children has its special moments, none to be rushed IMHO.

 

Happy planning!

 

Thinking of taking another cruise late 2011 and my husband and I both would love to go back to Europe but question whether it will be hard with little kids. We are from Australia and were in the USA last year at Disneyland and also took a cruise to the Caribbean which of course my daughter LOVED.

 

We were specifically looking at the Norwegian Jade sailing October 1 st for 14 nights.

 

My DS will be 2 y.o (he will pretty much go with the flow) but my main concern would be my 6y.o DD.

 

I would love some feedback from people that have taken there kids to Europe

[onthelake]

I would be more concerned about the long flights than the cruise. The great thing about cruising is you can pace your day to suit your family. You don't 'have' to do anything. We have been going from North America to Europe with our son since he was about 2 and it has always been a pleasure. When he was very small, we were more likely to do 'outside' things, like Tivoli Gardens than museums.

 

Have you thought of cruising nearer home like Singapore or Hong Kong and going to Europe when the kids are two or three years older? Funny, we sailed from Seattle to Sydney and want to go back to Australia to do more cruising there.

[graceinmelbourne]

I would be more concerned about the long flights than the cruise. The great thing about cruising is you can pace your day to suit your family. You don't 'have' to do anything. We have been going from North America to Europe with our son since he was about 2 and it has always been a pleasure. When he was very small, we were more likely to do 'outside' things, like Tivoli Gardens than museums.

 

Have you thought of cruising nearer home like Singapore or Hong Kong and going to Europe when the kids are two or three years older? Funny, we sailed from Seattle to Sydney and want to go back to Australia to do more cruising there.

 

 

I do agree with that waiting for a few more years might be better but if you are really determined to go to Europe now you can do it in a way that will make the whole experience a bit more enjoyable. As Ón the Lake' pointed out you can just do and see whatever suits you as a family. Don't feel like you have to see certain sights just because you are there if it is something that the kids might not enjoy. As I said we skipped the museums and art galleries as in the limited time we had in each port we didn't want to go to places that the kids would get bored of quickly. We preferred to wander around exploring and just enjoying our surroundings.

 

Yes, that flight is not much fun and with a 2 year old it could be challenging. We stopped over in Singapore overnight on the way and on the way back which I would recommend. This made the longest flight 13 hours which is still a long, long time but better than 24 hours. Thank goodness for back of seat entertainment systems on planes these days as there is plenty to keep them amused. Long flights are a bit like childbirth though - horrible when you doing it but you soon forget once its all over.

[McMer]

We took our two sons, daughters-in-law and and two granddaughters (ages 6 and 14 mos) to the Med last summer and it was great. Granted we did have to deal with the heat because of school schedules, but the weather in Oct. is usually nice. One of our biggest fears was the plane ride with the children, but they both did very well and slept when tired. Most of the tours we did were in the morning so the little ones could relax in the afternoon. A few long tours (all day Rome private tour) were made easier as they had us there to stay onboard with the baby. The 6 yr. old wasn't bored at all with Europe and still talks about her favorite things. The baby loved the ship with all the long hallways and bright new things to see. One of our lifesavers at dinner was the DVD player. Whenever she tired of her water markers, followed by a couple books, her parents brought out one of her favorite DVDs. It was great on both the airplanes and in restaurants (even without any sound). So, all in all, even though we all had some major concerns, it ended up being a great trip. Hope yours will be too.

[Onessa]

Don't forget you can bribe them with a gelato or some other food treat. . . .

 

Don't forget Kinder Eggs! DD is now 15YO and I still can bribe her with Kinder when we are overseas! (they are illegal in the US)

 

We've been traveling in Europe (land and sea trips) from the American Midwest since she was an infant. DD has always loved to travel so for us it has been easy. We always do some research and have always adjusted our expectations to deal with her.

 

When she was younger, we'd look for parks and other places she could blow off some steam. Now she likes to shop!:eek:

[lmg1230]

I don't think Europe could ever be boring even with young children. :) We have been 3 times in the last 15 months with our two daughters. Our youngest daughter had just turned 6 for her first trip which was a Baltic cruise - August 2009, 6 and a half for 10 days in London - March 2010, and just turned 7 for 2 weeks in Provence, France - August 2010. She's also excitedly planning for the Med cruise that we have booked for August 2011 which will leave from Rome and go to ports in Greece and Turkey. I believe that if you instill your children with the love of travel then they will have fun exploring anywhere you take them. Spend more time planning upfront so that you know what activities will interest them and be prepared to move on when they are losing interest. I'd also recommend avoiding large ship excursions - that's a surefire way of having unhappy kids.

 

Onessa, I had no idea that KinderEggs weren't available in the U.S. You don't need to go all the way to Europe for them - we have them right across the border in Canada. :)

 

Lisa

[graceinmelbourne]

Don't forget Kinder Eggs! DD is now 15YO and I still can bribe her with Kinder when we are overseas! (they are illegal in the US)

 

We've been traveling in Europe (land and sea trips) from the American Midwest since she was an infant. DD has always loved to travel so for us it has been easy. We always do some research and have always adjusted our expectations to deal with her.

 

When she was younger, we'd look for parks and other places she could blow off some steam. Now she likes to shop!:eek:

 

 

What are kinder eggs? Do you mean Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs? Why would they be illegal?

[luvtravelbug]

DH and I have been struggling with planning the next cruise and if we want to bring the kids (DD 5yo and DS 2 yo) or if they would appreciate a European cruise. I can take only so many beach vacation. DH reminded me of a story I told him a long time ago. My dad was in the Air Force and we lived in England when I was a kids. I was 7yo and excited because we were going to the beach. It was a long drive and when I woke up I expected to be at the beach. Instead we were in the middle of no where walking around a bunch of rocks. We were at Stonehenge! It is a funny story, but it helped me see vacations through my childrens' eyes. Perhaps if I was just a few years older I would have appreciated it more. But I still have some great memories of a family vacation and I have funny story to tell my kids! Good luck.

[boulders]

What are kinder eggs? Do you mean Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs? Why would they be illegal?

 

I would have thought that they're probably illegal because of the small pieces in the toys. However, I found this information online:

Aside from children potentially choking on the toys, the real reason Kinder Eggs are banned is the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938. This Act prohibits the embedding of non-food items completely enclosed inside food items, unless the non-edible part has a functioning value. For example a lollipop or popsicle stick is not edible but is a useful handle. This Act was originally put into place to prevent the addition of hazardous items to processed food and has never been changed.

[Onessa]

. . .She's also excitedly planning for the Med cruise that we have booked for August 2011 which will leave from Rome and go to ports in Greece and Turkey. I believe that if you instill your children with the love of travel then they will have fun exploring anywhere you take them. . . .

Just yesterday I needed to ask DD's Social Studies teacher something. DD informed me that he was in Greece (running a marathon in Marathon!). Unsolicitated by me she started reminsing about different Greek ports. "I just love Santorini, and Rhodes was so cool, and seeing the Acropolis in Athens was one of the best things we ever did, etc." When I mentioned Katakolon she responded with "oh yah, Olympia where I ran that race with those college kids from Isreal!"

 

She remembered things from a trip to Venice when she was 4.5YO when we went back when she was 12YO. She was describing a Chevy's restraunt to a friend and started talking about the machine they have that makes tortillas and I was amazed when she shared a story about "the first time" she had seen one of those machines was when we had taken a train trip and the place where the train stopped for lunch had one -- I had forgotten ALL about that we were in New Mexico and she had JUST turned 3YO less than a week before -- she's now 15YO!

 

Not all kids like to travel. Not all may appreciate travel. But I agree as you said, "I don't think Europe could ever be boring even with young children"

Onessa, I had no idea that KinderEggs weren't available in the U.S. You don't need to go all the way to Europe for them - we have them right across the border in Canada. :)

Lake Superior is in my way! I have ordered illicite boxes of them from someone in BC. :eek:

 

FDA regulation in US prohibits packaged goods where an inedible component is completed embedded or enrobed in an edible substance (I'm paraphrasing here) -- it goes back a long time and started to be strictly "re enforced" a few decades ago when Nestles US introduced the "wonder ball" (a round, all-chocolate kinder egg) and some kid tried to eat the plastic toy and choked.