Better kids program - Celebrity or NCL

[40herewecome]

We are planning a cruise to celebrate our 40th birthdays in 2011. We have four children, ages 6, 8, 9 and 11 and they are all so excited! We would be leaving from NY and I think my husband and I would like Celebrity better, but the kids would enjoy NCL more. Which cruise line has a better kids program from your experience? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[rolloman]

We are planning a cruise to celebrate our 40th birthdays in 2011. We have four children, ages 6, 8, 9 and 11 and they are all so excited! We would be leaving from NY and I think my husband and I would like Celebrity better, but the kids would enjoy NCL more. Which cruise line has a better kids program from your experience? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Book the NCL EPIC and it will be perfect for all of you. I love Celebrity and it is probably my favorite line but it really is designed for the mature crowd. The EPIC would be a trip your whole family would enjoy and remember.

[onthelake]

A lot depends on your kids. My DS is 17 now and has been cruising since he was a toddler. He has always been happier when there are fewer kids on the ship. He finds a smaller group gets to do more and he connects better with friends - it isn't so much crowd control therefore more interaction. Maybe it is a bit of the only child thing, likes friends and interaction but too many kids can be overwhelming. Anyway, he loved Celebrity at 5 and would love it now. Pick the itinerary/cabin/price you want and I am sure the kids will enjoy any ship you may choose.

[mjkacmom]

We are leaving tomorrow for our second NCL cruise. We prefer it over DCL for our kids - the older kids hated DCL's kids club, and we like to be able to eat whenever we want. I have 5 (7, 7, 9, 12, and 14), and they like having a lot of kids around.