Cruising WITH or WITHOUT Kids?

[TXRoo]

Ok, so I have a question...do you cruise mostly with or without your kids? If not, how do you deal with not taking the kids? How do you explain to them about you (the parents) going on vacation and they are not?

 

I'm just curious about people's feelings about cruising with or without their own children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews.

 

If you don't have kids or you want to complain about kids, please don't in this thread...there are plenty of threads about unruly kids on cruise ships...take those complaints there.

 

Please explain for any response...but especially any "other" responses. :)

 

TIA,

TXRoo

[Intrudr]

Ok, so I have a question...do you cruise mostly with or without your kids? If not, how do you deal with not taking the kids? How do you explain to them about you (the parents) going on vacation and they are not?

 

I'm just curious about people's feelings about cruising with or without their own children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews.

 

If you don't have kids or you want to complain about kids, please don't in this thread...there are plenty of threads about unruly kids on cruise ships...take those complaints there.

 

Please explain for any response...but especially any "other" responses. :)

 

TIA,

TXRoo

 

With. But if I was going without I'd set 'em up with Grandma and the cousins - they'd be sad about missing the cruise, but would still have lots of fun. I wouldn't go without them.

[pacerzfan]

My 2 girls (7 and 15) help make my cruise a great vacation. 3 cruises under their belt who needs a wife, my daughters spend all my money just fine!!!

[hstrybuf]

Without. Our girls are in their 20's and I figure if they want to cruise with us they can pay their own way! ;)

 

How we deal with it is much different that those with small children. We do lay responsibility at their feet while we're gone and so far the house hasn't burned down. :D

[I Luv Crusin]

So far we have taken our teens with us, twice. Not a problem. BUT we hope to get on a cruise this summer while the kids are at camp.

[corina27]

I am going on my first cruise without my 3 year old. My husband and I felt she would be safer with grandma. We felt that a big ship in water was not a very good play ground for her.

[htkodiak]

We have done it both ways and we always enjoy it better when our kids are with us.

[TXRoo]

Can y'all post the ages of your kids also??? Thanks!!!

[Intrudr]

2 & 8.

[tef43]

how do you deal with not taking the kids?

What's to deal with? :confused:

How do you explain to them about you (the parents) going on vacation and they are not?

What's to explain? "We're going away for a week and Grandma is coming to stay with you. No you can't go, you have school."

[Stircrzy]

When they were younger, we cruised WITH them.

 

Now that they are older (19 & 24...both single), we cruise WITH them when they can arrange their schedules to join us or WITHOUT them when they have college/work schedules that prohibit their joining us.

 

I always have a good time, either way!!

[judyjbest]

On our first cruise, our kids were 7 and 17. We had taken an Orlando vacation with them in June, then took this vacation as a couple shortly thereafter. We loved cruising and thought it might be fun to share that experience with them, so we booked another cruise to coincide with our son's graduation from high school. The youngest wanted to stay in the Kid's program the whole time, even in port, so we might as well have left her at home. The oldest was in-between teens and adults, so he found it hard to fit into any group. I spent the whole vacation trying to make sure they both were happy, so DH said it would be a couple vacation from then on.

 

We still do a family vacation in the summer and a family trip at Thanksgiving somewhere fun (like the Cowboy's Thanksgiving game). The oldest is now a youth pastor, and the youngest is now in his youth group. So, they both have a summer missions trip to somewhere cool (he's going to "suffer for Jesus" at a mission in St. Croix this summer, and she's going to Juarez, Mexico). And, they both attend a youth camp in the summer.

 

They stayed with grandparents until he was old enough and responsible enough to care for himself and her. Now, we have the best of both worlds -- he drops us off at the airport, has the house to himself as he cares for little sis, and then he pick us up at the airport afterwards. He's planning to take a honeymoon cruise when he picks that special girl, and I'm sure he expects us to pick up the tab for all the times he's cared for sis during our trips, and we probably will!

[palmtre2]

Our next cruise will be in a couple of weeks & DD (age 10 as of yesterday)will be with us. She was on the last one over her Easter break as well, she loved cruising and is looking forward to this years holiday cruise. She amazed her Dad and I by acting so grown up- ordering off the regular menu at dinner(no chicken fingers!!!), taking a deep breath and plunging right in at Camp(and coming out with new friends) and really enjoying a tour of Mayan ruins(without her gameboy!!). If you take them be sure to use Camp Carnival and get some adult time - that afternoon nap on sea days was awesome.

[xgdgirl]

We normally cruise without our kids. No they aren't happy about it and we have to pry their fingers off the handles of the car when we leave but it can be done. Do I feel guilty? Heck no. After all, they are all over 30. :p :D

[halos]

...I know 'other' is a weird response but my situation is that the first time I cruised, my kids were 5 and 2. My husband and I went without them. They stayed with my parents.

Unlike Tef's response about how to deal with not taking them, I have to say that although I had gone away for long weekends without the kids, this was the first time I ever left them for a full week. How I dealt with it was that I worried, and worried....and then I'd tell myself that my Mom raised us all fine without letting us get killed, so she would be able to take care of my kids too. It certainly isn't easy, but nothing about being a parent is. In hindsight leaving my kids on occasion was good for them. As far as how we explained it, I told them the truth...'Mommies and Daddies need to go on vacations alone sometimes. We love you but kids also need time with their grandparents alone sometimes too because they can spoil you rotten!!'

 

Because we made it a point to go out on weekends a lot at night and hire babysitters..and do the occasional weekend away...the kids had NO problem being left with my parents. They didn't miss us at all. All the anticipation and worry I felt before leaving them vanished the minute I would drop them at my Mom's...the anticipation (in ANY circumstance) is ALWAYS worse than the actual event. This is NOT to say that I ever get used to leaving them...I always dread it but it never stops me from going.

 

Then when my girls were 17 and 14 we took them on their first cruise and cruised with them once again this past June. I thoroughly enjoyed it both times.

The next cruise will be in the winter of 2007, when the 'baby' will be off in college (somewhere) and I will be empty nested...then the only dreaded anticipation I'll need to deal with is leaving my Golden retriever. :D But I pay mega bucks to keep him safe and comfortable to ease my guilt.

BTW...he ALWAYS takes my leaving him worse than the kids EVER did!! Kids don't really miss their parents that much when they are left with grandparents...heck, I still prefer to be with my grandmother!!! ;)

[tef43]

'Mommies and Daddies need to go on vacations alone sometimes."

And what remains unsaid, because nobody wants to admit it is, the little darlings need a vacation from Mommy and Daddy too. :rolleyes:

[halos]

And what remains unsaid, because nobody wants to admit it is, the little darlings need a vacation from Mommy and Daddy too. :rolleyes:

 

you are SO da**ed right on that one!! Ain't that the truth!!!!

 

BTW...there is a thread about whether infants should be brought on cruises over on the Princess boards and there are 3 full pages of varied responses and NOBODY is being nasty. It is SO refreshing!

[halos]

We normally cruise without our kids. No they aren't happy about it and we have to pry their fingers off the handles of the car when we leave but it can be done. Do I feel guilty? Heck no. After all, they are all over 30. :p :D

 

 

LOL!!!!! :D

[SallyMay]

I voted without. Our children are grown and only our first cruise our 4 year old granddaughter was with us. It was fun with her but sure alot of fun without. This is our time however, I don't mind kids being on a cruise. Lets all be happy and enjoy.

[Guest Time2gocruzn]

I am cruising WITH kids...2 y/o and 4 y/o. The only relative I would consider leaving them with is cruising with us and regardless, I think this is something they will really enjoy and WANT to take them. They are boys. All the airplanes, big ships, kids club, tender boats, stingrays, fish, sand and water will be like heaven for them. I think that even if I could leave them behind I probably wouldn't. The best part of having kids for me is watching them experience new things and I think that is going to be half the fun of this vacation.;) :) Between Grandma and Grandpa and the kids club we can still get grown up time AND enjoy our time together as a family. And THAT, my friends, is why I think cruising will be the perfect family vacation, LOL!!!:D

 

 

Can ya tell we are getting close? I am just a tad excited:rolleyes: :D

[wisefamily4]

Kids are 6 & 7 - They cruise with us. We leave them with Grandma 5 or 6 weekends a year and go somewhere for a nice 'away' weekend - Our cruises are family vacations (I wouldn't have it any other way). :)

[tcsmithh]

We have gone with the kids, and without, both were fun. but there is alot less stress when it is just us. our kids are great! but five of them 18,17,14,13,and 11 gets a little crazy :) we were talking about two trips a year, one with the kiddies, one just mom and dad :D

[Intrudr]

What's to deal with? :confused:

 

What's to explain? "We're going away for a week and Grandma is coming to stay with you. No you can't go, you have school."

 

When I did my "how would Tef respond" drill I answered all questions correctly!

[dtchem1]

We did our first cruise with kids last year. They are 11, 18, 19, 20 ,21, so it wasn't a big deal and the older ones took turns with the youngest at night, so we had the best of both worlds. When they were younger, we took them to the Jersey shore or to historical sites and amusement parks, so we did our family vacations, but cruising, for me, is more of an adult vacation. They are not happy when we go without them ,especially now that they have experienced it, but we need our stress relief and that is without kids.

[lrizit]

Right now, I marked without. I haven't taken them yet. We leave them with my parents and my in-laws. I ususally have a little *pang* of guilt as we're leaving, but once I'm there I don't. They're 3 and 8, and the little one is starting to realize she's missing out on something, so we're getting a little cr*p from her. :p I'll be taking them on their first in June 2006. We're going to do a 3 day to the Bahamas just to be sure they can have fun for a longer one. I don't want to be stuck on the ship for a week with miserable kids, and I know no one else does either.