What would you like to see on a ship for kids?

[crusinmama06]

I was just reading some cruise news and saw that AIDA (a German speaking cruise line owned by CCL) started offering DIVING COURSES for kids 8 years and older. The courses are done in the ship's pool. And I thought -- how cool!

 

So what would you like to see on a cruise ship for kids that you haven't seen yet?

 

My standard answer has always been LAZY RIVER - but I think that's more for me than for the kids ;):p

[cb at sea]

Can you imagine how packed a lazy river would be???? Even at large, land-based pools they are elbow to elbow! But, that would be a draw...I like lazy rivers!

[Mom2B&Z]

A lazy river too, especially one where you didn't have to get out at the end and could just keep going around and around...bliss!

I'd love to see kayak lessons in the pool, or maybe speed up the lazy river into a rapids?

Can you put a roller coaster on a ship? I don't think the physics work out, but that would be really cool!

For the crazy safety obsessed parent in me, a GPS unit on my kids so I know where they are at all times :rolleyes:

What I would like less of on the ships are the screen based activities...we can watch movies, play Wii etc at home.

[jlrn366419]

Maybe a lazy river would be the answer to the chair hog problem, lol.

 

Kids culinary experience perhaps?

[Woodmnky]

What about science at sea or as the previous poster said cooking classes for kids? Something educational that is billed as interactive fun.

[Captain Canuck]

I am working on the issue of disposing stuff at sea

 

 

...heh...kidding so no hate mail

[sandytoes03]

Real pools that little ones in diapers can use!

[Jen&Joe]

Science at sea would be awesome!

[Colorado Kat]

Cooking classes!

[QTMichele]

I'd like to see everything on Disney's prototype ship!!! For those who haven't seen it, I'll try to find a picture for you. :)

[Steamboatin]

Only one thing is needed on a cruise ship for kids.

 

A responsible parent!!!!!!!!

 

Unfortunately the cruise line does not provide them.

[epixx]

OK; maybe it's for me, too, but my kids would love this.

 

By the way, HAL offered cooking classes for kids the last time we sailed that line.

[Captain Canuck]

if you folks won't got for the catapult..how about a water slide..that deposits off the tail of the ship

[crusinmama06]

A responsible parent!!!!!!!!

 

Hey, this is the CC Family Board. You are preaching to the choir. ;):p We are the best of the best around here. :D

 

if you folks won't got for the catapult..how about a water slide..that deposits off the tail of the ship

 

Do we get to choose who we send up off the back of the ship? I bet I could start a list. ;)

 

ANYWAY --

 

So

Lazy River

Cooking Classes - Possibly on HAL (and I thought they were introduced on another line as well, maybe RCI?)

Roller Coaster

Kayak Classes

GPS

Science at Sea (something like this was on Explorer - but don't know if it was ever really executed well)

Real Pools for Babies

Batting Cages

 

I am going to add another one...I think it would be cool to have a place where you could snorkle - have a sunken ship (on the ship) - have a fake reef. Why not? ;)

[Mom2B&Z]

I am going to add another one...I think it would be cool to have a place where you could snorkle - have a sunken ship (on the ship) - have a fake reef. Why not? ;)

OMG, this would be bliss for my boys! What could be better than a pirate parade around the ship that ends with the kids snorkling on a "reef" for the sunken pirate ship's bounty?

Heck, I'd sign myself up for kids club to do this lol!

[JennLuvs2Cruise]

Indoor go carts?? I think kids would love that. But I definitely love the science at sea idea for an educational value :)

[junglejane]

I'm going to respectfully disagree with many of the ideas here (batting cages, lazy river, diving lessons, etc.). I like the idea of some baby friendly pool area, but otherwise I guess I just don't buy into the cruise-ship-as-theme-park idea. We do take our kids to theme parks (we plan to go to Busch Gardens for Fall Break and next summer we will be in California for Sea World/Disneyland/Universal Studios). When we go on cruises, our kids enjoy the ports and on sea days they enjoy the pool, going to shows, making new friends, scavenger hunts, and just hanging out and exploring the ship. I really don't think kids need all the hoopla (i.e., elaborate facilities) to have fun. In fact, our kids complain if we overschedule them with activities. We have done 3 port intensive European cruises with our kids. They have been great trips, but the truth is that our kids prefer our Mexican Riviera cruises (which we have done 5x) because they aren't expected to do anything or go anywhere!

[Megnolia]

I absolutely agree with the baby pool!

 

and while I'm thinking about it, I would make that pool in a "for play only" area, so there aren't hundreds of lounge chairs to maneouver around or people trying to walk through with their drinks or food, so no worries about splashing, or kids dripping on people or upsetting those who just like to sit in the pool.

[ehough]

Hmm...I'm thinking more along the lines of parent and child activities than any new fixtures, personally. I know the clubs offer activities galore, but especially with younger kids I'd really love activities that we can all do together as a family (not that there aren't activities, of course, but I'd love some specifically family oriented activities). Maybe some kind of family scavenger hunt, or a pub crawl with juice, sampling different flavors in each area? :)

[kitty9]

How about a manners class. The kids could be taught about all that silverware in the table setting, how to order for themselves, proper behavior at the table and then even a tasting of foods the kids might not be familiar with. And then maybe the kids could teach parents a thing or two.

[kitty9]

Hmm...I'm thinking more along the lines of parent and child activities than any new fixtures, personally. I know the clubs offer activities galore, but especially with younger kids I'd really love activities that we can all do together as a family (not that there aren't activities, of course, but I'd love some specifically family oriented activities). Maybe some kind of family scavenger hunt, or a pub crawl with juice, sampling different flavors in each area? :)

 

I've noticed that RCI tends to have a number of family activities. They have family bingo, family trivia and a scavenger hunt. The families all looked to be having a great time.

[cruiser-007]

Maybe a mime, magician or a balloon guy in the theatre to keep the kids entertained before the show.

[mcfam5]

I would just love to see the waterslide/water feature areas expanded......most times they are so crowded it is tough for the kids to get a lot of use out of them. I also think it would be fun to have one of those water slides were you sit in a two person raft to go down. We love those at the waterparks!!

 

Great ideas everyone!

[GoldenRose]

I'd like to see more ships with either a pool or water play area (heavily treated and filtered, of course) for children still in swim diapers. I'd also like to see some sort of multi-age playground, either indoors or covered, to give kids the chance to play off some energy on port days and bad weather days.

[Tashak]

I'd like to see everything on Disney's prototype ship!!! For those who haven't seen it, I'll try to find a picture for you. :)

I'd really love to see this!