Do YOU cruise with children??

[beachchick]

Onessa: OT: Are you someone like me who loves words so much that you can get lost looking through the dictionary while searching for a single word? (My mom calls this "reading the dictionary for the plot".)

 

beachchick

[Jollyholiday]

We are an English family who are travelling on NOS 8/6/2005 and this is our first cruise. On several occasions people have stated that we should travel without the children (usually the older generation). The way I see it is RCI Voyager class is advertised as a family orientated ship. Not that children should be unsupervised and allowed to bother other passengers. I can't wait to experience the ice skating with DD (aged 6), swimming with the dolphins and my son is looking forward to waverunning with his dad. We would never be able to experience these things at homes. My DD face was a picture when she picked out her dress last weekend for formal night - she asked whether it would be like a prom night (yes - we have started having proms in England). We are also having a week at Disney World after the cruise. To us this is the ultimate vacation and everyone in the family deserves this treat. I can't wait!!!!

[Yvonne]

DH and I didn't start our "cruise life" until our 25th wedding anniversary, both our kids were grown and out on their own so we have never cruised with children. We couldn't afford to cruise when they were little, so didn't have the option of taking them with us or not.

 

We do plan to take our kids on a cruise within the next few years though, so they will be adult "kids." :) The grandchildren will go too though. I'm already looking forward to it, a Disney cruise with our grandchildren, I'm sure it will be very magical, to see things fresh and new from their little eyes...

 

Those that NEVER vacation (or even go out to dinner or a movie) without their children, I just don't understand that. DH and I love our children very much and enjoyed taking them places, BUT we also enjoyed time with just the two of us occasionally too.

 

Children grow up and leave, you will spend the rest of your life with your spouse. It's nice to have "alone time" with them occasionally, while the children are growing up, so you aren't "strangers" to each other after the kids leave the nest. It keeps a marriage alive when you get away from the kids a little, even for just your anniversary or something.

[rccruisers]

I really like to see families enjoy a cruise with their children. It is so much fun but on the other hand, like to see couples get away for a week and enjoy time to themselves.

 

When I was a child, my parents always took me on vacation. There was one time of the year they went to the beach in the fall, when school was is session...and we stayed with grandma. That was a vacation for us, LOL...we were totally spoiled by the time they got back.

 

Now we cruise with our daughter and her husband and we really enjoy this time with them. Cruising is a great vacation!

[Soxfan05]

DH and I didn't start our "cruise life" until our 25th wedding anniversary, both our kids were grown and out on their own so we have never cruised with children. We couldn't afford to cruise when they were little, so didn't have the option of taking them with us or not.

 

We do plan to take our kids on a cruise within the next few years though, so they will be adult "kids." :) The grandchildren will go too though. I'm already looking forward to it, a Disney cruise with our grandchildren, I'm sure it will be very magical, to see things fresh and new from their little eyes...

 

Those that NEVER vacation (or even go out to dinner or a movie) without their children, I just don't understand that. DH and I love our children very much and enjoyed taking them places, BUT we also enjoyed time with just the two of us occasionally too.

 

Children grow up and leave, you will spend the rest of your life with your spouse. It's nice to have "alone time" with them occasionally, while the children are growing up, so you aren't "strangers" to each other after the kids leave the nest. It keeps a marriage alive when you get away from the kids a little, even for just your anniversary or something.

 

I always thought hubby and I would take a vacation each year without the kids until we had them. When my boys were 4, my husband and I took a cruise to Bermuda. After the 4th day, I missed them terribly. We got back to port and didn't even wait for our ride, we grabbed a cab and got home to our children.

 

We now try to do "mini-moons" or short weekends away, just the 2 of us. We also do enjoy dining out without the kids usually once a month or when they are sleeping over with an aunt or Uncle. We've found that to hire a babysitter for a night out is cost probibitive. At $10 per hour, the cost of a sitter can cost as much as a good bottle of wine at the restaurant!

 

Weeklong vacations are for the entire family as are many dinners out. My husband and I still get time with just each other as we share a variety of hobbies and interests. Our kids have hobbies, activities and friends so they're often off doing their "thing" leaving hubby and I time together.

 

I think the family friendly aspect of cruises is what appeals to many people. There are activities for the kids so adults can steal away some together time. The opportunity for the kids to dine with the staff one night allows parents a dinner out without worry. It's the best of both worlds.

 

Like you, I agree the kids grow up and go off. I guess we have the attitude that we want to take advantage of the time we do have that our kids want to be with us. There will come a time when they won't be so excited about a vacation or dinner out with mom and dad and then we'll revisit the week away without the kids.

[MackMasterson]

We just returned from our 5th cruise, but the first with our 14 month old. It was wonderful!! don't get me wrong, it ended up being a different type of cruise than we are used to, but the experience for her, even at that young age was priceless. The different cultures of the crew(who all treated her like a little princess) as well as the different ports definitely had an impact, and she came home a "different" little girl.

 

There were alot of things my parents couldn't do for me, and becuase of that, I can and want to do it for my daughter.

 

Besides, she'll be Diamond-Platinum by the time she is 18!! :D

[Onessa]

Onessa: OT: Are you someone like me who loves words so much that you can get lost looking through the dictionary while searching for a single word? (My mom calls this "reading the dictionary for the plot".)

 

beachchick

 

You've got it! It's not enough to use a word that will get my point across, it is more the hunt of finding the perfect word!

[grandmaof7]

We will be cruising with two of our grandchildren, girl 12 & boy 15 in October 2006 on the new Freedom Of The Seas. We have been on many cruises in the last 2 years and thought they would enjoy one. We have 5 other grandchildren, but they are all 7 or under and at my age I decided to take them at 12 and up so it would be easier on me. We are planning on a formal picture of the 4 of us as a keep sake and will do this as we take the others.

 

Carnival Pride 2003

Mariner Of The Seas 2004

Majesty Of The Seas 2004

Star Princess 2005

Enchantment Of The Seas 2005

Brilliance Of The Seas 2006

Freedom Of the Seas 2006

[rabelgirls]

I have only been on one cruise, but yes, I took my then 8 year old daughter. My DH has no desire to go on a cruise. I can't get him to understand that there is sooo much to do, anyway...I am going on a cruise with my WLS buddies in January. I will be going alone with no children. I am already having guilty feelings towards this trip, but I am a stay at home mom and I work midnights a couple nights a week. Anyway...I do plan on more cruises and my next one will include all three of my girls!!

[teach01]

No, I do not cruise with children. But...before you bash me let me say that I have worked at a school for over 20 years and love kids! And among our group of 10 we collective have 12 kids of our own. HOWEVER...we just returned from the Mariner 4/5 cruise and it was a mess. Granted, there were over 1500 kids on the cruise, but we have been on cruises with over 1200 kids and never experienced the unruly behavior of kids (mostly in the 12-17 year old range) that we experienced on this trip. And, yes...we have cruised several times during spring break because that is my time off as well. The kids were allowed to run wild from at all times (and until 2 a.m. by our personal experience) running up and down the hallways pulling room service menus off of doors, as well as switching 'do not disturb signs' for 'make up room signs', etc., etc. We never could get breakfast in our room unless we called in the morning due to these darling little 'pranksters.' Our room steward said it was a nightmare for he and his co-workers to deal with. These kids blocked stairwells, playing boardgames and just not moving if you tried to use the stairs. There were 10 in our group and we personally saw some kids removing the day of the week carpet signs in the elevators and taking them away. RCCL secruity did nothing to solve the problem and in speaking to MANY parents (WHO INCIDENTALLY DID HAVE TEEN AGE KIDS ON THE CRUISE), many were disturbed at the behavior that was allowed on the ship. I actually saw an RCCL security guard standing at the internet cafe as I was going to my cabin on the last night of the cruise watching 4 kids twirling in the chairs and banging on the computer key boards...he of course, did nothing! No wonder several of my e-mails never did reach home! Oh well, it's only money.

 

I know you paid for your kids to have a good time and I believe they should, but not when they hinder the enjoyment of other guests. It was like a high school sophomore trip gone wild at certain times. As for the activities, many of them were like the junior prom. RCCL entertaiment staff catered to the kids and I believe that most of the adults simply stayed away. My guess is that most parents on that sailing would be very defensive when reading my comments. However, my belief is that anyone under 18 should not be allowed to freely roam the halls after midnight yelling, swearing and discussing vulgar topics. They had a very nice area dedicated to this age group 24 hours per day. I believe that it should have been a mandatory area after midnight. I paid my money too and really didn't appreciate having roaming kids wake me up at 1 or 2 a.m. because their parents condone their right to have fun at everyone else's expense. Bash away if you care to, but that's just the way I feel!

 

I agree totally. We have a 14 year old daughter and after what we experienced on the Granduer last Aug. (our first cruise following a family vacation in July)she will not cruise with us. The kids were allowed to run wild and cause trouble for all. They were in the stairwells, pushing every button on the elevator, and lets not talk about the raging hormones! The parents allowed their children to attend adult acitivities, without them (i.e. adult comedy shows, and Quest). So much for quality time! We could not get into the jacuzzi because of all of the kids. My husband and I made a decision on that cruise not to take our daughter until she graduated from highschool (in three years). We do however take a fanmily vacation every year! I know that I have raised my daughter right, however can you imagine the type of vacation we would have when she would not be allowed to run wild like her friends---it would be miserable for not only us but for her!

[beachchick]

teach01: You've obviously been role models as parents if your teen is turned off by that out of control behavior. I'm so sorry she couldn't have experienced the teen activities when they are fun. We always cruise "off season" kid-wise. Doesn't mean we hate kids; we've raised our own and still have two grade-schoolers in our lives. We just prefer to cruise when there are fewer children. And I must say, that on those cruises the kids have been terrific (with some very minor exceptions and a few bad ones).

 

beachchick

[waterrats]

we leave our 3 and 6 year olds at home. when they are older we will most likely take them with us.

[lrovnan]

I would definetely think about taking my two year old if she were older and able to use the on board childrens programs. But bringing a toddler on board just seems like more work than just staying at home. I love her dearly but just taking her to a restaurant or shopping is not a fun experience. She is in the middle of her "terrrible two's" and I wouldn't want to spend that much money to have her have tantrum's and disrupt other cruisers because of my selfishness. My feelings are she will stay home until she is about 5 or 6. And my husband and I will enjoy this time together while she has fun with grandma and grandpa at the beach.

[skygator9]

We are taking our 15 month daughter on her 1st cruise in July. I couldn't imagine going without her!

[Folgy]

I would definetely think about taking my two year old if she were older and able to use the on board childrens programs. But bringing a toddler on board just seems like more work than just staying at home. I love her dearly but just taking her to a restaurant or shopping is not a fun experience. She is in the middle of her "terrrible two's" and I wouldn't want to spend that much money to have her have tantrum's and disrupt other cruisers because of my selfishness. My feelings are she will stay home until she is about 5 or 6. And my husband and I will enjoy this time together while she has fun with grandma and grandpa at the beach.

 

WOW! You are an amazingly insiteful and conciderate parent. You definitely are a person of sensibility and reason . I wish you and yours a great time of R&R and fun so that you come back rested and relaxed .

Your little one will have energized parents upon your return. Kudos big time to you both :)

[Terpnut]

I would definetely think about taking my two year old if she were older and able to use the on board childrens programs. But bringing a toddler on board just seems like more work than just staying at home. I love her dearly but just taking her to a restaurant or shopping is not a fun experience. She is in the middle of her "terrrible two's" and I wouldn't want to spend that much money to have her have tantrum's and disrupt other cruisers because of my selfishness. My feelings are she will stay home until she is about 5 or 6. And my husband and I will enjoy this time together while she has fun with grandma and grandpa at the beach.

I've cruised with my kids as 3 and 1 yr-olds and will again this summer as 6 and 4 yr-olds. I agree it makes more monetary and practical sense to take them now than when we did 3 years ago. However even though it was a bit of a hassle 3 yrs ago (especially due to 9/11/01), we all had fun, happily ate together, had good family time, didn't disturb anyone, and all-in-all, had a good vacation. But each child is different (e.g. our kids have been going to restaurants a couple times a week since they were each 6 weeks old without any hassles or problems) and only the parent can judge whether the cost/stress/benefit ratio is worth it.

[Lamar Cheeks]

we waited until our kids were 15, 11 and nine before taking them on a cruise. perfect ages. absolutely perfect. that was a couplea years ago.

 

now, we have another little bambino thanks to a "cruise" to China over the winter ... she'll be 2 1/2 on her first cruise next year. i know it'll be a bit of a hassle, but counting myself, the DW, the three other kids and grandmama ... there will always be someone to chase her around while the rest of us snooze by the pool!

 

(don't worry ... she'll still be too small to push all the elevator buttons!!)

:D :D

[juliew]

We have cruised with our children and withour our children (now ages 19, 17 & 8). We have enjoyed both for different reasons. When our kids were younger (before the 8 year old) and weren't as involved in various activities (as football, volleyball, music, etc), we always took a week vacation by ourselves every year from the time the older two were small. This was our time to reconnect with each other.

 

As the kids got into jr high & high school it was impossible to get away longer than a long weekend because of all of their activities and we didn't want to miss anything.

 

So, this year we are taking a week cruise without them (mind you the younger 2 were with us on the Diamond Princess in March - the older one was in college) on the Adventure of the Seas to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. My 8 year old gives me puppy dog eyes sometimes because she loves to cruise, but we reassure her that there will be many more family vacations, but mommy and daddy need some uninterrupted time together to keep our marriage strong.

 

I believe this is a needed thing - with so many marriages in disarray (we have so many friends who have split up in the last 10 years) we believe that staying connected to each other is important so that when our kids do leave home we will know who the other person is that is living the house! Our kids, even our 8 year old, understand that. They will be well taken care of by grandparents and a family babysitter that has been with the family for over 25 years. They will survive and our marriage and family will be better for it.

[JessLCH]

My 3.5 year old has been on 4 cruises and my 6.5 month old on 1. We are booked for another in December.

 

I have to admit that our last cruise was a bit of a disaster. While it was wonderful cruising with my daughter since age 1, cruising with a 6 month old was a pain. I think it would have been fine if we had one one child OR had grandparents/relatives with us as we often do when we cruise. Live and learn. Next cruise we will be traveling with doting relatives.

[48is24is1]

The children have not been on a cruise with us as of yet, however, we have not ruled out taking them...in the future.

[cruisebabe43]

I agree with you on your post. The last cruise I was on I did not take my children and DID notice the well-behaved children at dinner and on the excursions. The problem is that we REMEMBER the really badly behaved ones. Unfortunately, we tend to forget the really cute little girls that are all dressed up for dinner and actly politely. We remember the teenagers that are running rampant all night long while THEIR parent or chaparones are having a good time in the bars and casinos (or in their rooms). That is why we don't bring ours on board. Even though I can't imagine that my children would act that way, I am afraid that my constant checking on them to make sure that they aren't bothering anyone would make my cruise "unfun".

[Randy and Laura]

Our son, 11, went with us on our first cruise and it was great! He loved Adventure Ocean, was able to check himself in and out. He is not one to run around and cause trouble and spent time with us when not participating with the supervised activities. He loved spending time in the cabin and walking around checking out the ship. He is a loner by nature and didn't really hang out with the other children. He is so excited for our next trip and occaisionally I catch him on the RCCL website checking out future cruises. I think he has us booked for the Freedom of the Seas in 2007...LOL...

[Johnkut]

We took our daughter and her girlfriend with us this past March. They had there own room. They were both 16 years old. It was her first and last. Although she enjoyed the cruise a lot, she wants to experience it with her boyfriend when she is older. We did not take our children on cruises when thy were younger because we did not think they were very kid friendly (we have been on 6). Instead we took them to the beach, Disney World, cancun and the mountains. I would never take young kids on a cruise because I think it is geared more for older kids and adults. There kids programs are nothing mopre than high quality babysitting. So if you put your kids in these programs, it is because you as a parent don't want to be with them. How can it be quality time with your kids if you put them in a youth program. Besides, my daughter at 16, is past the point that she wants to take her vacations with her mom and dad.

[Girlsnightout]

I only cruise with my kids...it's my husband who I leave home..they love cruising, dh, well, doesn't.

[Girlsnightout]

There kids programs are nothing mopre than high quality babysitting. So if you put your kids in these programs, it is because you as a parent don't want to be with them. How can it be quality time with your kids if you put them in a youth program..

 

And????

 

My kids have been on 7 cruises, they choose them over Disneyworld, or any other vacation. They also LOVED the kids programs, they begged to go to them and cried when we took them out. If that's "only" high quality babysitting, fine with me, they loved it.

 

As a SAHM for years, so what if they weren't with me day and night on a one week vacation? They were with me 24/7 the rest of the year....Does everything have to be "quality time"? Whatever happened to letting kids have fun?