Please explain the difference between Children's program with NCL and RCL

[lifeisgoodforme]

I am new to cruising and my family and I are wanting to book a Holy Land cruise this fall. I am still concerned about the political climate and want to ensure that there is a good children's program on board. I was more interested in the itinerary with NCL but am confused with the write up with the children's program online and in their literature. I have heard great things about RCL's program. I know that NCL had "port play" but the cost is not listed and it states that it is free other than during lunch and dinner. Is this correct? This is very confusing to me. Also states that the program runs during non port days. Does this mean they have no kids club or activities on nights we are in port? I guess I am looking at people's experiences with NCL. Also, since this is a sensitive area , worse case scenario we could leave the kids on board and take a day excursion. Please anyone with experience with either children's program please give me the pros and cons of each. Thank you!

[boulders]

I am new to cruising and my family and I are wanting to book a Holy Land cruise this fall. I am still concerned about the political climate and want to ensure that there is a good children's program on board. I was more interested in the itinerary with NCL but am confused with the write up with the children's program online and in their literature. I have heard great things about RCL's program. I know that NCL had "port play" but the cost is not listed and it states that it is free other than during lunch and dinner. Is this correct? This is very confusing to me. Also states that the program runs during non port days. Does this mean they have no kids club or activities on nights we are in port? I guess I am looking at people's experiences with NCL. Also, since this is a sensitive area , worse case scenario we could leave the kids on board and take a day excursion. Please anyone with experience with either children's program please give me the pros and cons of each. Thank you!

 

I haven't cruised with NCL, but all the other cruiselines I've cruised have children's club activities in the evenings as well as the daytime. The hours are different though depending on whether they are in port or not. Generally, kids clubs are open from 7-10 pm at no charge. Some cruise lines are open later (up till 2 a.m.) for an additional fee. During the day, they generally open at 8 or 9 a.m. If they're at sea, they close at noon and reopen at 1 or 2 pm and go to 5 pm. Many times, they have the option of lunch or dinner on sea days at an additional charge. If they're in port, they'll open at 8 a.m. or shortly before the first shore excursion goes and be open until 4 or 5 or later and then reopen for evening hours. Daytime is free unless you want them to feed them lunch on a sea day.

 

We will be sailing with HAL in the Med this summer. HAL's kids club hours aren't the best. They close at 4 pm port days, so I'm still trying to figure out whether my youngest or any of us will be coming on the all day shore excursion that ends at 4:15.

[Warmer Climes]

We have done two RCI cruises and six with NCL. Their children's programs are very comparable although my daughter prefers NCL. As far as the specifics of the times, perhaps if you posted this on the NCL board you would get some good information.

[lifeisgoodforme]

Thank you for the replies. I guess I am just a little worried since we usually travel by land where we have complete control ( well almost). Looking forward to trying something new.

[Gatrcruzer]

Cruising is a great way to vacation, and a wonderful way to get in short visits to several places without the stress of packing/unpacking/catching trains or buses, etc. It is much more relaxing. And, if there are political issues or a location turns out to be dangerous, the line can make a decision to skip or substitute another for the safety of the passengers, whereas with a land-based vacation it could be harder to make last minute adjustments.

 

As far as the programs, how old are your children? This could make a difference with some of the specifics. I have heard excellent things about the NCL program, but I believe you might be right about an extra fee for daytime care on port days, whereas you do not have an extra fee on RCI. My daughter (age 3) enjoyed the RCI kids program, and we liked that they would pick children up from the dining room 45 minutes into dinner (dinners on cruise ships usually run around 2 hours).

 

I will say that both lines have solid children's programs, so perhaps you should give more weight to other issues. I think that itinerary could be important. Also, if you are fairly new to cruising, you might want to pay very close attention to the size of the rooms. NCL tends to have pretty small rooms, and you may want to make sure that you are making good price comparisons between the 2. You also want to make sure you have enough space to be comfortable. Also, many cruise ship staterooms on both lines do not come with a bathtub. For older children this probably isn't an issue, but for young children it could be a concern. Often only the higher category staterooms have tubs, which is true on both RCI and NCL. Finally, NCL offers "freestyle" cruising, which means you can choose when and where you eat every night. Traditional cruising involves a set time and table (and waiter) for dinner nightly, and usually it is a more formal affair.

 

So, a lot to consider. Best of luck in your planning, and have a great trip!