Wanting tips on anything and everything for kids on Epic

[RobinSie]

We are sailing on Epic Dec. 1 with DD 8 and DS 6. We are looking for any tips related to sailing with kids on this fabulous ship. Food, activities, what not to do...all suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated. Things that wouldn't necessarily come to mind are great...like inactivating the ability to charge on their cards. Again...thanks to all allowing me to pick your brains. I truly love the CC community!

[luv2cruise53]

We are sailing on Epic Dec. 1 with DD 8 and DS 6. We are looking for any tips related to sailing with kids on this fabulous ship. Food, activities, what not to do...all suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated. Things that wouldn't necessarily come to mind are great...like inactivating the ability to charge on their cards. Again...thanks to all allowing me to pick your brains. I truly love the CC community!

 

Hi, Epic is great for kids your age. My kids were teens but the ships concept works for kids of every age I believe. Of course you will enroll them in the Kids program, they look to be in same age group but like I said, my kids were teens.

 

Don't worry, before long you'll have tons of correct answers from parents with your kids ages.

 

So I can't answer with any degree of confidence but just wait, someone will.

 

Nickelodeon, Kids pool area, Nick characters, gentler main slide will work well too. Buffet always has chix fingers, fries, pizza, kids food.

 

Also all restaurants whether included or specialty will bring the kids chix fingers, grill cheese, mac and cheese etc.

 

So wait for more than me but I hope that helps.:D:cool:

[RobinSie]

My kids will love the kids program onboard. Any suggestions on shows they would enjoy or not? We will be doing the Eastern itinerary...suggestions for excursions? Thanks in advance for all input!

[HOTROD1]

We sailed Epic last Christmas ages 9 to 80. Embarkment day have bathing suits in carry on and check out the slides. They were open and empty. Bowling alley big hit with 2 young nephews (costs extra). Rock climbing, big hit (no extra fee). Ping pong was good (between main pools and adult pool.

 

Dad and nephews took a NCL kayak excursion. Had a good time but did get left behind. Ship did wait for them.

 

Have good time and enjoy. I have dailies if you want more info.

[Jenjer]

We are doing the Epic with our kids in November (Eastern Itn.) So I will know more after we go but from what I understand from other posters and past RCL, and Disney cruises.

 

Kids are 1/2 price in all specialty restraunts, so if they want a fancy meal they can have one. You can check the dinner menus in the morning and decide if you want a free dinner or a pay for dinner each day. If they order off the kids menu they are free.

 

You can audition to be on the slime show but you have to be a 2 adults and 2 kids. DH wont do it so we won't be trying out.

 

Watch the dailys for other "slime times"

 

From cruising lots with our kids we always pack our swim suits and sunblock in our carry on. Eat a quick lunch change in a restroom and hit to pool or slides. It will be the shortest lines all week. I also take lots of pics that day cause there are not as many people in them.

 

For was to do in port we are beach people so we hire a taxi and go by ourselves in St Tomas and St Marteen. I booked a really highly rated private snorkeling tour.

 

I would post the link but I don't think I am allowed to. Captain Carl is rated #1 tour of Nassau on trip advisor. :-)

 

I would love to learn more from parents who have already sailed the Epic

[A1SusieQ]

 

Dad and nephews took a NCL kayak excursion. Had a good time but did get left behind. Ship did wait for them.

 

 

 

Hey HotRod, They got left behind?:confused: By the tour operators?

[Vyhanek]

My advice with kids:

 

Make sure you take them the very first evening. The friendships will start then. The counselors do a great job right from the start getting kids playing and interacting.

 

If your kids love kids club like most, they will want to be there right when it opens for the evening at 7pm. This can cause a big problem with dinner because dinner service in the dining room is really, really slow. So I found that on some nights I would feed my kids from the buffet about 6:30pm and then take them to kids club. Then dh and I would go for a dinner at a specialty

 

I know there's plenty of food on board and this shouldn't be an issue but for me and my grazing kids it was.......snacks! And there really isn't all that much to drink for kids during the daytime if you don't like soda. If you brought packets to make kool-aid with a bottle of water you would probably use them. I packed candy, pretzels, fruit snacks to have as a little quick snack for in the room.

 

Find the window where you can peak in at the Captain and crew driving the ship. It's on the 11th floor for the newer ships I think.

[RobinSie]

Hotrod1 - I would love to see the dailies if you don't mind sharing. My kids love ping pong, so they will have fun with that. Do you remember the cost of bowling?

 

Jenjer - we love the beach also, so we may go and do the taxi to the beach instead of a tour also I like the idea that we can go back to the ship whenever we want to that way. I have heard good things about a zoo and Coral World, so I would like to hear more about those if anyone has been. I'm so looking forward to hearing about your experience when you return.

 

Vyhanek - my kids will love the kids club and we will head there to sign up right away. I like the idea of feeding the kids then going for a quiet dinner. My older son and DIL are going also, so that will give us a chance for some adult time. I hadn't thought about taking drink mix, but that's an awesome idea. My kids are grazers also, so I'm sure we will be popping in the buffet and Blue Lagoon often.

 

I'm getting so excited...anticipation is part of the fun for me. Thanks again...look forward to more great ideas.

[Jenjer]

Check out trip advisor for adive about the ports. Coral world looked pretty small and run down IMO. We did not go in so I could be all wrong. Don't remember a Zoo on our St Thomas tour but that was a few years ago. I don't think a island Zoo can come close to compairing to a mainland Zoo just beacuse of the space.

 

On St Thomas we like Magans Bay because it has trees (read shade) and very calm water. But there are lots of great beaches.

 

Its so easy to hire a taxi, you walk off the ship follow the sign and lots of them waiting around, usally a guy askes were you want to go to send you over to a specific driver. They may put you in a van with other people going to the same place. We have never ever in 12 years of private taxis had a problem but we also always head back to the ship early. We enjoy some time on ship with fewer people.

 

Last cruise I was on a knee scooter with a broken foot so DH went off by himself and kids. He is directionally challanged so this comes from him. In St Thomas, Sr Frogs is at the end of the pier. Taxis are the other way so don't head to Sr Frogs unless thats your destination.

[HOTROD1]

Yes, they were left behind by the NCL tour operator. Strange deal as there was only one bus/van going out and our family had the only two kids on that bus/van.

[HOTROD1]

RobinSie - let me figure out how to post them and I'll do it. I have them in my hand just have to figure what to do to make it happen

[Yankee123]

Another vote for the kids club. My son loved it, and all the activities they had seemed like so much fun.

[RobinSie]

Thanks for the posts.

 

LOL@ your hubby Jenjer. I have the exact same problem. Couldn't find my way out of a paper bag.

 

HotRod1 - my hubby and older son are IT professionals. I'm the one they ask "is it plugged in?" I look forward to seeing the dailies when you get them in.

 

Yankee123 - I know I will have to drag my kids out of the kid's club for meals and family time. They love interacting with other children. I keep hearing NCL is top-notch in this area. Since we are going off kid-season, I have yet to find anyone else traveling with kids on our sailing.

 

Thanks again everyone!

[SliceOfLife]

I have a link to the dailies in my signature.

 

I don't have kids, but I did see a lot of fun kid activities that I would have loved to do! Make your own pizza, decorate cupcakes, and lego build time were some of the ones that I really remember. Wii Bowling in the atrium was pretty cool too.

[RobinSie]

Thanks SliceOfLife for posting the Dailies. I've only read the first one and am on a feeding frenzy to get to the rest. 79 days and counting....

 

Anyone know if they will have the ship decked out for Christmas the first week of December?

[rvsullivan]

Christmas decorations go up at Thanksgiving and stay up till New Years.

[Jenjer]

We always cruise in the off season and there are always some kids but with the exception of Disney never a ton. My kids still enjoy the kids clubs very much. They don't spend all day there but never want to come out once they go. We usally have breakfast, swim, lunch and then kids club until dinner time. I enjoy hearing abut thier day over dinner. DH and I enjoy enjoy a kid free afternoon.

 

Last cruise on RCL I was talking to one of the kids club workers watching the pool. She said they have about 20% the kids they have during summer months, so its easier for them to do more craft stuff. She said sometimes there are just to many kids to do what they have planned so they have to play games.

 

I have noticed that there are always more kids in the evening than earlier in the day.

[SliceOfLife]

Thanks SliceOfLife for posting the Dailies. I've only read the first one and am on a feeding frenzy to get to the rest. 79 days and counting....

 

Anyone know if they will have the ship decked out for Christmas the first week of December?

 

You're welcome! There is so much to do and so little time to pack in everything! I hope you have a great cruise!

[kerrytens]

Don't let your kids miss their own White Hot Party too! It was the highlite of my daughter's cruise. It is (hopefully still in the present tense here) held on the same night as the adult party. Obviously it starts earlier and is held near the forward pool vs the aft area. Tons of music, dancing, limbo stuff.

 

Epic is an amazing ship for adults and kids alike. Enjoy!

[RobinSie]

You are all giving me such great info, I am finding myself having a hard time staying on topic.

 

SliceOfLife..got through day 2 dailies. I feel the need to pace myself to keep the excitement momentum at a constantly high level.

 

RVSullivan - Thanks for the info. I'm sure they do an amazing job decorating. We may have to use some of our photos for Christmas cards.

 

Jenjer - One of the reasons we decided to go off season was so the kids would have a smaller group experience in the kids club and not just get lost in the shuffle. Sounds like that is what they will get.

 

Kerrytens - thanks for the reminder about the kids White Hot Party. I'm going to add that to my notebook of "to dos". I'm keeping notes on things to do and pack pre-cruise, what to do right away when we board and what not to miss during the sailing. My hubby thinks I'm a nut, but he's always glad to benefit from my insanity.

 

Question about FCC...how many can we purchase? Can we get one per person in our group, multiples per person or only one? If I understand correctly, they give you $100 OBC for the current sailing when you purchase.