Which lines/ships are similar to Disney in terms of family friendliness?

[luv2sleep]

I posted a similar question on another board here on cruise critic and haven't had many responses. I thought maybe I'd have better luck on the Family board.

 

We just finished our second cruise on Disney. This last one was a 14 night round trip Hawaii cruise. Our first was on a 7 night Mexican Riviera. Prior to being a parent I have been on other cruises and honestly can't say I enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed our Disney cruises. Since I cruised way before parenthood (my last cruise prior to Disney was in 1997), I did not pay attention to what was available for kids or families on those trips.

 

As a parent, I've loved our DCL cruises mostly for the family friendly atmosphere. I like that the movies on the big screen (funnel vision) are safe for me to pass by with my son at any hour, that there's nothing in the theater higher than PG-13, and that there are no first person shooter video games anywhere. I also like that the Mickey slide is little kid friendly (nothing too fast or scary) and that there is a large, shallow children's pool for him to play in (Mickey pool). The other pool (Goofy pool) was 4 feet and he could not have gone in there alone and just played around. I like all of the family activities on board for us to do together and great things in the clubs for my son to do. I like that I can take him to events on deck or the evening show and not be worried about what he's going to see or hear. I also very much appreciated having a bathtub to bathe my son in and the split bath with the toilet in a separate room.

 

I have read about how "you and your family can pretty much enjoy any cruise line" but I'm not finding the details about the types of things (noted above) that I'm looking for. So my question is, is any line similar in the above aspects?

 

Thanks for your help. :)

[crusinmama06]

Royal Caribbean is just as family friendly and in my mind has more than Disney. Stick with the Freedom and Oasis class and you can't go wrong. Any line that puts a full sized Merry Go Round on a ship just screams families ;)

 

Instead of Disney characters - their characters are Dreamworks. Madacascar, Shrek, Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda. But you have to stick with the newer ships.

 

The other ships that are pro families are the Norwegian ships - Nickelodeon breakfasts and all (Dora and friends). You have to make sure you book a "Nick Ship" - the Epic is one.

[cb at sea]

I think, hearing what you like about Disney, you may be better off sticking to Disney for the time being....while there are alot of "family friendly" activities on RCI and Carnival, you are going to have some things rated higher than PG13....can't be avoided! Some of the shows, while not "racy", do have skimpy costumes....the comedians can be raunchy at times, and you will have a wide range of passengers in sight of your child...and you can't control what they do or how they act. (We had a woman on one cruise who changed bathing suits at the pool in full sight of anyone caring to look....and, lots cared to look!!!)

[luv2sleep]

I think, hearing what you like about Disney, you may be better off sticking to Disney for the time being....while there are alot of "family friendly" activities on RCI and Carnival, you are going to have some things rated higher than PG13....can't be avoided! Some of the shows, while not "racy", do have skimpy costumes....the comedians can be raunchy at times, and you will have a wide range of passengers in sight of your child...and you can't control what they do or how they act. (We had a woman on one cruise who changed bathing suits at the pool in full sight of anyone caring to look....and, lots cared to look!!!)

 

Wow! What ship was that on?

[cb at sea]

That was on Brilliance (RCI)! Yep, right on the pool deck...and it wasn't just once....it was EVERY time she got wet....she'd change into a dry suit. Needless to say, the area where she (and her SO) sat became a quite popular spot....free show!

 

If Disney is working for you, don't fix what ain't broke! No one entertains like Disney!!!!

[PhotoGal07]

I agree with the other poster who said that you should stick with Disney, given the things about them you listed that you really value.

 

While other ships cater to "the whole family" meaning there's something for everyone, they don't also don't worry as much about making sure most things are kid appropriate all the time. You will probably find first-person shooter games in most arcades for example, and I don't think any other lines offer bathtubs in all their cabins the way disney does. You'll have to upgrade to a mini-suite for those.

 

I like Carnival and RCCL, and will be cruising NCL this month. But given the sort of experience you are looking for, I'd say Disney is your best bet. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive. Perhaps when your kids are a little older, and you are not so worried about them coming across something that is not as kid friendly, you could switch to the other lines. The RCCL Oasis Class ships are definitely great for a family.

[Lionesss]

We found Freedom of the Seas RCI, very family friendly. Enjoyed the shows. Child areas plentiful and many activities to enjoy.

We did Magic as our first family cruise and yes Disney is hard to top, but the price!!

Like I said we enjoy RCI and will continue to sail them.

Not all the shows are "R". Many were for families.

Safe travels

Sue and crew

[serene56]

Disney is in a class by itself. No other cruiselines can compare.

but with that being said== we sail carnival because of the price.

 

kids programing starts at age 2- no exceptions.

[luv2sleep]

That was on Brilliance (RCI)! Yep, right on the pool deck...and it wasn't just once....it was EVERY time she got wet....she'd change into a dry suit. Needless to say, the area where she (and her SO) sat became a quite popular spot....free show!

 

If Disney is working for you, don't fix what ain't broke! No one entertains like Disney!!!!

 

Wow! So none of the staff steps in and curbs this behavior? It's not like the ship had a nudist deck. People are interesting to say the least.

 

Disney is definitely more expensive but I feel it's worth it for now. I definitely enjoy the atmosphere. I will try to the RCI ships as my son gets older and I relax a bit about 'content' basically. I am also a solo parent and travel with just him so navigating ship life is really easy on Disney since I don't have a hand off person. Right now at his age I am all about easy. ;)

[crusinmama06]

I have never seen any naked people at the pool deck in any of my cruises. ;)

 

The Deck Patrol was in full force on both Freedom and Indy.

 

But as you said - maybe you need to stay with Disney.

[Gatrcruzer]

I agree with others that RCI is generally pretty family friendly, though not quite as young-child oriented as Disney. One thing to note: most cruise lines do not offer tubs except at the higher stateroom categories. For example, you need to go to Junior Suite or higher on RCI to get a tub. Holland America has tubs in most oceanview or higher rooms, but that is a more adult-oriented line. On a few of the newer Carnival ships (Dream and newer) there are some family oceanview staterooms that have the split bathroom with a junior tub (similar to Disney). People find ways to work around this situation, but we are still bathing my daughter in a tub, so for us it is a big issue that we consider in booking. When she is comfortable taking a shower our options will increase :)

[Friend100]

If price were not a factor, DCL is our preferred choice. But price IS indeed a factor, and when the price of a 3-day cruise on DCL costs the same as 7-day on HAL, it makes the decision more difficult.