Excited for cruise but nervous for Kids

[kcwiak]

We are on the 12/9 sailing on the Jewel. I am getting the feeling that my 7 and 9 year olds won't have any kids to play with. From what I have seen, most will be under 5 yo. Few questions:

 

1. Will the kids club do special things with them if there are the only ones or very few in their group?

2. Will they still do slime time live if not a lot of children?

 

I am starting to think this was not the best time for the kids....We plan on spending most of the time with them but want them to have options and lots of fun.

 

Off topic.....will the ship be decorated for Christmas by 12/9?

 

Thanks all.

[weltek]

Not a lot of kids are off school then, so yeah, there won't be a ton of kids. But yours won't be the only ones on the ship. We often cruise in early December or late January and there are always kids to be found. The staff know how many kids are on board, so I'm sure they plan activities accordingly. They can't guarantee every kid will come to the kids club, either, so if there are only 10 kids age 8-11, they'll plan for probably half that number.

 

The nice part about a small group of kids is that sometimes it's easier to make "friends." You realize those are the only people to hang out with other than your parents, so you make it work. :-)

[Hopes4]

we are on the 12/9 sailing on the jewel. I am getting the feeling that my 7 and 9 year olds won't have any kids to play with. From what i have seen, most will be under 5 yo. Few questions:

 

1. Will the kids club do special things with them if there are the only ones or very few in their group? if there arent a lot of children, they will combine the age groups. Keep in mind this is a kids sail free cruise so there may be more than you think. There are 2 girls in my group 6 and 9.

2. Will they still do slime time live if not a lot of children?

i cant imagine them not doing it.

i am starting to think this was not the best time for the kids....we plan on spending most of the time with them but want them to have options and lots of fun.

 

Off topic.....will the ship be decorated for christmas by 12/9?

yes! They started decorating right after thanksgiving last year.

thanks all.

soon! :d:d:d

[kcwiak]

soon! :d:d:d

 

Thank you all. Hopes4, you know I cannot wait to meet you! Well, maybe Alex will have an older girlfriend when we leaves the ship. LOL

 

The kids are so excited about the slime time live. Don't want them disappointed on their first cruise. :D

 

I keep thinking the kids sail free will bring out people with kids in Kindergarten and younger. Not everyone thinks like me. They will have all their school work plus Alex (8) will be writing a daily log of the cruise and Annaliese (7, the day we leave) will be bringing a handwriting workbook. I am SOOO mean! :eek::D

[mpk218]

There will be plenty of kids on that cruise .. Dont give it a second thought ;)

[Hopes4]

They will have all their school work plus Alex (8) will be writing a daily log of the cruise and Annaliese (7, the day we leave) will be bringing a handwriting workbook. I am SOOO mean! :eek::D

 

LMAO I have to agree, that IS mean!!

 

I asked my son's teachers for work, but he'll do some Friday night, some Saturday and some Sunday when we return. I'd say I dont bring work on vacation with me, but I'm doing one better, I'm bringing along my boss... :rolleyes: lol

[kcwiak]

LMAO I have to agree, that IS mean!!

 

I asked my son's teachers for work, but he'll do some Friday night, some Saturday and some Sunday when we return. I'd say I dont bring work on vacation with me, but I'm doing one better, I'm bringing along my boss... :rolleyes: lol

 

Hmmmm, looking for a raise?? :D

 

I will see how much there is,MAYBE I will have them do Friday and Saturday before the cruise. Still doing the log and handwriting! LOL

[Hopes4]

Hmmmm, looking for a raise?? :D

no comment! ;) :D. Actually we were all friends before I started working for them.

I will see how much there is,MAYBE I will have them do Friday and Saturday before the cruise. Still doing the log and handwriting! LOL

Flexible mom - WTG! :)

[shelly11]

Just remember only a small percentage of the cruisers post on this board or on the roll call. Their will be plenty of kids, have fun!

[maulers2000]

They will have a blast!!

[dijid]

While others here are assuring you there will be lots of kids, I think you need to prepare yourselves for the possibility that there may not be a lot of kids. We've cruised in the off-off-season, and found not many other kids on board. The kids club still operated, but they combined ages 5-12 and did fewer activities. My kids still had a good time, but there was often free-play as there would be only a dozen kids. I think it was hard with the age range, too. The harder part for us was that several of the family activities were cancelled because we were the only ones who showed up, or only one other family. The only reason we were able to do family dodgeball was that there were people up there to play tennis, and they joined in. On the plus side, it was easy to win the family scavenger hunt since we were competing with only two other families - one of whom showed up late.

[GrandmaHofmann]

We just got off the Dawn. There were very few children aboard because they are in school. In checking the daily schedules, it seemed NCL had frequent family activities like decorating cupcakes, having a circus, building Lego, etc. Also saw kids walking around with painted faces. I would guess most of the kids were under 7 on our cruise.

[rvsullivan]

We cruise during this week every year. One of the reasons are there are fewer children. Fewer is a relative term, last year there were a total of 90 kids on board, year before it was 97. Crew members told us that two weeks later there are numbers in the hundreds, i.e. 400 or so. We saw them around the ship doing activities a few times and it seemed the groups were about 15 or 20 at any given time. There will be enough for yours to make friends and be entertained.

[rbrugler]

If you are that concerned, you stay home and let your kids go without you. :D They will have a great time. So, dont worry. All will be well.