We are booked on Celebrity Summit for my daughter's 7th birthday but should we switch

[billjessmaddie]

We have never cruised Celebrity before. Our other cruises have been on Carnival and Disney. My husband will no longer cruise on Carnival because the food was awful on our last cruise in 2012. And our last 5 vacations have been Disney World so we don't want to do a Disney cruise.

 

We heard that the food on Celebrity was great and we really liked the free drink package perk among other incentives we received with our booking.

 

However, we are having second thoughts about going on Celebrity with our 2 young children. My daughter is 6 and turning 7 on the cruise and my son will be 3. Upon reading reviews and then watching a youtube video of the Summit, we realized that our children might not enjoy themselves as much as we hoped they would. And we are worried that we will feel out of place for bringing the kids.

 

Not to mention my daughter did watch the video as well as complained that the ship looked boring and that she does not want to go on it.

 

So should we switch to NCL or RCL? It's a summer trip during the 4th of July.

[Robynljt]

Hi! My son had just turned 8 when we cruised on the Summit and he LOVED it! We were on the Oasis of the Seas 6 mos. earlier and it was all we could do to get him to attend their kid's club. He did not like it at all! So we were very surprised at his enthusiasm on the Summit. We had to bribe him to eat dinner with us!

 

It seemed like when he attended the Oasis' program they were always playing some kind of ball game that he did not care for and they didn't do a whole lot more. But the Summit program offered a variety of activities and themes, including a talent show at the end of the week. The kid's area may not be as flashy as other lines, but they make up for it with the staff and program content.

 

If you are looking for an elaborate or even exceptional children's pool area you are not going to find it on this ship, but if that is not your focus, then I would highly recommend this ship.

 

We will be on it again at the end of April and my son is very excited. I just hope that his new age group does not disappoint!

[gek]

Kids can have fun on any ship given the right bunch of friends and the quality of the kid's entertainment staff, however...

 

I would switch. There is a lot more to do for kids on most other cruiselines. I wouldn't discard Disney as an option because there ships are a different experience to Disney World especially for adults. NCL or RCL would both have more entertainment options for a 7 year old and a 3 year old.

 

You would enjoy the Summit but I think your daughter would enjoy other ships more.

[monicajay]

There were very few kids on our recent Summit cruise. That being said, they certainly seemed to be having fun.

 

I understand it might be your daughter's birthday but it is your vacation. Don't let your kids start running you when she is just 6 years old.

 

The food is much better than other lines we've been on and the drink package was marvelous.

[wallie5446]

Bermuda is wonderful in July. Our DD, now 31, went with us on Celebrity the first time in 1994, yes things are different now, a lot better for sailing with your kids:D We took her on 5 diff lines before she was 18 and Celebrity to this day is her favorite. ( we have not been on Carnival )

[steamboats]

Celebrity´s kids program is really excellent. My DD really enjoyed it and preferred it over RCI´s program.

 

Check out whether they still have that VIP Pass for kids (it does cost extra but this might be a nice birthday treat for your DD). It included a backpack, towel, bottle and more, free port play and evening hours, a behind the scenes tour of the theater and the bridge. It used to be 105 $ for a 7 night tour back in 2010 on the Summit.

 

steamboats

[rosadilla]

My granddaughter has cruised 3 times on Celebrity starting when she was 8 & we went on an Alaska cruise. The other 2 times were to the Caribbean during school break when she was 10 & 11.

 

When she was 12 I took her & a friend of hers (same age) on Royal Caribbean for school break. She had fun on all cruises - but after this last one, she said, "Grandma, I had a really great time -- but I like Celebrity better."

[phoenix_dream]

There were very few kids on our recent Summit cruise. That being said, they certainly seemed to be having fun.

 

I understand it might be your daughter's birthday but it is your vacation. Don't let your kids start running you when she is just 6 years old.

 

The food is much better than other lines we've been on and the drink package was marvelous.

 

I'm with you. How can one say this without sounding perhaps a little bit too direct, but until they are the ones doing the paying the kids may get an opinion but they definitely do not get a vote - birthday or no birthday:) (OMG are we now giving cruises as gifts - I must be getting old:eek:).

 

But I'm sure the OP just means they don't want their kid to have a disappointing birthday. Celebrity is not a cruise line geared towards families with a lot of extra features like ice skating rinks and climbing walls. However, it does do a wonderful job of taking care of the children who do cruise on her line. Nice children's programs and the kids are treated like royalty. Have taken my son since he was 6 on Celebrity and he always loved it (he is now 27). There is something to be said about having a little more relaxing atmosphere to actually spend some quality time with your family and enjoy each other's company, something that in today's rush around world is not often possible.

 

So I guess it comes down to this - if you want a Disneyesque line that will keep your kids out of your hair and occupied every minute, change your plans. If you want a line where there will be things for the kids to do, and there will be the time and atmosphere to enjoy relaxing as a family together, then stick to your current plans.

[wallie5446]

Upon reading reviews and then watching a youtube video of the Summit,

 

Keep in mind the ship sails full every week, so one video is not a good example.

There is another CC member that just added a link to a Summit video on this thread,

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2009580

Edited March 17, 2014 by wallie5446

[DPurcell58]

That would be Gaga ball on RCCL!!! Check your sailing, because Celebrity is giving free 3rd and 4th passenger rates (just pay port taxes) and you still can get the drink pkg. No sure when you booked.

[Robynljt]

That would be Gaga ball on RCCL!!! Check your sailing, because Celebrity is giving free 3rd and 4th passenger rates (just pay port taxes) and you still can get the drink pkg. No sure when you booked.

 

Yes! That's the name and he sure wasn't gaga over it! Lol

[Eleris]

on X cruise line. My daughter loved the kids club and cried when she had to leave. My son not as much since he was older and very shy. The point you don't want to miss is since you are going in July you will be in Bermuda for most of the trip doing fun stuff there. I started cruising with them at ages 4 and 7 and single mom. We had a blast on Horizon and Zenith which were much smaller ships. We played ping pong and went line dancing. Sad when the children are more coordinated. Always found something to do and sometimes sat by the pool and chilled. The other thing my kids learned at a young age is manors and how to dress properly for dinner.

 

I think you will have a fabulous time on X cruises. We went to Bermuda every summer for my son's birthday in August and had the best times and the best memories. I also took them on RCI and NCL and it was a no go for all of us. Good luck with your decision but remember our children take the cues from us. :D

[olemissreb]

That would be Gaga ball on RCCL!!!

 

Yes, my son got a boxer's fracture playing Gaga Ball on our RCCL cruise. Not the game itself...he got frustrated that people weren't following the rules and he punched a pole. He was 9 at the time.

 

Last year we cruised Celebrity and he didn't love it as much as he did RCCL. Of course he was 13 last year and there didn't seem to be a lot for that age group. Plus he had his foot in a cast so he couldn't do as much as he wanted to do. My 17yo though had a great time on Celebrity, but not as much on RCCL 4 years earlier.

 

Our first X cruise, there was a couple that brought their 5yo and he spent much of his time in the kids club and LOVED it. They had to drag him out of there to eat dinner with them. As soon as dinner was done, he was back in the kids club till they closed. Hard to believe that boy is 15 now!

[jerseygirl3]

We have never cruised Celebrity before. Our other cruises have been on Carnival and Disney. My husband will no longer cruise on Carnival because the food was awful on our last cruise in 2012. And our last 5 vacations have been Disney World so we don't want to do a Disney cruise.

 

We heard that the food on Celebrity was great and we really liked the free drink package perk among other incentives we received with our booking.

 

However, we are having second thoughts about going on Celebrity with our 2 young children. My daughter is 6 and turning 7 on the cruise and my son will be 3. Upon reading reviews and then watching a youtube video of the Summit, we realized that our children might not enjoy themselves as much as we hoped they would. And we are worried that we will feel out of place for bringing the kids.

 

Not to mention my daughter did watch the video as well as complained that the ship looked boring and that she does not want to go on it.

 

So should we switch to NCL or RCL? It's a summer trip during the 4th of July.

 

My sister and BIL have taken their kids (twins who are now 13) on a cruise for their birthdays for the past 5 or 6 years. Although the cruise is not "for" their birthday, it just happens to be that they plan their family vacations that time of year and the kids get to celebrate their bday on the ship. They have done 1 Carnival cruise (they didn't care for it), 2 HAL cruises, and 3 Celebrity cruises (they also did an Oceania cruise in Europe one summer). Their kids have loved every one of their cruises (not sure if the kids had feelings one way or the other about the Carnival cruise because they were only around 5 at the time). They are not the type of kids who need all the bells and whistles to have a great time on a cruise. The girl tends to be very social and makes friends both in the kids club and around the pool. The boy is much more shy and tends to entertain himself. My point is, it's a family vacation and I agree with the others that although you want your kids to have a good time, they should not be making the decision on "your" vacation. There's no way I would give up Celebrity and a free drink package for a 6 year old!!!LOL I would certainly give it a try and maybe your next cruise could be Disney. I've heard Disney is awesome.

[cynbar]

It's true than many Celebrity cruises are quieter than some of the other lines and attract less kids. However, that is NOT true of the summer Summit cruises to Bermuda. We did that cruise a couple years ago and there were lots of families, lots of kids of all ages onboard. And they weren't a problem around the ship, so something was keeping them busy. Personally, I agree with the above posters that although you want to consider your daughter's enjoyment, that's different from letting her make the decision, which is a bad precedent to set. She will love the 3 days on Bermuda and the kids' program should be very active. Make the decision that is right for you, present it to her in a cheerful and positive way, and I'm betting you'll all have a great time.

[billjessmaddie]

Thank you everyone for the replies! I greatly appreciate it. I read everyone's posts to my husband and we feel better about cruising on the Summit.

 

But ahhhh now that I saw someone's post that kids sail free, I had to look that up. I found that if we cruise at the end of August, the kids will be free and we will still get a free drink package! Now I have to talk to the hubby if he will switch dates. And then plan something else for my daughter's birthday.

[kfrey68]

My DS (now12) has cruised Carnival (1), NCL (2) and Celebrity (3 soon to be 4) and gives Celebrity kids club 2 thumbs up. He has a great time and they do many different types of activities and themes. Many times he has chosen to skip dessert at dinner because he is in a hurry to get to the evening program as to not miss any of the activities.

 

We were on the Summit last June and are going again this June. I have the Fun Factory dailies from his group last year (age 9-11) and these are some of the activites:

Amazing race, Egg-o-rama with egg drop, create door hanger, family bingo, ping pong tournament, boat building competition, survivor night, scavenger hunt, autograph quest, movie night, various art projects, etc.

The other nice thing about Celebrity is that for a few of the evening shows the fun factory kids (atleast this age group) are brought to the show - they have their own section and snack and then go back to the fun factory or can be claimed by the parent right from the show. This group does many things outside of the fun factory so they are not sitting playing video games all day.

 

I can look back to our other cruises on Celebrity and see if I still have the dailies from previous cruises that might be the right age group. If your daughter has any specific questions I can ask DS to respond and she can get a kids point of view.

[Lois R]

The Bermuda run always has waaayyy more families on it. I did this

cruise in August and there were more kids on it than any cruise I can

remember. It is summertime and you are sailing from the Tri-state area.

There will be lots of other kids......most are out of school in July.

 

I have to agree with the other posters whose opinions are the

same as mine.....it is your vacation. Glad you are able to take your

kids but it is definitely your cruise too.

[jerseygirl3]

Thank you everyone for the replies! I greatly appreciate it. I read everyone's posts to my husband and we feel better about cruising on the Summit.

 

But ahhhh now that I saw someone's post that kids sail free, I had to look that up. I found that if we cruise at the end of August, the kids will be free and we will still get a free drink package! Now I have to talk to the hubby if he will switch dates. And then plan something else for my daughter's birthday.

 

That would be great if you can get the "kids sail free" perk, plus the drink package. That would totally make it a no-brainer!

 

BTW, it's refreshing to see someone who wasn't offended by some of us who commented that it's "your" vacation and allowing your daughter to change your mind is a bad precedent to set. I'm sure none of us meant to be insulting and I, for one, am glad you didn't take it that way.

 

Have a great cruise and happy bday to your daughter! Make sure you have them deliver a birthday cake to your daughter that night!

[vickykay]

We also cruised on the Summitt to Bermuda two years ago the last week in June and there were tons of kids. Also many family types of activities in Bermuda aside from the beach. Just keep in mind if you change to end of August you may encounter a hurricane.

 

Enjoy.

[Purplsmurf]

We have sailed on the Summit with our kids and of all the cruises they have been on (Princess, Carnival, NCL, RCCL) the said that Celebrity has been by far their favorite!! Sailing Celebrity next month. Since you sail during the summers I would think there would be a lot of kids on board! Have fun!!

 

 

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[SUSIEK]

We have just returned from 7night on Reflection. Our son is 8. While he did love the kid's club we may think twice about Celebrity for a future sailing. There were about 20 kids in his age group.

My issue was with the other passengers. They seemed to be very well traveled, mature and enjoy a ship with adults their age. We received many raised eyebrows on elevators, etc., when they saw our son. I totally understand their concern, however; this made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

We did have a great time on Reflection, but I think we will stick with the family lines for a while. We vacation as a family. I would NEVER think of taking a 7night cruise without our son.

[surus]

Someone please reassure me there won't be a ton of kids on the June 1 sailing to Bermuda. I just retired last June after 40 plus years of teaching and our previous cruises were all during school vacations. No offense, but we are hoping for a relatively kid free cruise if we went in early June.

[cle-guy]

Remember you can arrange in advance for X to decorate the cabin by going to the Gifts by Celebrity page. Order at least 5 days prior to sailing due to how they transmit data like that to the ship, or arrange once on board. There is some sort of fee, and can include flowers, cake, decorations etc....what a wonderful surprise for the daughter to come back to her cabin and find it all decorated...!

 

You can also request a cake from the main dining room staff probably no cost if you don't want the full birthday cabin surprise and its fee.

[vickykay]

School in NY area usually do not get out until the end of June. Probably same for NJ but not 100 percent sure. When we cruise end of June, many families from the NY and NJ area but probably ok for early June.