FTTF with children?

[Valarie4211]

My husband and I purchased FTTF for our last cruise without the kids. I personally did not think it was worth it for us but I am wondering if it would make life easier taking four kids ages 12-7 on a four day cruise. Opinions?

 

 

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[Grannycb]

I'd do it in a heartbeat. Kids don't like to stand in lines. When the kids aren't happy no one is happy.

[CatlinSTJ]

We have four girls ranging from 6 - 20. After having spent an hour or more in line ourselves for check in on previous cruises, FTTF was a lifesaver last year when we took the little one. Did we NEED it? Nope. But it was nice to have those perks! :-)

 

 

Next cruise: Carnival Breeze June 2014

[Almost Packed]

It's only $50...soooooo worth it to me. Get the kids to the cabin early, drop off all the bags etc. Skip the long line on embarkation and debarkation....totally worth it to us.

 

Now I'm platinum so I don't have to purchase it anymore. :)

 

But it was easier when traveling with our youngest.

[scrapperluv]

Oh yes!!! I'd do it! In fact, we've only taking 1 cruise so far (with our 5 and 10 year olds) and wouldn't want to be without it. We were a little lost on the ship the 1st couple days and we loved having the pass to be first in line at the service desk onboard. I went to them about 6 or 7 times during the cruise and there was no wait! The line for everyone else was SOOO long.

[rarasnake]

Oh yes!!! I'd do it! In fact, we've only taking 1 cruise so far (with our 5 and 10 year olds) and wouldn't want to be without it. We were a little lost on the ship the 1st couple days and we loved having the pass to be first in line at the service desk onboard. I went to them about 6 or 7 times during the cruise and there was no wait! The line for everyone else was SOOO long.

 

Sooo worth it!! We had 4 kids (ages 5-5-7-10) and 2 are Autistic. We loved not having to sit in lines or having to wait and wait to get our S&S cards or in line to get new room cards...

[Valarie4211]

Thanks for the input! I bought two of the last five today:) I think it's a good idea traveling with the kiddos and we will be thankful! 74 days to go!

 

 

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[etwright]

We usually do not get it since normally it is DW and I. but in July, we are taking two of our grandchildren ages 9 & 2 so We decided to but it. I believe it will be worth it since we will have kids.

[Lauriejl2]

How do you go about getting that? Ill be traveling with impatient minions..... Was it something I would need to do when booking or is it later?

[Valarie4211]

If you search the excursions for the port you are leaving from it will show up there. It's $49.95 per cabin not person.

 

 

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[Valarie4211]

And the fact that you called your children minions just made us instant best friends :)

 

 

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[etwright]

If it doesn't show up, it means they are sold out. But keep checking because they keep adding more all the time.

[Lauriejl2]

Oh ok I just booked a cruise very far out.... Feb 2016 and just trying to learn all the carnival in's and outs for now. I think I will try to buy these for our staterooms when the time comes. Seems like its worth it !

[Mistyhon]

When it's just DH and me we don't. But, now that we take the kids (soon to be 4 and 7) it's a MUST. Just to skip most of the embarkation lines and get on and drop off your crap makes it worth its price alone. Then, the tender and special line at guest services, BONUS!!! It's a "we won't travel without" now. :)

[Not_Done_Living]

FTTF is a MUST with the young ones -- you get onto the ship, get to dump your luggage, and can head to the Lido deck and get your lunch before the grumpy pushy entitled folk get there and start demanding chairs ---

 

its a much more relaxing start to your trip and well worth the $50.

[Athankfulheart]

On our January cruise on the Dream FTTF saved our bacon. I bought it for my family's 3 cabins based on several of the perks and suggested the other 5 cabins who were sailing with us ALSO purchase it. They did ( wasn't easy because we had to hawk the site and wait for more to come available) . As it turned out, just before we were to board an email went out from Carnival that the boarding was delayed. This was not the typical styled email that they send to spread out boarding. As it turned out, they had to power down the entire ship that morning after debarkation to do some kind of inspection or something. This meant a couple of hours with no passengers on the ship and the associated lateness in the staff getting the ship turned over.

 

We showed up at the appointed time that checking was to begin ( I forget the time now but I believe we got there at 12:45). We parked at the port ( preplanned to make things easier with 8 kids) and walked from the van straight to the FTTF check-in desk. We literally never stopped walking until we got to that desk. The miracle in this was that the entire sidewalk outside the new terminal AND the inside of the terminal were PACKED with snaking lines of people. Everyone was so backed up, yet we walked around them and into the VIP door and straight up to our checking. It was simply amazing and the others that we cruised with were flabbergasted ( first timers) LOL. This alone made it worth the price for FTTF.

 

We missed a couple of ports due to weather so we never got to take advantage of the priority tendering. We did use the GS line many times and that was a huge time saver. We also used zone 1 debark. It was nice having the cabins ready ( they were barely ready due to staff getting a late start).

 

I would HIGHLY recommend FTTF for people traveling with children, if only for the short checkin line and the cabin being ready. It was nice not to shuffle through a line and to board, unpack and familiarize the kids with a ship they had never been on.

[cruzinlisa]

Traveling with my DD is the main reason I buy FTTF. If it were DH and I, I would probably save the $50 and use it toward a steak house dinner or a couple of drinks. My little one is still pretty little (she is 3 1/2), so she is impatient and there is not a lot of reasoning or bargaining with her (most of the time), but even if she were older, I would do it.