First Cruise with the Kids!

[K-Dogg]

Good Morning!

 

My hubby and I just booked our second Alaskan Cruise, only this time we are bringing our children along! The kids will be 6 and 8 by the time we sail (Sept 2015) and I have no idea how the Kids Club works.

 

We are sailing on the Crown Princess, and I read about the hours and different activities they do. However, I cannot find details about how they work. For example, can we just take them when we have an activity we want to do without them? Or do they need to stay for the duration? Do they give us a schedule so we can decide what things they do and don't want to do? Or do they vary the schedule based on the kids?

 

We are bringing the kids because they are fairly well behaved, eat everything, and love the outdoors. We think they will have a great time in Alaska and on the ship, but we want to balance quality time with them and fun with kids their own age.

 

Any suggestions or tips for kids their ages either onboard or in Alaska? Thanks in advance for any help!!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

The Princess Pelicans is fun. They will have some free play and organized activities each day and evening. You will get the daily activity schedule in your cabin for each age group. You take the kids and pick them up in the youth program or if they are outside the youth program doing an activity with the staff- you go to that area. You or your husband are the only ones that can sign them in and out of the program (unless you have designated another individual- like a grandparent traveling with you).

 

So you can pick them up whenever you want. Usually the Pelicans close down from 12-3 and from 5-7 each day. This gives the staff time to clean the youth program and regroup for the evening activities.

 

Alaska is a fantastic destination and you'll have a great time.

[sherryf]

You can see the schedules for the Shockwaves (8-12 years) group from our Alaskan cruise in 2011 here: http://s204.photobucket.com/user/cruisinmama06/library/Princess%20Patters?sort=3&page=1

 

Your kids will be in different groups. Pelicans is 3-7 and Shockwaves is 8-12. This might be good or bad, depending on your kids. ;)

 

On our cruise, there were so many Shockwaves kids that they split the group into 8-10 and 11-12, so the above schedules say 11-12 year old, but the schedules for the younger group were very similar, and activities were often combined. Sometimes they were even combined with the Pelicans for evening activities, like movies.

[K-Dogg]

Oh great! Thank you! That answered my question. I am hoping they will be okay with being in seperate groups, but I don't know why not. They go to seperate Sunday School programs, so they are used to it.

I have seen several threads about car seats... in Arizona kids are required to be in a booster until they are pretty big (like 90lbs and 4'10"). Do you know if they will be required to have a booster seat in a taxi and/or buses for excursions?

Thanks again!

[Cruisin' Chick]

There will also be a kids' dinner or two in the Horizon Court (the buffet). You take them directly to the HC on the side that will have a sign for a "private party" (the Horizon is divided into two sides with entrances on both -- and sometimes a back entrance on both sides too depending on the ship). You'll sign your kids in and then you can go have the time for yourselves. After they finish eating, the staff will escort the kids to the Pelicans and Shockwaves rooms for the evening activities.

 

Make sure to take them to the kids' area the first night (or day, if the registration is then) so they can meet the other kids their ages.

 

Our daughter was 7 on our Alaskan cruise ten years ago on the Sapphire Princess and they had some science type of activities like making models of glaciers and the solar systems. She couldn't wait to go each day (if fact she even wanted to go on the port days...they will have the rooms open while in port, but you may have to sign up ahead of time).

[bearette]

I don't know when they stop using boosters, but I do know from research that Alaska has stringent car seat requirements that require a car seat in a taxi, shuttle, or rental car.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

[bbrownie75]

I am so glad I'm not the only one worrying about taking my two kiddos(10 & 7) by the time we cruise in June 2015.

We are trying to figure out which ship to take:

Royal Caribbean

Disney

Princess?

 

Any suggestions will be appreciated!

[seashinesunshine]

You will have a great time with your kids. I can't comment on the kids clubs because my kids didn't really use them, the few times they went they had a blast though.

I do like to give out this one bit of advise whenever I see posts about taking the kids. Buy them each their own camera. You can get inexpensive ones, and you will help them create their own memories. Our kids were 9 and 11 when we first took them and our son had a blast taking pictures. We went to the Everglades and my son took a photo of each alligator we saw, all 72 of them, and one beetle on the sidewalk. You will be surprised at what they decide is picture worthy and they will really enjoy showing grandma and grandpa "their" vacation photos and telling them about the things they saw and did.

Anyway, have fun!

[Cheryl H]

I am so glad I'm not the only one worrying about taking my two kiddos(10 & 7) by the time we cruise in June 2015.

We are trying to figure out which ship to take:

Royal Caribbean

Disney

Princess?

 

Any suggestions will be appreciated!

 

I can only speak to Royal Carribbean experience. We've taken our son four cruises and gearing up for his 5th next year. He was 3 1/2 on his first. He's now 9. He loves RCCL's Adventure Ocean. We've done Alaska, Bahamas, and gone on the Canada/New England one twice with him.

 

When we first board, there's usually a table set up nearby with bracelets for the kids. It has their muster station number on it. The kids wear the bracelets all week. Also the first afternoon/evening there is an open house for to come to Adventure Ocean for parents to see the facilities and meet the staff.

 

They have different sessions available beginning the next day. Our son loves it. Games, science, etc. It is all very structured. Also about 5 of the nights, and on one of our cruises, it was 6 nights, they offered Adventure Dining. We signed our son up some time during the day for the evening meal. We selected his entree (nuggets, pizza, hotdog, etc), and then simply drop him off at the predetermined time. I think it was 6:00. They took them to eat and after dinner, took them back to Adventure Ocean for the evening activities.

 

You can also take them to dinner with you and just bring them yourself later. And there is a third option. I believe you can sign up for a pickup at the dining room, but I forget what it's called. Then they eat a meal with you, but a staff member comes to the entrance of the dining room to get them on your behalf so that you can finish your dessert at your leisure.

 

Do you have any questions about cruising with kids on RCCL? We do bring a portable DVD player for in our cabin to play some of his favorite DVD's. The TV stations don't offer much for kids. Also we let him bring his DS. When we took a private whale watch tour, he brought it along and watched for whales some and played his game quietly the rest of the time. He was happy. We were happy. He also did well on a couple float plane rides. He did pester us a little bit wanting to return to the ship so he could go back to Adventure Ocean. :-)

 

Another thing....our son loves peanut butter sandwiches. We usually bring some Jif-to-go and a loaf of bread. Also the main dining room has a children's menu. Kids can order from that or the adult menu. Or some of both!

 

We got in the habit last time of picking him up at 10:00 pm from the Adventure Ocean and then taking him to get a slice of pizza before going back to our cabin.

 

What itinerary are you going on? If interested, you can see our cruise photo books in the link below. He had a grand time on each trip.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Cheryl H

[Cheryl H]

Oh great! Thank you! That answered my question. I am hoping they will be okay with being in seperate groups, but I don't know why not. They go to seperate Sunday School programs, so they are used to it.

I have seen several threads about car seats... in Arizona kids are required to be in a booster until they are pretty big (like 90lbs and 4'10"). Do you know if they will be required to have a booster seat in a taxi and/or buses for excursions?

Thanks again!

 

I'm trying to recall on our Alaska one, about car seats. Our son was 6 I think. We had a town car service in Seattle and I believe we had them bring a booster along for him. Then the cabs in Seattle did not mention it and we did not ask. We hopped in and buckled him in. Then we had a ferry up to Victoria and he didn't need a booster. Then a floatplane to Vancouver.

 

In Ketchikan, Seawind Aviation picked us up and drove us to their seaplane. She may have brought a booster along. I know her husband was the pilot and they have kids. I can't remember. Then again, we may have just buckled him in.

 

In Juneau, we signed up for a ship tour to AJ Gold Mine. That was a mini bus and no seat was required. The gold mine was really interesting. They supplied the hard hat and hearing protection. Then we had lunch at Twisted Fish and took a white school bus shuttle out to Mendenhall. No seat needed on that either.

 

In Skagway, we took the Chilkoot train/bus combo. It was a mini-bus again. No seat needed. Everything else we did in Skagway involved walking.

 

You probably aren't going to Icy Strait so I'll skip those details. In Seward, we had hired a private tour (SUV) to get us up to Anchorage with tour stops all along the way. I believe we had her include a booster for that. Then in Anchorage, the cab that took us to the airport did not have a booster. We just buckled him in.

 

That was our experience.

 

PS: Maybe we'll be at some of the same ports as you. We are booked on the Radiance for September 4, 2015. Have fun planning!

Edited July 11, 2014 by Cheryl H