trouble deciding with almost 3 yr old and 9 yr old

[irun5k]

Hi all, first we have experienced both Carnival and RCCL kids programs with our now 9-yr old.

 

When we cruise again our youngest will be just shy of 3. So the decision I think we've come down to:

 

(1) Oasis class. We really enjoyed the Oasis when our son was 3 1/2. He enjoyed the kids program quite a bit and we all enjoyed that there were more things to do "together" on a ship of this size. However, daughter will not be 3 yet and I'm unsure about the Babies & Tots program. She is very mature for her age- much more so than her brother was, and at 34 months she'll be right at the cutoff anyway. Outside of the monetary expense I am wondering if she's fully enjoy something (that if the name is to be believed) designed for babies and tots?

 

(2) Some newer, larger Carnival class (ship suggestions welcome!) The big thing here is that our daughter can be in the regular kids program which- outside of some cost savings- seemed to have a ton of activities that really resonated with my son when he was 2 1/2 so I know she'll love it. However, how are the newer Carnival ships comparing to the larger RCCL ships these days? The smaller Carnival ships I'm used to didn't really have a ton of things to entertain the kids for long when they aren't in the club, e.g. usually just a small kids pool and that kind of thing.

 

So basically it all comes down to whether our daughter at almost 3 will enjoy Royal Babies and Tots. the $10/hour or whatever it is isn't a big deal for us as long as it doesn't get booked up. But if she doesn't enjoy it, it is a Big Deal... my wife and I may only rarely ever get a dates nights a year so it is very desirable to get a couple hours of alone time most nights for dinner and hanging out on the ship.

 

I'm assuming our 9yr old would have fun in either kids club but if there is a difference in the programs for that age point, that would be good to know.

 

Thank you for any tips or thoughts!

[RSLeesburg]

I cannot speak for Carnival, but you have two other options on RCI. Depending on when you sail, you could speak to AO manager and see if they would age up your daughter into Aquanauts as she is close to three. As long as club is not too crowded, they might be willing to evaluate her and let her into the older club. Option 2 is in-room babysitting. You request at Guest Services the day before. The sitters are volunteers with special training. They send two sitters for $19 an hour, and they will watch your daughter in your cabin.

 

 

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[irun5k]

Thank you for that, for some reason I thought "aging up" was something that they were extremely strict about not doing.... but a search turned up a lot of good info. Even if that didn't work (since there are no guarantees), there are a couple other options as you mentioned.

[RSLeesburg]

Thank you for that, for some reason I thought "aging up" was something that they were extremely strict about not doing.... but a search turned up a lot of good info. Even if that didn't work (since there are no guarantees), there are a couple other options as you mentioned.

 

 

The general rule of thumb is to not expect it to happen, but it never hurts to ask. Good luck.

 

 

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[cb at sea]

They generally consider age to be that which it is when you board....it's rare to have them move a child up....they will sometimes move kids down...'

 

How "shy" of 3 will the little one be? Any way to wait until she actually IS 3?

[kitkat343]

If delaying your trip isn't an option, does carnival or Cunard have anything for your family? Their clubs start at 2. Also princess will let you bring a child under 3 to the kids club with parental supervision. This isn't nearly as good as drop off, but an option to consider

Edited December 30, 2016 by kitkat343

[irun5k]

Thanks, she'll be shy by about a month. Waiting would be the easiest thing, except it would push us out of summer vacation and into the school year which wouldn't work for our oldest.

 

Since most Carnival sailings would be cheaper than Oasis class, one bonus on that side is that we could potentially afford to upgrade to a small suite. I was originally looking at Carnival Vista but the reviews have some interesting perceptions about how the ship doesn't feel like an upgrade over the Dream class so I'd probably be looking at Dream class.

[SadieN]

The age requirement is an insurance and staffing issue.

 

We've been successful a few times to age up our DD. But Insurance and staffing were t an issue with her two groups.

[gerif]

The general rule of thumb is to not expect it to happen, but it never hurts to ask. Good luck.

 

 

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Definitely NOT going to happen - it's an insurance issue and not nearly the same thing as aging up a child who is otherwise eligible for the program.

[RSLeesburg]

Definitely NOT going to happen - it's an insurance issue and not nearly the same thing as aging up a child who is otherwise eligible for the program.

 

Not entirely true. This has already happened and was reported on this forum - see thread below, post #6. This poster was able to get their 2.5 y/o into Aquanauts on Freedom. The child had to first go to nursery to be evaluated to ensure that he was fully potty trained, and then they let him go into the club.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2356037&highlight=move+up+from+royal+tots

 

I cannot say how often this is requested and approved, but I am pretty sure that I have read of one or two others post on this forum that they were successful in getting children under 3 into Aquanauts. The best advice for the OP is to have the appropriate expectations - that is, there is no guaranty that their request will be approved. You can ask, but be prepared for a "No".

[sunset785]

What about the Carnival Magic? Both of my boys loved Camp Ocean and had a great time each night they went. The splash zone was great and they loved running through it. Your 9 yr old would love the big slides. I put DS2 in the baby and tots program when he was 8 months old. All the items in the program looked suitable for 18 months or younger. That's why we wouldn't sail RC again until DS2 turns 3.

 

 

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[irun5k]

What about the Carnival Magic? Both of my boys loved Camp Ocean and had a great time each night they went. The splash zone was great and they loved running through it. Your 9 yr old would love the big slides. I put DS2 in the baby and tots program when he was 8 months old. All the items in the program looked suitable for 18 months or younger. That's why we wouldn't sail RC again until DS2 turns 3.

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Yes, good call- I think we've indeed narrowed to Oasis class or the Magic. Daughter is already really into crafts, stories, activities, etc. so I can imagine in 6 more months she will really be entertained by the Camp Carnival activities in that age group. At about that age our son was always really proud to show us what he had made when we picked up up from the club.

 

Disappointing- but not really surprising- to hear that you felt the program was suitable for 18 months or younger...

[A&Jfamily]

Have you looked at Carnival Vista as well as the Magic? Both of those are larger ships with 4000 pas capacity plus. They are some of the newer ships as well and offer plenty to do for the kids. Its been forever since I cruise RCI (they didn't impress me either with food or service with a smile) but from reading tons of reviews, the general consensus from most (and I agree) that the lines are more similar than different and where you notice a difference will be in details, liking one thing about one, and another about the other. Generally, people feel RCI buffet and shows are better where as Carnival gets the nod for food and comedy club. My youngest has been in kids club since just shy of 3 and really enjoyed it; seems to enjoy it less now that he has moved on to Circle C.

 

The other ship I would recommend, if you are feeling like trying something a little smaller is the Sunshine. She has a great flow (yes the comedy club is small and you may need to line up - but that is not a big deal for us) and all the kids amenities like the water park, sports square and putt-putt. But she offers adults a wider array of specialty food options in addition to Cucina and Steakhouse with JiJis and Bonsai Sushi. Instead of the nominal fee snacks in Red Frog pub, she has free cuban treats in the Havana bar. The alchemy bar is large and in a great location so that you can view the comings and goings on Deck 5. She actually feels less crowded to us and we think because she has a better passenger to crew ratio.

 

You might want to pull up the Carnival tool that lets you compare the 3 ships side by side....

[irun5k]

Have you looked at Carnival Vista as well as the Magic?

 

Those would be the two we'd decide from, but I was leaning toward Magic due to some reviews that seem to point to the Vista being a bit of a regression from the Magic- e.g. less public space but more passengers and that kind of thing? Hard to know how much to read into that though.

 

We're a little over 2 hrs from Port Canaveral vs. a little over 4 from Miami. That 8 night itinerary for the Vista is pretty compelling though and that is another factor- with the family I generally prefer more/better port days since it is a chance to stretch legs if the port is decent. This is why I don't care for the Oasis eastern itinerary... I don't like Nassau much at all which basically means 4 days at sea.

Edited January 4, 2017 by irun5k