Kids on Celebrity

[SusieV]

I will read them...hopefully it's ok for me to follow up with questions if I have any? Thanks!

 

Absolutely! I just didn't want to type everything out again :)

[bertrande]

To all the parents who have sailed Celebrity with the kids, make sure you save the kids sea pass cards. At 18 they can join the Captains Club and get credit for all the under 18 cruises.

 

 

Urgh my firstborn has gone on one Celebrity cruise prior to our next and I can't find her seapass card!! I do have the fully paid email invoice from our TA back in 2014 - hope that is enough. I will start saving the rest from now. Maybe they should open club registration to the kids like what RCL does - makes it so much easier than having to keep track for 18 years. Thanks for the tip though.

 

 

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[Fish Lover]

To all the parents who have sailed Celebrity with the kids, make sure you save the kids sea pass cards. At 18 they can join the Captains Club and get credit for all the under 18 cruises.

 

At age 9, my daughter traveled with me on Celebrity to Alaska. She was registered and on the manifest. Next time she traveled at over 18, they had a record of her travel and gave her credit toward her Captains Club account. We didn't have to save or produce her seapass card. I'm curious as to why that may have changed. It would seem to be a move backward.

[Cafedumonde]

We were going to try celebrity with kids but got nervous because we read a lot of comments by people on the celebrity cruise critic board who obviously do not like children. So we tried ncl instead. We loved ncl but the kids hated the kids club. Too much fun for them. I am now thinking they would have been better off on a more boring line like celebrity!

[Fish Lover]

It's too bad you let that impression, created by some, influence your decision. Celebrity does a great job with the kids. They love it. And the kids are ordinarily well behaved and create no problems for the adult passengers.

 

The number of people posting here are a minuscule drop in the bucket compared to the number of passengers that sail Celebrity every year. And as with most forums such as these, they tend to attract the vocal minority who seem to be the most disgruntled or who complain the most.

 

Give me a dozen kids any day over a single grumpy curmudgeon.

[dgparent]

The only time I even noticed kids on X was the 1st year Reflection sailed the Eastern Carib. About 5 of them got on the elevator I was on, pushed every single button and got off on the next floor. Other than that I never noticed them, of course I am not a pool guy.

[cruisebunny32]

Hello. My kids have been on quite a few Celebrity cruises. They have a great Kids program and the staff there are usually College age and are fabulous with the kids. They have a kids club area that is brightly colored. The newer ships have bigger areas. They have daily themes and the activities revolve around the themes. They are split into age groups and usually have only a couple years in each one. If there are less kids, they combine groups. They also had a group for Teens and a Teen lounge.

 

The did tons of crafts and make friends. They had scavenger hunts, and games and parades. They really kept them going.

 

My son prefered the kids club over the beach one time when he was 5.

[dkjretired]

At age 9, my daughter traveled with me on Celebrity to Alaska. She was registered and on the manifest. Next time she traveled at over 18, they had a record of her travel and gave her credit toward her Captains Club account. We didn't have to save or produce her seapass card. I'm curious as to why that may have changed. It would seem to be a move backward.

 

I'll explain why, Celebrity changes computer systems and things get changed. We went through three computer changes with the Captains Club going from an original five digit account to whatever the current one is, 9 or so. Records were lost during those changes. Also, a couple of years ago when Celebrity changed their system of counting the Captains Club points, loads of people were on this board complaining about how they lost cruises and had to submit sea pass cards or anything proving they were on the ship.

 

My case goes back 20 years and was complicated by the fact that at the time in 1994, kids could be members of the Captains Club. Years later they changed that and told me my kids were never members at which point I produced my son's Captain Club card with a five digit number, they were totally confused.

 

In summary, Computer's change and people working at Celebrity Chance. Who knows what will happen next year, five years from now or 10 yrs.

[vacationmommy]

In august, we took both of our kids my son who was 11 and my daughter who was 16 they both had fun my son did a lot of the kids club activities I also got my son the VIP thing they have so he got to take special tours of the ship and the bridge. My son is willing to go back and said he had a blast, I think your kids will enjoy it also.

[Fish Lover]

I'll explain why, Celebrity changes computer systems and things get changed. We went through three computer changes with the Captains Club going from an original five digit account to whatever the current one is, 9 or so. Records were lost during those changes. Also, a couple of years ago when Celebrity changed their system of counting the Captains Club points, loads of people were on this board complaining about how they lost cruises and had to submit sea pass cards or anything proving they were on the ship.

 

My case goes back 20 years and was complicated by the fact that at the time in 1994, kids could be members of the Captains Club. Years later they changed that and told me my kids were never members at which point I produced my son's Captain Club card with a five digit number, they were totally confused.

 

In summary, Computer's change and people working at Celebrity Chance. Who knows what will happen next year, five years from now or 10 yrs.

 

ok. Having proof because they have screwed up on there end makes more sense to me. Although, I did have a friend who was able to "prove" she and her child were passengers on a ship 10 years prior by producing a boarding picture of them with the ship's name displayed. I though that was very generous of them

[dkjretired]

ok. Having proof because they have screwed up on there end makes more sense to me. Although, I did have a friend who was able to "prove" she and her child were passengers on a ship 10 years prior by producing a boarding picture of them with the ship's name displayed. I though that was very generous of them

 

The problem I had was to make sure I dealt with one person when I had to prove things. Each person appears to have different elements of proof, its too long to explain on here, I could almost write a book about it. I still have two cruises my son was on they would not accept.

[tfg]

In august, we took both of our kids my son who was 11 and my daughter who was 16 they both had fun my son did a lot of the kids club activities I also got my son the VIP thing they have so he got to take special tours of the ship and the bridge. My son is willing to go back and said he had a blast, I think your kids will enjoy it also.

What's the vip thing please explain some more

Thanks

 

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[chotton]

What's the vip thing please explain some more

Thanks

 

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They get a backpack fill with stuff, a behind the scenes tour of the ship and no additional hourly charge for late nights.

 

7 night cruises its $100 a child.

 

 

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[Fish Lover]

They get a backpack fill with stuff, a behind the scenes tour of the ship and no additional hourly charge for late nights.

 

7 night cruises its $100 a child.

 

 

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here's the link for a description http://www.celebritycruises.com/htmlpage/family-fun-cruise

[mira577]

We have been cruising with our now 10 year old since she was 3! We've done many cruises with her on Celebrity including a 14-day, 10-day and back to back 7 days. It is awesome! Although there are not anywhere near as many kids on Celebrity, the Kids Program is amazing and very well run. She loves it and has had a blast, no matter her age. The 14-day cruise only had 18 kids under the age of 18 and there are not tons of kids like on other cruise lines.

 

We've done other lines and she loves Celebrity because there are not so many kids. The themes they run for each part of the day are fantastic and it really is a great program.

 

We have done the VIP in the past and although she's never stayed more than an hour or so past 10pm, it was worth it for the backstage tour & the bridge tour. Her and my husband were the only ones on the tour once and that was pretty cool.

 

We've been told that the Captain Club points she accumulates will be given to her when she turns 18, so she'll be Elite by then :)

 

We leave in 35 days and she cannot wait!

 

Feel free to message me for any other info!

Amanda

[riclop]

Anyone have any experience taking their kids on a Celebrity ship? I like the idea of trying Celebrity based off my cruising history, but not sure if they are an appropriate like with children (8 and 5). I know the ads they produce etc say kids are appropriate, but I would rather get feedback from those who have done it. Activities, food, any information is great!

 

Not really for kids.

[brekat1]

we cruised celebrity with our children when they were 7 and 3 and we all loved it - my kids are easily overwhelmed in huge groups so celebrity was amazing for them - only about 20 kids in their program and tons of special attention from the children's staff. We cruised princess with them just last month and would go right back to Celebrity- the celebrity staff were in our opinion a lot more attentive and engaged with the kids and they put a lot of effort on Celebrity into special family activities such as family bingo, family robot building and a talent show etc - there were none of these offered on princess

[mandream]

Not really for kids.

 

Have you actually cruised on Celebrity with kids?

 

we cruised celebrity with our children when they were 7 and 3 and we all loved it - my kids are easily overwhelmed in huge groups so celebrity was amazing for them - only about 20 kids in their program and tons of special attention from the children's staff. We cruised princess with them just last month and would go right back to Celebrity- the celebrity staff were in our opinion a lot more attentive and engaged with the kids and they put a lot of effort on Celebrity into special family activities such as family bingo, family robot building and a talent show etc - there were none of these offered on princess

 

Yes, this is what you hear time and time again from those of us who cruise Celebrity with kids. They love it.

 

Mike

[RCKM43]

My kids will be going on their 5th Celebrity cruise. They have been sailing on Celebrity since they were 2 and 4. Our next cruise they will be 8 and 10. They love Celebrity and beg to go on another when we leave. We do sail during school breaks and have gas anywhere from 200-500 children in our sailings. While there are plenty of kids who go to the fun factory, my children have met and made friends with others who also choose not to go. Either way the kids they meet have reported when we asked, that they were having a great time. My kids do eat off the adult menu because they love escargot, salads, steak and salmon. Recently they did change the children's menu and they even added a filet mignon my younger one ordered one night and I have to say it was quite good. My children pick and choose activities that appeal to them. We do not get the VIP package, nor use any of the paid services. On our last trip, my 9 year old's group earned "fun factory money" when their teams won challenges (games, science tests like egg drops, etc) at the end of the cruise they went "shopping". My daughter left with a backpack, metal water bottle, silly bands and a few little items.

 

 

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Edited January 23, 2017 by RCKM43

[aeegee]

I looked at so many cruises for our family vacation last year (3/16) with our kids and grandkids. My husband and I always cruise with Celebrity, but I thought I'd look at the other cruise lines because of the kids. We've talked to many people on our cruises that had children on board and everyone told us their kids loved it.

 

I decided not to use Disney for various reasons, one being the expense and I heard that they nickle and dime you for everything. But the main reason was that we wanted our kids/grandkids to experience cruising, not Disneyland at sea. Basically I felt the same about RC. Bowling, ice skating, etc., while unique is not the experience I was looking for, but to each his own.

 

Our grandkids were 7 and 13. The 7 year old had a ball in the program. At one point, toward the end of the 7 day Caribbean cruise, his age group formed a line and marched down the aisle through the shops area on the Silhouette with the pirate gear they had made. This was the ONLY TIME we saw them and they were never interrupting adult activities. We later found out that there were 102 kids of various ages on the ship. It was during Easter break. I can tell you we saw hardly any kids. Some during lunch in the buffet and then during that little parade. Amazing!!

 

Our 13 year old went once to the kids program, but preferred to stay with family, although there were quite a few kids in that area. At night, after dinner the kids could go to the theater with us, if they wanted, she did, but our 7 year old chose to go back to the kids program and even did the slumber party one night. If you want to do adult things there are things available in the kids program to entertain them while you enjoy yourself. You can arrange to have them eat in the kids program, but we made a rule that we would all eat meals together. We had the wait staff doing tricks, etc. for them at dinner. One night our grandson was getting antsy, so my daughter took him to the kids program after he ate. There is an available kids menu in the dining room.

 

Just remember that there are a variety of ages on the ship. We spoke to the grandkids before we left and told them that running was unacceptable on the ship unless it was in the kids program.

 

Some of the things our grandson did in the program were crafts, the kids told their own stories, played games, etc. They were very busy and he loved it. The security is very good. For his age group he needed to be checked in and out by an authorized person. For our 13 year she could check herself in and out. They all wear wrist bracelets.

 

If you are interested in the kids program take the time to go to the Open House the day you get on the ship. There will be a greeter from the program there as you enter the ship with information. A table will be set up, like the ones for signing up for the specialty restaurants, spa and beverages packages. You will be able to see the kids program area and also complete the needed paperwork, including the needed authorizations. Can't get in your cabin until around 1 or 2 anyway. You will also get an itinerary in your cabin each day if you sign up. That's nice because the kids can decide ahead of time if they want to participate in a certain activity.

 

Go to Celebrity's site and check out all the information there about the kids programs.

 

Great program.

[smoothy]

We have 3 boys, 14, 11, and 5. All 3 love cruising on X, especially the fun factory (teen club for the oldest one, its the only place he doesn't seem to be surly these days). They have been on 6 cruises with Celebrity (2 which were b2b), and have had a great time whether there were few other kids on board or a full house.

[bEwAbG]

When you sail will have some influence on it, though. Last February, there were signs on the Kids Club every day about different things that had been canceled due to the lack of participants on board. I kept seeing the same handful of kids here and there, and I think they were the only ones on the ship so the variety of activities was curtailed.

[in2up2]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. We did take the kids on Disney--they loved it, but it wasn't as good for me or my wife. We have been on every other mainstream line, but not Celebrity, so everyone's opinion is helpful. Thanks again!

 

 

 

If they were 18, my kids would all be Elite with Celebrity. They are 8, 12 and 14. The younger two still love the kids program. Because of the smaller number of kids on board, they really get to know the staff and other children. My girls sailed on the Disney Dream when they were 6 and 10, and while my six yr old lived it, my 10 yr old was overwhelmed by the size of the kids program, and as an adult, I prefer Celebrity.

 

 

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[Syrreal]

My kids had their 1st cruise on celebrity at 3 & 7. It was a 12 nighter to Norway and they had an absolute blast.

As others have said, this wasn't a kid filled cruise. There were only 10 kids under 16 and only 5 using the kids club, one of which was the head housekeeper's daughter. They still had tons of activities for the kids and lots of personalized attention. My kids would cry whenever we would go pick them up and couldn't wait to go back to kids club.

On our cruise, there were no cancelled activities for the kids, they just tailored it to the number of kids that day.

Here are a couple of photos of the activities guy and the kids club girls with my kids at the "kiss the fish" event as we crossed the arctic circle.

 

 

 

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[in2up2]

My kids had their 1st cruise on celebrity at 3 & 7. It was a 12 nighter to Norway and they had an absolute blast.

As others have said, this wasn't a kid filled cruise. There were only 10 kids under 16 and only 5 using the kids club, one of which was the head housekeeper's daughter. They still had tons of activities for the kids and lots of personalized attention. My kids would cry whenever we would go pick them up and couldn't wait to go back to kids club.

On our cruise, there were no cancelled activities for the kids, they just tailored it to the number of kids that day.

Here are a couple of photos of the activities guy and the kids club girls with my kids at the "kiss the fish" event as we crossed the arctic circle.

 

 

 

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We've had the captain's kids on board over the summer.

 

 

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