Breakaway May 28th with Little Kids

[cc1237]

We just got back from the May 28 cruise to Bermuda. Here are some thoughts re taking small kids on the boat:

 

1) Kids club. My kids (3 and 5) loved going, particularly in the evening. On the two full days in Bermuda, the kids club evening session opened at 6 pm instead of 7 pm without any extra charge, so you could make an earlier dinner reservation these nights. I recommend arriving 10 minutes early to get in line to drop off for the evening shift, especially if you plan to get to a show at 7 pm. Other than the lines to drop off at 7 pm we had no issues with lines to drop off or with the kids club being full. Both kids particularly liked the pirates night. FYI, they will come back with face paint many nights.

 

2) Dining. All the food was generally good with the exception of the Manhattan room where we had a really bad meal. We loved Le bistro, Moderno and Cagnes. As long as you reserve within the first day or two on the boat reservations should not be an issue. Moderno can be a fast meal so I recommend this if you have a show to get to. The service in Taste and Savor was a bit slow and daunting with two little kids (but fine if eating without kids). We actually found the buffet a better option when we all ate together. It also works well to feed kids first and then have a nice adult dinner while they are at the kids club. Margaritaville is great for breakfast. There were often only 3 tables occupied. If you really want something like an omelette you can bring it up from downstairs.

 

3) Shows. We had no issues getting into the comedy shows (second city)- in fact we went three times without reservations. Rock of ages and burn the floor were great but I recommend going without little ones. It was pretty easy for one parent to drop the children off at the kids club for a 7 pm show and the other to go and get seats. Even for the shows we had tickets to, there were empty seats up front. 3D star wars played on the last sea day (afternoon) which was a nice surprise.

 

4) Kids Activities.

Pool /Slides- Our three year old loved the small splash pool. It gets very crowded but this didn't really matter. The water was pleasantly warm. Our older child LOVED the slides. Again, the water was heated which made for a great time even when the air was not that warm. The slides were open for almost the entire trip. I recommend packing your suites in carry on bag because the slides are open right away in NYC but we did not get our luggage until late afternoon. The two "adult" slides are really fun. Beware that they are little painful on your back so if you have a swim suit that covers your back it will help. They made many people remove rash guards if they were loose. No rings / jewelry allowed on these slides. On the second sea day, the lines became long in the afternoon for the slides so we opted to do another activity. Besides that, we almost never waited more than about 3-5 minutes to take the slides!

 

Ropes course. Again, this was awesome. My older child is about 48 in and had no problem at all. I went behind to help move the rope. The morning is a great time to go. Hint- when the time changes on the way to Bermuda there was no one there between 10 am and 11 am! Beware, if it is at all windy or wet (condensation) they close the ropes course. I also think it was closed on the Bermuda port days for long periods of time. The ropes course opened the first day after muster drill. We never waited more than about 10 minutes for the ropes course.

 

Trampoline. Our 5 year old loved this, and actually says it was the best part of the trip. It is only open on 1 or 2 of the Bermuda port days and for a very short time in the morning. There is both a height and weight restriction so our 3 year old was unable to do it despite being the right weight. You need socks for this.

 

Spider slide- Again, lots of fun. I think height and weight requirements the same as the trampoline. This generally opened everyday i think in the morning. Very challenging but fun. Socks required.

 

Rock climbing. Fun activity, but only did this once. The location seems to be more shielded from the wind so perhaps more likely to be open when windy out.

 

5) Drinks. The drink package is great. We rarely had an issue with wait times for drinks. All of our drinks were VERY good. I recommend the martini bar in the evening and the other bars around the waterfront. You can order inside and then walk out to find seats. I'm not sure why but for some reason almost no one goes out to the waterfront in the evening. It is quiet and a beautiful place to enjoy a drink.

 

6) Crowds. I was very worried about the boat being too crowded. This really was not a problem. I did not think it felt much different than any other boat...

 

7) Bermuda. Horseshoe bay was our favorite, and surprisingly not that crowded. Water was a comfortable temperature. No jellyfish. The walk from Warwick bay was very pretty, but note that there was no food or drink available before you get to horseshoe bay. There were some nice secluded coves that had virtually no waves. People flew kites in Warwick bay from the cliff. The public bus can drop you off at Warwick bay and you can then walk to horseshoe bay along the beach. The mini bus leaves from horseshoe bay and only charged for the adults if the kids sit on the adults lap. This was much faster than the public bus. I would bring a floatation device as our younger one was knocked over at horseshoe bay.

 

Tobacco bay was nice and free. However, the beach is pretty small. We walked from NCL ferry to the beach (about 20 minutes). There is a grocery store on the way where you can purchase food. The ferry gets crowded particularly on the way back so get there early to get in line.

[2kruzers]

Thank you for this great info - we will be sailing in July and I have been trying to figure out a plan for my daughter. Since we are up early anyway on sea days, I am thinking slides, trampoline, ropes in the morning and then kids club for a couple of hours after lunch. It seems like they shut down during lunch time. Did you take the kids to the cirque show? If so, did they like it? Also, did you do either the Crystal Caves or Zoo? Looking for some 1/2 day activities in addition to the beach.

[cc1237]

Yes they shut down on sea days at lunch time. You can however pay 6 dollars for your kids to eat with the kids club while in Bermuda.

 

We did not do the Cirque show as we tried to limit extra expenses. We also did not do the caves or zoo. I recommend not trying to do too much- everything takes longer with kids! In the end 2.5 days really isn't that much time there...

 

Also plan for your kids to stay up late as the evening kids club starts at 7 pm and the parade or main activity usually isn't until 830 - 9 pm. The time change in Bermuda does help a bit

 

Another recommendation is don't connect the kids card to your credit card. They try to swipe in the arcade and this would add of fast if it was actually successful.

[easyboy]

My grandkids love those face paints. Thanks for your tips on kids.

 

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[2kruzers]

Thanks for your help. One more question - do you remember if there is any seating where the slide ends? From past experience, I know she will want to do it again and again - I trust she will stay in line but like to know she has made it down!