kids program on Zenith

[asmitty]

My family will be on Zenith 2/20/06 - my daughter included. She is very excited about participating in the kids program! Can anyone share any experiences they have had with Zenith's kids program? We are really curious about the science program that they advertise.

Also, should we expect lots of kids on this cruise? It is President's Week for us and we have the entire week off from school (me too - I'm a teacher).

What about in room sitting? Anyone done this? Is is hard to find someone available?

[mahdnc]

Because it is during a President's Day, you will find quite a few families on board Zenith when you sail.

 

Our kids have sailed on Celebrity 5 times and have always enjoyed it. Most recently we were on Zenith's sister, Horizon. Here are some photos of the kids club and activities: Horizon Kid's Club.

 

We used to use in-cabin sitting quite a bit when the kids were younger. It is very easy to arrange--just call Guest Relations (or maybe it was Cabin Services) to schedule it. They ask for 24 hrs advance notice but they can work with a shorter lead time. They use off-duty crew members and with enough notice, they can send you the same person that you had before if you want. We had been pretty satisfied with it. It is $6/hr. If your child(ren) are old enough to participate in the kids program, you will not need the babysitting all that much.

[Ships R Great]

We didn't use it on our Zenith cruises in Dec. but it must be effective. There were 300 children on board on the 17th and we rarely saw them. Only one instance where we heard kids being unruly---and they were with their parents!!! Zenith is a great little ship. have a good time! I'm sure you will.

[BrooklynGirl2]

How old is your daughter??

 

We sailed on Zenith twice this summer with my 5 year old son. He was in the Shipmates program and he loved it. While he spent shore days with us in Bermuda he particpated in the program on sea days and ate dinner with them a few times.

 

He enjoyed the pirate hunt for treasure (they made hats and swords from paper), the also had Sponge Bob theme, they had Space Aliens theme, they colored t-shirts, there was family Disney trivia night, Dinosaurs theme day and they also had a tour of the Bridge and met the Captain.

 

For dinner my son participated in make your own pizza night, another night they had grilled cheese and on another night it was chicken fingers. He ate with us on the remaining nights. The kids eat in a sectioned off part of the WindSurf Cafe. They also get a snack in the evenings. My son attended the pajama party a few times (not in pajamas). That runs from 10 to 1 a.m. I believe. We made use of this on formal nights so we could attend the shows and the midnight buffet. We had late dinner seating. During this time the kids participate in more quiet activites like arts and crafts and they can play video games or watch a movie. They provide mats and blankets for the kids.

 

On Zenith the kids club in on the 5th deck aft. There is a lot of movement in there if the seas are rough. We had one bad night when we were near a hurricane (in Sept) so I gave my son a half tablet of bonine and he was just fine. This room is not as big or elaborate as on the M-class ships but it was adequate and the counselors did a great job.

 

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Oh, and some of the hours are free and some other you will have to pay $6/hour. The daily children's program (which should come with your Daily...ask your steward) will tell you what times are free.

 

I know you will have a great time. The crew on Zenith is just beyond excellent and they are especially wonderful with children. They made our cruise quite a wonderful experience.

[asmitty]

Brooklyngirl2 - thanks for your info. My daughter is going to be turning 7 on our first day of the cruise. What a great way to celebrate, huh? Did Zenith offer pagers for parents? Last time we took her on HAL they did not and there were a couple of times she wanted us to come and get her and they weren't able to reach us.

Seems kinda strange that they charge for evenings. I think we will probably let her stay up and do the "slumber party" with them one or two nights and then maybe use an in room sitter another night so she can get some decent sleep. I have such a hard time letting her stay up really late when we are on cruises - she does not sleep in and gets sooo tired. Hate to make her nap in the afternoons - that's when she misses the pool, etc. Are we the only ones like this?

Anyway, we are really excited about taking her with us. She seems to be able to make friends easily and has fun, no matter what. Hopefully there will be a lot of other kids with it being President's week.

[TexasMommy]

I am keenly interested in responses to this thread as well. My daughter will be 6 years old when we go on a 5 night sailing on March 12. It is our spring break week so I expect there may be more kids then normal.

 

DD has been on 3 disney cruises at age 3, 4 and 5 so is used to Disney quality and programming and tremendously enjoyed her time in their kids program. She is looking forward to the kids program on Zenith as well as she is very social and loved making new friends but I am a little apprehensive. The 'playroom' looks tiny, paling in comparison to what she is used to on Disney. However, I know it is not the room as much as the enthusiasim and experience of the counselors and the compatibility of the kids around her that will really make or break the cruise.

 

How much time do they spend in the room? Do they go swimming? Does anyone of info of specifics they do? Are the kid to counselor ratios controlled?

 

Sorry to be such a worrier. I just want to try to manage her expectations. Maybe I am selling the Zenith's program vs the Disney ships short.

 

Thanks in advance for letting me hop into this thread and also inquire about the Zenith's kids programs.