Grandparents (guardians) new to RC

[NCHPcruiser]

My husband and I are raising our three year old granddaughter after the unexpected death of our son last October.  He had sole permanent custody which we now have.   We only began cruising in 2015 and never took our children.  Our experience has been on Celebrity, primarily in suites.    

 

As you can imagine our travel plans for the future have drastically changed and will now (usually) include a child.   (She will likely be a very well traveled teenager!). Royal Caribbean seems to make sense to us now.  Which ship would be a good starting place for us with a four year old?   Pro’s and con’s?  There are so many ships to choose from!  Most likely we would book a suite so what amenities should we look for with a suite?  

 

We know the ins and outs of Celebrity having sailed on all but one of their ships, many, multiple times.  (I understand that our Elite + status will transfer to Diamond on RC.)   There is a comfortableness in sailing with Celebrity as we know exactly what to expect.  Learning as much as possible about what to expect with a RC cruise with a child will help my anxiety level immensely!  

 

Thanks!

 

Martha 

Edited January 24, 2022 by NCHPcruiser
Addition

[cyntil8ing]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

I wound encourage you to stay with Celebrity, at least until you know what sort of young traveler she is. Celebrity is excellent with young children! The kids clubs aren't overcrowded and overstimulating, and the staff just love having kids to dote on. There are family-friendly activities and it's just a great experience. I don't see any reason to need to move over to RCCL when your granddaughter would still be too young for the cool stuff they offer.

 

My kids' first Celebrity cruise was in 2011 when they were 5 and 7. They have been at least on ten more since. Once they were older teens, we started doing more RCCL and Carnival, but they still love X.

[firefly333]

I dont remember anything earth shattering between rcl and celebrity. Seems like the wooden dressers on celebrity were taller and nicer looking and we got toiletries. Rcl you get a bar of soap and whatever is in the shower.

 

I would encourage you to read recent accounts of the kids programs not what they had pre covid. I'm not reading anything good. 10 hours you can schedule on rcl and harder to meet other kids because of reduced hours and capacity .. up to older kids allowed to roam the ship unsupervised.  

 

Hopefully with lower capacity the past couple of weeks things are better. 

[topnole]

1 hour ago, NCHPcruiser said:

My husband and I are raising our three year old granddaughter after the unexpected death of our son last October.  He had sole permanent custody which we now have.   We only began cruising in 2015 and never took our children.  Our experience has been on Celebrity, primarily in suites.    

 

As you can imagine our travel plans for the future have drastically changed and will now (usually) include a child.   (She will likely be a very well traveled teenager!). Royal Caribbean seems to make sense to us now.  Which ship would be a good starting place for us with a four year old?   Pro’s and con’s?  There are so many ships to choose from!  Most likely we would book a suite so what amenities should we look for with a suite?  

 

We know the ins and outs of Celebrity having sailed on all but one of their ships, many, multiple times.  (I understand that our Elite + status will transfer to Diamond on RC.)   There is a comfortableness in sailing with Celebrity as we know exactly what to expect.  Learning as much as possible about what to expect with a RC cruise with a child will help my anxiety level immensely!  

 

Thanks!

 

Martha 

Oasis class ships will give your granddaughter many great activities to enjoy.  The Boardwalk is a blast for little ones.  Our daughter at that age would do the merry go round over and over.  They had kids events back there a couple times a cruise too.  A nice kids pool will keep her happy. At 3, my daughter loved all the viewfinders all over the ship (hours of entertainment during the week with those).  So many other great things to mention on oasis class.  
 

Freedom class would be my second choice.  My recollection is the kids pools were better on this class than Oasis.  Freedom class are much smaller than Oasis class, but they are great nonetheless.    
 

I haven’t been on Quantum class so I can’t comment.  I’m sure it is very kid friendly, but those ships were designed for more cold weather cruising so there is arguably less outdoor spaces FYI.  
 

As she gets older there will be many more things to enjoy on the big Royal ships (like the flowrider, zip line, etc.).  While she is 3 or 4 Celebrity might still be great for her per the other comment above.  Let’s face it, at 3 they play with the box more than the toy.  All ships will be fascinating to a 3 year old.  One she is 5 or 6 the differences might become more important.  

Edited January 24, 2022 by topnole

[NCHPcruiser]

I appreciate the reply’s and perhaps for the moment we will stick with Celebrity for her first cruise which would still be a little over a year away.  Hopefully by then she can be vaccinated and children’s programs on both Celebrity and RCCL will be back to normal (or whatever the new normal works out to be).  

 

Martha 

[topnole]

1 minute ago, NCHPcruiser said:

I appreciate the reply’s and perhaps for the moment we will stick with Celebrity for her first cruise which would still be a little over a year away.  Hopefully by then she can be vaccinated and children’s programs on both Celebrity and RCCL will be back to normal (or whatever the new normal works out to be).  

 

Martha 

This is probably a good strategy.  No use trying to figure out a new system while also acclimating her to the concept of a cruise.  Once she knows what a cruise is all about, you can then deal with the newbie learning curve in another cruise.  I do think a few years from now you will have a happier child on Royal.  The great thing is that Royal is a decent balance between fun and also trying to maintain some refinement.  So both kids and parents/grandparents can all have a great time in the way they most prefer.  

[Starry Eyes]

I’m sorry for your loss.  I do think Celebrity will treat you GD wonderfully, though I am less familiar with their current vaccination policies.
 

There are people traveling now on Royal with unvaccinated kids, so certainly you can do that if/when you feel ready.

 As you get ready to jump back into cruising, remember in addition to Royal and X boards there is also a family cruising board (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/28-family-cruises/) you might wish to read and/or post general questions for cruising with your youngster.  Best wishes 

[Smartipantz]

I'm so sorry to hear about your son.  Your granddaughter is so lucky to have you both. I have custody of my two grandchildren as well due to a terrible heath incident with my son.  They were 24 mos and 7 mos when I received guardianship but they are now 9 and 8.  I always knew that these kids would grow up on cruise ships because of my love of cruising.  The kid programs are AWESOME and provide you some relaxation time which we know we desperately need.  The kids can't wait to go and then don't want to leave!  That's how good their programs they are.

 

The kids seem to love the Oasis class ships the best... I tend to like them best as well.  Mainly because Royal has individual rooms for the various age groups (3 to 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 11, and then teenagers).  So the games and activities are customized to the specific age group.  Other ships group kids all together (which is fine if you want a smaller ship).  They are just intermingled with the older/smaller kids.  

 

We had planned on going on a cruise over spring break but decided against it this year because of the restrictions in Adventure Ocean.  My kids want to go to EVERY SINGLE SESSION and if they are limited to just a handful, they will be disappointed.  So we will just wait 🙂

 

I have only been on one Celebrity cruise and it was fine.  Because I have kids again, I tend to stick with Royal as I am more familiar with it and totally appreciate their kid programs.  

 

Take care of yourself and enjoy your granddaughter!!!  

[LB_NJ]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

I dont remember anything earth shattering between rcl and celebrity. Seems like the wooden dressers on celebrity were taller and nicer looking and we got toiletries. Rcl you get a bar of soap and whatever is in the shower.

 

I would encourage you to read recent accounts of the kids programs not what they had pre covid. I'm not reading anything good. 10 hours you can schedule on rcl and harder to meet other kids because of reduced hours and capacity .. up to older kids allowed to roam the ship unsupervised.  

 

Hopefully with lower capacity the past couple of weeks things are better. 

 

I tend to agree that you really need to hear what is happening now, not pre-covid.  Also, at that age there is no vaccine and children who play together are likely to spread COVID.  Reminds me of everyone in a school class getting the Chicken Pox.

 

While severe illness at that age is rare (more likely they will have a fever, have trouble sleeping, etc.), do you really want to be quarantined on a ship, in a small cabin, with a sick child?

 

 

[SG65CB]

Your first cruise with your granddaughter, please make sure you know what documentation you need to bring in order to take her out of the country on a cruise. I know there is documentation you need when an unrelated minor travels with you, but I don't know what (if anything) you need for a granddaughter with permanent custody.

[cruiselvr04]

So sorry for your lose.  Bless you as you raise a second family. 
 

I too think you should stick with Celebrity for your first cruise together.  At least this way you are comfortable and know the ship.  
 

When you’re ready to move to Royal they do have great kid programs and great swim/play areas. Our grands loved the kids pool on Liberty for instance and only wanted to stay there all day. They preferred that to the clubs.  They provide life jackets for the pools.  Oasis class ships have all the bells and whistles but might be a bit overwhelming for the first time.  Those ships are truly huge and do require a lot of walking, especially if you forget something in your cabin and need to go get it.  
 

Hopefully by the time you go, testing will be behind us.

[Smartipantz]

3 hours ago, SG65CB said:

Your first cruise with your granddaughter, please make sure you know what documentation you need to bring in order to take her out of the country on a cruise. I know there is documentation you need when an unrelated minor travels with you, but I don't know what (if anything) you need for a granddaughter with permanent custody.

Great point to raise.  All I had to do is bring a copy of the guardianship papers and obviously their passports.  

[vacationlover_mn]

So sorry for your loss 😞. She is very lucky to have you guys!!!

[cruisin from florida]

5 hours ago, topnole said:

Oasis class ships will give your granddaughter many great activities to enjoy.  The Boardwalk is a blast for little ones.  Our daughter at that age would do the merry go round over and over.  They had kids events back there a couple times a cruise too.  A nice kids pool will keep her happy. At 3, my daughter loved all the viewfinders all over the ship (hours of entertainment during the week with those).  So many other great things to mention on oasis class.  
 

Freedom class would be my second choice.  My recollection is the kids pools were better on this class than Oasis.  Freedom class are much smaller than Oasis class, but they are great nonetheless.    
 

I haven’t been on Quantum class so I can’t comment.  I’m sure it is very kid friendly, but those ships were designed for more cold weather cruising so there is arguably less outdoor spaces FYI.  
 

As she gets older there will be many more things to enjoy on the big Royal ships (like the flowrider, zip line, etc.).  While she is 3 or 4 Celebrity might still be great for her per the other comment above.  Let’s face it, at 3 they play with the box more than the toy.  All ships will be fascinating to a 3 year old.  One she is 5 or 6 the differences might become more important.  

I'm so sorry for your loss. We chose Oasis for our first big family cruise that includes grandkids ages 18 months to 4 1/2, for all the reasons listed above. We're going on our first Celebrity cruise next month, but it will be for a group of older couples. For the kids, it will be  RCL, and Oasis class when the ship is the destination. 

For other trips we'll look at price, itinerary, and ship.

[topnole]

4 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

 

I tend to agree that you really need to hear what is happening now, not pre-covid.  Also, at that age there is no vaccine and children who play together are likely to spread COVID.  Reminds me of everyone in a school class getting the Chicken Pox.

 

While severe illness at that age is rare (more likely they will have a fever, have trouble sleeping, etc.), do you really want to be quarantined on a ship, in a small cabin, with a sick child?

 

 

That isn’t necessarily true.  My daughter has been in school, doing varying activities, and plays with lots of kids all the time. She hasn’t had Covid as far as

we know and it has been 2

plus years now. People act like going to a kids club on a ship is a likely to lead

to Covid.  They all just tested negative to board.  Where else can you get that low risk of a play environment?   

[NCHPcruiser]

I greatly appreciate everyone’s responses!   We do have all of the legal documentation needed but will need to get a passport for her before her first trip.   Even though our son was her father she does not have his last name (ours) so we will be super prepared for questioning.    And hopefully in a year she will be eligible for the vaccine and if not I guess we will wait another year until she is five.   She has attended preschool for the past two years without incident but quarantining at home would be quite different than on a ship even if that risk is very low.  That prospect is downright scary to me!  We should also wait until RC is not limiting the time spent in the kids club.  Celebrity may be as well.    She is a very precocious, outgoing and active child who would LOVE these programs as much as we would enjoy having her in them!  The kids programs are why we would cruise with her….she has fun and we get a much needed break.  It’s a little more taxing now than it was when I was 30!   Our younger daughter is getting married this summer and we might have to take them along as back up babysitters!  

 

Smartipantz, my hat is off to you!   Some nights we still say “can we really do this?” and you have been doing it for years.  When we are dog tired and perhaps a little irritable, looking forward to a cruise is helpful.  We have a Celebrity cruise booked (just the two of us) in March and believe me, looking forward to it is keeping us both sane.  

 

And Starry Eyes, I’ll definitely check out the Family Cruising Board!  It never occurred to me there was such a forum.  

 

It will be an adventure for sure whenever we get her on a cruise ship!

 

Martha 

[cruisin from florida]

2 hours ago, NCHPcruiser said:

I greatly appreciate everyone’s responses!   We do have all of the legal documentation needed but will need to get a passport for her before her first trip.   Even though our son was her father she does not have his last name (ours) so we will be super prepared for questioning.    And hopefully in a year she will be eligible for the vaccine and if not I guess we will wait another year until she is five.   She has attended preschool for the past two years without incident but quarantining at home would be quite different than on a ship even if that risk is very low.  That prospect is downright scary to me!  We should also wait until RC is not limiting the time spent in the kids club.  Celebrity may be as well.    She is a very precocious, outgoing and active child who would LOVE these programs as much as we would enjoy having her in them!  The kids programs are why we would cruise with her….she has fun and we get a much needed break.  It’s a little more taxing now than it was when I was 30!   Our younger daughter is getting married this summer and we might have to take them along as back up babysitters!  

 

Smartipantz, my hat is off to you!   Some nights we still say “can we really do this?” and you have been doing it for years.  When we are dog tired and perhaps a little irritable, looking forward to a cruise is helpful.  We have a Celebrity cruise booked (just the two of us) in March and believe me, looking forward to it is keeping us both sane.  

 

And Starry Eyes, I’ll definitely check out the Family Cruising Board!  It never occurred to me there was such a forum.  

 

It will be an adventure for sure whenever we get her on a cruise ship!

 

Martha 

If you end up on Oasis 18 December, let us know. Our precocious grandkids can hang out together!

[George C]

Definitely agree on oasis class , consider a grand suite since you are used to celebrity suites, perks are not as good as celebrity but not that bad, there dinning room is not as good as Luminae but better than there mdr. 

[TwinMamainMN]

Bless you Martha, and your husband, for not only having a second family and taking on that responsibility, but also for sharing your love of cruising and travel with your granddaughter. Travel is the best way to make memories and learn about ourselves and others. Wishing you all nothing but the best.

[Homosassa]

We started cruising with our daughter when she was eighteen months old.

 

While everyone is stressing the children's program, please be aware that you may have a child like ours that never cared for the children's area on any ship that she cruised on.

 

She was very happy to be on a family vacation and spend her time with us (even as a teenager).

 

Until you know your granddaughter's preferences, do not plan on a "dump and go" experience where you will be able to enjoy an adult cruise while the child is in the kid's  program.

 

A good option for a family cruise is MSC. 

 

MSC is geared to a family vacation where families  (often mult-generational) spend time together and enjoy each other's company. 

 

While there is a children's program on board, MSC also provides family activities that are intended for a child and an adult to do together (no adult, the child can not participate).

 

Free range children are also not tolerated. A child is with an adult or in the children's program.

[NCHPcruiser]

Homosassa, while it’s possible we will be totally taken by surprise, our granddaughter is very outgoing and social, so we are confident she will love the children’s programs.   I don’t feel I would be “dumping” her but giving her a new experience which I believe she will enjoy.    And if not, I doubt we would bring her again until she is much older.    It’s a different experience parenting in our early 60’s!  We simply don’t have the energy we did 30 years ago to keep up with her all day and a cruise without a break would, simply put, not be fun or enjoyable for us.  It’s not that we don’t love her company, we have her company 365 days of the year (she does not go to daycare, but a half day preschool that follows the school calendar) but we need a break and  are hopeful that cruising can be enjoyable for all three of us.   (It would never occur to us to allow a child free range on a cruise ship!)

 

Martha 

[orville99]

41 minutes ago, NCHPcruiser said:

while it’s possible we will be totally taken by surprise, our granddaughter is very outgoing and social, so we are confident she will love the children’s programs.   I don’t feel I would be “dumping” her but giving her a new experience which I believe she will enjoy.

We brought our oldest grandson on his first cruise around the same age and we couldn't pry him out of the kids club with a crowbar if we tried. We took him on cruises until he "aged out" of the teen clubs and we rarely saw him anywhere else but with his newfound friends. He's now 22 and still asks us if he can go on cruises with us.

[LB_NJ]

I have never tried it however, have you thought about Disney cruises.

[jerseygirl3]

21 hours ago, NCHPcruiser said:

I appreciate the reply’s and perhaps for the moment we will stick with Celebrity for her first cruise which would still be a little over a year away.  Hopefully by then she can be vaccinated and children’s programs on both Celebrity and RCCL will be back to normal (or whatever the new normal works out to be).  

 

Martha 

I am so very sorry for the loss of your son.  Your grandddaughter is very lucky to have you to raise her in his absence.  There will be so many travel adventures that lie ahead for all of you!  I would also suggest sticking with Celebrity.  My sister and BIL traveled with us several times on Celebrity when their twins were very young (started around age 5).  It was a great learning curve for them,  and they learned quickly how to handle themselves at a more formal dinner setting.  They adjusted beautifully.  

 

My only suggestion would be perhaps starting with a shorter cruise (4-5 day) at first.  Then you can adjust accordingly if need be.

 

Again, condolences on the loss of your son.  

[NCHPcruiser]

17 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

I have never tried it however, have you thought about Disney cruises.

My first  thought was to do a Disney cruise but it seems most are only about 4 or 5 days.  I do understand the logic in starting with a shorter cruise but at the same time, to me it would be a lot of effort (and cost) for only three or four full days on the ship.  Plus, I’m afraid to admit, I’m not really a “Disney” person.   We took our kids when they were 4 and 5 (best trip ever) and again the following year (not as great).   Then they both went a couple more times with choral school groups so I never felt the need to go back.  We have friends who LOVE it and go several times a year without children.      I’m sure we will eventually take her though! 

 

Orville99, We can only hope she takes to it like your grandson and will want to cruise with us when she is 22.  We might need her help to cruise by then!  

 

We will as several have suggested most likely stick with Celebrity to begin with.  At least we  know how everything works on Celebrity so won’t be anxious about that, only about how she will like the children’s programs!   If she loves cruising and is eager to go to the kid’s programs,  we can then branch out to RCCL or another family friendly line (or stick with Celebrity).  Eventually we would want to take her on European cruises but that will need to wait until she is much older.  

 

Thanks everyone!  

 

Martha