Discovery Princess - for kids?

[carohs]

Hi!

Considering booking a cruise over spring break. Can anyone tell me about the how crowded the ship gets that time of year? What kind of activities are available for the kids on Princess? Also, specifically for this ship, the layout looks like the casino is somewhat near the theater; is the smoking smell noticeable from the theater? Any other information on what you like/dislike about this ship is helpful! And if you've been on this ship before, what stateroom would you pick?

 

And Princess in general, can you explain the "premium desserts" please? Are these available in the MDR or another specific location? The description says up to two per day. So if we bring the kids, can we get 4 total and each have one?

 

TIA

[Cruise Raider]

12 minutes ago, carohs said:

Hi!

Considering booking a cruise over spring break. Can anyone tell me about the how crowded the ship gets that time of year? What kind of activities are available for the kids on Princess? Also, specifically for this ship, the layout looks like the casino is somewhat near the theater; is the smoking smell noticeable from the theater? Any other information on what you like/dislike about this ship is helpful! And if you've been on this ship before, what stateroom would you pick?

 

And Princess in general, can you explain the "premium desserts" please? Are these available in the MDR or another specific location? The description says up to two per day. So if we bring the kids, can we get 4 total and each have one?

 

TIA

Not sure if you are talking about this year or not but think it’s all sold out until late April of this year.  
So, the ship is excellent and Princess does have all sorts of activities for the kiddos.  Besides having a kids club, an arcade, basketball, swimming, etc, they also have games and contests in the piazza, up by the pool, on demand movies, a great kids menu, etc.  
It is very crowded on spring break .. don’t know any other way to put it.  
The starboard side of the casino has smoking but you can enter the casino from deck 7 or on the port side of the ship to avoid it.  There are various areas on the ship where the smoke from the casino is really bad but, I’ve never smelled it once in the theater.  
I’d pick a deluxe balcony or mini suite if there are 3 or 4 of you in the room.  There are some decent deals if you pick an obstructed one midship on deck 8.  Some even have balconies with enough room for 4 people, the rest of the balconies are super tiny.  
The premium desserts are a big old sugar bomb .. my DH gets one every so often, I’ve never tried one as they are just too much sugar.  I’m not sure if you could get extras for those without a package but start with two and see how it goes. Maybe ask for an extra dish so you can share.  

 

[karatemom2]

We have been on Discovery Princess a few times - once was during Spring Break, once over New Year's and once over Presidents' Day/Super Bowl Weekend. So I can speak to the crowds a bit during these peak periods - yes, the ship will be full and it will be a bit crowded. But the good news is there will be a lot of families and other kids onboard. Princess runs a great Kids Program and will offer much to do, particularly during these peak weeks. My kids are grown now, but they always enjoyed their time in the clubs on Princess.

 

The casino is near the theatre, but you shouldn't notice any issues with smelling smoke outside of the casino and definitely not in the theatre. It's mostly noticeable when you walk through, but you can avoid that.

 

Discovery is a great ship - there is ample entertainment for everyone in the family. If it is warm enough you can enjoy the pool areas and the Movies Under the Stars. Assuming this is likely a Mexican Riviera or Pacific Coastal cruise which both offer fun itineraries with plenty of choices for family activities in the ports.

 

In terms of the desserts - I'm not all that familiar with how they enforce these benefits, but if you get a package that includes two a day, I would imagine that you could get them and share them with the kids if you want to do that. I doubt they are going to police that for a family traveling together. There are plenty of other dessert options for the kids as well - including soft serve ice cream.

 

In terms of cabin, that is really a personal and financial choice. We have traveled with our kids from insides to suites. We generally prefer a balcony. You would need to check the cabin configuration to see what the sleeping arrangements are - cabins for four usually feature drop down bunks. The deluxe balconies and mini suites also have pull out sleeper beds.

 

When we traveled when our kids were young - we kind of preferred the drop down bunks because they don't impede in walking space in the room like a pull out - plus the kids loved them.

 

No matter what, I'm sure you will find plenty of fun activities for adults and kids on the Discovery- including a new arcade that was just completed recently. There are a number of threads here in this forum with live reports from the ship if you use the search feature, you can pull those up and review them which you might find helpful.

[carohs]

Thanks @CruiseRaider and @karatemom2! Your responses were reassuring. I do expect some crowding during S/B so no big deal there, and actually it just makes it more likely the kids will find friends onboard. My only concern there, really, is based on my experience on a different line last year, the club filled up super quick and if you wanted a spot you had to be in line 15-30 minutes before club opened. I don't know what capacity is like on Princes.. Follow up, are the clubs open all day, or do they close for lunch and/or dinner? We usually take the kids out anyway  for meals but it could have an effect on the capacity availability depending on their hours. 

 

I looked into the deluxe balcony obstructed but when I clicked through I don't get the option for Princess Plus? It's not a huge difference from an inside to a regular balcony (about $56/per day) so I may as well get the balcony; although I tend to book inside if can get a better location and save money in the process.

[karatemom2]

46 minutes ago, carohs said:

Thanks @CruiseRaider and @karatemom2! Your responses were reassuring. I do expect some crowding during S/B so no big deal there, and actually it just makes it more likely the kids will find friends onboard. My only concern there, really, is based on my experience on a different line last year, the club filled up super quick and if you wanted a spot you had to be in line 15-30 minutes before club opened. I don't know what capacity is like on Princes.. Follow up, are the clubs open all day, or do they close for lunch and/or dinner? We usually take the kids out anyway  for meals but it could have an effect on the capacity availability depending on their hours. 

 

I looked into the deluxe balcony obstructed but when I clicked through I don't get the option for Princess Plus? It's not a huge difference from an inside to a regular balcony (about $56/per day) so I may as well get the balcony; although I tend to book inside if can get a better location and save money in the process.

 

In our experience, Princess unlike some other lines, does not have a limited sign up daily for the club programs. You register your kids for their appropriate age group and it is drop in and drop out during all open hours. Princess knows exactly how many kids will be onboard each cruise and staffs the clubs appropriately to accommodate the number of children onboard.

 

You will sign them in and out as you like during the club hours - no reservation needed. Older tweens with your permission can sign themselves in and out (I think the age used to be 10 - not sure if that still holds true). We allowed our daughter sign out privileges once she was 11 as long as she notified when she signed in and out - even easier to manage now with the medallions as you can see where your travel companions are at all times. Teens can come and go from the teen club as they like during open hours. The youngers are divided into the applicable age groups with age appropriate activities. Not sure how old your kids are, but if you look at the Princess web site family page, it provides a little more detail about the clubs, hours, etc.

[NavyVeteran]

6 hours ago, carohs said:

Considering booking a cruise over spring break. Can anyone tell me about the how crowded the ship gets that time of year? What kind of activities are available for the kids on Princess?

You may get better information if you state the age of the kids. Princess has different programs for different age groups, and the kids cannot go to an older or younger group - even if they have a sibling one year older or younger. Information is provided in the On Board FAQ under "Cruising with Family & Kids".

[carohs]

Wow! Didn't expect such rude comments from someone who doesn't want me to sail with my kids! 

 

I won't pretend that my children are well behaved angels but neither are most adults. The only difference is most adults have years more experience in learning boundaries and a little more impulse control. But we all do something that other people take offense to. No one is 100% perfect and I don't understand why anyone is offended by kids who are still learning and growing. 

 

And you know what, we do sail other mass market lines. It just so happens that for the four of us on the dates we want to sail, Princess has the best value. I won't go on a ship and allow my kids to run amok out of sheer boredom. Hence me asking about kids club and activities. 

 

As for their ages, they will be 11 and 9. They should be able to be in the same group and have sign in/out privileges. They've done well before being on their own on a ship (for limited situations) but I like the idea of giving them just a little more leeway if I can track their location via the medallion. That's a perk I hadn't considered. 

[NavyVeteran]

5 minutes ago, carohs said:

Wow! Didn't expect such rude comments from someone who doesn't want me to sail with my kids! 

 

I won't pretend that my children are well behaved angels but neither are most adults. The only difference is most adults have years more experience in learning boundaries and a little more impulse control. But we all do something that other people take offense to. No one is 100% perfect and I don't understand why anyone is offended by kids who are still learning and growing. 

 

And you know what, we do sail other mass market lines. It just so happens that for the four of us on the dates we want to sail, Princess has the best value. I won't go on a ship and allow my kids to run amok out of sheer boredom. Hence me asking about kids club and activities. 

 

As for their ages, they will be 11 and 9. They should be able to be in the same group and have sign in/out privileges. They've done well before being on their own on a ship (for limited situations) but I like the idea of giving them just a little more leeway if I can track their location via the medallion. That's a perk I hadn't considered. 

One suggestion. For safety reasons, you may want to require your two kids to stay together anytime they're not with you, in the cabin, or in the kid's club. With your app and their medallions, you can tell where they are and whether or not they're together.

I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

[carohs]

Just now, NavyVeteran said:

One suggestion. For safety reasons, you may want to require your two kids to stay together anytime they're not with you, in the cabin, or in the kid's club. With your app and their medallions, you can tell where they are and whether or not they're together.

I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

Yes, absolutely!! DS will be getting a phone by the time we sail, so we'll have the ability to communicate. As long as they stay together, they're perfectly alright to grab a soft serve and meet us somewhere, or walk to the club to sign themselves in. Even to sit in the library to play chess and find us when they're done. 

[DaDe_at_sea]

Hi there! We’re actually on Discovery right now on a 15 day Hawaii sailing with 3 kids, ages 4,6 and 15. 
The clubs are not overcrowded at any time on this sailing. I believe it’s a total of 47 kids ages 3-12, however, I don’t see them there altogether all the time. They have 3 sessions per day: 9 to 12, 2 to 5, and 7 to 10pm. On port days, I believe you can sign up in advance if you want your children to stay onboard. They’ll take them to the buffet to eat and will entertain them all day. They have computer games as well.
 I believe There about 20 teenagers 13 to 17. Only teenagers are allowed to sign themselves in/out. Younger ones have to be signed in and out by parent or an authorized adult. They give you a pager to let you know if kids need you. Also, medallions are to be worn at all times and you can track them via app. Cell phones are not allowed as it’s a major distraction as well as liability if lost or stolen. 
my little ones are having a blast and made new friends. Tons of really fun arts and crafts, pj night with cookies and milk, disco party, etc. My teenager also managed to make some new friends. They have air hockey tournaments, ping pong and card games, trivia, etc. They browse around the ship, get their own snacks, attend different shows together (sometimes as part of their club activity with counselors, like illusionist’s show). 
although Princess tries to grab families market, it’s still mostly geared for adults, specifically who are in their late 50s+. I’m personally totally fine with it as it feels more traditional with good old classics played at piazza, jazz lounge, crooners piano bar, etc. they do have disco nights for younger adults, but from what I’ve seen on this cruise they’re not popular. Partially, due to constant time change as we sailed to Hawaii (for us it was a total of 6 hours difference from EST).

as to premium desserts, you don’t have to have a package to buy them, and honestly we don’t use them at all. We couldn’t even finish one huge dessert altogether, way too much sugar 🙂 for our taste. 
Having right expectations is the key to enjoying this ship. It’s not Disney or Royal Caribbean as to family catering for sure. But what they do here, they do well! All counselors are very caring and fun! And in general, the crew on this ship is outstanding! Hope this helps 🙂 happy sailing!
 

[liberty176]

My info is a little more dated, but it is from peak family time: my family sailed on the Discovery over Xmas 2022 thru New Years 2023 when my kids were 5 and 8.  It was a great ship for our family.

 

I will say, though, there were a ton of kids on board both weeks, most especially Xmas week.  That week, we definitely needed to line up 10 min early (though not 30) for kids club, especially for the morning session, and most especially for the smallest kids.  It filled up daily with a wait-list posted on the wall.  I forget how many kids were on that sailing, but something like 300-500.

 

There was definitely a dropoff after the Xmas cruise (we did B2B, my kids get a long winter break) to about half as many kids, and it was still more kids than the ship is used to, but more manageable all around, and I don't recall having to line up early.

 

[carohs]

1 hour ago, liberty176 said:

My info is a little more dated, but it is from peak family time: my family sailed on the Discovery over Xmas 2022 thru New Years 2023 when my kids were 5 and 8.  It was a great ship for our family.

 

I will say, though, there were a ton of kids on board both weeks, most especially Xmas week.  That week, we definitely needed to line up 10 min early (though not 30) for kids club, especially for the morning session, and most especially for the smallest kids.  It filled up daily with a wait-list posted on the wall.  I forget how many kids were on that sailing, but something like 300-500.

 

There was definitely a dropoff after the Xmas cruise (we did B2B, my kids get a long winter break) to about half as many kids, and it was still more kids than the ship is used to, but more manageable all around, and I don't recall having to line up early.

 

Ooh and that time was when vaccines and testing requirements just started to be lifted. I imagine more families now than in that period of time. 

 

The kids aren't in club 100% of the time, and they're with us during port times, but knowing ahead of time what the sitch can be like helps with managing activities and expectations. Thank you!