1st time cruiser with FOUR KIDS...IDEAS?

[countesspottymouth]

We are going on the July 29th cruise out of Galveston with our four girls, ages 2, 4, 5, and 14. We've never been on a cruise before and don't know much of anything! I just stumbled upon this board and am overwhelmed, so I'm starting this thread in the hopes that people will give me tips and ideas that will help us on our first cruise, especially with such young children. (In case you are wondering why we are taking such young kids, we are celebrating the adoption of the girls!)

[Lakeman953]

We are going on the July 29th cruise out of Galveston with our four girls, ages 2, 4, 5, and 14. We've never been on a cruise before and don't know much of anything! I just stumbled upon this board and am overwhelmed, so I'm starting this thread in the hopes that people will give me tips and ideas that will help us on our first cruise, especially with such young children. (In case you are wondering why we are taking such young kids, we are celebrating the adoption of the girls!)

 

If you want tips you should ask specific questions.

What exactly do you want to know about? serene willl answer a specific question and mrdood will critsize you for not searching threads prior to asking:rolleyes:

[hag230]

How wonderful! Congrats on the adoption of your daughters.

Ask away we are waiting to hear what exactly you want to know.

Excursions? Time on the ship?

[ppeckham]

Congrats on the additions to your family. That's wonderful.

 

First, be sure to sign up for Camp Carnival on the first day. Time and location will be in the Capers.

 

With the teenager, discuss up front any rules. Your teen may want a little freedom to hang out with the new friends she meets on board. Set a curfew. Friends of ours gave their older teen a lot of freedom but he had to meet them for dinner each night. It worked out well.

 

Don't feel like you have to do everything. The ship has so many activities. You'll need a vacation from the vacation.

 

Take post-it notes and highlighters (several colors). The post-its are for leaving notes for each other in the cabin. This works will with teens to let them know where you are. Each evening review the Capers for the next day. Highlight the activities you want to do. Multiple colors come in handing if someone is planning to do something else. You can get an extra copy of the Capers at the purser's desk. You can leave the one in the cabin to help communicate where everyone is.

 

When packing, don't plan to go to the dining room every night. We've been on six cruises. So far we've gone to the casual dining at least twice on each cruise. You won't need to pack as much.

 

If you have inside cabins, take two night lights. Those inside cabins are really dark. I'm normally an early riser. On the first cruise when we had the inside cabin, I slept until 10:30 a.m. I never sleep past 7 a.m.

 

Read up on the available port excursions on the website. If you opt to take an excursion, take a few $1s, $5s, and $10s for tipping. With the number in your group, you may need a couple of $20s.

 

Above all, read the threads on this board. So many have good suggestions.

[countesspottymouth]

Tips on travelling on a cruise with four kids, especially young ones. Sorry. I should have been more clear.:o I'm looking for advice from those that have travelled with tiny tots before on a cruise...while I'm thinking of it, what did you do with them while you were on excursions with age limits?

 

I think our teenager is "good to go!":)

 

I've read somewhere about the post-its--such a simple but good idea!

 

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

[LHP]

First tip: VALIUM (and lots of it)

Seriously, congrats on the new additions to your family.

Camp Carnival will be a life saver giving excellent safe care to your children in an entertaining environment so you can have some "me" time.

 

Both of my boys have been in Camp Carnival for years, but now they are older and I have to strain my brain to remember the set up.

 

The first night on board, there will be an orientation announced in your Capers (Carnival's newspaper that is your lifeline to what is going on).

 

The 2 -5 year olds will be together. Camp opens at 9AM. Families pick up their little ones for lunch and dinner on most days. And the free portion of Camp closes at 10pm. After 10pm, there is a babsitting service that is $6 per child per hour with discounts for multiple children, but with 3 kids it would get expensive quickly.

 

Be aware that the SAME parent that signs them in must sign them out. I believe they also have beepers now so that you can be reached anytime you are on the ship. There may be a deposit (which you will get back when you return the beeper) but the actual use is free.

 

You mentioned excursions. You can do excursions and leave the children on board. Only you know if this is an option you are comfotable with. People have opinions on both sides of the issue. However, I would not do any independent excursion and leave the kids on the ship. If I did an excursion without the kids, it would only be one that the ship handles. This way you are guaranteed that they won't sail away without you. Also it would depend on the length of the excursion. I would not do anything that required 6 -8 hours away from the ship with your children being so young. However, if there is a 2 - 3 hour excursion, that may be more appropriate.

 

And again, this depends on the individual child. Hopefully, you will have a couple of sea days to see how your little ones are settling in before you make the "excursions" decision.

 

If the ages being so young, you may want to really talk in detail to the counselors at orientation and seek their advice. They are very professional and (like you) have your children's best interest at heart.

 

As for the 14 year old, you do need to realize that these ships can have the population of a small town. You never know who is in the cabin next door to you. I would advise that when she is not with the Camp Carnival group late at night, that she be with you or in the cabin.

 

Again, each child is different where maturity is concerned. I would recommend that if she is ever in the cabin by herself (or with the other little ones) that you put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.

 

As for the dining on formal nights, this is when they usually do feed the children for you, so that you can enjoy a dress up adult evening.

 

You will get a "Caper" for the 2- 5 age group which will list the activities and Camp Carnival operating hours for the entire week. This will let you know which "evenings" they "feed the kids".

 

Have a great cruise!

[mrdood]

If you want tips you should ask specific questions.

What exactly do you want to know about? serene willl answer a specific question and mrdood will critsize you for not searching threads prior to asking:rolleyes:

 

Dood will tell you that you would probably be best served by the vague nature of your question on the FAMILY CRUISING FORUM - found here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

 

...and there is also a forum for first time cruisers where they are granted safety in asking any questions :p found here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=97

 

...and when you are ready to research what to do in port, you need to be here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

 

 

...and yes, even though you are are on Carnival cruise, you should use topic specific forums rather than the main board...

 

We cruised with 4 kids in 2003, they were all teens, so it was not as tough, but still you will have a greate time if you approach this realisitically, it will be more work for you on a cruise than at home, if that is ok - go for it!

[L2J]

We are going on the July 29th cruise out of Galveston with our four girls, ages 2, 4, 5, and 14....I'm starting this thread in the hopes that people will give me tips and ideas that will help us on our first cruise, especially with such young children.

 

The two most viable options....Disney Magic or Disney Wonder.

[Mysticks1]

The two most viable options....Disney Magic or Disney Wonder.

 

I would add to this comment....."If you have plenty of money to go along with the four kids". IMHO Disney is too expensive with my one child I couldn't imagine the cost with four kids. :eek:

 

Congratulations on your adoption. Camp Carnival will be wonderful. I was very impressed with the counselors and how well they handled the children. Don't miss the orientation night as that is the best time for your oldest to meet new friends immediately. They also had an ice cream sundae party that night on our last cruise for the entire family. My daughter though she would be "too old" for it at 11 but she didn't miss an activity. They will all have a great time.

[GracieC]

Bring the walkie talkies especially for the teenager!

[virginiab]

This may be a great time to play with the kids, as most people are off the ship and things may seem less overwhelming. Also, of course, you'll save some money. We usually find that one excursion per cruise is enough for us, but you may want to do more. Have a great cruise, and congratulations on the new additions to your family.

[walkswife]

Congratulations.....my 15 yr old is adopted and it is a wonderful experience.....I wish I could afford to do it again.....

 

If you tell me what ports you will be going to maybe I can give you some alternatives to ship excursions........

[brew62]

I have a great Idea that I got from another post.

Let the kids run around and get all the free gifts that Carnival has put out on all the lounge chairs. I heard that there is sunglasses, towels, purses, shoes, clothing, reading material ... etc.

[vesw01]

We have 5 kids - two by birth and three by being blessed. They are 13 (boy), 11, 3, 3, and 2 (all girls). We travel ALL the time!! I took our son and daughter (prior to the other girls) on a CCL cruise a year and half ago, there were only 9 kids on the entire ship (no joke)....we did the Fall Foliage Cruise out of NYC....anyway Camp Carnival went above and beyond. I thought my son was going to lose interest quickly - but instead they treated him like a king!! The even shut down half the buffet for the kids only - took him to all the shows (with special seating) and formed a bond we never thought could happen. Some of the girls even went into port with us....... I booked all excursion on my own - stuff that we could all do together (my 86 yr old grandmother came along too). It was a blast and well worth it! Yes there are some challenges.....the formal dining room was hard to handle on some nights and our wait staff never really was interactive with us. Our cabin steward called our daughter Princess and loved seeing the kids. Many of the crew have children back home, who they miss dearly and love having the kids on board.

 

As for traveling with them........we bought portable DVD players (you can pick them up for $79 - $99) and on an occassion or two sat in the cabin with a Disney movie just for some downtime. We also buy small inexpensive toys as a surprise for the kids - something new to play with. We have taught them from day one the way to respect other people, especially adults, to use your manners and to always be thankful and kind. We constantly get remarks on how great our kids are and how polite they are (my daughter's daycare even said that all the other kids are using their manners much more since she started there). We got all the comments "your daughter will never remember the cruise - it is a waste of money to take someone so young." The memories we have are priceless to me, my kids and I got to spend quality time with their great-grandmother - was it worth the "trouble" - never a doubt in my mind.

 

We just took the kids to Hawaii for Thanksgiving - 8.5 direct flight. We had a blast. I had stressed about the flight over for the entire year we planned and it was a big waste of time!!

 

Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

I would love to hear the story of how the girls came to live with you..you can reach me at vward@diversapack.com

Victoria

[ppeckham]

Victoria, good point about the DVD player. I cruised with my near 16 yo son a couple months ago. We took the laptop and movies for some down time.

 

You may want to pack more than one swimsuit for each child. It seems the kids are in the pool all the time. We always take two - wear one and let the other drip dry in the shower.

 

Also plan on getting a family photo done on board to mark the occassion. First family photo and family cruise. They usually begin photographing on board ship the first formal night.

[Kaki321]

This may not be feasible for you, but if it is, bring a "nanny" with you. We are taking my 17-year-old niece with us specifically to help with our 2 and 5 year old. We have a seperate inside cabin booked for her and whichever one of them wants to bunk with her.

 

Congrats on the adoption. My youngest is also adopted :)

[walkswife]

I just looked your cruise up and noticed you are going to Cozumel....if you want a great time with your kids at a beautiful beach just get a cab and have them take you to Paradise Beach.... free lounge chairs and umbrellas ... for $8 per person you get a band that gives you use of the kayaks, float mats, snorkel gear, water trampolines and climbing iceberg for the day.... there is a bar with great drinks and wonderful food..... they also have a massage tent for about $1 per minute.... I took five girls there in March and they had a great time...... look up Paradise Beach on the Cozumel Port section of the site...

[vesw01]

getting a family photo done on board to mark the occassion. First family photo and family cruise. They usually begin photographing on board ship the first formal night.

 

 

This is what we did - I meant to mention in my thread but got all wrapped up in other things. We bought a suit for my son and a dress for my daughter on Ebay - it was great to have one really nice photo.

[countesspottymouth]

If you tell me what ports you will be going to maybe I can give you some alternatives to ship excursions........

 

We are going to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

[walkswife]

We are going to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

 

Ok.... I already put Paradise Beach out there for you in Cozumel.....in Grand Cayman....if you want to beach it ask the cab driver to take you to the public part of Seven Mile Beach up by Sea Grapes. Friends of ours went there after the butterfly farm ... they loved both ...we snorkeled but with the youngins you have that could be difficult....Or you may want to take the kids to the turtle farm..... not sure of the cost of a cab to get there but the people I talked to liked it....Montego Bay I can't help you with.... I have heard that Dunn Falls is nice... or that maybe you want to check into an all inclusive resort for the day..... I believe there is a Margaritaville there with a resort you can get a day pass for....

[countesspottymouth]

Thanks for all of your responses--you've given us some great ideas!

[countesspottymouth]

I'm having trouble booking excursions...even when they say "no age limit," I can't book for our youngest daughter. I'd like to at least go on ONE excursion planned by Carnival.:confused:

[chrly]

I'm having trouble booking excursions...even when they say "no age limit," I can't book for our youngest daughter. I'd like to at least go on ONE excursion planned by Carnival.:confused:

 

On some excursions your youngest will be free if she sits in your lap. Just check the symbols on the shore excursion for a baby bottle. Have a great time with your kids. My youngest was 3 when she went on her first cruise and she still talks about "the big ship".

 

Edited to read:

 

http://www.carnival.com/ShoreExcursionsSearchResults.aspx?region=CW&portcode=CZM&portname=Cozumel%2c+Mexico

 

If you click on the symbols it will give you a discription of each.

[Jeanie821]

We are going on the July 29th cruise out of Galveston with our four girls, ages 2, 4, 5, and 14. We've never been on a cruise before and don't know much of anything! I just stumbled upon this board and am overwhelmed, so I'm starting this thread in the hopes that people will give me tips and ideas that will help us on our first cruise, especially with such young children. (In case you are wondering why we are taking such young kids, we are celebrating the adoption of the girls!)

 

Well, congratulations! I think Carnival might be the best choice - just check with them to see what amenities are available for children.

 

All the best!

[blackrose602]

In Grand Cayman, I strongly recommend renting a jeep. Book it online directly through one of the rental car places, we paid about $40 for the day doing it that way, if you wait till you get there you'll stand in a long line to pay about $100 for the same jeep! The island is beautiful, safe, and easy to navigate once you get used to driving on the left. You can easily drive the whole island and stop at several attractions in the time you're allotted. That will give you some private family time, the ability to adjust your schedule at a moment's notice pending the kids' needs, and a place to carry all the "stuff" you might need for the day. Don't miss the Turtle Farm, it's one of the highlights especially for kids!