Is Disney really the best line for 4 and 1 year old?

[Perpetua]

I am looking for advice from experienced family cruisers! We are attempting to plan a family Winter get-away (Jan. or Feb.) from the Montana cold. I am thinking a 7 night cruise would be a good choice for our family. DD's would be just turning 4 and 18 months. We can actually go anytime as we don't have school schedules to deal with and DH's flexible work schedules.

 

We are looking for a laid back vacation...no excursions just some time at a beach. Child-care is not a priority but would be nice for an occasional dinner. We just want to unpack once and I don't want to have to cook and do major cleaning for a week...sounds like heaven.

 

DH and I cruised the Med on Celebrity for our Honeymoon (loved EVERY second of our cruise and the line). Our travel agent thinks that Disney is the way to go (as they are child friendly). We are not huge Disney fanatics and would never choose DCL as single adults but if it is the best choice for our kiddos, we will go for it...

 

Any suggestions? Lines, times of year, where to go? Or...am I crazy to attempt this with such young kids?

 

TIA!!!

[wrp96]

If you aren't interested in anything but occasional child care in the evenings, Celebrity and RCCL would also be a choice since they offer in-cabin babysitting in the evenings which would allow you to have dinner alone.

[cusyl]

We took our 2 youngest grandkids on the Disney Wonder and it was perfect for them. The characters are all around the ship and it's really all about the kids. There is no casino because the children's area takes over the complete deck. Their Mickey pool is awsome, and the activities for the 4 year old will be great. Don't think the 18 month old will remember much about it tho.

[crusinmama06]

Instead of repeating my response, I'll direct you here...;)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=409201

[Disneycrazymom]

We have cruised both on Disney and RCI (Mariner). I really think either would be fun for your family. With kids the age of yours I would think Disney may be the best though! Disney is all about the Characters. My DD was 4 when we sailed and had so much fun getting autographs and seeing the Princesses. The shows are all very "Disney" with stories and characters, again great for the little ones. I liked them too! Dinner was great for the kids, even Mickey Shaped Ice Cream Bars for dessert. Really everything was great! Now the down side, if you are wanting to go in Jan. you need to see if you can get a cabin and the price may be a little scary! We did 4 in a cabin cat 5 and were very comfortable. The split bath really helps. With kids so young I would go for a balcony since they will most likely go to bed early.

 

As you can tell from my name I am a Disney fan! But I, frankly, could not afford to do the Disney ship again. DS is heading to private high school next fall and well..... So this Aug we tried RCI - the Marnier. WE LOVED IT! DD6 enjoyed the kids clubs just as much as Disney's and there was so much to do, ice skating etc.

 

Whatever you decide a cruise vacation is so relaxing and fun, I am sure the kids will have a great time! If you decide on Disney there is a web site Disney Information Station ( the dis) that can tell you everything!

[Terpnut]

As expensive as cruising already is, I would personally have a hard time justifying taking two very young kids on the more expensive Disney cruise. All the major cruise lines have GREAT kids' programs and activities, and many offer in-cabin babysitting too. As you and your DH are not true Disney affectionados, I would not recommend Disney. Since beaches and babysitting are a priority for you, consider picking your cruise based on the itinerary and ports of call, and the availability of babysitting (e.g. RCI).

 

Perhaps later, if and when your whole family has become sufficiently "Disneyfied", then spluge on that Disney Cruise. :)

[2Cruise4Ever]

Well, it all depends on several factors: babysitting is only offered on Disney, Celebrity, and RCCL for kids that young; the prices are typically higher on Disney, and Disney doesn't have casinos on either ship. That's the main reason why we waited until our youngest was 2 before we cruise with the kids. We wanted our kids to be able to attend the kids crew and the group babysitting so we could have some alone time every now and again. We went on NCL Dawn and had an absolute blast. As you can see from my signature, we're going again next year. We hope to go every year after that (DH is retiring and getting another government job, so we'll have 3 incomes). I suppose we'll try Disney at some point. But, we love to gamble too much right now. So, that prevents us from doing Disney or NCL America in Hawaii. Whatever line you choose, you'll be pampered and have a great time.

 

Happy Sailing!!! :D

[noonan5]

Having tried several lines over the last few years with young ones and infants, I strongly recc. Disney. Thay have much better 3rd and 4th person rates esp for infants under 2.

 

RCCL and HAL both charged full 3rd person rate for our youngest who was 9months for RCCL and 22 months for HAL.

[2Cruise4Ever]

Also, just as an FYI, NCL's fares for children under the age of 2 are free. The only charges are the port charges and taxes. :D BUT, they don't offer in-cabin babysitting and the minimum age for group babysitting and the kids crew is 2.

[dkjretired]

Having tried several lines over the last few years with young ones and infants, I strongly recc. Disney. Thay have much better 3rd and 4th person rates esp for infants under 2.

 

RCCL and HAL both charged full 3rd person rate for our youngest who was 9months for RCCL and 22 months for HAL.

 

But you pay almost twice what other cruise lines charge for 1st. and 2nd.....

[cusyl]

They were priced about the same as an inside cabin but had a full length window. The cabins are well worth it even tho a little more than other ships. They have 2 bathrooms, a queen bed and bunk beds with a curtain between them.

[katyjeka]

We are HUGE Disney fans. Have been to Disney World many, many times. We however were not impressed with the Wonder. Beautiful ship, way overpriced. We did cruise NCL Dawn, against our travel agents advice, December 2005. It was a fantastic price, and we got connecting balconies, 11 day cruise, and some very exotic ports, for a lot less than Disney. With our 3 DD's freestyle dining was the way to go. As for the kids pool area, our kids enjoyed the Dawns so much more. Granted, there were only 30 some kids on boards, the kids crew still ran and our kids got alot of one on one attention. My DH and I were amazed that many days spent at the kids pool with our kids, was spent alone. We felt as if we had a private pool on this beautiful ship. This is just our opinion, and I'm not dishing Disney, just feel there are better options available when cruising. We have booked another cruise for this Dec. on NCL's Spirit, once again, against our travel agents advice. Janice

[dathy]

The "best" cruise is what works for you and your family. From my experiences on practically every major cruise line with kids, I recommend the in-room baby sitting based solely on what your email said you were looking for.

 

I would simply call the lines and ask who has the in room sitting. You really have to get the most current and updated info as the cruise lines change things constantly.

 

And no, based on what your email said, I do not think that Disney is the best line for you unless they are now offering in room sitting. I was recently on the Wonder and do not honestly remember. As I said earlier, call the ships.

 

The "group" babysitting thing just did not work for our kids. We had to go pick them up half asleep and then carry them through elevators with loud teenagers at 1 am. Our kids woke up easily, and we had a lot of trouble trying to get them to go back to sleep after that.

 

We also didn't like the fact that the kids were usually on mats sleeping so close to each other. After one of these experiences, we switched to cruise lines that offered in room sitting and were never disappointed.

 

The other thing we like about the in room sitter is that she can take your kids around the ship, not just sit in the room with them, at no extra cost beyond the hourly charge. We even had one of the sitters go to the kids' club with our kids and stay with them there. We felt more comfortable doing this since one of our kids said she didn't want to go into that particular age group without her sibling.

 

The in room sitters also come when you need them and leave when you return. This enables you to not have to plan out your evening.

[Cruisin' Chick]

One thing is that your TA may not be totally knowledgable about cruises. So your TA might just be going on the whole Disney image, that DCL alone can deal with kids. You can see from going on the different forums that children can cruise on most of them without any problems. There are differences so it's up to you to decide what's best for your family.

 

As noted, not every line has in-cabin sitting. But you may want to double check for your youngest -- maybe even those lines may not provide that service for a 18-mo-old. We took our girl on her first cruise at 23 months of age on a Carnival ship. She was one month too young for Camp Carnival so we had her with us the whole time -- but we knew that from the beginning. Personally, we rather not spent the rates that Disney charges, but again, that is a factor you have to consider for your family. Also, most of the Disney cruises seem to be in the Caribbean. Some people want to see other places.

 

Something else to consider if that if you want your four-yr-old to be with many others her age...not that many families can go on a cruise in January and February. We took our girl out of school in kindergarten in Feb. because we got an excellent deal on a Princess cruise and there were only two other 5-yr-olds.

[winesis]

We took our 3 yr old last may on the 4 night Wonder. It was FANTASTIC!!! Not one complaint, they cater to the kids.

Now we are going on Carribean Princess this Jan. We heard the activities are also good for toddlers. At less than 1/2 price than Disney Magic for the same itinary/cabin category we thought we would give it a try. Of course we are spending 2 days at Disney before we get on the ship. No matter what you choose you will have fun!

[Warm Breezes]

We were on the Wonder in 2001, Magic in 2004, and the Inspiration in 2005. DD was 4 and DS was 7 when we went on the Wonder. I thought these were the perfect ages for a Disney Cruise. DD loved the characters and we all loved the shows and Castaway Cay. DD even asked if we could now fly after Tinkerbell flew over ship sprinkling us with Pixie Dust after one show. We enjoyed our time on the Magic too. Kids were still at a good age to enjoy the Disney of it. They requested going on a seven day cruise vs part DisneyWorld/part Disney cruise that we did on the first trip which is why we did the Magic. On our third cruise on the Inspiration the kids had just as much fun. They no longer wanted to do the kids club but liked to hang out with the rest of the family. I was glad we did the Disney when they were younger - we enjoyed sharing the experience through their eyes. I'm also glad that this hasn't ruined their enjoyment of going on other cruiselines as well since they are easier on my pocketbook.:D

[lexxity]

We are sailing Cunard this time with our 13month old. They have a nursery onboard that will look after him all day and all night (upto midnight) if we want! Everything I have read about the child facilities onboard have been super positive and we are really looking forward to it.

 

They offer group babysitting at night and we intend to take full advantage of this as DS is usually asleep by 6:30pm everynight, which means we will get lots of "Mummy and Daddy alone" time. They also have a childrens tea at 5pm every evening. The staff wil also change your children too. (Diapers, not into little Angels).

 

When we get back I will post a full report.

 

We can't wait!!

[Mlascheid]

Our kids are now 7 and 4 and have been on 8 and 5 cruises respectively. We are not Disney fans and feel that they are overpriced, therefore we have always sailed other lines...Carnival, Celebrity, HAL, and Princess. We have found all of them to be fine for traveling with kids. We have never had to use the private in-cabin babysitting, because we usually travel with grandparents who would babysit if we wanted to go out in the evenings after the kids were in bed.

[Onessa]

We've cruised Disney, RCCI, NCLA, and Princess with out DD (now 11YO). Our Disney cruise was with another family who HAD to do Disney - otherwise I don't know that we would have. DD was 6YO and was not very into the Disney characters. But we saw lots of kids who were. We also saw a good number of younger ones absolutely TERRIFIED of the costumed characters - so be certain your little ones are ok with the concept of costumed chracters before you go.

 

It was a lovely cruise and we were treated well, but beyond the character stuff, there really wasn't anything to make it head-and-shoulders better for kids than RCCI, NCLA or Princess.

 

Check each lines' policy on the age limits for their kid's program and availabilty of the type of babysitting you would be most interested in. Check each ships' facilties (at your kids' ages I'd assume kiddy pools would be high on your list) - and decide based upon those factors rather than just the Disney name.

[C&S]

We have been on Disney, Carnival, Princess and Holland America with our children. Disney is very nice, but since price is a consideration for us, we prefer travelling on the other lines. We would rather have a longer cruise or cruise more often than pay for the Disney name.

 

Our son was 2 1/2 when we went on Disney, so he was too young for the kids program. We didn't use the babysitting, so I can't comment on that. Our children have throughly enjoyed every one of the children's programs. We think that all the lines which we have been on have been great for the kids.

 

You might not have as many children during school times, but I would go then because you can get some great deals. (Prices go up at Christmas and New Years.) We can't take the kids out of school, but I sure wish we could take advantage of some of the specials I've been seeing.

 

Hope you have a great trip. (We love cruising because it is a vaction for everyone, including Mom.)

[whyohwhyoh]

Does Cunard still require passengers to be 12 months old?

[cusyl]

Does Cunard still require passengers to be 12 months old?

 

I just read my brochure and yes, they still require that children be at least 1 year old to sail.

[OMWife]

I have cruised many times, as a child, with children, and as a couple. There is no finer product on the ocean for families. Your 4 yr. old will get so much out of this great experience. I would be wary of the 18 month old being able to do much on any ship. In fact the other cruise lines such as Carnival the last time I cruised with them, 1998, did not have anything for these under 3 yr olds to do. Ask the cruise lines their babysitting offerings before you book. Babysitting is a tricky thing...some lines do not allow in-room sitting. At least Disney has a neat kid appropriate room for the little ones.

 

The Disney baby room is Flounder's reef for the under 3 yr. old crowd, however they have stringent rules as to the amount of childern allowed in there at a time. They also have babysitting, but it is in high demand and first come, first serve. I believe you request times you'd like once you arrive on the ship, day one. I have heard it is difficult to get multiple evenings.

 

The Disney Magic is so amazing for families. If you can go during the normal school year, the rates should not be so bad. It is worth more money and the experience cannot be matched. They are the Gold Standard for people of all ages, especially kids from 3-12. If we could go during the school year we would, but our kids are too old to miss 5 school days now, and to go during winter or spring break is so expensive we go on Hollland America or Princess.

 

Good luck, Go Disney!