3 year-old on 11-day Celebrity cruise?

[Luxuriate]

Seriously, would anyone think this is a good idea on Celebrity? My husband and I are older ( 36 and 61 respectively) and we are considering taking our little boy on a cruise. He will be just over 3 years-old when we cruise. He is very familiar with daycare and pre-school as we both work. My husband and I have been on many cruises the years before we had our little boy. We just just don't know how it would work with the little one coming with us now. We really don't want to leave him but we worry that others will be put out because of him.

 

We have always favored Celebrity. We are not PARTY people by any means. We like nice dinners, the shows, and the casinos when we are on the ship. We just don't know if the kids program will be enough to make our energetic little man happy. He is very much a rowdy boy, if you know what I mean. We teach him manners but he really likes to be athletic (physical if you want to say).

 

Are there any parents out there that regularly take their young children on longer than 7 day cruises? On Celebrity?

 

Thanks for any information you can offer.

 

Cheryl

[shellie100]

 

Are there any parents out there that regularly take their young children on longer than 7 day cruises? On Celebrity?

 

Yes and yes. I'm taking my 3-1/2 yr old son on his fourth cruise in two weeks, this will be the second on Celebrity. The first two were 10 days each and this one is 11 days! I love the fact that a longer cruise really allows you time to unwind and get into some sort of routine with the kids. Also, with kids, I think there is too much packing and unpacking to do a short cruise ;) Just stay flexible and keep your expectations realistic. For example, you may spend your sea days hanging out with your son at the pool rather than the art auctions. He may like the kids club but he might not want to be there all the time, maybe just in the evenings after dinner. He might even want to spend a few evenings with you guys. So, just be prepared to be flexible.

 

There will be very few kids on a long Celebrity cruise, but I have found that this means that my son gets so much extra attention not only from the crew but from other guests.

 

And you probably already know, but he'll need to be potty trained to go to the kids club or to go in the pool.

 

Anyway, good luck, I've been there, done that, and am doing it again. So, I guess that's a yes from me :D

 

Shellie

[Arubalisa]

I too say, "go for it!". You and your dh know your child's limitations and what is expected behavior wise. You will manage just fine. I have some copies of the kid's club daily sheets for Shipmates~ Ages 3 - 6, from our 12 night cruise at

http://www.our-cruises.com/galaxy/1220_shipmates_sm.htm

Use the drop down box at the top of the page for other day's selections. What little boy wouldn't love saving the world on "Super Heroes Night"? :D

[shellie100]

I too say, "go for it!". You and your dh know your child's limitations and what is expected behavior wise. You will manage just fine. I have some copies of the kid's club daily sheets for Shipmates~ Ages 3 - 6, from our 12 night cruise at

http://www.our-cruises.com/galaxy/1220_shipmates_sm.htm

Use the drop down box at the top of the page for other day's selections. What little boy wouldn't love saving the world on "Super Heroes Night"? :D

 

Thanks for posting that link! I'm going to show my son and my nephews, they're getting really excited for our upcoming cruise.

[eyegel]

My wife and I always cruise with our litte ones (now ages 4, 5, and 6) our youngest is an active boy whom I have given the nickname of "Little Shiva" (the Hindu god of destruction). We have sailed with them on RCI, NCL, and Celebrity. My wife and I have gone on a combined total of more than twenty cruises (counting her cruises with her first husband and her mother, the ones she claims she would rather forget).

Most of the passengers we encountered on Celebrity were supportive. They said that our example encouraged them to bring their young children (or grandchildren) along on future trips. I must admit, however, that I heard some loud, pointed comments from conversations at other tables in the main dining room on our ten-day Celebrity cruise two years ago (Mercury - Mexican Riviera) questioning why young children were even allowed at all on Celebrity. "Don't they belong on Carnival?"

Judging from the comments, it appeared that their biggest gripe was that they resented the attention our little ones got from the waiter. The waiter was in his sixth month at sea and was missing his own young children whom he had left behind in his home country. Every night, after dessert and coffee were served at all his tables, he made a point of coming to our table and entertaining the children with folded napkin animals and related tricks. Our middle child still inquires about whether we are going to get the waiter who makes the bunnies that jump when you try to pat them.

 

The most officious man actually buttonholed me while we were waiting in a lounge to disembark at the end of the voyage. It turns out that he thought that the kids got to stay free in our room. He had the good grace to appear abashed when I told him that, because we were a party of five, I had pay for two rooms and that I paid the same rate for my (then) three and four-year-old daughters as he and his wife paid for their cabin.

I expect that there will be a good selection of other children your son's age. There are many parents who, like us, take advantage of lower cruise rates when school is in session to cruise with their preschool children. It is certainly true that, when the ships are not overwhelmed by hundreds of young children (as at Thanksgiving and during the summer) those children who do come onboard get extra attention. The service we enjoyed on Celebrity was the best we ever experienced. It was almost impossible to tear the girls away from the kids program. Even though our son, who was not yet potty trained, enjoyed our company, he was very envious when his sisters showed him the crafts the got to do while at "preschool on the ship."

 

I can certainly empathize with your fear. We are about to take the kids on our first cruise (ten days) on HAL. HAL's demographics are even more "seasoned" than those of Celebrity. At age 50 and 44 and married for 9 years, my wife and I may well qualify as honeymooners by HAL standards.

[Kerry's Girls]

Hi -

 

I just want to also encourage you. While I haven't been on Celebrity, I'm a life-long Princess cruiser, and I HATED the idea of switching to a more "family friendly" cruiseline now that I have twin toddlers. Everyone encouraged me to do Disney or Carnival, and I'm so glad I didn't pay attention. I'm able to enjoy a more refined cruise and the girls have the time of their lives anyway. We have only done 7 days, but it's never enough and I'm looking forward to a longer cruise as soon as we can manage it.

 

Have a great time!

 

Best,

Mia

[Luxuriate]

You guys are fabulous. I posted the same question on the Celebrity board and got a somewhat less positive response. It is nice to hear from other parents concerning cruising with kids. I have taken 6 or 7 cruises and can NEVER remember being put out by kids on the ship. Some people are a bit opinionated about kids cruising. I've tried Carnival once and really don't want to go back so it is nice to hear that it will be ok to go with Celebrity.

 

Thanks again, Cheryl

[Arubalisa]

I can certainly empathize with your fear. We are about to take the kids on our first cruise (ten days) on HAL. HAL's demographics are even more "seasoned" than those of Celebrity. At age 50 and 44 and married for 9 years, my wife and I may well qualify as honeymooners by HAL standards.

We enjoyed a much better experience on our X cruise than HAL. Kid's Club was much better on X.

 

The HAL patrons who did not have children, even while sailing on a Christmas cruise, IMHO, had no tolerance for children. Not only did they not want them heard, they did not want them seen. The crew on HAL was just fine with the kids.

 

I truly hope that you have a good experience on HAL.

[Arubalisa]

You guys are fabulous. I posted the same question on the Celebrity board and got a somewhat less positive response.

You know Cheryl, just for the heck of it, I went and read some of the responses and just take them from the source. Actually if you want to feel really good, go ask the same question on the HAL forum.:D Those folks will make X look like Disney Cruise Lines.

 

Actually, from reading these boards for 2 1/2 years now, there are just certain people who believe that children should only be allowed to sail on Disney, Carnival, NCL and RCL.

<<stepping off my soap box>>

[Avery's mom]

I, too, took my 2 year old daughter, 5 year and 7 year old nieces on the Mercury 11nt to Mexico. I was very worried before the trip....but I shouldn't have. There were only 9 kids on my sailing...that included mine! The kids were ooohed and aaaahed everywhere they went. Grandparents onboard always wanted to hug them and the crew could not have been nicer. Our butler, Elvis and waiter, Jerome made the trip so special because they always took extra time to spoil the girls. My daughter still asks (she's now 3.5) for "fresh, ground pepper" on her food "just like Jerome does." We are sailing the PoAM in a month and I can only hope that the experience comes close to my daughter's "X-boat" experience.

[Onessa]

. . .Actually, from reading these boards for 2 1/2 years now, there are just certain people who believe that children should only be allowed to sail on Disney, Carnival, NCL and RCL. . .

 

One correction - there are certain people on these boards who believe that children do not belong on any cruise ship or even within 300yds of them at any time!:D

[Onessa]

My view - I have always enjoyed the company of my DD (now 11). She has travelled with us since she was a baby and I would not consider a pleasure trip without her. She has travelled to over 30 states, DC, and about ten different countries.

 

I know my child and understand my responsibility for her actions. I have always removed her from situations where her behavior may impact others enjoyment - and I try to do it before it becomes an issue. I have prepared her for the situations that she will encounter. We have adjusted our expections for our travel experience to make it a good experience for ALL of us.

 

It's not that kids necessarily spoil other people's trips. Rude people of all ages can spoil someone else's vacation. And some people always look for reasons to be unhappy - if your kid isn't around to be that person's scapegoat, he/she will find something else to complain about -- you can't do much about them!

 

Enjoy!

[Kerry's Girls]

You guys are fabulous. I posted the same question on the Celebrity board and got a somewhat less positive response.

 

I also posted before my first cruise with my kids and the negative responses left me hoping that we would at least be tolerated and that no one would actually shriek at me on board for bringing children on their beloved Princess ship. Instead we were treated like queens by the crew and the girls couldn't go two feet without being stopped by passengers to chat and coo. You'll have an amazing time. I don't plan to travel any other way until the girls are old enough to start more "educational" trips.

 

Best,

Mia

[larkwind]

We, too, are "older parents" of a 5yo preschooler (although he's our "bonus"--the other kids are 23, 20, 18). We told the older ones that he was going to be doing a lot more than they ever dreamed of...just different circumstances of life. His first cruise was on the Mille when he was just 3yo (and completely pottytrained). Mid Dec/eastern Caribbean 7 nt. He was the star of the show for a week--crew that I had never seen before greeted him by name! He was even picking up the English accent of one of the counselors. Everything is still compared to OUR X ship. He's been on an RCCL cruise since then and liked it, too. Since he's not in daycare regularly, he was thrilled to get to go.

 

We did, however, have to put ourselves in a slightly different cruise mindset. Afternoon breaks from the social hubbub of the kids' club were important to helping avoid a meltdown at dinnertime. He was happy to eat dinner with us and then head to the kids' club as soon as it was open (we always do early seatings). The last night he was so tired that he crawled under his chair in the diningroom and fell asleep! I brought some new little toys on the cruise (little JayJay diecast metal planes--think matchbox cars). They only came out at dinner and we named two of them after our waiter and sommelier.

For some odd reason waiters on both ships almost insisted that he have french fries with every dinner--even when he himself said he didn't want them. But it's nice to be pampered...

I noticed that the Celebrity crew did seem to be missing their own kids in mid Dec and paid him extra attention as a result.

I would imagine that a longer cruise would involve more regularity and downtime. Our little guy was pretty ready to go home after 7nts.

Oh--sorry about a long post--at embarkation, he only wanted to stay in the room instead of explore the ship! We realized that it was all quite overwhelming for him so we hung out in the room, played with familiar toys, etc until the lifeboat drill and then explored selected areas (Kids' Club, diningroom, pool) afterward. The first sea day we ventured more. His biggest delight was knowing what button to push to get to our floor and the kids' club floor.

By the end of the cruise, he acted like he owned the whole ship!

We don't dive when he's with us, but do take him to a beach and snorkel. We did leave him on the RCCL ship while we walked around Key West for a few hours, but that was because we were in the U.S. and cell phones would work and we weren't very far away. He took the Maya ruins tour with us in Costa Maya, but DH had him playing off to the side for most of the lectures. I wouldn't want to be an hour+ drive from the ship and have him onboard without us.

Enjoy your little one--we sure have enjoyed ours!

[provenienbam]

Our first cruise with our DD was when she was 3 years old. It was a one-week Bahamas cruise from New York.

 

We're a firm believer that a child should be exposed to as many situations as possible so that they may learn appropriate behaviour expected of them.

 

My experience with cruising is that the older the traveller the ruder they are.

 

One incidence comes to mind: my daughter held a door open for an elderly lady to pass through. The lady did not thank her or even acknowledge her existence. With a very clear voice that carried across the lounge my daughter said "You're very welcome." The lady spun round and glared down at her accuser and after a moment said, "You're quite right: I was rude. Thank you."

 

After that EVERYONE said thank you whenever she held the door for them. :)

 

If you're the type that think the child should be allowed to run up and down and scream as a healthy way of expressing themselves then you'll run into a lot of grumpy passengers.

 

As long as you're parenting the child and making sure he/she is not an annoyance to other passengers then you will find it a wonderful experience to share all the new and wonderful sights with your child.

 

PLUS: your child will have 250 new grandparents!

[ebtmsw]

We had the pleasure of a celbrity(summit) cruise in March/april of 2005 (11 days)- it was wonderful! my daughters - then almost 4 and 7 had an amazing time in the "fun Factory" they had a theme every night from pirates, spongebob, western, aliens, dinosaurs...etc. My kids looked forward to the daily sheet that was on our bed each night to see what fun they had in store the following day! Even my eldest(more resistant) had a blast and didnt want to leave! They even have some sleepover night which they wanted to do but it wasnt really necessary. Their security was also very good - we were quite impressed. I would highly recommend the family FV suites which are much bigger with huge balconies to run around on. They are above other decks with plexiglass partitions angled in with no fear of falling over. (which was one of our fears)We are headed off again for even longer 14 days in May to europe and they cant wait! There is plenty to do for an active boy- my daughter is as active as any boy and the constant activity kept that busy bee very entertained. In fact totally wiped out by the end of the day which was nice to have adult time with the partition in the room closed! ;) It was the perfect combo of family time and couple time. Have fun! And dont worry about any sour apples! Just enjoy yourselves- as this special time goes so quickly!

[ebtmsw]

We had the pleasure of a celbrity(summit) cruise in March/april of 2005 (11 days)- it was wonderful! my daughters - then almost 4 and 7 had an amazing time in the "fun Factory" they had a theme every night from pirates, spongebob, western, aliens, dinosaurs...etc. My kids looked forward to the daily sheet that was on our bed each night to see what fun they had in store the following day! Even my eldest(more resistant) had a blast and didnt want to leave! They even have some sleepover night which they wanted to do but it wasnt really necessary. Their security was also very good - we were quite impressed. I would highly recommend the family FV suites which are much bigger with huge balconies to run around on. They are above other decks with plexiglass partitions angled in with no fear of falling over. (which was one of our fears)We are headed off again for even longer 14 days in May to europe and they cant wait! There is plenty to do for an active boy- my daughter is as active as any boy and the constant activity kept that busy bee very entertained. In fact totally wiped out by the end of the day which was nice to have adult time with the partition in the room closed! ;) It was the perfect combo of family time and couple time. Have fun! And dont worry about any sour apples! Just enjoy yourselves- as this special time goes so quickly!

[Eclipsepearl]

I'm so happy I found this thread!

 

The travel agent is proposing an Eastern Med cruise and I posted on the Celebrity board that I had three, ages 3, 5 & 7. They weren't encourging but I appreciated their reponses.

 

They warned that the atmosphere is very formal. How did that gel with a family vacation? It'll be in August so we probably wont be alone.

 

For the record, and I think this might be a common theme, we are also "older parents". I had mine at 35, 37 & 40. Although we haven't cruised before, we have travelled a lot both before and after kids.

 

Hope this isn't "hijacking" this thread!

 

Thanks.

[Sale Away]

We last sailed with Celebrity 3 years ago so I'm probably not the best person to comment but our daughter was 7 at the time and couldn't wait to go to their kids club activities. She'd skip dessert at the dinner table to make sure she didn't miss anything. School holidays will always see more children on any sailing. I don't recall how many children were on board our sailing (7 day around Easter) but there were enough that she made friends on board.

 

As to Celebrity being "formal", it's more so than Carnival or RCCL. Is it stuffy? Absolutely not. We've never encounted other passengers that looked down on our child. But neither is she the running down the halls screaming type either. If by formal, the travel agent meant that people actually dress for dinner, then yes, it's formal. But to us, that's part of the fun of cruising, is to dress up when we normally might not. From some of the threads I've read on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, some of the passengers seem to take the term "casual" to the extreme when dressing for dinner.

 

I think you'd said on your other thread that your children have never cruised before? They'll really enjoy the experience and you'll enjoy sharing it with them.

[Cruisin' Chick]

"The most officious man actually buttonholed me while we were waiting in a lounge to disembark at the end of the voyage. It turns out that he thought that the kids got to stay free in our room. He had the good grace to appear abashed when I told him that, because we were a party of five, I had pay for two rooms and that I paid the same rate for my (then) three and four-year-old daughters as he and his wife paid for their cabin."

 

The phrase "none of his business" came to mine very quickly.

 

I had to laugh at the idea that 40 was old to have a child. I was 43 when my girl was born. My hubby was apprehensive about taking her on a cruise so we did a 3-day one when she was 23 months old and combined that with a hotel stay. We all had fun. She was a month too young to be in Camp Carnival so we ended up spending all the time with her, but that was all right. Didn't hear any negative comments, but then there were other kids on board. She has since been on five more cruises, including a 15-day one on the Island Princess. I can attest to the fact that many crew members miss their kids and shower affection on the young ones on the cruise.

 

Had to smile, once again, at the kid who said "you're welcome" to the woman. My girl will keep saying "thank you" until she gets a "you're welcome" in response.

[Luxuriate]

I was thrilled to see that my post made it to the top again.

 

I think we have pretty much decided to hold off on taking a cruise with our son until we know he his fully potty-trained. That just seems so much easier to handle on a cruise ship.

 

I was originally thinking of going sometime in late 2007 or early 2008. That would put him at just over 3 years-old. I've heard it is iffy with boys as to how quick they potty-train. I now think we will put it off until he is four years-old. Just to make sure the potty-training is taken care of.

 

Thanks again,

 

Cheryl

[Dacre]

Hi Cheryl and others,

 

I noticed your concerns about taking long cruises with especially young kids on Celebrity, and I thought some of you might be interested a bit of advice my friend Wendy Perrin recently wrote based on her experience with two sons on a 10-night cruise on Celebrity's Constellation.

 

Wendy's (who is the consumer news editor for Conde Nast Traveler) family had a tough time on Celebrity with a couple issues, both of which she wrote about on her travel blog, The Perrin Post. For one, the Constellation's kiddie pool was never filled, leaving small children with no where to swim since the company recommends that kids under 8 stay out of the adult pools. Also, if you are wondering what happens when Celebrity cancels one of your shore excursions at the last minute, Wendy also recently wrote about that.

 

Hope this info is helpful!

 

Take care all,

Tara

[Luxuriate]

The links you provided were extremely helpful!

 

I will definitely continue checking up on Celebrity's kids program.

 

Everyone...I highly recommend the links provided by Dacre.

 

Cheryl

[martodd]

I see you have decided to wait on cruising with your son. Good luck when you decide to cruise with him. We have cruised on Celebrity(7days), Disney(7 days) and Raddisson(12 days.) with our three children. We sailed on Disney after a week cruise to Bermuda on Celebrity and asked the kids(12,8,4 at the time) which one they would like to go back on. They loved the Disney cruise but picked Celebrity hands down. They loved the smaller kids clubs, made some friends they still e-mail with, and loved all the attention they got. I think the love of Bermuda helped with the decision. I will always have pictures in my mind of my son 4 at the time. I went to go check my e-mail on an at sea day and he was with the ship mates for a few hours. They were walking through the main pathway singing a pirate song with painted faces going on a treasure hunt. He loved it!!!!

Good luck!!!

[rebeccalouise]

If your son is "rowdy" that's fine. If he hits or bothers other children in the process they will ultimately ask him not to come back to the kids program. So if you mean he likes to play rough- start explaining that that is unacceptible sooner not later.

 

As for 3 year olds on Celebrity- he will LOVE it! My son always has a great time in the Fun Factory.

 

The added bonus of Celebrity is they offer dinner to the kids each night for a $ 6 fee. That means at 6PM you can take him to the buffet and they take the kids back to the Fun Factory immediately after. So you and hubby can dine in peace. Some nights I take my son to dinner, when he is thru I run him up to the Fun Factory. Dining is non- stressful this way.

 

I think Celebrity is a great choice. When you travel on Carnival and NCL there are too many kids in my opinion. I am doing RCL over Easter and I am now wondering if there will be too many kids but live and learn I guess.