mommyof4girls Posted March 23, 2007 #1 Share Posted March 23, 2007 This is my first post and I have a few questions? I am trying to compare apples (Disney) to oranges (Carnival), so here goes: I have 4 daughter current ages 2.75, 4.5, 6.75, 8.75 and are Disney fans who go to WDW at least once per year, but this is not a huge factor. We have to get 2 cabins b/c we are a family of six so this jacks our prices up on either cruise. Disney is about twice the price as Carnival but if Disney is worth it I will find a way. DH and I are about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary and have only been away from the kids twice b/c family lives so far away so we would like some "us" time on the cruise. -How do the kid's clubs compare? -Will the various ages be kept busy? -If youngest DD is 1-2 months younger than 3 (but potty-trained) will they let her go in the kid's club with her 4yo sister on Disney? -If I have to use Flounder's Reef-is it hard to get DD in? (she is the one I need a break from the most! LOL! The terrible 2's!) -Is Carnival (looking at Glory) as child-proofed as Disney? (my 2yo is a climber and this scares me about a cruise in general) -Are cruises packed during the school holidays like WDW or other theme parks? Is this even an issue? Thanks in advance! I am sure I will be posting more questions in the future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medianeh Posted March 23, 2007 #2 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I'm not real sure how the two compare. But I can tell you that we cruised the Disney Magic in 2002, and it was worth EVERY penny we spent. My dd was 10 at the time. We hardly seen her; she LOVED the kids club. We are cruising on the Carnival Liberty in March of next year, one month before my son's fourth birthday. I have never sailed Carnival before, but I have heard that their clubs are fantastic too. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warm Breezes Posted March 23, 2007 #3 Share Posted March 23, 2007 We've been on both Carnival and Disney and with kids your age I would go with Disney. It was wonderful seeing everything through DD's eyes. She was 4 1/2 and 7 at the times we took our Disney cruises and she absolutely loved the time with the Princesses, the kids clubs, Castaway Cay and the Disney shows. Since she is in dance she loves to watch any of the dancers but at that age Disney was magic for her. Now that they are older the Disney magic does not work like it used to so we have ventured out to Carnival and next Norwegian without any problems. Kids still love to cruise no matter what line we are on. DS liked Disney too but he just likes to cruise. As long as there are basketball courts and ice cream he is all set. He did prefer Castaway Cay to any of the stops we have had so far. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccalouise Posted March 23, 2007 #4 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Disney! Your kids are the perfect age for that cruise. I have done Carnival and Disney. I liked both but my six year old liked Disney the best. The kids pool is really good on Disney. The programs are great and you will have time to yourself. Disney has the day care for the 2.75 year old too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 23, 2007 #5 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Read this thread if you didn't already http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=498852 I am one who doesn't think Disney is worth the money. I have 3 cruises booked in one year and can afford to do Disney, but we don't. I book a few days to a week PRE cruise at a WDW deluxe resort (usually Wilderness Lodge, this time I am trying Swan/Dolphin). And the kids do the parks. Then we board a non-disney cruise ship. The Disney Ship is CUTE to see once. But I seriously was bored at night and couldn't find things to do. For the price of my Cat 6 or 7 on Disney I booked a Grand Suite on RCCL Freedom of the Seas www.FreedomoftheSeas.com So not only do the kids get to go to the kids club, WE get all of the perks/ammenities of being in a suite. And on RCCL there are ALOT of them. As far as your youngest, they will NOT allow your 2 year old in with your 4 year old. Not a chance. All cruiselines are extremely strict in that respect. You will have to pay to keep her at flounders nursery. And to me, the nursery didn't appeal to me at all, so I never left my child there. I just took her with me. So if you need a break, you won't get much of one there. Carnival - the kids clubs are REALLY nice. If you read the other thread you can see that when I asked my 7 year old which she liked Disney Magic or Camp Carnival she told me no doubt Carnival. The age groups for Camp Carnival is 2-5, 6-8, 9-11 (or 12...I'm not 100% on that one)...so your 2 year old WILL be in with your 4 year old....free of charge. The only charge is after 10pm...during the late night slumber party ($6 - 1st kid, $4 - 2nd child). My 2 year old (who God bless her but heaven knows I NEED a break from her too) absolutly loved Camp Carnival. The security is tighter than Disney cause on Disney I could walk into the kids camp. On Carnival you are NOT allowed. THere are no bad cruises so whatever you decide will be a great time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyof4girls Posted March 23, 2007 Author #6 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Thanks so much for all the input! Now you have got me thinking about RCCL, do they have suites that will hold a family of 6? I could wait until after August 20,2007 when my youngest DD turns 3 and have options on all cruise lines. How are the kids with the railings & safety issue? I have heard that Disney has a lot of plastic over the railings. Is this even an issue or I am I just being a crazy Mom? Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerry's Girls Posted March 23, 2007 #7 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Keeping in mind I haven't spent the money on Disney - I'd vote for Carnival (or any of the others if you're going to wait until your youngest is 3). We also visit Disneyland once a year, so I like to have them to have a different experience when we cruise, rather than another overdose of the "disney" thing. My girls have a BALL cruising - it doesn't matter which line, so as long as they get to participate in the kids program, I choose what mommy prefers - which is Carnival until they're 3, then Princess. The plus for Disney from what I understand, is that there is a small water play area on the Disney ships, and none for non-potty trained children on any other ships. I think that two connecting rooms is much less expensive than a "family suite", and also easier to book as there are so few of those suites. I've also read that RCCL has a couple of cabins where an inside connects with a balcony. Have a great time! Best, Mia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccalouise Posted March 24, 2007 #8 Share Posted March 24, 2007 i don't think you will have a bad time on any cruise. My favorite cruise line is Celebrity- especially with kids. They get a lot of individual attention. But, because your kids are the perfect age for Disney. I think little girls will go ga- ga over the characters on board. Cinderella, Snow White, Belle from Beauty and the Beast. An autograph session with the Captain was a hit with my son (5 at the time). The ship sails like glass and the rooms are huge. The crew and whole experience was topnotch. I am not planning to another Disney cruise but my son loved it and with four kids- if they are happy- you'll be happy. There is plenty of adult things to do and you can really relax with the kids in their respective programs. I highly recommend Disney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 24, 2007 #9 Share Posted March 24, 2007 Thanks so much for all the input! Now you have got me thinking about RCCL, do they have suites that will hold a family of 6? I could wait until after August 20,2007 when my youngest DD turns 3 and have options on all cruise lines. How are the kids with the railings & safety issue? I have heard that Disney has a lot of plastic over the railings. Is this even an issue or I am I just being a crazy Mom? Thanks again! I think all first cruise parents are concerned about the railings and I know I was too. But I have yet to noticed any big gaping holes on any ship on any cruiseline. And believe me, I check that kind of stuff. Do you think your youngest will be potty trained by August? That is an issue with RCCL. They must be potty trained to go to the kids club. And NO cruiseline with the exception of Disney has an infant/toddler water area that allowed swim diapers. In any of the children pools, no swim diapers are allowed. I know RCCL has family suites but I can't remember if they hold 6. I know that many families get connecting rooms. And frankly, you could use the extra bathroom. And it would be cheaper than 2 rooms on Disney. If you are looking into RCCL, then definatly look into one of the Voyager or Freedom class ships. Go to www.rccl.com click on ships, then look at Voyager CLASS and Freedom CLASS. There are 6 ships to choose from right there. And on Disney everyone thinks the characters are just roaming free on the ship....not usually. You have to go to the certain times and get in line for a picture. The times are printed up for you the night before. My daughters hated to interupt their kids club time to go meet a character and stand in a long line just to get a quick picture. They prefer character meals at WDW...no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MnAsMom Posted March 26, 2007 #10 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Norwegian also takes children from Age 2 but they won't change diapers. They give you a beeper to come and deal with it when necessary. The beeper only works on the ship so you can't leave them in the kids program if you are going off in ports! From what I understand ALL the lines are stringent on their AGE as far as the kids club goes! I am interrested in this thread cause we are debating spending the $$$ for the Disney Cruise to the Mexican riviera in summer 2008 since we could avoid the additional expense of airfare. I just don't know if not visiting Castaway Cay will take away from the magic of a disney cruise! Maybe Carnival or Norwegian would be better for Mexico and we should save for a Disney cruise that departs from FL! The fact that a non potty trained child can have some water fun on a Disney ship is a good selling point though, What fun is there on a tropical vacation if you can't swim in the pool or at least play in some water!!!! Good luck with your decision.... ~Tondi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthgirl Posted April 13, 2007 #11 Share Posted April 13, 2007 i'm not sure what I can add really as I have only done Disney with boy 4, girl 8 and girl 11. They loved cruising and the evening shows were designed for kids but the girls never used the kids club (in fact only went once in the end and that was so they could participate in the graduation ceremony) and the boy went one morning so we could go to Palo for brunch. It is cheesy, there were tears when they couldn't meet the characters (they don't wander around at all and the lines are looooong) but at the same time it is really kid friendly. For example, when my daughter couldn't meet Minnie I had word to one of the crew (to find out if she was coming out again) and an autographed photograph appeared at our door (Minnie wasn't coming back). Another example - the 4 year old was too tired to eat (we got the late sitting) and fell asleep at the table one night. The waiter put two chairs together, laid him down and put a tablecloth over him so he could sleep and we could eat (we were a family of 9 so it didn't disturb anyone else. Bottom line, I think the kids loved the whole concept of freedom to get 'free food', see shows, stay up late etc. The adults were totally over Disney by the time we had the cruise and a week at the World but hey, the vacation was primarily for the kids. My view - pick one, don't stress and enjoy your time together. And if money is an issue that will ultimately result in extra stress or pressure when you get home - do a different cruise and hit the parks instead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy99 Posted April 13, 2007 #12 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Disney Is well worth the extra Money. It is hands down the best cruise line for kids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2cats Posted April 14, 2007 #13 Share Posted April 14, 2007 We took our son on Disney when he was almost 2, and took both him & our daughter on Carnival when she was 2 1/2. Although he had fun overall on Disney, Flounders was boring to him. He didn't want to go, and was not a child afraid to leave his parents! He spent most of his time with us. In contrast, my daughter LOVED camp carnival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUWife Posted April 27, 2007 #14 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Disney has bathtubs in their rooms. I went on Disney with no children so can't comment on the childcare, but i know the adults we talked to at the pool and such said they couldn't drag their kids away. We couldn't afford Disney this year (and wanted to go since SD doesn't have a passport) so we're cruising Carnival next week. The only thing that concerns me is the room does not have a bathtub, and the mom has never tried to put her in a shower. She only arrives a few times before the trip, so not much time to "train" her. With your kid's ages, I wonder if you would need that bathtub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuizer2 Posted April 28, 2007 #15 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Thanks so much for all the input! Now you have got me thinking about RCCL, do they have suites that will hold a family of 6? I could wait until after August 20,2007 when my youngest DD turns 3 and have options on all cruise lines. How are the kids with the railings & safety issue? I have heard that Disney has a lot of plastic over the railings. Is this even an issue or I am I just being a crazy Mom? Thanks again! Yes, RCI does have cabins that will hold six, eight and on Freedom and Liberty, fourteen. However, these cabins are popular and cannot be booked online. I am in a Royal Family Suite (RFS) on the Freedom OTS in June. There are four RFS cabins and all four were sold out in the first hour of the first day that they became available (which was 13 1/2 months prior to the cruise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccalouise Posted April 28, 2007 #16 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I just did Royal Caribbean and my son loved it. He always loves the ship we just got off of! Honestly for the ages of your kids- I'd stick with Disney. Royal Caribbean was fine. Really no major complaints but your kids are at the perfect age for a Disney cruise. Later do RCL or Carnival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lagbunch8 Posted May 9, 2007 #17 Share Posted May 9, 2007 Hands down Disney. We had the best time as a family.(mom, dad, 6 kids ages 12-5) My kids would not be interested in the shows on the other lines (I'm not interested half the time lol) Disney is worth the extra $. You are getting what you pay for! The free soda alone adds up. The food fantastic and the shows were great. We said we would try Disney once and we ended up booking again for next year. The characters do wander around on deck 9 (just sailed last week) Second choice would be RCCL --larger newer ship. But, for older kids. Your kids probably won't be ice skating or rock climbing lol. I sail Carnival for the price only and wouldn't take my kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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