Family Events On Princess

[Wendi&Max]

I am wondering if there are any family-oriented events on the Dawn Princess. I am sailing with my 5-year-old son and was wondering if there will be special things for us to do together such as scavenger hunts, etc. I know he will love to spend time in the kid's club, but part of the enjoyment of vacation for me is to spend quality time together. I know we will have a lot of fun things to do in Alaska too... just curious about anything special on the ship that we should partake in.

 

Thanks for the help!!!

[FrogLover215]

We were on the Regal Princess (doing the same cruise that the Dawn will now be doing) last summer with our 12, 7, and 4 YOs. There was a scavenger hunt that my husband and I did with our eldest. It was a lot of fun but very fast-paced. Well, we at least were moving at top speed - we got back with all our stuff easily 20 minutes before the other groups, but then again they were all retirement-age people. You could probably move at a 5 YO's pace and have a lot of fun, your chance of winning would just be low.

 

Believe it or not, my 4 YO loved sitting with me at bingo because the cruise director would require the chicken dance from anyone who cried "bingo!" but didn't really have one. He also liked the horse racing, where staff members move wooden horses across a grid based on dice rolls. Overall, though, we just looked for small moments we could make interesting and fun for the kids.

[lchavez]

We did the coral princess this past Feb and my son enjoyed the scavenger hunts, many of the games, bingo and the magic lessons. Swimming together was always a hit!

have fun.......

:)

Lisa

[merela]

I posted the Kids' Patters for our Mexican Cruise, but we've been on 4 Princess cruises, the activities don't really change that much. The themes change though:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=250207

 

As far as I know, the activities organized by the Kids Club do not figure in parents. It'll be awkward for you to stay on to play with your child when other kids' parents are not there. You are welcome to do so. My 3.5YO son did not leave my side when I try to put him in kids' club, so I stayed on with him to play board games. The fact that I was there made the Kids' Club Counsellors' jobs much harder because all the kids were watching what we were doing and were not paying attention to the counsellors there.

 

If you look at the kids' patters, for the age 3-5 group, they don't include Scavenger Hunt as part of their program. It's because at this age group, most of the kids can't read yet. I don't know if the cruise director will plan an adult scavenger hunt on your sailing, so check the daily patters.

 

The Kids' Club counsellors give out enough trinkets and prizes throughout the cruise, your child may enjoy "winning" these prizes.

 

You will have to plan any "fun" event you have with your 5YO child while you are on board. You can get a floor plan of the ship and do a "Dora The Explorer" thing around the ship. Check the ship's library for board games and books you can read to your kids. There are always puzzles or brain teasers in the library that you can do with your child.

 

DH goes to golf putting competitions to win medals for the kids. My sister and her husband go to ping pong/table tennis competitions the morning of port day to win medals for her kids. Kids love to cheer parents on, so that's fun for the kids.

 

You can also bring your child to lots of themed dances (prior to 8PM) at the nightclub.

 

Getting dressed to go to formal nights will be fun for a 5YO boy. Taking him to a "broadway-like" show after dinner is fun too.

 

There maybe Pottery at Sea that you can do with your child poolside, but there is a charge for that.

 

You can also swim with your child on the ship, so that's family fun.