Small ship that's good for kids

[cruisecat9]

I'm looking for a short cruise for a family get together. My mother only likes small ships, and there will be kids along too. So we need a small ship that's also good for kids. Does anyone know of one? Thanks.:)

[sandy toes]

Small ...gee, all the ships are big but when compared to the new MEGA ships they just seem smaller. For 3 day cruises, RCCL offers Majesty/Miami, Sovereign/Port Canaveral, Empress/San Juan, and Monarch/LA. CCL offers Fascination/Miami, Sensation/Pt Canaveral, and Paradise/LA. They both offer 4 &5 night cruises also. Visit their home web pages for more ideas. Just to let you know the size, when the RCCL Sovereign was built she was the largest passenger ship built in half a century. Today they are 1/2 the size of the newest RCCl ships being built! The Majesty recenty was refurbished and looked great in May when I took my Mom for a Mon-Fri cruise for her 78th birthday. You will have a good time and the children will also as both RCCl and CCL have the best childrens programs at sea. Read some recent reviews, check dates and itineraries to help you make your choice. Have fun!!

[crusinmama06]

Small ...gee, all the ships are big but when compared to the new MEGA ships they just seem smaller. For 3 day cruises, RCCL offers Majesty/Miami, Sovereign/Port Canaveral, Empress/San Juan, and Monarch/LA. CCL offers Fascination/Miami, Sensation/Pt Canaveral, and Paradise/LA. They both offer 4 &5 night cruises also. Visit their home web pages for more ideas. Just to let you know the size, when the RCCL Sovereign was built she was the largest passenger ship built in half a century. Today they are 1/2 the size of the newest RCCl ships being built! The Majesty recenty was refurbished and looked great in May when I took my Mom for a Mon-Fri cruise for her 78th birthday. You will have a good time and the children will also as both RCCl and CCL have the best childrens programs at sea. Read some recent reviews, check dates and itineraries to help you make your choice. Have fun!!

 

Exactly the cruises I was going to recommend. I am starting to lean more toward RCCL ships for the ammenities...but Camp Carnival is alot of fun too.

 

How old are the kids? You can click on the link in my signature and see the kid camp schedules for each cruiseline. Carnival accepts kids as young as 2, RCCL as young as 3. Carnival changes diapers. RCCL has a strict no diaper policy. But RCCL has in cabin sitting.

[kitty9]

The first question is: what does you mother consider as a small ship? If it's something like Silversea or Oceania, you're out of luck as those lines don't cater to kids at all. Some might feel that anything with less than 2000 passengers is small, but that's not at all true---those are still considered big ships. Even the older ships of Carnival and RCCI are considered big ships in the true sense of the word. True small ships are those that carry less than 1000 passengers, and those ships are with lines like Crystal, Oceania, Seabourn, Silversea and Regent, and none of those lines are child friendly. You might have to consider a ship that's not small, but more medium in size.

[cruisecat9]

Thanks for your responses. It will have to be pretty small for my mother to consider small, not RCCl or CCL. The kids are 11, 13, and 17, not especially young and not particularly wild. There just has to be something for them to do. It sounds like I should look into Crystal, Oceania, Seabourn, Silversea and Regent. Is there anything for kids to do on any of these?

[kitty9]

There are no kids programs whatsoever on any of those lines. Actually, they pretty much discourage kids by not providing anything for them to do. No kid's disco, no video arcades---basically nothing for kids that age to do unless they are content with a small pool and watching TV in the cabin. And, no other kids for them to hang around with, so they'll be with their parents for the cruise.

 

With the exception of Oceania, all those lines are very, very formal in dress where a vast majority of the men wear tuxes and the women dress to the nines on formal nights. And, those lines have the highest per diems with the average 7 day cruise going for $2000 per person and up. For the most part, they don't have those great third and fourth person rates for their cabins, so the kids will be paying usually 50% of the full fare. And, none of them have cruises shorter than 7 days, with most of them 12 day cruises and longer.

[cruisecat9]

There are no kids programs whatsoever on any of those lines. Actually, they pretty much discourage kids by not providing anything for them to do. No kid's disco, no video arcades---basically nothing for kids that age to do unless they are content with a small pool and watching TV in the cabin. And, no other kids for them to hang around with, so they'll be with their parents for the cruise.

 

With the exception of Oceania, all those lines are very, very formal in dress where a vast majority of the men wear tuxes and the women dress to the nines on formal nights. And, those lines have the highest per diems with the average 7 day cruise going for $2000 per person and up. For the most part, they don't have those great third and fourth person rates for their cabins, so the kids will be paying usually 50% of the full fare. And, none of them have cruises shorter than 7 days, with most of them 12 day cruises and longer.

 

Thank you for the information. I guess we'll be finding another activity for our family get together.:rolleyes:

[kitty9]

Have you thought about Celebrity. It's probably the only big ship with a small ship feel. My mom is 80 and she doesn't like those behemoth ships either, but she loves Celebrity. They don't carry the 3000+ passengers, and they have a great passenger to space ratio, so the ship feels smaller than it really is. Take a look at Celebrity. They also have a good kid's program.

[cruisecat9]

My boyfriend and I would love to take a Celebrity cruise, it is next on our list. 1800 passengers would still be too many for my mother though. I want to take Celebrity on the Norway fiiords. They only do it once a year in August. Some August, we will do it.

[PINKY&THE BRAIN]

We Are Going On Azamara- Journey With Our 20 Mo Old Next Mo. I Will Try To Let You Know The General Attitude/ Things To Do. I Know They Won't Have A Formal Kids Program After The Burmuda Season. So We'll See.

 

PS- IT MAY BE SOMETHING YOU CAN TALK YOUR KIDS INTO TO "HUMOR GGRADMA". IF THEY LIKE THE IDEA OF THE PORTS THEY WILL BE AT.

GOOD LUCK

[cruisecat9]

Thanks, is Azamara- Journey the ship or company? It looks like we're going with the cabin in the mountains theme. I love cruises, but everyone else wasn't set on that, it was just an idea. I'd still be curious what you experience.

[cruisead]

Azamara is actively DISCOURAGING kids on their ships because they are not offering a real kid's program. That's been a huge discussion on the Celebrity board and people who were originally signed up for a cruise on Zenith with their kids, and were transfered over to Azamara for their cruise when Zenith was sold, found out that Azamara is NOT child friendly.

[Nana & Poppa P]

We would suggest the Holiday out of Mobile, it goes to Cozumel and Costa Maya. Smallest ship in the Carnival Fleet. It is by far the most active, and friendly ship we have been on. The Camp Carnival Crew on this ship are great. Try it you will not be sorry.

[Erwin Family @ Sea]

I would be more concerned with the length of the cruise than the size of the ship. Often short 3/4 day cruises are party cruises and may not be super kid friendly. i.e. 3 day cruise from L.A. to Mexico. Just a thought.

[rebeccalouise]

If your mother likes a small ship- do the Oceania Regatta.

 

We did it in January and it was lovely. It was a Caribbean cruise with lots of ports. I think that the older children will have fun. There were three kids on board and they seemed to be having a good time.

 

Look at it this way- the kids will be forced to hang out with the adults and maybe that is what your mother would like. Grandparents enjoy spending time with their grandkids.

 

The afternoon tea on Oceania was a real treat. I went every day for 10 days with my father, aunt and uncle. It was my favorite part of the cruise.

 

The food on Oceania is terrific. The buffet is open nightly with great "Tapas". The Italian restaurant onboard was wonderful.

 

I think your mother would love Oceania.

 

As for teens- it isn't going to be their favorite but it is very hard to make everyone happy.

 

I go through this now with my parents. They keep planning trips to places off season and on ships with no kid programs. I just opt out. They understand that our lifestyles are different. We did the Celebrity Millenium this summer. I thought it was great (it was my second time on Millenium) and they complained about it being too big.