Hawaii and Celebrity

[Cruise Arizona]

We just booked the 2 week cruise from San Diego to Hawaii for next Thanksgiving. We are bringing the kids who'll be 7 and 9 at the time. They are outgoing but sometimes a little high energy. From what we could tell about the Kids Program on our last Celebrity cruise (without our kids), the program is perfect for them. Any suggestions for us for the cruise???

 

Also, my daughter wants to learn to do the Hula. Does anyone know if Celebrity incorporates the Hawaiian culture into the kids on board activities?

 

Finally, Does Celebrity bring onboard any Hawaiian Entertainment? In Mexico they had Ballet Folklorico and Mariachi's onboard for evening entertainment before our late departure from Acapulco (Spelling?)

 

This will be our first cruise with the kids so any suggestions are welcome.

[newtocc]

I've never left Philadelphia, but I'd love to pretend to go to Hawaii, I've pretended to go everywhere, but Hawaii would be so much fun!

[808lady]

I just cruised from Vancouver to Hawaii on Infinity. They had a Hawaiian specialist named Haunani on board during the whole cruise, I believe. She was a hard-working lady. She performed, taught hula, and even gave Hawaiian language lessons. Maybe she will be on your cruise, too.

[Cruisechik]

We're booked for the same cruise. We are bringing our 7 year old daughter. She loves Celebrity's kids programs. Your kids will have a blast.

[Luckyroot]

This ship 10/91

That ship 11/95

Whatever ship 12/98

Here a ship 13/99

There a ship 14/00

Everywhere a ship ship 15/05 (Tentative, Pod problems)

Newt, I think I've seen at least 100 posts of yours since I started with these boards, and it's only today that I noticed your sig line! ROFLMAO You're too funny!!!

 

:D

[Cruise Arizona]

We're booked for the same cruise. We are bringing our 7 year old daughter. She loves Celebrity's kids programs. Your kids will have a blast.

Hey Cruisechick,

 

Glad to hear from another passenger. We are very excited. The kids are excited and it is over a year away. I got hooked on cruising when I was a kid and there were not kids programs, we had to act like little adults, which was fun but in a different way. Do you have any idea how many kids might be on a 14 day Thanksgiving cruise? My kids get the whole first week off of school, but they'll miss a week of school. Not too worried about that because they will learn so much more during their trip than during a week of school. I know in Alaska the kids program is educational as well as fun, what's your thought?

[Cruisechik]

Cruise Arizona -

 

We were on a 10 night Celebrity cruise this past Easter and there were tons of kids on board. I think there will be lots on this cruise, too. A couple of other families that have already booked this cruise started a roll call awhile back. I think Celebrity does a wonderful mix of educational and fun activities. Hawaii, in itself, will be quite an education. We are really excited, too! We booked back in the beginning of August and I wish it would hurry up and get here already :)

 

My daughter is missing a week of school, too. She attends a montessori school and travel is heavily promoted as educational. I think travel really broadens a child. Your kids will have the time of their lives!

 

When we get closer to next summer, maybe we can start a "roll call for kids" that way the kids can chat a bit before they get on the ship.

[Cruise Arizona]

Dear Cruisechik,

 

Great idea, It is a long way away, but we are already so excited. My husband and I went on the Mercury last year for our 10 year anniversary. We had been on Hal to Alaska for our honeymoon and said that we were definitely not waiting another 10 years to cruise again. We were thinkinging about Horizon in the Western Carribean or Mercury back down to Mexico, but we decided on this one because the price was not much more, the Shipmates Fun Facotry is large and beautiful, and we all want to go to Hawaii. My daughter loves Lilo and Stitch. And for that mater my son likes Jurassic Park.

 

I have been talking with several friends who have flown to Hawaii and stayed in hotels or timeshares there and have been getting tour ideas. I think we will rent a car and do our own thing rather than book the ship's tours.

 

As we get closer to the sail date, I look for the roll call for the fun factory.

[Cruisechik]

Cruise Arizona -

 

My husband lived in Hawaii for a couple of years. He, too, thinks renting a car is the way to go. My daughter and I want to try surfing lessons. Hope we get a cute instructor ;)

 

We usually cruise twice a year (spring & winter). We were on the Horizon in April and had a great time. If your considering Horizon for the ports of Costa Rica, Panama, Cozumel, etc that is a great itinerary. Ziplining in Costa Rica was amazing. I hear the Mercury is a fabulous ship.

 

How's Alaska for kids? Any insight?

[bug_dan]

Last year on the Infinity, they had Te Tiare Patatifa for the shows while we were overnite in Maui, http://www.mauitime.com/v08/v08_2/ae_feat.html

The show had several Keiki in it, which I would guess other kids might like to see.

[Cruise Arizona]

Hey Cruisechik,

 

We love to cruise. We took a couple of years off while we paid off our wedding debt, went to Germany for 10 days, had two kids, (one 9 months to the day from the Germany trip) attented numerous manditory family reunions, relocated from Texas to Arizona, and then found ourselves back where we belong, on a cruise ship.

 

My husband and I had such a good time on the cruise to Mexico last year. About 1/2 the time we said "oh we are glad to be away from the kids for 11 days." and the then the othe half we said "The kids would have such a great time on this trip" I just hope the 14 days to Hawaii isn't to much for them."

 

Here is my cruise history.

 

"Bon Vivante" 1977, not sure the cruise line, maybe "Costa" but this was a very old fashioned ship. Our room for 4 was two 2 person room converted together. We saw the Nassau and Shereverport. My memories of the cruise were great fun, but in port I think I remember taking a glass bottom boat tour that was booked in advanced and then required a sur-charge which my parents didn't pay to acutally view the glass bottom during the ride.

 

In 1978 we took the 'World Renissaunce" (Spelling????) out of San Juan Puerto Rico.

I have nothing but great memories of this cruise, as we went to Antigua, Carracus, Curasuo, and Grenada and St. Thomas. A wonderful time. I rember most of all visiting the "Pacific Princess" which was the "Love Boat" while it was in dock next to us and the "Topless Ice Skating" show in San Juan. I was a figure skater at the time and my mom figureded since she had two girls, that this was not a big deal. We liked the production numbers where everyone had a top on the best.

 

1979, the "Boheme". on Costa. A great trip where my sister (a gymnist) and I (a figure skater) won the disco contest by performing one of those tricking moves involved in Pair Skating. Both of my grandmothers also went on this cruise. The dining room was rather small and way in the bowels of the ship. The waiters got their entre's served in order by the numbers they drew for the night. Our Indonisian (I think) the father of twin girls, (very unusual to keep both in his culture) had drawn about 99 out of 100 for three nights in a row. He was very appologitic and had the captain join us for part of our meal. I have a nice picture of my Grandmothers with the captain.

 

1980, my first onboard romance on the old Stattendam. Well sort of. I got engaged at 13 to Greg Schott, the 23 year old nephew of Marge Schott, one time owner of the the Cincinatti Reds. Well soon after we realized that our ages were too far apart, I fell in love with a young man who was 15. We were the darlings for the big band night club, and the "Devo" discos king and queen, untill it all fell apart when I broke his heart and he througha deck chair over board.

 

Finally, my last cruise as a kid was the Fairsea, Mexicn Rivierra cruise in 1981 Christmas. This was a reunion cruise of sorts with many of our friends from the Stattendam. We had a great time, except this was the first cruise where the teens were supposed to be seperate from the adults. This was actually a big deal beacuse my family had been used to my sister and I being equals on the ship. If my parents we in the disco until 12am, then my sister and I should be allowed. My grand mothers went on this criuise too. It was a lot of fun, but a bit confusing for my sister and I as to where we fit in.

 

In 1993, my husband and I got married and promptly saild off to Alaska on the Rotterdam. We had a great time , althoug we identified more with the crew than the passengers. The crew was between 20 and 40, and most of the passengers wer 60-90. Loved Alaska, Loved the Ship, Loved the Sea.

 

But Alas, it took us 10 years to get back. On the Mercury, reccomended to us by my mother-in-law who also loves to cruise.

 

This year we went to FLA for my Sister-in-law's wedding in March and then to Gulf Shores Al for a family reunion in June, But next year.....

 

We are back again at Sea on Celebrity, cause we liked it so much.

 

Hope to sea you soon