We were just on the Fantasy less than a week ago now
and this was also our first
Disney cruise. My son is 4 and daughter is 6, and they had such a blast. My DS always clings to my DD, so I was surprised when we picked them up to find them doing different things in different areas! My DS especially never wanted to leave and couldn't wait to go back.
The experience is very similar to how lanejudy mentioned on the Dream. There are so many areas to explore....they can drive the ship, play countless games on computers in several themed rooms (submarine room, pixie hollow room, etc.), there's an area where there's always a movie playing with beanbags, a few craft rooms, magic floor (group structured at special times), and constant structured activities. I thought it was so great that they could be hands on for the cooking classes. They get their own children's apron and chefs hat (but just to borrow) and could be as messy as they wanted. My kids went to both the cupcake and cookie making sessions (and they were clean when we picked them up
).
The first and second day they have an open house where you can go on a tour, otherwise, parents are not allowed in (only to pick up their child), and there were tons of counselors always around. Several times I saw CM's one on one playing connect four/UNO and other games with kids. That really put me at ease.
We too were on Liberty of the Seas back in April and for the record, we also had a wonderful time in general, but my kids wanted nothing to do with the kids club, but they loved it on Disney. My kids felt more comfortable going on the tour with us where we could spend some time and play and once they saw all the activities in the Navigator, they couldn't wait to go.
In comparison to RCCL, there were so many more options for activities, plus the hours they were open were a lot better.....earlier and later (though we would typically drop them off just for 2-3 hrs at a time as we too wanted to spend family time with them). Disney was also less restrictive....if a child did not want to participate in a structured activity, there were PLENTY of other things to do independently. I heard a parent on RCCL saying that their child felt like they were in school (not my idea of a vacation
). I wouldn't worry about the older kids as just like lanejudy mentioned, the kids did tend to gravitate toward other kids their own age.
As a side note as this also put me at ease....they have bracelets that they have to wear to enter which is a tracking device. When we would drop them off, a CM would scan their bracelet and once the system recognized them as they verified their name, the half doors would then open (so the system opens the door). There was always a CM at the entrance at all times, and though the club and lab are connected, you can drop of your kids at either entrance....both have the same procedures. The kids then go right to the hand washing station (which was pretty cool!) which was all automated.....just hold your hands inside two tubes and keep the there until the cycle is done!
For pickup, we had to present our KTTW card and provide our password, then they would tell us exactly were they were and we could enter briefly to retrieve them and after washing their hands again, they would scan their badges for the system to open the door. We felt it was very safe....no chance of the kids getting out (just a fear I have as we are in a giant ocean
).
Lunch and dinner are provided there too, but if your child already ate, they can go and play....the center is not shut down during meal times as some posts have mentioned. Also, their bathrooms are the most adorable thing ever. It's separate boys and girls bathrooms (several stalls each) all in miniature!
As a side note since we were on the same RCCL ship in spring.....the food on Disney IMHO was SOOOO much better! Liberty had the same kids menu every night, but Disney had different selections each night (though you could get the same thing if you wanted) and in different dining rooms to keeps the kids interest. Also, don't be afraid to order extra things at dinner. I had always felt a bit bad about ordering a few apps or desserts, but our server actually encouraged this, so we ate like kings. The room service menu was also better on Disney for snacks, and lunch/dinner, but Royal had more breakfast options. We did go to Remy brunch and Palo dinner and both are not to be missed, as the food got even better!
Anyway, sorry for my tangent. I hope I helped to answer your question.....and then some
! We just had such an unbelievable time that I had to share my experience. Don't worry about a thing....the crew takes great care of everyone. Enjoy every minute of your cruise....it tends to go by fast!
