Since I have similarly aged kids (DD8 and DS5), I will chime in with a few highlights of what my kids loved.
My first question to you is: are you cruising to have lots and lots of family time or to have everyone do their own thing? We personally cruise to maximize everyone's fun, so I don't insist that we all eat meals together or have tons of "family time." We homeschool, so we get more than enough togetherness at home
I let my kids set their own schedules, more or less, except for when we book adult dining or there's an activity I know everyone would love. But many families treasure the family time and shape their days around being together. It would help if you knew going in what your expectations will be in this area. You also have a little one, so things will be a little different for you than for me. But here's what works for us.
My kids' favorites:
#1--kids' clubs! If you can stand the idea of letting your kids do their own thing, let them explore the kids' clubs early in the cruise. The clubs are so much more than babysitting. My kids would spend all day there. Seriously.
#2--midship detective agency. Lots of fun for kids and adults!
#3--AquaDuck and Mickey Slide. My 8yo loves the AquaDuck and once my 5yo tried it (FINALLY! on our 3rd cruise) he loved it! He's a bit of a chicken about rides, so it took that long for him to work up the courage. They ride it multiple times in a row when the line is short.
#4--pools. They are small (really small), but my kids love "swimming." We go later in the evening when it's not so busy. Or we hang out at the pool on port days, as I'm not really excited to see Nassau or random Mexican tourist cities for a few hours (but that's really just me)
#5--ordering chicken strips and mac and cheese for a snack (some "snack," huh?) and watching movies in the room. Yes, this ruins their dinner. But what's one dinner in a year, when it means my kids get to enjoy a special treat they don't normally get?
A note on eating: there is food 24/7. My kids aren't picky and they eat their veggies when prompted. My DD will happily eat a salad for lunch at Cabanas and my son piles his plate with raw spinach. But they also love cruise snack food, like chicken strips, hot dogs, and pizza. We allow them to eat pretty much whatever they want (within reason, of course) on a cruise. You can request anything at dinner, including extra fries or NO fries with the kids' meals, so you can control that aspect of your vacation. You might want to think about that, as well. If you have late seating, you can plan a healthy (or, not healthy
) snack mid-afternoon. We like to eat early so we have room for a cheese plate or other snack later in the evening.
My kids and I watch the videos on the DCL site a few times before each cruise. It helps them visualize what's on the ship and it gets them excited (me too!). Once you have specific questions, as a PP said, just ask. I would also google your questions along with the term disboards. That is easier than using the actual disboards search tool.
Happy planning!
