Cruising with pre-schoolers

[Popovich]

The DH and I are thinking about doing a 7 day or 4 day cruise and then a short stay at WDW. However, we wonder if our 3 yr old son and 5 yr old daughter are old enough to go and have a good time. Are there activities, pools and shows that might appeal to them?

We would be interested in your experiences and things that may have made your trip a success (hopefully!) or not.

What category cabin would you recommend? I know we would like one with an ocean view. Has anyone traveled with grandparents or extended family? Do they have 2 bedroom "suites", or did you just book 2 cabins?

Thanks in advance for your input, we appreciate it!

 

[MartyP]

We were on the 3/9 Magic cruise. Along with my husband and I, we had our 13 yr old ds, 10 yr old dd, 3 yr old dd, and my mother. We had two cat 9 cabins on deck 2. We had plenty of room. I loved having to port hole we didn't have one last time.
There was plenty for the 3 yr old she loved "our ship". She is going through a seperation thing so we never tried to put her into the club. But we had my mom with us so she would watch her some of the time. We all had a great time.

 

[Popovich]

Thanks for your reply. It sounds like you had a great time. How was the pool for your daughter?

Did you do any off ship excursions or activities?

Thanks!

 

[sara]

Hi!
We sailed last year on the 4-day, with our 3 & 5 yo and had a great time!!!! Sometimes I think the kids had more fun than me!!!! They talked about it everyday for months. So much, I went ahead and booked another cruise for 2003. To me, memories are well worth the price.
I may be wrong, but I think the Mickey slide is for ages 4-12. My 3 yo went down it once, but was told he was too young. But, both kids would stay in the pool all day! It's not very deep, but it could get crowded.
We did not do any excursions. The only time we got off the ship was Castaway Cay. We all loved that place!!!
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Sara

 

[MartyP]

My 3 yr old used one of the swim suits with the attached ring and played in the mickey pool without a problem. She never tried the slide.

In St. Marteen we took the Two Flags Tour we really enjoyed it.

In St. Thomas we rode the Paradise Tram to the top of the mountain. It was very pretty but I'm not sure it was worth the money. Then we took a cab to Magen's Bay Beach it was beautiful. The cost for the cab was supposed to be $6 per person but they the driver did not charge us for the kids. I think in was $2 per adult and 50 cents per child to enter the park. It was well worth the trip.

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

We took our twins for their 3rd birthday's March 2001. We thought it would be a good option for these reasons:boat is only so big and if a meltdown occured we'd only be an elevator ride from the cabin vs. the far end of MK, limited endurance, they would still get a taste of Disney, very few rides for their ages at WDW. We had the time of our lives. That was the most relaxed I've seen DH in 3 years!! DD loved the kids club, but DS is shyer and didn't want to stay, but it was still easier to have 1 tagging along instead of our usual 2. We loved it so much we went again on a 4 day in Sept 2001. Had another great time, but 4 days is too short after going on a 7 day. DS stayed in the club a few more times so DH and I were able to have lunch by ourselves and went to one of the shows. We have another booked May 11th on the Western cruise. We've always had a cat 9 cabin on deck 2 aft. Very quiet and just a few stairs to all the restaurants (most are aft). My biggest recommendation is be flexible. We had to cancel Palo's brunch and dinner ressies on both cruises since DS refused to go to the clubs at those times. Your kids may or may not like the clubs, you won't know until you get there. If not you'll still have a great time!!

 

[liza]

Make sure your expectations are realistic -- don't go thinking the children (especially the 3-year-old) will stay in the clubs all day and you'll have nothing but time to relax! If you think of it more as a vacation for them than as a vacation for you, you'll have a great time, partly because THEY will. They'll love it!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

We are also going to be cruising with a 4 year old in Feb 2003. We booked a Cat 9 oceanview because I atleast wanted some sunlight in the morning. Verandah is tooooo scary with my DD!!!! I could just see her putting a chair to the rail and jumping in!!! She is very outgoing and loves playing with other kids!! I am planning on her spending time in the clubs,but if not she can hang with us!! I know we are just going to have a great time. DCL is strict on the ages for excursions and so I am booking my own in the Caymans so that we can go to Stingray City. DD will be almost 5 and loves the water. Not afraid of anything!! Don't really know if that is a good thing or not????? I have read lots of threads that say you can take a taxi to local beaches at the stops.
Cheaper than some of the beach excursions!!!

 

[Popovich]

Well, it definetly sounds like cruising is a good choice. I can't wait to start planning!

Did any of you enjoy any other activites with your kids (movies or shows)?

Is there only one kiddie pool on the whole ship?

How were the dining arrangements? Did you do room service for some meals?

Any trouble if you had a veranda? I too am wondering if that is a good idea.

How crowded are the kids clubs? Is there a good ratio of adults to children and did it look clean/nice?

Thanks for sharing your experiences; We appreciate it!