For Families Thinking of Cruising with Young Children

[Liastaob]

The napping was frustrating to manage for us!

Yeah, our daughter had basically just stopped napping a few months before our first cruise. When she was still napping, we did WDW and my wife and I rotated who would stay back in the hotel room. It was pretty fun chilling with a Dole Whip and some noodles from Captain Cooks while she snoozed.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

we did a cruise on our sons first birthday in april, and it was a blast! he was already walking so he had fun in the splash zone and exploring all around. except he got disqualified in diaper dash since its only crawling (LOL). dinners were good we ordered fast and when he was fussy my DH took him out to walk around till the food came. shows we tried and he wouldnt sit for so we’d watch on tv. character lines were short for us not sure why but it was lucky for his attention span. we always snuck into d lounge to do their activity or just let him run around a while. he was a hit with the cast members. naps were okay since my parents were there and their room was adjoining so we could reach the monitor and play cards while buddy could get his full naps in. we are expecting baby 2 and cruising next year for my parents 30th anniversary with a bunch of family, that one has me more nervous so wish us luck!

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I didn’t find it critical at all, i did not know that the club/lab had different things going on like surprise characters, etc. because we only limited to open house times but it was nice to learn that too! I have been enjoying having these conversations, and seeing everyone else’s experiences.

I'm just trying to understand how you didnt know about things. Were you using the App and and checking for activities suitable for your family?

You say you struggled on sea days.

I took screen shots of the all the activities each day. Did you see these activities listed, which would have been ideal for your family.

 

[ShaneDJ]

DCL is known for their professional and feature-rich kids clubs. That is one of DCL’s greatest strengths compared to other cruise lines.

If you would have utilized that core benefit for even a couple hours per day, it sounds like that would had solved most of your issues.

 

[Dailymeel]

Just so I’m not spamming this post, I’ll reply all in one post


@bakofarmgirl Most of our dinners had one partner or the other walking out early on dinner to entertain our toddler. We didn’t mind, but it would have been nice to be able to sit together and enjoy dinner as a family. The servers were amazing as they noticed our struggle and would bring next day’s menu to us the night before so we could eat right when we sat down. I so wish i could cruise again, I hope you have another magical cruise! Maybe baby #2 will be crawling and not be disqualified, .Having grandparents to help is amazing. Having 2 kids is a different ball game, but it also adds a lot of special moments

@Bad Pink Tink 2.0 I think we are straying off my main post a bit. I did have the app. It was not due to the lack of activities but to us having a hard time navigating a holiday with a schedule. And I can go into details about what activities worked and didn’t work for us, but that’s not really the point of my post. All I am saying was that if I had done more research, I would have booked this cruise when my children are a bit older because at this point we can’t afford another Disney cruise.

DCL is known for their professional and feature-rich kids clubs. That is one of DCL’s greatest strengths compared to other cruise lines.

If you would have utilized that core benefit for even a couple hours per day, it sounds like that would had solved most of your issues.

yes, i understand that they were great but leaving my children wasn’t in the cards for us. And the point of my post was that if i had done more research, I would see that DCL was not meant for my family until my children were older. and also back to my main point: I will not be able to cruise again in my current circumstances and am saddened that I have missed out on so much whereas if I had waited a few years, we would feel more comfortable leaving our children and we could have done so much more together as a family. Like sit down and eat dinner

 

[mderh]

yes, i understand that they were great but leaving my children wasn’t in the cards for us. And the point of my post was that if i had done more research, I would see that DCL was not meant for my family until my children were older.

For what it's worth, we're just back from our first DCL cruise, and my husband and I also feel like we missed out on a lot even though we were entirely open to leaving our kids in the club. I did a lot of research before the cruise, but did not come across the information that 3 and 4 year olds are separated and stuck in a group - everything I read just said the club/lab are for ages 3-10, which I thought was great because my fairly introverted kids (8 and 4) would be together.

My 4yo son is independent and low-key (and the height of an average 5 or 6 year old). He was miserable being separated from his sister, being told what activity he'd be doing at any given time, and being unable to get away from the noise and chaos of a pack of other 3- and 4-year olds. He was very excited to go to the club the first day, but immediately told us he didn't want to go back when we picked him up an hour later. He grudgingly put in another two hours on the third day so we could go to our Palo reservation, and then went for 45 minutes another day for Stitch's Space Goo after we promised we'd get him as soon as it was done. I kept checking the schedule and asking him if he'd like to go to other activities that sounded fun, but didn't have the heart to force him when he said "the kids are so loud and I can't do anything I want in there, can I just stay with you guys?" My 8yo daughter liked the clubs fine, but largely ended up choosing to stay with the three of us rather than go alone.

I probably would not have paid the premium for DCL if I'd known the kids' clubs would be a bust for us. All of our (MUCH cheaper) other vacations have been quality family time for pretty much every waking moment. Our hope was that this trip would be the first one since the 8 year old was born where my husband and I would get to spend a little time actually relaxing - just an hour or two a day to sit by the adult pool or grab a drink at one of the cool looking bars. The four of us had a lot of fun together, but if I had a do-over, I absolutely would've waited until the kids were 5 and 9 to give DCL a try due to this issue with the kids' club.

 

[SundayGirl]

Just so I’m not spamming this post, I’ll reply all in one post


@bakofarmgirl Most of our dinners had one partner or the other walking out early on dinner to entertain our toddler. We didn’t mind, but it would have been nice to be able to sit together and enjoy dinner as a family. The servers were amazing as they noticed our struggle and would bring next day’s menu to us the night before so we could eat right when we sat down. I so wish i could cruise again, I hope you have another magical cruise! Maybe baby #2 will be crawling and not be disqualified, .Having grandparents to help is amazing. Having 2 kids is a different ball game, but it also adds a lot of special moments

@Bad Pink Tink 2.0 I think we are straying off my main post a bit. I did have the app. It was not due to the lack of activities but to us having a hard time navigating a holiday with a schedule. And I can go into details about what activities worked and didn’t work for us, but that’s not really the point of my post. All I am saying was that if I had done more research, I would have booked this cruise when my children are a bit older because at this point we can’t afford another Disney cruise.


yes, i understand that they were great but leaving my children wasn’t in the cards for us. And the point of my post was that if i had done more research, I would see that DCL was not meant for my family until my children were older. and also back to my main point: I will not be able to cruise again in my current circumstances and am saddened that I have missed out on so much whereas if I had waited a few years, we would feel more comfortable leaving our children and we could have done so much more together as a family. Like sit down and eat dinner

I would feel the same way, DCL is very expensive, and it's natural to want to get the most out of each cruise, particularly if this is not something easily afforded often.

Every family is different, as are the parameters of what each family is comfortable with, and what would work for them. Thank you for sharing your experiences and repeatedly responding to the feedback here in a kind and considered manner, I'm sure that you taking the time to share your family's experience here will be helpful for those cruising DCL for the first time with young children - it's certainly food for thought, especially if not travelling in a group with extra hands to help out with children.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

DCL is known for their professional and feature-rich kids clubs. That is one of DCL’s greatest strengths compared to other cruise lines.

If you would have utilized that core benefit for even a couple hours per day, it sounds like that would had solved most of your issues.

I agree but it also takes the kids actually wanting to use it too in order for it to be a benefit. There's a lot of posts from a lot of different people where their kids, unrelated to young age, just didn't like the kids clubs. Some were due to the ages and the activities some just not into it for other reasons. There are also people who don't like to be away from their kids, despite being well beyond the age most would say could be more independent. So while I think a good chunk was that the OP didn't even get to the letting their kids explore the kids club it doesn't mean even if they did would it be utilized by their kids. The other part I saw the OP mention was the late night timing of some things which I think is helpful for anyone who may have people in their traveling party not be a late owl.

I think the OP has done a pretty good job saying it was less DCL and more just a poor fit overall with their current family set up. There's a reason why many people talk about waiting to go to Disney til their kids are over X age (from memories, stamina, past the stroller era, etc) so I don't think the OP is trying to say something that isn't the same as others. It's just being applied to DCL in this case.

 

[Dailymeel]

For what it's worth, we're just back from our first DCL cruise, and my husband and I also feel like we missed out on a lot even though we were entirely open to leaving our kids in the club. I did a lot of research before the cruise, but did not come across the information that 3 and 4 year olds are separated and stuck in a group - everything I read just said the club/lab are for ages 3-10, which I thought was great because my fairly introverted kids (8 and 4) would be together.

My son is independent and low-key (and the height of an average 5 or 6 year old). He was miserable being separated from his sister, being told what activity he'd be doing at any given time, and being unable to get away from the noise and chaos of a pack of other 3- and 4-year olds. He was very excited to go to the club the first day, but immediately told us he didn't want to go back when we picked him up an hour later. He grudgingly put in another two hours on the third day so we could go to our Palo reservation, and then went for 45 minutes another day for Stitch's Space Goo after we promised we'd get him as soon as it was done. I kept checking the schedule and asking him if he'd like to go to other activities that sounded fun, but didn't have the heart to force him when he said "the kids are so loud and I can't do anything I want in there, can I just stay with you guys?" My 8yo daughter liked the clubs fine, but largely ended up choosing to stay with the three of us rather than go alone.

I probably would not have paid the premium for DCL if I'd known the kids' clubs would be a bust for us. All of our (MUCH cheaper) other vacations have been quality family time for pretty much every waking moment. Our hope was that this trip would be the first one since the 8 year old was born where my husband and I would get to spend a little time actually relaxing - just an hour or two a day to sit by the adult pool or grab a drink at one of the cool looking bars. The four of us had a lot of fun together, but if I had a do-over, I absolutely would've waited until the kids were 5 and 9 to give DCL a try due to this issue with the kids' club.

Thank you for sharing your experience. This was my thought process after we got off the ship. We could have had an easier holiday doing something more suitable for my family. I’m sorry your 4 year old was miserable at the kids club, it’s so overwhelming when there’s a bunch of children put together and when they don’t know anyone. I can understand from a safety perspective why 3’s and 4’s were grouped together but sucks that your little one couldn’t join her sibling. Your information about these ages being grouped together would be helpful to know for other readers

I would feel the same way, DCL is very expensive, and it's natural to want to get the most out of each cruise, particularly if this is not something easily afforded often.

Every family is different, as are the parameters of what each family is comfortable with, and what would work for them. Thank you for sharing your experiences and repeatedly responding to the feedback here in a kind and considered manner, I'm sure that you taking the time to share your family's experience here will be helpful for those cruising DCL for the first time with young children - it's certainly food for thought, especially if not travelling in a group with extra hands to help out with children.

It really is expensive. Especially for us living in the UK, the European cruises have ridiculous price tags! Thank you for your kind reply as well I have genuinely enjoyed having these conversations and most have responded with kindness. Although some may not have come across that way I’d like to believe everyone on here meant well and wanted to be informative.

I agree but it also takes the kids actually wanting to use it too in order for it to be a benefit. There's a lot of posts from a lot of different people where their kids, unrelated to young age, just didn't like the kids clubs. Some were due to the ages and the activities some just not into it for other reasons. There are also people who don't like to be away from their kids, despite being well beyond the age most would say could be more independent. So while I think a good chunk was that the OP didn't even get to the letting their kids explore the kids club it doesn't mean even if they did would it be utilized by their kids. The other part I saw the OP mention was the late night timing of some things which I think is helpful for anyone who may have people in their traveling party not be a late owl.

I think the OP has done a pretty good job saying it was less DCL and more just a poor fit overall with their current family set up. There's a reason why many people talk about waiting to go to Disney til their kids are over X age (from memories, stamina, past the stroller era, etc) so I don't think the OP is trying to say something that isn't the same as others. It's just being applied to DCL in this case.

Yes I can imagine a lot of children (not just really little ones) wouldn’t want to be left, especially if they have additional/special needs. I did leave in the comment cards that I believe a playground/softplay area would be a beneficial add to the ship. Either in new ships or when they do dry docks. Thank you for understanding my message

 

[sponica]

I did leave in the comment cards that I believe a playground/softplay area would be a beneficial add to the ship

The Wish does have this, it's located between the oceaneer's club and the nursery and has some open hours when it's not in use by either.

 

[auntlynne]

In the not-too-distant past, were siblings of different ages allowed to be together? In other words, not such distinct age separation/ groupings?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

In the not-too-distant past, were siblings of different ages allowed to be together? In other words, not such distinct age separation/ groupings?

History of age ranges: As far as I can remember, some years back, the nursery was for under 3s, Oceaneer's Club 3-7, Oceaneer's Lab 8-12 (separate spaces, no mingling).

At one time they did the Oceaneer's Club 3-7, Oceaneer's Lab 8-12 with a further breakdown of 3-4 and 5-7 in the club. Then it went to 3-6 and 7-12. And the Edge came into play and it was 3-6 and 7-10 with the Edge being 11-13.


Then - Oceaneer’s Club (3-7), Lab (8-12), Edge (11-14), and Vibe 14-17. The Club and Lab were basically in the same area, roughly divided between the two sections, with activities aimed for the younger ages in the Club space and activities aimed for the older group in the Lab space. That being said, any child in the Club/Lab could participate in whatever activities interest them, regardless of age.

I'm not clear on what the breakdown is currently.

 

[sponica]

In the not-too-distant past, were siblings of different ages allowed to be together? In other words, not such distinct age separation/ groupings?

I think they moved the 3-4 year olds into pods late 2023? They're still in the club with the 5-10 year olds, but there are more structured activities geared towards 3-4 year olds. When I was picking up my 7 year old, I saw the younger ones make a potty train to go the bathroom in one group.

 

[lanejudy]

In the not-too-distant past, were siblings of different ages allowed to be together? In other words, not such distinct age separation/ groupings?

The youngest ones (3-4 yr olds) have only been a separate group for less than a year. They are still in the Club/Lab, but kept together as one group instead of the free-range of the space the 5-10s have.

Around that same time, 11-12 yr olds were shifted to ONLY Edge; they had previously been an overlap age that was allowed choice of Club/Lab or Edge programming.

Prior to last winter, ages 3-12 were together in the Club and the Lab for about a decade. It was sometime prior to 2011 that the Club was ages 3-7 and the lab ages 8-12.

 

[Lillebelle]

The Magic (and Wonder?) used to have a soft play area in the Promenade Lounge pre-Pandemic. That was perfect because you could drop in for a bit, it was very contained, and your little one could run around while you watched with a drink from the lounge . It didn't require checking hours like the open houses, it had comfy seating for the parents around the play area, and you didn't have to worry about them running off. My kids are a bit older now but I really missed having something like that when sailing reopened and my second was a toddler.

I think OP's original post is good for setting expectations. I love Disney cruising but I agree that under those circumstances it might not be the best choice (probably only going to afford once, no additional help, no kids club). We've sailed a number of times with kids in the 1-7 range and had a great time *but* we have always had at least one grandma along to help out (their choice!) and my son at least loves the kids clubs so he basically lives there the whole cruise.

It's also interesting to hear what makes up the 'value for the money' for different people. We almost never go to the shows and generally also avoid the deck parties because we don't like the crowds. I never really considered those things as core to what I was paying for. But, I can totally see how they would matter to someone else and especially if you don't think you'll get to go again, missing out on them could feel like a big deal.

I hope you're able to go again in a few years and get to experience the cruise of your dreams!

 

[Dailymeel]

The Magic (and Wonder?) used to have a soft play area in the Promenade Lounge pre-Pandemic. That was perfect because you could drop in for a bit, it was very contained, and your little one could run around while you watched with a drink from the lounge . It didn't require checking hours like the open houses, it had comfy seating for the parents around the play area, and you didn't have to worry about them running off. My kids are a bit older now but I really missed having something like that when sailing reopened and my second was a toddler.

I think OP's original post is good for setting expectations. I love Disney cruising but I agree that under those circumstances it might not be the best choice (probably only going to afford once, no additional help, no kids club). We've sailed a number of times with kids in the 1-7 range and had a great time *but* we have always had at least one grandma along to help out (their choice!) and my son at least loves the kids clubs so he basically lives there the whole cruise.

It's also interesting to hear what makes up the 'value for the money' for different people. We almost never go to the shows and generally also avoid the deck parties because we don't like the crowds. I never really considered those things as core to what I was paying for. But, I can totally see how they would matter to someone else and especially if you don't think you'll get to go again, missing out on them could feel like a big deal.

I hope you're able to go again in a few years and get to experience the cruise of your dreams!

oh wow, That little softplay area really sounds like what we were wanting during our cruise, that is too bad they took it away after pandemic! And the character breakfast being taken away is a disappointment as well, would have saved a lot of people from queueing for ages trying to meet every character! I know a lot of children loved the kids club, especially when talking to other parents whilst on the cruise. We went on open house with our children but even though we were never planning to leave my older child there, she kept voicing her concerns that we might leave her and she wanted us to be with her, so I don’t think she would have liked going alone. Maybe when her sister is big enough for it and they can go together.

I also hope we can sail again, thank you for saying that !

 

[juxtapose]

I had an epic disaster of a Disney World trip when my son was 15 months and daughter 4 years. Daughter was fine, however my son could not handle the crowds, wouldn't nap, hated the noises, etc. We didn't take them back until he was 4 and she was 7 and it was a night and day difference. Traveling with young kids is hard and you will rarely, if ever, get the "value" of the experience that you will get with no kids or older kids. My kids are 9 and 12 now and truly a joy to travel with. Basically, just here to say that unfortunately sounds like travel with young kids but it will get better! My youngest went on his firsts cruise when he was 7 and it is still by far his favorite vacation.