How did your 4-5 year old like cruising?

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

Hi Everyone!
I'm curious how your 4 or 5 year old liked their cruise experience. What activities were available? Did they enjoy the kids clubs--which club did they go to? How did they handle motion sickness (if they had any at all) How did prevent this? What activities were available for them in port? (please let me know what port you went to! )

Thank you in advance...I'm sure I'll have more questions!

 

[pgroom48]

My 4 year old loves it and can't wait to go on the "Mickey Boat" again. Both my 9 and 6 year old loved it at that age as well and still do. We've done Eastern Caribbean as well as Bahamas. Our favorite itinerary is the 5 night double dip to Castaway Cay. At that age getting of the ship is a PITA (but i have 2 other kids asa well) and Castaway Cay is our favorite. We are beach people. San Juan is easy with kids and you can walk a lot of places with a stroller. the BVI was as easy. Nassau is usually a waste to us but we stay on the ship and enjoy it when it's empty.

 

[KBinCO]

My girls were 4 and 5 for our first Disney Cruise 7 months ago and they LOVED it. They are still obsessed with it and talk about it every day, asking when we'll go back. We travel a lot and they can be difficult, but they were so easy on this trip and loved every second. The both really loved the clubs and never wanted to leave. They also liked the pools and splash areas, funnel vision, the detective agency, my 5 year old liked the aquaduck and the shows, and playing on the beach at Castaway Cay. We did a dolphin excursion that they also both loved and now they're both very into dolphins.

 

[marciemouse]

Our youngest was 4 when we did our first cruise on the Wonder in early 2012, going to the Mexican Riviera. She (and the rest of us) loved it so much that we even did the exact same cruise again just eight months later! She loved all the characters, and she had lots of fun in the Oceaneer's Club (not the Lab). No motion sickness at all for her. In fact, most little kids don't "feel it" the same way older kids or adults do. DD also enjoyed the Mickey pool and Mickey slide.

In port, we spent time at the beach in Cabo. It was totally easy, and we all had a blast.

Since then, we also completed a 5 night Double Dip, with 2 stops at Castaway Cay, plus Key West and Nassau. Those stops were TOTALLY perfect for having little kids along. If you like the beach, anything with multiple stops at Castaway Cay is a great bet.

I wrote a trip report from that first cruise when our daughter was 4. Here's the link.

 

[rsjj]

our boys were 2 & 4 at the time when we first cruised. they loved it! my 4 yo at the time was going to preschool so he's used to "being dropped off". before leaving for the cruise, i had talked to them about what they can expect, talked about what there was to do, went over sample navigators, etc. (mostly from the dcl website), just to prepare them. mostly for my 4 yo, b/c my 2 yo was still very little...anyways, i had described some of the activities in the kids club and he would tell me what he wanted to try/check out. and on the ship, we'd read the navigators together to see what activities he may be interested in checking out. and we also prepped them that one night, they would have to go to their clubs b/c mommy & daddy were going to have a fancy dinner! they really enjoyed running into the characters around the ship! at one point, we were in the hall way by ourselves, and max (goofy's nephew?) was walking by...and he chatted w/us a bit, and took time to take pix w/the boys...and when he was leaving, my 2 yo was screaming "come back, max!!!!"

anyways...they both loved every aspect of it. one tip...while on our excursions/land, we ordered room service (chicken fingers/sandwiches) to pack w/us in our ziplock bags, to take w/us, just in case they got hungry, and we couldn't find anywhere to buy food. this was all for "just in case"...b/c w/little ones, you never know! better to be prepared!

enjoy your cruise!! i'm sure your family will love it!

 

[MunFam]

one tip...while on our excursions/land, we ordered room service (chicken fingers/sandwiches) to pack w/us in our ziplock bags, to take w/us, just in case they got hungry, and we couldn't find anywhere to buy food. this was all for "just in case"...b/c w/little ones, you never know! better to be prepared!

I have not found a port that this is legal to do so in. You may get away with it...but it is illegal and you could be fined. You can take prepackaged food off the ship but you cannot take anything homemade off the ship...ie chicken fingers, a sandwich or even fruit. I have a DD with severe food allergies so we worked with DCL to create meals that were legal for us to take in to port. Canned chicken and tuna, granola bars, individual chips, fruit snacks, fruit cups, etc. are all allowed, but if they are opened while in port, they cannot be brought back on to the ship. We will be sailing with our 4.5 year old for 15 days starting next week!

 

[Marita916]

In 2013, my husband and I took our then 4.5 year old son on the Wonder to Alaska. It took my son a while to warm up to the Oceaneer's Club. For the first five days, he didn't want to be left there by himself, so I went with him during open house hours. Then he wanted to go to Pluto's PJ party and the Chip N Dale's party all by himself. We were so happy. My son really enjoyed the slide (he must have done it 50 times) and the pool. He loved the arcade and going to the movies. For excursions, we took the White Pass Train ride in Juneau, and he loved it. Then we took a float plane to Taku Lodge at another port. He did great!. We loved the Disney cruise so much, we are going on the Wonder for Thanksgiving.

 

[phillmolly]

Our first cruise in 2013 my DS was 4. He enjoyed the cruise but wasn't crazy about the kids clubs. He would be fine for about 45 minutes and then we would have to go get him out. We just got off our second cruise a few weeks ago and this time we couldn't keep him out of the kids clubs! He would start asking as soon as he woke up if he could go!

 

[Marita916]

Our first cruise in 2013 my DS was 4. He enjoyed the cruise but wasn't crazy about the kids clubs. He would be fine for about 45 minutes and then we would have to go get him out. We just got off our second cruise a few weeks ago and this time we couldn't keep him out of the kids clubs! He would start asking as soon as he woke up if he could go!

I'm so glad to hear this. My husband and I are hoping my son will spend more time in the kids club for the next cruise. Not that we don't want him with us, but we would like to visit the coffee shop and adult areas at least once. (We didn't see any adult areas during our last cruise ). Our son is a lot more outgoing now, and loves computers and games, so I think he will be just fine spending time at the kids club.

 

[southerngirl528]

Our 2 tiny grand-princesses went on their first ever Disney Cruise with us and their parents to Alaska a couple of years ago when they had just turned 3 & 5. The little one was in the final stages of potty training so not eligible for Oceaneer Club, but both girls LOVED the "Disney Shrews" (as they pronounced it then!). We took them both as a surprise a year ago February without their mom and dad on the Dream for a 4 night sailing. They were still 3 & 5 but both eligible for kids' programming and at the Open House that first afternoon, they took one look at the amazing Oceaneer Club and scampered off like 2 little bunnies! They LOVED the various themed rooms to explore! They didn't want to stay for hours and hours, but seemed to best enjoy 2-3 hours at a time. They also really loved the shows, our stateroom and their beds, the meals, the characters, the movie (it was Frozen Singalong which had just been released), they loved it ALL!

 

[phillmolly]

Marita916, Yes, we were so happy too! We were a bit worried, but he is kindergarten now and used to spending the day away from us (me). We were able to spend a lot more "adult time" together this cruise, we also had the added bounus of grandpa and grandma going with us!

 

[rsjj]

I have not found a port that this is legal to do so in. You may get away with it...but it is illegal and you could be fined. You can take prepackaged food off the ship but you cannot take anything homemade off the ship...ie chicken fingers, a sandwich or even fruit. I have a DD with severe food allergies so we worked with DCL to create meals that were legal for us to take in to port. Canned chicken and tuna, granola bars, individual chips, fruit snacks, fruit cups, etc. are all allowed, but if they are opened while in port, they cannot be brought back on to the ship. We will be sailing with our 4.5 year old for 15 days starting next week!

I seriously had no idea what I did was illegal!!! I apologize for my ignorance!!

 

[MunFam]

I seriously had no idea what I did was illegal!!! I apologize for my ignorance!!

I was just putting it out there so people do not get the wrong information. There are blogs out there that suggest the same thing you did. I was planning to do that until DCL told me it was illegal and then I did even further research and found that it was indeed illegal. Wah, wah.

 

[rsjj]

I was just putting it out there so people do not get the wrong information. There are blogs out there that suggest the same thing you did. I was planning to do that until DCL told me it was illegal and then I did even further research and found that it was indeed illegal. Wah, wah.

Thank you! I thought I had read the idea somewhere from here (disboards)...while I was reading as much as I could for our very first cruise...

Again, thank you for informing all of us!

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

anyways...they both loved every aspect of it. one tip...while on our excursions/land, we ordered room service (chicken fingers/sandwiches) to pack w/us in our ziplock bags, to take w/us, just in case they got hungry, and we couldn't find anywhere to buy food. this was all for "just in case"...b/c w/little ones, you never know! better to be prepared!

How early were you able to order chicken fingers from room service? I'm cruising with my DS soon and I want to do this when we get off in Nassau; however, I want to get off the ship early. Not sure they will be serving lunch then.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

Oh brother, I responded prior to reading the "illegal" posts. Never mind.

 

[dmetcalfrn]

We were on the Magic over Thanksgiving on Western Caribbean cruise last year with our 5 year old daughter. She had a great time in the kids club and loved the princess gathering and Anna & Elsa meet and greet. The last time we cruised she was 2 on the Fantasy and while she has a great time I think she really enjoyed the kids activities more this time.

 

[mhingher]

My younger daughter turned 4 in August and we went on our first cruise in December. She loved it and has been asking to go again ever since. She enjoyed the Oceaneer Club, and even did her own thing, wasn't always with her older sister (7). I couldn't get her off the water slide! Little do they know we are booked for the Dream in November, and I'm hoping I could keep a secret until the night before like last time!

 

[mevans9066]

We are trying to quickly decide on the Nov 13 or Dec 4th on the Wonder out of galveston! How was cruising in dec? I'm afraid of rough seas maybe in Nov but water and weather temp too chilly in early dec?! This is our first disney cruise and I don't want it ruined by weather! The one thing this slight control freak can't control! Any advice?! We've got our 6 and 9 yr old girls going on their first cruise!

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

My 5 year old son loved it, hands down his favourite vacation and we have been all over. We could not drag him out of the kids clubs.