Should we cruise with 8,7,3 year olds???

[lovin'Mickey]

We are going to celebrate 10 years of marriage in Sept, I was thinking of a Disney cruise in March to celebrate. My kids will be 8,7,and 3 at that time. Would they love it , or should I wait a few more years for a cruise? We have never cruised at all so any advice is welcome! Do most of you do the land and sea packages or just cruise?

 

[poohssmum]

Congratulations on your upcoming Anniversary! I would say DEFINITELY do it! We've only done the 7-day cruise ... been on 2 with #3 already booked for November We might consider a land and sea in the future, but for now we're happy just cruising.

In all honesty this cruise is the best vacation. Although I love WDW, I don't feel totally rested and relaxed when I come home ... yes, I'm relaxed and de-stressed, but not truely rested. The cruise, for me and my family, brings us the best of everything ... great activities for us to enjoy as a family, plenty of couple time for DH and I, and at least an hour or two every day where I only have to worry about ME ... aaahhh

 

[lovin'Mickey]

now i am reading that a lot of people get sick on these cruises that kinda worrries me too now. I would hate to pay all this money and be confined to our room....anyone have any tips ???

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think they would really enjoy it.

My twins first cruised at age 6, celebrating their birthday on the ship. We went again later and are now booked on #3. They talk about it all the time. The only thing my DS7 gets a little nervous about is the Lifeboat Drill before we set sail but I think he'll be fine with it next year. Other than that they have a ball and the adults can get a bit of alone time while the kids are in the clubs.

It is also really nice to go with friends or family so the kids have "built in friends" and thus are almost guaranteed to have a good time. You would also be able to switch off to watch eachother's kids if you want to to guarantee a bit of adult only time where you could enjoy the clubs, Palo, the spa, the hottubs, the pool or anything else you can think of.

Keep reading the boards, there's tons of information here on the cruise forum. Many people book the land and sea portions themselves so they can have broader options of dates, number of days, choices of resorts, and oftentimes better price. You can use a travel agent, too, and still book separately.

Make sure you order the DCL planning video, and try to catch the Travel Channel special on the DCL (which is how we got hooked). Have fun planning!

 

[depomas]

I would definitely do it.. We are doing #4 in September.. We are all hopelessly addicted..

I would agree and order the DVD, it will give you a great general idea, and see children of all ages...

Knock on wood..we have sailed 3 times, and have yet to encounter anything. THat does not mean it could happen, just that it has not!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In an environment such as a ship, germs really do not have many places to go, and as someone mentioned, the boat is cleaner than our homes. You always see someone cleaning, polishing, disenfecting, vacuuming...

So..I doubt you will see many no's on this board....I say GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mickeyboat]

Took DD's ages 3 and 4 last March. No sicknesses for us.

Your kids are at great ages, and a cruise is a great idea, there is something for everyone to enjoy!

Denae

 

[becky7953]

If you can afford to take the kids...... go for it!!!!! They will have a blast. They have childrens activities so you can have couple time.

 

[lbgraves]

I would recommend the 7 day to allow you & DH to have a more relaxing vacation. The parks just don't offer that. The older kids will probalby enjoy the clubs & if the 3 yo is PTd they can go to the OC.

 

[scrapperjill]

Your kids would love it...They are at that perfect age..and there is soooo much for everyone to do aboard..including you and your husband. I'd also second the 7 night cruise...to give everyone more relaxing time.

As for the illnessess...Frequent hand washing is a must...I think most of the germs spread onboard could be cut down if more people washed their hands more offten. You may also think of getting some of the mini bottles of Purell or the little single pack wipes to keep with you when a sink is'nt handy or even if a sink is handy...products like Purell have been shown to work better at killing germs than washing with soap and water alone

Anytime you pack that many people in a small area (not that the ship is small by anymeans...but it does have alot of people onboard) you'll get diffrent bugs popping up. The % of people getting ill onboard is probley not much diffrent than of board...but you've got a more defined area to keep track of all the illnesses....Did that make any sence? But again....Hand washing is your first line of defense.

 

[Hanover]

You certainly won't regret it....We went on a 4 day (after a week at the parks) in February with our two son's- one that turned 4 on the cruise and one that is 7. They loved every single second of it, and we are anxiously awaiting another, longer DCL cruise. There is so much for everyone to do and enjoy. We usually go to the parks 2 to 3 times a year, but after experiencing our first DCL cruise and enjoying it so much, we are only going to hit one or two parks and go on a longer cruise.
As for sickness....DCL was great about having children wash their hands after checking in the kid's club. They also had purrell at the entrance to the buffet lines. The staff was also constantly cleaning everything every day.
Go and have fun!

 

[aprilgail2]

I would do it providing the 3 year old is potty trained. Without them potty trained things are limited for them...no pool..only that small ear with a fountain in it which is fine for 18 month old kids but 3 year olds are bored...plus they see that big pool next to them and its hard to keep them in the ear. They can't be left at the OC by them selves, they can only play there if you are with them plus you would have to pay for flounders reef for them to have someplace to stay-and the only thing for bigger kids to do there is watch TV...the toys are mainly geared for the under 2 set. So as long as they are potty trained I would go for it!

 

[txaggie94gigem]

By sick...did you mean seasick???

There are a couple threads on this board about different things to try to reduce seasickness. We used Bonine this last cruise and none of us got sick, even with bad weather and big waves the first night. Most people on the cruise do not have a problem with it, and most that do get better after a day or so when they get their "sea legs".

I highly recommend the cruise. We were going to take our kids to Disneyland this summer for the big anniversary celebration but they begged us to go on another cruise instead so we will be taking a 7day cruise in October.

You kids will really love the cruise...they are the perfect ages!

 

[donaldsgal]

we (my sister and i) did a land and sea package in 2001 in March, the 8th - 15th. That's when you're considering going, right? Here are my thoughts...

The weather was delightful in March. We did three days at the Beach Club. The parks weren't busy at all. Not too many rides were on the rehab schedule at that time. The only major one I remember not getting to ride (due to breaking down) was POTC in MK. In the mornings we usually wore a sweatshirt but took it off about 11 or 12. The temps were usually in the 70s.

We then took the Disney shuttle to PC. Got to watch a video on the cruise on the way there in cushioned seats (more room than other busses from waht I remember), ac, and tinted windows to keep from getting a pre-cruise sunburn! Got there around 1 or so I think. Had room 6080 on deck 6. Great room. We had a day at sea, Nassau, Freeport, and CC. The weather was great. It didn't rain once. The weather was in the high 70s - low 80s. Beautiful. Our snorkeling excursion at Freeport was cancelled due to murky water from recent storms, so we stayed on the ship all day. That was fun!

The only night I got seasick was the first night as we crossed the Gulf Channel. I was surprised because I don't get sick in cars or anything, but it was just a constant, mild case of queasiness. That lasted about 3 or 4 hours and for me it was just uncomfortable, not unbearable.

Anyways, this Sept is our first 7-day cruise. For me, a vacation would be boring if all I did was sunbathe or read books on the deck. I like having things to do, so I love the shore excursions and ship activities. I think, no matter the destination, any vacation can be relaxing.

The one thing I haven't read anyone mention is that, if you are taking 5 people, you WILL have to reserve two staterooms. From allearsnet.com's Magical Disney Cruise Guide...

"The least expensive cabin price will be available when the booking for that sailing is first announced. As time goes by and the ship begins to fill, the price begins to rise. When booking a Disney Cruise, the first two people, regardless of age will pay the adult fare. Then, the others in your cabin will pay their fare depending on their age. So, if an adult and a child cruise, they will both pay adult fares. Note that for DCL, they consider children over age 12 to be adults for fare purposes. Unfortunately, most of the staterooms have been designed for families of three or four. If your family has five
or six, you are required to book a stateroom of no less than category 4, a family suite with a veranda.

TIP: For a family of five on most cruise dates you will find it is less expensive to book two inside category 11 staterooms, two deluxe inside category 10 staterooms, or two deluxe outside category 9 staterooms when compared to the price of booking ONE category 4 stateroom. If you don’t have your heart set on the balcony that comes with the category 4 staterooms, you’ll find you will have much more room in booking two lesser level staterooms. We recommend booking connecting category 10 or category 9 staterooms for a family of 5 – then your staterooms will have an interior door between the two rooms (the category 11 staterooms can be next to each other but not with a connecting interior door). Category 10 and above Staterooms also get the
“split bathroom”. Disney requires one adult be on each room’s reservation, but once you are on the ship you can sleep in the two rooms as you wish (2 adults in one room, 3 kids in the connecting room next to it if you wish).

Also, Disney is firm on the “4 people to a stateroom” requirement regardless of the age of the 5th person. If you have 4 people in your family and an infant as the 5th person, Disney will not let you book a stateroom for four even if you think you can fit 5 in the room with no problem. In this way the cruise is different than rooms at a Disney World resort (where you can have 4 people and an infant in a room designed for four)."

Just something else to keep in mind regarding taking 5 people on a cruise. The land-and-sea is a great way to get introduced to cruising, but be warned - you will probably face a condition upon return called "I've-Got-to-do-a-7-day-cruise-as-soon-as-possible!"

Jenny

 

[lovin'Mickey]

WOW.... This has really been helpful!!!! It seems as though all of you took the short trip then just had to have a longer trip. It is amazing to think that it could be that good of a time......yet all of you love it! I hope our first one is as great as all of yours have been! Thanks for the idea of 2 rooms I never even knew I could do that. The online ressie automatically puts me in a bigger more expensive room. Which brings me to another question..... who do you normally book these thru... travel agent? yourself? online?
thanks

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks for the idea of 2 rooms I never even knew I could do that. The online ressie automatically puts me in a bigger more expensive room.

Yes, online that's what happens. From what I've seen it turns a lot of people with larger families off to the DCL because it appears so expensive that way. A friend of mine has a family of 6 and online her cruise priced up to $10K in a suite. She said forget it. I called DCL directly for her and got her into two Cat 10 adjoining rooms for four thousand less. (I don't think you can get adjoining Cat 11's). Call them directly to inquire 888-325-2500. You can also save a lot of money going on an "off week". Check www.allseastravel.com for easy pricing.

Which brings me to another question..... who do you normally book these thru... travel agent? yourself? online?
thanks

There is an "early booking" savings so the earlier you book, the lower the price is - it goes up as more people book. You have to put a deposit for each person in your room, but the balance isn't due until 60 days before sail date. The deposit is refundable if you cancel before the 60 day window (however if you book through a TA there might be a cancellation fee per person). Doing it this way gives you the time and motivation to save the rest of the $$ if you book a good time in advance.

Many people on the boards either book through a TA, or book directly through DCL themselves and then transfer the reservation over to a TA -which often saves a significant amount of money (getting the TA group rate). I haven't had good luck with the latter, but we did book our upcoming cruise while we were onboard last time saving 10% off the price and getting a $200 onboard credit.

Good luck but beware: if you go ahead with this you might just get hooked like the rest of us here!!

 

[3DAN]

We took a seven day cruise in March last year. Yes, we are addicted now. It was almost enought to actually get relaxed. We are scheduled to go on the 14 day westbound cruise in May and then on the DVC cruise in Sept(4day). Although we have a suite in May, from now on , I will get the less expensive rooms. We have a cat 6 in Sept.
We have always dealt with DCL directly for our cruises, but I agree, you can do better with the travel agents. The only down side is that you must deal with them for all questions. Not DCL. It seems to not be much of a problem for the people doing this and I am SURE that you WILL save $$$$$.
Bill