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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

For anyone considering a cruise with the kids check this out

21 replies

bigspender30 · 04/08/2008 12:50

www.cruises.co.uk/cruise-guides/kids-club/?utm_source=Eblast010808&utm_medium=KidsP%26O

It details each cruise line and the facilities they have for each age group.

OP posts:

Original poster

bigspender30 · 04/08/2008 12:51

www.cruises.co.uk/cruise-guides/kids-club/?utmsource=Eblast010808&utmmedium=KidsP%26O

OP posts:

whooosh · 04/08/2008 12:55

Has anybody been on a cruise with small kids?

RealityGap · 04/08/2008 20:15

yes

we went on a P&O cruise on the Oriana earlier this year - we took DS 5 DD almost 4 and our 20 month old - they all had a fantastic time and the elder 2 keep asking when can we go back on?

EyeballsintheSky · 04/08/2008 20:20

We went on the QM2 last summer with a 5 year old and a 20 month old and they had a brilliant time. Older one went to all the children's activities and little one had the run of the ship. Was a crossing to New York not a cruise though so we weren't stopping off places. It was just 6 days straight. Will probably do it again next year when dd is over the minimum age.

2point4kids · 04/08/2008 20:22

Very silly question coming up...

i love the idea of cruises but get horribly sea sick on ferries. I presume that you dont get that problem on a cruise ship as its so much bigger.. is that true?

poshtottie · 04/08/2008 20:57

2point4kids, its all weather dependent. If crossing the atlantic it may not be as calm as say the caribbean.

Nappyzoneneedsanewname · 04/08/2008 20:59

Whats stopping them runnign of the side? another stupid question....

EyeballsintheSky · 05/08/2008 09:01

2point4kids, I can only tell you my experience...

I get sea sick reading the cruise brochure, honestly. I can't bear ships/ferries/rowing boats/ducks in the bath. So I went on the QM2?! No choice, my dad booked it for the whole family. I was 20 weeks pregnant at the time so couldn't take anything to help. In fact, DH went down to the doctor to ask if there was anything they could do and when the doc asked whether I got sea sick generally he then said something along the lines of 'what the hell is she doing on a liner then?'

I spent 75% of the time in my cabin lying down and watching tv. But you know, I'd go on it again tomorrow. My dad is thinking of doing the same thing next year. I'll just make sure I'm not pregnant because there are injections etc you can have. I just couldn't then.

Nappy, they're not allowed free reign on the ship and the doors to the deck are so heavy that it's difficult enough for an adult to open them, let alone a child. We had a 20 month old with us and it was absolutely fine. Just keep a tight grip on their hands.

EyeballsintheSky · 05/08/2008 09:05

Oh and my mother is not a great sailor and she didn't get sick at all so the size of the ship does help and weather, as poshtottie said.

Nappyzoneneedsanewname · 05/08/2008 14:12

oh no its sure fire we would end up on the news - maybe when they are 15 at least and are proficient at raft building....

Original poster

bigspender30 · 05/08/2008 14:39

I think some people are more prone to seasickness than others. I have been on 2 cruises and had it on both but only for one night when it was really rough.

OP posts:

nannyL · 10/08/2008 22:23

have done 4 cruises with a little girl aged 2, 3, 4, and 5
On P&O (2 auroram 2 Oceana)

you cant fall off the side.... even if you were trying to jump into the sea i think you would find it extreamy difficult.

Even when it is rough it isnt actually that rough aboard if you see what i mean?

the ships have stablilers and most of the time you dont know you are moving at all... even the drinks in glasses dont ripple. (i have never done transatlantic though, but have done norway, baltic and carribean)

ONE time for about an hour the decks were closed because apparently it was too rough and dangerouse but even then it was still ver flat inside.... you just occasionaly might hold the hand rail to steady yourself.

That is ONE day in over 9 weeks of being on a cruise ship!

Cruises are great IMO

(as for the heacvy doors to the deck, on board Oceana (and i cant remember about Aurora) lots of the doors were automatic so a child could go through.... but you really could NOT fall over board

unfitmummy · 07/09/2008 08:27

we would absolutely love to do a cruise next year but have looked into doing a 2 week cruise on independance of the seas (Royal caribbean) out of southamton in june round the med and because we will have a 4 year old (on a sofa bed) and a 10month old (in a cot) we have been told we need a junior suite. this means the cruise ends up costing about £7,000.00!! just not feasible. if it was about £4,000.00 we could do it. anyone able to help me out with other cruises which would be good for kids and much cheaper?

Podrick · 07/09/2008 08:46

I would certainly be worried over the safety of younger children - on the cruise I have just done they certainly could fall over board.

marbeth · 07/09/2008 14:24

Hi unfit mummy

Have a look at P and O.Cruised 4 times and they are excellant.There is a night nursery for under 5 open from 18.00 till 2.00am.

SamJohnsMum · 16/09/2008 19:39

I think P&O are excellent and you couldn't fall overboard on one of their ships. I hope we can take our DS on one - one day in the future when we have money again!

We have also crusied with Carnival - rather American but definitely kid-friendly. Also, if you're a Disney fan and think you can handle being completely Disney-fied for a week then their own cruise line must be absolute heaven for kids. I can't deny I'd love to go, but then DH and I love Disney!!

motheroftwoboys · 18/09/2008 16:42

unfitmummy - look at one of the cruise discount websites or in the back on the Daily Mail on Saturdays. There are oodles of cheap deals. You would certainly get something cheaper than £7k! P and O offer free child places on a lot of their cruises and a normal 4 berth cabin would be plenty big enough for you. We did that on our first cruise when DSs were something like 8 and 7. Wouldn't share with them now though. They are 17 and 16 and would be comingback at 3 or 4 in the morning! Cruises are brilliant for teenagers. Podrick - what cruises have you done where children could fall over board? The mind boggles!! I am with SamJohnsMum on that one. They could probably jump over board if they tried hard but likewise they could jump out of a tall building if they were so inclined.

M1SSUNDERSTOOD · 20/09/2008 23:02

We took our two DS (ages 4 and 2) at the time. I had the same inherent fears about falling overboard etc but it was fine. If you took them on holiday to a hotel with a balcony you wouldn't let them out without supervision. Ironically that it what I wished we had booked on the ship was a balcony as the childcare seemed to be limited and we all had to go to bed at the same time. A balcony would have been nice to sit on and have a drink.

b1uesky · 04/11/2008 23:23

Podrick,
if you're still interested try the P&O Ventura. It's a family cruise and a lot of the cabins will accommodate 4 people. We just booked a 7 nights cruise that cost £1,700 and that's for balcany stateroom for 2 adults and 1 child. If we added another child it we would only cost an extra £120. The cruise is actually cheaper than the 4 nights break we had in Centerparc last August, so I think it's really good value.
If you check out the P&O cruise site, you can get an online quote.

b1uesky · 04/11/2008 23:27

ops sorry my post above was for unfitmummy.

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 04/11/2008 23:29

We went on the Oriana when dd was nearly 2. We all had a fab time. We had a very rough crossing of the Bay of Biscay, which made me very nervous but not actually sea-sick (I'm not the greatest silor).

I'd second the suggestion of checking out the discount sites/bureaus.

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