Thread: Which Line is Most Kid Friendly (-Disney)

We want to take our granddaughter on a cruise, but don't know which line is more kid friendly. Since we are going also, we have ruled out Disney (too young for us) and Holland (too old for us). Would love some input.

How old is your granddaughter and what sort of person is she? When do you plan on going, during the heights of kid season or more of an off time?

Personally I think for most kids RCL or Princess would be the best fit since there are lots of activities for kids and a great mix of ages. Of course, the kids program on Carnival is also very good. Not sure how you would handle Carnival, though!

Do you have an itinerary in mind?

I think which cruiseline does have a lot to do with the age of the child and how active. If you want your grandchild to be in the kids' program (which would be fun for most kids), some start at 2 and some at 3. Also whether the child is in diapers, pullups or fully trained. Older kids who are active may prefer the activities on RC like the rock climbing wall (which my girl may say she wants to try, but after five minutes on any wall, she has had her fill).

Disney is, of course, usually twice as much as other ships on the same itinerary (unless you and the kid are into Disney to make that worthwhile -- plus no casino...). Personally I can only take a day of Disneyland and that's it for a long time.

Patty, I could almost live at Epcot!

Carnival Cruise Line Carnival ships has fun places for children.

Hanna, you like Princess and RCCL. Both have good kid's programs.

Our younger daughter only wanted to take cruises on Princess because she liked their children and teen programs better than any other. Why do you think we've been on so many Princess cruises!

My grandchildren like Celebrity!

Lulu, your grand kids have taste!

Originally Posted by nealberk

Patty, I could almost live at Epcot!

I am with you on that one, Neal!

It really does depend on how old she is.

Having been on them all, there's no doubt that in a year or two we'll be taking our grandson on a Disney cruise. He's 3 now. But if they're too young, while they'll enjoy it, they won't quite appreciate it as much as if they're a couple of years older.

Quite frankly, Disney does kids better than anyone else. And it's so very special to see the little girls all dressed up in their favorite character costume and getting their pictures taken with their favorite character. And the shows are the best of all the cruise lines - I watched one show and there was a little girl about 5 sitting in front of us and I could see her expressions and the stage at the same time. To see the show through her eyes was absolutely precious!

As for 'too young' for us old timers, there are plenty of places on the ship and on the private island to get away from the kids.

We really loved our Disney cruise and will definitely do it again, only this time with our grandson. The only two things I didn't like about Disney was the price and the quality of food. The price is too high and the food is mediocre at best. Palo's, the specialty restaurant was good, but everything else left alot to be desired. The one thing we really appreciated is being able to bring our own booze onboard, including hard liquor and beer.

But if you're set against Disney, then I agree with others that RCCL and Princess would be a good compromise. RCCL has more amenities for families, but Princess has better food. With that said, the Oasis-class ships has an absolutely wonderful children's program - just need to pick a time when school is in session so it's not overly crowded with kids.

Hope that helps.

Pete

I really appreciate the responses. DGD is 12 going on 16

I should have mentioned that originally. From what I have seen on RC and Princess, they seemed ok. We will have to cruise either at Christmas or in the summer. Her dad is a schoolteacher and wouldn't approve of her missing any school.