Just booked my cruise today for my family of four. The cruise is set for January 2024.. 2 of my children are sailing free and i received an additional discount. By then i will have a 13, 11, 9 year old.. our first cruise. We definitely can't wait.. i have been binge watching your videos and taking notes!! You are greatly appreciated!!
Have your child wear a yellow (or bright green) shirt and/or hat when going on excursions. That way if you lose sight of them you'll be able to spot them a lot sooner.
I dont think i heard this one in the video, but one tip I highly recommend is if you have a baby or small toddler bring a carrier. I found this a better method of getting around with my baby on our cruises then using the stroller. If you carry them on you, you can easily take the stairs instead of waiting for an elevator. Also, if the ship is particularly busy it makes it easier to get around. We used the stroller mostly getting on and off the ship and walking around ports.
I agree! I brought a toddler carrier for my 2.5 yr old wnd glqd i did because he was going through an extra clingy phase precisely when we cruised 🙄 we brought an umbrelle stroller and he never sat in it because he would not let go of me so i was glad to have the carrier.
@5:20 To go along with the tip; Arrive 1 day early. You should get travel insurance. Yes, some credit cards offer this but be sure to read the fine print! When I travel I have a lawyer with me so you better bet that we read the fine print and I can't tell you how many times CC's have changed the travel insurance policy so I had to go out and get supplemental travel insurance. That insurance has saved me so much over the years from people getting sick or weather at airports result in flight delays that caused us to cancel somethings. When you spend $$$ on a cruise whats an extra 3% fee.
Great video! Makes me wish we had taken the kids sailing when they were smaller. Now that they are preteen and full blown teenagers, can you do a video on cruising with teenagers? My greatest fear is that we’ll get on the ship and they will turn their nose up at the “teen club” because they are too cool for that and try to join us on all the activities for adults. (Then we won’t get as fun of a vacation!) Need a video to help them understand how much better the cruising experience is for them if they take advantage of the age appropriate stuff and get the freedom to explore “on their own” with their peers (with a little bit of adult supervision) without their parents.
I have been watching a lot of your videos and they are a really great resource for my family of 5 with an 11, 10, and 5 year old. Looking to do our first cruise and get in on the kids sail FREE! Big money saver from what I have seen.
@@lonnaproctor9547 We have not gone yet, unfortunately we have had some unexpected medical bills and surgery come our way. We are optimistic about getting our first cruise in yet this year, but too early to tell. Our family is doing well, just things got set back a little sadly.
This video was very informative and insightful. Thank you! Hi. I'm planning a 5-7 day cruise for this June for our family of 5 out of FL. 3 children are ages 9, 7, and 1. Hoping to get a kids sail free deal. Any recommendations anyone?
Great video Matt, I didn’t know about booking two cabins, do you know how much more it would be to add another and if it’s possible to add it after I’ve already paid my reservation? Thanks
6:42 If you’re getting the UDP with the intention of eating at one or more specialty restaurants daily (which I do because I prefer to dine in smaller crowds and avoid buffet serving utensils), it’s not necessarily more expensive to buy the package for the kids as well-even though I just booked the trip last month I paid $76 for my child’s UDP on our April ‘23 7-night Oasis cruise, so I’m breaking even after dinner every night and one snack in Playmakers.
#37 is just what I needed! My youngest would be too young (barely) for an excursion I want to do with the older kids, so that would be a perfect solution for us!
I'm considering a RC cruise with my son. We've only done Carnival before. My son is 7 and autistic. He usually gets along better with the area for 5 ish year Olds. Carnival has been fantastic with my son but I want a elevated experience. Do you know how RC handles special needs? Generally my son has no special needs other than being at a maturity level 2 or 3 years younger and a super picky eater. I'm just looking for a comparison if you know?
Most of them do. There's just a few that dont, but I don't have a list. One easy way is to quickly look at the ship's deck plans for where Adventure Ocean is located and verify you see a nursery listed.
They will call the cabin and leave a voicemail if you aren't there. Parents of young children can also be given portable phones on a case by case basis.
I am going on a cruise Symphony of the Seas July 2024. One of my kids is autistic. Does Adventure Ocean take kids that are autistic? Does anyone here have any experience with Adventure Ocean and how they handle autistic children?
#13 Question - my kids are 12 & 8, I’ve taken your advice and not booked a dining package for them? Are you absolutely sure this works? As there isn’t any more availability to add them in now. We were planning on going to Chops, Wonderland and Izumi Hibachi
6:42 this one I don’t understand. Are the specialty restaurant prices for kids cheaper on board then online? Online it says $12,99 and there is a special running for $10,99
Thanks for this video it was so helpful. I need to send a email to get this list via pdf. I’m looking to book a cruise for my kids and I have a 1 years that’s going and need help tips and info on cruise with a toddler.. this was great! Thanks so much..
question: do they use lanyards? should I bring them for our 34 kids at our family reunion On Oasis? can they get them punched or do I need a pouch for the sea card?
Kinda tricky question but would help ease my brain for planning! Our cruise leaves March 4th and my toddler will turn 3 2 days into the cruise, will they keep her in the babies and tots or bump her up to the 3-5? Thanks to anyone who might know in advance!!
Anyone have a Voyager of the Seas cruise compass for its sailing out of San Juan for its southern Caribbean cruise it is currently running? Or Matt is there another way to reach out via your blog? The most recent one anyone shared was from October and I would love to get a taste of what’s in store for my family! Thank you for all your content!
Is a drink package recommended for kids? I purchased the refreshment package for 3 kids aged 8 13 and 16. Wondering if it's a waste of money. Any advice is welcomed!
I would NOT recommend a drink package for kids, or at least not for the 8 year old. If your teens drink a lot of soda, it could be worthwhile for them.
@Royal Caribbean Blog Thank you for the quick response! My kids don't drink any soda and I was going to get it for the fresh squeezed juice, tea, mocktails and smoothies. We're going on the 4/16 Eastern Carribean itinerary on the Oasis. I will take your advice and cancel if there are sufficient free refreshments.
Nope I'm not going to pay thousands of dollars to have my kids there at my tablet they're not even allowed to do that for more than about an hour or two a day at home that's if they behave and do their chores