What is your second choice cruise line for families with kids?

mrsgthatsme

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 21, 2011
We LOVE Disney cruises and are eagerly anticipating the one we have one planned for April 2020. However, the winter doldrums travel bug bit this week, and we are slightly considering trying to squeeze in another short cruise this spring/summer. We don't really want to pay Disney prices for this one, since we already have one on the books for next year, and although we know there will be some magic touches missing anywhere else, we are open to other lines. We have two kids, ages 12 and 9. They love cruising and enjoy the games and activities on Disney ships (not so much the big events like the deck parties, character events, etc..., but more like the smaller activities like arts and crafts, midship detective, movies, etc... on the sea days on DCL.) They love the pools and slides and the stage shows on DCL as well. We definitely want to avoid a cruise with a "party" feel to it... we are all a little more laid back and like quiet and relaxation. They also love Castaway Cay, so finding another line that has a port or private island with a somewhat similar feel would be ideal. (I do understand that there is nowhere else quite like CC. :) If you were choosing a second choice line for this type of family, what would it be? Also, what itineraries do you like for families with kids this age? Thanks so much!
 
We haven't sailed on anyone other than DCL, but my TA says Royal Caribbean is a close second (perhaps depending on the ship, as they have many in their fleet w/ varying amenities).
 
I went on Princess from ages of 11 through 18. Would definitely recommend them. Always had a lot of fun and went to the kids clubs on the ship. I’m 29 now and all those cruises are the reason I still love cruising now
 


I went on Princess from ages of 11 through 18. Would definitely recommend them. Always had a lot of fun and went to the kids clubs on the ship. I’m 29 now and all those cruises are the reason I still love cruising now
Are there things to do for kids that do not like to go to the kid's clubs?
 
If Disney MDR quality food is not essential to you, a large RCCL ship is certainly the way to go. You will have a younger crowd than on Celebrity or NCL and plenty to do. Look at vlogs on YouTube. They provide a good summary of how things work on other cruise lines. Choose a cruise that goes to Labadee. That’s the private island of RCCL in Haiti.
 
We LOVE Disney cruises and are eagerly anticipating the one we have one planned for April 2020. However, the winter doldrums travel bug bit this week, and we are slightly considering trying to squeeze in another short cruise this spring/summer. We don't really want to pay Disney prices for this one, since we already have one on the books for next year, and although we know there will be some magic touches missing anywhere else, we are open to other lines. We have two kids, ages 12 and 9. They love cruising and enjoy the games and activities on Disney ships (not so much the big events like the deck parties, character events, etc..., but more like the smaller activities like arts and crafts, midship detective, movies, etc... on the sea days on DCL.) They love the pools and slides and the stage shows on DCL as well. We definitely want to avoid a cruise with a "party" feel to it... we are all a little more laid back and like quiet and relaxation. They also love Castaway Cay, so finding another line that has a port or private island with a somewhat similar feel would be ideal. (I do understand that there is nowhere else quite like CC. :) If you were choosing a second choice line for this type of family, what would it be? Also, what itineraries do you like for families with kids this age? Thanks so much!
We have done RCCL, Carnival, and NCL in addition to DCL and we feel NCL wins for second place. Their prices are reasonable and they have very nice amenities. Their boats are very varied so definitely research each one before pulling the trigger.
 


Most cruise lines are much larger than DCL so it’s almost better to name a cruise line and class.
 
DH and have cruised a few other lines and plan to put Royal Caribbean back in our mix when our kids are a little bigger. We would consider it now, but feel like DCL wins with the little kids.
 
We sailed on the Oasis and had a blast. The kids clubs weren't as busy as Disney's but there was no shortage of stuff to do. My 8yo loved the sports deck. The rock wall was awesome. We tried a few different restaurants and we did hibachi one night which was sooo fun! My dh and older two kids did a sushi making class. I also like that my older teen could attend some of the comedy shows and such. Disney has such a strict 18 and over policy for some shows which really aren't risque at all. We also liked the beach day in Haiti.
 
We've done NCL, RCCL, MSC and Celebrity with kids. For our family, NCL is a close second to Disney. With the larger lines, I've found that the newer ships have a lot more to offer for families than the smaller, older ones.
 
We are booked on the Oasis 2 months before our DCL cruise this summer .. Don't ask how that happened. My gut feeling is my 13 yrs son is going to love the oasis tons more the Fantasy.. he has been on the Dream.
I notice his excitement more when watching oasis youtubes vs DCL. Granted he is very excited for our Fantasy trip, but the zip line, surf thing is exciting him more right now. Plus he likes the idea of being able to get a pizza at 2 am. at sorrentos... Disney only has room service late night. Though he did say he plans to set the alarm on the fantasy at 3am to order food. DD is all excited about ice skating.

My suggestion is really research the ships.... IMO kids want all the bells and whistles, things to do... and less on the sailing perspective.. Some dont want bells and whistles and simply want to sail and chill.

Our Oasis is June 13th from Rome, and afterwards I will probbably write a trip report here comparing DCL Dream to the Oasis for the tweens and young teens.. Or maybe I'll wait and do the comparision beg. of Sept after we get off the Fantasy.. The intineraries are different but has more to do with what kids do on the ship.
 
Are there things to do for kids that do not like to go to the kid's clubs?
I haven't been on them for 10 years so not really sure about the newer ships. I always found something to do. You could look at Norwegian, they have a lot of kid friendly activities around their ships. I haven't sailed with them yet, but want to in the future they look pretty awesome.
 
They love cruising and enjoy the games and activities on Disney ships (not so much the big events like the deck parties, character events, etc..., but more like the smaller activities like arts and crafts, midship detective, movies, etc... on the sea days on DCL.)

The smaller Norwegian ships have a lot of this. The bigger ones are like Royal's where it's much more active and adrenaline focused. Princess has some really neat classes for kids but we haven't tried them yet.
 
Ncl sometimes closes their clubs when they are too full. You will have to wait in a line outside the kids club for other children to leave. It is not fun. Our kids' favorite is Carnival.
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I am honestly nervous about trying another line since I worry it will feel like a significant step down in service and classiness. :( Most of the nicer, newer ships I have looked into aren't tons less than DCL and I am afraid one of the older, smaller ships on the other lines that seem to offer a significant price savings won't live up to our hopes. Thanks for your ideas... I will look into those!
 
We really enjoyed on NCL. I would chose them again but my son would revolt if he found out they didn't have Captain Hook.
 
We are Royal fans. If you are looking for a short cruise, Mariner would be a good choice. They've recently added waterslides, Sky Pad (virtual trampoline) and Laser Tag. It also has things like rock wall, mini golf and of course kids club and shows, activities, etc etc

Navigator is also currently getting refurbished. They are adding really neat waterslides (Disney-like), laser tag, and really neat pool area

Both do 3 and 4 nights.

If looking for longer cruise, then Oasis class is amazing. We've been on Allure and have Symphony coming up soon.

Our kids don't do kids clubs and have a blast...so much to do. But I've heard very good things . They are structured with activities at specific times . Your kids might be in different groups though as they split by ages.
 
DH says at some point we are going to stop taking grandchildren and go back to grown-up vacations :chat:. That said, I'll be looking into all these options. Pre-grandchildren we did a cruise on NCL Escape and MSC Divina. I did not feel either of these ships had anything significant for kids - I guess that's why we're back to DCL. I feel like next cruise with kids will be either Carnival or Royal.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!







Top