A Cruise Vacation with Kids! What do you want to know?

SMALL. There’s no hiding the fact that most of the junior suites and staterooms are small but efficiently laid out. Go for a balcony room if you can. Most deals can be found with the smaller rooms and even better with inside rooms with no windows. Depending on what you plan on doing, the rooms with no view may suit you fine – if you’re going to party on and stay out for most of the time. But with young kids, you definitely need at least a window or balcony. We lucked out on a good deal on an Owner’s Suite on the Adventure of the Seas that was the perfect space for the four of us and the most spacious we’ve been in yet. Our first cruise was on the Serenade of the Seas and the room was TINY. It had a hideaway bed that magically appeared from the ceiling which our older kid loved..but he’s much bigger now.

RCI has plenty to see and do on board and with on land excursions. Our ship had a 9 hole mini-putt course, inline roller skating, rock climbing, basketball court, running track, several pool areas including a water slide for kids, full gym, skating rink, movie theatre,games room, casino, spa,shopping zone, art gallery, night club, entertainment theatre, yoga, acupunture, karaoke, arcade and the Adventure Ocean kids club from toddlers to pre-teens. And this isn’t the largest ship of the RCI Fleet! With thousands of people on board you will never get bored or feel like there’s no space. Activities and shows are planned throughout the day and night to keep you entertained. Excursions run aplenty at each port of call. You can opt to enroll in their recommended daily trips OR simply venture on your own by hiring a local cab. There’s also the “activities” crew that do everything from pool volleyball tournaments, scavenger hunts, music trivia, organizing cooking demonstrations, scrapbooking to bingo. I just wondered if this energetic team ever slept?!

It amazed me one morning that we were having breakfast in the dining room. Four of us at a table and no one else in our dining room but 5 wait staff ensuring we had everything we asked for or anticipated for. Even before we set foot on the cruise we had already received emails from the staff. Yes! This is affordable luxury! RCI takes their guest services very seriously.  The same person cleans your room each day (twice) and it’s damn clean! The dining room staff remembers your likes and dislikes (coke from a can / I don’t like baked potatoes / the kid need ketchup but don’t give the older kid a kid’s menu, thanks). By the way, it’s so interesting to speak with the staff on an individual basis. Most of them have a service duty of 7 months and then a 2 months break to go home and be with their families. I will never complain about my hubby being away for work again. 

My younger son and I get motion sickness easily. So, about half an hour before the ship leaves a port we take a Gravol (I take Dramamine-nondrowsy) and we’re good. I asked my doctor about the behind the ear patches and she didn’t recommend it. But you can also buy Seabands to wear that works for some. I didn’t find those effective. One trick is to have bread or crackers if you feel oozy. The oddest thing is feeling like the land is still moving after we return. That always seems to stay with me for a week after returning home.  Oh, and if you ever get sick on the ship,  there’s a great doctor on board. Always.

You may have heard people say they gain 5 pounds from a cruise. Um…I’m thinking that’s pretty accurate. The food is e-n-d-l-e-s-s when you’re on the ship. The fine dining is really good and the buffet offers even more choices. You can order in room service or if you are craving a sandwich, pizza or some sweets in the middle of the night – it’s all there. RCI makes great curries, believe it or not! My kids LOVE eating so I know that we get good value in not having to worry too much about food on a cruise. And damn that fro-yo is good! FYI Bar drinks and soft drinks are NOT included. 

There are duty free shops right on board the ship that included cosmetics, jewellery, and booze. There are lots of chotchkas for souvenirs. Note that as the days move on there are different sales that happen. But when the ship is docked at a port they are regulated to close on board duty free shops. At the shopping ports like St. Thomas and  Aruba you’ll find many high end brands at duty free and well worth it if you know your merchandise and prices ahead of time. Tiffany & Co is sold through Little Switzerland and prices are pretty much set throughout the ports but better than at buying at home. Make sure you do your research and if the price is too good to be true..you may be buying a fake. Those Coach purses at the market stall look good for $30? Don’t bother. They aren’t real. Go to the reputable stores to ensure authenticity. And by the way, they will give you a certificate of authenticity for jewellery. You’ll just have to figure out how to get it home with customs restrictions. St. Thomas had quite a few high end stores right near the ship’s dock. Including Gucci, Bulgari,  and Louis Vuitton. 

Ok…now here are some of the things WE did on this trip!

1. Mini-putt and ping-pong were MUST DO’s almost every night.

2. Captain’s Corner – a chance for anyone to ask the Captain anything. Older son went on his own without us realizing it as he’s fascinated with the cruise ship life. 

3. Scavenger Hunt – had teams running around the ship searching for specific items and vying for the coveted medals! We got bronze (and a gold for being the only team with children)!

4. St. Kitt’s Reggae Beach Bar at Cockel Shell Beach – we just took a local taxi to this little hotspot on the beach for the day. Rented 4 chairs/2 umbrellas($30) and stayed for 6 hours. Perfect spot with a great restaurant and pet pig named Wilbur! And wild monkeys are all over the island..kinda like our squirrels!