Best Caribbean cruise for small children in Jan?
 

What would be the best Caribbean cruise for small children, ages 3 & 4? We would like a good kids club (although we definitely don't plan to use it a lot), some shows that we could take the kids to, excursions that the kids would enjoy, and an overall kid friendly environment. Disney is the obvious choice but the prices are more than we want to spend on this trip. Carnival, NCL, and RC seem to have the best deals right now. Any specific ships that are good? Also, how do we fit four people in a stateroom? The cruises we've been on in the past have just had two twin beds in the room. It looks like you can book 4 people in one room but I'm not sure where they all sleep. Thanks!

On RCI, choose a Voyager class ship.

On CCL, choose a Miracle class ship unless you want to feel like a salmon swimming upstream all week (totally overcrowded and poorly laid out).

On NCL, stick with the new ships purposebuilt for Freestyle.

Carnival will have the largest cabins.

4 to a cabin usually means two pull down beds that fold back into ceiling unless you get a cabin with a sleeper sofa which is single bed size. Most twin beds can be put together to make a Queen bed. You will probably use the kids club days at sea. Most ships also have 'babysitting' as a slumber party up until a certain hour. They do not have babysitting available in your cabin. The shows are all "g" rated, usually singing and dancing and maybe a comic & magigian but not geared to little kids. With Carnival you want ships like the Legend, Glory, or thoses classes (forget which classes they are).NOT the older ships. Know RCCL also has good kid's program but don'know about NCL. Call our FANTASTIC TA and just ask her for Disney prices. She is always lower then any other TA. her prices may surprise you.Her name is Ann Stilson, her direct line is 888-800-1177. She only does repeat passengers and referrals so you must tell her Bonnie fron NC said to csll when she asks. Disney would be my choice for the age of your kids!

Our kids love the Carnival kids club. We've done one nice Carnival trip (the Spirit in Alaska) and one cheapie trip (Inspiration in Western Caribbean). The kids club and family activities were great on both and just having a couple hours per day of "grown-up" time with my husband really made our trip. We would never do the Inspiration again because of the age of the ship but I would do another Carnival cruise on one of the newer ships.

You could also consider Holland America and Princess. They are premium cruise lines, but have similar prices and higher quality than Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL, which are all mass market cruise lines. It would be similar to Target vs. Macy's. Holland America has smaller ships, around 2000 guests and Princess has primarily larger ships. Look at the newer ships when considering your cruise because they have the best amenities and quality. Both HAL and Princess have excellent children's programs year-round in the Caribbean.

Disney is a wonderful cruise line, but I always recommend booking early (12-18 months ahead) to get the best prices. It is an outstanding experience!

Best Regards,
Julia

Holland America and Princess are mass market lines also, and the comparison is far from Target vs. Macy's. Things are changing fast. I just returned from my second Carnival Conquest cruise and found that service and food have greatly improved and are on par with Princess now. Surely opinions are subjective but there was a large group of us who shared this opinion. A lot depends on restaurant and hotel directors. The ship itself is better than many Princess ships. I think it makes sense to compare ship vs. ship, not cruise line in general vs. other cruise line, as there is a big difference between old and new ships within the same cruise line.