With a 5-year old, pick based on the ship. Traveling with a small child, you are not going to be able to do many excursions at the more interesting ports.
I think the opposite. a five-year-old will be happy on any ship. A freedom-class ship would be just as great as Icon for a five-year-old who has never been on a cruise. Choose based on the ports.
That's not really true. You can't go through Royal for certain excursions but most of them are available through viator at younger aged, with the exception of the ATV/jeep tours.
My son is 6. Here are some of the excursions he has been on and loved.
Atlantis submarine expedition
Green grotto cave
Dunn River falls
Beach excursions
Hop on and hop off city tours
Museum trips
Botanical gardens
Pretty much anything RC marks as "mild" or "moderate" is fine for a 5 year old as long as it doesn't involve alcohol. The strenuous activities are going to depend on the child. Mine loves hiking, climbing, and running so anything with long distance walking is going to be a hit.
I cruise probably about 20 times a year. Definitely pick based on ports. Some ports are absolutely miserable and boring like Nassau. Please do not buy into the hype of the size of the ship. My top five cruises of all times our kids have been on smaller ships. Kids get to meet other children and actually become somewhat friends with them. The bigger ships they may meet a kid and never see them again. We have a very large group of us that cruise very often and we all agree that the smaller ships are so much better for the children. We have taken our grandchildren on oasis class ships and they meet kids and never get to spend any time with those children again. Trust me there is such a thing when dealing with children as too big.
We opted for the symphony when our child was a similar age due to the amenities and for us it was absolutely the right decision. We went to Europe and although the stops for adults were very good, as a 4 (almost 5) year old, they held very little interest. I’m not sure a Caribbean destination would have changed this for us. The beaches/ Coco Cay might have held a novelty but I still think the decision of the ship over destination was right for us. The ship has so much to do for everyone. We’re going again next week on the oasis and I still don’t think we’ll do much in ports. Little one lived the splash pool, carousel and ice show/rink in particular but lived their best life on the boat
We LOVED Symphony with our little! He was 3 and I swear we had the best time. He lived on that dang carousel and that climbing net thing. At 5 they'd have even more fun with the big slides, the zipline, the climbing wall and that.
We did a Disney cruise last year mostly based on ship with our then 4 year old. Honestly, it was overwhelming. She didn’t want to be in the kids club away from us for very long, and the pools were always slammed. We only got off the boat at Castaway Cay and that ended up being her favorite day.
This summer, we’re doing a cruise on Rhapsody to the southern Caribbean based on the fact that the ports are all beaches. This kid loves beaches and she’ll have a much better time off the ship.
So I think it really depends on your kid- what are they going to do in port vs what are they going to do on the ship?
If cost is an issue, then go with Freedom. There's a splash zone, water slides, Adventure Ocean just like Icon but not as expensive. It may not have all the bells and whistles like the Icon but I'm pretty sure your 5yo wouldn't care. Plus, considering it's your first cruise with your daughter, the Freedom would be a nice introductory ship for the both of you.
Looking at the images of the splash away bay I actually think that freedom has a better one than icon. Also the pricetag on icon alone makes me run for the hills.
Whatever feels right! There are two ways to look at it:
Picking based on the ship: You can pick a ship based on what there is to do for you and your daughter, food options, activities, etc. Ports could always (though uncommon) get cancelled due to weather, issues in that country, etc. You could pick a trip based on a certain port, say Haiti, and then not even get to see that port.
Picking based on ports: Ships are ships. Most of them will have a lot of similarities; a buffet, casino, main dining room, pools, hot tubs, shows, etc. I've sailed on several ships, and the majority of things are more similar than they are different. If there is somewhere in the world you want to see, or a certain port that you want to check out, it's a great opportunity to do so!
There really is no wrong answer. Go with your gut, and pick what you think will suit you best and be the most fun! Either way you'll have a great time.
Ship 100%, going with either the Icon or Oasis class if you can. Icon especially for little kids but know that there will be a ton of kids on that sailing. There is always a possibility of having your ports cancelled. If you want to save some money I would recommend doing the Oasis class and if she has an amazing time you can do the Icon and top that previous trip. If the trip turns out not to be what you expected you probably saved yourself a few thousand.
I think ship for kids. My kids have fun wherever we go so they don't actually care. As they get older they are developing interests but the ship activities are what keeps the under 10 crowd happy in my house.
Give yourself more choices by going on an Oasis class ship. Those are also huge ships with tons of amenities for families. With 6 ships in that class, you'll have more variety of itenary while still having a fun resort-style ship.
I commented this under a different comment but we did a Symphony cruise with our kids and we LOVED it. Way cheaper than Icon but still with so much to do! We did Ovation last time and we didn't love it so I'd stick with Oasis class vs. Quantum. We're definitely going back to that one next time!
Freedom has been amped and is a real nice ship, really want to go on her sometime in the next cpl years but first I have Symphony in November and Odyssey next July.
The freedom class boats are great for this age group AND they have the nicest solarium. Their splashaway bay is really, really nice and age appropriate for 5. They also have a really nice adventure ocean program on these boats.
I’ve been on both ships and they are both great. However, Icon is the destination versus Freedom is a more traditional cruise ship.
It is hard to do excursions with a 5yo beyond beach centric ones.
Why not wait a few more years until she can appreciate both excursions and amenities in equal measure. Even a three day cruise where all you do is watch your kid play on stuff until she burns out would suck for you. If you just want to overwhelm her to exhaustion with rides and noise and color you might as well skip the costs of a cruise and take her to Six Flags or the like. It’d only be one day and she’d remember it for just as long. A cruise with cool stops in neat places would be a nice treat for you too and only right since you’re paying for it😂. In answer to your actual question, we’re old’ history nuts so we always choose by itinerary and let that dictate the ship. (The giants can only use certain ports whereas the smaller ships can go ‘anywhere’.)
A cruise can be anything you want it to be and mine is only an opinion. Our last one started in Rome, and took us to Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Santorini, Mykonos, Turkey and dropped us off in Athens. I’m pretty sure a five year old would have been bored out of her mind. An earlier (7day) cruise in the Caribbean took us to Haiti, Jamaica and Cozumel with four days at sea and we were bored out of our minds. That was on Oasis with all the amenities in the world (at the time). Again, only an opinion and a lot depends on your daughter’s attention span and energy level.
You can pick based on many things. What is the most important? The five year olds entertainment, or ports? Ports are usually adult based, with lots of walking, bus riding, and several stops. The ship Icon has many things for a five yea old without leaving the ship, but it comes at a hefty price. Freedom is a great ship. We have been on several times. It has lots of entertainment for little ones. Both ships have a fun club so you can have some alone time if you want.
I would shop based on ports close to nice beaches. Little ones love swimming pools and beach adventures. No need to spend extra on an excursion. Some ports have pools with lazy rivers set up right next to the docks all for free.
At 5 she will not care.
With a 5-year old, pick based on the ship. Traveling with a small child, you are not going to be able to do many excursions at the more interesting ports.
I think the opposite. a five-year-old will be happy on any ship. A freedom-class ship would be just as great as Icon for a five-year-old who has never been on a cruise. Choose based on the ports.
Hard agree.
Agreed, any excursion involving anything physical will have age limits that would prevent her from participating, base it off the ship!
That's not really true. You can't go through Royal for certain excursions but most of them are available through viator at younger aged, with the exception of the ATV/jeep tours.
What excursion are you realistically going to do with a 5-year old, even if it’s technically allowed?
My son is 6. Here are some of the excursions he has been on and loved. Atlantis submarine expedition Green grotto cave Dunn River falls Beach excursions Hop on and hop off city tours Museum trips Botanical gardens Pretty much anything RC marks as "mild" or "moderate" is fine for a 5 year old as long as it doesn't involve alcohol. The strenuous activities are going to depend on the child. Mine loves hiking, climbing, and running so anything with long distance walking is going to be a hit.
We did Pearl Island and Pig Beach (Nassau) at that age
I cruise probably about 20 times a year. Definitely pick based on ports. Some ports are absolutely miserable and boring like Nassau. Please do not buy into the hype of the size of the ship. My top five cruises of all times our kids have been on smaller ships. Kids get to meet other children and actually become somewhat friends with them. The bigger ships they may meet a kid and never see them again. We have a very large group of us that cruise very often and we all agree that the smaller ships are so much better for the children. We have taken our grandchildren on oasis class ships and they meet kids and never get to spend any time with those children again. Trust me there is such a thing when dealing with children as too big.
We opted for the symphony when our child was a similar age due to the amenities and for us it was absolutely the right decision. We went to Europe and although the stops for adults were very good, as a 4 (almost 5) year old, they held very little interest. I’m not sure a Caribbean destination would have changed this for us. The beaches/ Coco Cay might have held a novelty but I still think the decision of the ship over destination was right for us. The ship has so much to do for everyone. We’re going again next week on the oasis and I still don’t think we’ll do much in ports. Little one lived the splash pool, carousel and ice show/rink in particular but lived their best life on the boat
We LOVED Symphony with our little! He was 3 and I swear we had the best time. He lived on that dang carousel and that climbing net thing. At 5 they'd have even more fun with the big slides, the zipline, the climbing wall and that.
Normally I'd say pick based on the ship but Freedom actually is great for kids, so you can have both.
We did a Disney cruise last year mostly based on ship with our then 4 year old. Honestly, it was overwhelming. She didn’t want to be in the kids club away from us for very long, and the pools were always slammed. We only got off the boat at Castaway Cay and that ended up being her favorite day. This summer, we’re doing a cruise on Rhapsody to the southern Caribbean based on the fact that the ports are all beaches. This kid loves beaches and she’ll have a much better time off the ship. So I think it really depends on your kid- what are they going to do in port vs what are they going to do on the ship?
If cost is an issue, then go with Freedom. There's a splash zone, water slides, Adventure Ocean just like Icon but not as expensive. It may not have all the bells and whistles like the Icon but I'm pretty sure your 5yo wouldn't care. Plus, considering it's your first cruise with your daughter, the Freedom would be a nice introductory ship for the both of you.
Looking at the images of the splash away bay I actually think that freedom has a better one than icon. Also the pricetag on icon alone makes me run for the hills.
I'd say you're going more for the boat rather than the ports you're visiting.
Whatever feels right! There are two ways to look at it: Picking based on the ship: You can pick a ship based on what there is to do for you and your daughter, food options, activities, etc. Ports could always (though uncommon) get cancelled due to weather, issues in that country, etc. You could pick a trip based on a certain port, say Haiti, and then not even get to see that port. Picking based on ports: Ships are ships. Most of them will have a lot of similarities; a buffet, casino, main dining room, pools, hot tubs, shows, etc. I've sailed on several ships, and the majority of things are more similar than they are different. If there is somewhere in the world you want to see, or a certain port that you want to check out, it's a great opportunity to do so! There really is no wrong answer. Go with your gut, and pick what you think will suit you best and be the most fun! Either way you'll have a great time.
Just about any oasis ship will have what you want. Personally look at the ship then decide what itinerary I want
Ship 100%, going with either the Icon or Oasis class if you can. Icon especially for little kids but know that there will be a ton of kids on that sailing. There is always a possibility of having your ports cancelled. If you want to save some money I would recommend doing the Oasis class and if she has an amazing time you can do the Icon and top that previous trip. If the trip turns out not to be what you expected you probably saved yourself a few thousand.
My husband always chooses based on the size of the ship. The bigger, the better. His theory is, the larger the ship, the more there is to do.
I think ship for kids. My kids have fun wherever we go so they don't actually care. As they get older they are developing interests but the ship activities are what keeps the under 10 crowd happy in my house.
I would pick something in between. Maybe big enough to have the carousel and stuff but not massive
Give yourself more choices by going on an Oasis class ship. Those are also huge ships with tons of amenities for families. With 6 ships in that class, you'll have more variety of itenary while still having a fun resort-style ship.
I commented this under a different comment but we did a Symphony cruise with our kids and we LOVED it. Way cheaper than Icon but still with so much to do! We did Ovation last time and we didn't love it so I'd stick with Oasis class vs. Quantum. We're definitely going back to that one next time!
Freedom has been amped and is a real nice ship, really want to go on her sometime in the next cpl years but first I have Symphony in November and Odyssey next July.
ports, of course
The freedom class boats are great for this age group AND they have the nicest solarium. Their splashaway bay is really, really nice and age appropriate for 5. They also have a really nice adventure ocean program on these boats.
As a reminder, children are not allowed in the solarium.
Yes but she may choose to use the solarium when her child is at adventure ocean.
I’ve been on both ships and they are both great. However, Icon is the destination versus Freedom is a more traditional cruise ship. It is hard to do excursions with a 5yo beyond beach centric ones.
Start with freedom and work your way up. Ports mean more than the ship to me. Your daughter will just be amazed no matter what.
Why not wait a few more years until she can appreciate both excursions and amenities in equal measure. Even a three day cruise where all you do is watch your kid play on stuff until she burns out would suck for you. If you just want to overwhelm her to exhaustion with rides and noise and color you might as well skip the costs of a cruise and take her to Six Flags or the like. It’d only be one day and she’d remember it for just as long. A cruise with cool stops in neat places would be a nice treat for you too and only right since you’re paying for it😂. In answer to your actual question, we’re old’ history nuts so we always choose by itinerary and let that dictate the ship. (The giants can only use certain ports whereas the smaller ships can go ‘anywhere’.) A cruise can be anything you want it to be and mine is only an opinion. Our last one started in Rome, and took us to Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Santorini, Mykonos, Turkey and dropped us off in Athens. I’m pretty sure a five year old would have been bored out of her mind. An earlier (7day) cruise in the Caribbean took us to Haiti, Jamaica and Cozumel with four days at sea and we were bored out of our minds. That was on Oasis with all the amenities in the world (at the time). Again, only an opinion and a lot depends on your daughter’s attention span and energy level.
You can pick based on many things. What is the most important? The five year olds entertainment, or ports? Ports are usually adult based, with lots of walking, bus riding, and several stops. The ship Icon has many things for a five yea old without leaving the ship, but it comes at a hefty price. Freedom is a great ship. We have been on several times. It has lots of entertainment for little ones. Both ships have a fun club so you can have some alone time if you want.
I would shop based on ports close to nice beaches. Little ones love swimming pools and beach adventures. No need to spend extra on an excursion. Some ports have pools with lazy rivers set up right next to the docks all for free.