We had 2 sea days
before disembarking for any ports. Basically we spent the day
going up and down 7 flights of stairs to eat, and 10 flights of stairs
to deliver or pick up the kids from camp carnival, which they
loved. We chose to use the stairs because with as much as you eat
on a cruise ship, it is a good source of exercise to burn calories, and
I did come home without having gained any weight (not sure about Zach
though!) The elevators can also be awfully crowded and slow, and often
you can get there faster by foot. Zach and Gabby's days were
filled with scavenger hunts and games. Ethan and Alisa filled
with themes (pirate, jungle, bunny) and activities to go along with the
themes (games, painting, coloring. Alisa came out of her shell
for the most part, except for one night she just didn't want to go. I
suspect she wasn't feeling well, as the seas were pretty strong that
night, with 7-10 foot swells and high winds.
Kids viewing the aft of the ship. White speck on horizon is another cruise ship.
She adored being called 'sweetie, princess, cutie' by all the staff the entire cruise. I suspect that a lot of them are missing their own kids, as they work 6-10 months before taking a break. Dylan's days were spent insisting that he could climb up and down the stairs himself (yes, sometimes all 10 floors!) running around deck, watching the water go by, or just wandering the ship.
Dylan and his love of stairs
I worried about him for dinner, as it is a 2 hour affair and at home he usually eats for about 10 minutes before saying "All done!" He did get impatient, but we were able to distract him and keep him happy. The kids got so many compliments on their behavior, undoubtedly some of which by people who go on cruises to get away from kids, and we were told more often than not that we had a beautiful family. I highly recommend a cruise if you need an ego boost in any way (unless of course your kids aren't likely to be called beautiful or well behaved!) :-)
Formal night on the ship
Galveston's temperature was in the mid-60's, and our first sea day was around 70º, but windy. Not many people sunning on deck or using the pools. The whole way to Jamaica, Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas was closely behind us and it was fun to keep tabs on it. Especially at night when her lights were all lit up. I kept thinking that if we hit an iceberg (yes, in the Caribbean Sea!) we'd have a ship close on hand to pick us up (all 5000 of us!) The biggest hardship was keep tabs on Dylan, who just wanted to roam, while I just wanted to lay on a beach chair. Mark was so good about letting me rest while he wandered around. I suspect that he enjoyed it more too, however. I do think cruises are more fun for kids who are over 2, who can utilize the ship's children's program (Though I believe Disney takes younger kids.) All in All the sea days were very relaxing.
Dylan relaxing on deck
Kids viewing the aft of the ship. White speck on horizon is another cruise ship.
She adored being called 'sweetie, princess, cutie' by all the staff the entire cruise. I suspect that a lot of them are missing their own kids, as they work 6-10 months before taking a break. Dylan's days were spent insisting that he could climb up and down the stairs himself (yes, sometimes all 10 floors!) running around deck, watching the water go by, or just wandering the ship.
Dylan and his love of stairs
I worried about him for dinner, as it is a 2 hour affair and at home he usually eats for about 10 minutes before saying "All done!" He did get impatient, but we were able to distract him and keep him happy. The kids got so many compliments on their behavior, undoubtedly some of which by people who go on cruises to get away from kids, and we were told more often than not that we had a beautiful family. I highly recommend a cruise if you need an ego boost in any way (unless of course your kids aren't likely to be called beautiful or well behaved!) :-)
Formal night on the ship
Galveston's temperature was in the mid-60's, and our first sea day was around 70º, but windy. Not many people sunning on deck or using the pools. The whole way to Jamaica, Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas was closely behind us and it was fun to keep tabs on it. Especially at night when her lights were all lit up. I kept thinking that if we hit an iceberg (yes, in the Caribbean Sea!) we'd have a ship close on hand to pick us up (all 5000 of us!) The biggest hardship was keep tabs on Dylan, who just wanted to roam, while I just wanted to lay on a beach chair. Mark was so good about letting me rest while he wandered around. I suspect that he enjoyed it more too, however. I do think cruises are more fun for kids who are over 2, who can utilize the ship's children's program (Though I believe Disney takes younger kids.) All in All the sea days were very relaxing.
Dylan relaxing on deck