Is a Carnival Cruise as fun for kids as a Disney Cruise?

Question

I have a 10 year old son and he loved the Disney Cruise but he was 7 when we took it. We are thinking of taking a Carnival Cruise this year and they seem to have quite a few activities for the 10-12 year old set. For some reason, I just don't see Disney having the same appeal for him now.

Answer 1

Two years ago I took my 12 year old daughter on a Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas.

I would really like to recommend you do NOT take your 10 year old on a Carnival Cruise. 99% of the guests on Carnival cruises are there for one thing - DRINKING. What I experienced throughout the cruise was drunk people, rude and obnoxious. There were minimal activities for kids. The pools were very small and overcrowded. My daughter did not have a very good time.

I was told by experienced "cruisers" to try the other cruise lines. I failed to heel the warnings that Carnival is the drinker's cruise ship. They were absolutely right.

I would highly recommend Disney Cruises. You can't go wrong there with your kids. Next time I'm going to try Norwegien or the other ones.

Answer 2

Only if you like your kid to participate in wet t-shirt parties.  Carnival is for the wild bunch.

Answer 3

i am 13 years old, and i LOVE disney cruises....we go on them EVERY year....carnival cruises are terrible for kids...we go on 2 cruises every year (since i was 2), and carnival was the worst.....its just a big party boat.....ppl r drunk 24/7, and wherever u r in the ship all u hear is noises all night....i strongly recommend not going on one....my 2 favorites are the disney ships and celebrity cruises....if u have any questions, dont hesitiate to email me at [e-mail] or just send me a message!! hops this helps ; ]

Answer 4

We take our two boys on Carnival cruises every year, and they have a great time.  I have not been on Disney, but I do know that they are significantly more expensive than Carnival.  We have not had any problems.  We have not had any of the mythical problems with drunks who are just there to drink and party.  Sure, people are there on vacation, and have fun.  However, I have yet to see one drunk on the ship who was causing problems.  I am sure it happens, but we have not encountered it.  It must be an isolated problem.  

The activities are well planned, and the children can participate or not participate as they want to.  All I know is that I cannot keep them away from the 24 hour pizza and ice cream.  And they love the dining room.  We would not consider another cruise line.

Answer 5

I have taken my now 11 and 13 years old sons on a family vacation with Carnival twice and have another in Sept, and they had a great time, Camp Carnival is full of different things to do and there is always something to do, they even enjoyed the towel folding demonstration that is for the adult but the kids are welcome to join in to.

Answer 6

i would not recommend going on a carnival cruise because of the drinking. I would recommend NCL. norwegian cruise line. i went on the majesty last week and it was so fun. email me at [e-mail] and i will tell you about it

Answer 7

I just came back from a Mediterranean on the Disney Cruise Ship "Magic".  It was a wonderful time.

The Cruise director outlined several changes they made on the ship that they said will be incorporated into future sailings all over the world to keep kids busy from time you get up till the late evening, including teenagers and young adults.

On the other hand, Carnival seems to be the blunt of many bad press releases, reader comments, etc.  

You can go to the www.cruisecritic.com web site and check out comments on your Cruise line and ship.  Do the research and plan well.

Good Luck.

Answer 8

I have done both. While Carnival does offer actvities for children it is nothing compared to Disney. I would not feel comfortable leaving my child for a few hours at a time on Carnival but I feel safe with Disney.

I think he will still love the Disney Cruise. Especially at the moment with a lot of things themed around Pirates of the Caribbean. Hey I am 31 and I loved it.