Is Royal Caribbean as Kid-Friendly as Disney Cruise Line?
From magical theming to character meet and greets, Disney Cruise Line is wonderful for families with kids. However, if you’re considering branching out for new adventures, how does Royal Caribbean compare to Disney Cruise Line in terms of offerings for kids?
Kids Clubs
Just like Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean offers kids clubs for different age groups. The youngest cruisers (6 to 36 months) can join the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery for $9 to $12 per hour while kids 3 to 12 can enjoy the complimentary activities in the Adventure Ocean youth programs, such as arts and crafts, dance parties, experiments in the Adventure Science Lab, sports, video games, and more. Adventure Ocean is broken down into 3 different groups:
- Aquanauts for 3 to 5 year olds
- Explorers for 6 to 8 year olds
- Voyagers for 9 to 12 year olds
Teens ages 13 to 17 also get their own private spaces to enjoy music, movies, video games, and karaoke.
Things to Do
Even if your child isn’t interested in the kids clubs, there is still so much to do on the ship! In addition to the pools and splash pads, you’ll find playgrounds, mini golf, arcades, and basketball courts. Older kids may also enjoy rock climbing, surfing on the Flowrider surf simulator, ziplining, or sliding down the Ultimate Abyss. Oasis and Icon class ships also feature carousels in their Boardwalk or Surfside areas. While on board, check the Royal Caribbean app for more activities such as laser tag, ice skating, archery, face painting, steel drums, or family scavenger hunts.
Dining
Traveling with a picky eater? Not to worry because there is truly something for everyone on board! Both the main dining room and the buffet at Windjammer have favorites like pancakes, cereal, eggs, pasta, mac and cheese, hamburgers, and chicken fingers. You can also get pizza at Sorrento’s or tacos at El Loco Fresh, which is always helpful for a quick bite when the main dining room and buffet are closed between meals. For a treat, don’t forget to stop by Sprinkles for some ice cream!
Perfect Day at CocoCay
If you’re accustomed to stopping at Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay with Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay also offers lots of fun for kids. For young kids, Harbor Beach is perfect with shallow, calm water and plenty of sand for building sandcastles. It’s also close to the ship, so you won’t have to walk far to get to or from the beach.
Beyond enjoying time at the beautiful beach, little ones will love the spraying fountains and slides at Splashaway Bay as well as the slides and water cannons at Captain Jill’s Galleon. Thrill seekers can also check out the wave pool, water slides, and Adventure Pool Bounce at Thrill Waterpark.
Use your DVC points to pay for a Royal Caribbean cruise! Rent out your points through DVC Rental Store’s Swap Program and put the proceeds towards the cost of your cruise.
