CMV launch child friendly itinraries

[annie, Glasgow]

Hi All

From cc:

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=7908

Would that be your 1st choice cruise line for a family cruise??

Annie

[ilovesunshine, east yorks]

I wouldn't choose to take a child on CMV. I think they would be very disappointed after experiencing all that RCI has to offer. I cant imagine other passenger would be very welcoming either.

[Wilba]

This line says it all for me............Because there are no specific children's facilities on board the ships, the line will tweak its entertainment and activities to be more family based."

In other words there is b****r all for kids, we just want your money............Wilba

[carol, welwyn garden city]

I guess if there are lots of port days and no sea days it might be ok to take children on.............................................Car ol

[Mrs M]

I'm going to be a bit controversial here and say not every family needs to have their children entertained by others every minute of the day.

We cruised for quite a few years on HAL with no actual children's facilities other than great youth leaders who organised swimming games/treasure hunts/craft activities/ film nights etc. for a couple of hours in the morning and then afternoon on sea days. A film was put on and activities arranged on whilst parents had dinner but our son was asleep in bed by then and didn't 'stay up' until he was eight or nine. In fact on our very first cruise, our son was one of only seven children on-board and the 'youth program' amounted to swimming lessons with table tennis and other deck games scaled down for them 2 hrs or so, again on a sea day.. He had a whale [sorry, it was Alaska] of a time. The itinerary helped and he was 'that little Brit boy' so he got a bit spoilt but there were no facilities for children, as such.
OK, some may say times were a little different over twenty five years ago and HAL brought in 'Club HAL' and rooms were made over strictly for the children, but I still know families who holiday in the traditional way and their children do not need entertaining other than family games etc.

Just maybe, this will appeal to those families who don't need the trappings of water chutes, dodgems and everything else RCI and the like, offer.

The children on Cunard have their own area but it's not at all as I imagine the large ships offerings.. They always seem to be having a marvellous time when we see them on their treasure hunts or on a march around the ship singing and chanting!!

[annie, Glasgow]

This line says it all for me............Because there are no specific children's facilities on board the ships, the line will tweak its entertainment and activities to be more family based."

In other words there is b****r all for kids, we just want your money............Wilba

The whole story suggests to me they may have an issue with selling cabins. Child fares do start at £99.

Annie

[Mrs M]

The whole story suggests to me they may have an issue with selling cabins. Child fares do start at £99.

Annie

Suggests to me they realise there's a market out there at certain times of the year, they haven't tapped into.

[Wilba]

Suggests to me they realise there's a market out there at certain times of the year, they haven't tapped into.

Mmmm! Clutching at straws seems more like it to me.

CMV offer a good product at a good price (providing you don't book early) but I feel kids of today are looking for the latest technology, and I can't see CMV delivering on that front.............Wilba

[Mrs M]

Mmmm! Clutching at straws seems more like it to me.

CMV offer a good product at a good price (providing you don't book early) but I feel kids of today are looking for the latest technology, and I can't see CMV delivering on that front.............Wilba

As I inferred, not every family requires technology at sea or on land for their entertainment in order to 'make' their holiday. My extended family is a prime example.

[Malcolm, Essex]

Most cruise lines can't resist trying to get a slice of the 'family' market. Even Olsen allow kids on selected cruises in the summer holidays.

[Cooke, Ashby]

We sailed with CMV once. We would not sail with them again with or without kids.

[andyn, Bucks]

Most cruise lines can't resist trying to get a slice of the 'family' market. Even Olsen allow kids on selected cruises in the summer holidays.

Olsen let kids on throughout the year.
We have had 2 great cruises on FO with our kids (ok admittedly teenagers) but like has been said earlier, you do not need all the clubs, toys and gadgets if you entertain yourself. CMV might do ok, depends on the itineraries and as they like FO are smaller ships they are usually a bit different. Don't know much about CMV as there 'no kids' policy meant they were never looked at
Even on PandO, NCL our kids hardly ever went near the kids club

[annie, Glasgow]

Olsen let kids on throughout the year.
We have had 2 great cruises on FO with our kids (ok admittedly teenagers) but like has been said earlier, you do not need all the clubs, toys and gadgets if you entertain yourself. CMV might do ok, depends on the itineraries and as they like FO are smaller ships they are usually a bit different. Don't know much about CMV as there 'no kids' policy meant they were never looked at
Even on PandO, NCL our kids hardly ever went near the kids club

I don't disagree with any of that.

Is it not ironic however at the time of the refit, CMV elected to strip out the children's club area and replace it with amongst other things a card room??

Cake and eat it comes to mind.

Annie

[Topdeck, London]

Try going and looking at the "kids facilities" on the new modern ships.

Room full of games machines.

Families peak season should get more money for the cabins if you can attract the families.

The key is deciding which family subsector you want to attract.

[Victoria, Aberystwyth]

I agree with Mrs M. Our girls were 11, 12 and 14 when we first cruised in 2010. Since then, they've been on 12 cruises and haven't once joined the kids clubs. They're happy enough with the general activities.