Hi Tara,
If you're looking for the most family-friendly cruise line out there - look no further than Disney! In my opinion they have set the standard for family cruising.
I will admit that it took me a few cruises before I was ready to leave my children alone in the programs. I would join them in the activities, and was very impressed by how everything was run like a well oiled machine. Before long the kids decided they wanted to stay on there own, and it was a little bittersweet for me - but a testament as to how fantastic the program and staff were.
You could always play it by ear, stay with them the first day and see how it goes. Then if you child is comfortable, allow them to participate on their own. One of the nice things is that you can stop by any time to check in, and the children are able to have you paged to come get them at any time (they are not required to stay).
If you are planning on cruising at their current ages, your 5-year old would be eligible to participate in the
Oceaneer Club and
Oceaneer Lab, while you would need to reserve space in
Flounders Reef Nursery for your 2-year old. However, your 2-year old will be welcome to participate in any of the activities in the Oceaneer programming as long as you accompany him.
As for deals - well you typically will get the best deal by booking early. Otherwise the deals tend to be of the last-minute variety. Keep an eye out at
HERE for the latest specials.