Looking for help in planning a cruise

[travelgirl_0663]

Hello - I'm interested in planning a DCL for the first time. I have two young kids (boy & girl) ages 8 and 3. Would love if someone could recommend which cruise line, specific things to see, etc.,etc. Thinking of going on a 7 day cruise - is this too long? Appreciate any feedback.

Thanks!
Travelgirl

 

[phantom728]

I've not cruised on DCL before, but hear they are fantastic. We've done several cruises on Royal Caribbean and love it .

There is so much to see and do on the ships. If you are concerned at all about seasickness, then I would try a 4-5 day cruise, otherwise the longer the better . We've done the 7 day cruises and as an adult I think I would be better off with the 8-10 day cruise, however with kids 7 is probably the best.

One of the things I look at is how many stops the itinerary offers. Because I like to spend time on the ship exploring, I prefer a smaller itinerary of stops. Usually on a 7 night cruise, you have 4 stops (some offer 3). This would be the max I would do (prefer the 3 stop). This gives some recovery time on the ship after exploring the islands. Most stops are pretty close together, so something to consider with a little one.

I would also recommend the Western itinerary. We found that their are a larger variety of activities, versus the eastern which is geared more towards shopping (although there are some activities as well). It all depends on what you and your family like to do.

If you visit cruisecritic.com, they have a cruise discussion board which is extremely helpful, same as Disboards.

ENJOY

 

[Mousema]

We've been on 7 cruises. Big Red Boat (which doesn't exist now), Carnival and DCL. I highly recommend DCL. They are a little more expensive, but the treatment and the size of the cabins make a big difference. We've done 3, 4, and 7 and prefer the 7. We also like the Western a lot more than the Eastern. We've been cruising since my DS was 8.

 

[smahoney6]

You'll have so much fun!! Be sure to check on the dcl main webpage and follow their specific board- you'll get a lot of your questions answered...we've done 2 7 day cruises- the first when my kids were 3, 5, 7, and 8 and the most recent this summer (ages 5, 7, 9, and 10) we like cat 5 with the private veranda...we've done eastern and the double dip cruise and love the time on the boat most of all so with an exception to the 2 days at cc- we didn't care where we went!!

We're going again in 2008 so have fun planning ....

 

[DisneyFairy19]

I am as well trying to plan a DCL for my DF and my parents... We have not done it before and I hear that its amazing