OT: Atlantis, Universal or cruise?

[bellebud]

my 40th bday is coming in the spring, right around easter break (how convenient!) We've done disney about 9 times in the past 4 years, so dh and kids are sort of disneyed-out (the nerve!) So i'm trying to plan our easter vacation trip, which will also be my bday trip.

I'm not wanting to take dd8 and ds6 out of school, so i'd like to do easter break, which ours is always the thursday/friday before easter and the week after (catholic school). I figured Universal, with staying on-site for front of the line pass, would be a good alternative to disney, and we were supposed to go for dd's 8th bday which just passed, but had to cancel last minute because of a death in dh's family. (we haven't done universal yet). The easter thing will make it more crowded, but with front of the line pass, i've read it's really a non-issue. we can sleep late and get to the parks whenever. we'd probably do sea world too, since we never seem to get there during our disney trips. I'm thinking hard rock or portifino, conceirge w/ either so we don't have to worry about food as much. I actually already paid for our universal passes online for the trip we were going to take, so the tickets are waiting there for us to pick them up whenever we get there.

OR i was thinking of a cruise... we're in NY. so either flying to Fl for a disney cruise, or cruising out of NY or NJ, which would be nice, as dh HATES flying. I'm a little nervous about a cruise w/ ds... he's a major, major, major climber, and even though he's 6yo and sort of listens, i think i'd be nervous anytime we were outside on the cruise. I definitely wouldn't get a cabin w/ a balcony. and we're not into the kids club thing... our vacations are precious family time, so we wouldn't want the kids going off to the clubs for any major amounts of time. but of course the cruises look so nice, and the kids think going on a cruise ship would be super duper cool.

then there's the Atlantis... all i read is over-priced food, sometimes yucky rooms, sometimes nice rooms, but gorgeous no matter what. DS is an avid little fisherman, so he'd be absolutely floored w/ all the marine life there. and we'd rent a charter fishing boat for a day, swim w/ dolphins, snorkle, etc. I think the experiences the kids would have there would be fantastic. I'm a little concerned about late March and the weather there though... could be a little chilly? And ds is 47", and a lot of the water stuff is 48". even though he may be 48" then, I hate to have him *just* at the height, for safety reasons and for fear of them saying he's not the height. I'm thinking we could wait another year for him to be older, and maybe when easter is in april to have a better chance of good weather, because I see that as being a one time trip.

I feel like my concerns about the cruise are just me being neurotic. But people fall/get thrown overboard, don't they? I sound insane, I'm well aware! I googled cruise ship crimes, and pretty much swore off cruises. But then i'll read a wonderful trip report on the cruise board and think i want to do it. Believe me, it's no fun being this nutty!

We're doing an Outer Banks beachhouse trip w/ my family in the end of june, and doing a lake fishing trip in august, so we don't 'need' a beach or fishing on this vacation. ok, now i'm leaning towards universal. boy, how i wish disney could offer something like the front of the line thing... i don't think i could do another major holiday at disney. only off season trips there.

any thoughts? tia!!

 

[fofinia]

I vote for Atlantis! but that is a selfish vote because I'm DYING to go there. I've been promised it for like 4 years and we have yet to go. No first hand experience just want to go.

As far as Universal. Front of the line is awesome. You don't feel a bit sorry going past the regular line at the end of the day when you see the line an hour plus! And the Portofino Bay hotel is gorgeous. The pool is beautiful. And hopefully March you would be able to use it. My kids are younger than yours but I did find the ride choices a little limiting at Universal, in comparison to Disney of course! But overall very fun. We are staying at Hard Rock in Jan for 1st time so not sure about that one.

I haven't cruised with kids. But we did before hand. And the only thing I know is if I ever take another one, I will make sure I like all of the onboard ship activities. The shows and food are awesome. But we were traveling alone and my DH is not a sit in the sun kind of person. So we were always roaming looking for fun stuff to do. We ended up playing shuffleboard. (It was pretty fun) and then I stayed up on deck relaxing and reading one time and I found DH later at an auction of Disney art (no we weren't on the Disney cruise) and he spent $1000 on it! (Newly married, not really looking to spend that kind of money on that!) So I would definitely make sure for us there was more stuff to do onboard for those at sea days!

Good luck with your choices! I know I didn't really help. Sorry!

 

[Sophie_2003]

Cruise...but with kids it has to be Disney or Carnival. I prefer Carnival's rates

kids activities are great and grown-ups have a casino on Carnival...of course Disney is Disney!

We're the opposite...DH is all "cruised-out" and we're starting our Disney trend!

 

[earthfaries]

We have been doing Disney and cruises the last 4 years. The kids love both. We always go on Holland America, and they do have one out of New York. We like it because it is a little more luxurious and quiet, and they do have a great kids program my oldest son just loved called Club HAL. It's not like a babysitting kid drop off service like Carnival's kids club, HAL's only goes a couple of times for a couple of hours a day. We loved our HAL cruises. My mom likes Carnival too, the last 4 she went on were Carnival, but we have never tried them. We like good food and service, something Carnival was lacking in I heard from my mom, but they do have a lot more to do if you are into doing a lot of clubbing and stuff.
You could go to Atlantis and cruise all in one trip if you cruise out of Fl. on a ship with a stop in Nassau. We did that on one of our cruises. They take you there for the day.
Universal and Sea World would also be fun, we also have never done that. Only Disney when in Orlando!!! One of these years we will squeeze it in.
Good luck deciding. Whatever you do you will have fun I am sure

 

[Darcy03231]

The weather in the Bahamas in March can be iffy. I've been several times and we've had both sunny & warm and cold & rainy. We toured the Atlantis facilities while we there and I thought it was awesome. I have a friend that spent a week there with his three kids and they had a blast! He did spend $10,000 though - which is a little too pricey for me.

If you cruise from NY keep in mind that the first day or two and the last day or two will be cold! If you decide on a cruise I would fly to Florida and cruise out of one of the Florida ports. I've cruised with my kids and they love it! We prefer Carnival or RCCL.

I just spent two weeks in Orlando this summer and six days were spent at US/IOA. My kids loved it so much we're planning to go back next year and stay on-site. Our age group ran from 75 (my mom) to 3.5 (my niece) and everyone had a great time. Since you already have the tickets for US/IOA I think I would choose this option.

 

[JMCDAD]

bellebud

I am also from NY, and agree with you on the kidclub thing, not my idea of a family vacation either

Just wanted to chime in on Universal. We went for the first time in July. We stayed at the HRH. The whole family loved it !!!!

The FOTL is the best thing ever, you just show up and start going on rides, hardly any waiting at all, if we liked it alot we went on 2 or 3 times!! . Not to mention walking to the parks
I was also pleasantly surprised with the staff, they were really great.

We will be going back, probably once the Harry Potter stuff is up and runniing

We also enjoyed SeaWorld,but be prepared, that was our most exhausting day of our trip, it is much more spread out than I anticipated, it was of course hot, and the layout just plain confused me

We have never been on a cruise, although I am thinking about it, never been to ATLANTIS either, but it does look cool but very expensive.

Be glad to try and answer any other questions you have
Enjoy

 

[MACLEODCINDY]

I have been on many cruise & I can tell you that the railing are very high. You have to be doing what you are not supposed to be doing "Climbing" on the rail in order to fall overboard. Of everyone that I have ever heard of "falling" overboard they were drunk when the event happened & playing on the rails at the same time. Their own fault not the cruise lines.
I think you guys should do a Disney Cruise. They are wonderful. My daughter was 6 when we took her in 2006 & we are going again in 2008. They are expensive but well worth the money. They do a Priates In the Caribbean party out on deck where the Priates take over the ship until Mickey Mouse comes & saves us & then they shoot off a huge fireworks display. This is really wonderful. I hated to get off the ship. The whole 5 deck is nothing but the kids area. The shows are top notch & Disney private island Castaway Cay is breathtaking.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Depending on your budget, I'd choose a Disney Cruise based on your kids' ages. You can take an excursion to Atlantis or rent a room at the Comfort Inn Paradise Island to use the Atlantis facilities for the day. The railings are very high on Disney, and the verandah doors are hard to open. My DD4 has been on Disney twice and Holland America once. With HA, she would run out onto the balcony and into my DSIL's room. With Disney, she couldn't get the door open.

My kids are not big kids club kids. The good thing about Disney is that the shows and activities are great for the whole family. On Holland America, the shows were not interesting to my kids, and the kids clubs were boring. They spent a lot of time in a not-very-interesting pool on Holland America, while Disney offers the Mickey pool with a slide and movies at the Goofy pool. The girls still had lots of fun on Holland America, but food, service, and family activities were far better on Disney. Check out the Cruise board to find out more!

Easter week will be very expensive on DCL. If you want to spend less money, I'd vote for onsite at Universal.

Best of both worlds - a four day Disney Cruise followed by three days at Universal!

 

[nessz79]

We went to Atlantis for our Honeymoon years ago (1999)...the weather was gorgeous. The ocean was a little cold for our taste, but there were people from the North/Europe in that water like it was nothing.

So probably the weather there at that time wouldn't be a problem. Atlantis is expensive, but NICE. We hope to go back there one day when we can afford it. When we went for our Honeymoon, we had a deal on the Beach tower as it was undergoing refurbishment or something.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Universal is fun, but a short trip. I've only been to the one park and you can do it in two days easily.

Atlantis is beautiful, but VERY expensive. During some months there is a minimun rental of 2 days at Comfort Inn. I've been told it is no longer there though.

Disney Cruise is awesome!!!! There is SO much to do! The kids didn't want to leave the kids club. I prefer the Disney Cruise because there is no casino. I think it is a better atmosphere when bringing children. We rented a room at the Atlantis when in port so we could have full privileges there. I would do it again. This is a good alternative to disney lovers who need a little something different from time to time.

 

[bumbershoot]

Cruise TO Atlantis and get a daypass through the cruiseline, or there are other ways to get a full day pass (on cruise critic dot com I read that the next door hotel actually gives you Atlantis privileges, so many people check in and check out at the same time, but get all those day's privileges).



The people who fall off ships aren't kids, they are adults who are doing things they shouldn't be doing.

 

[Michigan]

If you plan on a cruise for the spring of 08 you might already be out of luck.
But I would vote for the cruise. My girls love Princess Cruise Line kids programs.

 

[2Kds2K9]

I would look into a cruise. They are safe and a wonderful family vacation. Your kids can participate in the Kids Clubs if they choose. Mom and Dad might like a little alone time. We've done several with our kids and they love cruising. There are a lot of different activities OR you can just be lazy. Our preference is Royal Carribbean. Very family oriented, but not as expensive as Disney Cruises.

Since your kids are on the young side, I would not suggest Universal. It's not Disney. I say that because Disney is very "G" rated and Universal can be a bit scarry for kids that age. Our DS was 9 when we went and had the pants scared off him a few times! Just my opinion.

I've never done Atlantis, but friends have. Yes, it's very expensive! We recently priced it out and with airfare it was going to be a bit more than $4,000 for the four of us for 5 days!

Whatever you choose, enjoy!

Leigh

 

[LynnTH]

We are taking our kids on a Carnival Cruise for Easter Break. The will be 9 and 6 at the time. I have been on 5 cruises and DH has been on 3. This will be the kids first cruise. We let them decide on going back to WDW or going on a cruise. They both chose the cruise and are so excited.

I pretty much have the excursions planned for the islands we stop at. Lots of beach time since the kids are with. They could live in the water. But, they are also excited about going to the kids clubs and from what I've read - many times the kids are having so much fun they don't want to leave the kids center. So, we will do some of both and see what happens and what they like and what they don't. My DD is just so excited that she can eat whatever she wants and it is free...

My vote is for a cruise. I would love to do Disney Cruise, but will not pay those prices. It was about 3 times the cost to do Disney compared to the Carnival Ship we are going on (and we are going on a new ship).

 

[In Luv with Disney]

I vote Atlantis...but that's because I have timeshare there and have been there 5 times! I LOVE IT!!!!! It is an AMAZING vacation and it doesn't have to be too expensive. You can rent 1 or 2 bedroom villas from people who have timeshare there and are renting them out! Various web sites (including ebay and myresortnetwork.com) have weeks listed. You will get more room for LESS money!

Any questions on Atlantis, just ask!

 

[bellebud]

I vote Atlantis...but that's because I have timeshare there and have been there 5 times! I LOVE IT!!!!! It is an AMAZING vacation and it doesn't have to be too expensive. You can rent 1 or 2 bedroom villas from people who have timeshare there and are renting them out! Various web sites (including ebay and myresortnetwork.com) have weeks listed. You will get more room for LESS money!

Any questions on Atlantis, just ask!

thanks to everyone for their replies... a question about atlantis villas... do you have to 'shuttle' over to the atlantis from there? I can see dh hating that if it's the case. i know it's the same property, but i think i've read it's so huge and the way it's laid out, you have to shuttle. I'm also concerned about the 48" height thing for my ds (he's 47") for some slides. AND the weather in late march is a concern, which is when our easter break is. I looked at easter break for 09 and it's in mid april, which i think would be much better weather for the bahamas (then ds will be taller too). what do you think?

 

[Gillian]

I always vote cruise!

The weather in March should be no problem anywhere. I've visited Orlando/Tampa the first week in March several times and it's quite warm, even at night. I think you'll find it's beautiful in the Bahamas then.

Atlantis or a cruise will cost more than Universal/Sea World, if that's a concern. Cruises in March are pricey, especially Disney.

 

[alloyd1170]

Ive been to Atlantis twice. If you go with the package meal plans, the food shock isnt as bad. It is still way over priced for what you get though. Same goes for souvenirs. Re: rooms, if you dont like it, complain. For our 1st anniversary I had booked a beach view room and we didnt get that. I complained and we were "upgraded" to the next tower, but overlooked the parking lot. Another complaint got us moved to what we reserved. The 2nd trip we were told we got an upgrade, and the room was nice. The place is huge, and the marine life is awesome (Im a scuba instructor too). We never left the grounds once we got there.

Word of caution as others have mentioned-the weather in the spring can be iffy. We were there in Feb. and it was cold! The pools were not heated either, so very few people were swimming. The slides are awesome though. I cant wait to go back with our kids (both times I went I was pregnant with each of them, so I didnt get to do the slides). They have since added stuff since we were there last too-dolphin swim, etc.

As for Universal, cant comment as Ive never been to the one in Orlando, but I imagine over Easter, crowds will be high. We love cruising and usually go over Christmas break. Both our kids first cruised at 1 yrs old. My son is now old enough for the kids club and he loved it. We hardly saw him while on board, and he even wanted to go vs going ashore one day. Weve only done Royal Caribbean with them and love it. A Disney cruise is in the planning for next year though.

 

[cruizie]

I vote for cruise! Even with vacation being family time for you, the kids clubs are great as are the shows, etc. We haven't done a Disney cruise but have cruised Carnival, Royal and NCL. Honestly, the people falling overboard, etc. - I just really don't understand this. I think that you would have to work really hard to fall overboard.

We went to Atlantis in Aug. We did it while on a cruise so we were just there for the day. We rented a room at Comfort Suites which gives you full access to Atlantis. I loved Atlantis but my dh complained the entire time about the cost, etc. I had done a bunch of research but there turned out to be hidden costs & staying at CS was not as convenient as I had read (lots and lots of walking, carrying our stuff). However, I think I saw a travel website w/ an Atlantis deal but I don't know the dates or anything, think zoo. As far as the rides go, my dd5 is only 42" and she had plenty of rides to do. She couldn't do the big water slides, etc. but she had tons of fun on the little slides. Of course, she does not have an older sibling that could go on them while she couldn't. And yes, the food is quite expensive!

I am sure whatever you decide you will have a great time!

 

[In Luv with Disney]

thanks to everyone for their replies... a question about atlantis villas... do you have to 'shuttle' over to the atlantis from there? I can see dh hating that if it's the case. i know it's the same property, but i think i've read it's so huge and the way it's laid out, you have to shuttle. I'm also concerned about the 48" height thing for my ds (he's 47") for some slides. AND the weather in late march is a concern, which is when our easter break is. I looked at easter break for 09 and it's in mid april, which i think would be much better weather for the bahamas (then ds will be taller too). what do you think?

Well, the whole resort is HUGE. You can walk the whole thing (like I always do). But there are shuttles running from early in the morning until midnight or later that run every 5 minutes (not kidding!) that take you all over Atlantis property! Every time we walked out, ready to walk to one of the other towers, a shuttle would pull up! So of course, we just hopped on! It is REALLY convenient and make the resort seem not as spread out..if that makes sense. My DS is 46 inches, almost 47 inches. The slides there are HUGE...I wouldn't let him go on them yet anyway. Just know, there are other areas where your DS CAN go. Including some new ones!

From the Harborside villas, you just walk through Marina Village to get to the Royal or Coral Towers. It's SUCH a nice walk! There are some great shops and restaurants in Marina Village, too.

I have never been in March...we have been in Jan/Feb and though the weather was warm during the day, it was chilly at night. We definitely needed a sweater. And the beach was closed the whole week due to HIGH TIDE. I think that was a fluke, but it CAN happen. We usually go in May and it's the IDEAL time to go, IMHO!

Any other questions, just ask!