OT - Family Cruise ?

[Jessd]

Hi!

I have a couples of questions. We are trying to plan a cruise for spring break in March. There are 5 of us, me, my DH, DS who will be 9, DS who will be 11 and DD who is only 1.

Does anyone recommend a particular cruise line for families?

We will have to pay full price for DD even though she is only 1 am I right?

We want to cruise from Texas and go down to the Western Caribbean.

Does anyone have any tips they can give me? We will be driving from CO to TX and have never been on a cruise before. Will a standard stateroom fit all of us? Does a cruise include your food and drinks? What are the hidden things that you have to pay for. The total for a 5 day cruise for the 5 of us is about 2700 and that includes prepaid gratuities.

I would appreciate any help you can give.

Thanks!!!

Jess

 

[DVCJEN]

Disney Cruise Line of course! It's a lttle bit more expensive but so worth the extra!
I know it doesn't sail from Texas but I would really encourage you to consider DCL.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

DCL doensn't sale out of texas--but they are the only cruise line that offers a reduced rate for infants and toddlers.

Other lines will charge whatever rate would be applied to your DD as part of your group as though she is an adult.

Most basic cabins on ships will not accomodate 5 people. So you might face either getting a "suite" cabin or getting side by side cabins.

 

[devotedchristian]

I second Disney Cruise Line! Taking DS September 06

 

[adisneymama]

I'm not sure what cruise lines go out of TX, but if RCCL does then I would suggest looking into them. I have not cruised their line yet, but have heard a lot of wonderful reports on them. Even some on the dis by people who have cruised DCL and RCCL. We cruised on DCL last November with our 2 yo and were very disappointed. We didn't let it ruin our vacation, but we won't be doing DCL anytime soon. Especially with the price difference. We have looked into RCCL based off of reviews and also because of the amenities on the ship. Seems to be more to our liking. Good luck and let us know what you choose.

 

[DVCJEN]

We have sailed RCCL too and enjoyed it- I would highly recomend it for adults but I will say that it is not nearly as "kid friendly" as DCL.

 

[adisneymama]

Wow, you are the first that I have seen say that! Most of the reviews I have read (along with those here on the dis) have said just the opposite. Said their kids loved the RCCL cruise line kids clubs better than DCL. They also said that the clubs were less crowded and seemed to be better organized.

Ok, now you have me curious. Which ship did you cruise on? The reviews I have read have been pertaining to the Mariner of the Seas and the ships in that line. Thanks!

 

[MandM-Mom]

We really enjoyed Norwegian Cruise Lines because of the Free Style Cruising/Dining. Being able to go to dinner at anytime rather than a set time was an excellent way to make sure DD was ready for dinner, pre-dinner naps, early dinner one night, late the next. Being able to choose was nice with little ones.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

I can only cast a vote for RCCL because we have sailed on their line twice. My sister (6 at the time) loved the kid's club. The food was better than DCL and even with the full price for the child, it may still be cheaper than DCL. With 5 people you will need 2 rooms or a suite, or you can call and see if they will make an exception for the infant (although, most will not consider 1yo an infant).

Also did Carnival one summer, but I feel that is more geared towards older kids - teens and 20s. Food was like DCL - nice but RCCL is so GREAT with the food. You don't need to book Palo's to get a super souffle (chocolate with vanilla/hazelnut cream - yum).

We did enjoy DCL as well though, and will be going back on Nov, but they do not cruise out of Texas.

Please let us know what you decide - enjoy!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I've been on Carnival and RCCL..and awaiting my first DCL with my kids!! I'd reccommend Carnival over RCCL, and if price is an issue. If not...go DISNEY!! This may be the only cruise I will ever take again, and my first for the kids..so I had to pay the extra

 

[HopperFan]

When the extended family was considering a big cruise reunion, I did lots of interviewing of all of my cruising friends. Disney was out because some family members wanted a casino. The common thread I got from all of them was that Royal Caribbean was the best all around for the families. They love lots of the lines, Princess, Holland and Norwegian but they all put it as their first choice for kids. Their last choice was Carnival because of the party atmosphere around the kids. Guess what the family chose.....Carnival because of price. We opted out and did not go.....and when they we returned, the stories I heard of the much underage cousins being served drinks validated my decision. I would suggest you 1) talk to cruisers in your area about the ships in your area (especially the ages of the ships and find out when they were last overhauled if they are older) and 2) find a travel agent who specializes in cruises, I know someone who was one and that was all she did, she also personally cruised them to see what they were like.

 

[cruiserkaren]

I have been on 9 cruises on 3 different lines. Norwegian Cruise Line would not charge you for your 1 year old. The only thing you pay would be taxes and port charges. We took DD last fall when she was 13 months and it was around $130. This was mainly the reason we chose NCL. I couldn't see paying $300+ dollars for her for a 5 day cruise. Norwegian also sails from Texas so that very well could be an option. Not sure what ship it is, but I know that lots of NCL ships have connecting staterooms that would work great for you. We had one last year connecting with my parents. We would put DD down for the night and then go over to their room and hang out on the balcony (with the connecting door open).

If you don't mind paying for DD, then Royal Caribbean would also be a choice. They sail from Texas. The cruises will most likely be comparable. The most notable difference would be the dining. Like a previous poster said on NCL, you get to pick when you want to have dinner and in what dining room. On RCCL you would have a set time to eat dinner. The flexibility may work better with the little one. Good luck in your planning. I LOVE cruising, but putting a hold on it until my DD gets older.

 

[JoyG]

Carnival's Elation sails out of Texas and sleeps 5 people in a stateroom in all categories. Several of Carnival's ships sleep 5, you might want to call them to find out which ones besides the Elation. 3rd, 4th, and 5th passengers are reduced fares. I believe you will have to pay for the infant.

I've been searching for a cruise for a family of 5 and we've narrowed down our choices to the Elation out of Galveston, Celebration out of Jacksonville or the Triumph out of NY or Miami.

 

[stacieps]

My family enjoys Carnival. We are doing our 3rd with them in November. Our kids (DD8 and DS 5) love Camp Carnival and only want to go on ships that have Camp Carnival (of course they haven't been on other cruise lines!).

A lot of Carnival ships will hold 5 in a room - you'll pay full price for passengers 1 and 2, then a lower rate for 3, 4, 5. For us, we can get a balcony cabin on a Carnival ship for less than the lowest priced inside on Disney - so we go with Carnival.

All food is included in price (including room service - you just need to tip) - unless you go to the "specialty" restaurant which is charged separately (we've never done this - the dining room experience is plenty for us). On Carnival - drinks like lemonade, iced tea, fruit punch are included (juices at breakfast) but you need to pay for soda. Excursions are where most money is spent, so it depends on what you are going to do. When I cruise without my family I can go the entire time without extra charges, with the family DH enjoys some drinks, the kids an occasional soda, and we usually will do an excursion in at least 1 port (in Nov we'll do privately booked excurions in 2 of 4 ports, the other 2 we'll just go out on our own shopping or whatever).

I've also cruised NCL and liked the Freestyle dining, but I don't think their kids program is up to the level of Carnival or RCCL.

There is a great site call cruisecritic that has separate message boards for each cruise line and ports of call. You can get some good information there.

 

[crisi]

One thing you may want to track is saltwater vs. freshwater pools. My kids really didn't like saltwater.

 

[Jessd]

Thanks for all the advice. I knew you guys would know the answer.

I think we are going to save up for the cruise and do the Disney land and sea package in 4 years. We are going to Disneyland and Magic Mountain in California in May next year instead. We can get our flight, hotel and car rental for the price the cruise would have come out to.

I have already started to have money deducted out of my check for the Disney vacation so that one is in the works. I just need to save the money for the Disneyland one now!

Thanks!!!

Jess

 

[cruzmouse]

I love all the advice..Does anyone know of a cruise line that provides child care for 18 mo old, I would love to cruise but would like to have atleast 1-2 meals without taming the toddler with cheerios. Also if toddler is in swim diaper, is he allowed in pool? Thanks for info....