Poll please help!

[Little Mermaid 35]

I am really conflicted on where to take our next vacation...I've changed my mind a million times and I'm driving myself crazy! Lol

Here are my options:

1. 7 day Eastern on the Fantasy: May 2019. Pros are that we save big time in air fare bc we can drive to port. We also love the Fantasy. Our 9th anniversary will during this trip. Cons are that it's expensive and our son will have to miss 5 days of school...he will be 7 and be in 2nd grade. Also we just cruised the Western on the Fantasy and have already experienced all of the shows. I booked this on opening day to lock in the price while I figure out what we're going to do.

2. 5 night Very Merrytime on the Magic from San Juan to Miami. November 30 2018. Pros are that it's a great price and we've never sailed on the Magic. I also love the itinerary with St. Kitts and Tortola. Cons are we'd have to pay for airfare and I'm concerned with the state of San Juan at the moment. My brother in law is a lineman working there and he said it's a disaster and could take years to get back to normal. My son would also have to miss 5 days for this one.

3. Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite. We'd book a cabin here for a week, rent a car and drive into the park and surrounding areas every day. Pros are Yosemite looks absolutely amazing and so does Tenaya. It's something different...we've never been to a national park out west and my son wouldn't have to miss school (we'd go during the summer 2019). Cons are airfare is super expensive (we live on the East coast) and it also looks like a lot of work driving into the park every day. We'd also have to factor in food cost and other things that aren't included like a cruise plus our car rental.

Help!! I need to make a decision and stick with it. I have to plan far ahead to be able to budget. We are going to NYC for my son's spring break in April and after that I have to start paying on this. Thanks for any advice/help!!

 

[Shanti]

I am really conflicted on where to take our next vacation...I've changed my mind a million times and I'm driving myself crazy! Lol

Here are my options:

1. 7 day Eastern on the Fantasy: May 2019. Pros are that we save big time in air fare bc we can drive to port. We also love the Fantasy. Our 9th anniversary will during this trip. Cons are that it's expensive and our son will have to miss 5 days of school. Also we just cruised the Western on the Fantasy and have already experienced all of the shows.

2. 5 night Very Merrytime on the Magic from San Juan to Miami. November 30 2018. Pros are that it's a great price and we've never sailed on the Magic. I also love the itinerary with St. Kitts and Tortola. Cons are we'd have to pay for airfare and I'm concerned with the state of San Juan at the moment. My brother in law is a lineman working there and he said it's a disaster and could take years to get back to normal.

3. Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite. We'd book a cabin here for a week, rent a car and drive into the park and surrounding areas every day. Pros are Yosemite looks absolutely amazing and so does Tenaya. It's something different...we've never been to a national park out west and my son wouldn't have to miss school (we'd go during the summer 2019). Cons are airfare is super expensive (we live on the East coast) and it also looks like a lot of work driving into the park every day. We'd also have to factor in food cost and other things that aren't included like a cruise plus our car rental.

Help!! I need to make a decision and stick with it. I have to plan far ahead to be able to budget. We are going to NYC for my son's spring break in April and after that I have to start paying on this. Thanks for any advice/help!!

What grade is your son in? Would he have to miss school for option #2?

 

[Little Mermaid 35]

What grade is your son in? Would he have to miss school for option #2?

He'd be 7 at the time and in 2nd grade...he'd have to miss 5 days for that one as well.

 

[Little Mermaid 35]

A part of me feels like we should do another Disney cruise while he's young and it's so magical to him...another part of me wants to do something different since we've done two DCL cruises back to back.

 

[ACDSNY]

Maybe one more cruise while he's young and then move on to something else. My grandson just turned 11 and he's still wants to go on the Star Wars cruise in 2019.

 

[lklgoodman]

I would pick one of the cruises. I would say the Magic would be my top choice, mainly because I haven't been on the Magic since 2001. We were just on the Fantasy last January and are booked on her again Jan 2019. I tried to talk my dh into doing a Magic cruise instead, but he doesn't want to do one that is less than 7 nights. I really want to see the Tangle show on the Magic and go to the new Tangle themed restaurant. We're going on the Wonder this March and will be going to San Juan. We'll just be going to a beach, so we won't be impacted as much as those who are staying in a hotel before the cruises. San Juan should be a lot better by the end of 2018. I wouldn't worry too much about your son having to miss school at his age. I always swore I wouldn't take my daughter out of school for a vacation, but she missed 5 days last year and will miss 5 days later this year and next. It's a lot easier to do when they are young. Once she gets in junior high we won't be taking her out, but right now she is able to easily make up any work she misses.

 

[cashda]

I am really conflicted on where to take our next vacation...I've changed my mind a million times and I'm driving myself crazy! Lol

Here are my options:

1. 7 day Eastern on the Fantasy: May 2019. Pros are that we save big time in air fare bc we can drive to port. We also love the Fantasy. Our 9th anniversary will during this trip. Cons are that it's expensive and our son will have to miss 5 days of school...he will be 7 and be in 2nd grade. Also we just cruised the Western on the Fantasy and have already experienced all of the shows. I booked this on opening day to lock in the price while I figure out what we're going to do.

2. 5 night Very Merrytime on the Magic from San Juan to Miami. November 30 2018. Pros are that it's a great price and we've never sailed on the Magic. I also love the itinerary with St. Kitts and Tortola. Cons are we'd have to pay for airfare and I'm concerned with the state of San Juan at the moment. My brother in law is a lineman working there and he said it's a disaster and could take years to get back to normal. My son would also have to miss 5 days for this one.

3. Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite. We'd book a cabin here for a week, rent a car and drive into the park and surrounding areas every day. Pros are Yosemite looks absolutely amazing and so does Tenaya. It's something different...we've never been to a national park out west and my son wouldn't have to miss school (we'd go during the summer 2019). Cons are airfare is super expensive (we live on the East coast) and it also looks like a lot of work driving into the park every day. We'd also have to factor in food cost and other things that aren't included like a cruise plus our car rental.

Help!! I need to make a decision and stick with it. I have to plan far ahead to be able to budget. We are going to NYC for my son's spring break in April and after that I have to start paying on this. Thanks for any advice/help!!

I picked magic since you have not cruised on that ship yet

 

[ajmomouse]

My kids did get tired of cruising in their teen years, they used to love the vibe and the edge but the repetitive vacations even with varying itinerary seemed too much the same for them. They made great friends on cruises who they still keep in touch with but they are done. They now want to see other places. In addition, taking them out of school gets impossible when they are older and cruising during school breaks gets very expensive. My husband and I now cruise without them during school time when it’s cheap, the grandparents look after them. We spend their vacation time traveling to other places that they find more exciting ie- Europe. I say get in one more cruise.

 

[Little Mermaid 35]

My kids did get tired of cruising in their teen years, they used to love the vibe and the edge but the repetitive vacations even with varying itinerary seemed too much the same for them. They made great friends on cruises who they still keep in touch with but they are done. They now want to see other places. In addition, taking them out of school gets impossible when they are older and cruising during school breaks gets very expensive. My husband and I now cruise without them during school time when it’s cheap, the grandparents look after them. We spend their vacation time traveling to other places that they find more exciting ie- Europe. I say get in one more cruise.

This is what I'm thinking too...I'm wondering if Yosemite and other vacations may work better when he's a bit older and actually into these places/studied them in school and knows what he's seeing. I just feel like maybe do another DCL cruise when the magic is still there for him.

 

[ajmomouse]

They really had no interest in the European cruises as they felt it wasn’t the right way to see Europe ( which I agree). They did love Alaska. Alaska at this point is probably the only cruise I could get them on. They said they would love to do it again.

 

[lklgoodman]

My dd is 9 yrs old, going on Caribbean cruise is easy with her at this age. We live in Ohio, so the only time she can go to the beach is when we go on a cruise. Her first Disney cruise was to Alaska, she didn't appreciate the views of Tracey Arm at all. She just wanted to go to the kids club, she didn't care about seeing the glaciers. We actually left her on the ship for an hour in the club while dh and I walked around Skagway. We then all got off the ship later for our excursion there. If we were to go to Yosemite, she'd probably say it's just a bunch of trees, lol!

 

[ajmomouse]

My dd is 9 yrs old, going on Caribbean cruise is easy with her at this age. We live in Ohio, so the only time she can go to the beach is when we go on a cruise. Her first Disney cruise was to Alaska, she didn't appreciate the views of Tracey Arm at all. She just wanted to go to the kids club, she didn't care about seeing the glaciers. We actually left her on the ship for an hour in the club while dh and I walked around Skagway. We then all got off the ship later for our excursion there. If we were to go to Yosemite, she'd probably say it's just a bunch of trees, lol!

I agree Alaska is better for teens. They can fully appreciate it. And I also agree a little one would be bored in Yosemite

 

[Little Mermaid 35]

My dd is 9 yrs old, going on Caribbean cruise is easy with her at this age. We live in Ohio, so the only time she can go to the beach is when we go on a cruise. Her first Disney cruise was to Alaska, she didn't appreciate the views of Tracey Arm at all. She just wanted to go to the kids club, she didn't care about seeing the glaciers. We actually left her on the ship for an hour in the club while dh and I walked around Skagway. We then all got off the ship later for our excursion there. If we were to go to Yosemite, she'd probably say it's just a bunch of trees, lol!

Haha this is exactly what I'm worried about! Lol I'm worried he'd be like great...a bunch of trees and not be thrilled. We go to the NC mountains several times a year and he does enjoy it...I just wonder if I shouldn't save this big of a trip for when he's a teenager or something.

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

I've been to Yosemite and on DCL... love both, but considering your son is 7, I would wait with Yosemite until he's a bit older and can appreciate the science behind the beauty. Of the two cruises I would pick the Eastern on the Fantasy over the 5-day on the Magic due to the airfare and the hassle of flying.

As an elementary teacher: don't worry about missing 5 days of school; the experience of traveling and spending time with family is worth it.

 

[Pens Fan]

It sounds as if you are leaning towards one of the cruises, and I sure that would be great considering your son's age.

When you do decide it's time to venture out west to a national park, I will offer you some unsolicited advice. I would recommend starting with Yellowstone and the Tetons. We have made numerous trips out west to the mountains and the parks, and when our son younger he greatly preferred Yellowstone over any other. I mean what kid doesn't get a thrill out of seeing buffalo, geysers, hot pools of bubbling mud, etc.?? I remember we took him to the Canadian Rockies when he was about 6 or 7 and he was bored. Little kids don't always get excited about beautiful scenery. But he was hiking in Yellowstone at age 3 and loved every minute of it. Once they hit their teen years, I do think the other parks become more of an adventure for them - fishing, canoeing, more serious hiking, etc. When our son graduated from high school we let him pick the summer vacation and he chose jeeping and fishing in Colorado, so over time he obviously came to love the west as much as DH and I do.

 

[Shanti]

A part of me feels like we should do another Disney cruise while he's young and it's so magical to him...another part of me wants to do something different since we've done two DCL cruises back to back.

I think I'd do something different & go with the national park. That's magical in a different way.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Yosemite. You don’t have to spend all of your time at the park. Make a circle and add San Fransisco and Sacramento (for gold rush stuff). My kids have always liked to mix our vacations up a bit.

 

[Little Mermaid 35]

I've been to Yosemite and on DCL... love both, but considering your son is 7, I would wait with Yosemite until he's a bit older and can appreciate the science behind the beauty. Of the two cruises I would pick the Eastern on the Fantasy over the 5-day on the Magic due to the airfare and the hassle of flying.

As an elementary teacher: don't worry about missing 5 days of school; the experience of traveling and spending time with family is worth it.

Thank you for this!! I do have a bit of guilt taking him out but after losing several people that are close to me I know that life is short and these memories will stick with him forever!!

 

[Little Mermaid 35]

Yosemite. You don’t have to spend all of your time at the park. Make a circle and add San Fransisco and Sacramento (for gold rush stuff). My kids have always liked to mix our vacations up a bit.

I've definitely thought about adding San Fran to the itinerary if we did Yosemite...I'm honestly wanting easy though the more I think of it. I don't want to have to unpack and then pack again and then drive and then unpack...you get the point haha I think that's why I love cruising so much with a kid bc it's easy to me. Ugh I'm still so torn!!

 

[MM123]

If it doesn't matter to you then I think I would choose Yosemite because your son has done already two cruises. Traveling is giving new experiences and I would wonder if the cruises are that different (of course the ports are!). Seven is a nice age, kids will remember things from their holidays. But Yosemite is more 'work' for you and if you have been busy the whole year maybe a cruise is easier?