Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

What is the best cruise line for a family? And if you want a cruise during the summer, when should you buy?

My family consists of mom and dad ,a 17 year old guy (me), a 15 year old boy, and an 11 year old girl. My parents are thinking of going on either Carnival or Disney, but i looked at the websites and youtube vids (post your vacations for all the world to see!!!) and Carnival seems for more of an older generation, and I think Disney is just assinizing, with Mickey and friends constantly surrounding you. Royal Carribean looks perfect, but i don’t know. Give me your imput, expereiences, youtube vids, etc., and be brutally honest. We need a damn vacation!!!

I go with Carnival. They are cheaper, and I have always had a great experience with them. I prefer to cruise in Sept or Dec. This is when the kids are in school, so it is calmer. My kids homeschool, so we have this as an option. I do not go in the summer. The prices are at a premium then.

Carnival is definitely not for older people. They offer programs for everyone. My kids love Camp Carnival. They break it up by age groups, so teenagers are not going to be stuck with 6 year olds. And you are not required to participate in anything. As long as you come home with a "ship on a stick", one of their "fantastic plastic prizes", that is all that matters.

Disney is expensive. The Bahamas cruise I took on Carnival for under $300 each was more than twice that for the same week on Disney. Royal Caribbean does not offer as much "free" services. They charge a premium for specialty resaraunts like Johnny Rockets. Their staterooms are also smaller than Carnival.


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10 Responses to “What is the best cruise line for a family? And if you want a cruise during the summer, when should you buy?”

selmuir Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 8:43 am

Disney ,

There cruises arent just for little kids they have big water slides and surf pools and the ship is so amazing , we went on one last year and i would highly recommend it ,

the food is nice to and there is like a mall inside it lol ,
it has everything you want ,

Have Fun :D
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andrewb621 Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 8:52 am

Well i have only been on one cruise, but it was the Disney cruise and it was amazing for people of all ages. There is an arcade, some pools and water slides, the waitors do magic at the tables, (or at least mine did), there are movie theaters, and much more. Plus, you get to go to Disney’s own private island and snorkel, water ski, etc. You also go to Cozzumel Mexico, the bahamas, and the carribean. I would highly recommend it.
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baseballnick211 Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 9:18 am

norwegian cruise line
disney seems too gimmicky
carnival seems nice, but too fancy
norwegian is the best because it has an awesome kids and teen program and its free food except for the fancier places and you dont have to dress for certain places after 5. u only have to wear long pants to the fancy places after 5 and a shirt.
go on the mexican riviera or alaskan cruise.
hope this helps!
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Beyond the Horizon Travel Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 10:07 am

Hi, I’m a travel agent but I’m not soliciting your business. I wanted to let you know my opinion. You have a wide range of ages and you want to be sure everyone enjoys themselves. I would recommend Carnival, Royal Caribbean or Norweigan for your party. They all have fantastic kid’s programs that are age specific. Disney may be a bit too childish for the older persons and the teens. Royal Caribbean would be my first choice. Depending on the ship, you can have rock climibing walls, ice rinks, movie theaters, great pools, interactive activities for all ages, plus quiet time for the adults. Good luck. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I’ll try to help.
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Southern Apostolic Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 10:19 am

I go with Carnival. They are cheaper, and I have always had a great experience with them. I prefer to cruise in Sept or Dec. This is when the kids are in school, so it is calmer. My kids homeschool, so we have this as an option. I do not go in the summer. The prices are at a premium then.

Carnival is definitely not for older people. They offer programs for everyone. My kids love Camp Carnival. They break it up by age groups, so teenagers are not going to be stuck with 6 year olds. And you are not required to participate in anything. As long as you come home with a "ship on a stick", one of their "fantastic plastic prizes", that is all that matters.

Disney is expensive. The Bahamas cruise I took on Carnival for under $300 each was more than twice that for the same week on Disney. Royal Caribbean does not offer as much "free" services. They charge a premium for specialty resaraunts like Johnny Rockets. Their staterooms are also smaller than Carnival.
References :
sa

jake s Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 10:33 am

I would definitly agree that Royal Caribbean would be the perfect choice. I’ve been on numerous cruises with all of the lines mentioned and Royal Caribbean has the best ships with the most fun and unique equipment for the kids. Especially try for the Voyager class ships or the even newer Freedom class (currently theres only one in that class but soon to be another!) I’ve never liked Carnival because theres just way too many people in one place at the same time — a feeling you’ll seldom have on RCCL. As for Disney, sure they might seem good for the kids, but they don’t have much planned for the adults (casino etc.) Hope this helps!!!
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djgiffordrn Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 11:22 am

Oh boy…this is a loaded question and very subjective.

My 4 year old daughter and I sailed the Disney Wonder September 07…for a 10 night Southern Caribbean cruise…it was very nice and I liked the rotating dining. We love Disney and visit at least once a year…I did enjoy the Disney Wonder, but it isn’t my first choice for kids of those ages.

Carnival has a wonderful kids and teens room and there is plenty to do for people of all ages. Their prices are very reasonable as well. The food is generally good and tasty overall. Carnival is a great choice.

Royal Caribbean is fantastic. I was recently on the Liberty of the Seas, the newest ship in the Freedom Class…there are now 2. We have also sailed the Voyager class too. And their older smaller ships. This line is my number 1 choice…but it is more money generally than Carnival.

There are other options as well, Norwegian Cruise line, Princess…etc. It really depends on the destination/itinerary, budget etc.

Keep in mind that summer is a popular time for cruising. I recommend booking a minimum of 6 months to a year or more out. This will give you the best availability for cabins and location of the cabins.

Good Luck,
Dolores
Merry Meeting Travel
http://www.MerryMeetingTravel.com
Dolores@MerryMeetingTravel.com
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I am a travel agent

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 11:47 am

Forget Carnival and Disney and go on (or tell your parents) the ships to go on are the Royal Caribbean cruise line’s Freedom of the Seas and/or Liberty of the Seas. The ships are identical but run different itineraries in the Caribbean…… Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean. We went on the Freedom last November and it is perfect for you and your family.

The Freedom has some amenities that other ships and cruise lines do not have: The rock climbing wall, a full sized basketball court, a mini-golf course, an ice skating rink, a karaoke place where you can record yourself, a place for younger kids to have fun called the H2O Zone that is like a mini water park with water cannons, a mini-lazy river, and other water fun things just for kids. Then Only the Freedom and the Liberty have the Flow Rider … you can actually surf on a boogie board on the back of the ship. Its awesome.

Then for your parents there is a place called the Solarium that has a pool and hot tubs for adults only.

Then the Freedom, and I think the Liberty does also, stops at a private island called Labidee. This is a huge island for Royal Caribbean ships only (Freedom or Liberty will be there by itself). It has multiple beaches where you can swim, snorkel or play in a special water park. You can also (for a fee) jet ski, or para-sail. Its the best private island I have ever been on, bar none.
References :
experienced cruiser

tikuiaku Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 12:30 pm

Without a doubt, go with Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean offers so much more than Carnival, Norwegian, and Disney, and it is much better suited for people of all ages.

Disney’s decent and good, but if you don’t want your life to be surrounded by Disney characters for the entire trip, Disney is obviously not the right option.

Carnival’s bad, bad, bad, and not just for one reason. First, it only has people of two age groups. On Carnival, you’ll run into retired couples looking for a relaxing vacation, and a bunch of barely-old-enough-to-drink partiers who stay up all night drinking and making a racket. Also, Carnival is notorious for its terrible service. It seems as if the employees couldn’t care less about it being your vacation, and them alone can ruin the trip.

The problem with Norwegian is that the food isn’t great, and the Freestyle dining thing can get to be a bit of a pain. They offer dining without seating charts, but sometimes, it’s really hard to find a seat for a meal, and it’s quite often that the wait for food will get backed up, sometimes even for hours.

And to cover all the bases, Celebrity is probably too upscale for what you want and Holland America is another upscale and boring-for-young-people cruise line.

Now to Royal Caribbean…

Royal Caribbean has some of the best food of any cruise line. The employees are polite and courteous, and they will attend to your every need. The rooms are kept tidy, and the are cleaned well (which is key) every day. Royal Caribbean has entertaining shows, fun activities, and best of all, they have the most innovative and revolutionary ships in the world. FlowRider, a surfing simulation, is a revolutionary new concept found only on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Class ships (Freedom of the Seas, and soon to be Independence of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas). Every Royal Caribbean ship has a rock climbing wall, bars and clubs for people of all ages, teen to adult, swimming pools, a theater, a breathtaking Grand Centrum, a library, a spa, and many other things. Whether you want to relax or you want to have fun and be active, Royal Caribbean is the cruise line for you. Each ship is different, but they’re all great.

Get Out There!
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amalyn22 Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 12:45 pm

if money isn’t an option…….then do disney!!!!!….i have done both, and even if i had no teens….i would do the disney…..they have teen clubs just for teens…..my nephew didn’t get in the room till like 2am every morning!!!….and he was only 12 at the time…….plus its just so much more fun…..anddddd you will definatly meet more kids on the disney…..on the carnival, there will be kids……but not as many…….ooooo, and disney has their own private island……castaway cay……and they even have a teen beach……just for teens……..and royal is nice, however, again…….not as many kids……check out the disney cruise website…….i’m sure you will like it……good luck!!!
References :
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage&bhcp=1

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