Thanksgiving Cruise 2015???? Right decision?

We are looking at Indy for thanksgiving week and I need to be convinced I am making the right decision.

Here is the situation.... I will be traveling with first-time cruisers. They are excited but they have a few concerns. They really want to rest and relax that week but are concerned that it will be too many children running everywhere. They are also concerned that it will be too cold during Thanksgiving week.

Please help me convince them. Please share your Thanksgiving Caribbean cruise experience.

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I don't have any Thanksgiving experience, but we'll be on the Freedom this year.

We did cruise on the Freedom for Spring Break. There were many kids on board but plenty of places to escape them.

I did a Thx Giving cruise in 2009 on the Carnival Dream and it was a MAD house with 1300 children onboard! I did a Thx Giving cruise last November on the Eurodam and there were around 25 of them onboard and well behaved. Royal Caribbean tends to attract families, so keep that in mind. Remember that kids are our of school that week.

We were on a spring break cruise last year. There where many kids but well behaved and we really only saw them at dinner time. I loved seeing all the kids dressed up! We are booked for Thanksgiving this year! Kids don't scare me :)

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We did Thanksgiving cruise this past year on Grandeur and there were over 600 kids. But they really did not bother use, so we booked another Thanksgiving cruise in 2015. We will be joining GaDawgFan on Freedom :). I am guessing that there will be over a thousand kids on that cruise!

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What is the weather like traveling to the Caribbean?

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No way Jose.

We were on a spring break cruise last year. There were many kids but well behaved and we really only saw them at dinner time. I loved seeing all the kids dressed up! We are booked for Thanksgiving this year! Kids don't scare me :) We will have first time cruisers with us too.

 

 

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My wife and I cruised on the Emerald Princess on a 10 day Thanksgiving cruise. NEVER AGAIN. Close to 1000 kids on board, but it was not the kids who were he problem. It was the parents. Nothing brings out family dis function like a holiday. There was not one night at dinner that we did not witness one or more loud verbal fights, arguments or hissy fits.

Our main waitress, a lovely girl from Romania, had a bit of a breakdown with 2 nights to go because she had two large tables with one extended family at both. Some of the worst public behavior by adults I have ever seen.

My $0.02, I would not take cruise virgins on a Holiday cruise.

Mike

My wife and I cruised on the Emerald Princess on a 10 day Thanksgiving cruise. NEVER AGAIN. Close to 1000 kids on board, but it was not the kids who were he problem. It was the parents. Nothing brings out family dis function like a holiday. There was not one night at dinner that we did not witness one or more loud verbal fights, arguments or hissy fits.

 

 

 

Our main waitress, a lovely girl from Romania, had a bit of a breakdown with 2 nights to go because she had two large tables with one extended family at both. Some of the worst public behavior by adults I have ever seen.

 

 

 

My $0.02, I would not take cruise virgins on a Holiday cruise.

 

 

 

Mike

Yeah I was afraid of that. It's just that my SIL is a teacher and it's either the the Holiday weeks, i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring break or pay double the price to go during the summer.

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I was on a thanksgiving cruise and yes there were a lot kids onboard however we had a wonderful time - of course I had my 13 year old daughter with me. There are always venues and places that are kid free zones. I wouldn't think of it as a free for all. It was also one of the greatest Thanksgiving we have ever had.

Just a suggestion that I have read many times on the CC forums. Get a room that is not connecting for one thing. And, also don't be next to a room that has a sofa bed with Pullman beds. In other words, rooms where kids will use Pullman beds and sleeper sofa. Also, remember there is an adults only solarium. When we were on Indy Dec 2013, they asked and I.d. All kids and everyone under 16 wasn't allowed. A couple moms and dads were ticked off BC their 14/15 year old son couldn't sit with them. Felt bad, but the solarium is adults only for a reason. So, you can always seek solitude at the solarium and also at the specialty restaurants. We all loved Indy and best cruise we have ever had...2 in our 50's, 4 in their 20's.

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Just a suggestion that I have read many times on the CC forums. Get a room that is not connecting for one thing. And, also don't be next to a room that has a sofa bed with Pullman beds. In other words, rooms where kids will use Pullman beds and sleeper sofa. Also, remember there is an adults only solarium. When we were on Indy Dec 2013, they asked and I.d. All kids and everyone under 16 wasn't allowed. A couple moms and dads were ticked off BC their 14/15 year old son couldn't sit with them. Felt bad, but the solarium is adults only for a reason. So, you can always seek solitude at the solarium and also at the specialty restaurants. We all loved Indy and best cruise we have ever had...2 in our 50's, 4 in their 20's.

 

 

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Great idea.

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We are looking at Indy for thanksgiving week and I need to be convinced I am making the right decision.

Here is the situation.... I will be traveling with first-time cruisers. They are excited but they have a few concerns. They really want to rest and relax that week but are concerned that it will be too many children running everywhere. They are also concerned that it will be too cold during Thanksgiving week.

Please help me convince them. Please share your Thanksgiving Caribbean cruise experience.

 

 

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We have sailed over Thanksgiving Weekend 8 times. Yes, you will have plenty of children on board but we never found the children to be a problem. Sometimes, you have a child and their parents that are inconsiderate -- but that you can have on any cruise at any time of year. These cruises were also on a much smaller ship than Indy.

On Indy, the children have many many more things to do, so I would expect that you will hardly notice IF there is a large number of children. Will you see children, yes, of course.

Should you expect those children to have a negative impact on your cruise -- no.

They never have for us.

As far as the weather at that time of year -- it can be a little unpredictable. It may not be as warm as you would like it to be, since it isn't June, July or August. It is the very end of hurricane season, so you could (although the ship will take a course that keeps it away from turbulent seas as much as possible) have rain showers (the captain will try to limit this.

But we have always had a good time cruising over Thanksgiving. We are planning another cruise for Thanksgiving 2015, this time cruising on Navigator. So I guess from our point of view....it is a good time to cruise.

We are looking at Indy for thanksgiving week and I need to be convinced I am making the right decision.

Here is the situation.... I will be traveling with first-time cruisers. They are excited but they have a few concerns. They really want to rest and relax that week but are concerned that it will be too many children running everywhere. They are also concerned that it will be too cold during Thanksgiving week.

Please help me convince them. Please share your Thanksgiving Caribbean cruise experience.

 

 

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It will be overrun with kids and large family groups. I will NEVER do another major holiday cruise.

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How do the crowds compare to peak summer time? I've done two summer cruises and I can definitally notice the difference between June/July and Sept/April.

Just my two cents, but I think you would be crazy to go at Thanksgiving or Christmas! If you want a relaxing cruise...We have done both...after the Thanksgiving one (with count them 2000 kids .... On a 3600 pax ship...no lie) we said never again. Then I got it in my head to do a Christmas cruise from San Juan for 10 days thinking it would be better. And on Celebrity, which often has LESS kids than Royal. Kids everywhere. People everywhere! Packed and crazy.

Now, granted, most kids are well behaved, but some parents go on a cruise and kind of think of the ship as a babysitter. Yes, you can lash out at me now, but I posted about our Christmas experience in 2013. On the two Holiday cruises we took, There were kids playing tag on elevators, running between the pool and hot tub, diapers in pool (yuck...clearly an offense but The cruise line did nothing) sitting in the porthole windows of the MDR late seating, running into us and spilling drinks, reaching for buffet food with hands, jumping on top of you in the pool (hitting you in the head with a football too)... literally running in the theatre during the show. So bad the entertainer stopped and said something. I think I had a photo somewhere of a few elementary school kids climbing in the roped off gingerbread display. :eek: And while kids couldn't be in the solarium, they could apparently run through it to get places. If you could even find a seat in there...

I got BLASTED in cc when I did my review of our cruises.....mostly people claiming I was exaggerating ( I was not) to that it was my fault for picking a Holiday cruise....and they were right. Don't make the mistake I did...it is more money to cruise over the Holidays and frankly, just crazy onboard. I love all cruises and we made the best of it (can you say beverage package???) But oy vay! :(

As to weather, it will be fine....always nice in Caribbean. We swam with turtles on Christmas Day....actually that part of the cruise was great! :D

We have done several Thanksgiving cruises and we don't find the extra children to be a problem. I guess all cruises could be considered a little crazy if you are particularly sensitive to happy, fun people of all ages. :)

We are booked for this Thanksgiving on the Liberty and we are looking forward to it.

As for weather, we have been in the Caribbean just about every month of the year and always the weather is great.....sometimes rainy, but never cold.

My advice would be to go and have a great time.

If rest and relaxation are a priority and there is already concern over too many kids...do not cruise over Thanksgiving. The ship will be packed with triple and quad occupancy and about 1,000 kids. We would never cruise over a school holiday.

I am not sure it's a matter of being sensitive to happy, fun people... Of course cruises are fun and meeting new people is fun! Not wanting to be hit with footballs or swim with diapers in the pool doesn't make someone NOT a happy person

OP wanted different stories of Holiday experiences. If you want a louder, kid centric experience, go over the Holidays. There are some fun things, like having turkey on the ship, or seeing it decorated. But, If you are adults looking for a quiet, relaxing cruise, I honestly think that it is better to avoid Holidays. I can't imagine that the majority of cruisers would say a Holiday cruise on Royal is quiter and more relaxing and tranquil than the same cruise taken in October as an example.

ut some parents go on a cruise and

 

I got BLASTED in cc when I did my review of our cruises.....mostly people claiming I was exaggerating ( I was not) to that it was my fault for picking a Holiday cruise....and they were right. Don't make the mistake I did...it is more money to cruise over the Holidays and frankly, just crazy onboard. I love all cruises and we made the best of it (can you say beverage package???) But oy vay! :(

 

As to weather, it will be fine....always nice in Caribbean. We swam with turtles on Christmas Day....actually that part of the cruise was great! :D

Wish I had seen that...I would have come to your defense! I have kids. I work with kids. I love kids! But when I'm on a nice vacation with my husband...I don't want to be bothered with kids! I think that's why we'll never pick a holiday cruise.

As for the weather, it will be fine. Hurricane season will be about over by then and the caribbean is always nice and warm!

We are looking at Indy for thanksgiving week and I need to be convinced I am making the right decision.

Here is the situation.... I will be traveling with first-time cruisers. They are excited but they have a few concerns. They really want to rest and relax that week but are concerned that it will be too many children running everywhere. They are also concerned that it will be too cold during Thanksgiving week.

Please help me convince them. Please share your Thanksgiving Caribbean cruise experience.

 

 

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In post #14, I gave you as fair an assessment of cruising on Thanksgiving as I could and we have done it plenty. We cruise as a couple, generally without other friends accompanying us on this weekend cruise. We enjoy children, even though we are empty-nesters. We don't want to be 'overrun' by other peoples children.

We have never had a bad cruise over Thanksgiving due to children on board.

We live in S. Florida. The weather at this time of year can be unpredictable. Although hurricane season is almost over as is the 'rainy' season, it is not the 'warmest time of the year, even in the Caribbean. It is balmy and wonderful, for sure. Enjoyable weather for sure....you could get a very windy few days, or it could be calm as bathwater -- no one knows what will be.

Because their friend is a teacher, they are limited as to when they can go. We have the same problem and we are always cruising when the schools are out. We've never found the kids to be a problem on a cruise. On a ship the size of Freedom, with the number of activities for the kids,I think you'll be able to have a great time without being overrun with children. We would LOVE to be able to cruise at Thanksgiving. We're going in June...prime time for the kids, and we're not worried at all. We've sailed on FOS twice and will be on her for the third time in June.

We booked FOS the week after Thanksgiving and I'm having the opposite worry - it doesn't seem like it's a popular time to go! :D I hope we didn't pick the wrong week...

We booked FOS the week after Thanksgiving and I'm having the opposite worry - it doesn't seem like it's a popular time to go! :D I hope we didn't pick the wrong week...

I am unsure what exactly is your worry....the ship will be full. It is just as popular a week as any of the other 51 weeks of the year. Some are much more popular, especially those around Spring Break and some other times, and the prices reflect that because they generally are higher. But ships sail full.