First time cruise with kids - help me stop freaking out

As a surprise, my father in law has offered to take my wife, two kids, and I on a cruise next spring (2016). He's been on a couple of cruises previously, but the rest of us are newbies. He's left the choice of cruise line, itinerary, and ports to us. And I'm freaking out.

There are way too many choices, even in the small spring break window we'll have next April. My father in law's only caveat is no Disney: he does not like the mouse. But beyond that, I'm stumped.

It seems as though every line has an itinerary that might work for us: Carnival, Royal, Norwegian, Holland, Celebrity... Which to choose?

My kids will be 6 and 9. My wife is not excited about forced socializing and worries about seasickness. She also refuses to fly long-distance to get to a port, so the cruise will need to stay in the Caribbean. I love snorkeling, and the barrier reef off of Belize and Roatan is firmly on my "list". But I worry about things for kids to do.

Are there must-do ports that we can't miss with mid-sized kids? Are there cruises that work better for more introverted travelers? The big ships sound so over the top and Vegas-y, but the small ships might not have enough to do on long transit days. I want this to be amazing so that my wife will agree to that future Eastern Med cruise that is my dream trip - so no pressure!

I'm freaking out. Please help. :eek:

There really are no must do ports. If you're interested in watersports, I'd suggest doing a Western Caribbean itinerary. Those cruises generally include Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Roatan. All those ports have great beaches.

I have no idea what you mean by forced socializing, but no one forces you to do anything. When you book the cruise, just make sure to ask for a table size that will fit the number of those you're traveling with. For example, if your group is 6, make sure to ask for a table for 6, because that way, you won't be sharing a dinner table with strangers.

Royal Caribbean and NCL would be the best choices for your family. They both have great kid's programs that will keep your kids fully occupied both day and evening. And most kids love beaches. I think smaller ships might not be the best as they don't have all the fun amenities that the larger ships do. If you're, for whatever reason, still not comfortable with ships like Oasis of the Seas, then try Radiance of the Seas, or one of her sister ships that are smaller than Oasis. And another thing, stick with a newer ship and not one that's more than 7 or 8 years old.

Try and calm fears of seasickness. Seriously, if she works herself up over just thinking she'll get sick, she will find a way to actually get sick. New cruisers have no concept of how huge cruise ships are, and the fact that they have stabilizers to keep the ship as movement free as possible. But if it's still a concern, make sure to book a cabin on a lower deck, in the middle of the ship---not too forward to too far aft.

Finally, calm down. There's no need to freak out. Your first cruise will be just fine, and you'll all be ok.

I would go with Royal Caribbean, and would focus on Freedom, Liberty, Oasis or Allure ... they have lots to offer for the young ones. If you put them in the kids program, you would also get some "alone time" ... for your first cruise check out Oasis or Allure

I agree with everything Tracie said, but will include Carnival as a good first cruise option. I will also add a suggestion to pick up one of these books:

http://www.amazon.com/Fodors-Complete-Caribbean-Cruises-Travel/dp/0804141673/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1430366209&sr=8-2&keywords=caribbean+cruise

http://www.amazon.com/Fodors-Caribbean-Cruise-Ports-Travel/dp/0804141665/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430366475&sr=8-1&keywords=caribbean+cruise

http://www.amazon.com/Berlitz-Cruising-Cruise-Ships-2015/dp/1780047541/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430366547&sr=1-6&keywords=cruise

They will answer many questions and help narrow down your choices.

If you look into a travel agent, make sure it is one with a lot of knowledge on cruises. Not all of them have that knowledge. And they don't charge a fee. They get a commission from the cruise line.

There is also a website that was a wealth of information for me. I don't know if I can post a link so just search "cruiseclues".

I think your father in law is giving you all an amazing gift! Just remember to go into it with optimism and excitement, not fear or intimidation. And most of us believe the planning for a cruise is as enjoyable as the cruise itself. It gets easier to understand it all as you learn more and more. Enjoy, and good luck with it all!

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the feedback!

It's all very daunting, but this helps a lot. I think we will stick with the Western Caribbean. Based on dates, and your thoughts, here are my options:

Liberty of the Seas

Vision of the Seas

Norwegian Getaway

Norwegian Jade

Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Star

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Splendor

Carnival Magic

Carnival Valor

It looks as though these ships vary dramatically in age and size. As I research the various ports, I'm more and more intrigued by Roatan: I love the idea of the kids playing on the beach while the grown ups take turns snorkeling one of the world's great reefs. But nearly all the ships that go to Roatan are older than 8 years old.

For first-timers, will we be so amazed by the whole experience that we won't notice wear and tear as much? Or will an older ship put us off? Is it better to sacrifice ports for a newer ship?

I didn't realize that we could limit the "seating with strangers at dinner" thing. That's very helpful!

For those of you with kids, how often do your kids use the kids' clubs vs hanging out with mom and dad?

Thanks again! Feeling better! :D

Based on your list of ships I would narrow it down to:

Liberty of the Seas

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Magic

These are mostly newer ships. Lots to do, great kids programs.

Liberty does have a bit more activities like rock climbing wall, flowrider, ice skating rink. Probably at a higher cost though.

Personally I have been on a couple of NCL ships, and I do not care for them much.

With any ship you choose, sign up the kids in the programs for them.

They will make new friends ( my kids still keep in contact through social media with kids they sailed with years ago). This will allow you some free couple time, to relax and enjoy the ship. ;)

Check out the various boards here on CC and maybe even Youtube for ship reviews, videos. A lot of fun researching which ship and itinerary suits your needs.

Welcome to cruising.

Go to a local travel agency, and pick up some brochures....that will help you get a "feel" for the different lines!

Since your dad has cruised...which line did he like?

In truth, any of the mainstream lines will be fine for your family.

Ships go into drydock every 2-4 years and get freshened up. And there is constant maintenance going on. Just because a ship is not the newest does not mean it is a rust bucket. A ship that is 8 years old is still pretty new. If you have never cruised, ANY ship will wow you. Don't become a cruise snob before you ever set foot on a ship. EM

As a surprise, my father in law has offered to take my wife, two kids, and I on a cruise next spring (2016). He's been on a couple of cruises previously, but the rest of us are newbies. He's left the choice of cruise line, itinerary, and ports to us. And I'm freaking out.

 

There are way too many choices, even in the small spring break window we'll have next April. My father in law's only caveat is no Disney: he does not like the mouse. But beyond that, I'm stumped.

 

It seems as though every line has an itinerary that might work for us: Carnival, Royal, Norwegian, Holland, Celebrity... Which to choose?

 

My kids will be 6 and 9. My wife is not excited about forced socializing and worries about seasickness. She also refuses to fly long-distance to get to a port, so the cruise will need to stay in the Caribbean. I love snorkeling, and the barrier reef off of Belize and Roatan is firmly on my "list". But I worry about things for kids to do.

 

Are there must-do ports that we can't miss with mid-sized kids? Are there cruises that work better for more introverted travelers? The big ships sound so over the top and Vegas-y, but the small ships might not have enough to do on long transit days. I want this to be amazing so that my wife will agree to that future Eastern Med cruise that is my dream trip - so no pressure!

 

I'm freaking out. Please help. :eek:

Given that you have young kids, I would limit your choices to Carnival, Disney, Norwegian (NCL) or Royal Caribbean. Princess is a possibility, but does not have as much to do as the other four lines. On Celebrity or HAL, you might be the youngest on the ship, except for your kids.

If you want to stay along the east coast of Mexico, look a cruises that leave out of Miami, Tampa, New Orleans or Galveston. For example, in April 2016 I'll be aboard the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas. In addition to two pools, it also has an H2O Zone which would be perfect for your two children. The itinerary is

Roatan, Belize & Cozumel.

The NCL Getaway has this itinerary - Miami, Florida - At Sea - Coxen Hole, Honduras - Harvest Caye, Belize - Costa Maya, Mexico - Cozumel, Mexico - At Sea - Miami, Florida

The Carnival Magic has this itinerary - Galveston, Texas - At Sea - Cozumel, Mexico - Belize City, Belize - Mahogany Bay, Honduras - At Sea - At Sea - Galveston, Texas

The NCL Star has this itinerary - Tampa, Florida - At Sea - Coxen Hole, Honduras - Harvest Caye, Belize - Costa Maya, Mexico - Cozumel, Mexico - At Sea - Tampa, Florida

The NCL Jade has this itinerary - Houston, Texas - At Sea - Cozumel, Mexico - Harvest Caye, Belize - Coxen Hole, Honduras - At Sea - At Sea - Houston, Texas

The Caribbean Princess has this itinerary - Houston, Texas - At Sea - Cozumel, Mexico - Costa Maya, Mexico - Belize City, Belize - At Sea - At Sea - Houston, Texas

I understand how you feel and felt that way the first time I had to do everything for a cruise. On our previous 2 cruises before hand, my mother planned everything so I just go on an airplane when told with my kids, got on the boat when told, I didn't have to think and doing it yourself is a BIG difference!

I will say though all kids are created differently. Me and oldest DS are real introverts, DH and youngest DS are extroverts. So my youngest DS has been happy with all lines (Disney, Carnival, Royal) he has been on no matter what. My oldest DS has really only like Carnival. We have only sailed on the smaller older ships and did the Cayman, Cozumel, Rotan, Belize on the Legend, one of the smaller ships at sea that isn't luxury. We liked her so much we booked the Pride (same class) because of the reasons your DW feels (doesn't want to fly long, doesn't want to have to deal with others)

My kids have never felt they had nothing to do on the smaller ships. There is always something to keep you busy if you want it to be.

On a note since Rotan is on your "list" and sounds like a must get into to, it is a port that is really a hit or miss port. This is because the ship has a very small clearance that it has to navigate the reefs you wish to see. The smaller ships have a better chance of getting there based on sea/weather conditions compared to some of the much larger ships. That is something you might want to keep in mind also.

Like you wife, I don't want to have to socialize with people. I suggest in general making sure to get a balcony if you can get your father-in-law to spend the money for it. A good idea with that though might also be taking a look at NCL and depending on the ship if they have 2 bed room suites which might be cheaper than 2 rooms.

To begin go the a few of the main cruise company web sites. Narrow down your search by date and location that will tell you what ship you would be on then you can look at the kid things offered. Many have super slides with the pools and what kid doesn't like water. Many also have special clubs for teens and pre teens, as well as daily activities. Keep a notebook as you check things out. The ports you can sort through once you book there are always things to do for adults and kids. As far as your wife and the sea sickness I would have her discuss her options in advance with her Doctor. They can prescribe something for her just in case. I have issues on occasion and take my pills along. I am not a fan of the patches you see everyone wearing, they actually stay in your system for days and if the medication doesn't agree with you it can have a worse effect. I like to enjoy a few drinks and if I do drink I won't need my medication. Check out my travel blog www.atouristlife.com have a great cruise.

As a surprise, my father in law has offered to take my wife, two kids, and I on a cruise next spring (2016). He's been on a couple of cruises previously, but the rest of us are newbies. He's left the choice of cruise line, itinerary, and ports to us. And I'm freaking out.

 

There are way too many choices, even in the small spring break window we'll have next April. My father in law's only caveat is no Disney: he does not like the mouse. But beyond that, I'm stumped.

 

It seems as though every line has an itinerary that might work for us: Carnival, Royal, Norwegian, Holland, Celebrity... Which to choose?

 

My kids will be 6 and 9. My wife is not excited about forced socializing and worries about seasickness. She also refuses to fly long-distance to get to a port, so the cruise will need to stay in the Caribbean. I love snorkeling, and the barrier reef off of Belize and Roatan is firmly on my "list". But I worry about things for kids to do.

 

Are there must-do ports that we can't miss with mid-sized kids? Are there cruises that work better for more introverted travelers? The big ships sound so over the top and Vegas-y, but the small ships might not have enough to do on long transit days. I want this to be amazing so that my wife will agree to that future Eastern Med cruise that is my dream trip - so no pressure!

 

I'm freaking out. Please help. :eek:

WOW...how nice of your father in law!!

We've only cruise Carnival so I can't speak about other ships. The ships never lacked for things for us and the kids to do. On Carnival, they have a registration time where the kids get to meet the leaders and get the weekly activity guide. Bring a highlighter! We highlighted all the things they wanted to do and during the time they didn't want to be in the club, we did family things like swimming, ping pong, trivia, etc. Adults get a daily activity guide as well. Its left in your room the night before. Again, we would highlight the activities we wanted to do. The ships we were on were midsize and we never felt a lack of things to do or felt there were too many options on the ships we were on. Our favourite of the Carnival once we've been on is the Liberty.

We found being on the Western side, the water was much calmer than being on the Eastern side (Atlantic ocean). Both times we were on the ocean side, we got a bit sea sick the first few days. The Western side (Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea), was very calm for us. Could be the time of year (March) we were there.

We brought Gravol with us!

Our first cruise had Roatan. BEAUTIFUL!! Our cruise this summer includes Roatan as well and snorkelling is on our must do list! Reason we booked the Western side again.

I have yet to be at a port I didn't like! Some are more beautiful than others for beaches but all provide so many different things, culture, people than I would never experience at home!

My husband and I tend to stick to ourselves. I'm more of a people person than he is but I respect that he really doesn't want to talk to strangers. You can be as social (or not) as you want to be!!

Read through the reviews for the cruise ships and ports on here as well as other websites to help narrow down your selection. BUT keep in mind that what peeves other people off could be just fine for you. I always look at reviews of the cruises I've just been on. I had an amazing time, wonderful food, thought the entertainment was awesome, etc. and someone else is complaining about the food and the entertainment. I look for a common theme throughout the posts. Are there many people complaining about the same thing?

Hope you have a wonderful time!! AND let us know what you decide!

Ships go into drydock every 2-4 years and get freshened up. And there is constant maintenance going on. Just because a ship is not the newest does not mean it is a rust bucket. A ship that is 8 years old is still pretty new. If you have never cruised, ANY ship will wow you. Don't become a cruise snob before you ever set foot on a ship. EM

I am baffled by recommendations to insist on a "new" ship. What stories have these people heard that makes them try to avoid a good comfortable elegant ship just because she has a bit of age?

My grandkids loved the kids club. Their parents could not pry them away.... They had new best friends within an hour or two arriving on the ship.

Some ships have better kids programs than others, really research for the best program and facilities. Our kids did Disney and I know you don't want to do a Disney Cruise.

Mom & Dad enjoyed great family time and also due to a great kids program enjoyed adult time.

Favorite excursion per a 9 & 11 yr old was Grand Cayman swimming with manta rays & snorkel (private tour not ship).

Have fun planning !

Tip: pick a smaller ship so it's not so overwhelming to your family. Have a window cabin at the very least (in a balcony girl).

... way too many choices, even in the small spring break window we'll have next April...

Conventional wisdom I have picked up from this Board and other sources is that Spring Break is not the best time to travel. But if that is what you have, then it may be best to avoid known party lines and party-cruise routes. Seven-day is better than five-day. Kid-friendly family-friendly may be comforting notions, but think through how you and your kids will be interacting. I think kid-friendly and family-friendly means that the ship has resources to occupy the little ones while the adults do their own thing. Is that what you have in mind? Or is this a family-experience trip where you will be all together and it really doesn't matter what resources the ship has for kids because they are with you and you are their resource. Just some additional food for thought as you consider the choices. In my limited experience, it seems impossible to pick a bad cruise!

BTW, as to seasickness: I was greatly disappointed by our first cruise which was in the Southern Caribbean two years ago. I had a very hard time telling whether the ship was moving or not. It was like we were parked on land someplace, no rocking, no rolling. Unless you encounter an unusual storm, and unless a person is hypersensitive to motion, I wouldn't worry about the seasickness bit.

Awesome feedback! I love it! :D

Re: Spring Break: Unfortunately, due to school and work schedules, that's the only time we'll be able to manage it. The good news is that our school district's break is in April, two weeks after Easter and a month after most colleges. That should help from a "party" situation.

Re: Grand Cayman - That looks so appealing. I've heard that it's a hit or miss port from a weather standpoint though, because of the tendering. Is missing the port a regular occurrence in April? I haven't been able to find percentage data anywhere.

It is a wonderful present, and a tremendous opportunity. I'm relieved to know that I'm not crazy for starting to plan a year in advance - it looks as though many of you have already booked cruises for next year!

I've ordered one of the recommended guidebooks as well.

It is fascinating to read reviews - the same cruise will have vastly different comments about food quantity and quality - perspectives seem to vary dramatically. However, it sounds as though people with a generally open mind and relaxed attitude all give very contended reviews about all the ships I'm looking at. That's positive!

Thank you all for your comments and guidance. As a first-time poster here, I'm gratified to get such great answers! :)

Awesome feedback! I love it! :D

 

...

 

It is a wonderful present, and a tremendous opportunity. I'm relieved to know that I'm not crazy for starting to plan a year in advance - it looks as though many of you have already booked cruises for next year!

...

Thank you all for your comments and guidance. As a first-time poster here, I'm gratified to get such great answers! :)

On Cruise Critic there is also a Family Forum. That is where there is a lot of discussion about cruising with children. You might want to check that out.

Even though a child is an introvert i'd strongly recommend that they check into the kids' club the first night when everyone is new. Might be surprised.

As a surprise, my father in law has offered to take my wife, two kids, and I on a cruise next spring (2016). He's been on a couple of cruises previously, but the rest of us are newbies. He's left the choice of cruise line, itinerary, and ports to us. And I'm freaking out.

 

There are way too many choices, even in the small spring break window we'll have next April. My father in law's only caveat is no Disney: he does not like the mouse. But beyond that, I'm stumped.

 

The good news is that the number of college spring breakers may not be that high, but hopefully there will be enough kids in your kids' age groups to play with. The school district here (the second largest in the country) always takes off the week leading up to Easter and I'm guessing many others do the same or else take the same time of year.

 

Every mass market line has a kids' program and if there's more than a handful, there's a full program. When we took our first Princess cruise (which was our daughter's fourth cruise after Carnival ones), our girl was one of only three 5-year-olds because it was mid-February. So there were activities, just not the full range (but still open during the usual hours). But after that, during summer and winter break cruises, there were the science itinerary-oriented activities along with the usual arts and crafts, video games and movies.

 

As someone suggested, always go the first day/night (whenever the orientation/registration is) with your kids so they'll meet the others. You should get a day-by-day listing of activities (Princess puts one in cabins with kids) for the age group or groups for your kids. They don't have to be there during all of the sessions, but the schedule will help them decide on what activities they absolutely want to be there for. Some lines will have late-night kidsitting, but with if your father-in-law is willing to watch them on a night or two, you probably don't need to take advantage of that.

 

Disney tends to be a lot more money (sometimes twice as much compared to another ship doing the same cruise at the same time) as you're paying for the Disney name. Personally I can take only so much of the "mouse" (maybe a day trip to Disneyland) at a time.

 

It seems as though every line has an itinerary that might work for us: Carnival, Royal, Norwegian, Holland, Celebrity... Which to choose?

 

My kids will be 6 and 9. My wife is not excited about forced socializing and worries about seasickness. She also refuses to fly long-distance to get to a port, so the cruise will need to stay in the Caribbean. I love snorkeling, and the barrier reef off of Belize and Roatan is firmly on my "list". But I worry about things for kids to do.

 

I'm the one in the family who tends to get motion sickness. Sea motion doesn't bother my hubby or girl at all. But many OTC remedies make me drowsy so I tried ginger (candied ginger and ginger chews, which are easy to find at grocery stores and Cost Plus) and that seems to work best. But your wife should try various remedies ahead of time to see what works for her. What doesn't give her side effects would be choices she can bring with her. If she's on any prescription medicines, she should check with her doctor to make sure she won't interfere with her existing meds.

 

My last three cruises were the LA/Hawaii round trips, which tend to have some rough seas at time, but even with the motion, that is now my favorite itinerary. We're an hour's drive from that port, so no flying...and I hate flying. Our Alaskan cruise was our smoothest. We were even far forward on that one, and I didn't feel it at all.

 

As for forced socializing, I'm also a shy type, but I got into meeting others from all over. But nobody will be forcing you to do anything at all from after the mandatory muster drill until it's time to leave the ship for good. In fact, you don't even have to get off the ship in every or any port

Are there must-do ports that we can't miss with mid-sized kids? Are there cruises that work better for more introverted travelers? The big ships sound so over the top and Vegas-y, but the small ships might not have enough to do on long transit days. I want this to be amazing so that my wife will agree to that future Eastern Med cruise that is my dream trip - so no pressure!

 

I'm freaking out. Please help. :eek:

Most likely you will be given a table for 6 without even asking. Unless there's a family of three or four with kids and they give you a table for 10. I doubt if they will put a couple traveling without kids at a table with a family that includes a 6 and a 9 year old.

The guidebook will help you plan things to do in port or even help you narrow down which ports to go to. You can also google each port and you'll find tons of tourism sites. Go to the cruise line's website (lots of good info there) and check out which excursions they're offering. Even if you do it yourself, you'll get some ideas of places to visit from that.

The one thing I'll recommend about planning is not to plan out every moment. Don't try to do too much in the ports (maybe your wife might say "we need to come back here on a future cruise"). Don't plan out your time on ship ahead on time. Each night you should get a ship's newsletter that lists activities for the next day and you and your wife might select something to do while your father-in-law will want to do something else.

The biggest ship we've been on is consider mid-size in today's standards (around 116,000 gross tons) and as someone said, ships are usually sent for renovations every few years, but during the cruise and turn-around day, there's constant maintenance -- painting, etc. So don't feel you have to go on the newest or biggest ship.

And don't worry about missed ports. Some people will go on many cruises and never miss a port. In 11 cruises, we only missed one due to high waves (it was a tender port as opposed to one where the ship docks). The idea is the captain wants to keep you safe. But you're going before hurricane season.

We just booked our first cruise with kids with us....we've cruises just adults so we're inn a new adventure!

We've chosen the getaway April 17, 2016 sailing!

Good luck with choosing- I think western carribean is a great itinerary and you'll have some great excursion options to suit everyone's liking. If you do go to grand cayman, I can't recommend enough a visit to stingray city!

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the feedback!

 

It's all very daunting, but this helps a lot. I think we will stick with the Western Caribbean. Based on dates, and your thoughts, here are my options:

 

Liberty of the Seas

Vision of the Seas

Norwegian Getaway

Norwegian Jade

Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Star

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Splendor

Carnival Magic

Carnival Valor

 

It looks as though these ships vary dramatically in age and size. As I research the various ports, I'm more and more intrigued by Roatan: I love the idea of the kids playing on the beach while the grown ups take turns snorkeling one of the world's great reefs. But nearly all the ships that go to Roatan are older than 8 years old.

 

For first-timers, will we be so amazed by the whole experience that we won't notice wear and tear as much? Or will an older ship put us off? Is it better to sacrifice ports for a newer ship?

 

I didn't realize that we could limit the "seating with strangers at dinner" thing. That's very helpful!

 

For those of you with kids, how often do your kids use the kids' clubs vs hanging out with mom and dad?

 

Thanks again! Feeling better! :D

My grandkids where on a cruise last week and their folks could hardly get the kids out of the kids clubs.... Ages 9 & 11. You should know the 9 yr old was not happy with the club the first evening but we encouraged him to try again the next day and he would have spent the entire cruise there if he could.

On a completely different cruise our kids said Roatan was their favorite port. They were on a princess ship.

I think you would be very pleased on a Royal Caribbean ship. We generally ask for a table just for our family. We aren't big on joining others at a large table either. As for the ports, if you love scuba or snorkeling, the western itinerary is great for some of the best. There are so many great choices that children the age of yours will enjoy, especially in Grand Cayman such as the turtle farm, sting ray city, submarine tours and semi-submere with ALL the fish they will see swimming around them. There's shopping, entertainment, parades and more...and that's just on the ship. You'll fall in love with cruising.

The way I ward off sea-sickness is to take bonine before I even get on the ship and take it for 2 or 3 days into the trip. Also sipping ginerale helps. Your wife can get the patch to put behind her ears from the dr. All of you will have a wonderful time. Just relax and enjoy the planning of the cruise. It will be a wonderful time for you .

Welcome!!! Me, my SO, and my DS (will be 13 then) are sailing next April, spring break, on Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral April 3, 2016. Maybe we'll see ya on there :-)

Awesome ideas - thanks again so much for the positive vibes and feedback.

I have things narrowed down for sure, but I'm stuck between a couple of lines and a couple of ships for each one.

I have some more questions about the differences between lines and ships, and I'd love to see everyone's take - but I'll post them as a separate thread; I think it makes more sense.

Thanks again! This is daunting, but access to you all as resources is making things much more manageable!!!

How wonderful to be a newbie! The first time is the greatest!

On the sea sickness issue, my spouse has taken sea sickness remedies with him for each of our 17 cruises and never used them once. As others have said, these ships are built to be stable and you feel virtually no movement. Often, we forget we're even on the water. That being said, it's always a good idea to bring the remedies--it's insurance that you'll never need them!

On the old ship vs. new ship--you'll notice when you're onboard how much effort the crew make to keep the ships in fine order. We just got back from a trip on the Caribbean Princess--it's 10 years old and you'd never know it. It was spotless and spiffy.

Happy planning! - Musing About Cruising