First time cruiser. Best family cruise line/ship for Caribbean??

Hello everyone. New member here,so please forgive me if this has been asked and answered a million times before, im sure it has. Also i hope this is the right place I've never used a forum before.

So basically im so flipping confused!! I've never been on a cruise ship before and im pretty certain my eyes and ears are bleeding with the amount of googling and calls I've done.

Id like to take a 2 week ish Caribbean cruise in 2018. I *think* April time. I'm not I'm not fussed when in 2018 really, just good weather, not in hurricane season. I will have a 4 year old. Im wanting to book asap

Question is, which are the best cruises for families and young children? But still nice". I liked the new mSC Seaside and I was going to book that, plus they had free child places. But now ive read people saying MSC are awful?? I have family going who refuse to step on Disney, though ive heard the quality of food etc isn't good on them anyway...

I was looking towards Royal Caribbean but they've so many ships!! Allure, Oasis (and the other sister ship i can't remember) looked good but family can afford that ship. Anyone been on any of the others and loved it?

I'm so confused...its a lot of money and I want to get it right. Coming from Scotland it's 1500 alone on flights so any help would be great to pick a ship and line rom other peoples experiences

Experienced cruisers with young kids, who is your favourite and have you ever been to the Caribbean????? Sorry a lot of questions 🙈

Besides DCL, look at RCCL, NCL, CCL, and Princess. All have free kids clubs and activities.

First, let me say welcome to cruising and to Cruise Critic!

It sounds like you are actually doing the right things to help you determine a good option for your first cruise! Talking to friends, reading the threads here on CC, and using the internet to research your options are all good ways to start! Don't get frustrated. As you learn more, you can target your questions to specific cruise lines/ships/itineraries.

You will find that when you ask "what is the best..." you are asking a very subjective question, to which there are as many answers as there are people to answer! In the end, that first cruise is something like a leap of faith. Once you do it, you will have a better idea of what your personal likes and dislikes are and the next one will be much easier to figure out!

Good luck with your planning!

You said you have a four YO, what about the ages of other children in the family? How many people total? What sort of leisure activities do they all like? Do they sit and read, do quiet things, watch the television, listen to music? Or do they prefer active, outdoor types of things, hiking and biking sorts?

As for food, it is so very subjective, but do you go out to eat often or not? When you do, is it an upscale restaurant or more of a casual place?

What sort of budget range are you looking at? Pricing is different in the UK than in the US, but if you can share more of your expectations, we can help narrow down your options. Whatever you end up with will be fine, as most cruise lines are more alike than they are different, but the closer we can match your expectations with the line, the better.

The "Best" is very subjective when it comes to cruise lines. I would suggest Disney for a 4 year old but if the rest of your family refuses and budget is of importance then skip that. Other good alternatives then would be RCCL, NCL, and CCL. Beware of sailing in April. March and April would be prime Spring Break time here and the ships will be extra crowded with families on spring break. You may also get cheaper rates not sailing during those prime times. Late April may be an ok choice though. My suggestion, since you are currently not brand loyal, is to narrow down the itineraries and times you want to go, look at the ships available to do those itineraries, times, and are in your budget and then compare what each of them have to offer you and your family that you would enjoy. Then pick the one that fits all of your wants the best. We have not gone wrong yet by doing it our research that way. Have fun. I find the research almost as enjoyable as the cruise itself.

The "Best" is very subjective when it comes to cruise lines. I would suggest Disney for a 4 year old but if the rest of your family refuses and budget is of importance then skip that. Other good alternatives then would be RCCL, NCL, and CCL. Beware of sailing in April. March and April would be prime Spring Break time here and the ships will be extra crowded with families on spring break. You may also get cheaper rates not sailing during those prime times. Late April may be an ok choice though. My suggestion, since you are currently not brand loyal, is to narrow down the itineraries and times you want to go, look at the ships available to do those itineraries, times, and are in your budget and then compare what each of them have to offer you and your family that you would enjoy. Then pick the one that fits all of your wants the best. We have not gone wrong yet by doing it our research that way. Have fun. I find the research almost as enjoyable as the cruise itself.

Jeez thank you for the spring break tip! I missed that completely coming from Scotland. The problem for me with not knowing brands is I get so many mixed reviews online for the companies. I picked the MSC Seaside as the ship i liked, then reviews I've read of MSC cruises are that they were awful. Im finding the forum more useful though so thanks ☺

You said you have a four YO, what about the ages of other children in the family? How many people total? What sort of leisure activities do they all like? Do they sit and read, do quiet things, watch the television, listen to music? Or do they prefer active, outdoor types of things, hiking and biking sorts?

 

As for food, it is so very subjective, but do you go out to eat often or not? When you do, is it an upscale restaurant or more of a casual place?

 

What sort of budget range are you looking at? Pricing is different in the UK than in the US, but if you can share more of your expectations, we can help narrow down your options. Whatever you end up with will be fine, as most cruise lines are more alike than they are different, but the closer we can match your expectations with the line, the better.

Thank you so much for the reply.

My daughter is the only child. In-laws are coming too, they're chilled and just like sight seeing without any strenuous activity. They're 60+.

Activity wise it would be some beach days, snorkelling dolphin swimming, and sight seeing. My oh and I would probably do more excursions, same with my mother. Id like nice casual food but with options for formal dining too. Id be disappointed if the food wasnt very good. (which I've read about Disney) Part of the draw is a bit of luxury thrown in with feeling comfortable in having a four year old in tow. Kid areas, pools etc. My OH says I'm quite hard to please unfortunately lol.

As for the budget 1300 pp -1600 max as flights are a killer from here to Florida. Royal Caribbean was probably my favourite ship wise from what i looked at but jeez there so may options and so many people to please lol

Thanks cdavid46 for the welcome.

And thanks for the replies guys :)

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

You have already ruled out Disney, and said Royal Caribbean was too expensive. I would have recommend Royal Caribbean for a diverse family group- lots to do for all age groups.

Coming from Scotland I assume you are booking through a travel agent. Make sure you pick someone who has a lot cruise experience.

When researching the trip, make sure you compare "apples to apples!" By that I mean compare ships, cabins you are booking, what exactly is included as far as meals, drinks, drink packages, gratuities/tips, port fees and taxes. These things can make a huge difference on the FINAL price per person.

April can be busy because of spring/Easter sailings. Prices can vary week-to-week. Good luck with your planning.

Jeez thank you for the spring break tip! I missed that completely coming from Scotland. The problem for me with not knowing brands is I get so many mixed reviews online for the companies. I picked the MSC Seaside as the ship i liked, then reviews I've read of MSC cruises are that they were awful. Im finding the forum more useful though so thanks ☺

You should be ok if you cruise in late April. Mid March to early April are the prime Spring Break weeks. Also, I noticed you said you were looking at 2 weeks, so you likely won't have a problem on a longer cruise of greater than 7 days.

Great cruise line suggestions have been made but there are only a few cruises longer than 7 days on the more family oriented lines.

Royal Caribbean has a 12 night cruise out of Baltimore in April, but it's on an older ship (Grandeur). There isn't as much to do for the youngsters but at 4 years old, it shouldn't be a huge deal.

Princess has 10 night cruises on their 2 newest ships (Regal and Royal) out of Ft Lauderdale. Looking at this option, I think these are the ones I would most recommend for you.

I couldn't find any NCL cruises longer than a week, and it doesn't look like Disney has released their 2018 schedule yet.

If you do a 1 week cruise, do not rule out Royal Caribbean. Don't get hung up on a lot of people being on board. What matters is the passenger to space ratio of each ship and RCI typically has some of the best ratios. That means the ships feel less crowded than other lines. From experience, I can say this is true. Oasis Class ships are AWESOME!

Hi Shanivy

One of the main benefits of going on your first cruise is that you have no preconceptions. Just as almost all cruisers, you will likely have a great time.

The reality is that there is no "best" cruise line. People who have cruised on the main mass market ships will generally admit, the cruise lines are more alike than different.

So, you could pretend that they are all about equal and make your decision based on price and itinerary. When looking at price and time of travel don't forget to look into and include hotel costs and transport to the port and how it fits with your flight times. Once you have narrowed your choice down to just a few, you could then look at amenities offered on any specific ship and then decide if that would change your overall enjoyment. I would allow reviews to influence my decision only minimally. Unless I saw no positives or something specific (repeated) about the ship that was a concern, I would discount most negative reviews, especially if they are vague or generalizations.

have a great cruise

Since you are from the UK, and have not cruise before, I would suggest you look at P&O-UK ships. they are geared for the Brits, have the menus you enjoy (though I don't know if they serve haggis...) and are child friendly. I would suggest looking at Azura, sailing from Barbados, as well as Britannia from Barbados. Lots of Caribbean Islands. And the advantage that air is arranged by them, perhaps included in the fare. I think I would lean toward Azura because she is a bit smaller than Britannia, but has deeper balconies. Schedules thus far only go to Feb/Mar 2018.

Also look at Thomson (TUI) with ships sailing from Caribbean ports such as Montego Bay, Jamaica and Barbados. They have their own dedicated fleet of planes flying from regional airports in the UK. But their schedules is not out yet for 2018.

These lines would only be sailing here into March, maybe late early April before they return to Europe.

Do not rule out MSC. People who don't like them complain because they are a different experience from the American traditions. Food is different, pace is different...They have tried to 'Americanize' Divina for us, and we think they have done pretty well, and Seaside is being built just for us. And you can get amazing deals, far less than your airfare...EM

Hi, Shanivy- :)

Essiesmom has said exactly what I would have said to you for a first cruise.

If you go with P&O or Thomson, you will buy a complete package, which includes airfare and transport from the plane to the ship. You won't be touching the USA, so won't have to buy an ESTA for everyone before travelling, and because the flights are strictly for your cruise, you won't have to get off the ship by 9.30am on the last day (which is usual on cruises). Instead you're allowed to use all the facilities on board, including food, until your flight is ready and your transport arrives.

Both cruise lines deal in £s; they don't go mad about tipping- in fact it's included on Thomson- and the drinks prices are very reasonable.

Azura and Britannia are large, modern ships; Thomson uses older ones but they're very friendly with excellent entertainment...

We go on Azura's twin sister, Ventura, to the Caribbean in winter, but we cut out the flights... we sail across and back on her! :cool:

Enjoy choosing. :)