Which cruise line ?

Hi all !

First time cruiser , 1st time in this board . Hope you can help me with some questions .

We are the family of 4 ( 47, 47, 13, 11 ) , never been on cruise before . We plan to go to Italy next summer , July 2012 to spend about 10 days for the Greek isles .Our budget is about $2500-$3000/pp . I have been reading here and there and narrow down to 4 cruise

1/ Crown Princess

2/ Celebrity Equinox

3/ Royal Caribbean Voyager of the sea / Grandeur of the sea

Please let me know : which one is more family oriented ? which one has better activities for kids ? My kids love to play some games before they go to bed , which one provides x-box , wii , play station for free ? And which one has better food ?

Thanks in advance for your input

Royal Caribbean will be more family friendly than Princess which is more family friendly than Celebrity.

As far as having things for the kids, Voyager of the Seas comes out on top. Then Grandeur of the Seas and Crown Princess and last of the four ships listed will be the Celebrity Equinox.

The best food will be found on Celebrity, followed by Princess and finally Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean will be more family friendly than Princess which is more family friendly than Celebrity.

 

As far as having things for the kids, Voyager of the Seas comes out on top. Then Grandeur of the Seas and Crown Princess and last of the four ships listed will be the Celebrity Equinox.

 

The best food will be found on Celebrity, followed by Princess and finally Royal Caribbean.

Oh, no, so I can't have both good food and good entertainment for kids ?? Do you have anything else in mind , please suggest .

Oh, no, so I can't have both good food and good entertainment for kids ?? Do you have anything else in mind , please suggest .

Princess is also good for families, they do have WII, they have a teen's program, and MUTS (Movies under the Stars). I really enjoyed the food on Princess as well. Royal Caribbean will have things like rock wall, possibly an ice skating rink (depending on the ship). Please also remember in making your decision that your cruise will be port intensive, so there may not be so much time spent on the ship...

Whatever cruise line you choose, have a great time!

Oh, no, so I can't have both good food and good entertainment for kids ?? Do you have anything else in mind , please suggest .

I didn't say the food on Royal Caribbean was not good. All I am saying is that Celebrity is better. However, Celebrity is more adult oriented then Royal Caribbean. If you look at what is available on the ship, you will find Royal Caribbean offers more for the kids than Celebrity does.

Carnival is another family friendly line. Carnival also has better food than Royal Caribbean (Carnival's food is about the same as Princess). However, Carnival only has one ship in Europe. If it goes where you want to go - great. If not, then not so good.

I have no idea what the childrens' programs are like on Celebrity, but on Solstice (sister to Equinox) they were playing wii type games in Quasar, as well as other tournaments. Med. cruises are usually port intensive, and it is going to be very hot and crowded in port. I would not worry overmuch about kids entertainment...Just feed them, and they will be ready for bed. EM

Princess as all of those games and the kds now play them on the big screen outdoor movie theater. I would think that both Princess and Royal Caribbean would be the most kid friendly and that Celebrity ship would be the nicest followed by the Crown Princess. I would go with the Crown Princess.

Thanks for all you input . I think I will go with the Crown princess . How early we should book ? If we lock in the rate , can we change when the cruise line has promotion or upgrade ?

Thanks for all you input . I think I will go with the Crown princess . How early we should book ? If we lock in the rate , can we change when the cruise line has promotion or upgrade ?

The earlier you book the better. Since you can cancel without penalty up until final payment is due, you can rebook at a lower rate if one becomes available. However, if you wait, and the price goes up, you cannot ask for the old lower rate.

I would go into a cruise specialist agency (that's a travel agency that specializes in cruises) and have them work with you to book your cruise and advise you on flights, etc. (you don't have to book your flights, hotels with the cruiseline) That way if you have any questions or any problems, you have a rep you can talk to as oppose to a phone number for an online agency (and you may be dealing with clerks there who have never even seen a cruiseship in person).

Cuizer2 : thanks for your information

Cruisin' Chick : yes , I do have a cruise agent to help me out , I just want to learn more about cruising and prepare myself before I meet my agent . Being travel on land a lot , I learn that sometimes the travel agent doesn't know as much as a fellow traveler

My agent just booked it this morning for me . Crown Princess 12 days from Venice to Rome 6/17/2012 . I'm getting excited now . Thanks for all your help

Good decision! I was just on the Celebrity Eclipse in May and the average passenger age was 70+ and there were many who were older. We'd look out by the pool and see a sea of elderly people roasting or burning in the sun - and not buying many cocktails either! One of the strangest pool scene's I've seen on a ship and we've been on lots of cruises. I'm 49 and my husband is 53 and we got a LOT of special attention for being among the youngest 10% on the ship! LOL! That said, the food and ship was fantastic, but it's been my experience that Princess food is really good and the age range is broader on Princess. So I KNOW you will have a fantastic time on your cruise!

Thanks Suite Traveler .

There is another reason that I pick Princess . It start in Venice and end in Rome . I have some excuse to extend my holidays . Our family love Rome , we were there last year and love Rome so much that we're glad to go back there sooner than we plan .

Your story about being the youngest remind me of Beausite Park resort in Wengen , Switzerland . I read the review on Trip Advisor , they said that beautiful resort is not for the young group . Being over 40 , my husband and I thought we would blend in easily . The 1st night , we walked in the dining hall , we were so surprised . All the guests there were in their 80 , 70 , we were the youngest :):)

Princess