New to cruising; family europe cruise

My only experience with cruising was not very good; a short Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston SC. However, the kids loved it and we are considering a Europe cruise for Summer 2015. I pretty sure there will be no comparison between the Fantasy and a newer cruise ship on a European itinerary. I'm starting early since I really don't have very much cruise experience and trying to gather as much info as possible before booking. Considering Celebrity but most cruise lines don't even have their itineraries available for 2015. A couple of general questions:

Is there any advantage to booking early on Celebrity? Is there a e-mail list I can get on when specials are released?

We're considering early June as soon as the kids are out of school. Any advantages to June compared to July or August?

Last trip we just booked to connecting rooms which gave us more room for less money than a suite. I know this depends on the ship, but does Celebrity have family suites or connecting rooms?

Thanks

Welcome! You are absolutely right, no comparison between the two! Even within the same cruise line, however, you'll also find differences between ships and definitely between European and Caribbean sailings.

I find that the advantage of booking early is getting your choice of cabin and location. After that, you can keep your eyes out for price drops/promotions, etc., of which, in most cases, you should be able to take advantage.

Depending upon which part of Europe, the summer months can be hot. That doesn't bother us at all, but for some it's an issue. Also, in many parts of Europe, some businesses close in August, or parts thereof, for their own vacations.

Don't know about the family suites on Celebrity, but I do believe that there are some connecting rooms.

Thank you!

Looking at the floor plans of the Equinox, there are only 4 family staterooms on the whole ship. They look pretty neat, with a queen bed, single bed and a pull out sofa (from what I can see). Probably be cheaper with connecting rooms.

Does the queen bed separate into 2 singles?

My only experience with cruising was not very good; a short Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston SC. However, the kids loved it and we are considering a Europe cruise for Summer 2015. I pretty sure there will be no comparison between the Fantasy and a newer cruise ship on a European itinerary. I'm starting early since I really don't have very much cruise experience and trying to gather as much info as possible before booking. Considering Celebrity but most cruise lines don't even have their itineraries available for 2015. A couple of general questions:

Is there any advantage to booking early on Celebrity? Is there a e-mail list I can get on when specials are released?

We're considering early June as soon as the kids are out of school. Any advantages to June compared to July or August?

Last trip we just booked to connecting rooms which gave us more room for less money than a suite. I know this depends on the ship, but does Celebrity have family suites or connecting rooms?

Thanks

Welcome to these Cruise Critic boards and glad you are considering your options with Celebrity for Europe. We have done visits to 22 different countries in Europe and done four cruises there. Below is a live/blog on a June 2011 cruise in the Med out of Barcelona.

First, I would early to mid June. That gets jump on the crowds for later June, July and August when the schools are out in most of the Europe countries. Also, things can get lots hotter there in July and August. We've had very good weather, twice, in mid June.

Second, Europe is much, much more about the ports, not the ship on cruises there. Below you can see more from our live/blog about cruise out of Barcelona. That port is great and much easier for your logistics than sailing out of compared to Rome. That port near Rome is much farther away from the main city, its large airport, etc.

Third, on Celebrity special, that is possible, but if you wait too late in booking, then you might get hit for higher airfares. Always trade-offs! There is not one easy or perfect answer on when to book and always getting the best price for both the cruise and air flights. Especially with a family.

Tell us more about your budget flexibility, ages, personal and travel interests, etc. How much are you interested in history? Countrysides vs. cities? Museums, food, wine, art, music, shopping, architecture, culture, etc.? How much of it in a leisurely style versus fast-paced? Then, with more detailed and specific information from you, we can make better, more specific suggestions on what best fits your needs and interests.

Below is more details on some of these ports, pictures. There are great options from Barcelona that also go and do in and around some of the key Greek isles, etc.

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 14,892 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

More on wonderful Kotor and nearby, check these postings. Have had over 11,593 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and commented.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Since Venice could be one of your key stops, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting has now had over 20,634 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in. Don’t be shy in sharing any questions or comments.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 129,497 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Don’t miss the sail-in and/or sail-out for Venice. This was our view from the top of the ship as we approached the historic center of Venice. On a beautiful day, as we enjoyed, this is so spectacular!!!:

In front of the Accademia Art Museum in Venice, here is an artist on that wooden bridge over the Grand Canal making a painting. Lots of such great views can be experienced all over this historic city.:

This is the dramatic front view of St. Peter’s and the Square with the beautiful sky over this historic setting on June 10, 2011, during our visit and doing the Scavi tour under the Vatican in Rome. This dramatic Cathedral is the world's largest!:

It was a big “WOW” for our first visit to Pisa. This tower is much taller than I expected. They just completed a major cleaning of it a few weeks earlier in the spring, making things perfect, except for that little foundation problem with one tower. Also impressive here are the Pisa Baptistry and Duomo (main) church. Pisa has a couple of major universities here. There is another church here that also also a learning (and shorter) tower. We drove by that site. Two leaning towers in Pisa! How many knew that?:

We had visited Tuscany’s San Gimignano in 1999 with our son, but it is a town that is always impressive in history and architectural styles. We had lunch here. Below is a long-shot of the hill town with its tower from the wonderful countryside below and nearby.

In Dubrovnik, we started with a local cab driver who gave us a “panoramic tour”, including crossing this unique bridge near the main cruise ship docking area. Then we drove up and up through narrow twisting roads to the high point overlooking Dubrovnik and near the cable car high station. From this point, we could also see part of Bosnia and and Montenegro. The “super star” view was down below with this angle of the harbor and walled city. Beautiful!!!:

Pricing is all over the place. I suggest you book something and then keep an eagle eye on prices and call either X or your TA every time you see a change.

I would definitely consider the FV suites--they are enormous! 575 sq. ft. vs. 194 in a standard room. You usually have to have a party of 5 to book them and you have to call. The ones on Deck 8 (S class) are bigger and have bigger balconies. It's really two twins pushed together in the master bedroom (so they can be separated), two bunks in the tiny second bedroom, and room for one on the sofa. The only disadvantage is that they are way far forward and it's a hike to get anywhere, but that can be a good thing.

Your other option is to book two connecting rooms--you will have to check pricing to see which is better. You would get two bathrooms, but have no living area--there is a huge living area in the FV suites.

You have plentry of time to do research before the 2015 schedule for Europe comes out in March/April of 2014.

You can look at itineraires for 2014 which are out and find two or three that you are interested in tracking.

Considerations for an European cruise:

Flying to the port city a couple of days early. Price of airfare and hotels. European hotels have smaller rooms and in major cities are not cheap.

Barcelona would be a great city to explore with chlldren, Rome also but it is over a hour from the airport.

Cruising in Europe is all about the ports of call. Very few seadays. You get off the ship in the morning early and return in late afternoon.

Early June will be a good time , without the heat of July and August.

Many ports of call have the ship dock in an industrial port. But ports like Naples, Messina Sicily, all the Greek Islands, some in France are right in the town.

Also the beaches in Europe are not like the Caribbean, in Europe thay are small pebbles, or sand.

Have a wonderful time with your family deciding what interests all of you.

Keep comig back to CC with your questions.

June is a much better time to go than july or august, pricing will be better, weather more comfortable and its a nice time to see europe.

Cabins - go for the FV, if its not available now (it wont show online, you can call and ask celebrity, but is usually held for parties of five to start with) then ask to be waitlisted for when they get released. Great cabin, huge living area, seoerate master bedroom, and seperate small twin bunk room. Sofa sleeper in lounge (not the best I am told) we have stayed in these, and LOVE them, here is a photo. The newer solstice class ships have the lawn club grill, where you and kids can make your own flat bread pizzas (yum) and grilled steaks etc.

Have fun!!

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

We traveled to Europe in early June last year and will be doing the same this year. We leave the minute the kids are out of school. I like the flow of school - vacation - summer, it is a nice transition. Also generally vacation destinations are less croweded the earlier in June we arrive.

We once had a Family View suite on Millenium and really liked it. I've suffer from motion sickness so I don't know if we'll ever try the Family Suite on the S-class ships, since I believe cabins on the lower decks mid ship have the least movement, but those cabins look beautiful. We did two connecting inside cabins on HAL's Eurodam last summer, they were huge cabins. In retrospect, I wish I would have upgraded to balcony cabins of course when the prices fell on balcony cabins, there weren't connecting or adjoining cabins available, so we stuck with our insides. We'll have adjoining balcony cabins this year on Silhouette and will "connect" through the balconies. With connecting cabins, you get two bathrooms!

And yes, especially if you are looking for connecting cabins and there are not as many of those cabin types, booking early will give you the best cabin selection.

Happy planning!

Posters have mentioned a lot about Med. itineraries. Other options would be a Baltic cruise, Norwegian fjords or Iceland/Arctic Circle.

I like to book early so I am sure to get the cabin I want.

CKelly,

We have done four European cruise with our boys now 17 &19. We have done the med twice, British Isles, and the Baltic. They were all wonderful and I'm so glad we had that family time together. Yes it is expensive but now one is in college, the other with a crazy schedule and sports so it is hard to schedule any family time.

Like others have said, I would go as soon as you can when school is out for you in June. I would get them involved in planning. I too believe in booking early for your choice of cabins then you can monitor for price reductions.

I hope you have a wonderful time.

To TLC Ohio,

Terry of all the beautiful photos you share, I absolutely love the one of San Gimignano--that takes my breath away every time.

CKelly, We have done four European cruise with our boys now 17 &19. We have done the med twice, British Isles, and the Baltic. They were all wonderful and I'm so glad we had that family time together. Yes it is expensive but now one is in college, the other with a crazy schedule and sports so it is hard to schedule any family time. Like others have said, I would go as soon as you can when school is out for you in June. I would get them involved in planning. I too believe in booking early for your choice of cabins then you can monitor for price reductions. I hope you have a wonderful time.

To TLC Ohio, Terry of all the beautiful photos you share, I absolutely love the one of San Gimignano--that takes my breath away every time.

Scrapnana: Posters have mentioned a lot about Med. itineraries. Other options would be a Baltic cruise' date=' Norwegian fjords or Iceland/Arctic Circle. [/quote']

 

Appreciate the super nice and kind comments from Alli Cruiser. Glad to know you're a person of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make these generous comments.

 

Yes, there are great options to the north in Europe. We have done the Baltics/Russia, Norwegian fjords/above Arctic Circle/North Cape, around England and Ireland, etc. You can see the below live/blog for lots along that scenic Norway coast, etc. Based the costs/value, number of ships in those areas, etc., many will find the Med to be easier to do for a first cruise in Europe. The Baltics and Norway tends to be more costly by comparison.

 

Below are some visual samples for the eastern Med areas, Greek Isles, Barcelona, one from Copenhagen, etc. Even in the Med, you cannot do it "ALL" in just one, initial cruise.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 106,284 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Before boarding our ship, we visited Barcelona’s famed Mercat La Boqueria and had breakfast here. WOW!!! It is easy to see why this popular Boqueria Market is not to be missed. It has a wide range of fresh meats, cheeses, produce and delicious food options to enjoy. Here is one of the beautifully stock fruit stands and a busy breakfast stand in the market.:

 

 

 

 

 

The charm, style and beauty of Villefranche are clear in this picture of its harbor area greeting visitors as we arrived via tender from the ship in southern France near Monaco.:

 

 

 

Here’s a sampling of the narrow, flowered street in Mykonos in the Greek Isles with its many shops. The streets were made so narrow in order to fend off pirate attackers. It is an island with lots of history and legend dating back thousands of years, including connections to ancient Greek mythology. Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early part of the 11th century BC. As Delos developed as a sacred center, Mykonos was under the influences of the different people, including Phoenicians, Macedonians and Athenians. With the rise of Alexander the Great, the fate of Mykonos became a commercial center for agriculture and maritime trade. Mykonos flourished with enormous wealth during Roman occupation during the reign of Augustus Caesar. During the Middle Ages, Mykonos fell under the Venetians and later were victimized by the Saracens and latter the Turks. Starting in the 1950’s, its unique architecture, seclusion and hospitality have made it a haven for the rich and famous.:

 

 

 

Looking downhill towards the library and other ruins from when Ephesus, along the Turkish Coast, was Rome's capital of Asia Minor. The history here is real and totally amazing! This Library of Celsus was built in honor of a Roman Senator and completed in 135 AD by his son, a Roman Consul and powerful official. The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a tomb for his father. The interior of the library and all its books were destroyed by fire in an earthquake in 262 AD. Only the facade survived, but was later destroyed by another earthquake. In a restoration during the 1960's and 1970's, the front was restored and serves as a key example of Roman public architecture.:

 

 

 

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

 

Thanks for all the advice and the pictures. Only the four of us, (Kids will be 9 and 10) so the family suite probably won't work, but I'll call to find out. If it was just my wife and I, we would definitely do the Venice to Istanbul trip, not sure with the kids.

Actually, the FV cabins are great for a family of four.

June is a much better month for Europe as the Med can be unbearably hot and humid in July and August. And August is when nearly all of Europe is on holiday, so everything is even more crowded.

My kids are a bit older - 2 years ago (Aug 2011 they were 14,14, 18) we did the Eastern Med out of Rome. Sicily, Athens, Crete and Ephesus were the ports on Royal Caribbean and it was amazing. We did 7 nights. This summer they are now 16,16 & 20 and we are doing Celebrity a 12 night Baltic cruise out of Amsterdam (stops Berlin, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Copenhagen). I think the Western Med or Eastern Med would be great. It also depends on what your kids like to do. My friends love to cruise Disney - her kids are my boys ages. On the other hand as much as we love Disney (we go at least once a year to Disney World) we have no desire to cruise on Disney. I think look at the itinerary and see what excites you. When I decided on our current cruise I thought my boys would not like the itinerary but they loved the choice.

As for rooms on RCI we had 2 connecting rooms as we had 5 people with us. On this cruise my mom is also going so we actually have 2 rooms. My mom and I and one of the twins will be in one room and Roger the other twin and my oldest in the other. The twins are small for their age and actually love the upper bunks so that is a good thing.

Good luck

Sharon

We're considering early June as soon as the kids are out of school. Any advantages to June compared to July or August?

I would advise you to do as much research as you can as to which Cruise line will be the best for you, whether it be X, RCI, NCL, Carnival or Costa. Keep looking at the main boards of each of the lines on CC because some may open things up in advance of the competition.

With that being said, in general, very early June and the last week of August/early September ending on Labor Day weekend will be much cheaper than the 10 main weeks over the summer between mid June and the end of August.

Thanks for all the advice and the pictures. Only the four of us, (Kids will be 9 and 10) so the family suite probably won't work, but I'll call to find out. If it was just my wife and I, we would definitely do the Venice to Istanbul trip, not sure with the kids.

Hi, as I said, you will need to waitlist for the FV, but do it, it is so worth it!

As far as the itinerary etc, the Venice to Istanbul would be fine for the age of your kids, once you have chosen your cruise, start researching child friendly tours, there are many, for example, in Split, Croatia, we went river rafting, in Koper Slovenia we went Cycling on a safe coastal path, in a group, in Venice you can wander safely everywhere, eat gelato, pizza etc, in Istanbul we have hired a private tour guide, for half a day, to escort us to the bazaar and blue mosque, etc in a way that will engage the kids. In naples we are making our own pizzas, in Santorini you can climb a volcano and swim in thermal waters - so much to do! Dont be afraid, just choose a good time, and go! The kids club and sports deck on S class is fabulous. And there are plenty of waffles and ice cream on board too, whats not to love? Here is a link to a video clip we made last year -

I would advise you to do as much research as you can as to which Cruise line will be the best for you, whether it be X, RCI, NCL, Carnival or Costa. Keep looking at the main boards of each of the lines on CC because some may open things up in advance of the competition.

 

With that being said, in general, very early June and the last week of August/early September ending on Labor Day weekend will be much cheaper than the 10 main weeks over the summer between mid June and the end of August.

For whatever reason, when I research ships and itineraries, I keep coming back to the Celebrity S-class ships. It's not really fair to Carnival, but I eliminated them per my wife's request due to our last experience. Considered Disney, but don't feel price premium is worth it for Europe, especially with older children. Still considering RCI. Don't know much about Princess or NCI.

If anyone has recommendations for Europe with kids, taking any and all suggestions!

My only experience with cruising was not very good; a short Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston SC. However, the kids loved it and we are considering a Europe cruise for Summer 2015. I pretty sure there will be no comparison between the Fantasy and a newer cruise ship on a European itinerary. I'm starting early since I really don't have very much cruise experience and trying to gather as much info as possible before booking. Considering Celebrity but most cruise lines don't even have their itineraries available for 2015. A couple of general questions:

 

Is there any advantage to booking early on Celebrity? Is there a e-mail list I can get on when specials are released?

We're considering early June as soon as the kids are out of school. Any advantages to June compared to July or August?

Last trip we just booked to connecting rooms which gave us more room for less money than a suite. I know this depends on the ship, but does Celebrity have family suites or connecting rooms?

 

Thanks

Welcome to Cruise Critics!!

You have plenty of time to plan your cruise. First, learn to navigate this site. You will find lots of information on the Europe boards and as soon as you decide and book your cruise, join your roll call.

Our children were 7 and 8 on their first Med Cruise and this summer they are going to their sixth european cruise. We have cruised with RCCL and Celebrity in Europe and also with DCL in the Caribbean. Depending on your children's ages try to check RCCL itineraries too.

Love the Med in June, better weather, lines and prices. The advantages of July? More families cruising, which means the children will have a better time.

We also like the Suite life, but having the second bathroom and privacy is really nice. Again, it will depend on your children's age. I like the way Celebrity's cabins interconnect. A really good option is getting an Aft Sky suite connected to a SV or C-1. You and your wife get the suite and your children the other room.

Hope this helps!!:)

For whatever reason, when I research ships and itineraries, I keep coming back to the Celebrity S-class ships. It's not really fair to Carnival, but I eliminated them per my wife's request due to our last experience. Considered Disney, but don't feel price premium is worth it for Europe, especially with older children. Still considering RCI. Don't know much about Princess or NCI.

 

If anyone has recommendations for Europe with kids, taking any and all suggestions!

We have taken cruises in the Mediterranean the past two summers. Our boys were 9 and 12 on the first cruise. The first was an 11-day on the Disney Magic out of Barcelona. The second was a 11-day on the Celebrity Silhouette out of Venice. We waited until around April to book both cruises and got great deals by waiting until the discounts started popping up. Waiting so late can get you a better deal but you'll have less choice of cabins and cruises and air fare could be more. In both cases, we paid more for air fare than the cruise. And some cruise lines are announcing that they are reducing the number of ships in Europe next summer. Deals could be scarce.

On Silhouette, we had adjoining balcony cabins but not connecting cabins. That was good enough as the room steward opened the balcony partition between the two cabins and we could move back and forth between the two easily. The partitions open on S-class but do not open on M-class.

Derarill:

I would be interested in hearing your opinion on RCL and Celebrity. Really didn't like the food on Carnival, I I've recently seen mixed reviews for RCL.

Hope both cruise lines still have their newer boats in Europe in 2015, but I also heard about future cutbacks on European sails.

Derarill:

I would be interested in hearing your opinion on RCL and Celebrity. Really didn't like the food on Carnival, I I've recently seen mixed reviews for RCL.

 

Hope both cruise lines still have their newer boats in Europe in 2015, but I also heard about future cutbacks on European sails.

Food is really subjective. We tried RCCL new menus on the Adventure for our NYE cruise and really liked the food. I have never cruised with Carnival, but if I'm going to compare the food on RCCL and Celebrity, I'll say that Celebrity's is better. But, I'm not saying that RCCL's food is bad, their food is good and they have fantastic specialty restaurants. But, again, Celebrity's specialty restaurants are better. I chose our Med Cruises based on itineraries. My best advice is to cruise the Med from a Med port like Barcelona, Rome or Venice. We once sailed from Southampton to the Med and it is our least favorite Med Cruise. We always take 12+ days cruises and like to arrive a couple of days early to explore the city we are departing from.

We have been really happy cruising the Med with RCCL with our children. They had such a great time last year on the Silhouette that even them are asking to go back to Celebrity, which makes me really happy. Although I love RCCL, their smoking policy drives me nuts!! :):)

Thanks. What is their smoking policy? Also, when I clicked the Europe ports of call in the forum, I had to select more specific country (i.e. Italy, Greece, etc). Is there a general Europe discussion on the forum??

I have cruised Disney and this year we will be cruising with Carnival.

Disney were fantastic I have to say. This was our first cruise and I chose it because we knew the brand. It wasn't at all like the theme park, Disney in your face if you get my drift. It was a cruise, with characters on board loads of children of all ages and Disney shows, which were excellent.

We did the 7 day cruise, which covered all of the biggies and we did them all DIY to save money, but partly because we like to be on our own too and set off and come back when we want to.

This year I chose Carnival. I really wanted to cruise with DCL again, but for 12 nights it was silly money. I also looked at Princess, but that was as expensive as Disney, so we chose Carnival, because it was cheap. My husband said if we don't try it we don't know, plus you are off the boat quite a bit exploring the ports and visiting the sites. So I am planning on it being like a week in Benidorm and it can only get better. I do live Benidorm too;). So we have a balcony cabin for 12 nights, for the same price as a Disney 7 night inside.£3470 including our flights and transfers from the UK for three.

Now Carnival are not sailing the med in 2014, hence me coming to this board. I am now researching all of the lines.

I think out of all of them my son would prefer Indy RCL, but I don't care for the ports and sailing from Southampton. Bad weather and possibly a couple of rough sea days.

NCL look appealing and are slightly cheaper, then there's Celebrity and Princess, which are quite a bit more. For the same money we could go to Florida and have a DCL cruise on the Fantasy and stay on site. So for me it would be a tough call, as I love the states, but equally I would like to see Istanbul and the Greek islands.

A Balcony is currently coming out at around £5000, plus I need to add another £700 for flights and transfers. Quite a difference to Carnivals pricing.

Personally I wouldn't have thought there would be many kids onboard in June, most will sail in July and August, so you may want to think about that. Yes it is hot, but like us if you do your trips DIY, you don't have to be out all day. Most days we were off the ship for around 4 hours with the exception of Rome.

My son just wanted to get back to the boat, he loved it and is looking forward to our next cruise.

Remember you have paid to use the ships facilities too.

Also my top tip with being from the UK is to book with Celebrity or which ever line you chose direct in the states not in the UK or book with a US TA and not a UK one. They have different terms and conditions. .UK may not honour price drops or let you cancel without penalty. Whereas US.com will as will most US TA's. I learnt this the hard way and I had to complain to the CEO at Carnival to get my OBC. Despite my contract being with the US, Carnival UK were having non of it. After a fight I did manage to secure a price drop of £577. :D

Edit airfare booked in September £540 included in the price above. Airfare in early April £1020.

Had to Google Benidorm- learning something new every time!

ckelly - Louise1809 has the best advice of anyone I know - she and her sons (& her husband) had the best time on our Adriatic cruise. They were always doing something fun.

My sole personal recommendation is that you ask your children to pick a few places they would like to go. This will have them "buy into" the whole planning process. Our son wasn't included when we planned trips, and it was a sore point in later years. If you have them pick 4-5 each, you should find a cruise that includes as many as possible. If you are really lucky there will be significant overlap.

If any of you are heat sensitive, the cruises around the British Isles, Norway, the Baltics will have better weather in the summer than the southern Med cruises - though if you can stand the heat, a cruise of Italian ports could be fantastic.

We didn't take cruises until our children were adults. Our grandson has been on several - all either Alaska or West coast. Celebrity tends to be a little older crowd, though that is changing, but there are other advantages to that. In the summer there will be other children and the activity center for them should be active. I don't think Louise's children used the center because she & Terry had always planned better activities for them.

Research research research - Cruise Critic Ports of Call boards will have information that may help.

Enjoy - you are planning at the right time for this.

Beth