Best Cruise ship for a mother and son (18y)

I am a single mom that never been on a cruise. I have been doing some research and would like a ship with lots of activities for my son. He enjoys water, basketball mainly. I also want the good food. I plan to book for 2019 in December. So fat Harmony of Sea is top of my list. Any advice for the newbie???

This ship would be a nice option for you based on what you have said.

Keith

Thanks so much

Keith

Leann1980, you are very welcome.

Keith

I am a single mom that never been on a cruise. I have been doing some research and would like a ship with lots of activities for my son. He enjoys water, basketball mainly. I also want the good food. I plan to book for 2019 in December. So fat Harmony of Sea is top of my list. Any advice for the newbie???

Any of Royal's Oasis class ships would be great, but I'd put Harmony on the top as it is the newest with the most bells and whistles.

NCL Breakaway, Getaway, and Escape!!!!!! My oldest grandkids, 15&18 love those ships!!!!!!;)

NCL Breakaway, Getaway, and Escape!!!!!! My oldest grandkids, 15&18 love those ships!!!!!!;)

What’s nice about NCL is 18 year olds can drink beer and wine with a signed waiver (ds19 and dd20 appreciated that.

Was going to mention signing the waiver at Guest Services. Just off the Escape - my 20-year-old had a great time.

Can you drive to the cruise port? That makes a difference. If flying, Miami or Ft. Lauderdale has the best choices. I like the Royal Caribbean voyager and freedom class, but I heard great things about the oasis class too.

I live in Michigan so driving is probably not what I want to do.

My kids like NCL. Probably one of the newer ships

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I live in Michigan so driving is probably not what I want to do.

As I said, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale probably have the best options. Are you looking at Christmas or New Years? If so, prices are just about double from earlier in December -- Supply and demand. You might look at the Oasis class ships -- Oasis, Allure, Symphony from Ft. Lauderdale, and Harmony from Port Canaveral. Port Canaveral is harder to get to -- you have to fly in to Orlando then bus for an hour or so. Ft. Lauderdale aiport is very close to the cruise terminal, so that's what I recommend. Miami is not bad either. But I would not recommend flying into Miami for a Ft. Lauderdale cruise or vice versa. You might look at a Sunday departure 7-day cruise -- Fly in on Saturday, spend the night, and board around 11am or noon (lunch is included when you board) and fly back on Sunday after the cruise. You might also look at the Symphony of the Seas from Miami, but this is a Saturday departure -- which means you'd probably fly in Friday (the day before) and have to take another day of vacation from work. You could fly in the day of the cruise, but any flight delays could mean missing the ship. Actually, in December from Michigan, you might want to fly in 2 days early to allow for winter weather issues. There's always stuff to do in the departure port.

Next to decide is Eastern or Western Caribbean. Both are nice -- Eastern probably has the prettier beaches but Western probably has more interesting shore excursions. Then perhaps pic the Oasis from Miami or the Allure from Ft. Lauderale -- these alternate Eastern/Western. You'll find about 50/50 supporting Eastern vs. Western. It seems Western has one more port day (and one less sea day), if that matters to you.

There are also cruises less than 7 days, but this won't save you that much money. Flying would probably be about the same cost. So I vote for a 7-day cruise. I took my then 89-year-old dad on the 7-day Rhapsody of the Seas in Jan. 2004, and we has a blast. Enjoy your cruise.

Just to clarify: Are you looking for a December, 2019, cruise -- almost 2 years away? No problem, and in fact it is good to book early to get the best cabin. On near the center of the ship has less movement, and one not directly under a public area has less noise.

Thanks so much for your detail information. I had know clue about the port information and how many days before to fly in. I don't really mind whether its eastern or western. I chose 7 because of what you said its not much cheaper. This is the information I was looking for but did not know how to ask it never cruised before and it time to try something new and giving my son something different for our vacation. I was actually looking at the December 1st 2019 cruise with the any of Harmony, Allure, or Oasis ships. You gave so much good info to look into now appreciate it all.

You may not be aware but if you book now, you can keep an eye on prices. If there is a better deal or an extra offer such as free gratuities or Onboard credit, you can usually get the cruiseline or your TA to refare. We booked our cruise 10 months out and have had several refares saving about $1000 per person. This can generally be done right up to final payment. Its up to you to keep checking with the cruiseline or their website for pricing. Enjoy your cruise!

I am a single mom that never been on a cruise. I have been doing some research and would like a ship with lots of activities for my son. He enjoys water, basketball mainly. I also want the good food. I plan to book for 2019 in December. So fat Harmony of Sea is top of my list. Any advice for the newbie???

I've cruised RCI's Oasis Class and on NCL's newest class. Stick with Harmony. It's the better choice.