Only 1 week of vacation time, all expenses paid cruise or one you've been planning?

Seems like an no-brainer easy question right?

Well we are in the process of saving up for a Thanksgiving cruise in 2012 on Liberty of the Seas to the caribbean (Me, DH - in our 30's - and DD is 3, possibly a few fam members who will pay their own way).

Yesterday we were told DH's family is going on a cruise in July 2012 and in-laws will pay for their kids and families. Initial reaction - WOOOP!!! Then they told us it's on Monarch from port canaveral (about 3 hrs from us) to bahamas. We had no desire to sail on Monarch and are doing bahamas in Jan, plus we wanted a bigger, newer ship with lots to do for 3 yr old DD.

Can only take 1 week vacation in 2012.

Give me reasons to go on either one!

(I know, what a big huge problem to have :rolleyes:) :D

Family or Liberty and a longer cruise:confused: Your preference I'm afraid. Mine would be Liberty. But it's your choice not mine.

Seems like an no-brainer easy question right?

 

Well we are in the process of saving up for a Thanksgiving cruise in 2012 on Liberty of the Seas to the caribbean (Me, DH - in our 30's - and DD is 3, possibly a few fam members who will pay their own way).

 

Yesterday we were told DH's family is going on a cruise in July 2012 and in-laws will pay for their kids and families. Initial reaction - WOOOP!!! Then they told us it's on Monarch from port canaveral (about 3 hrs from us) to bahamas. We had no desire to sail on Monarch and are doing bahamas in Jan, plus we wanted a bigger, newer ship with lots to do for 3 yr old DD.

 

Can only take 1 week vacation in 2012.

 

Give me reasons to go on either one!

 

(I know, what a big huge problem to have :rolleyes:) :D

Family, Family Family share and enjoy them while you can. Change your July 2012 until July 2013.

I would chose family over Liberty, but then again I am really close to my family so it would be a no brainer. It is almost impossible for all of us to be free and the kids not in school and able to cruise together. As a matter of fact it's only happened once and the kiddies missed two days of school and my sister missed a days' pay.

Hopefully you are able to come a quick solution.....

Good Luck!:)

I would take the free one because.......IT'S FREE. Save your money and do the Liberty in 2013.

Family, Family Family share and enjoy them while you can. Change your July 2012 until July 2013.

Ditto....

Yep, do the free one. Save the money for the following year.

While a free cruise with family sounds great, I would go with my originally planned Liberty cruise. The Monarch just wouldn't excite me enough to change. Also, sailing in the middle of the summer with a zillion kids isn't my idea of fun either.

While a free cruise with family sounds great, I would go with my originally planned Liberty cruise. The Monarch just wouldn't excite me enough to change. Also, sailing in the middle of the summer with a zillion kids isn't my idea of fun either.

I agree. I would stick with Liberty. If you have no desire to sail on Monarch, then you shouldn't, regardless of whether or not it is free.

I'd spend the time with family....with DD being 3 she really isn't going to notice whether the ship is big or small. But she will know that Gma and Gpa are with her having fun.

Take the money and save it for the following year when DD will be a little older and can enjoy the big ship more.

does the vacation time have to be in 1 week blocks or can you take days? If the latter is it possible to do both cruises? Since you're in easy access of the ports does the July cruise fall on/before/after the weekends or a holiday?

If you're set on doing both can you downgrade cabin type and take a day without pay to make up the difference?

I have become a master of extending vacation time with holidays and weekends for those pre-post cruise travel days I need to have :(

How close are you with your In-laws? And how often do you see them..if it's often I'd stick with the Liberty...I've sailed Monarch..it's a nice little ship...but the cabins are super tiny...3 people is going to be tight...

Family, Family Family share and enjoy them while you can. Change your July 2012 until July 2013.

Couldn't have said it better.

The Liberty will be there to enjoy at a later date, your in-laws might not. Plus, the fact that they seem to want to take the vacation with family and are willing to pay for it...in my eyes it shows how important you are to them. Not everyone is lucky enough to have that.

I love family cruise time. I am the one that books family cruise get togethers. I understand that you all want to do Thanksgiving and the family wants the Monarch. Could you possibly change their minds to the Majesty? If they are thinking dollars that could be their reason for the shorter cruise. Or maybe some people can't even begin to imagine being on a cruise for a week since they never cruised before. The Majesty does go out of Miami instead of Port Canaveral but it also has a nicer itinerary. Yoiu would go to Key West, Nassau, and Coco Cay. The M-F intinerary is actually nice and the Kids camp is good for the little ones. Maybe they only want the shortest drive along with all the other wants they have in mind. Whatever, talk with them. Let them know you had already started to plan a holiday of your own. Maybe there are some family members that can only cruise in the summer and they really want everyone to be together. No maytter, think about family...maybe it would be nicer to go with them this year and plan your own cruise for next? If that is something you decide upon, book it on board and save money that way too. Many this will be a thing your family will all love and will want to do yearly or even every other year. If so, then, everyone will need to be in on the dates, ship and intineray choices. I have a set figure in mind when I book for the family, if they want something outside that range, they have to pay the difference. We have sailed different lines, small and large, old and new ships all seasons just so everyone (or as many as could) got to go with the family. It will be a tough decission. I wish you all a good cruise whatever you decide.

I would opt for the free cruise and push your exisiting cruise reservation to 2013. 2 for 1!

I'd take the free Monarch cruise in your sitiuation. You are getting a free cruise, daughter gets to spend time with her relatives, built in babysitters, your daughter will enjoy the extra ammenities of Liberty more when she is a little older, the Monarch cruise might bump your C & A level for your Liberty cruise, book Liberty for 2013 when on Monarch cruise for credit, you and your relatives might enjoy cruising together so much that you all book Liberty for 2013 while onboard (it happened to us) and you are getting a free cruise.

Thanks for all the replies, we really are leaning towards the free cruise but was so looking forward to Liberty. I love my in-laws so cruising with them would be great. Just have to get more info as to why the other fam members want to choose monarch out of port canaveral? We live right near the miami port. But the aunt putting this all together is a travel agent so I guess she has a reason??

Does monarch have a kids pool, splash area, camp for 3 yr old, etc?

My vote is for the family cruise, for all of the reasons others have provided. But... since you have an additional year to save for it, you could consider changing the Liberty to the Oasis or Allure for 2013.

While my husband and I love our families, we do not cruise with them! I believe this is your preference and only you can decide what will be best for you and your family. I would have to pass on the free cruise, just because it's not worth all the family drama that sometimes goes along with family vacations (not for everyone, so that's why you need to decide what's best for you).

I do not like the Bahamas, so I would not cruise there...not even for free. I would rather pay for a cruise myself and enjoy the ship and the ports.

Is there any reason why they can't go at Thanksgiving when you originally planned it and pay for that one?

While a free cruise with family sounds great, I would go with my originally planned Liberty cruise. The Monarch just wouldn't excite me enough to change. Also, sailing in the middle of the summer with a zillion kids isn't my idea of fun either.

You think that there won't be "a zillion kids" on the ship over Thanksgiving?!?!?!?!?!? :eek:

My vote is family.

We got "outvoted" several years ago for a family trip on the Inspiration. Not our choice of ship or itinerary... and we toyed with not going.

In the end, we weren't thrilled, but the memories of that trip are PRICELESS, since my Mom passed away the following summer..

Family matters. It is amazing how soon a loved one could be gone forever. Enjoy the family this year and save up for 2013.

You think that there won't be "a zillion kids" on the ship over Thanksgiving?!?!?!?!?!? :eek:

I think it's the lesser of 2 evils. Most schools do not get that entire week off, therefore may be less likely to take their kids out of school. I'm sure there will be more than on other fall sailings, not during holiday time. I may be wrong though, since I've never sailed on a Thanksgiving cruise.

We have done just DH and myself, with the kids, and with the extended family. The one with my parents and one of my brothers and his family was the best of all of them - not because of the cruiseline or ship (carnival and old Triumph) but because we were all together. It was booked because of the cost and Canada ports so not so hot during the summer. We had so much fun and will always wish my other brother and his family would have joined us for the cruise. They met us in NYC after the cruise for a weekend before we all came home.

The ship, the ports, none of it matter as long as we were all together We all live in different states so don't get much opportunity to spend time together. Was it drama free? No LOL but it doesn't matter today. We laughed so much that week!

You think that there won't be "a zillion kids" on the ship over Thanksgiving?!?!?!?!?!? :eek:

Yeah, really. Especially as the kids in Ft Lauderdale, and some other counties in florida, are off for the entire week of Thanksgiving this year (and possibly next year and in the future)