Recommendations for a 4 week cruise!

My husband gets a sabbatical this year and we have 2 small children (3.5 and 1 year). We figured a cruise would be the least stressful way to travel with them for a month and still see a lot of neat new places. We've done the Caribbean, Alaska, and seen a good portion of Europe already, so what/where else would you recommend for a 4 week cruise with our little family? Our budget is about $25k. Thank you!

Have you cruised before? Are you figuring in the cost of airfare, and the time that it takes to get to the jumping off point? And the cost of trip insurance, because with two small children... EM

Yes, extensively. Yes to airfare. I don't know what you mean by jumping off point? The embarkation port? Or each port of call? And yes to trip insurance. We have also travelled a lot with our older child.

More things you need to think about...Two toddlers. Need a ship with free or self service laundry. Cunard and Princess come to mind...Or the smaller ships of HAL. You have to plan on packing all of the diapers and wipes you expect to need...Where would it be easier to resupply if needed? The jumping off pooint is where you board the ship...EM

With two small children Australia/NZ would be a very good choice. :)

I doubt Oz/NZ could be done on $25K. What about a Hawaiian cruise that begins or ends in Vancouver?

Roz

Princess. Crown 28N out of LA RT in Oct,,16. Or same cruise Emerald Oct 8 or March 30.17.from $3600. Emerald repo Sydney- VANCOUVER 32N from$3700 .I have heard Emerald is better ship than Crown(?}RCL had a 24N one also. Just plug in details on any large discount cruise agency for many choices.

With four people the lowest cabin category I'd sail would be an ocean view on HAL or a mini suite on Princess.

Overall HAL's ocean view cabins are larger than Princess and those would have a bathtub (on most ships). Many put the crib in the Princess closet area.

Round trip or one way?

From Vancouver the Carnival Legend sails to HI then onto Australia at the end the Alaska season. French Door obstructed view (classified as inside) are very cost effective. Good room for four.

We've did the 28 day LA-Tahiti-LA on Princess in 2013 with a 3 year old and will be doing it again this year with a 2 year old. It's a very relaxing itinerary with lots of sea days, which we love.

We did a 3 week cruise to Antarctica on HAL over Christmas/New Years 2 1/2 years ago. My youngest was 8. It was a great cruise. There were roughly 1100 passengers on board, including 35 under 18. There were multiple lectures daily in the main theatre. There were plenty of kids for my 8 year old to play with in the kids club and plenty of teens for my 15 year old to hang out with around the ship.

My favourite parts were the lectures, the scenery of Antarctica and the shore excursion to Volunteer Point on the Falklands.

HAL has unlimited laundry for $7/day which is a lifesaver with kids.

We were in a Neptune Suite (got an upsell a couple of weeks before the cruise) and our total cost (including airfare, a 3 day side trip to Iguassu Falls and shore excursions) was around $20-$25K. An oceanview would have been under $20K.

My answer is whatever Princess offers that fits your schedule and budget. Relaxed yet nice experience and great kids programs. I would not want to fly long distances to embark so anything that leaves closer would have my vote as well.

Thanks for all the responses! We ended up finding a 29 day HAL Aus-NZ-Fiji, so we're pretty excited! It's great to hear there have been other kids on some of these long cruises, we hope there will be some our daughter can play with.

My husband gets a sabbatical this year and we have 2 small children (3.5 and 1 year). We figured a cruise would be the least stressful way to travel with them for a month and still see a lot of neat new places. We've done the Caribbean, Alaska, and seen a good portion of Europe already, so what/where else would you recommend for a 4 week cruise with our little family? Our budget is about $25k. Thank you!

Happy sailing :)

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