suggestions for cruise with 21 yr old

[2stpkds]

Hi

We are planning to take my 21 yr old niece/god child on a cruise for her college graduation gift. DH and I have done the eastern carrib on norway and western on the sun. I wonder if anyone has any input on what cruise and destination would be best for all of us to enjoy. I know we will love every minute, but I dont know if we can keep the hours of a 21 yr old and do not know if she will enjoy hanging out with us "old" 40+'ers !! The disco and all are suitable but she is kind of shy and I am not sure she would venture there alone or be brave enough to enjoy it with her old aunt and uncle there ! also, destination. We loved the eastern carrib... and loved Grand Cayman and Cozumel but we figure try some new route for us that our niece will enjoy also. And, the idea of a her bringing a friend is not an option right now. any idea's for a may thru oct 2005 trip would be greatly appreciated. Thanks alot

 

UNTIL NCL SUN 11/23/2003

S/S NORWAY 10/06/2002

 

[Tomct]

We're fairly new at cruising, having gone on the NCL around Hawaii and to Fanning Island, and on the Dawn twice to Florida & the Bahamas. Since I'm not famiiliar with other itineraries or cruise lines, I'll limit my comments to some personal observations on the Dawn.

 

1. We loved the Freestyle dining and resort casual dress, and the flexibility it provides. For instance, in the event your niece finds some friends she would like to dine with, she can do so rather easitly.

 

2. I'm really not up on the Disco options, though I know the Star had a large one, and the Dawn only has one for the under 21 crowd. The Dawn does have dancing available most evenings at Spinnakers, varying music styles, but does have a DJ each night, mostly late hours as I recall.

 

3. I don't think her age will be a big factor, as she'll find a wide range of age groups on board. The only significant difference will be attributed to the time of year you choose. Obviously summertimem and school breaks will increase the number of kids on board, as will the itinerary. We had over 800 on our April cruise, and I think the young, single adult crowd was in the minority. The lounges were still filled at night, but I would guess that not too many were actually single, or without kids back in the rooms.

 

4. Singles meetings were held on board, but have no idea of the mix.

 

5. My last comment has to do with your intent on not having her bring a guest. It reminded me of our June/02 cruise on the Dawn, where we met two fathers on a cruise, while their teenage daughters shared a room next door. One of them was 18, and it was a high school graduation/birthday gift cruise. To make a long story short, she met one of the Jean Ann Ryan Production Show dancers, early on, and spent a lot of time with him during the week. Such entertainers are not employed by NCL, and can take advantage of the ship's facilities during their free time. These families were from the New York City area, and this girl's father was pretty upset when he found that the dancer had decided to leave the show and ship upon return to NYC, to pursue "interests" in NY. That may not be of so much concern for a 21 year old traveler, but interesting to consider given your own set of cirsumstances.

 

Best of luck!!

 

Tom/Connecticut

 

 

[ute_fan]

I haven't cruised a lot, so I don't have any specific itinerary in mind. We are taking my 20 year old son and 18 year old daughter to Alaska this summer. I've been a little worried about them being bored, but I think they will be all right because they will have each other. If there was only one, it might be interesting.

 

I would start off by considering your niece's interests. Does she like history? We went to the Western Caribbean in January, without children, and my son, who loves history, was fascinated with the photos of the Mayan ruins. If history isn't her thing, she might not like that.

 

Does she like to shop? If so, consider the ports that have good shopping opportunities. Does she like snorkeling, scuba, etc? Then you would want ports that offer those opportunities.

 

I would probably try and find the basics that she would enjoy, and then get the available shore excursions for those areas, and have her help you choose the cruise that would give her the best opportunity to enjoy those excursions.

 

One last word. If she is like my kids at all, she may just enjoy relaxing. We went on a family vacation following my son's high school graduation (not a cruise), and I was AMAZED at the amount of sleeping they did. Depending on how her college experience has been, lounging by the pool or beach may be just fine. I know my daughter, now a high school senior, is really burning the candle at both ends. I have visions of her sleeping for 12 hours a day in Alaska.

 

NCL Sun 06/04

NCL Sea 01/04

[jp2001]

I am 25 years old and I really enjoyed the Dawn, Florida and Bahamas itinerary. Orloando is cool with the theme parks but we opted for Kennedy Space Center, Miami is great with the everglades or the beach and Nassau was good bargain shopping or snorkelling can be done.

 

NCL Dawn, December 2003