Best RC ship for first timer mother and teenage son?

[Superpowers810]

Hey everybody. Me and my mom are planning our first cruise this Christmas to either the Bahamas or the Caribbean but I have a few questions about RC's ships. We were originally going to choose Princess but I'm afraid it might be a bit boring for me.

 

RCI looks like a ton of fun for me with all the activities they have to offer. I'm very ADD and it's hard for me to stick with the same thing for long.

 

My mom likes to have fun too but does not like the physical activities as much and she strongly dislikes large crowds of people.

 

I have looked at their website and found a couple of Bahamian/Caribbean cruises which are a decent price (I don't want to take a holiday cruise due to the larger amounts of families).

 

all in all, which ship isn't too crowded, and has a good balance of relaxation with activities.

 

P.S. What are "adventure cruises" and "B cruises"

[DonnaK]

Look at Freedom class ships (Freedom, Liberty and Independence) or Oasis class ships (Oasis and Allure). These are the largest ships in the fleet, and offer the most activities. Although they carry a lot of passengers, RCI ships are designed well, with a very favorable space-to-passenger ratio, so they don't seem crowded at all.

 

If none of these fit your budget and schedule, then look at Voyager Class ships (Voyager, Explorer, Adventure, Mariner and Navigator). These are slightly smaller than Freedom class, but still large enough to have the action you are seeking.

 

I think anything smaller might be too sedate. (We sailed on Jewel this summer, and although she is a lovely ship, the cruise was rather boring compared to other ships we've been on. It wasn't really a problem because there was just one sea day, and all the other days we were in a port, so we spent a lot of time off the ship)

[Clarea]

Hey everybody. Me and my mom are planning our first cruise this Christmas to either the Bahamas or the Caribbean but I have a few questions about RC's ships. We were originally going to choose Princess but I'm afraid it might be a bit boring for me.

 

RCI looks like a ton of fun for me with all the activities they have to offer. I'm very ADD and it's hard for me to stick with the same thing for long.

 

My mom likes to have fun too but does not like the physical activities as much and she strongly dislikes large crowds of people.

 

I have looked at their website and found a couple of Bahamian/Caribbean cruises which are a decent price (I don't want to take a holiday cruise due to the larger amounts of families).

 

all in all, which ship isn't too crowded, and has a good balance of relaxation with activities.

 

P.S. What are "adventure cruises" and "B cruises"

Adventure is the name of one of Royal's ships. The "A" and "B" cruises are different itineraries on Adventure.

[UNV-IT!!!]

Adventure is a great ship to start off with. She is mid sized for the rccl ships with lots to do onboard. If you can afford it I too would say do oasis or allure.

[Superpowers810]

Adventure is a great ship to start off with. She is mid sized for the rccl ships with lots to do onboard. If you can afford it I too would say do oasis or allure.

 

How is her sister ship Navigator? I found a good deal on her.

[Clarea]

How is her sister ship Navigator? I found a good deal on her.

Navigator is 1 year newer than Adventure and is the same class, so almost identical. Navigator will be revitalized in Feb 2014 and will have new features added including a Flow Rider (surfing simulator).

[Superpowers810]

Navigator is 1 year newer than Adventure and is the same class, so almost identical. Navigator will be revitalized in Feb 2014 and will have new features added including a Flow Rider (surfing simulator).

 

I also found a a good deal on the Serenade which has a 5 star rating. Why does she have a higher rating if they are the same class

[DonnaK]

How is her sister ship Navigator? I found a good deal on her.

 

 

I think that Navigator would be a great choice

[Snooksi]

Hey everybody. Me and my mom are planning our first cruise this Christmas to either the Bahamas or the Caribbean but I have a few questions about RC's ships. We were originally going to choose Princess but I'm afraid it might be a bit boring for me.

 

RCI looks like a ton of fun for me with all the activities they have to offer. I'm very ADD and it's hard for me to stick with the same thing for long.

 

My mom likes to have fun too but does not like the physical activities as much and she strongly dislikes large crowds of people.

 

I have looked at their website and found a couple of Bahamian/Caribbean cruises which are a decent price (I don't want to take a holiday cruise due to the larger amounts of families).

 

all in all, which ship isn't too crowded, and has a good balance of relaxation with activities.

 

P.S. What are "adventure cruises" and "B cruises"

 

Superpower, you will LOVE cruising. You sound a bit apprehensive though. I couldn't tell if it was because you had never cruised before or if it was because it will just be you and your mom.

 

My two teenage daughters and I took our first cruise (my 2nd) last month and now we are hooked. We had such an incredible time that within days of our return, I booked a pre-Christmas cruise on the Allure. I think I'm more excited than my kids are. (It's still too far away for them at this point) The ship is huge (biggest in the world until Oasis) but there are so many fun things for all of us to do; rock walls, zip lining, ice skating, flow riders and even a carousel. (I don't care that my kids consider me old, I'm going on that too!) We chose this trip specifically for the ship and all of its unique amenities. Even at our ages, I already booked our breakfast with the DreamWorks characters. My teenagers love them just as much now as they did when they were little!!

 

Depending on your age, there are all kinds of groups up to the age of 18. My oldest will be 19 when we leave and she doesn't hesitate to go off alone exploring. She is most excited about seeing "Chicago" since she's a theater minor. My 13 yr old is really shy and isn't comfortable around people she doesn't know and pretty much sticks to me like glue. I'm trying to get her to be more outgoing because I know she would have a such a better time meeting other kids her age and hanging out with them.

 

So that's JMHO about cruising. Regardless of your varied interests, there is always something for everyone on a cruise ship!! I think you and your mom will have an incredible time no matter which ship you choose!! And you watch, you and your mom will end up hooked just like so many of us!!

[emeraldcity]

It's been a few years since I sailed the Serenade, but her high rating is likely due to the staff. They were phenomenal. I have heard that the smaller ships find that their niche is outstanding service, since they can't compete with all the activities of the bigger ships.

 

That said, your decision criteria leads me to recommend a Voyager or Freedom class ship. There are a great many features that would appeal to your age demographic. The Oasis class would have more, but might overwhelm your mother (and that class tends to be somewhat pricier).

 

I've been cruising with my daughter since she was 8 and she has always made plenty of friends and found plenty to keep her busy on every ship we've sailed. She's 19 now and prefers the smaller ships because we find that we tend to connect with a group of people on each sailing and on a smaller ship, you run into them more often during the day. But what works for us, may not work for you.

 

I haven't tried the Freedom class ships yet, but am booked on the Liberty for Spring Break. For that cruise, I'm going with my two older kids and all 6 grandkids ... so I wanted a ship with lots of activities.

 

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Superpowers810]

It's been a few years since I sailed the Serenade, but her high rating is likely due to the staff. They were phenomenal. I have heard that the smaller ships find that their niche is outstanding service, since they can't compete with all the activities of the bigger ships.

 

That said, your decision criteria leads me to recommend a Voyager or Freedom class ship. There are a great many features that would appeal to your age demographic. The Oasis class would have more, but might overwhelm your mother (and that class tends to be somewhat pricier).

 

I've been cruising with my daughter since she was 8 and she has always made plenty of friends and found plenty to keep her busy on every ship we've sailed. She's 19 now and prefers the smaller ships because we find that we tend to connect with a group of people on each sailing and on a smaller ship, you run into them more often during the day. But what works for us, may not work for you.

 

I haven't tried the Freedom class ships yet, but am booked on the Liberty for Spring Break. For that cruise, I'm going with my two older kids and all 6 grandkids ... so I wanted a ship with lots of activities.

 

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

Superpower, you will LOVE cruising. You sound a bit apprehensive though. I couldn't tell if it was because you had never cruised before or if it was because it will just be you and your mom.

 

My two teenage daughters and I took our first cruise (my 2nd) last month and now we are hooked. We had such an incredible time that within days of our return, I booked a pre-Christmas cruise on the Allure. I think I'm more excited than my kids are. (It's still too far away for them at this point) The ship is huge (biggest in the world until Oasis) but there are so many fun things for all of us to do; rock walls, zip lining, ice skating, flow riders and even a carousel. (I don't care that my kids consider me old, I'm going on that too!) We chose this trip specifically for the ship and all of its unique amenities. Even at our ages, I already booked our breakfast with the DreamWorks characters. My teenagers love them just as much now as they did when they were little!!

 

Depending on your age, there are all kinds of groups up to the age of 18. My oldest will be 19 when we leave and she doesn't hesitate to go off alone exploring. She is most excited about seeing "Chicago" since she's a theater minor. My 13 yr old is really shy and isn't comfortable around people she doesn't know and pretty much sticks to me like glue. I'm trying to get her to be more outgoing because I know she would have a such a better time meeting other kids her age and hanging out with them.

 

So that's JMHO about cruising. Regardless of your varied interests, there is always something for everyone on a cruise ship!! I think you and your mom will have an incredible time no matter which ship you choose!! And you watch, you and your mom will end up hooked just like so many of us!!

 

I worry too much. I'm one of those people that reads a single bad review and then freaks out :eek: . I predict myself wandering aimlessly in awe.

 

We will probably take the Allure (Same as yours!) or Navigator. The Serenade is still tempting me but I like the ice skating on the Navigator

 

I'm taking a look at some of NCL's deals too. I like the bowling on the Pearl. More fun then ice skating and a bit smaller then the navigator

[Clarea]

I also found a a good deal on the Serenade which has a 5 star rating. Why does she have a higher rating if they are the same class

Serenade is a Radiance class ship. Navigator and Adventure are Voyager class ships, so different classes. I can't explain the rating without knowing the reviewer's criteria.

[Superpowers810]

Thanks everyone.

 

We are choosing one leaving on the 15th on the Navigator and are booking in a few months once we get some unrelated stuff sorted out.

 

We are still looking at the Pearl on NCL since the ship has similar activities and an even smaller passenger capacity than the Navigator and the itinerary/price is similar too.

[hellsop]

Concur with EmeraldCity: A difference in rating is usually down to a matter of the staff particularly working well together, and being happy about it. It really does change the whole timbre of the sailing when things are clicking along really nicely.

[swim13]

Hey! I am still a teen and have cruised throughout my childhood. I have been on 3 RCI ships, Navigator, Freedom, and Allure! RCI is definitely my favorite line although I have yet to be on NCL. I still think I won't like anything but RCI. I hear you worry about the passenger capacity, do not worry about it on a RCI ship!! The ships are extremely good with passenger to space ratio, we were recently on Allure with over 6,000 people and it never felt crowded! I am actually writing a review right now if you want my perspective on the ship!

 

I would suggest a Freedom class ship, you will love the FlowRider! Navigator is also an awesome ship!

 

Either way, you will have a great time.

[Superpowers810]

Hey! I am still a teen and have cruised throughout my childhood. I have been on 3 RCI ships, Navigator, Freedom, and Allure! RCI is definitely my favorite line although I have yet to be on NCL. I still think I won't like anything but RCI. I hear you worry about the passenger capacity, do not worry about it on a RCI ship!! The ships are extremely good with passenger to space ratio, we were recently on Allure with over 6,000 people and it never felt crowded! I am actually writing a review right now if you want my perspective on the ship!

 

I would suggest a Freedom class ship, you will love the FlowRider! Navigator is also an awesome ship!

 

Either way, you will have a great time.

 

There is also a tempting cruise on the Allure, I may choose that one. The one on Freedom is slightly over budget. Because of budget concerns we might have to go for one of the 6 day cruises on the Adventure OTS

 

 

I really hope we can go on one, I'm still trying to fit in the cruise + a flight + 2 nights in a hotel in our budget range which is under 3.8k

[swim13]

There is also a tempting cruise on the Allure, I may choose that one. The one on Freedom is slightly over budget. Because of budget concerns we might have to go for one of the 6 day cruises on the Adventure OTS

 

 

I really hope we can go on one, I'm still trying to fit in the cruise + a flight + 2 nights in a hotel in our budget range which is under 3.8k

 

Allure is AMAZING!!! Link in my signature to my review I'm doing, once you see the pictures of the beautiful, awesome ship you will want to do that one!

 

What room category are you looking at? Balcony is definitely the best but Oceanview is not a bad category and besides that, you aren't in the room very often. Allure gives you many cheaper options too, Boardwalk view room may be a better price and offers some excitement. I have never sailed in a inside so I can't say what its like but I don't know if you would want to go down that route.

[Superpowers810]

Allure is AMAZING!!! Link in my signature to my review I'm doing, once you see the pictures of the beautiful, awesome ship you will want to do that one!

 

What room category are you looking at? Balcony is definitely the best but Oceanview is not a bad category and besides that, you aren't in the room very often. Allure gives you many cheaper options too, Boardwalk view room may be a better price and offers some excitement. I have never sailed in a inside so I can't say what its like but I don't know if you would want to go down that route.

My mom really wants a Balcony so that is what I have been looking at.

 

We will take a 7 day Mexico cruise from L.A. on Princess as a last resort if we can't take this one, which sucks because the Sapphire Princess doesn't have many activities except swimming and shows (granted the Sapphire is a lovely ship and Princess food/service i've heard is very comparable to RC)