Which cruise for spring break with kids??

[TravelingSmurf]

Hi everyone,

 

As of now we are booked on the Carnival Dream in March of 2014. We are now considering switching to a NCL cruise. We are pretty adventurous and like to stay somewhat busy. We are looking for a ship that will keep us entertained and ports that have a lot to do. We do enjoy down time so we don't constantly need to be busy. We are booked in a cove balcony on the Dream and will be looking into a balcony on either of the NCL cruises. Does anyone know if they are comparable in size to Carnival (the balconies)? Which cruise would you take considering we have two kids cruising with us (my daughter is 12 and my son is 10)? My concern is the older ships won't have as much to do as the newer ships. I know it comes down to our preferences, but I am curious to hear other opinions.

 

Carnival Dream 7 days (Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, Costa Maya)

NCL Sun 11 days (Oranjestad, Willemstad, Bridgetown, Pointe-a-Pitre, St. Thomas)

NCL Gem 9 days (San Juan, Phillipsburg, St. Thomas, Samana)

NCL Getaway 7 days (Phillipsburg, St. Thomas, Nassau)

[dcollette]

Ok, so not sure which NCL cruises you are looking at exactly, but..the older ships will probably have a more closer balcony size room to Carnival, but NCL's rooms are notoriously a little bit smaller than other lines. IMHO, not a big deal at all, as we don't really spend that much time in our room. Unless you plan on having a deck party on your balcony, NCL's are fine to sit out on and enjoy the views. (unless you get one of those amazing aft balconies that you really could have a party on! :p) There is plenty to do on the "older" ships, but obviously the new Breakaway has more "adventurous" type activities. It's more a matter of personal preference. You should look at the itineraries available for comparison for when you are looking to sail and see if there is something that peaks your interest. All ports can be fun if you do your homework. Spring break vacation times depending on where you are departing from can make a huge difference as well. Personally, I wouldn't want to be sailing when college kids are on spring break, but that's just me. Sailing during school vacations is the only way for some and it can be challenging, so good luck finding the right fit!:)

[TravelingSmurf]

Thanks dcollette!

 

Just to clarify, the cruises I listed right after my question are the cruises I am considering.

 

Thanks again,

Cari

[dcollette]

Thanks dcollette!

 

Just to clarify, the cruises I listed right after my question are the cruises I am considering.

 

Thanks again,

Cari

 

Wow, can you say "duh"? Lol :o I noticed them but didn't make the connection--how silly.

[Kierste]

We're doing an 11 day southern caribbean on the pearl in 2015... With a 9 year old, because the itinerary appealed to us. Your getaway cruise with a stop on Nassau would be fun (lots to do on that ship for sure!) if you guys want to do Atlantis... Which my dd would love!! Have fun choosing!

[laurabegorrah]

I'm doing that Gem itinerary in just 65 days!!! (Yippee!!)

 

While the Getaway is bigger, and will have more onboard activities than the other two, one of the biggest complaints about the new Breakaway class is that the pool area is too small for the amount of people on board. Which will be exasperated durning spring break. Now, if being in/near the pool is not a priority, the Getaway will prob have more onboard activities for your sea days.

I would probably choose the Gem. It's newer than the Sun, and I know it has a climbing wall and a bowling alley, so it does have some fun onboard stuff to keep you occupied. I think it's a nice cross between mega ship activities and smaller ship ambiance.

DISCLAIMER: I've never sailed on any of these ships (yet) lol

[TravelingSmurf]

Wow, can you say "duh"? Lol :o I noticed them but didn't make the connection--how silly.

 

I didn't really make it clear. When I re-read it, I saw it the way you did. Sorry!

 

Anyway, thanks for your opinion. I hope to make a decision soon.

 

Cari

[TravelingSmurf]

Thanks for all the responses so far. We aren't big pool people so I am not too concerned about the pools being crowded. With that being said, we are really excited for the slides so I hope the lines move quickly! :)

 

I am wondering if the Gem and Sun are going to be crowded in the Splash Club. It seems like the other two ships will have bigger crowds of kids.

[JessLCH]

The Getaway seems the best fit based on your description. The kids will love the slides and other sports. I have sailed on both Sun and Gem with kids. I found the Sun very dated and very little to appeal to children so would rule that out. The Gem is a great ship but doesn't have the awesome slides that Getaway does. We are doing the Breakaway (sister ship to Getaway) for spring break. My son cannot wait for those slides and the ropes course!

[JessLCH]

The Getaway seems the best fit based on your description. The kids will love the slides and other sports. I have sailed on both Sun and Gem with kids. I found the Sun very dated and very little to appeal to children so would rule that out. The Gem is a great ship but doesn't have the awesome slides that Getaway does. We are doing the Breakaway (sister ship to Getaway) for spring break. My son cannot wait for those slides and the ropes course!

 

Forgot to say that the slide on Gem is pretty lame, nothing like those on Getaway or even close. I don;t think my kids bothered to go on it more than a couple times since it was so small and slow.

[kcwingwalker]

Hi everyone,

 

As of now we are booked on the Carnival Dream in March of 2014. We are now considering switching to a NCL cruise. We are pretty adventurous and like to stay somewhat busy. We are looking for a ship that will keep us entertained and ports that have a lot to do. We do enjoy down time so we don't constantly need to be busy. We are booked in a cove balcony on the Dream and will be looking into a balcony on either of the NCL cruises. Does anyone know if they are comparable in size to Carnival (the balconies)? Which cruise would you take considering we have two kids cruising with us (my daughter is 12 and my son is 10)? My concern is the older ships won't have as much to do as the newer ships. I know it comes down to our preferences, but I am curious to hear other opinions.

 

Carnival Dream 7 days (Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, Costa Maya)

NCL Sun 11 days (Oranjestad, Willemstad, Bridgetown, Pointe-a-Pitre, St. Thomas)

NCL Gem 9 days (San Juan, Phillipsburg, St. Thomas, Samana)

NCL Getaway 7 days (Phillipsburg, St. Thomas, Nassau)

 

Most likely there will be fewer children on the Sun and the Gem because of the length of the cruises. I would expect the Gem to have plenty of activities. If your children are new to cruising, there will be so much to interest them that I doubt they would be bored on either ship.

 

The longer itineraries will also have fewer college age Spring Breakers and that's a group that might not be what you want for a 10 and 12 year old. March is the prime Spring Break time for colleges in 2014 see http://www.studentcity.com/blog/when-is-my-spring-break/ scroll down to see the list of colleges. Likely the GetAway and Dream will be packed with college students.

 

The NCL rooms and balconies are said to be slightly smaller than CCL. I have never noticed a difference and always had more than enough room. You can visit the NCL site and find available excursions that would appeal to your family. The NCL site is "under repair" so navigating the site is sometimes a challenge. Also, don't hesitate to call NCL and find out what is offered for children on both ships.

 

The Sun is a smaller ship, but it has a loyal following. I find the Sun itinerary to be the most appealing.

 

good luck!

[Barb Nahoumi]

How long will your kids' vacation time be? If you can possibly do the 11 day cruise, the Sun sounds like a great itinerary.

[PatJim]

As you narrow down your search to a particular line and ship, two helpful tools I found on Cruise Critic re cabin sizes (with apologies to the OPs for not taking note of their names):

www.cruisedeckplans.com "select your ship and click on the cabin category, then click on pics, and select the room number you want to look at and you will find pictures of cabins taken by passengers. This is where I go when I want to research a cabin category. " Think there is a small fee for joining.

 

http://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/Ma...=Norwegian Gem

"Interactive, drag-able deck plan tool on cruisedeckplans. Very handy for figuring out exactly what is above/below a given cabin(s)." Wouldn't want to book a cabin directly below a restaurant/kitchen and get awakened at dawn by thumps, or near the pool engines, etc.

 

 

 

Personally, I would choose a cabin that gives you enough room to spread out. Assume you want to book a single cabin and use pull-out couches/cots for your children. Do a search of cabin reviews by cabin category here on CC. You will probably find links to posts with photos, other families sharing the type of cabin you're considering, etc. Rule of thumb is the older the ship, the larger the cabins and/or balconies.

You could also consider booking two connecting balcony cabins. The cabin steward may be able to open up connecting balcony dividers when in port.

 

We have sailed NCL Dawn, Sun and Gem. Of the three, Sun has larger cabins (their 'balcony' category is same size as Dawn's 'mini-suite' category).

 

 

 

NCL's kids club gets high marks, from what I've read on CC, compared to other lines. But never having traveled with children, don't have experience with that.

 

 

If you choose a port-intensive cruise, on-board activities aren't as important. If you are 3 days at sea, then it might be more important to choose a newer ship like Getaway or Breakaway, with all the bells & whistles. Personally, we love the Gem. Crew is superb, officers are super-friendly. I'd love to try the rope climb/walk the plank on the newest NCL ships, but alas, they are so much more expensive than booking the same length cruise on the Gem, I'm happy to climb the rock wall and reflect of how much $ we've saved. Cabin & balcony size is important to us, which also tilts out choices towards the Gem.

 

 

 

March isn't that warm in the Northeast, so cruise departure ports may be a factor. If you leave from NY (Gem/Breakaway), expect the first afternoon/evening on board to have cold weather, so your kids may find the pool too cool to enjoy. By day 2, you should be in warmer water. If you leave from Florida, you should have warm weather throughout your cruise. Do a CC search for cruise reviews from posters who left in March, to get a better idea of what to expect.

[TravelingSmurf]

Wow, thanks for all the great opinions! I also appreciate the website recommendations.

 

I think we are probably going to stay with the Dream (although the Getaway is tempting us). I think the new ships have the best of both worlds (stuff to do on and off the ship). I only wish they offered longer cruises! Even though the kids would miss a day or two of school, I would love to do something a little longer than 7 days.

 

Thanks again,

 

Cari

[SissasMomE]

Hi everyone,

 

As of now we are booked on the Carnival Dream in March of 2014. We are now considering switching to a NCL cruise. We are pretty adventurous and like to stay somewhat busy. We are looking for a ship that will keep us entertained and ports that have a lot to do. We do enjoy down time so we don't constantly need to be busy. We are booked in a cove balcony on the Dream and will be looking into a balcony on either of the NCL cruises. Does anyone know if they are comparable in size to Carnival (the balconies)? Which cruise would you take considering we have two kids cruising with us (my daughter is 12 and my son is 10)? My concern is the older ships won't have as much to do as the newer ships. I know it comes down to our preferences, but I am curious to hear other opinions.

 

Carnival Dream 7 days (Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, Costa Maya)

NCL Sun 11 days (Oranjestad, Willemstad, Bridgetown, Pointe-a-Pitre, St. Thomas)

NCL Gem 9 days (San Juan, Phillipsburg, St. Thomas, Samana)

NCL Getaway 7 days (Phillipsburg, St. Thomas, Nassau)

 

The Dream is a sister ship to the Breeze, I believe? If so, I'd keep that if you only NCL options are what you listed. That ship should be a lot of fun, and the balcony (and cabin) will be much larger than what you will get on the Getaway. The Sun would be boring for teens. The Gem might be an option, but where does it leave from? That does make a difference.

[weltek]

I think the Dream is probably the best for you to keep. The Getaway is the only one that I'd think would be appealing enough to consider the hassle of changing a reservation. And as someone mentioned, I'd worry about it during spring break time with overcrowding.

 

I think the Sun is the only one I'd completely rule out. Fewer kids to hang out with on an 11 day and an older ship that's more geared towards adults.

[Cruising4]

When reading through the replies I kept thinking "stick with the Dream".

 

NO to the Sun with kids unless your kids enjoy a low key vacation. The Sun just doesn't have the space for the amenities of the larger cruise ships.

 

Plus I love the itinerary of the Dream! Roatan is a special place, similar to Dominica for me.

 

We had a great cruise on the CCL Glory and wouldn't hesitate to book CCL again.