I need a choice.

[SmoothCruiser12]

So, this summer, us and the kids are headed out for a cruise and I'm stuck for options. Here is the lists of our options.

 

1. NCL Breakaway: 7 Day NYC to Bermuda

Why I think it's a good option: The Breakaway looks like an awesome ship and it's totally kid-friendly. Plus, The Ultimate Freesome lets us get free food and drinks. We would really love to hop on this ship.

Why I dislike it: There isn't really much but we want to go on a different line. NCL and RCCL are our main go-to brands. Besides them, there isn't really much choice.

 

2. RCCL Explorer of the Seas: 9 Day Cape Liberty to Bermuda and Caribbean

Why I think it's a good option: More time to spend with the nine days. Also, RCCL has great service and fun things to do onboard.

Why I dislike it: There's a lot of places to go and we won't be able to soak it all in.

 

3. RCCL Grandeur of the Seas: 7 Day Baltimore to Bahamas

Why I think it's a good option: CocoCay sounds really fun to go to. Again, same great service just like the Explorer but different staff mean different things might happen.

Why I dislike it: There also isn't much stopping me. The only reason I'm stuck is the fact that there are better ships then the Grandeur.

 

I'm leaning towards Breakaway but if you have any comments or different cruises for us, please do tell me. By the way, Baltimore and New York are our closest ports so don't go saying to go to Miami and hop on the Epic.

That's all for now, so thanks for all your comments if you have any.

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

 

ExplorerOTS would be my choice.

Having 9 days and going someplace other than Bermuda are the selling points to me.

Whatever, have a great cruise. :D

LuLu

~~~

[SantaFeFan]

I would stay away from NCL. My worst cruises have all been on NCL ships. I no longer waste my money or time on NCL. RCL is superior to NCL in every way. Unless, of course, you prefer the ambiance of a strip mal, the atmosphere of a traveling carnival, Denny's quality dining, the accomodations of a TravelLodge, while rubbing shoulders with the swap meet crowd, NCL might be a perfect fit. Like the sayng goes: "You get what you pay for." :D

Edited March 8, 2014 by SantaFeFan

[luvscruising2007]

Love the Explorer so my opinion is biased. But, 9 nights would win over 7 nights unless the cost was signifcantly different.

[taglovestocruise]

My vote for Explorer, your kids will love it and Voyager class are our favorite ships. happy cruising

[Cruzman]

NCL would be out of the question for me; just an inferior cruise line. Of the choices mentioned, I would definitely go with the Explorer!

[#1TravelMom]

I would definately chose the Getaway. We just booked this ship for fall. We've been on the Epic 3 times and the Getaway is very similar. We have a 24 year old and a 9 year old who have both cruised with us since they were toddlers. We've been on 40+/- cruises as a family. The Epic is our current favorite. We even like it better than the Allure. There is soooo much to do on these new NCL ships. Our DD9 just loves the kids club - it's huge. She goes sometimes in the morning or evening when we can drag her away from the waterpark and spider climb.

 

I agree that some NCL ships are not our favorite - but, we do have a few we like. We like certain ships on each line and don't rule out any line overall. We judge each ship on it's own merits. Most families love the new NCL ships.

 

We have done the Explorer and were very bored. We are not complainers and do not whine about all the little things. But, there we several days we just couldn't find anything to do. On the new NCL ships, you will not possibly do everything in one week.

[bambilin]

So, this summer, us and the kids are headed out for a cruise and I'm stuck for options. Here is the lists of our options.

 

 

 

1. NCL Breakaway: 7 Day NYC to Bermuda

 

Why I think it's a good option: The Breakaway looks like an awesome ship and it's totally kid-friendly. Plus, The Ultimate Freesome lets us get free food and drinks. We would really love to hop on this ship.

 

Why I dislike it: There isn't really much but we want to go on a different line. NCL and RCCL are our main go-to brands. Besides them, there isn't really much choice.

 

 

 

2. RCCL Explorer of the Seas: 9 Day Cape Liberty to Bermuda and Caribbean

 

Why I think it's a good option: More time to spend with the nine days. Also, RCCL has great service and fun things to do onboard.

 

Why I dislike it: There's a lot of places to go and we won't be able to soak it all in.

 

 

 

3. RCCL Grandeur of the Seas: 7 Day Baltimore to Bahamas

 

Why I think it's a good option: CocoCay sounds really fun to go to. Again, same great service just like the Explorer but different staff mean different things might happen.

 

Why I dislike it: There also isn't much stopping me. The only reason I'm stuck is the fact that there are better ships then the Grandeur.

 

 

 

I'm leaning towards Breakaway but if you have any comments or different cruises for us, please do tell me. By the way, Baltimore and New York are our closest ports so don't go saying to go to Miami and hop on the Epic.

 

That's all for now, so thanks for all your comments if you have any.

 

 

I am going to go against the grain here and tell you to go ahead and book the Breakaway! Sealed her in July of 2013. Kids absolutely loved it and 3 days in Bermuda..awesome. My boys are 6 and 9 and they want to know when we are going back!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[cruiserking]

I would highly recommend the Explorer of the Seas, she is a gorgeous, elegant liner, beautifully maintained with an extremely friendly crew. We just sailed Explorer this past February and fell in love with her and with Royal Caribbean Line.

 

The food on board is excellent and a 9-day cruise trumps a 7-day. Furthermore, because Explorer is older you can get better deals on balcony and suites than you would on the NCL Breakaway. NCL has its fans but, I have read many bad reviews on Cruise Critic.

 

Go with the 9-day Explorer you will adore the ship, she is a class act.

 

Jonathan

[Jimnbigd]

Availability might determine your choice. Many families book a year or more in advance, especially if 2 connecting cabins are needed. You might find the ships are already booked up, at least for cabins that hold more than 2 people, or for connecting cabins. Some families with older kids (teens) book adjoining or "across the hall" rooms. How old are your kids?

 

I know with RCI you can book and then cancel before final payment date (around 75 days before saliing) for a full refund -- at least for USA passengers. So you might want to book one or even both RCI ships now. I don't know about NCL's cancellation policy, but it is probably similar.

 

As for the ship, I like the RCI voyager class ships, like the Explorer. The kids might like the free ice skating and ice show. The Adventure Ocean area is also good on these ships. Normally, a 9-day cruise would not have as many kids as a 7-day, but in the summer it probably will.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Jimnbigd