Suggestions for a Father/Daughter cruise

[MrsKC08]

I have cruised several times, but my father has never been on a cruise (unless you consider the old Sea Escape day cruises out of Canaveral from back in the day a cruise, :) ). Because he hasn't cruised before, I want to test the waters with him on a 3 or 4 night max cruise leaving out of Canaveral or Tampa or even possibly Jacksonville (he lives near Mount Dora).

 

I have vowed to not do a Carnival cruise again, but I know that my dad wouldn't mind it.

 

What ship would you recommend and why?

 

I'm also asking this on the RCCL board as well.

 

TIA!

[Tapi]

Well, let me start by asking why you vowed not to do Carnival again. That may help us steer you in the right direction. [emoji3]

[poz222]

Depends on when you want to go, but starting this summer and fall, the Valor is taking over the short 3-4 night Bahamas... The ship just got out of a MAJOR drydock overhaul and has most of the 2.0 upgrades (Guys burgers, cantina, Alchemy Bar etc). It is a medium sized ship and is a great "not too big not to small" for the short runs... It is out of Port Canaveral and has some good pricing. IMO it is one of the best ships doing the shorter itineraries (vs RCCL Majesty, NCL Sky).

[Cruise a holic]

I would strongly suggest that you consider Royal Caribbean- I believe that the Oasis may sail out of port Canaveral. You and your daughter will love the activities that can be enjoyed by both of you! Great bonding time.

 

Also, if you can go a week it is even better as you really will have time to enjoy the ports and amenities!

[ryano]

Either Brilliance of the Seas for 4 nights out of Tampa or Carnival Valor for 3 or 4 nights out of Port Canaveral. Otherwise, you are just sailing on the oldest ships each line has to offer. Im sure there are fans but I have no plans to get back on a Sovereign class ship and no real plans to get on a Fantasy class ship :) Although with Mobile AL opening back up and being 5.5 hours from my door, its getting very tempting to book Fantasy.

 

JMO.

Edited May 17, 2016 by ryano

[poz222]

Yes, the Oasis is nice, but it only does 7 nights... The criteria I thought was a 3-4 night max? What RCCL ship,does the 3-4 nighters out of PCC?

[ryano]

Yes, the Oasis is nice, but it only does 7 nights... The criteria I thought was a 3-4 night max? What RCCL ship,does the 3-4 nighters out of PCC?

 

Majesty, the oldest ship in the fleet :o

[poz222]

No thank you to the Majesty!! Brilliance is OK...

[Tapi]

Although with Mobile AL opening back up and being 5.5 hours from my door, its getting very tempting to book Fantasy.

 

JMO.

 

Exactly my thoughts! With Mobile opening again, I can leave my driveway at 8am and be at the port of Mobile by noon! [emoji3] For the right price, I can definitely overlook that she's a 26 year old Fantasy class ship.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Tapi

[KJENN]

Exactly my thoughts! With Mobile opening again, I can leave my driveway at 8am and be at the port of Mobile by noon! [emoji3] For the right price, I can definitely overlook that she's a 26 year old Fantasy class ship.

 

 

 

We did Fantasy out of Charleston aboit a year ago and really loved it. My aunts and uncle who normally cruise celebrity/holland America but wanted to join us for my moms 60th were impressed with it as well, they enjoyed the food and thought the ship was very nice. We booked it for the same reason, 3.5 hrs from home.

[MrsKC08]

Well, let me start by asking why you vowed not to do Carnival again. That may help us steer you in the right direction. [emoji3]

 

Well, our last cruise on Carnival was like sailing Ina floating trailer park, and by that I mean the shape the ship was in, the type of crowds, the entertainment was worse than that at a high school play.

 

I realize that our options will be limited with just a 3-5 night itinerary to the Bahamas, but I want to give him an enjoyable cruise experience. I agree that I don't want to Majesty or the smaller Carnival ships. I might check out Valor and Brilliance.

 

Thanks for all the great opinions.

[TheTravelista]

Lol

[ryano]

Well, our last cruise on Carnival was like sailing Ina floating trailer park, and by that I mean the shape the ship was in, the type of crowds, the entertainment was worse than that at a high school play.

 

I realize that our options will be limited with just a 3-5 night itinerary to the Bahamas, but I want to give him an enjoyable cruise experience. I agree that I don't want to Majesty or the smaller Carnival ships. I might check out Valor and Brilliance.

 

Thanks for all the great opinions.

 

If you are considering 5 nights, Brilliance has some Cozumel/Key West and Cozumel/Grand Cayman or even Cozumel/Costa Maya cruises.

 

I've been a little rough on Royal lately and am a little put off right now but Tampa is fun to sail out of and to me, Radiance class ships are the perfect cruise ship. They are beautiful.

[ryano]

Exactly my thoughts! With Mobile opening again, I can leave my driveway at 8am and be at the port of Mobile by noon! [emoji3] For the right price, I can definitely overlook that she's a 26 year old Fantasy class ship.

 

I loved sailing from Mobile :) Such an easy drive!

[Tapi]

Well, our last cruise on Carnival was like sailing in a floating trailer park, and by that I mean the shape the ship was in, the type of crowds, the entertainment was worse than that at a high school play.

 

 

Just a friendly piece of advice: Put your flame resistant suit on, because some people will take offense to the trailer park comment! [emoji86][emoji91]

 

About the shape that some ships are in: Yes, some of Carnival oldest ships indeed look a bit on the outdated side. Even if they've gone through several drydock and upgrades, the "Joe Farcus" decor doesn't age well and it makes these ships look more outdated and unkept than they really are. Many cruisers will say that they genuinely don't care what the ship looks like, and some may say that they they do like the decor, but I know that many would breathe a sigh of relief if Carnival ever makes over and modernizes the look of its oldest ships.

 

Newer Carnival ships don't have that "stuck in the 90's" neon look. In fact, some ships like the Breeze have understated, modern, and even a bit elegant decor. Unfortunately for you, the newer ships are deployed on longer itineraries while the older ships are mostly deployed on the short, inexpensive itineraries. If you're trying to avoid the oldest ships but still need to sail on a short itinerary from Florida, your best bet will most likely be the Valor out of Port Canaveral which is a Conquest class ship built in 2004.

 

About the type of crowd: Granted, short itineraries are cheaper, so that makes them affordable and attractive to a larger sliver of the population. That means that your fellow cruisers will come from a wider range of backgrounds, many who may not be as travel savvy or as polished as you'd expect. But it's part of sailing on a mass market budget friendly cruise line like Carnival. You will be rubbing elbows with a lot of people from all walks of life.

 

If sailing with fellow cruisers from other social, financial, or educational backgrounds is something that affects your enjoyment when on vacation, I respectfully recommend that you look at other cruise lines that may attract a more homogenous and like-minded group of cruisers. [emoji846]

Edited May 18, 2016 by Tapi

[Tracey/Thom]

Very delicately phrased, Tapi!

[doneinne]

Very delicately phrased, Tapi!

 

 

I concur, very nicely said

[MrsKC08]

Just a friendly piece of advice: Put your flame resistant suit on, because some people will take offense to the trailer park comment! [emoji86][emoji91]

 

About the shape that some ships are in: Yes, some of Carnival oldest ships indeed look a bit on the outdated side. Even if they've gone through several drydock and upgrades, the "Joe Farcus" decor doesn't age well and it makes these ships look more outdated and unkept than they really are. Many cruisers will say that they genuinely don't care what the ship looks like, and some may say that they they do like the decor, but I know that many would breathe a sigh of relief if Carnival ever makes over and modernizes the look of its oldest ships.

 

Newer Carnival ships don't have that "stuck in the 90's" neon look. In fact, some ships like the Breeze have understated, modern, and even a bit elegant decor. Unfortunately for you, the newer ships are deployed on longer itineraries while the older ships are mostly deployed on the short, inexpensive itineraries. If you're trying to avoid the oldest ships but still need to sail on a short itinerary from Florida, your best bet will most likely be the Valor out of Port Canaveral which is a Conquest class ship built in 2004.

 

About the type of crowd: Granted, short itineraries are cheaper, so that makes them affordable and attractive to a larger sliver of the population. That means that your fellow cruisers will come from a wider range of backgrounds, many who may not be as travel savvy or as polished as you'd expect. But it's part of sailing on a mass market budget friendly cruise line like Carnival. You will be rubbing elbows with a lot of people from all walks of life.

 

If sailing with fellow cruisers from other social, financial, or educational backgrounds is something that affects your enjoyment when on vacation, I respectfully recommend that you look at other cruise lines that may attract a more homogenous and like-minded group of cruisers. [emoji846]

 

 

Personally, I take offense that you think I may have a problem with "trailer parks". On the contrary, I have absolutely no problem with them. I grew up in one and lived there for 17 years or so. Maybe I chose the wrong words to explain my problems with Carnival and why my husband and I personally choose not to sail on them.

 

We are by no means stuck up or feel we are above ANYONE! As mentioned by several people including yourself, Carnival is a budget friendly mass cruise line and therefore people of many walks choose to sail on them. I get it, and it is fine. I mean, at the end of the day it is a cruise, and that's why we join community boards like this because ALL of us on this website love cruising, correct? I simply choose to have a better cruise experience for my dollar and know how to shop around for the best possible cruise fare that I can. I've sailed on many different lines, and like many others I do have a preferred line or two that I try to stick to.

 

When I sailed on the Dream back in 2011, she was still a baby (almost 3 years old). We certainly didn't expect her to "sparkle" like new, but we also didn't expect to see the wear and tear on her that we did.

 

Back to my original post...I'm looking for a cruise to do with my father. I am 40, he is 70. He is not a big party person, obviously...but he does like to have fun and participate in activities and such. I was considering a Carnival cruise because of the ports available to sail from, the cruise length and the sheer cost (since I currently already have 2 cruises booked at the moment that need to be paid for as well).

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for the recommendations and input. I greatly appreciate them.

Edited May 18, 2016 by MrsKC08

[poz222]

It is also a bit about managing expectations... On shorter cruises, you have to expect more of a "party boat" atmosphere... Spring break, the short cruises amp up to "frat party" level whereas sept/October cruises has a decidedly more "senior living" vibe... But as others have said, either the Brilliance of the Seas from Tampa or the Valor from PCC would be your best bet... Either one, enjoy each other's company and have a wonderful dad/daughter cruise!

[meatloafsfan]

What about the Disney Dream out of Port Canaveral? It does 3-4 cruises and you wouldn't have to worry about a "trailer park" type atmosphere.

[ryano]

What about the Disney Dream out of Port Canaveral? It does 3-4 cruises and you wouldn't have to worry about a "trailer park" type atmosphere.

 

She is looking for a cruise that "wont break the bank" :) That rules Disney out right off the bat! :D

[Tapi]

I tried to be as respectful as possible and not accuse you of anything based on your response to my question, but I see that you took offense anyway. Let's see if we can clarify some things.

 

Personally, I take offense that you think I may have a problem with "trailer parks".

 

Let me remind you that it was you the one that vowed to never cruise on Carnival again because your "last cruise on Carnival was like sailing in a floating trailer park, and by that I mean the shape the ship was in, the type of crowds...". I didn't accuse you of having a problem with trailer parks. You made the comparison yourself.

 

We are by no means stuck up or feel we are above ANYONE!

 

Once again, I was very careful not to accuse you of anything, and certainly not of being "stuck up or feel that you're above anyone". Go back and read again what I wrote, which was: "If sailing with fellow cruisers from other social, financial, or educational backgrounds affects the enjoyment of your vacation...". I didn't say: "below your own background". You know why? Because I don't know you. I made that statement that way because it's not uncommon to see cruisers who prefer to sail with other cruisers who share similar backgrounds, whether sailing on Carnival or Silversea, or whether rich, poor, educated, uneducated, or anything in between.

 

Back to my original post...I'm looking for a cruise to do with my father...I was considering a Carnival cruise because of the ports available to sail from, the cruise length and the sheer cost

 

As mentioned on my post where you took offense: Based on your preferences, I suggested that the Carnival Valor is most likely the better option since it's one of the newest and largest ships in the short itineraries from Florida, which will in turn translate into one of the most affordable as well.

 

Do understand the gist of my entire previous post. No matter which Carnival ship you select for this father/daughter cruise, you will find "similar ship conditions, similar type of crowds and similar entertainment" to what you previously found and which made you vow to never sail on Carnival again. I'm not trying to offend you. Just trying to be brutally honest so that you can make a decision that will most closely suit your needs. I'm not here to attack, offend, or bully anyone. Just trying to be as helpful as possible. :)

Edited May 18, 2016 by Tapi

[SadieN]

We've sailed Princess, HAL and Carnival. Did a few RCI cruises so long ago that it n longer compares.

 

Cruise line isn't always an indicator of fellow travelers. I think time of year and days of the week are more important factors. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, then most of January you'll usually find less 'rambunctiousness'. More sedate crowds, less families, rarely roaming groups of college kids.

 

We've sailed many (20+) 3/4 day cruises. The worst was a weekend three day on Princess in the beginning of November. It was way worse than our Carnival weekend three day in July, same itin. Several of our 4day Carnival cruises rivaled our HAL cruises in number of mobility devices onboard.

 

Carnival's ships are designed to 'party'. We are older than you, Mom prefers Carnival simply for its liveliness. There are always quiet spots onboard.

Edited May 18, 2016 by SadieN

[hftmrock]

Well, our last cruise on Carnival was like sailing Ina floating trailer park, and by that I mean the shape the ship was in, the type of crowds, the entertainment was worse than that at a high school play.

 

 

 

 

and your father won't mind the floating trailer park?