Cruise Line Matchmaking Service

[nwmsu]

I did a search and found an older post that someone started and thought it was brilliant and members were so helpful.  Never been on a cruise, want to take the family but am scared to death that there isn't a match for us.  A Caribbean cruise is out first attempt...Alaska bc of price would be second cruise. 

 

1. Married  in our 40's with two junior high age kids what I call teens.

2. Crowds wear on us quickly.  The holding the chair game makes my blood boil and I am not shy about diplomatically saying something to you about it.  

3. We will both have a glass or two of wine.  If we want a party, we would go to New Orleans. We are not hear to party.  

4. As a family we attend the symphony, plays, musicals, movies, concerts from T Swift to Weezer, we love sporting events, NFL...eh not so much and adult content and language for isn't a concern as parents, Eddie Murphy Raw or a burlesque show...ok not so much...

5. We love healthy food and a great dessert!  Kids love to eat 24-7 if allowed.  We won't eat bags of chips and put ourselves in a carb coma.  Chocolate anything is good anytime of day.

6. Decent coffee is the life blood of the adults.  

7. Kids are one year apart.   They will swim all day (when I mean swim I'm talking laps, diving games, the deeper the water the better.)  they love the ocean and the pool and are afraid of nothing.  They will also play video games or watch youtube all day, but we don't want that for them.  There does need to be other kids on board.

8. Attire....suit and tie are for funerals, weddings and fundraisers, not vacation. A polo and dockers with tennis shoes are not out of the question if required for a meal.

9.  When it's time to port...let's rent a car or get an uber and get away from the tourist trap crowd while remaining safe.  We want to experience the country and the people, not the tourists.

10. Sleeping arrangements....1 room...kids MUST have their own sleeping bed, no sharing, this is #1 on our list of keeping the family happy.

 

Priority 1: Sleep arrangements see #10. 

Priority 2: Ship gets quiet at midnight....the night owls are couples just hanging out telling stories about life and laughing, not dancing and drinking until they pass out.

Priority 3: See #5 regarding food...keep my kids fed, its vacation they eat what they want, when they want and the adults are happy with great food along the way.

 

Do you have a ship our first time should be on?  A cruise line in general we should focus on? A shorter cruise doesn't scare us, we will find a way to have a great time at our port of call, so that's fine too.  Thank you for your help!!

 

[mom says]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. You have a tall order to fill, but most of the family oriented mass market lines might suit. I'm thinking primarily of Royal Caribbean and it's largest ships , but NCL and Disney would also work. (Although you pay a lot more on Disney for the branding). I'd recommend a cruise of a week or longer. Shorter cruise tend to be a bit (or a lot) rowdier,  depending on the port and time of year.

 

For a 4 bed cabin that won't feel like a sardine can, look at the Family veranda cabins.  These go very quickly, though.  You'll find other cabins that will sleep 4, but are smaller. If the budget stretches that far, you might consider 2  connecting cabins, with a door between each one.

 

Your kids can eat from early morning til way past their bedtime. The buffet has very long hours and has a good variety of options usually. There are other places to eat around the ship that are included in the fare besides the main dining room.

 

Talking to a travel agent specializing in cruises can help you find the ship and itinerary ghat will best meet your expectations. 

Edited May 5, 2019 by mom says

[Mike981]

Mom has given you some great advice.

I will add that taking your time to look at all the different areas on Cruise Critic and learn from others. Everyone has a different reason for their suggestions and it might not work for you. I'm not sure how much you have traveled before, but it sure seems like you have a lock on what you want, and don't want.

I wish you the best and I hope your family has a wonderful time.

[Essiesmom]

Carnival Dream class and newer have deluxe oceanview cabins with a sofa and upper bunk for the kids, and a split bath:  one with toilet, sink, and shower, the second has sink and tub/shower.  Pizza 24/7, soft serve also 24/7.  Plus room service, though it costs a minor amount after 10pm.  Take and 8 day cruise and the ship will be quieter, demographic older.  You won't find any ships with pools large enough to swim laps - unless you are the only one in it at 2am.  Entertainment on every line is pretty lightweight, except for MSC which is mostly music and usually includes a shortened opera the last afternoon.  Needless to say, the singers are good.  I believe you can get pizza until 2am.  You have lots of research ahead of you.  EM

[Elaine5715]

You need to talk to a Travel Agent that specializes in cruise vacations.  

[kerryincork]

I put MSC as my recommendation. The passengers come from large mix of countries. The large ships have great water zones for the kids and deep pools. Arcade is available at a cost (I believe you can get a pass for these activities)

 

Kiss can eat whenever they like.

due to the mix of passengers the acts are singing/dancing or circus style performances, which I like.

their pricing is different from most companies so look out for that.

they also have family cabins with bunkbed for kids.

[simplyrubies]

There can be many differences even within the same line when it comes to the types of cabins or amenities involved. With your requirements, if you are considering through booking a travel agent, I would highly recommend that you speak to one in order to help you further match your requirements to the appropriate ship, line, itinerary, and price.

 

It sounds like Royal Caribbean may be a good fit for your family. It is very likely that other kids will be on board, but even if they do not partake in the kid's club, there are lots of other amenities such as a variety of pools, rock climbing, ice skating, etc. that are available on several ships for them to enjoy. However, chair-hogging may be an issue (as it is a mass-market line), but honestly, this is an issue that you will find on any line unless you book a separate cabana area (available on many lines) and therefore book your own private space. In order to avoid crowds, consider looking at a smaller ship. Family cabins should be available, or at least quad occupancy rooms.

 

In order to avoid a party cruise atmosphere, I would avoid choosing any itinerary that is between 3-5 days particularly if you're looking to travel to the Caribbean. 3-5 day Royal Caribbean or Carnival cruises in the Caribbean are almost always guaranteed to be booze cruises.

[thinfool]

If no one has said this, Welcome to CC.  Lots of great information here.  

I am not sure where your concerns come from but your list is complete with Very common items.  Most if not all of the mass market cruise lines will comply with your List.

Having said that...none are perfect.  You will find lots of reviews on CC about different lines and different ships.  Remember that the negative reviews will always outnumber the positive ones simply because those with an 'ax to grind' are more likely to write something up.

 

Edited May 6, 2019 by thinfool

[TNcruising02]

I don't know anything about the cabins, but all in all I would recommend Royal.  I believe they have larger ships with less passengers.  So, the public areas are not so crowded.  Their shows are good and there is something for everyone.  On the ships I have been on, I really liked the layout.  The buffet dinner is good because they have a nice selection.  Much better selection than Carnival or Norwegian.

I like Carnival because of the comedy shows and choose that line more than any other.  They have more shows and more comedians.  I also really like the poolside stations with Guy's Burgers and also the station with Mexican food.  That's very convenient and great for a quick lunch. However, for an all around good cruise, I really liked Royal and would recommend them to anyone new to cruising.

Norwegian has some of their games shows in the middle of the ship on a lower deck and it can get very crowded.  Their theater shows are very good though and they often have free perks with certain cabin selections.

[gadaboutgal]

On 5/5/2019 at 2:55 PM, nwmsu said:

 

 Kids are one year apart.   They will swim all day (when I mean swim I'm talking laps, diving games, the deeper the water the better.)  they love the ocean and the pool and are afraid of nothing.  T 

 

Unfortunately, this is the only requrement that you will not be able to cover on any of the mid-range cruise lines.  Laps in crowded pools (and they all are) are impossible and diving is forbidden.

[brillohead]

Another vote for Royal Caribbean -- Freedom, Quantum or Oasis class, especially. 

Recommend the kids going to the teen meet-and-greet the first evening (even if it means missing family dinner, I think it starts at 8pm on most ships).  They will meet other kids to hang out with the rest of the week, either at organized teen-program-events, or individually just hanging out swimming, mini-golf, whatever.

Definitely check for the proper room -- most will say they accommodate four people, but that's with sharing a "double" sofabed.  There ARE rooms with a Pullman bed, just watch the legend for the deck plan.  (This is where a knowledgeable travel agent comes in handy!)

Not sure your reasoning for wanting to all stay in the same room, but if it's at all possible to put the kids in a separate room, definitely check into parents in a balcony and kids across the hall in an inside -- might be the same price (or darn near) as having all in one room, and you'll have a lot more room plus an extra bathroom.  If the kids just can't be trusted to not kill each other in their own room (I had an older brother -- I get it), you can also look at connecting rooms (inside would be more affordable, if the balcony is not a requirement).

As for whether a balcony is a requirement, that's a very personal decision. If you're an active family who will be out and about all day and evening taking advantage of all the features on the ship, a balcony becomes much less necessary.  If you will be spending a lot of time hanging out in the cabin all day and evening, having a balcony to sit on is much more desirable.  Some people won't cruise if they can't have a balcony -- others (like me) only use the room to sleep and shower, so the balcony is several hundred dollars of wasted money on real estate that never gets used for anything.  (I'd rather spend the money on snorkeling excursions!)

Royal has a video game arcade (that adds up quickly!) and also has game consoles in the teen club, if your kids really need a video game fix, but there are sooooo many other activities that boredom isn't going to be a problem.  Internet on a 4-device package will run about $200 for a week, and you can use that with a messaging app on cell phones for communication with the kids, if you want.  

I'm very much a t-shirt and sneakers kind of person, and while some people can and do dress WAY fancy for dinner on Royal (particularly on the two formal nights, where you'll see the occasional tux and ball gown, even), the dress code will totally allow for a polo shirt and pants at dinner, too.  

I hope this helps a bit.  I highly recommend looking at videos on YouTube of any ships you're considering, to see if it looks like it would "feel right" for your family.  And I can't stress enough the value in having a travel agent who specializes in cruises, particularly for your first time.  An online travel agent isn't the same -- ask friends who have cruised if they have an agent they recommend.  It doesn't have to be anyone local, either -- just an actual person in an actual agency.  I send friends in Michigan to my agent in Tennessee all the time.  He specializes in cruise planning, and he will make sure people are on the right ship and in the right room to meet their individual needs.  Just a random person who has never been on a cruise themselves (like 95+% or more of the "agents" you talk to with the cruise lines or websites like Expedia or whatever) isn't going to know the ins and outs of the industry.