1st Time Cruiser w/kids questions.

[d4sunrise]

Hi all,

WOW what a wealth of information there is on this board!

We are starting to plan our first cruise--Myself, DH, DD-11, DS-8.

We live in WA and cruising out of CA would be the easiest but as I started to search and read about all the different cruises, I realized that maybe I should look at FL for a departure also....hmmmm too many choices.

We are planning for some time in May.

Here come the questions!

For a 1st cruise, what would be the rec. length?

 

I think RCCI definitely has some fab stuff for kids on the Freedom? line, but if you couldn't do those particular boats, what other would you rec.?

 

My DS is extremely advanced and alot of the activities for his age don't interest him...are the ships strict on the ages in the programs?

 

What are the thoughts on inside vs. outside cabins?

 

Thanks in advance for advice. I am still making my way through the boards and may find some of the questions answered, and I am sure I will come up with a TON more.

Dawn

[crusinmama06]

RCCL Voyager class is just as good (without the flowrider/H20 zone)

 

Mariner of the Seas is coming over to the West Coast. :D And I am sure at some point a Freedom ship will make it's way over too. So do a Voyager Class until that day comes.

[Doug&Suzy-Q]

Wow--welcome to the greatest wealth of information on cruising:)

I am partial to Carnival......only because.......well.....I am partial to Carnival:D

This year will be our first cruise with the grandkids, just them & us...no mom:cool: they will be 12, 11,8 @ sailing time.

Because of the 8 year old, who is a young 8, we chose our first cabin with a window, rather than a balcony. If your son is advanced for his age, I suggest a balcony, if it is within your budget.........you will never regret it.........trust me.

We are assuming because of the kids this year, we will spend less time in our cabin than if it was just DH & me;)

Don't over analyze the choices......for flying time etc...maybe 7 night cruise would be average. Just don't make it to short:( you definately will regret that...........Enjoy.......and welcome.

[adamsmom]

With kids? I would say 7 days would be fine. Any shorter, and I think you and the kids will regret it.

 

The bigger RCCI ships would definately be a good choice, as well as Disney, of course. The NCL Spirit also has great kids' facilities, and the larger Carnival ships have big water slides.

 

I think you may be surprised at how interested your 11yo will be in the activities. If he doesn't like them, there are plenty of other things going on around the ship. And they are very strict about kids moving up into the next age group. You might want to explore the different cruise lines and see how the ages are broken down. I know RCCL has a 9-11 group, so he would be with 9year olds.

 

Inside cabins are fine if you don't plan to spend much time there. And with kids, you probably won't. We sleep and change there, and that's about it. We are always either just coming in, sleeping, or on our way out. DH likes them because he likes to nap his way through a cruise, and the inside cabin stays dark all the time.:rolleyes: Outside cabins are nice, especially for your first cruise, though. And a balcony is wonderful! Just get whatever you feel you can afford.

[d4sunrise]

Thank you for the reply. I really want to go out of Florida as there are so many more options...but the West coast would be simplest, for our first foray into the cruising world.

[d4sunrise]

Carnival was my first choice to begin with, as I have heard about it most in connection with kids. We are going to have a family sit down and go over all the options. I sure hope we can find and swing a 7 day cruise that fits our needs and budget.

Thanks for all the great insight.

Dawn

[d4sunrise]

Thanks for the reply. I am looking at the 7 day cruises and deciding what kind of cabin will fit into our budget.

I am not even sure how much time my kids will spend in the kids programs, we tend to do things together as a family.

Dawn

[mousecrazy]

Have you considered Alaska out of Seattle? Not sure where you are in Washington...but this was a really nice option for us. The best part was driving to port and not having to go to the trouble or expense of flying. I have a feeling you're thinking warm weather...we were too...but found a great last minute deal on NCL and did not regret our choice for a minute. If your family is into nature and adventure...Alaska might be worth looking into.

 

You might ask yourself which is more important...destination or ship. This might help frame your decision process. Ours was definitely destination. But, we found a great ship (NCL Star) in the process. We're heading to Mexico next month for our second cruise on this ship.

 

As for your inside/outside cabin question...your kids are old enough that having a balcony isn't a necessity due to naps and spending a lot of time in your cabin. If you have a limited vacation budget, and want to make the most of your time in port (excursions), then an inside would probably be sufficient...knowing your saving lots of $$ so you can have great adventures! However, if you want to soak up the cruising experience and think you'll spend time in your cabin, then a balcony is the way to go.

 

Have fun!

[renewed]

We live in WA (new to the west coast), and we are going out of Seattle to Alaska this summer on Rhapsody of the Seas on July 18th. I think this will be a good first cruise experience for the children since we won't have to tack on a tiring plane ride as well. We will drive across WA the day before and stay overnight in Seattle.

 

I think the Seattle to AK cruise will be a great thing for us. Perhaps it would work for you too.

[d4sunrise]

That was one of our options to begin with...I am only 40 minutes from Seattle (of course that is on a light traffic day!LOL)....my family definitely wanted to go "warm"...me I would pick Alaska first but the majority won!

thanks for all the info..what a help!

Dawn