Which cruise line should my family take?

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TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I have been on about 20 cruises with Princess (3), Celebrity (1), Norwegian (8), and Royal Caribbean (8) and cruised Europe (3), South America, Mexico, New England/Canada, Alaska, and all over the Caribbean.

My recommendation to you is go on a Royal Caribbean cruise and specifically on one of RC's Freedom (Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas) class ships, OR on one of their Voyager Class ships (Voyager, Mariner, Adventure, Serenade & Explorer of the Seas). These ships have the most activities on board for kids, and specifically for teens.

I cruised on the Freedom a few years ago and I can tell you that it has all types of things for kids and teens. I have also cruised on teh Mariner and Adventure. But first, you may want to take a look for yourself at the features of the ship with the on line virtual tour. :

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/home.do;jsessionid=0000Oh1vYR-WGjixL4HN4dxXgrq:12hdhu93n?cS=NAVBAR
The Voyager Class ships are a smaller version of the Freedom Class.

The ships have some features that other ships don't have. The rock climbing wall is on many RC ships. But the new "Flowrider" is unique to RC's Freedom, Independence, and Liberty of the Seas ships. It is a place where kids can go surfing on a boogie board right on the back of the ship. It works great, although I didn't try it. There is stadium seating for people to watch or sit while awaiting their turn.

The ship also has an ice skating rink and during the week there are two days when there is a free ice show that is great, kinda like the Ice Capades. The ice skating is also free. In addition to the ice shows there was a show in the main show room each night. The ship also has a full sized basketball court and mini-golf.

This ship is great for kids and families with kids. On the pool deck there is one area called the H2O Zone which is essentially a small water park for kids; but us big kids can play there too. It has water cannons, a small lazy river, a pool, and falling water all over. Kids will love it. Then the middle of the ship has another pool where everyone can get wet or use a hot tub. Then up further there is an adults only area called the Solarium with a pool and two hot tubs that extend over the sides of the ship. These tubs are huge, can hold maybe 12 people and you can look over the side of the tub at the ocean.

The ship has THE best gymnasium I have ever seen on a cruise ship. All of the latest equipment, including weight machines, rowers, steppers, treadmills and each has its own TV screen so you can watch TV while you workout. It also has a boxing ring and some other new high tech stuff. Also has steam room and sauna for those who use the gym.

The ship has an area called Adventure Ocean which is for kids only and the ship has staff persons assigned to manage free programs for kids all day long. There is also a video arcade in the Adventure Ocean area. They can participate in games and crafts and the area has a special area for teens called Fuel which is a teen disco. Teens can hang out there if they want until late in the evening , until about 2:00 AM. I have seen the kids occupied in Adventure Ocean program up to about 8:00 PM at night. On a couple cruises we did they had the kids come into the show room before it started and do their "thing" that they practiced all day. Then on another cruise we saw them marching in line down the promenade in costumes they had made for something.

sweetescapes_travel

The nice thing about most cruise lines is they have kids activities and things set up for the different age groups. Royal Caribbean is a nice cruise line for families, both the parents and kids will enjoy the onboard activities. The newer, larger ships such as the Freedom, Independence and Liberty of the Seas have surf simulators, mini golf, rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, etc. They are quite amazing. Then the activities for adults are just as nice with nightly entertainment, casino, and don't miss the QUEST game. It is so much fun! I hope this helps and I am travel agent and have been on many cruises, so if you are interested in getting more information, just send me an email sweetescapes_travel@yahoo.com

scatman dan

Norwegian Cruise Line, hands down..

They offer "freestyle" dining, so you won't be awkwardly stuck with people you don't know for dinner.

I've cruised with NCL, Royal Caribbean and Carnival.. The RC ship was by far the nicest and the cruise was to Southern Alaska.. most beautiful place i've ever been. Carnival was so-so.. I met some cool people on board but the ship wasn't as nice and the programs they had were not as entertaining. Carnival's excursions were awesome though..

I liked NCL because they give you a lot of freedom in terms of dining.. The ships are very nice and the excursions are great too.

Time travler

I would choose either Princess or Carnival cruise lines. Princess because of it's classy atmosphere, great food, and perfect staff. Carnival is a little cheaper, but of good quality and they cater more to families. But both Princess and Carnival have real nice set ups for families. By the way, Princess has anytime dining which is the same thing as Freestyle dinning, just another name.

Dave Holman

I have been on over a hundred cruises on 15 or so lines (several of which no longer exist). I would love to help, but there is just not enough information. What does your family like to do? Where do you want to go, and when? Is food most important? Excursions? Shipboard Entertainment? Kids Programs?

All of the information the above poster has is pretty accurate in my view, but the reason there are a dozen major cruise lines is that there is something for everyone.

i <3 music :P

I'm around your kids age (bit older) so this is from a kid's perspective...

Carnival Cruise Lines is really great. The only one I've been on, but I loved it. My grandparents travel ALOT and have been on I think them all and they like Carnival the best. They brought me and my cousin on cruises for our Christmas gifts three summers. One when I was 12 and my cousin was 14 (odd how that's how old your kids are...ha ha) and we loved it. There are great activities and the food was great. For dinner you sit at the same table every night in the main dinnign room and it's with only your family(at least for us it was, I think for everyone) and you can either go to the Lido deck (buffet style) of the dinning room for lunch and breakfast. Getting on the boat was very easy and fast. The room was great and they make a towel animal for you every night (we ate that right up when we were little haha) The service was good and the boat was beautiful. The ports rocked!! Sooo much fun! and the shows were definetly my fav part. They were so great. I'd recomend it to anyone.

bowditch-buccaneers

well, i just came back from a cruise oday. the dawn princess. for children, you should take holland america, It also depends on the location. See, if you go to alaska, i might be boring for them, there are lots of seniors, and the activities are made for seniors. Trust me on that one. gOING TO mexico on holland america is great. They really care about your needs. and, they make it fun. The food is also better, you have more choices, of food. There are more resteraunts.

Due September 17th with baby #1

I would definately suggest Carnival Cruise Lines. Carnival definately caters to families as well as singles, couples, and groups.

They have some of the largest staterooms at sea and most have private balconies. The rooms all boast the Carnival Comfort Bed (hands down the best) with fine linens, a duvet, and a selection of pillows. Many rooms accomodate 4 guest and some allow for more.

Carnival of course, has seperate activities geared toward kids including their own hangout. There is plenty for adults and families as well. Carnival is a great value yet you are not lacking in service, comfort, or fun! Carnival ships are called "FUN SHIPS" and they difinately are. There is so much to do that you simply cannot do it all.

You have the choice of fine dining, buffet style dining, a grill with burgers, pizza, & salad to name a few, and 24 hour stateroom service. Many ships also offer sushi bars, coffee bars, chinese, delis, and a reservations only supper club. Each Carnival ship also offers Spa Carnival entrees on every menu (a lighter low calorie dish).So even the most picky eaters can delight in something.

One highlight of Carnival is definately the shows & activities. I really enjoy the fun deck parties! There is everthything from karaokee, casinos, spas, sports bars, gyms, clubs, art auctions, game shows, scavenger hunts, dance classes, to much more! Of course you always have the option of lounging by the pool or sliding down one of Carnival's Famous Twister Waterslides (and yes everyone does this too...I saw an 80 year old woman go down the slide)!

One thing you will like is the kindness of the staff onboard. Everyone is friendly, sweet, outgoing, and fun. Don't be suprised to remember the names of everyone. They do everything they can and more to make sure that you have a wonderful experience on the cruise.

Carnival offers a variety of itineraries sailing to and from Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii, South America, the Meditteranean, Canada, Panama Canal, The Caribbean, and the Bahamas. Some are seasonal and many are year round departures close to home.

My favorite ships tend to be the larger ones even though they carry more people (never crowded though). I would suggest sailing a Conquest class ship. Conquest, Glory, Valor, Liberty, Freedom. They boast almost 1000 feet long with 14 decks. Many have a big screen tv poolside for movie nights, concerts, sporting events, and to see yourself dancing during the big parties!

Carnival Cruise Lines really is the way to go. I would suggest calling 1-800-CARNIVAL and requesting a brochure and DVD which you can sit down and look at with your family. This goes into detail of what to expect on your cruise, the ports of call, itineraties, onboard entertainment, dining, and cabin selection. You can also visit http://www.carnival.com and take virtual tours of the ships as well as get price quotes and search for your perfect cruise.

Liz

It depends on your budget but if price is't a big concern I would definitely recommend Disney. I'have been on several cruises and nothing compared to Disney. Even though your kids aren't small children, there is tons to do for every age on any of their cruises. I found everything from the food to the service to be superior on the Disney Cruise.
My other suggestion would be Carnival. They are much less expensive and alot of fun too. The cruise I just took was on Imagination. The ship had been renovated and now includes a water park, and mini-golf. My daughter is also 14 and we spent alot of time going down the waterslides. The entertainment was good too- lots of musicals, and comedy acts.

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