HelloKittysMum

As part of my job I do a lot of complex multi county transcontinental routes so I guess I am a bit also about travel and things going wrong. They can fly out the day before so it will probably work out OK.

Have checked the date of the dance (and it isn't "some kid's party" - it's an important part of sixth form school year (more akin to his prom) and for a boy who is quite very shy getting him to want to go was a big thing) and it is a day earlier than I thought so they can fly in 28 hours before cruise is due to depart.

I realise there is lots to do in NY but we have to fit in the various restrictions of school, work etc (plus we have spent 10 days over the past two summers and I have been 8 or 9 times).

Am sure that there are other ice rinks that are bigger / cheaper but the Rockefeller one is iconic from the movies so we will go for that.

We're looking at flying to NY for a Caribbean Cruise for Christmas. While it would be great to fly a few days early (although having done NY 8 times and twice in 18 months it's only the thought of skating at Rockefeller Centre that is a on the plans) but my 17 yr old son (who's a bit reluctant about being away for Christmas anyway) has a Christmas formal event. I'm contemplating my daughter, 1 parent and 2 grandparents flying two days early as planned and son and other parent flying on the day. There are direct flights that get in to JFK 4.5 hrs before sail away and it's not far from JFK to Brooklyn (it's a Cunard cruise). Immigration was not too bad last year and with no connections luggage problems will be less of a concern (and we'll mix the contents so no one has their own bag but each bag has some of everyone's clothes, plus first parent could take most of the formal wear with them).

We don't book flights through Cunard becuase I get Travel Industry rates on the cruise.

Any thoughts?

We wouldn't be going for high balcony or grill anyway. This is an extra holiday and to be honest we spend so little time in our room (and much of the journey it would be too cold to be on a balcony anyway) so I'd be happy with an inside cabin. It didn't occur to me there was any shame in what people book. If we do it it will be becuase we've found a good price rather than because we have a burning desire to go and so we accept the trade off between price and pick of cabin. I'd rather have more / longer / more interesting holidays than pay for the best hotel or the most luxurious room.

Sailing out of NY over Christmas is cold, so if you wanted to go to Caribbean, I would fly to Florida and start your cruise where it is warm on Day 1 :)

 

Also, there are many more options for ships if you start from Florida. If you can fly into Miami, you could sail from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) or Miami. There is a site: cruise timetables that will show you which ships are departing from each port on specific days, so once you figure out which flights work best for you, you can look at the different ships that are sailing within those dates. Then you can choose from itinerary and/or amenities that best suit your family.

Flights to Miami from UK at Christmas are incredibly expensive as there are so few option if you don't live in London and don't want to spend 14 hours between flights (if we did that we may as well go to the Far East). Also the options we have seen don't work with when we can travel and with wanting to be on the ship on Christmas and New Year's Eve (most are 7 or 14 days and depart). We also know Cunard (my parents have been on them a lot and we did TA on QM2 in the summer) whereas we don't have as much experience of other lines (parents have done HAL twice and we did Royal Caribbean once) and we like the options of watercolour classes etc rather than wild pool parties.

Also we haven't been to NY in winter so we thought a couple of days there doing Radio City Christmas Spectacular, ice skating at Rockefeller centre etc might be nice.

 

One word of caution - Christmas cruises book up months in advance, so your pickings may be slim this late in the year.

We've seen some very good prices on the specific cruises that I have mentioned with availability - OK we might not get the pick of specific cabins but that doesn't bother us. This is an extra holiday (we did a three week New England road trip followed by a TA in the summer) so we don't mind if we don't get the "best" cabin.

I guess it is going to be difficult to find people who have experience of Christmas cruises in both Caribbean and SE Asia. We also have another option (which avoids the flights) of taking a cruise from UK to Canaries but the Bay of Biscay in January is putting me off. It does reduce the cost significantly though as we can get a train to Southampton for about £100 return for all of us compared to £1000 each for flights.

Lots to think about...

We did our first inside on a TA this summer (having had balconies before) and I loved it because it was so dark - I always wake when here is light so for me it was fab.

Not sure if this is the right place to post.

After 38 years (so mortgage free) my parents have sold their family house and are temporarily living in rented accommodation while their bungalow is being refurbished and so having got some money in the bank and the thoughts of being in a very small property for Christmas and New Year they have offered to take all of us (them, me, my husband and our 15 yr old daughter and 17 year old son) on a cruise.

My daughter is v keen, son not really due to school exams in January.

My mum wants to go somewhere warm so we have narrowed it down to the following (which fit in with the budget my dad has set):

HK-Singapore via Vietnam (not sure which line)

Singapore, Malaysia, Burma (I think) (Holland American)

NY to Caribbean to NY (QM2)

Various Caribbean options

We are restricted on dates to some degree because of school holidays.

My choice would be QM2 because we did a transatlantic this summer and I loved it, we've never been to Caribbean, flights are shorter. Also with 3 sea days between NY and the ports that would give my son time to study (and with no internet he's more likely to be less distracted) (while my dad, daughter and I go to paining classes which we have all enjoyed previously).

My dad and daughter would prefer Far East because they haven't been there (either at all or not really and not to countries being visited) - I travel with work extensively in Vietnam, Malaysia so that hold less attraction to me; also we were planning a family (4 of us) summer holiday to Malaysia and Thailand for 2016). Flight times are also much longer.

Caribbean option have advantage of direct flights from Manchester to Miami but only on Sundays. Some options would have us back in Miami on NYE.

Any thoughts? What are cruises like for Christmas Day?

I thought the size depended on cabin type. We were in an inside and got a half.

We had 2.30 check in and arrived about 2.15 and we're checked in very quickly.

We did NY to Southampton after a 18 day road trip. It worked for us becuase we had a lot of shopping (13 pieces of luggage between 4 of us). It allowed our daughter to bring home American food which she is being very good and eating sparingly so that it lasts as lo g as possible. We had two Inside cabins and had plenty of room for all the shopping.

true.. but the chances go down drastically when not only do they have to be slightly dishonest, but also ask a doctor to be dishonest for them, and have a doctor be dishonest enough to write it ...

NOT SAYING IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN.. but many who will say yes disabled to get the room will not want to even admit to their doctor they want to do so... much less have the dr. sign on that.

Fraud happens and corrupt doctors etc exist. I have experience of Sri La ka whre a doctor will write anything you want if you pay them. Look at the case of Zykanthos where large number of people were getting benefits for being blind while still driving cars. Fraud happens and corrupt doctors etc exist.

well if your mom is not known/liked enough by the doctor for him to hand it to her at the visit...(do not ask the secretary, but the actual doctor WHILE seeing him/her)..then she would get the paper ONCE, and if the disability is permanent,it will say so,and she would keep it safe, and reuse it.

In the UK it is standard practice for doctors to charge for any letter or signature rearless of the circumstance. One of the hidden costs of our "free" health service

Food is available 24/7 in Kings Court. Some people come after theater for a snack before retiring. There is also 24/7 room service but that menu is pretty limited.

 

There is no "Midnight Buffet" but on transatlantics last June there were 10PM "Ice and Chocolate" buffets - ice sculptures and various decadent chocolate desserts.

Between 2am and 4am the Kings Buffet is being cleaned. I managed to get a cup of tea at 2.30 but staff were cleaning and so fed had all gone. Room service is available.

We visited last summer for the second time (we were with our teenage children whonwereny born on our last visit) and were really disappointed becuase of the missing artefacts. It took a lot of the interest away.

On our recent crossing a woman (couldn't call her a lady) on a near table had a bottle of some spirit in her handbag which she was pouring into a glass of ice which she had asked for. And then also offered around to other people on her shared table. Got away with it for 2 nights but then was spotted by sommelier who advised her of the corkage charge. It didn't come out again. Sad thing is that sommelier told us that it will probably cost him his day off because she'll give bad fed back / complain about him and if too many people do that he loses his day off. He had lost a day off a few weeks previous becuase people complained (mostly about prices). I filled in one of those feedback staff forms because he was so good and knowledgeable and always had our children's drinks on the table ready for them.

We did buy a dress for my daughter while we were in the states but she didn't wear it in the end. She only did 2 formal nights (she loves ordering room service and as there was nothing she wanted on the second formal night - she is a very fussy eater unlike her older brother - we let her do that).

The dresses she had taken were fine and were age appropriate. She looked sufficiently dressed up with a black jacket over them, heels and make up but did not look too old. Some of the slightly older girls looked too old.

My son was fine - he did his prom suit and tie (several different ones) for formals and dark trousers and suit jacket with no tie on informals.

I have to say that a lot of adults' ideas of informal was what I would call casual or even scruffy. I took cocktail dresses for informal (and evening dresses - either long or ballet length ball gowns for formals) and at times felt over dressed. And in the day time dress was very casual (and many were scruffy (football shirts and tracksuit bottoms)) - I took some (what my mum would call) nice day dresses but didn't wear them as they would have looked much too dressy compared to other people so I wore maxi dresses with shrugs or cardigans on the cooler days. I would put a dress code on afternoon tea in the QR - I tried to get my husband to put a jacket and chinos on and he looked at me as if I were mad and pointed out no one else was dressed like that. Just glad I didn't take a hat for afternoon tea (yes I really did contemplate that!).

I absolutely loved the ship and am counting down the days until I retire (but if I have to wait until state pension it will be nearly 18 years) and can do a RTW. Husband and children enjoyed it but want a break from the US after 4 trips in 5 years so we probably won't do it again next year. I wish Cunard sailed more in the Far East.

I thought the soap wasn't enough! Yes we have stain sticks etc but I didn't take any with me and when I looked on last day (in a Wallgreen in midtown Manhattan) there was nothing suitable. Will wash everything at home even if it was washed on the ship.

When we were on QM2 last month, there was a clearly visible sign saying how long the wash cycle takes. They didn't say which cycle, though, but maybe there isn't a lot of difference in timing. And, yes, the photo is old. The washers were all front loaders. And everything was working fine on deck 6. (I mean the machines. The irons, OTOH, leave much to be desired)

It says 45 minutes but I reckoned it was nearer 55.

I agree that given how busy the machine are (at 7.35am there was a queue of 3 or 4 people who thought they had got there early but all machines were already occupied -door was opened up at 7.20am), doing washing before you go home is selfish.

We (4 of us) did a 3 week road trip before our crossing and had 5 bags of laundry but I prioritised what was actually needed (2 loads) for the voyage and brought everything else home dirty. The machines towards the end of the voyage are really needed by people who are not going straight home.

I didn't think the machines were very good. OK for a freshen up but didn't get any marks out.

We collect Christmas tree ornaments from the various new ports that we visit. We have one tree dedicated just to them.

I also collect Christmas Ornaments but find in a lot of places they aren't available or are only available in October to January (felt very patronised this week by sales clerk on QM2 who could not see why anyone would want to buy a Christmas ornament in August). In some cases (eg Malawi, Sri Lanka and Zambia - not cruise destinations but work) I buy keyrings and turn those into tree decorations.

We've just arrived home today after leaving New York last week. I was really surprised at how dressed down people were. I took what my 75 year old mother would call day dresses (white linen, floral cotton etc) to wear for afternonn tea but I would have felt very over dressed if I had worn them. Shorts and t shirts for men was most people's choice and skirts and t shirts for women.

Overall I was surprised at how dressed down people were esp on informal evening compared to my expectations

Most of my cocktail dresses were at the very dressy end of what people were wearing.

911 memorial is free. Although not free I would recommend the 911 museum. One of the highlights of last year's holiday (my 7th trip to NY so had pretty much done most things multiple times)

I would see a show, you can but half price tickets a few blocks from your hotel at TKTS, Broadway shows have afternoon shows Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. You are also just a block from restaurant row on 46st between 8th and 9th several reasonable restaurants there my favorite is Becco. On Broadway and 50th there is Ellens dinner which has singing waitress and waiters, who are out of work Broadway performers.

Half price tickets are always half price on the modt expensive tickets. You can get cheaper from box office if you are ok with balcony. We did Les Mis Sat Matinée two days ago - $47 for balcony vs $80 from tkts - we did go for the tkts tickets but nearly double.

I dress formally enough at work, why do I want to do this on vacation?!

Not everyone dresses formally at work (I'm an academic and even though I don't dress nearly as formally as I did in industry I am by far the most dressed up person in my department) but even if they do I doubt for most people (orchestras, croupiers, posh bouncers are a few I can think of) does that require black tie or a long dress. Bring on the formal I say (but my husband who is now retired so certainly doesn't dress up in a suit on a daily basis can't see the attraction).

Happy Birthday. We'll be on board but unfortunately the ship docks two days before my husband's birthday. Might celebrate a bit though.

We went to an RCI mix and mingle (on our first cruise) and took our teenagers with us. During the introductions some very full on American adults were quizzing teenagers about school hobbies etc in a very agressive way and it totally freaked my quite shy 14 year old son so much that it actually resulted in him staying in the room except for meals and quizzes we all did together. I would never inflict that on my kids again.