Katgoesonholiday

Bless your hearts! I bet you girls sure have a mighty fine view from up there on your high horses! You are just too precious!

:)

As post #7 says, sometimes families are encouraged to put everything in just one bag, especially when the extra might only be a couple of tshirts. And another poster has been kind enough to post other options which will work well for us.

It's all a learning curve isn't it?

And speaking of which, I must leave his topic here as I have to finish plotting out my lesson plans for getting the kids from the petty crime of stealing from cruise lines (by putting a Tshirt in their parents laundry bag) to the much more lucrative work of pulling off bank heists. After all, if that is the inevitable path I am setting their little feet on then we might as well be logical and structured about it. :D

What you could do is get the unlimited for whichever cabin will be generating the most laundry and use the stuff-a-bag option for the other cabin. Or just use stuff-a-bag exclusively and nobody will care what goes in from which cabin.

This is an excellent suggestion. I had no idea the stuff-a-bag was an option. Thank you for taking the time to post something constructive and beneficial.

I'm really interested in this. We are planning on doing the Magic of the Mediterranean cruise in 2017 (if it's provided) with our three kids. Is it $7 per day per cabin? We will be getting connecting cabins so do you think we could get the unlimited for the main cabin and use it for both - or is that just really naughty? I don't mind paying for both - I'm just wondering what is the normal practice.

I was doing laundry every night on our December cruise and it was a flaming nuisance. It would super nice to not have to worry about it.

Good heavens!!! We are taking the kids on a European cruise in July 2017 and were very much looking forward to cruising on the Magic again - but not at that price!!!

The Holland America Magic of the Mediterranean looks like a much better itinerary and definitely much better prices!

So so sad! :(

I am confused! orchestra is in Australia is it a proper cruise? I looked at brochure and nothing about any cruises there in future. my friend who works on ship is trying to get contract he things she's going to bali and Australia any ideas?

dave

It's a charter cruise up to Gallipoli for the ANZAC Day commemorations, so it won't be in the brochure.

I was wondering if, given that it is a 60th birthday cruise, you have children or family that would be willing to contribute a few $$$ in lieu of a birthday present. That might help close the gap a bit.

And I think that it is exactly now that you really need a cruise so do everything you can to make it happen!

Good luck!

 

During breakfast, we spoke to Pandi about why the dining room was being closed today. Apparently 100 travel agents were due to tour the ship, and a special luncheon was held for them in the dining room. He added that when we get to Sydney, there will be 200 travel agents touring then with a lunch offered as well.

I was fortunate enough to be one of those given a tour of this immensely elegant ship and to enjoy the special luncheon that day. Not everyone there was a travel agent - quite a few of us were there as guests of our travel agents (who obviously wanted us to consider Holland America for our next cruise). I was enraptured by this beautiful ship and could happily have stowed away and joined you for the rest of the cruise - had I not had to get home to cook dinner. :P

We are now looking pretty much exclusively at Holland America for our next cruise and are very interested in the 24 night Mediterranean cruises. I think the quiet elegance of the fleet is a good fit for my husband and I.

Are you a Travel Agent that you were given a tour of the ship?

No I'm not. But I was invited to accompany my travel agent on board. There were around 40 guests with the majority being travel agents and the rest being clients they were wooing into booking another cruise. :D

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I was delighted to be given a tour of this beautiful ship today whilst it was berthed in Auckland. Holland America has now been firmly added to my shortlist for our next European cruise!

I love Queenstown and I think your itinerary sounds quite feasible. Think of it as an overnight port stop and plan to hit the high notes. I don't think you'll regret it!

I've wanted to cruise since I was a young kid and my parents would take us to the port to see the ships. Unfortunately cruising is quite pricy in my part of the world and the itineraries don't enthrall.

So I didn't take my first cruise till last year when my husband and I both turned 40 and celebrated our 15th anniversary. With celebrating such significant dates we decided to have the cruise of our dreams and we took a Mediterranean cruise without the kids.

I knew we would love it. I knew I'd be hooked on it. So before we even left I was planning the next one - this time with our kids (13, 8 & 7 years). That happened in Dec so now our whole family is hooked on cruising!

Unfortunately the next one won't be for over two years. It's expensive to take a family of five across the world. So we are focussing on paying off our mortgage and then we will be having cruises at least once a year.

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We had them thrown and twirled too. It was very entertaining!

We didn't feel pressured - I could have walked out if there at any time. But I wanted carpet and I wanted the experience of haggling. It was fun!

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I cruised in July on a new large ship - and got sea sick.

I cruised in Dec on a smaller older ship and was fine.

In July we had a cabin on deck 16 at the front of the ship and despite the calm seas we felt a fair bit of movement and I was nauseous every night.

In Dec we booked a cabin on deck two midship and whilst we felt a little movement occasionally I was not sick at all.

Other factors: in July we went straight from a twelve hour time difference into the cruise and I was sooooo jetlagged. In Dec we arrived at our port ten days earlier so jetlag had passed by the time we got on board.

My personal take on it is that I do better on lower decks midship and when I'm not battling jetlag at the same time.

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Disney Cruise would be heavenly with kids! Glad you had a good cruise with the kids.

 

We did a River Cruise this holiday season, very different from Ocean Cruising. Everything is included which was wonderful. We also tried the New Quantum of the Seas and it wasn't for us.

 

Going on the Divina in April. looking forward to it.

Interesting what you say about the QoS. I've read a couple of reviews and it looks like there is plenty for families to do. But I have to say, I far prefer the smaller feel of the Yacht Club and the Disney Magic. I've been looking with great interest at the new Viking Oceans ships - they have 900 passengers with what looks to be very much a Yacht Club type of feel throughout. Plus their itineraries are very interesting to me. But they are not suitable for kids so that's off the agenda for another decade!

I loved travelling without my boys on the Preziosa but I did miss them terribly and we thoroughly enjoyed our month long holiday in December so whilst they are still young and actually want to travel with us, we are going to make the most of these opportunities. :D

How was your cruise on Disney Katgoesonholiday? Comparable to the Yacht Club?

It was different in many ways - we were sailing with our three kids instead of just the two of us; we had an interior cabin on deck 2 rather than a balcony on deck 16. But having said that, the Disney cruise was amazing!

We really liked the rotational dining concept on Disney and found that quite comparable to the Yacht Club restaurant. The waiters were super attentive and we enjoyed the change of scenery.

Our cabins, despite being interiors, were quite spacious and comfortable. Disney does a split bathroom so we enjoyed that extra space and flexibility. However the bathrooms weren't done in the recent refit so they were a bit tired looking and nowhere near as nice as the Preziosa ones. There was also plenty of storage - especially since we had chose two connecting cabins.

We were able to bring our own alcohol and water on board so we didn't miss the constantly replenished mini-fridge. Disney also have a complimentary beverage station on deck 9 which was easy for us to get to so we didn't really miss the free non-alcoholic drinks.

We did miss having a easy attractive and quiet place to read our books. We loved the Top Sail lounge for this. We spent quite a bit of time wandering looking for a place to settle down on those rare occasions when the kids were all occupied in the clubs.

We also missed the quiet pools. The top deck on Diney was a fiesta for kids and the spas were like little kid soups. Having said that, we contributed three more small bodies to general noise and chaos so we can't complain!

We also really valued and enjoyed the activites we found on Disney. We did loads of trivia quizzes plus bingo and a game show type thing. They were fun and I only recall bingo being offered on the Preziosa.

But one thing that was truly outstanding on the Yacht Club that was totally lacking on Disney was really good coffee! I did NOT like the coffee that was available in the dining rooms. It was lukewarm and horrible. The coffee on the Preziosa was absolutely divine.

We really loved Disney when travelling with our kids and had a fabulous memorable awesome cruise. We hope to travel on the Disney Magic again maybe in Europe. But we also thoroughly enjoyed and loved our cruise in the Yacht Club on the MSC Preziosa and would love to do that again some time - though maybe not with the kids or when they are older.

My husband had been in Europe for business for three weeks prior so had suits with him anyway. Most men in the Yacht Club were wearing suits on formal night but it wasn't 'enforced' in any way and I am sure there were plenty of men quite comfortable wearing other clothes. I'm afraid I'm not so good at noticing that kind of thing. :)

I have to admit, I was completely wasted for the first few days of the cruise and it took me a week to feel alive in the evenings! We cruised again in December and opted for a land vacation first so we would be in the right time zone before the cruise and that worked really well for us.

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I spoke with his teacher (who is beyond awesome). She already knew about the trip and approved the excused absence since it was originally an inservice day. I will not be arrested for truancy, the common core police will not come and make me answer questions about how many miles roger had to walk if his hovercraft malfunctions in australia. (or so i'm told)

 

i hope this calms everyone so i can stop yelling.

Wooohooooo! Go enjoy your time of hedonistic frivolity with clear conscience and the promise of an extra recess to look forward to for your son! :P

Seriously though, Disney cruises are awesome and it's totally the right choice - school or cruise? Duh! :D

Yes and yes - though the Top Sail buffet is only small there was enough to satisfy is on days we couldn't make it to the restaurant.

With eggs Benedict - specify that the sauce is warmed. My husband was surprised to get his cold the twice he ordered. The omelettes are also magnificent.

I could write such a letter about a trip to the supermarket or a walk in a local park. Kids are little sponges and they are constantly learning and taking in everything around them - for better or for worse! That doesn't mean that we should place such activities on par with formal schooling - that is where you get the worst stories of 'unschooling' failures!

Personally, I think it's also important to teach your children that there are times when its okay to 'fail' - my younger two kids missed a couple of weeks of school in December due to our trip but we decided that the family time together was more important than attending the final two weeks of the school year (one week of which was the school camp) and since we host homestay students most of the year we only had a very narrow window of opportunity to take this trip.

I could write such a letter about a trip to the supermarket or a walk in a local park. Kids are little sponges and they are constantly learning and taking in everything around them - for better or for worse! That doesn't mean that we should place such activities on par with formal schooling - that is where you get the worst stories of 'unschooling' failures!

Personally, I think it's also important to teach your children that there are timrs

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I'm trying to get a letter that describes how disney is educational and should be considered an educational equivalent to attending school.

I have to admit this made me laugh. Do you honestly believe that Disney is educational AND the educational equivalent to school? :D

I took all three of my sons out of school near the end of term last year for a trip to Disney and then a Disney cruise but totally acknowledged to their teachers that it was hedonistic frivolity with a few teachable moments thrown in.

We had two inside staterooms on deck 2 (2107 & 2109) on the Dec 14 cruise and they were perfectly fine. There were no issues at all.

I did notice a blower in the hallway a few doors down one day during the cruise but assumed that someone had let the bath overflow.

Check out Waiheke Island tours if you are based in Auckland. It's a short ferry ride from the CBD and there are some lovely boutique wineries on the island. We visited an olive company that had won awards in Italy for their product - and it was amazing!

We got the birthday button for Mr7 at guest services in the morning and he was greeted by staff and wished a happy birthday all day!

He also got a small cake at dinner that night and a bunch of waiters sang him happy birthday. He was thrilled!

My 13 year old son absolutely LOVED our recent cruise on Disney and has gone from being too cool for all this kids stuff to being awestruck at shaking Mickey's hand and now a firm fan of anything Disney.

Having said that, he didn't really get interested in the clubs. They were a bit boring for him. But he loved hanging out my his Dad and I and doing silly trivia quizzes with us.

It was a fabulous family time and we would happily take our teens on another Disney cruise.