Itchy&Scratchy

while my DS started cruising at almost 4 (yay, no diapers!), I think it's probably easier with a typical 10 month old since most of them don't walk yet. By 14 months, my DS was a runner and refused to use the stroller.

how much drinking will you be doing with 3 kids to keep track of? Or at least one 1 yo?

It wouldn't be worth it to me.

I am going on Allure with our 8 yo because it offers so much in terms of family activities, and I could always use $1K for something else.

If that is the case what are they doing on a Baltic cruise?

I said - I think OP might have expected all that "outdoor fun" on a Princess ship, but obviously didn't do his homework. And what does the destination have to do with the amenities offered by a ship? And it's not even cold in the Baltic region at this time of year - it's no Caribbean, but it's not Alaska either.

My friends' parents and sister are very happy with Princess and with their Baltic cruise.

Thanks for the replies. I am sure we will be happy with our selection.

you'll be happy. We were in E332, it's was great.

having one Irish looking kid (a red head) and a blondie DH, we usually bring about 5 bottles of SPF50 cream and 5 spray bottles of SPF liquid for a 7 day cruise. Never had a problem.

DH and DS are allergic to the SPF cream I use, hence, different bottles.

I would like to hear the OP expand on the "outdoor fun" comment. Am wondering what kind of "outdoor fun" the couple expects when on a port intensive cruise.

 

Hank

I think my friends' parents and sister are on the same cruise. I betcha they are loving it.

We are going to be on Allure March 31, 2019.

so are we. I check periodically, but it's not open yet.

most kids switch to 1 nap at about 14-16 months.

I'd get off the beach around 1-2 pm, get back to the boat, feed and nap.

We started cruising with DS when he was 3 and still napping. That's what we did, he napped at 3-5 pm.

it appears to be a balcony.

Mini-suite categories start with an M.

https://www.princess.com/deckPlans.do?shipCode=SA

Balconies start with a B, and I don't see a BL category.

Dumping oil.

Thank you.

For us smoked salmon is a must during a buffet breakfast.

In 2016 we couldn’t find it on Allure and Anthem, but in 2017 it was there on Anthem and Grandeur.

Hoping it is there!!!

And some seafood

back in 2014 we had to ASK for the smoked salmon on the Independence. If I asked, they brought it out. If I didn't ask, they didn't. :(

My go to breakfast on a cruise is a croissant with cream cheese and smoked salmon. I love it!

Just to clarify: Royal Caribbean is BANNED from Glacier Bay.

We are mid 60's, while the Regal is a nice ship, we found we were 10-15 yrs younger than the average passenger on board..average age was close to death,

I know you are just trying to be funny saying that the AVERAGE age of the passengers is 75-80, but it's simply NOT TRUE.

Thanksgiving is a more peak time. You may not find what you want.

 

You may want to either ask Princess or your travel agent about the pros and cons of waitlisting. That may be a better bet than just checking regularly.

 

Im speculating here: People often post on these boards about upgrades and upsells. If Princess knows there is demand for Insides, they may upgrade or upsell a prior booking then open up a cabin for you.

If they don't know that there is demand (ie no waitlist) they might be less inclined to "create space".

thank you.

I don't think it's truly sold out, but rather given to travel agencies, as I've read on this board. The cabins will come back "home" after the final payment date (which should be in 2 weeks).

I do find it rather strange, that both Thanksgiving cruises' inside cabins have been "sold out" since January. Last year I had no problem purchasing an inside cabin for 3 in the middle of July. There were plenty left. I think Princess is hoarding the inside cabins, hoping to first sell the balcony rooms.

yes, started last night. Eventually I received a message that the site was undergoing maintenance and to come back later.

Having two rooms will mean that the adult on duty (we plan on taking turns staying in the room when the kids are in bed) can still read, watch tv, etc and not bother the kiddos.

The cruises I want for Thanksgiving don't have any inside rooms for 3-4 people available. Only balconies. I've started looking/pricing daily and they haven't become available at all. I hope it changes after the final payment day.

the buffet is great. More information here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=197

Princess cruises to the Caribbean have plenty of people in their 30-40s with young kids. Especially during school breaks.

Having sailed on both Princess and RCI, I must say that the food on Princess wins hands down. Food was the reason we switched from RCI to Princess and didn't regret our decision.

That said, next year we are coming back to RCI, because Princess has NOTHING to do onboard for families with kids. Nada. If your kid doesn't go to kid's club, you are forced to drag him with you all over the ship and only participate in activities that also allow children to be around. Our kid went to everything from bingo to happy hour to culinary demonstrations. He was very bored (thank goodness for his tablet with games and cartoons). The evening shows were also very late and very loud and very boring for him.

Next year I am looking forward to having lots of family fun on the Allure: carousel, rock climbing, ice skating, the shows which are a lot more young kid friendly and more entertaining, gawking at the Flowrider people, etc. I am sure none of us will go hungry on RCI, even if the food is a bit more boring than Princess'.

So, if you want a more active vacation on board, go with RCI. If you are into a relaxing, laid back atmosphere with good food - Princess.

Temperatures on an Alaska cruise will probably be a lot colder, so pool and sunbathing are probably out anyway.

my friends do a regular balcony room with 2 kids (11 and 9). The oldest started cruising when he was 3.

I personally would get a deluxe balcony (obstructed or not) with 2 kids, because you get a sleeper sofa. Regular balcony cabins don't have a sleeper sofa.

We travel with 1 kid (DS is 7), and I can't imagine putting him into a separate room. First, I couldn't justify paying for a separate cabin for a couple of kids. Second, Princess often runs $99 per 3/4 person in the same deals, which saves a lot of money.

To add to my post above: we didn't actually experience any problems on Caribbean Princess. None at all. It was a little more tired and worn compared to Regal Princess, and the buffet's size was a huge disappointment (I am a glutton). However, personnel was exceptional and the itinerary stellar.

I wish Regal/Royal went to ABC islands during school breaks.

Our fear is that we will miss many of the new features on the Regal, Alfredos, the expanded buffet, brewed coffee etc.

Did you check out obstructed deluxe balcony cabins on Emerald deck and decks 15-16? They are usually cheaper than deluxe balconies or regular balconies, but they are still large and deluxe. :) I'd go with that.

Granted, we were on Caribbean Princess before its dry dock, but I didn't read up on anything in advance, so it was a rather unpleasant surprise that it wasn't as big, grand, or shiny, and was missing the grand buffet compared to Regal.

Thankfully, the ABC island itinerary made up for that 100%. Regal's itineraries during the weeks we can actually travel leave much to be desired.

we had a two-port charger plugged into a 2-head splitter and that was enough for all three of our phones/tablets, plus a toothbrush charger, plus a camera charger.

NCL does exactly the same. My relatives thought final payment date was one day later than it actually was. Poof went their deposit and their reservation. They called and pleaded the next day but they would not relent.

So does Princess. I don't get it when people mess up but are super angry with the cruise line for doing what a cruise line does in this kind of cases.

P.S. Our friends found out the same hard way. The wife made reservations for the immediate family and her parents and paid it on time. Husband made reservations for his parents but never checked the email. Ever. The wife found out when she was trying to do the check-in for the in-laws.... She had to make a new reservation at an exorbitant price for a balcony (since interior rooms were sold out by then). :(

if you scroll just a little bit, you will find at least 2-3 recent threads about car seats at destination ports. You can also do a subforum search. :)

In short - no, car seats will not be available in ports. You will be lucky (in a lot of places) if you get a taxi with functioning seat belts. So, whether you want to risk your child's life or not by not using your own car seat is up to you.

For a 1 yo I'd look into a Cosco Scenera NEXT $40, rear facing, of course.

Some people drive a Hyundai some a Lexus that's why, quality.

no, it's because some people can afford a Hyundai, and some can afford a Lexus.

I can afford a Kia, so that's what I drive. I can afford RCI and Princess, so that's what I sail. Instead of foregoing cruising for 2-4 years to save up for one Viking cruise, we'll cruise every year (once or twice depending on what's offered) and thoroughly enjoy it. We are very happy with what we get on RCI/Princess, so why would I dump then in favor of a much more expensive and way less affordable cruise line? Just to get some more perceived luxury, but a lot less often?