RachFL

My cousin was in St M. last week and said the cab fare was $16 per person from Port To Maho beach, that added up w 4 in his family. Anyone have a different experience or know of a cheaper way? Thanks!

We overanalyze everything too and especially with the amount of money you’re spending you sort of have to but here is my take on it . We went on the Escape last year was our four-year-old and nine month old . It was really the perfect vacation for us especially given our budget . The extras like the drinks NCL offers is perfect . We felt we got a lot of bang out of our buck and my 4 year-old loved the kids club and did so many activities and even did a show . Sent my son to the nursery three times for two hours each which gave me enough time to sit by the pool and have a drink or two .

If it wasn’t for my aunt organizing our next cruise I would do it again on NCL .

That being said I have heard great things about Royal Caribbean . Although with the trip that we are doing a lot of the extras like the rock climbing wall or for slightly older kids . At that age you might not get as much bang for your buck on the ship like that .

Good luck!!

I've hit some AP (analysis paralysis) in considering a cruise for my family for December 2019. That's a long way out, but our dates are limited because my wife and I work in education. So we are resigned to going over Christmas or New Year's, and I know those sailings typically only increase in price the closer they get (and also sell out the fastest).

 

My wife and I are 30/31, our son will be 5, and our daughter will turn 2 on the cruise (Jan. 1). My wife, son, and I went on the Disney Dream before our daughter was born and loved it. We are sailing with the whole family (16 people in total) in March 2019 on the Fantasy, but for our next cruise we want to branch out. We are really torn on what line to try first, though.

 

Part of the problem is deciding what we want out of the trip. For example, we love the idea of the Solarium on RCCL/Celebrity... but it would be silly to let that factor in much, because in reality we are going to be with our daughter 99% of the time. If the ship has a nursery, we would likely use it, but not much... maybe a couple hours max.

 

We are looking at the usual suspects (RCCL, NCL, Celebrity, but also MSC) and I've pored over hundreds (maybe thousands) of posts on Cruise Critic trying to make a decision... but I seem to be more overwhelmed than anything.

 

Specifically, we are looking for:

- A relaxing, family-friendly atmosphere

- Decent sized room (i.e. not 135 sf interior... 200 sf minimum would be nice)... balcony not required.

- Good pool/sun deck area... a kid-friendly splash pad would be great. I understand some ships have such areas where swim diapers are allowed.

- Kids club for our 5 year old son

- Prefer a relaxed dress code (NCL), but can deal with more stringent one (X) if needed.

- Nursery for 1-2 year old daughter would be nice, but not required as we probably wouldn't use it much.

 

Here's what I'm coming up with for New Year's cruises December 2019:

- RCCL Harmony: Interior (Central Park view), $5,662... OV Balcony, $6,526

- Celebrity Reflection: Balcony, $5,867 (Concierge: +$400)

- Celebrity Equinox: ~$300 more than Reflection

- NCL Breakaway: Balcony, $4,956

- NCL Escape: Balcony, $5,700

- NCL Encore: ~$100 more than Escape

- MSC Seaside: Interior, $2,790 (Fantastica)... Balcony, $4,570 (Aurea)... Yacht Club Deluxe Suite, $6,110

- MSC Meraviglia: ~$100 more than Seaside, but no Yacht Club availability

 

Each of these options have their own pros and cons... I'd appreciate any help in sifting through what is best for what we want/need.

 

- If it was just my wife and I sailing, we'd do a Celebrity cruise. Fits us perfectly. With kids, not sure if it does. They don't need non-stop entertainment, though, and our children are well-behaved.

- Love the 'freestyle' NCL concept, as well as more casual dress. However, we would need a balcony room with them, as the interiors/oceanviews look very small. Escape DOES have a nursery; Breakaway does not. On NCL we are concerned about crowds, especially on the pool deck. I'd really like to try them, but everything I read about the crowds on these ships scares me off.

- RCCL seems to have a little of everything, and Harmony has the splash pad and nursery... but it's also quite pricey for an interior room. I don't like how expensive the kids are.

- MSC obviously has the best price, mostly because of the kids' fares. We could stay in a Yacht Club room for $500 more than an interior on Harmony... or we could save a ton of money and just go interior or oceanview. Of course, MSC's reputation is my biggest concern.

 

As I said at the top... analysis paralysis... So, if you've cruised with a 5-year old and 2-year old, and have experience sailing on these lines/ships, you can probably help me :)

 

I look forward to any advice you can provide. Thank you!

Ray

I’m in a grand suite too... do you think having that private cabana is definitely worth it ??? I keep reading how busy it can get. And I have a two-year-old and a five-year-old with me along with some older adults so I was thinking that the cabana might be the way to go if we want to spend a considerable amount of time at the beach .

A couple of questions ...

If it rains do you get a full refund or do you have to pay anyway ?

I keep hearing how there are long lines for food and and Want to know if grand suite passengers get any priority and if you have to pay for food .

Thanks!