naturalizedokie Posted April 28, 2018 #1 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Hi My dad very recently decided that he'd like to take a cruise with us and his 6- and 8-year-old granddaughters THIS SUMMER (eek). He has Parkinson's and tires easily. The kids are... well, kids. He'd prefer not to go on a tropical/beachy type cruise. We all prefer mid- to luxury range cruises. We've been on several to Alaska and Mediterranean without the kids and enjoyed them all. He vetoed Disney because he enjoys onboard casinos. He enjoys shows and the casino. We all have previously preferred smaller ships when we travel without the kids. What destinations would you recommend? What cruise lines? So far we're looking at Alaska, British Isles, and Norway on Princess and NCL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted April 28, 2018 #2 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Disregarding you and your spouse, think about where you have been, and how your children would view them. Would you have been able to do and see the things you did in the Med. if they had been with you? Then think about your dad. Parkinson's is a progressive disease. Is this becoming a bucket list thing for him? Where would HE like to go? And how would he handle the long flights to Europe...? I think you should consider Celebrity too. I can't aspire to a luxury line, but they generally have smaller ships and that might be important or practical for your dad. The down side is that they often have little or no programs for kids. I've been to the Med, the Baltic and Norway, and Alaska. If you decide against Alaska, I would consider the Baltic or Norway. I think those areas seemed more user friendly to seniors. Start by deciding you your destination, then go to http://www.cruisetimetables.com and find ships going there. It saves sifting through the websites of each cruise line. EM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitkat343 Posted April 28, 2018 #3 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Norway is incredible, and very accessible for kids and people with disabilities. I wrote a review of my last cruise and am waiting for it to be published but will give you a link when I can. In short, our 3 favorite cities were Flam (an amazing railway and goat farm visit), Olden (the Loen skylift and a glacier) and Geiranger (amazing fjords you can drive to). The flight and time change are the big consideration for your dad - my kids were 2 and 6 and handled both well. Alaska is also great for kids, but a long flight from the East Coast. Not sure about if there are direct flights available from Oklahoma. I'm not sure this trip runs in the summer, but longterm you might want to consider the 10 day roundtrip Panama Canal on Princess, leaving from Ft. Lauderdale - that's really easy to get to from the east coast (not sure about Oklahoma) and visits a lot of interesting ports. Also, personally I'd love to go to Cuba just to tour Havana. Not sure if that trip is non-beachy enough your Dad. The Baltics are incredible, but very tiring. Private tours with transportation and shorter days for your Dad might make it possible, as you normally dock quite close to the cities (with the exception of Germany, where you can either stay in the charming local cities or go all the way to Berlin) and Stockholm (some ships dock directly in Stockholm; others dock an hour away in Nynasham and you just need to be careful about what ship you choose. You'll be fine on any of the mainstream cruise lines: NCL, Princess, RC and others should have a lot for both the kids and your Dad. My kids have been happy on all the cruise lines they've sailed (Princess, NCL, HAL, Cunard) And all of my trips with kids - including St. Petersburg - have been planned with 2 months or less because I can't ever make up my mind if we can handle travel with such small children. And it's all worked out fine. Once you pick something there will be a lot of people in the destination boards who will be able to help you plan excursions (you just need private excursions so your dad doesn't have to walk extra or wait, and you can tailor the length of the tour to your kids interests.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A&Jfamily Posted April 28, 2018 #4 Share Posted April 28, 2018 We love Princess. Can't comment on NCL, but there are mixed reviews (as a general rule) about their food quality compared to other lines. Princess should have plenty for the kids to do. I would look at something like Norway with the fjords for a fantastic family trip - its on our bucket list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitkat343 Posted April 28, 2018 #5 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Oh, yes, I forgot that. We hated the free food in the dining room on NLC, but the specialty restaurants were very good. You just need to factor in the cost of that when comparing cruises. And bear in mind there is no longer half price for kids for specialty meals (unless kids order off the children's menu, they pay full cost for their meals). If you try enough stuff at the buffet, you can find something good (usually the ethnic food and carving stations) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted April 29, 2018 #6 Share Posted April 29, 2018 I would certainly ask HIM where he wants to go. The better shows will be on Carnival and RCI....both have casinos. He might enjoy a trip to Vegas! Great rooms, great food and plenty of casino action! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare puppycanducruise Posted April 29, 2018 #7 Share Posted April 29, 2018 If your dad isn't up to a long flight, what about a cruise up the east coast into Canada? HAL does a few cruises from Boston to Montreal or Montreal to Boston. You could do them back to back. Lots of history and sightseeing. The casino is open, and the ships are small. Hope whatever you chose, you have a wonderful time with your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac1976 Posted April 29, 2018 #8 Share Posted April 29, 2018 A few years ago we did Norway with my kids (then 9 and 7 years old), and father (65 yo) and my father in law (82 yo). It was a great trip and to this day my kids say it was one of their favorite vacations, although they say that's mainly because they were with both grandfathers for a week. We flew into London and went to Southampton where we boarded Cunard's Queen Victoria. We stopped in Olden, Flam, Stavanger, and Bergen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitkat343 Posted May 3, 2018 #9 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Hi - my review of my cruise to Norway was just published in case this is something you'd consider. I hope you have a great trip! https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=616880 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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