Help.........where do i even start

[canadianjovigirl]

Hi all.........been reading for months and the more i read the more confused i get!!! Family of 4 from western canada would love to do a cruise in January to somewhere/anywhere warm. My kids cannot share a bed as they are boy/girl and 13/11 years old. Just wondering where i should start my search.........

 

Live in a small town so no travel agents within an hour to help. We would like stuff for the kids to do, but they also enjoy the pool, beaches etc.....

 

What order do you do things in?????????? We would like to cruise for a week or so due to the cost of flights from our location.

[cb at sea]

A travel agent is what you need! I'm sure you can call one...check your phonebook! Even small towns have them!!! They can suggest a cruiseline to suit you, and supply you with deck plans, so you can find a cabin that will have separate beds for the kids...Many ships have 3rd and 4th pullmans available,or 1 pullman with a sleep sofa...either option will work for you.

OR...better yet, book 2 rooms! Put the kids in one, and the parents in the other CONNECTING cabin! Yes...most ships have connecting rooms, just like hotels! That way, you have privacy when you need it, 2 bathrooms, and more space! Ship cabins are NOT like hotel rooms!

[LarryL]

Hi all.........been reading for months and the more i read the more confused i get!!! Family of 4 from western canada would love to do a cruise in January to somewhere/anywhere warm. My kids cannot share a bed as they are boy/girl and 13/11 years old. Just wondering where i should start my search.........

 

Live in a small town so no travel agents within an hour to help. We would like stuff for the kids to do, but they also enjoy the pool, beaches etc.....

 

What order do you do things in?????????? We would like to cruise for a week or so due to the cost of flights from our location.

 

Hi and welcome to CC.

 

I guess the easy part is finding the cruise. Where in western Canada would you fly out of? If you are as far west as Vancouver, you may get a better flight if you fly out of Seattle.

 

As far as the type cabin, I think they vary by cruise line. When we took our daughter and her friend on Royal Caribbean, we got adjoining cabins and it worked out well. They had separate beds (they come that way) and we were only a door away.

 

I guess I would recommend matching a cruise and a flight first. I am guessing a Caribbean cruise may provide your best options as far as the children are concerned. The ships there seem to be a better family fit. (IMO)

 

You're right, lots of planning. I hope you can find some answers here.

 

Larry

[patseacruiser]

Where in western Canada are you coming from? Flying or driving to port? What port? Are you doing Mexican riviera? Need more info. If there is not a very local TA perhaps you can find one to email back and forth with that can at least point you in the right direction or mail you brochures?

[Hlitner]

We are not big fans of most (not all) travel agents who are often "order takers" and sales folks without much training or experience regarding cruise lines. Cruising for a family of 4 involves several decisions some of which must be driven by cost. Assuming you want to cruise in the Caribbean (the best place to go in Jan on shorter cruises) you are talking about buying round trip air to Florida. You also should plan on flying-in the day before your cruise to allow for airline delays, lost luggage, etc. There are quite a few motels in the Ft Lauderdale and Miami areas that have very good rates and provide free transfers from airport-hotel and hotel to cruise port. You can read about this on the ports/United States/East Coast departures board. Another option (with warmer weather) is to fly directly to San Juan and do a Southern Caribbean itinerary.

 

As to cruise lines, with children your age we would recommend RCI, Disney, Princess and Carnival as decent options since they all have pretty good kids programs. However, if you are cruising with children in January, be aware that most school age children are in school..which does limit the number of on-board playmates. As to where to sleep, all cruise ships have standard cabins that house 4 people (the kids would be in upper bunks) which is the least costly option. There are more costly options such as family size cabins (only on a few ships) or larger suites. You also need to decide whether you can afford a balcony cabin (a great choice) or want to save money by booking an inside (no windows) or oceanview. Keep in mind that no matter what type of cabin you book, you still get the same food, entertainment, and childrens programs as everyone else. Another possibility is to book 2 cabins (you can get connecting cabins) but this is a lot more money. One advantage of cruising in early to mid January is that you can usually find very good prices...because the period immedately after New Years is a bit slow for the cruise industry.

 

One less costly option from Western Canada would be to do a Mexican Riviera cruise out of the Los Angeles area (many of these leave from San Pedro or San Diego). However, because of all the bad publicity regarding Mexico the number of cruises (and ships) has been vastly reduced for next year (RCI even pulled totally out of the market) and we do not think the cruising weather on these routes is normally as good as what you find in the Caribbean.

 

Hank

[Friend100]

Sounds like a travel agent is what you need. Check out some of the national TA (who may not be specializing in crusing) but they usually have the 1-800 number to call. Use that as the start. Could also check out the vacationing division of the major Canadian airlines like Westjet or Air Transat, Air Canada, they should also have the 1-800 #s. Sometimes these wholesalers will combine the cruise with their air and transfer together and sell it as a package similar to the all-inclusive resort. Tell them what you are looking for and see how they respond to you. Get some idea from talking to a few of them.

 

Other posters here have already provided some suggestions. Either Mexician Riveria or Caribbean will be warmer than most part of Western Canada in January. If you aren't sure about crusing yet, can also try a 3-5 days cruise first to Bahamas or Western Caribbean, and mixed with a couple of days land in Florida. Airfare could be a deal-breaker so better get an idea first about the options you have - direct vs connecting flights, rough price difference flying to various ports of departure.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I would recommend getting to your departure city at least a day before. You never know when there's flight problems.

 

Now as far as the itinerary, the west coast Mexican cruises may be easier to fly to (out of Los Angeles or Long Beach), but as others have noted, you may encounter some cooler weather the first day or two (January is in the middle of our rainy season). But probably warmer than Canada. Once you get around Cabo, it'll be warmer. You can even stay on board in any port if you're concerned about current conditions there. Plenty to do even on port days on many cruiselines. But there are fewer cruises going there because of the conditions -- Carnival has a ship that goes all year round and Princess has a ship that will be doing some MR cruises (it's also doing more Hawaiian runs).

 

And if you're thinking about the second week of January on, there will be fewer kids. Most school districts are back from winter break either right after New Years Day or by the Monday after.

[Colorado Kat]

Definitely fly in the day before the cruise. You would hate to be stranded at an airport when the ship sailed.

 

If you travel the first week of January, there should be a decent amount of young teens on board. That is all driven by the school systems. If you wait till the third week of January, there are more college students, and fewer 11-13 year olds.

 

The beds on a cruise ship can all be separated. You and your husband can have the two twin beds put together, and have the kids in either 2 bunk beds, or one bunk and one sleep sofa.

 

Have a great trip!

[canadianjovigirl]

Thanks everyone.............

 

Trying to avoid Mexico if possible as we do all inclusives there so would like something different. We fly from Calgary and most trips to Florida cost us $400-$500 in airfare. We were thinking January as over the holidays seems to be peak period and more expensive, but i never thought about less kids on ths ship.

 

I will try calling some travel agents and getting some brochures as i did pop into one while in the city and they were very pusy and didnt really want to give me options, just wanted to sell me a great deal on Carnival and i was not comfortable with that as i love to research vacations, but this is overwhelming.

 

We would for sure like a balcony to sit out on and maybe connecting rooms would be the answer for us as we usually rent vacation homes for more space unless it is an all inclusive.

 

I guess i will also check out the individual cruise websites and see if i cant print some stuff off there to get a starting point. I guess being flexible is hindering me in the process as i have to many options :rolleyes:

[Hlitner]

Thanks everyone.............

 

Trying to avoid Mexico if possible as we do all inclusives there so would like something different. We fly from Calgary and most trips to Florida cost us $400-$500 in airfare. We were thinking January as over the holidays seems to be peak period and more expensive, but i never thought about less kids on ths ship.

 

I will try calling some travel agents and getting some brochures as i did pop into one while in the city and they were very pusy and didnt really want to give me options, just wanted to sell me a great deal on Carnival and i was not comfortable with that as i love to research vacations, but this is overwhelming.

 

We would for sure like a balcony to sit out on and maybe connecting rooms would be the answer for us as we usually rent vacation homes for more space unless it is an all inclusive.

 

I guess i will also check out the individual cruise websites and see if i cant print some stuff off there to get a starting point. I guess being flexible is hindering me in the process as i have to many options :rolleyes:

 

You do not need to limit yourself to only the cruise line web sites. There are many excellent large online cruise agencies (just use Google) that often have better data bases that make it easier to compare the different lines. One concern some of us have with connecting cabins is for families that connecting balcony cabins and put their children into one of the cabins...by themselves. This means the kids could, theoretically have access to the balcony when adults are not aware...and we think this is not a good thing unless your children are very trustworthy. It is nearly impossible to fall off a cruise ship balcony....but if somebody is stupid enough to climb up on the railing bad things can happen.

 

Hank

[griffy116]

We've traveled as a family since my Grandson was 4 on cruises. I can mostly speak to RCCL, as that is the cruise line we've been most loyal too. The have pullman beds (like a bunk bed that folds up into the ceiling during the day, but the steward pops it out and gets it ready in the evenings) and sofa beds. We hate the sofa beds. We don't think they are as comfy as the pullmans. We've done 4 in a cabin (very tight) and we've done connecting rooms. With small children, there is a hanging type thing that you can put on the door (if you book 2 adjoining balcony rooms) that is an alarm, triggered if one of your children tries to open the balcony door. You can leave the door open between the cabins too. We prefer the 2 adjoining cabins. You need to find a Travel Agent that specializes in cruises. They will have a CLLA or something similar to this by their name. The Travel Agent doesn't have to be in your town. We live in a small town near Atlanta, and our Travel Agent is in IOWA...we found him in the Atlanta Sunday paper. We called several and talked to them. He gave us the best deal, plus we just immediately clicked with him. We've now used him for several years. A travel agent that specializes in cruises should be able to steer you toward the best deal..believe it or not, sometimes on some cruises, you can come out as cheap or cheaper by booking the 2 adjoining cabins. He can also give you some perks, such as OBC (On Board Credits). Have a couple of dates that you can go and give a call and talk to a Travel Agent. It doesn't cost anything and the advice is really useful for a first time cruise.

[chive]

I am a little more traditional (OK, old fashioned) in what I suggest. Go to a library and see if you can find a recent (one or two years old) cruise book that describes, compares and contrasts the various cruise lines. Before you start looking for the "best deal" on line, I would want to have some idea as to which cruise line(s) fit the family, what is the target demographic, are there age appropriate activities for the kids, the budget, itinerary, excursions, adult entertainment, etc. Once you have narrowed your choices, then you can discuss the pros and cons of what is available and you'll be able to tell who is just selling you a cruise and who is actually trying to help you. That's how I would start.

[momto3gr8boys]

One concern some of us have with connecting cabins is for families that connecting balcony cabins and put their children into one of the cabins...by themselves. This means the kids could, theoretically have access to the balcony when adults are not aware...and we think this is not a good thing unless your children are very trustworthy. It is nearly impossible to fall off a cruise ship balcony....but if somebody is stupid enough to climb up on the railing bad things can happen.

 

Hank

 

This was a concern of mine as well. What worked great for us was booking a balcony cabin and an inside cabin directly across the hall. The boys had their own room, we had enough space and they would come and enjoy the balcony with us. With five of us (I have three boys) we really needed two cabins anyway, but I think if you can afford it, it's a great option.

[NoOtherVacay]

We are not big fans of most (not all) travel agents who are often "order takers" and sales folks without much training or experience regarding cruise lines. Cruising for a family of 4 involves several decisions some of which must be driven by cost. Assuming you want to cruise in the Caribbean (the best place to go in Jan on shorter cruises) you are talking about buying round trip air to Florida. You also should plan on flying-in the day before your cruise to allow for airline delays, lost luggage, etc. There are quite a few motels in the Ft Lauderdale and Miami areas that have very good rates and provide free transfers from airport-hotel and hotel to cruise port. You can read about this on the ports/United States/East Coast departures board. Another option (with warmer weather) is to fly directly to San Juan and do a Southern Caribbean itinerary.

 

As to cruise lines, with children your age we would recommend RCI, Disney, Princess and Carnival as decent options since they all have pretty good kids programs. However, if you are cruising with children in January, be aware that most school age children are in school..which does limit the number of on-board playmates. As to where to sleep, all cruise ships have standard cabins that house 4 people (the kids would be in upper bunks) which is the least costly option. There are more costly options such as family size cabins (only on a few ships) or larger suites. You also need to decide whether you can afford a balcony cabin (a great choice) or want to save money by booking an inside (no windows) or oceanview. Keep in mind that no matter what type of cabin you book, you still get the same food, entertainment, and childrens programs as everyone else. Another possibility is to book 2 cabins (you can get connecting cabins) but this is a lot more money. One advantage of cruising in early to mid January is that you can usually find very good prices...because the period immedately after New Years is a bit slow for the cruise industry.

 

One less costly option from Western Canada would be to do a Mexican Riviera cruise out of the Los Angeles area (many of these leave from San Pedro or San Diego). However, because of all the bad publicity regarding Mexico the number of cruises (and ships) has been vastly reduced for next year (RCI even pulled totally out of the market) and we do not think the cruising weather on these routes is normally as good as what you find in the Caribbean.

 

Hank

 

 

You also have the option of cruising out of Galveston Texas, New Orleans Louisiana, or Mobile Alabama if you want to go on a Caribbean Cruise with Carnival.

 

Just thought I would let you know Florida isn't the only option. :)

[canadianjovigirl]

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions.

 

Still leaning towards a carribean cruise, still very flexible on dates, no idea where to cruise out of and very confused over what ships i should be looking at. Anyone have some suggestions for families with a 10 year old girl and 12 year old boy, both of who would be a year older on the cruise.

[Got2Cruise]

For kids your age, things like the flow-rider, rock-climbing wall, and Johnny Rockets would be a big hit. Have you considered Royal Caribbean Freedom class ships? (Freedom of the Seas, Allure of the Seas) They are less expensive than the Oasis. You would need to investigate the airfare from Calgary to where the ships depart. Figure out the cruisefare on the RCI website, but then look around for some of the well-established internet agencies that offer incentives. I received prepaid gratuities on my last RCI cruise. Other incentives are OBC which you can use for purchases on the ship. Once you decided on the ship, then play around with different dates and cabin level. 4 in a cabin is cramped, but when you reserve 2 cabins it is very expensive. Look into family cabins which sometimes has more square footage or minisuites.

 

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions.

 

Still leaning towards a carribean cruise, still very flexible on dates, no idea where to cruise out of and very confused over what ships i should be looking at. Anyone have some suggestions for families with a 10 year old girl and 12 year old boy, both of who would be a year older on the cruise.

[Cuizer2]

Hi all.........been reading for months and the more i read the more confused i get!!! Family of 4 from western canada would love to do a cruise in January to somewhere/anywhere warm. My kids cannot share a bed as they are boy/girl and 13/11 years old. Just wondering where i should start my search.........

 

Live in a small town so no travel agents within an hour to help. We would like stuff for the kids to do, but they also enjoy the pool, beaches etc.....

 

What order do you do things in?????????? We would like to cruise for a week or so due to the cost of flights from our location.

 

First pick a region where you want to go. In general terms, for January, you are looking at the Mexican Riviera, Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean.

 

Next pick a cruise line. For the age group you have, the best choices would be Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL. See what each is offering and pick what is most interesting. Take into consideration both the ship and the ports.

 

All the cruise lines have cabins that sleep four. However, these can be popular and if you are looking to cruise January 2012 then you better reserve a cabin ASAP.

 

Royal Caribbean's larger ships (five Voyager class, three Freedom class and two Oasis class ships) have lots to do, including ice skating, rock climbing, miniature golf, Flowrider (a surfing simulator on the Freedom and Oasis class of ships) but no water slides that a teenager or preteen would use.

 

Carnival's ships have water slides that a teenager or an adult can use. Carnival also has miniature golf. However, Carnival does not have the other things mentioned above.

 

NCL has different things on different ships. To the best of my knowledge all have water slides. Some have rock climbing. Some have a bowling alley.

 

For the most part Royal Caribbean cost more than Carnival or NCL. NCL has Freestyle Dining which means you choose where and when you want to eat. Some of the restaurant have an additional charge. Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have that as an option. Otherwise you can choose to have a set dining time and place.

[maxciocc]

I am partial to NCL, but you also have to consider how many ports of call you get for your cruise. We did an 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise with NCL's Pearl and we had 4 ports which were great. I went with an online travel agent in Florida, and they were fantastic. It turned out that our luggage was delayed getting into Miami (we flew in the night before departure) so buying the trip insurance was worth every penny as they were tracking my bags and calling my cell phone before we even boarded the ship. Best of luck with your research.

[SadieN]

First pick a region where you want to go. In general terms, for January, you are looking at the Mexican Riviera, Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean.

 

Next pick a cruise line. For the age group you have, the best choices would be Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL. See what each is offering and pick what is most interesting. Take into consideration both the ship and the ports.

 

All the cruise lines have cabins that sleep four. However, these can be popular and if you are looking to cruise January 2012 then you better reserve a cabin ASAP.

 

Royal Caribbean's larger ships (five Voyager class, three Freedom class and two Oasis class ships) have lots to do, including ice skating, rock climbing, miniature golf, Flowrider (a surfing simulator on the Freedom and Oasis class of ships) but no water slides that a teenager or preteen would use.

 

Carnival's ships have water slides that a teenager or an adult can use. Carnival also has miniature golf. However, Carnival does not have the other things mentioned above.

 

NCL has different things on different ships. To the best of my knowledge all have water slides. Some have rock climbing. Some have a bowling alley.

 

For the most part Royal Caribbean cost more than Carnival or NCL. NCL has Freestyle Dining which means you choose where and when you want to eat. Some of the restaurant have an additional charge. Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have that as an option. Otherwise you can choose to have a set dining time and place.

 

All good points.

 

Just want to clarify that Carnival's slides have height requirements - 42" or 44" (1.1m) not age limits.