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1st time fam cruise- what destination/cruise line??


cruising-w/kids?

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Hi all- Newbie to family cruising here! My husband and I went on one cruise together before kids (Carnival, to Eastern Caribbean).

 

We now have a 7-y/o and almost 5-y/o. Looking for probably a 7-night cruise in April or, latest, May.

 

Things I am looking for:

-*no more than $4000 for the 4 of us

-ports that are safe

-much beach downtime, easily and safely accessible, not only

reachable by paying for an excursion- preferably we could come and

go as we please to/from beach (walk, taxi etc)

-water activities for kids on ship- water slides big plus, also water

activities for the little one would be good

-family activities we can all participate in together would be great

-some flexibility with dining

-one or two fun family-friendly excursions

 

 

Things I don't care much about:

-kids' clubs: We prefer to be all together as a family. Would like a good kids' club in case kids would like to go occasionally, but we won't be leaving them there much.

-babysitting- won't use it

-newest and biggest ship- well, in the scheme of things it is less important- but not one that is very old, per hubs.

 

Have been looking at Norwegian Breakaway to Bermuda, because of the 3 days in port in a row, & because we can sail from NYC (we live in NY state). Any input on a Bermuda cruise, on NCL, or on any other destinations at all would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks! :)

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Hi!

I can come back with my review, we leave soon for a cruise with ncl jewel out of NYC. Our boys are 7. 4, 4....so similar in ages to your children. We are getting very excited!

We plan on using the kids club, but not heavily as my husband has been traveling for work most of this month, and looking forward to our cruise to spend as a family. :)

I've seen some dailies posted for ncl, and it looks like there are some fun family activities planned.

Good luck with yor search, and I hope to com back with our review!

:)

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NCL is great if you're looking for flexibility in dining, and Bermuda is great if you're looking for a safe port where it's easy to do things on your own without expensive excursions. They have great public transportation that will easily get you just about anywhere on the island. Beaches are a big attraction there, and are easy to do. There's a man-made beach with a small admission fee right by where the ship docks, and the bus will take you to others -- Horseshoe Bay is a popular traditional pink sand Bermuda beach that has chair/umbrella rentals, restrooms, showers, snack bar, etc. Went with lots of family including 5 yo niece last summer. She loved the beach, and also had a great time and the zoo and aquarium. If your kids love the water and aren't claustrophobic, Hartley's Helmet Dive is a little pricey but comes extremely highly recommended and is family friendly.

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We cruised to Bermuda on the NCL Dawn in April 2010, and it was a great vacation. It was our second on Norwegian, and we'll be leaving next month on the NCL Jewel to the Eastern Caribbean. NCL is great in the Freestyle concept, allowing you to eat (and do anything else) whenever you want. We cruised last time with our 6-month old who will be 3 on our upcoming cruise (and we have a new baby who'll be 6 months).

 

The Breakaway WILL be a large and brand-new ship. It will have a ton of activities for children and families, plenty of pools and I believe a waterslide (or two, I think Epic has 3 or 4). I'm sure you'd have a fantastic time. Leaving from the port of NY is like nothing else - I'm so excited to do it again in a few weeks!

 

Bermuda is a great destination for the reasons the previous posters mentioned. My one caution would be - we went there in April, and while the weather wasn't bad, it was NOT very warm, and really not great for being in the pool on board (remember, you're still leaving from NYC), or the beaches in Bermuda. We were there in mid-April and the temperature was about 70 degrees on average, and got quite cool at night. It was cool and windy on the beaches, I think we did one beach trip (Horseshoe bay) but none of us went swimming or even wore bathing suits. Bermuda is basically due-east of the Carolinas, so it isn't really a tropical destination like the Bahamas or Caribbean. That said, there are at ton of non-beach things to do there that you and your kids would enjoy - they have a great zoo, cool caverns, and the towns are quaint and fun. But if you want beachy, I recommend waiting until May if possible, or checking out the Jewel out of NYC which will either be going to the Eastern Caribbean or Florida/Bahamas around that time.

 

Have fun, wherever you go!

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Very good point, I forgot you'd said April or May! If you could do second half of May Bermuda would probably be good (I did second week of June this year and it was great), but if you need to go earlier than that one of the Bahamas or Caribbean itineraries out of NY might be better. We're scheduled to do the Bahamas/Florida one next May, and while the ports aren't super exciting it's worth it to us to be able to take the train to NY the morning of the cruise rather than flying to Florida. That said, you certainly have more options out of Florida, and in early April it might still be pretty cool that first and last day in/out of NY.

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I don't believe any cruiseline will take you to a Caribbean port that isn't "safe"....it's all about keeping your wits about you, as you would at home, or in a mall parking lot...wherever! Crime can be (and is) everywhere...just looking for an opportunity. Just don't act like a witless tourist!

 

For your request list, any cruiseline will do. Just find the ships that sail to the ports you want on the dates you can go...and book it! Cruising is a vacation, not a mystery! Get a guidebook on your ports, so you'll know about where you're going, and how to do the things you want to do. Most places have beaches that are EASY to do on your own....read the guidebook! We never take excursions...we just know where we want to go and we do it. Guidebooks are your best friend.

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Thanks, everyone!

 

I hadn't thought about the aspect of the weather traveling out of NYC. We ate thinking of going May 26-june 2. Has anyone cruised out of NYC in late May? Ate we going to have to wait half the trip to Bermuda before it will be warn enough to use the pools/slides? That's something to consider, as my son is a waterside FANATIC and will be chomping at the bit!

 

Read the weather in Bermuda then should be warm enough, water temp too, am I right?

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