cruising vs another type of vacation

[ginger123snaps]

I realize most of my audience here is biased because you all love to cruise. My kids are young 4, 4, and 3. We don't have family around nearby, so alone time for DH and I is valued. We do visit family in Ohio and Atlanta. We have been on 3 vacations with our kids. My husband and I cruised alot before having kids.

 

So my question is for families with young kids. When I add up the cost of other land based vacations (think travel across us)...it seems like you can take a cruise for just about the same price. Then I talk myself out of other types of vacations....because I feel like the boys are so little that they won't really remember the experience anyways...it's more for us to get away and relax..which DH and I can do on a cruise thanks to the kids club. I'm just wondering if others feel the same way?

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Your kids will absolutely love a cruise. Personally the best thing about cruising to me is the ship- not the ports in the Caribbean.

 

Cruising can be especially inexpensive if you aren't doing excursions on land- which most kids won't miss. I found that my son never wanted to get off the ship.

 

When you use the ship as the destination- it is great when all the other passengers get off and you have the ship to yourself. On land vacations I spent an average of $100 per day on theme parks, go carts, laser tag, etc. We don't do any of this on a cruise because the ship has entertainment day and night.

 

On land vacations you are usually eating fast food or crappy food because of the kids. On cruises you can introduce your kids to a wide variety of foods and if they don't like them it's not like you feel that you threw your money away. There are specialty restaurants where you and hubby can have a romantic dinner- since the youth program has free sitting day and night.

 

There are usually magicians and comedians onboard that do age appropriate shows for kids. On NCL they have the Blue Man Group. So you don't have to spend money at night figuring out how to entertain the kids.

[junglejane]

We started cruising because we didn't have family around who would've been willing and capable of taking care of our kids for a week or more. Cruising has been a win-win for us, because we could spend family time together but also DH and I could have some adult time while the kids were happy in the kids activities.

 

We've also done lots of land trips, including trips to Disneyland and other theme parks, trips to the beach, and land trips where we stayed in hotels, timeshares, or short term apartment rentals. Our kids tell us that cruises are their favorite vacation, especially cruises with lots of sea days. They like cruises for some of the same reasons we do: no need to keep unpacking, no stress over figuring out where to get meals (or grocery shop and cook meals), an unhurried schedule. Also, our kids have food allergies and we have found the cruise lines to be very accomodating about them. Much better than hunting for a restaurant in a strange town that is the right price, has a menu everyone likes, and is helpful about food allergies.

 

Enjoy your cruises and don't feel guilty. :)

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Well said.

[ginger123snaps]

Thank you for your replies. The three cruises my children have done...they have absolutely loved. You are right about port days...because DH and I have seen the ports we just stay on board and enjoy the boat to ourselves. The kids have so much fun on port days playing in the pool.

[murfturf]

We have yet to take our kids - but will be in March. We usually do the land vacation, sometimes with my parents and sometimes without. The land vacations with my parents, so that they can help with the kids, and we get to go out at night are very nice. I'd say for the most part those are my favorite, except for dealing with the craziness that is my mother. ;) The ones where it's just us are a little more difficult, but we have a 19 yo daughter and that helps. We at least get to eat in the hotel by ourselves while they get pizza in the room!

 

One thing that was very nice was an all-inclusive resort we went to that had a kids club. It was a work retreat - and the kids came along. Going on that was the most relaxing trip we've had with kids (except for making sure I knew where my 17 yo daughter was at all times!)

 

I know that the cruise won't be as relaxing as cruises we go to by ourselves, but that isn't the main reason we go. We go on a family vacation to create family memories too!

[cantwait2cruise]

We are returning to cruising after an almost 4 year hiatus because we cruised with a 17 month old in 2009 (+pregnant) and I said I wouldn't cruise again until they were both old enough to do the kids club.

 

We have been to Disney World the last three years and wow, it is not a vacation! It is a go, go, go busy trip.

 

We are looking forward to hopefully having some time together by utilizing Camp Carnival. I just hope my girls will like it. They enjoy preschool and being around other kids, so I'm hopeful.

 

I would definitely consider cruising with the ages of your kids if you think you will utilize the kids club.

[B_Mc]

Cruising is the best way to vacation with little ones in my opinion! I look forward to taking my kids to Disney but other than that, I can't imagine any rental or all inclusive that would offer as much as a cruise!

[murfturf]

Cruising is the best way to vacation with little ones in my opinion! I look forward to taking my kids to Disney but other than that, I can't imagine any rental or all inclusive that would offer as much as a cruise!

 

Yes I agree that an all inclusive won't offer as much as a cruise. What I neglected to say that going to the all inclusive (free!) let me know that my kids were ready for a cruise. Kindof a trial run! ;)