rachelfran Posted April 3, 2013 #1 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I am hoping to pull the extended family together for a "reunion" cruise over Christmas break 2014. It could be 5 couples, their 9 kids age 6-37 plus grandma is a maybe... Which ship and departure port is up in the air at this point -- could be NYC, hou, New Orleans, Miami or Tampa .. I pushing for New Orleans myself. The ships are the Breakaway,jewel ,Dawn, Getaway, epic or sun. I've never sailed before ... Booked my first cruise to alaska this coming summer ... I'm just wondering if there are early words of wisdom on this ... Ships or itineraries to avoid ... Best booking strategies... Thanks!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartsnvt Posted April 3, 2013 #2 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Just be prepared for a packed ship with hundreds of children . I went on the Pearl one week before Christmas and the crew were just dreading the next departure because how crowded it was going to be and 800+ kids running around. If you can do your reunion before that week you may have a less stressful time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelfran Posted April 3, 2013 Author #3 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Unfortunately - with kids in elementary and others in college - and a teacher in the group, overlapping vacation time is limited. Does one ship handle it better than another? Or is NCL notoriously bad with kids? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2sydni Posted April 24, 2014 #4 Share Posted April 24, 2014 We are booked on the Christmas cruise out of New Orleans on the Dawn. Went on the Star over Spring Break and there were 300ish kids on that cruise. One 5 yr old was mine, and she LOVED the kids club. We didn't notice too many obnoxious kids on the cruise...those who were poorly behaved were attached to obnoxious parents so it was expected. I say go for it! Cruise experiences are what you make them...go with a great attitude and a smile for everyone and you will have a great time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckeye82 Posted April 24, 2014 #5 Share Posted April 24, 2014 We go on a Christmas cruise almost every year. They plan special activities from gingerbread house making, visits with Santa, the Captain reading the Night Before Christmas, caroling, gifts, and special shows, as well as special menus in the dining rooms. And of course the ship is usually nicely decorated and we bring our own decorations as well. It is nice to see so many families celebrating together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khaide612 Posted April 24, 2014 #6 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I did Christmas on the Jewel out of NY once. Kids were no problem even though there were so many. Kids Club keeps them busy. And as someone stated the most noticeably unruly kids were with obnoxious parents. :) We were in Port Canaveral on Christmas Day and went to the beach. Ron Jon was open and the busses were running. We even ate at a little place on the beach. If you are in a more religious port that day there may be more closures or reduced excursions - just something to keep in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Family Travel Story Posted April 24, 2014 #7 Share Posted April 24, 2014 we have been on several school vacation cruises, with my daughter who started at age 2 and is now 10. it was certainly more children during these weeks but the cruise line typically handle it very well. NCL has some great kids programs and the jewel class ships all offer all sorts of great activities. the biggest issue is really getting into the dining rooms are the same time Sent from my SGH-T989 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2sydni Posted April 24, 2014 #8 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Dining IS a lot more crowded when there are lots of kids...especially the 5-630 time slots since kids clubs typically close from 12-2 and 5-7 so families naturally tend to choose those times to dine. That being said, when we chose to use the MDRs during those times we never waited more that 20 minutes to be seated. On the cruise we were just on, there were tons of family activities like cup cake decorating, pizza making, lego craft competitions, family karaoke... I can just imagine the additional options they would have because of Christmas. Again I say...go for it. Choose the cruise with the best price and best perks and make your reservation. I was told that if you book as a group (3 or more staterooms) there are also additional perks/discounts...but I am not sure what they are. Maybe we will see each other on the Dawn:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agargoyle Posted April 24, 2014 #9 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hi, our family spent Christmas 2013 on the Breakaway. It was myself and husband our son and his wife and two children (7-5). We had rooms next to each other. I would have liked rooms that had adjoining doors but those are few and far between on the Breakaway. The ship had lots of families but we never encountered problems with overcrowding. We do eat on the early side so that may be why. My 7 year old Granddaughter loved the water slides and the "kids" rope course. They both loved the kids pool. Weather was not great in Port Canaveral but we went to Jetty Beach anyway. They had fun playing in the waves and sand. There is a playground there also that they had fun on. We missed the private island :( That was to be our Christmas Day in a cabana. In Nassau we went to the Blue Lagoon. Well worth it with the kids. Half our group went back to the ship on an earlier ferry and half of us stayed until the very last ferry. The best memory from the cruise was Christmas Day. It was announced that Santa was in the Atrium giving out gifts. I took my granddaughter down to see him. There was barely a line. It was set up great -- staff took the child's name and put them in the age appropiate line (for gifts). The child was escorted to see Santa and sat on his lap and was handed a wrapped present. The ships photographer took pictures and there was opportunity for family to snap a few also. On the way back to the room, granddaughter stopped walking, looked at me and said -- "That was the first time Santa handed me a present." She was thrilled. When I asked about other times she saw Santa and got gifts (dad's work puts on a great party)....it is sit with Santa, pictures, go see an elf and get your gift. This year the week before Christmas we all be again be going on a cruise....this time in a 2 bedroom Haven suite!!! Oh the Joy!! Go relax the family will have fun.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisakoivu Posted April 25, 2014 #10 Share Posted April 25, 2014 We're going on BA this year and I can't wait! We were with about 1000 kids on March Break on BA and I have to say, the ship is so big, we didn't even notice. I might consider bigger is better - more room to spread out. Personally, I prefer smaller ships, but when I have my kids with me, we go big - more to do and more room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursemommy7578 Posted April 25, 2014 #11 Share Posted April 25, 2014 we are booked for this christmas on the Gem and we cant wait! we are on holiday and will try not to even worry about the little things. i'm sure it will be busy...but as long as people are polite and respectful, i'm good. i'm actually looking forward to seeing excited kids! lol better book soon though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Va. Plumber Posted April 25, 2014 #12 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Great way to get together with family. My only caveat would be to not assume that 19 to 20 people could sit down to eat at one time as a group. You could possibly arrange a reservation on day of dinner. I think a lot of people have complained about slow service and cold food due to large parties. Suggest you rotate dining with smaller groups. Who knows, if they are anything like my DW's family, you may want a quiet meal by yourself by the end of the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2sydni Posted April 30, 2014 #13 Share Posted April 30, 2014 So, Rachelfran...Did you make a decision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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