Which Ship to choose?

[TrentS]

But not all Eastern itineraries hit both St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Mine went to San Juan instead of St. Maarten, which was definitely not a beach stop.

Navigator and Mariner's Eastern itineraries do stop in both St. Thomas and St. Maarten though.

[Musicman1]

Yesterday, I posted a review The Serenade. While she may not be as large as a Voyager class ship, at 90,000 tons, she isn't small. There are almost as many activities (OK...no ice rink), the ship is beautiful and the service is outstanding. If she is sailing where you want to go, consider this ship.

[lagbunch8]

My husband and I are taking our 6 children on the Mariner of the Seas in April of 2007. My kids want to do the rock wall and the ice skating. We are doing an Eastern because I have done a Western and wouldn't want to take my children on one of those.

 

Lagbunch8

 

Enjoy your cruise with your husband! My husband and I did our first ever trip away from the kids and our first cruise last year. It was wonderful.

[gumballz]

Lagbunch8.......did you have any feelings of guilt about going without them? We just always take them everywhere with us, we've never used sitters (other than the occasional family member while we went to dinner). I'm going to miss them like CRAZY! I'm especially close to them and I know I'll be thinking about them the whole time. Any tips on how to balance missing them and enjoying the cruise at the same time?

 

We're actually looking at around the same time as you're going......who knows, maybe we'll end up on the same cruise! ;)

[sjuwill]

true the voyager class has all the amenities that may interest you but at times it still feels crowded...ive sailed on voyager, explorer, serenade, grandeur, rhapsody, vision, enchantment and splendour and by far i prefer the vision class, beautiful ships with enough activities for everyone (voyager class, vision class and radiance class)...the splendour of the seas was the most beautiful by far, the ship of glass, what a great ship

[RCLFan]

My husband and I are taking our 6 children on the Mariner of the Seas in April of 2007. My kids want to do the rock wall and the ice skating. We are doing an Eastern because I have done a Western and wouldn't want to take my children on one of those.

 

I'm curious, why wouldn't you take your children on Western? We just returned from Western on Mariner, and took 13 yos. He loved Dunn's River and StingRay City.

[Cruising50's]

Rhapsody of the Seas out of Galveston is fabulous. Mariner of the Seas out of Pt. Canaveral is fabulous as well. My teenagers loved both of them. You will not be disappointed in either of them.

[Bonnie Voyager]

I'm with you RCLFan! My Son (10) LOVES Western Caribbean and can't wait to go back! I certainly can't think of any reason to avoid it with kids! Eastern is good too, though, so I think you just can't go wrong on any Caribbean cruise! IT'S ALL GOOD!!!! :D

[LynnAB]

Hi, Gumballz,

 

I know this is probably a dumb question, but have you considered doing your vacation kind of the other way around? I mean ... what about the FANTASTIC Voyager Class (I'm in love with the Navigator) cruise FIRST so you can take your daughters on YOUR first cruise and THEIR first cruise? I know you mentioned wondering if you'll like cruising. I have a strong feeling that if you start with a Voyager Class ship, you will ALL be in awe and have an UNBELIEVABLE vacation together. It's the best family vacation I can think of.

 

We took our son on the Navigator in 2004. He was 17 then. Then again we went on the Navigator this past June when he was 18. He had a BLAST, and we're already saving (like crazy) for a cruise next year on the Freedom of the Seas.

 

If you're at all like me (and you sure sound like you are), you're really going to miss your daughters. If you're looking for private time, you can have that on a big ship, too. There's so much to do that you can all be together or do different things at times, too.

 

I hope whatever you decide will be a perfect vacation for you!

 

Lynn from South Florida