Look out Carnival, here come my parents!

[lovestocruise19]

I need some advice. DH and I are planning on going on a cruise with my parents next spring (it will be their first cruise!) and I'm really struggling trying to decide what will be best.

 

I'd like to cruise in March or April because the weather is so unpredictable in January and February in NH and it took us two days to get back home from our last cruise last month because of the darn weather!

 

Option one is a seven day on the Pride out of Baltimore. That was DH and my first cruise. However, the itineraries aren't all that exciting. Although there is one with Grand Turk and Half Moon in it that would be better than the Freedport/Nassau one. The price is a little high, but the airline tickets are dirt cheap. Pride also has Serenity (for me) and Guy's (for DH) and we haven't seen her updated yet. Also, a shorter flight for the parents cause Dad doesn't really like to fly.

 

Option two is a six day on the Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale. She has an itinerary in April that goes to the new port in the DR which would be new and exciting. The price is also very nice. However, it is during April vacation week so I'm worried the flights will be sky high (no pun intended ;)). Also, Conquest doesn't have a Serenity deck which I'd miss. The port is really close to the airport, which is a plus.

 

Option three is a seven day on the Valor out of PC. The price is a little higher, but the itinerary is nice. Flights are usually a little cheaper to MCO, but then you'd have to get transportation to the port. Also, Valor has no Guy's (and not sure when she's getting 2.0'ed). But she does have Serenity!

 

Sigh. This is really driving me crazy! Any advice/opinions?

[TeresaJ]

Maybe the Pride out of Baltimore because its less traveling for your parents.

 

Airfare to Ft lauderdale during April could definitely be a factor! :eek:

 

Where itinerary is Valor doing?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

[w8ing2cruz]

For your parents first cruise in winter/spring - get to warm weather so you are standing on Lido deck with a drink of the day in shorts!

 

After that, choose an itinerary that includes something your parents will enjoy. After all, if they become cruise addicts they'll probably take YOU on a cruise! Remember all those 'first cruise wows' and recreate them for your folks.

[SadieN]

Conquest does have an adults only pool on Lido aft. Kids do go there for the Pizza and maybe for the late night grill.

[lovestocruise19]

Maybe the Pride out of Baltimore because its less traveling for your parents.

 

Airfare to Ft lauderdale during April could definitely be a factor! :eek:

 

Where itinerary is Valor doing?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

Valor goes to Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas; San Juan and Grand Turk.

 

Conquest goes to Grand Turk; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and Half Moon Cay.

 

Pride goes to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Freeport.

 

The Conquest one also goes to that itinerary in March, but for $150 pp more. Which I find kinda odd since the April one is school vacation week. You'd think that cruise would cost more.

[lovestocruise19]

For your parents first cruise in winter/spring - get to warm weather so you are standing on Lido deck with a drink of the day in shorts!

 

After that, choose an itinerary that includes something your parents will enjoy. After all, if they become cruise addicts they'll probably take YOU on a cruise! Remember all those 'first cruise wows' and recreate them for your folks.

 

I'd love to recreate those first cruise wows for my parents! They deserve it!

[lovestocruise19]

Conquest does have an adults only pool on Lido aft. Kids do go there for the Pizza and maybe for the late night grill.

 

Yeah, we were on Conquest last January and she's a great ship, just missing Serenity! I didn't realize how much I missed Serenity until I got on the Freedom last month. I spent a lot of time up there reading and relaxing during the day and at night.

[lovestocruise19]

There is also a six day Conquest itinerary that goes to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman and Cozumel. It's just $10 pp more and the date is April 10, so that would not be during school vacation I'd imagine. Southwest doesn't have flights for April 2016 out yet and one of my biggest worries is booking a cruise and then paying practically another full cruise worth on the darn flights!

[Tonisbaby]

Glory has two adult only areas that ur parents might really enjoy one is on the lido deck with a pool and two hot tubs and the other is up in the spa decks with another two hot tubs and hammocks .

[mississauga]

Not sure which week in March you are looking at but Easter in 2016 is in late March. Also many have spring breaks in March. I think that is why March is higher than April.

 

My vote goes to the Pride if it is the itinerary with HM Cay and Grand Turk.

[StaceySteveDMB]

Of these options I would do Conquest that goes to Amber Cove and Half Moon. Get a cabana in Half Moon and blow the parents away.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

You don't say how old your parents are or how fit. We are in our mid 60s and love all the aspects of travel from airlines to cruises to snorkeling and ziplines. We also love kids and find traveling during the spring break months of march and april work great and are really enjoyable. Southern Caribbean is our favorite because we have tons of choices while in port...from sedentary site seeing excursions to beach days and we always throw in an activity port where we do something like para-gliding or ziplining.

 

My best advise is to make sure you have balcony cabins, preferrable those with a balcony above so you have shade ( you can always sit on deck if you want sun), and to NOT attach yourselves to your parents hips. Let them have some nice couple time, too. Visit places where they can actually see local islands that offer a different culture from your own. Lastly, remember what you like isn't necessarily what your parents like so let them choose what appeals to them if this is to be their special treat.

[TerReuv]

It sounds like it is just you two and your parents. That is how we cruise, DH & myself and my parents (they are mid-late 70's). We cruised the Conquest last time and will be again this year. Wondering why if you have no children going you choose the spring? We have found that by going in October, we have less kids on the ship and the prices are lower.

 

It is the end of hurricane season so we have no worries there. Just wondering if you have considered the fall as a cheaper option. My parents have loved cruising. There is always something for everyone to do and they enjoy going off on their own to participate in some things while I enjoy basking in the sunshine! We do get a balcony and love being able to open to partition between the two rooms.

[RuthlessBoss]

You don't say how old your parents are or how fit. We are in our mid 60s and love all the aspects of travel from airlines to cruises to snorkeling and ziplines. We also love kids and find traveling during the spring break months of march and april work great and are really enjoyable. Southern Caribbean is our favorite because we have tons of choices while in port...from sedentary site seeing excursions to beach days and we always throw in an activity port where we do something like para-gliding or ziplining.

 

My best advise is to make sure you have balcony cabins, preferrable those with a balcony above so you have shade ( you can always sit on deck if you want sun), and to NOT attach yourselves to your parents hips. Let them have some nice couple time, too. Visit places where they can actually see local islands that offer a different culture from your own. Lastly, remember what you like isn't necessarily what your parents like so let them choose what appeals to them if this is to be their special treat.

 

I'm thinking on the same ideas as you. We don't know them. What the OP seems to be doing is planning what she thinks is the ideal cruise, but forgetting she is the seasoned cruiser and now has her preferences. One preference is Serenity. On my first cruise, and even now, my preference is to see the ship as a whole, not plunking myself in Serenity and missing the action.

[jetta8300]

I am 32 and my parents are 62. I can tell you that if I was going to take them on a first cruise, I would probably go to Bermuda. I think for them it would be a little overwhelming having a very "port intensive" cruise for their first time. Getting on and off, on and off, not as much time to explore the ship, etc. (my husband and I like port intensive itineraries however). they are used to spending long periods of time in one place.

 

Another thought would be to really WOW them with the ship. In that case I'd take them either on the Allure of the Seas, or Oasis of the Seas. Or if you are looking for something on the East Coast, the Norwegian Breakaway is another thought out of NYC. That goes to Bermuda, and also the Bahamas.

 

We are going on the Pride and have heard great things about the itinerary you are speaking of, with Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk. Not so much Freeport, but we will probably book a fun excursion. Just think of what your parents like in a vacation and go from there. I'm sure they will have fun on ANY of those choices!

[tandemcruzr]

If you choose Port Canaveral, consider flying into the Melbourne, FL airport. It's south of Port Canaveral by about 25 miles. Much less crowded.

[thinfool]

Spring break season isn't really over until April 15-20.

 

I suggest you take this cruise in early January....before serious bad weather creates travel problems for you. (Still, allow arrival a day or two before you sail).

 

In this time frame you usually see lower airfare and lower cruise fare.

[lovestocruise19]

Glory has two adult only areas that ur parents might really enjoy one is on the lido deck with a pool and two hot tubs and the other is up in the spa decks with another two hot tubs and hammocks .

 

Yeah, we went on the Glory out of Boston to Canada in 2013. For some reason, she was not our favorite ship. She was kinda rundown and at that point the crew seemed kinda rundown too. Also, she leaves out of Miami and I'd prefer not to leave out of Miami because airfare to Miami is expensive and if you fly into FLL you have to then deal with the cost of transportation to Miami.

[lovestocruise19]

Not sure which week in March you are looking at but Easter in 2016 is in late March. Also many have spring breaks in March. I think that is why March is higher than April.

 

My vote goes to the Pride if it is the itinerary with HM Cay and Grand Turk.

 

I forgot about Easter.

 

Yeah, the travel sure would be easier to get to Baltimore. I'm just worried that my parents won't love the itinerary as HM and Grand Turk are mostly beach ports.

[lovestocruise19]

Of these options I would do Conquest that goes to Amber Cove and Half Moon. Get a cabana in Half Moon and blow the parents away.

 

I think I'm leaning toward this option.

[lovestocruise19]

You don't say how old your parents are or how fit. We are in our mid 60s and love all the aspects of travel from airlines to cruises to snorkeling and ziplines. We also love kids and find traveling during the spring break months of march and april work great and are really enjoyable. Southern Caribbean is our favorite because we have tons of choices while in port...from sedentary site seeing excursions to beach days and we always throw in an activity port where we do something like para-gliding or ziplining.

 

My best advise is to make sure you have balcony cabins, preferrable those with a balcony above so you have shade ( you can always sit on deck if you want sun), and to NOT attach yourselves to your parents hips. Let them have some nice couple time, too. Visit places where they can actually see local islands that offer a different culture from your own. Lastly, remember what you like isn't necessarily what your parents like so let them choose what appeals to them if this is to be their special treat.

 

My parents are in their early sixties. I wasn't planning on attaching myself to my parents. The part I really love about traveling with others is that you can do stuff with them or without them. :) My favorite cruise yet is still the one I went on with DH and his sister and her husband. I got to enjoy things like tea time with my SIL, but still be with just DH or just by myself.

 

Good point about choosing what appeals to them. I should sit down with them and present these options and then they can choose! Then I won't have to choose! Lol!

[lovestocruise19]

It sounds like it is just you two and your parents. That is how we cruise, DH & myself and my parents (they are mid-late 70's). We cruised the Conquest last time and will be again this year. Wondering why if you have no children going you choose the spring? We have found that by going in October, we have less kids on the ship and the prices are lower.

 

It is the end of hurricane season so we have no worries there. Just wondering if you have considered the fall as a cheaper option. My parents have loved cruising. There is always something for everyone to do and they enjoy going off on their own to participate in some things while I enjoy basking in the sunshine! We do get a balcony and love being able to open to partition between the two rooms.

 

The only reason I was choosing spring is because I didn't want to cruise during the winter (Jan/Feb) again and get stuck going to or from the ship because of weather like we did last month. Although there was a Jan. 3 sailing of the Conquest and that might be before real bad weather hits.

 

I had considered October (my parents anniversary is in October), but I was worried there would still be a threat of hurricanes. Also, not sure if I could wait another whole year and a half! Not sure my mom can wait either. She is so excited! :) And this October is out of the question as we just took a 12 day cruise last month. Not enough vacation time or money left!

[lovestocruise19]

I am 32 and my parents are 62. I can tell you that if I was going to take them on a first cruise, I would probably go to Bermuda. I think for them it would be a little overwhelming having a very "port intensive" cruise for their first time. Getting on and off, on and off, not as much time to explore the ship, etc. (my husband and I like port intensive itineraries however). they are used to spending long periods of time in one place.

 

Another thought would be to really WOW them with the ship. In that case I'd take them either on the Allure of the Seas, or Oasis of the Seas. Or if you are looking for something on the East Coast, the Norwegian Breakaway is another thought out of NYC. That goes to Bermuda, and also the Bahamas.

 

We are going on the Pride and have heard great things about the itinerary you are speaking of, with Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk. Not so much Freeport, but we will probably book a fun excursion. Just think of what your parents like in a vacation and go from there. I'm sure they will have fun on ANY of those choices!

 

I had considered Bermuda, but the five day on the Pride is expensive for just five days. Also, I think the weather in Bermuda isn't as warm as the Caribbean islands.

 

I briefly looked into NYC as it is a driveable port for us, but the cruise prices themselves are very pricey!

[lovestocruise19]

If you choose Port Canaveral, consider flying into the Melbourne, FL airport. It's south of Port Canaveral by about 25 miles. Much less crowded.

 

Thanks for the tip!

[lovestocruise19]

Spring break season isn't really over until April 15-20.

 

I suggest you take this cruise in early January....before serious bad weather creates travel problems for you. (Still, allow arrival a day or two before you sail).

 

In this time frame you usually see lower airfare and lower cruise fare.

 

Yeah, I was contemplating the Conquest itinerary that leaves Jan. 3. But then I was second guessing myself with how warm the weather would be in the ports. Would hate to take my parents on a cruise and have the weather not be very warm. DH and I took a cruise in mid January and it wasn't as warm.