kid friendly cruises

[broncorckcrwlr]

We have been sailing on Carnival and the grandsons love their activities but Carnival isn't offering 7 day cruises out of Tampa anymore and we really would rather sail from there so we are looking for another line. Who can give me some first hand info on lines with lots of activities for the kids. 2 boys ages 14 & 10. Thanks.

[cruisead]

Royal Caribbean has some of the best activities for kids. Things like rock climbing, skating, flow rider and a very active kids club.

[OCruisers]

Would you consider ports other than Tampa?

 

LuLu

[Essiesmom]

Go to http://www.cruisetimetables.com and choose Tampa as your departure port. then choose the month you want to sail. You will then see what your options are from that port, and the full itineraries. You may find you get more chooices if you add Port Canaveral into the mix. EM

[Lerin]

All the mass market lines have things for teens: Carnival, RC, NCL, Princess.

Maybe have your grandsons check out some of the lines websites and see what most appeals to them.

[broncorckcrwlr]

We have used other ports but Tampa just works much better for us so we will most likely go with what we can get from there. Thanks for the suggestions and info.

[broncorckcrwlr]

Ok, we are down to either Norwegian or RCI. The boys have checked them out and are good with both. The wife says either is fine with her so I have a question. Which has the best food options both included in the price and extra besides the main dining rooms which I'm sure are great on both. I just like to have burgers and buffets and pizza or pasta available most all the time. Never know when you might have the urge to eat. :D

[RSLeesburg]

Ok, we are down to either Norwegian or RCI. The boys have checked them out and are good with both. The wife says either is fine with her so I have a question. Which has the best food options both included in the price and extra besides the main dining rooms which I'm sure are great on both. I just like to have burgers and buffets and pizza or pasta available most all the time. Never know when you might have the urge to eat. :D

 

 

Your best bet is to post on the Norwegian and RCI forums and ask specifically about the difference between the two ships you are looking at sailing on from Tampa. I know RCI has had Brilliance and Vision sailing from Tampa, but not sure if these are the ships you are looking at. I cannot remember if it's Star or not that Norwegian has in Tampa. If you are looking at Vision, it is same class as Grandeur, which we have been on twice. Beautiful ships. For eats, there is main dining room, buffet, park cafe as free options, and three specialty restaurants - Chops, Giovanni's, and Izumi. We have eaten at all three and would recommend both Izumi and Giovanni's. Chops was good too, but we liked the other two much better :)

[Grandma Dazzles]

You definitely need to compare ships. You said that the boys have "checked them out" - make sure they have looked at the specific ship you are planning to book, not just the line. For example there are huge differences between Oasis class, Freedom class, Vision class, etc. on RC.

Edited May 17, 2015 by PMcC1998

[broncorckcrwlr]

We did check the exact ships we would be on for the week we are looking at but thanks for the suggestion. The Norwegian Star is one and the other is the Vision of the Seas. Thanks for the great idea of asking about those ships on their specific forums, why didn't I think of that? lol I might even find a helpful review. I really appreciate everyones input.

[paul929207]

Also, check on the extra charge things. I believe NCL now charges about $8 for room service. If that is a popular thing with your family, it could add up. On the other hand if you never have room service than the charge is a non factor.