best cruise ship for parents (leaving the kids at home) getaway

[ceasar30]

My husband and I are first time cruisers and would like to plan a cruise to the Caribbean. We are wanting to have a vacation with just us and will be leaving our kids with the grandparents. What is a good cruise line that is aimed more towards adults only and isn't super expensive?

 

Also, when is the best time to go to the Caribbean?

 

Thank you!

[Clarea]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

There are a good many cruise lines to choose from. However, looking at the mass-market lines, I'd lookat Celebrity, Holland, and Princess as having fewer children on board than Royal Caribbean, Disney, or Carnival.

[Floridiana]

Also, when is the best time to go to the Caribbean?

 

Thank you!

 

Northern winter is the best time with the widest choice of cruise ships. The Caribbean is warm year round. I cruised there on Oceania, Azamara, Princess and Holland America ships, but there are so many lines and options of ship size that it is difficult to recommend one without more input from you.

 

By the way, the Bahamas are not part of the Caribbean and tend to be cooler. Most cruises are marketed as Eastern Caribbean (the West Indies), the Western Caribbean (Yucatan etc.) and Southern Caribbean (the old Dutch West Indies like Curacao).

Edited March 1, 2016 by Floridiana

[MNgardens]

I find that prices in January (esp the first 2 weeks) tend to be lower. Perhaps people are coming out of the holidays having just taken time off or are financially recovering from the expenses - whatever, they are not booking cruises.

 

Depending on how last minute you can book, I have seen terrific discounts even on up market cruises such as Windstar.

[Clarea]

... Also, when is the best time to go to the Caribbean?

 

Thank you!

We've found delightful weather year round in the Caribbean. I'd go whenever convenient for you.

[MommaBear55]

I like Celebrity as they tend to have a quieter environment. I would recommend avoiding school holidays and Spring Break time of year!

[Keith1010]

I like to go to the Caribbean in January or February.

 

Why?

 

Because it is winter at home.

 

And the weather there is so very nice.

 

Lots of terrific cruise lines.

 

Keith

[JimAOk1945]

I agree with all of the above. I might also add, after you have made a choice of the cruise line, take a look at the itinerary offered during the time frame of your choice.

 

We enjoy cruising the Caribbean. It has a lot to offer. Happy cruising!

[cruiseapril]

Also think Holland America, Princess, or Celebrity would be good.

 

We like to cruise in March or April as we like to return to New England after the snow has melted!

[LadyBeBop]

During the winter, escaping the frigid north for the warm Caribbean is a dream.

 

However, with the constant possibility of weather delays up north, escaping the frigid north may be a hassle.

 

Never cruised in the winter. We've gone in the spring (last cruise, and it got up to 95 degrees in Haiti), summer, and fall. I thought fall had the nicest weather. Only problem with that, we got home just as the weather broke for winter.

[ceasar30]

Thank you everyone for the responses. We have contacted a travel agent who has recommended Royal Caribbean cruise line. Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on that cruise line?

[LHT28]

Thank you everyone for the responses. We have contacted a travel agent who has recommended Royal Caribbean cruise line. Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on that cruise line?

very kid friendly

Depends on when you are planning to go

Lots of activities for all ages

[NLH Arizona]

Id look at Celebrity, if I were you.

[wwcruisers]

Thank you everyone for the responses. We have contacted a travel agent who has recommended Royal Caribbean cruise line. Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on that cruise line?

 

Well, if my travel agent knew that I wanted my cruise to have fewer kids, and they recommended RC -- I would find a new TA. You don't have to look far to see that RC is trying to out-Disney Disney: Dreamworks Characters, Flow-Riders, etc. IMHO, RC is still a great cruise line. We just decided that we (as adults traveling w/o kids) were paying for a lot of things we did not want/need. Celebrity just turned out to be a better fit for us. :cool:

Edited March 27, 2016 by wwcruisers

[LHT28]

I am a bit biased but I would choose Oceania ...the fare posted includes airfare but you can ask for cruise only price

 

more adult & quieter ship but then again it depends on what you are looking for in the experience

[ithaca gal]

I agree that your travel agent is not really listening to you if you want to have a cruise that is aimed more at adults than families with kids in tow and the agent recommended RC.

 

Celebrity and Holland are the ones I would recommend. Start over with a new travel agent -- and check in here at CC for advice! :D

[ceasar30]

Thanks again. Given the responses, I'm now wondering whether we even need a travel agent? If so, does anyone have a recommendation for a good one? I'm now concerned, given the responses, that our agent isn't listening to what we want.

[LHT28]

some TAs give extra perks but you can always book direct with the cruise line when you decide on one

I agree your TA is not listening to what you want

 

we are not allowed to discuss specific TAs

ask friend and family who they use and if they are happy with their service

Edited March 29, 2016 by LHT28

[Jenlegs]

We cruised on Celebrity for the first time in February. Previously, I had sailed with Norwegian (honeymoon), Carnival (with toddler in tow), and Royal Caribbean (with 4-year-old and 7-month-old baby). There were supposedly 100 children on board, but I only saw a handful, and I actually felt bad for them -- there's not a whole lot to do on a Celebrity ship for kids.

 

Upon our return, we decided to book a cruise for next year, and did a ton of research because we wanted to avoid winter and spring school vacation weeks (mostly because of flight difficulties, as we fly standby). I was tempted to book the RC Allure or Oasis, because they are just breathtaking ships, but in the end, we went back to Celebrity.

 

We're a married couple in our mid- to late 40s. Our kids are 17 and 21, but because our trip is intended to be an adults only getaway, we decided to avoid ships with water slides and climbing walls, etc.

 

Now, if you decide to take your kids someday, I can recommend Carnival's kids' program without hesitation. If I was traveling with little ones, I would go with Carnival or Royal Caribbean in a heartbeat!

 

Happy cruising!

[cruiseapril]

We enjoy the Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruises.

Which embarkation port is of interest?

There are many Easterns which embark from Fort Lauderdale, for instance.

[jackalope12]

Just go to the Princess website and book your cruise. It's that simple. You'll thank me later. Have a great trip!

[JimAOk1945]

I agree that booking a cruise is easy if you decide to do it yourself. The cruise lines websites are very user friendly. My wife has made all of cruise bookings and excursion choices as well.