A little Advice

[Daddio919]

Our family has never been on a cruise before and decided to give it a try during the kids spring break. We booked a 7 day out of Charleston, SC for April. Our choices were very limited due to the date restriction due to the kids. The ship is the Carnival Ecstasy. I have a few questions:

1- The kids love to swim but I also realize that the water temp at that time of year tends to be pretty cold. Will the kids be able to enjoy the slides and pools while on the ship?

2- The figuring out the excursions to do is a little hard. The reviews seem to be all over the map. It seems to make sense to do the cruise offered excursions so we have no chance of getting left behind. The kids are wanting to go the Atlantis. Its almost $400 for us to go and don't know if it would be worth it. Any suggestions for Nassau, Half Moon, and Grand Turk?

3- I'm assuming that due to the time and being Spring Break the ship will be crowded. Anyone have any experiences with cruising during that time?

 

Thanks for the Help

[drerickson77]

Our family has never been on a cruise before and decided to give it a try during the kids spring break. We booked a 7 day out of Charleston, SC for April. Our choices were very limited due to the date restriction due to the kids. The ship is the Carnival Ecstasy. I have a few questions:

1- The kids love to swim but I also realize that the water temp at that time of year tends to be pretty cold. Will the kids be able to enjoy the slides and pools while on the ship?

2- The figuring out the excursions to do is a little hard. The reviews seem to be all over the map. It seems to make sense to do the cruise offered excursions so we have no chance of getting left behind. The kids are wanting to go the Atlantis. Its almost $400 for us to go and don't know if it would be worth it. Any suggestions for Nassau, Half Moon, and Grand Turk?

3- I'm assuming that due to the time and being Spring Break the ship will be crowded. Anyone have any experiences with cruising during that time?

 

Thanks for the Help

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Not sure if I can address all your questions but, I don't know if I would do Atlantis as a "shore excursion". If that's what you want to do. Do that, don't book a cruise.

 

I believe the Ecstasy is a "Fantasy" class ship. It should have the Funship 2.0 upgrades but I'm not positive. It's a smaller and older ship but plenty of fun to be had.

 

:)

[4hunters]

Our family has never been on a cruise before and decided to give it a try during the kids spring break. We booked a 7 day out of Charleston, SC for April. Our choices were very limited due to the date restriction due to the kids. The ship is the Carnival Ecstasy. I have a few questions:

1- The kids love to swim but I also realize that the water temp at that time of year tends to be pretty cold. Will the kids be able to enjoy the slides and pools while on the ship?

2- The figuring out the excursions to do is a little hard. The reviews seem to be all over the map. It seems to make sense to do the cruise offered excursions so we have no chance of getting left behind. The kids are wanting to go the Atlantis. Its almost $400 for us to go and don't know if it would be worth it. Any suggestions for Nassau, Half Moon, and Grand Turk?

3- I'm assuming that due to the time and being Spring Break the ship will be crowded. Anyone have any experiences with cruising during that time?

 

Thanks for the Help

 

Welcome!

 

1. Yes, they will be able to swim and enjoy the slides. The water is on the cool side, but tolerable. Just as an FYI, the pools are filled with sea water (massively filtered though).

 

2. I wouldn't do Atlantis. Crowded, expensive, and not really an "excursion" in my book.

 

3. Yes, the ship will be crowded. Take everything in stride and you'll be fine.

 

4. Most importantly, enjoy yourselves!! :)

[sanmarcosman]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Not sure if I can address all your questions but, I don't know if I would do Atlantis as a "shore excursion". If that's what you want to do. Do that, don't book a cruise.

 

I believe the Ecstasy is a "Fantasy" class ship. It should have the Funship 2.0 upgrades but I'm not positive. It's a smaller and older ship but plenty of fun to be had.

 

:)

 

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-ecstasy.aspx

no 2.0 upgrades to this ship

[john91498]

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-ecstasy.aspx

no 2.0 upgrades to this ship

 

It has Waterworks, which I believe is an 2.0 upgrade

[drerickson77]

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-ecstasy.aspx

no 2.0 upgrades to this ship

 

"Carnival Ecstasy received several Fun Ship 2.0 Enhancements in 2014. The included amenities are Red Frog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, Hasbro The Game Show, Playlist Productions (Scenic), and The Punchliner Comedy Club Presented by George Lopez."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Ecstasy

 

Hmmmm....

 

A discrepancy on the internet? Say it ain't so! ;)

[daisys dad]

We cruised in April a few times and the pools were full of kids. When you are at HMC it is a private island wonderful beach. We like to get a cabana but there are plenty of beach chairs if you just want to be in the sun. There are a few spots you can find shade. The water is great and you can get plenty of pictures of you with your ship I the background

[NavarreCruiser]

I have been to all these ports multiple times. Ship wise because of spring break the passenger count will be high with many kids on board. Carnival fills their pools with water from the ocean so the temp. may be cool or not. If the pools were filled when the ship was further down in the warmer southern waters then they will feel warmer. The onboard pools are small and will most likely be crowed. The slides will be busy but I am sure the kids will enjoy them.

 

As afar as ports: Atlantis is expensive and overpriced in my opinion. Half moon Cay and Grand Turk(which is a small island) have very nice swimming beaches close off the ship which are free. If the kids like the beach and like to swim, check out some Carnival beach towels and just go ashore.

 

Enjoy your cruise

[rjrpar]

Our family has never been on a cruise before and decided to give it a try during the kids spring break. We booked a 7 day out of Charleston, SC for April. Our choices were very limited due to the date restriction due to the kids. The ship is the Carnival Ecstasy. I have a few questions:

 

1- The kids love to swim but I also realize that the water temp at that time of year tends to be pretty cold. Will the kids be able to enjoy the slides and pools while on the ship?

 

2- The figuring out the excursions to do is a little hard. The reviews seem to be all over the map. It seems to make sense to do the cruise offered excursions so we have no chance of getting left behind. The kids are wanting to go the Atlantis. Its almost $400 for us to go and don't know if it would be worth it. Any suggestions for Nassau, Half Moon, and Grand Turk?

 

3- I'm assuming that due to the time and being Spring Break the ship will be crowded. Anyone have any experiences with cruising during that time?

 

 

 

Thanks for the Help

 

 

Book your own excursions or just take a cab.; you will save a fair amount of money. We are experienced cruisers and have never been left behind or even know anyone who has. The fear of being left behind is pushed here on cc by people who are just super cautious. Leave yourself plenty of time to get back and enjoy.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[JaniceB]

Half Moon Cay also has excursions you can book, too.

[manmachine]

Our family has never been on a cruise before and decided to give it a try during the kids spring break. We booked a 7 day out of Charleston, SC for April. Our choices were very limited due to the date restriction due to the kids. The ship is the Carnival Ecstasy. I have a few questions:

 

1- The kids love to swim but I also realize that the water temp at that time of year tends to be pretty cold. Will the kids be able to enjoy the slides and pools while on the ship?

 

2- The figuring out the excursions to do is a little hard. The reviews seem to be all over the map. It seems to make sense to do the cruise offered excursions so we have no chance of getting left behind. The kids are wanting to go the Atlantis. Its almost $400 for us to go and don't know if it would be worth it. Any suggestions for Nassau, Half Moon, and Grand Turk?

 

3- I'm assuming that due to the time and being Spring Break the ship will be crowded. Anyone have any experiences with cruising during that time?

 

 

 

Thanks for the Help

 

 

You may still be able to book a room at the Comfort Suites next to Atlantis. It is their overflow hotel. So you have a room for the day... A plus Atlantis admission and charging privileges...

 

 

I have cruised a LOT

[Singer4Him]

What are the ages of the kids? We had planned a cruise for Nassau earlier this year but it didn't work out. When I was planning it, I found a resort called Breezes that I had planned for us to go to. It's an AI and has a lot to do including rock wall, trapeze, along with all of the other beach themed things.

 

If your kids are old enough to snorkel, I would highly recommend White Sands Snorkel in Grand Turk. We did this a few year ago and saw some of the most breath taking views I've ever seen. We snorkeled "The Wall" and it was unlike anything else!! I'm sure you can find videos on YouTube. White Sands is just past Margaritaville and gets great reviews on TripAdvisor. Communication with them was great and it was a much smaller group (I think there were eight or ten of us) compared to the massive groups with the ship sponsored excursions (it looked to be 30-40 people in these groups).

 

If you do your research, you can find a lot of excursions that are not ship sponsored that will be fine and will be much less expensive and more enjoyable because of the smaller crowds. In all of our cruises, we've only done two excursions that were ship sponsored; the rest have been done on our own and we've always had a great time. Another tip I've learned it to wear a watch. Don't rely on your smart phone for time bc it will adjust to whatever time zone you're in and you need to always stay on the same time zone as the ship.

 

Have fun doing your research and enjoy your first cruise!!

[ScottsSweetie]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

You don't say how old your kids are, so the answer could depend on their ages.

 

I have never been to Atlantis water area, so can't speak to that, other than to say that I would imagine it is very crowded during the spring break time that you are sailing. That should be a consideration.

 

Half Moon Cay is a beautiful beach. If your kids enjoy beach time then you may be set! There you can simply claim a lounger for the day, you can rent mats or snorkel equipment, or you can take an excursion on the island.

 

In Nassau, there are lots of stores and restaurants at the port area. There is a Pirate Museum. I think there might be an excursion on a pirate ship that kids love (again, dependent on the age of your kids). Since this is your first cruise I would agree with your statement about taking Carnival excursions.

 

I have not yet been to Grand Turk (come on, November :p), but understand that it is another great beach (but also has a pool).

 

My DH and boys once took a bike riding excursion (not at any of these ports). Perhaps that is something offered at one of your stops? It's a great way for kids to use up some of that boundless energy (again, dependent on ages).

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

[maldenmusic]

Water temp in pools should be ok. I would do research on reputable excursions as an alternative to Carnival excursions. In 10 cruises we have never done one through Carnival and never had a problem.

[Buckett]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! You will find so much helpful information poking around here. :)

 

I recommend checking out the ports of call boards here. I do tons of research in that section and have been really happy with advice and suggestions there.

 

I agree with the previous poster about White Sands Snorkel on Grand Turk. Just did an excursion with them in January of this year and I can't recommend it enough. It was amazing. There is also a Margaritaville right there at the pier which looked really busy when we walked by.

[poobears]

For half moon cay you won't need an excursion it's a private island, gorgeous beach (my favorite so far). Free food and free fun, plenty for everyone to do without having to pay for anything unless you absolutely want ride horses or something. I would just grab loungers and let the kids play, then go to the yummy island buffet and grab some lunch and repeat until it's time to get back on board.

 

Grand Turk no real excursion needed there either, just a tiny island and there are plenty of free beaches and swimming, snorkeling or just lounging within a very short walking distance of port. You can Google grand turk to get an idea of how it's set up so save your money there if you want.

 

When we did Nassau we just grabbed a taxi and went to Atlantis just so we could check out the hotel, we didn't actually pay to go into the waterpark side. The hotel and casino are gorgeous but the most fun was the taxi ride. I want to go back just to take another taxi. It was like a theme park ride LOL Our driver was super friendly and chatted about the island and even though the ride was crazy we felt super safe the whole time.

 

Nassau would probably be the one port on your trip I would book an excursion. I've heard the lines at Atlantis can be an hour long for a ride at peak times with crowds so keep that in mind since you are going during spring break. You might want to look into an excursion that doesn't involve waiting in lines or your kids may not get to do much of anything.

[lukeduke07]

Our family has never been on a cruise before and decided to give it a try during the kids spring break. We booked a 7 day out of Charleston, SC for April. Our choices were very limited due to the date restriction due to the kids. The ship is the Carnival Ecstasy. I have a few questions:

1- The kids love to swim but I also realize that the water temp at that time of year tends to be pretty cold. Will the kids be able to enjoy the slides and pools while on the ship? The water should be fine that time of year. Its really hit or miss

2- The figuring out the excursions to do is a little hard. The reviews seem to be all over the map. It seems to make sense to do the cruise offered excursions so we have no chance of getting left behind. The kids are wanting to go the Atlantis. Its almost $400 for us to go and don't know if it would be worth it. Any suggestions for Nassau, Half Moon, and Grand Turk? A while ago you could do the aquarium and tour Atlantis for free but not anymore. Now a days we mostly do a little shopping or stay on ship and have a pool/waterslide day with the kids when docked in Nassau.

 

Never been to HMC so cant comment but have heard its wonderful!

 

Grand Turk - Walk Past Margaritaville and the $24 cheeseburgers about a mile down the beach to Jacks Shack. Get some Jerk Chicken and a local beer and play with the resident dogs (one is the famous Topher) THis is one of our all time favorite spots. Just a nice beach day.

 

3- I'm assuming that due to the time and being Spring Break the ship will be crowded. Anyone have any experiences with cruising during that time?

 

Sorry cant help there never cruised during spring break.

Thanks for the Help

 

See responses above in RED

[SadieN]

Many like My Time Dining (also called anytime dining or ATD here on CC) because you can eat in the MDR when you want. But there can be a long wait.

If you do not want to wait get fixed time dining. Do early seating so the kids can get to the clubs.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[ourcruiseyears]

Hello! Our family's first cruise was back in 2005. Kids were ages 5-17 & we had the best family vacation ever! It came about as a result of planning a N Carolina beach rental only to find that cruising to the Bahamas was cheaper (& that was before factoring in the cost of food & all the work involved!).

 

We've sailed out of Charleston numerous times. Be sure to read as much as you can to be prepared (arriving, parking, checking in, etc...it's a unique port but go with a smile & everything will be GREAT!).

 

I'll try to answer your ?'s specifically (I didn't read through other posts so please pardon if I'm repeating anything already mentioned!)...

 

1- Water temp should be more than fine in April.

2- My personal advice would be to plan on having a blast for no cost on both Half Moon Cay & Grand Turk & stay on the ship in Nassau to enjoy the bliss of an almost-empty ship...no lines, empty pools, plenty of chairs.

3- Spring break will give your kids plenty of other kids to make friends with. Don't hesitate to have the kids go to the club(s) & take respite on the Serenity deck awhile when you need it.

 

I'd be happy to answer more specific questions if you have them. I could write a novel of info right now but I don't want to overwhelm! :)

[bigboatrider]

There's a lot of great advise on this thread. I've been away from Cruise Critic for a couple of years, just doing other stuff, but the DW and I will resume cruising in Dec when we take Ecstasy out of Charleston. Like others, we have sailed from Charleston several times, and will echo the sentiment, it is a unique port, so take it in stride, after all you're on vacation, right?!!

Yes Ecstasy is a Fantasy class vessel. We haven't sailed her, but have sailed others in the class, with Fantasy being our overwhelming favorite in the whole Carnival line up!! Yes, even over Glory, Spirit, Legend, and others.

While some may "look down" on Nassau, we have always had excellent experiences there, including wandering through Atlantis, and rented a scooter for the day and toured the island on our own (something that is not recommended by the cruise lines). Depending on the ages of your children, there is plenty to do within "hoofing" distance of the port, if you aren't scared of a lil exercise, lol.

Half Moon Cay is an awesome lil stop! Owned by Carnival, so your Sail & Sign card works as if you're on the ship. As others have stated, don't waste money on an excursion, explore the island on your own!!

Same at Grand Turk. It's another quaint lil plot of dirt that is absolutely beautiful, and snorkeling in the harbor right at the boat offers some great views, without paying for an excursion.

As for "walking past" Margaritaville and the $24 Cheesburgers, well, what can I say, I'm a Parrot Head, and can't resist at least one drink. No, we don't pay the outrageous prices for the food, because as mentioned, there are other options that offer "local" fare and are much more budget friendly!

Bottom line, particularly on your first cruise, remember, we don't live in a perfect world, and TV commercials are not what your experience will be like, lol. Go in with a carefree attitude, roll with the flow, and enjoy yourself!!

[manmachine]

And if you don't do Atlantis... BLUE LAGOON rocks

 

 

I have cruised a LOT

[blessedwith12]

I was just getting ready to recommend Blue Lagoon. People go there for a dolphin encounter but you can book just a beach day which includes boat transport, lunch and using their inflatables and kayaks. I went there with my daughters and sister and we almost had the place to ourselves. Except for the dolphin encounter people who came and left, there were less than a dozen other people there. Very peaceful yet things the kids can do.

[manmachine]

 

 

I have cruised a LOT

[hawgtuf]

What are the ages of the kids? We had planned a cruise for Nassau earlier this year but it didn't work out. When I was planning it, I found a resort called Breezes that I had planned for us to go to. It's an AI and has a lot to do including rock wall, trapeze, along with all of the other beach themed things.

 

We did Breezes in March of this year, big mistake. MTV was set up for "College Spring Break" and that was the only age there, well, except for DH and I. :eek:

 

Not sure who was more uncomfortable, us or the kids trying to have fun around the old folks, lol

[RecoveryDude]

HMC and GT are great ports ... if you are "beach people" --- beautiful free beach (HMC) and pool (GT).

 

No real need to book excursion in either place unless you want to be taken snorkeling or rent jet skiis or go on a boat or whatever.

 

As for Nassau ... I would advise AGAINST going to Atlantis. It's WAY overpriced as an "excursion" ... and by the time you factor in round trip transportation and spring break hour long lines (or more) for the slides, you will pay over $1,000 for 4 people to spend only a few hours there. You kids will be cranky cause they didn't get to ride all the slides. Better option is to plan a separate land-vacation for Atlantis and stay at the sister property next door for a lot less.

 

When we were in Nassau we did the dedicated 3 snorkel stop that included swimming above reef sharks! It was very thrilling and would highly recommend it. The shark stop is (optional) but they are way below you.

 

Enjoy!