Need ship and cabin recommendations for large group

[brookeinmn]

We're planning a Christmas 2020 cruise for 13-15 people in 7-8 cabins. There are mostly couples, my family of 4 (kids 16, 12), and one grandmother (78). Other ages of couples are 20's, 50's, 60's.

 

We all went to Alaska on Hal Oosterdam a few years back and had a great time. Unfortunately HAL has no good family cabin options and my youngest slept on a cot the whole trip. He's older now so that won't work.

 

I'm really stumped on which line/ship to consider. Are the new megaships overwhelmed with people? This is mostly an older group so I'm not sure something like RCCL would be good. 

 

Any recommendations for newish ship with good activities that doesn't feel like an amusement park? 

 

We're probably just looking at the Caribbean out of Florida.

Edited December 7, 2019 by brookeinmn

[RSLeesburg]

We sailed on Harmony over Thanksgiving, and there were only a few times where we felt a bit crowded, but there were many times when it felt empty.  In terms of activities and entertainment, no other ship comes close.  That being said, we actually prefer the next class or two smaller - Freedom class (Freedom, Liberty, or Independence), or Voyager class (Navigator, Explorer, Mariner).  In 2017, we did the 9-night Southern Caribbean cruise out of Miami.  It was fantastic - it felt much less crowded than our 7 night Thanksgiving cruises, the ship had plenty to do, and the islands could not be beat.   

[1025cruise]

Based on your feedback, it might be best to consult with a travel agent.

[brookeinmn]

. Thanks for the response, RSLeesburg. I'll look into some of those. I was a travel agent for a long time, so I'm comfortable planning a big trip. I've just been out of the cruising loop for a while. 

[cb at sea]

The larger ships are the norm now...but many cruise lines have "family" rooms, for those with more than 4 in a cabin.  You can't book them online, you'll need to book via phone. 

 

Get some brochures from different lines, or go online and do your research...see what sorts of accommodations are avail, and go from there.

 

With such a wide range of ages, I'd think an RCI ship would suit you all...they do have all sorts of cabins to suit everyone!

[phxbne]

We did a great family trip on Celebrity. Not sure if they have family cabins though.