To Cruise or NOT to cruise during Thanksgiving?

[skarletohara]

My husband and I are contemplating a cruise during Thanksgiving. Actually,

the idea just popped into our heads about 10 minutes ago! Anyway, in the past I've read about how (supposedly) chaotic holiday cruises can be.

 

My question is, do you think it's worth going on a Thanksgiving cruise? We've heard there are an abundance of children on board.

We don't have children, but we like children. I don't feel like cooking

Thanksgiving dinner this year, and announced last Thanksgiving that I

was quote "Going on a cruise" for the next Thanksgiving. It seems as if

my statement may become reality.

 

We are closer to the Mexico Riviera cruise. However, we're going on that one

next month. We're due for a Caribbean cruise, the last one being almost

3 or 4 years ago.

 

The prices don't seem that bad right now for that time of the year, with an inside cabin priced at $760 or so and a balcony $979

Or do you think it might be best to cruise one week after the holiday??

 

Input is appreciated.

[mr green]

I was on Sea Princess during Thanksgiving, very few youngsters on board. john

[Toto2Kansas]

It depends on the length of cruise you are looking at I think. The shorter, 7 day cruises will bring more families and kiddies. The 10-?? will bring less chaos!

[Whistle]

We did a 10 dayer in 2004 over Thanksgiving. Very few kids and a great dinner for the holiday. We want to do it again.

[NANCYR2]

We did a family cruise (16 of us) on the Caribbean Princess. It was a wonderful cruise. There were many young children on board, but we did not see them very often. There was a great children's program for all ages.

[Coral]

I have cruised 2x over Thanksgiving. Once was on the Sea Princess and we had a wonderful cruise. Probably one of my favorites. This was before cruising became popular for families and prices were higher then they currently are. I think this was in 1998.

 

Two years ago we did the Golden over Thanksgiving and the kids were out of control. I swore never to do another 7 night cruise over Thanksgiving again. I had friends who did a 10 night Canal cruise at the same time and they had no problems with kids whatsoever.... I also like kids - well behaved kids. I have little tolerance for unsupervised kids that run amuck...

 

I did like sailing over Thanksgiving from the stand point that prices are usually low that week and I have 2 holiday days that I don't need to take vacation days for.

[skarletohara]

thanks everyone for the helpful advice

[Times Prince]

Our first cruise was on the week of Thanksgiving. And you can see below how much that affected our cruise experience. :)

 

We were on the Sun Princess, children were not an issue (nor were they on our 2005 New Year's cruise post Christmas). And we had a GREAT TIME ! They do serve turkey and stuffing as one of the entrees on Thanksgiving, along with other great choices (for our cruise the other choices were ham, beef wellington, or lobster).

 

As with any cruise whether children or other passengers bother you or not depends on your attitude (and you said you like children). Have a great cruise !!!

[Splinter]

I have been on two longer cruises over Thanksgiving. Few children (unlike Christmas) and we had a very nice turkey dinner (one of several options) for dinner. My most memorable was going out on deck after dinner to watch the lava come down into the sea off the Big Island of Hawaii. The other time we were in the Falkland Islands (where it is not a holiday, naturally!).

[PaulS]

We have taken cruises the past two Thanksgivings and have enjoyed both of them. Two years ago we went on the Jewel of the Seas to the eastern Caribbean and this year we went on the Sapphire Princess to Mexico. There seemed to be more children on the Sapphire this year, but they were mostly well behaved and did not bother us. Both cruises were pretty crowded, but if you go with the flow you will have a great time.

[Ula]

We are seriously considering a Thanksgiving cruise. It is a quiet week for both of us work wise. Our last cruise had lots of Teen Security running around and we never really witnessed any problems with children, teens or adults.

We are quiet cruisers, we go to bed early and get up early. So I think we just miss a lot of excitment. I am trying to get my sister to go on this cruise, and she would be bringing at least two children. Her oldest graduates HS this year so I think he would be busy with work or college. Or at least I hope so.