Unsure if we should cancel. Opinions welcome

[matymil]

Just now, matymil said:

We had a very similar experience when we went a couple of weeks ago. Our child is much younger (still a toddler) but he at no point was board. These kind of questions are literally impossible to get answers to because there are so many factors at the end of the day nobody knows your kids like you do. Like i know our son could have just as much fun playing with his cars on the balcony (he did) as he would on an excursion but its not like that for every child.

Also...i see you said you didnt get charged for your kids tests at the port? Did you get the $150 fee waved somehow because our son is only 2 years old and we still had to pay.

[Tapi]

1 hour ago, matymil said:

Also...i see you said you didnt get charged for your kids tests at the port? Did you get the $150 fee waved somehow because our son is only 2 years old and we still had to pay.

After reading health and safety protocols for different cruise lines, we chose to sail on MSC, not on Carnival. First, because they would test our children at the port free of charge, second because the itinerary only included their private island which meant that we could go ashore unrestricted, and third because their onboard activities for children weren’t as restrictive. 
 

Hopefully, by the next time we sail, a vaccine for their age group will be approved and/or restrictions will have eased which will broaden our cruise line and itinerary choices. But for this first post pandemic cruise with children, sailing with MSC was the right and easiest choice. 

[x lindsay x]

For us, we are taking our toddler on a Carnival cruise in the next few weeks because the price was right with the $100 casino rates, paired with dirt cheap plane tickets to Miami. If we were paying pre-pandemic prices we would not be going. Plus our kid is a total social butterfly and will be living their best life surrounded by lots of people, and opportunities to dance to live music. 

[gtalum]

We're going Thanksgiving week with our 8 year old boy.  We recognize it will be a very different experience but I think there will be plenty to do on Mardi Gras.

 

He and I will stay aboard in ports since he isn't vaccinated and I'm not super mobile.  My wife and daughter (15 and vaccinated)  will be free to explore.

Edited October 16, 2021 by gtalum

[matymil]

13 hours ago, x lindsay x said:

For us, we are taking our toddler on a Carnival cruise in the next few weeks because the price was right with the $100 casino rates, paired with dirt cheap plane tickets to Miami. If we were paying pre-pandemic prices we would not be going. Plus our kid is a total social butterfly and will be living their best life surrounded by lots of people, and opportunities to dance to live music. 

Sounds exactly like our situation. Our sailing a couple weeks ago was 169 for a balcony. Our toddler is also a social butterfly but totally agree, if it was full price we would have canceled. Just a heads up, i dont know if you plan on taking yours to the splash pad or pool but they were very strict with their protocols up there. We got asked alot if he was in a diaper and he also got the whistle blown on him afew times for going down the baby slide face first.

[gtalum]

I think the key is to be flexible and go with the flow.  It will be different from any other cruise we've taken with kids, but the important thing is the family time.

[Silent Penguin]

On 10/14/2021 at 6:56 AM, Yankee587 said:

We are a family of 4, my wife and I are both vaccinated and my children are both under 8.  Wondering if it is worth the high air fare its going to cost to get there and then have to pay $300 for my children to get tested and then from what I've read they aren't allowed off the ship at certain ports.  Would hate to cancel but is it worth spending all that money? Is it more or less normal on the ships/island? 

Before we got the rejection letter about an exemption for my husband, we were wondering the same thing.  Since we were told we couldn't cruise,  we didn't have to make the decision to cancel. Instead of cruising,  we decided to keep the plane reservations to Miami and go on a Florida Keys road trip instead. It was so much fun, and we had no trouble getting a rental car.  Maybe it was because of the day of the week (Thursday) and the early time of day (9:30 am).  

[SNJCruisers]

2 hours ago, matymil said:

We got asked alot if he was in a diaper and he also got the whistle blown on him afew times for going down the baby slide face first.

Just like his father.....obviously the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

[matymil]

17 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Just like his father.....obviously the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Not 100% sure if i get the joke on that one.

[nicolelarios]

I am a momma to a vaccinated 14 yr old and not vaccinated 9 yr old.  Both of them are not cruising with us because it will not be enjoyable for them at this time.  The restrictions are just too abundant, I will say they LOVED cancun in July but we did a land trip.