Which ship for big family cruise in January?

[19031]

My family will be cruising next January. Ages ranging from 20's to 80's and everything in between. We want to do 7 day Caribbean leaving from Florida so it looks like our choices are Mardi Gras, Elation, Spirit and the newest ship that's not even out yet-Celebration. Anyone have goods/bad reviews about any of these ships, why would they be good/bad for a large family cruise.  We have all sailed before but it has been a few years for most of us. Thanks. 

[Bostwick girl]

My personal choice would be Spirit, simply because I like the smaller ships and the convenient layout of Spirit. Elation is also smaller, but I didn’t like the fact they had no sofas to sit on in the cabins, that may be a consideration for your older people. Haven’t tried Mardi Gras yet and don’t plan to, just don’t think I would like that big ship and all those people, although I’m sure there will be plenty to do. 
 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Mardi Gras OR Celebration without a doubt! A LOT more varied things to eat and do on those ships compared to the others. 

 

Even though there is a special place in my cruise heart for Spirit class ships, it's a no-brainer in my book.

[Essiesmom]

There are pluses and minuses for Elation.  She’s the oldest ship and, has been mentioned, no couches in the cabins.  But…she is the smallest and if your oldest members have mobility problems, lack of distance/size might be an advantage.

 

I am not a fan of really, really large ships, so I like the Spirit class.  
 

Another consideration might be which airports are most convenient to fly into.  EM

[csm5986142]

I have been on all the ships you suggested (except Celebration of course) and if I were planning the type of trip you are, I would pick Mardi Gras or Celebration without a doubt .  I like all the others, but there so many things to do (for all the ages you mentioned) on the Excel class ships. 

You likely won't bump into family members unexpectedly on one of these big ships like you would the smaller ones (you will have to have organized communication, planned meeting time/locations, etc.)  But I kind of prefer that when I have a bunch of family members on board. 😄

[mz-s]

I would go more based upon ease and expense of travel time. For example if everyone can easily drive into Jacksonville but would need to fly into Miami, I'd take a Jacksonville cruise. If everyone is going to have to fly anyway, then I'd go based upon price and ease of access. Miami is easy to get to from the airport, Canaveral is more difficult. Getting everyone together on the ship for vacation is worth more than the ship itself. My opinion.

[Guest BasicSailor]

Spirit above all the others. Covid and crowds of people are still something I try to avoid.

[snowballs mom]

I would go with Spirit. It is a nice size for the older folks who might find the giant ships exhausting, while having more to do for the younger ones. My MIL starting having issues with walking longer distances and standing in lines waiting once she hit her early 70s, and my FIL had mobility issues, so we tended to book smaller ships when they traveled with us. @BasicSailor's point about crowds and COVID exposure is also good, especially when you are considering older people.

 

[jetsfan58]

All of them are great ships to host your family. When we cruised with a family reunion bunch of course it came down to overall price savings. If your budget is big then go big with the new Mardi Gras and/or Celebration. If your budget is conservative go with the Elation and/or the Spirit. They all are great choices with their own unique features.  

 

Whatever you choose please choose to have FUN!