carnival victory Nova Scotia with small kids?

[sr5242]

we are considering taking the carnival victory cruise on aug 11 out of NY to nova scotia/new brunswick. we have two small kids who will both be 5 yrs old at time of cruising.

 

has anyone taken this cruise itinerary? would you recommend it to first time cruisers with small kids?

 

what type of room would you recommend? I saw a family oceanview- is this really any different than a regular ocean view? are there any room types where at least 3 people can sleep on actual beds/sofas rather than the drop down?

 

would we fly into JFK for this cruise?

 

Any info is appreciated!

[redlef]

we are considering taking the carnival victory cruise on aug 11 out of NY to nova scotia/new brunswick. we have two small kids who will both be 5 yrs old at time of cruising.

 

has anyone taken this cruise itinerary? would you recommend it to first time cruisers with small kids?

 

what type of room would you recommend? I saw a family oceanview- is this really any different than a regular ocean view? are there any room types where at least 3 people can sleep on actual beds/sofas rather than the drop down?

 

would we fly into JFK for this cruise?

 

Any info is appreciated!

 

Here's the info on Camp Carnival for the kids:

http://carnival.com/CMS/Static_Templates/Toddlers.aspx

 

I've done the cruise and saw families with young children. There is plenty to do on the ship to keep them happy. For shore excursions, many of them are sightseeing trips as opposed to activites like swimming on a beach. Depends on your kids if it's right for them. Here's a list of Nova Scotia excursions:

http://carnival.com/ShoreExcursionsSearchResults.aspx?region=NN&portcode=YHZ&portname=Halifax%2c+NS%2c+Canada

Here's the St. Johns's Excursions:

http://carnival.com/ShoreExcursionsSearchResults.aspx?region=NN&portcode=YSJ&portname=Saint+John%2c+NB%2c+Canada

 

Don't know about the family vs regular oceanview stateroom, we stayed in a balcony, which only is available with a pulldown bed.

 

You could fly into JFK, LaGuardia or Newark. I'd select an airport on price alone. Taxi fares will be very similar. I'd bet that a taxi would be cheaper than Carnival's transfers, because Carnival charges by the person and a taxi charges by the ride.

 

It's a good idea to fly in the night before: summer storms can screw up air travel and you don't want to miss the boat. To save a few dollars, stay at an airport hotel instead of a Manhattan hotel.

[big_duck]

Family staterooms are slightly larger then a balcony room (they cover the balcony of the deck below) and have floor to ceiling windows. They are very nice.

[nybumpkin]

We're booked on the August 11 Victory cruise with our three kids. This will be our third cruise to Canada on Victory; youngest was 4 the first time we sailed (also our first cruise). We were hooked on cruising after that. There will probably be a fair number of kids on board, since it's summer vacation and it's a 5-day cruise. My son loved the 2-5 YO Camp Carnival program (he's now 7 and loves the 6-8 program now). Our kids also love the 24-hour pizza, the burgers, and the ice cream available on the Lido deck. There's a kids' menu available in the dining room, but kids are welcome (and may be encouraged) to try things on the regular menu. My youngest learned to love tilapia on a Carnival cruise.:cool:

 

In the ports - both ports are easy to visit on your own with kids. In Halifax, your kids might enjoy riding Theodore Tugboat. It's an hour-long ride on a real tugboat with guides who point out all of Theodore's friends in the harbor, and when we went son got to sit in the captain's chair and wear his hat. This is available as a Carnival excursion, but I went with my son last year on our own for a lot less money. Another excursion you might like is the Harbour Hopper, which is an amphibious craft that drives around Halifax, then drives into the harbor for a tour. I have photos of both posted at http://family.webshots.com/album/554011794KYxDjL.

 

If you do decide to book (I hope you do!), come join our roll call at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=420585.