Kids cruise free trip in Mar 2008- Help

[A Tucson Guy]

We are considering on of the Caribbean cruises in Mar of 2008. I notice that since it is spring break, they are offering kids cruise free. Our kids are grown and I am wondering what this type of cruise will be like considering young children. Can anybody, without small children on one of these cruises, give me their thoughts and if there are any reviews available. please let me know.

Thanks,

Al LaPeter

[Ste. Michelle]

We also have grown children. We sailed last March on the Mariner. There were a group of children on our particular cruise that made me say "never again" for any cruise that "kids sail free" on. As a matter of fact, we had booked a 14 day cruise on the Navigator in March of 2008 that we cancelled. We booked on Seabourn instead.

[Dolebludger]

I personally like kids, though mine are grown and gone now. We were on a "kids cruise free" on the old Diamond in the summer of '03, and there were problems. Not because of the age of the extra guests, but because there were extra guests and not extra service crew. Room service was non-existant at times. The ship felt crowded -- especially on sea days. I'd be hesitant to take one of these cruises again -- unless I were one of those with kids I wanted to go along for free.

[Cruisedreamer1]

We were on the Mariner in March of this year and di not realize until last minute that there would be children on the ship. However, the children (there appeared to be no one younger than say 9 years old) were not a problem for us except for the last two days of the cruise. They gobbled up all the chocolates at the Easter bunny display and ran through the ship on a scavanger hunt. Other than that, we really didn't see them.

 

I spoke with one mother of a 12-13 year old who told me that she was bored with the program but liked it since she met some friends through it to "hang out" with during the cruise. The ship itself is not not set up for large groups of children and definitely not any younger than 9.

 

My husband and I decided that if we take our grandchildren on a cruise it will be a Disney one or one that really caters to children.

[Travelcat2]

Children on cruises with Regent provided activities are probably better than children that are taken out of school and are on board with mostly adults. In summer 2006, we were on a cruise with some very well-behaved children -- not a problem at all.

 

In March, 2007 (not during Spring Break or President's Week), there were few children but they seemed to be everywhere (ages approx. 5, 6, 7) it was extremely distruptive -- sitting on stairways in a manner than passengers could not pass -- yelling in the internet/library as well as in Compass Rose.

 

I'm absolutely not against children -- just "been there -- done that" and now enjoy vacations when school is in session:)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We booked a bargain week on the PG once in April, not realizing it was Easter. There were thus a number of children on board, and this was before they had any special programs for them (they used to discourage children in the early days of the PG.)

 

But they were not bad at all, really. The only pain was that they monopolized the tiny pool usually for the entire day. But that was a small price to pay for keeping them busy while on the ship. Otherwise, they were well-mannered and mostly invisible.

[BILLP1]

We were on the Mariner last March and there was one family who could care less what their kids did.

Everone that we met on board had a comment about these kids..

 

 

I will now avoid any Regent cruise that says kids are free..

[Ste. Michelle]

Bill,

 

I'm SURE we were on the same cruise!! That is why we cancelled our March 2008 Navigator and booked instead on Seabourn. I think kids are great, but ...Kids will be kids, but there is no excuse for oblivious adults.

[Dolebludger]

Wendy:

 

I think that children on the PG, and its water activity based intinerary, is a "natural" for children, and no special "kids program" is needed. Back when I was 7 or so (when dinosours roamed the earth!) a cruise on the PG would have been heaven for me. I would have been too occupied with swimming, snorkeling, and exploring to have caused any problems for fellow guests. When my grandson is a few years older (he's 4 now) I plan to take him on the PG (if it is still around.) We've had five total weeks on the PG, and have seen all the children respond to the available activities in the same way. With or without a "kids program" they love it. And as a result, the children are no problem at all.

 

In contrast, our heavily-discounted Diamond/Caribbean "kids cruise free" cruise experienced a number of problems. Too many sea days. Engine problems gave us more. Children had nothing to do, so they ate -- from room service. Room service was actually unavailable to me at times as a result. Overall service suffered, as the ship was actually "over maximum occupancy" while no more service crew was added to compensate.

 

Bottom line, I'd avoid any "kids cruise free" cruise, unless it were on the PG.

[kimiata]

Hi Al, we were on a "Kids Sail Free" Alaska cruise on the Mariner last summer. The cruise was wonderful, but there were just too many out-of-control kids, and they also were dressed inappropriately in Signatures, which probably shouldn't have bugged me, but it did. The worst part was on the Tracy Arm catamaran excursion, which would have been perfect if not for all the kids wildly running around the entire time. The poor naturalist had to shut off her microphone and reprimand them herself. Of course the parents were clueless.

 

I also think it was harder to get to know other passengers on this cruise, since so many of them seemed content to hang out with their families and weren't as interested in meeting new people.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

We were on the Mariner last March and there was one family who could care less what their kids did.

Everone that we met on board had a comment about these kids..

 

 

I will now avoid any Regent cruise that says kids are free..

 

 

Hi again Bill! We had that family on the first leg of our flight home and the kids screamed at the top of their lungs and ran around the plane the whole time. Parents didn't seem to care.

 

Ragnar

[BILLP1]

Ragnar,

 

Could not get away from that family even on the plane.

That must have been a fun flight.

 

Carolyn and I are leaving on a 13 night New England -Canada cruise in three weeks and booked again on Regent Mariner next April. Hope not to ever run into that family again.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Wow, Bill, sounds like fun!

 

We are somewhat vacation impaired for a while as we have a 6 month old Doberman puppy (Griffin. over 60 lbs already) that ties us down. Once he's a year or so old we will start boarding him for increasing periods and/or get pet sitters. He's a bit of a handful for others to handle at the moment:rolleyes:

 

We did manage last week to drive up the central California coast to Big Sur and Carmel for a few days, staying at dog-friendly hotels on the beaches. Was a nice getaway, awesome scenery up there.

 

By the way, Lady Danneskjold (Carol) retired in June, so she is really wanting to do another cruise.

[BILLP1]

Get that dogsitter and enjoy some vacation...

[SFImporter]

We had an Alaskan cruise on the Mariner about two years ago and I was worried when I found out it was a kids free special. I'm glad to say that they must have been so occupied that I don't remember seeing many kids about at all - except for one time when I saw group of orderly children on their way for a special kids tour of the galley.

 

On the other hand there was an obnoxious woman we ran into on the train to the ship who wanted everything her way. The train for ship's passengers had huge windows with great views from any seat - and seats were assigned. She didn't care, she wanted to sit in the middle right next to the window.

 

So she ignored the people who were assigned those seats - and then they thought it wasn't assigned seating - which threw off more people. When they tried to move her to her assigned seat she let off a rant.

 

They ended up letting her sit where she was and offered her a complimentary bottle of champagne to make up for her inconvenience.

 

Please. Trashy, trashy, trashy. And you know - I saw her later on in the cruise with her husband at Signatures. And he had taken his shoes off under the table. I guess they were each others perfect match.

[A Tucson Guy]

Thanks everybody. We decided to cancel the "kid's free" cruise. Instead we are doing 19 day land trip to Australia put together by a company called Southern Crossings. This board is always a great source of help and information.

Aloha,

Al

[lrmorris]

Al, we are also using Southern Crossings (recommended by our Virtuoso Travel Agent) for our land portions of a month long trip to Australia and New Zealand. We are doing a 14 night Sydney to Auckland cruise on the Mariner in between. When is your land tour? Our will be before and after the Nov 10th sailing of Mariner. Linda & Larry

[A Tucson Guy]

Larry and Linda,

We are doing the land trip 3-15 to 4-2-08. It looks really exciting. Are you going in 2007 or 2008?

Thanks,

Al

 

Al, we are also using Southern Crossings (recommended by our Virtuoso Travel Agent) for our land portions of a month long trip to Australia and New Zealand. We are doing a 14 night Sydney to Auckland cruise on the Mariner in between. When is your land tour? Our will be before and after the Nov 10th sailing of Mariner. Linda & Larry

[lrmorris]

We are going in November/December of this year. We'll try to post how it was when we get back in mid-December. Linda & Larry