New England cruise for kids..yea or nay???

[loveysbydesign]

My kids really want to go whale watching and go to a beach!!!!! We want to go this summer...we prefer to cruise out of Philly or NYC. Can we do it for $2000 or less for the 5 of us...2 adults and kids 1,6,9 y.o.? We had originally booked on the NCL Sky for August but will probably be cancelling as we think the heat will be too much for our 1 y.o.!!

[CruisnGram]

Looks like Carnival will be the only line that could accomodate you. The main reason is that the rest of the cruise lines don't even start their Canada/New England sailings until the first of September. Holland America does, but their base price for an inside cabin is 1100 per person. So it's obviously out of your price range.

 

Carnival has 4 and 5 day sailings out of NY that look to be reasonably priced, so I'd suggest you check them out.

 

Good luck!

[KelJ]

My kids really want to go whale watching and go to a beach!!!!! We want to go this summer...we prefer to cruise out of Philly or NYC. Can we do it for $2000 or less for the 5 of us...2 adults and kids 1,6,9 y.o.? We had originally booked on the NCL Sky for August but will probably be cancelling as we think the heat will be too much for our 1 y.o.!!

 

We are sailing this July on RCCL Explorer out of Cape Liberty, NJ, for nine nights to Canada/NE with our two sons (13 and almost 16).

I can't imagine your being able to do this cruise on a $2,000 budget, especially considering that there are five of you. We have paid $8,300 (including two platinum discounts) for cruise only, although we have booked a JS and a D1. Also, prices have really climbed since we booked over a year ago.

Good luck making your decision. I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever you decide.:)

[KelJ]

My kids really want to go whale watching and go to a beach!!!!! We want to go this summer...we prefer to cruise out of Philly or NYC. Can we do it for $2000 or less for the 5 of us...2 adults and kids 1,6,9 y.o.? We had originally booked on the NCL Sky for August but will probably be cancelling as we think the heat will be too much for our 1 y.o.!!

 

double post

[KelJ]

My kids really want to go whale watching and go to a beach!!!!! We want to go this summer...we prefer to cruise out of Philly or NYC. Can we do it for $2000 or less for the 5 of us...2 adults and kids 1,6,9 y.o.? We had originally booked on the NCL Sky for August but will probably be cancelling as we think the heat will be too much for our 1 y.o.!!

 

triple post

[old bag]

We have scheduled our second cruise to Canada for this summer with our children (July 31st from Bayonne). This time we also have two stops in Maine, one in Connecticut and Boston.

 

We find the cruise fantastic for our children, particularly since we don't have to fly to get to the ship.

This time we booked way in advance because a Family Oceanview Room (no balcony for ease of mind) was available. We find the Family Oceanview Rooms (and other similar rooms on other cruiselines) to be far less expensive for larger groups than getting multiple rooms.

 

Now, our's is a 9 day cruise for 4 people. We will have a cabin well over 300 sq ft. With tips included, we are paying around $5000.

 

When we went the first time to Canada, RCCL opened up these cabins for families of size 4 about a month in advance, as these rooms are typically saved for a group of 5 -8. Even if the room is open, you have to call RCCL or deal directly with a travel agent as they do not post these rooms online.

 

In short, we find this trip to be a nice combination of history, flora, and fauna. We find cruising with children, particularly young children, to be a great way to expose them to all sorts of foods without us worrying about the costs ... if they don't like it, we order them something else. It's an easy way to travel with children, which is why this will be our 11 year olds 6th cruise and our 8 year old's 4th cruise.

 

Good luck

[old bag]

Oh, as for the heat for a one year old ... we were in Canada during August and found it comfortable. Of course, as my husband and I well know as our honeymoon in Canada had temperatures well above 100 ... heat does happen.

 

When my son was 10 months, we planned excursions (in the carribean) just as I would being home. We did activities in the AM, and came back on the ship for a late lunch, as which point he would nap. Some times he napped in his stroller pool side and my husband and I took turns watching him, other times we took him back to the room.

 

When my daughter was that age, she either napped in the stroller, while my son played in the pool (one parent to a child), or one of us went back to the room with one or both children. We found that even though our four year old wasn't into naps, while on the cruise, he enjoyed a nap every couple of days.

 

So ... I would suggest not worrying about the heat, and planning your cruise day very much like you would your home day.