RCCL Freedom of the Seas vs. NCL Epic

[cbryteach]

We have a group of 7 planning a cruise for Thanksgiving of 2010. At this point we are considering the Eastern Itinerary which includes 3 days at sea. There will be a 3 and 7 year old, and 5 adults (including 2 - mid 60 year olds, who are young at heart). There is about a $400 difference between the two ships. Adults have cruised RCCL before. Need advice/suggestions on these two ships.

[CanadianTwosome]

Well, I've never cruised RCCL before, but I am booked on the Epic for December 2010. We've got a family balcony cabin across the hall from Recess, the kids' area, and we're very much looking forward to it. When you say there is a $400 difference between the two ships, do you mean per person, per cabin, or all together? If it's per person or per cabin, to me, that would be a deal breaker. That's $400 that can be spent on other things - and if it's NCL that costs less, I highly recommend spending a portion of it on some specialty dining! :)

 

As for the kid's facilities - since this is, after all, the family board - I'm anticipating a great experience on the Epic. All of our previous experiences with NCL have been fantastic, and the Epic has even more family/kid friendly areas and activities designed into her. :)