Navigator of the Seas for a first timer with kids??

Hello!

We are looking at booking our first ever cruise for next August. We are two adults and three children (they will be 9,12 and 16). We have stumbled across a great deal for the Navigator of the Seas for next August in a family ocean view room with 2 drinks packages included. We live in the Uk so will be sailing from Southampton. It's for 6 nights and stops in Spain and France. I know nothing about cruising as none of my family or friends cruise and neither of us have been on one before so I'm not sure if this is a good cruise for a first timer! There is an alternative cruise on Independence of the Seas but it is a couple of thousand more expensive, is it worth it for the bigger ship? Is there plenty to do on Navigator?

Also we have the option of 2 sea view cabins adjoining but the cost is £1000 more than the family ocean view room. I'm not sure what would be the best option for us, any advice would really be appreciated!

We have the last family ocean view on hold until tomorrow so we don't have long to make a decision! Should we release the room and continue to research different ships, companies etc?

My 12 year old son is autistic if that factors in at all. Thank you!

Hi Kelly. I think you picked a great ship for your family..not too big for your first cruise. Your children are all at a great age to enjoy and remember it also. I would definitely jump on those cabins also. :)

I agree, I think Navigator will be an excellent choice. The only significant advantage I see in Indy is the kiddie pool area, and your kids are too old for that.

We sailed on her a couple of years back. Nice ship, plenty to do, good service and entertainment, and decent food. There is a movie theater, ice skating rink, a parade on the Promenade Deck and a Disco Party. We had a ball.

To be honest, the itinerary (Vigo, Gijon, Bilbao, Le Havre) doesn't appeal to me - the Indy cruise that you're also considering is more expensive because it's a 13/14 night cruise round into the Med.

But it's certainly OK as a taster.

Indy is a bigger ship but Navigator is more than big enough, especially for a first cruise, plenty to do for both adults & kids. I have no hesitation in commending either ship.

A couple of words to the wise about costs - this applies to both Navigator & Indy, and the ships of all the mass-market US cruise lines ..........

Are you aware that on top of the cruise ticket price you'll be expected to pay "gratuities" to the crew?

At about $13 per person (including kids) per night that's a significant amount.

$13 x 7 nights x 5 passengers = $455. That's a total of well over £300.

If you don't pre-pay those "gratuities" they'll be added to your on-board account on a daily basis. You have the right to reduce or remove those "gratuities", but I've put them in quotation marks because they're effectively the crew's wages (shared out with background staff such as kitchen & laundry), and reducing or removing them stiffs the crew.

I mention the charge because cruise lines & UK travel agents are often errrrr..... forgetful :rolleyes: .......... and don't mention them when folk book, so some first-timers don't learn about them until after they've booked or even until they board the ship.

Have you been told about this daily charge?

It's a hot subject, our American cousins don't always understand what the fuss is about because such "tipping" is part of the US culture - I don't want to start a debate on the pros & cons, I just want to be sure you're aware of the expectation.

On-board currency is US dollars.

You won't need to change any cash into dollars because everything you buy on the ship is charged to your on-board account - the credit card you use to set up the account gets charged with the total at the end of the cruise.

At some point on the cruise you'll be asked on a form whether you would like that total to be converted to sterling before charging your credit card. DECLINE that offer, instead allow your card supplier to convert because they'll use wholesale exchange rates & cruise lines use rip-off exchange rates.

Same applies to buying euros - ships' exchange rates are awful. Get some ahead of your cruise from the usual suspects (Sainsbury, M&S, Tesco, Post Office on-line, etc), or use your debit card in ATMs in the ports.

On cruises from the UK all Royal Caribbean ships provide kettles & tea-makings in the cabins - they know we like our morning cuppa. But they don't provide coffee in-cabin, some quaint idea that we Brits drink only tea :D . So pack a jar of your favourite instant.

Sailing from Southampton is so much easier, more laid-back & more civilised than using zoos like Heathrow or Gatwick :)

JB :)

Thank you for your replies, very helpful. The Independence cruise we are considering is an 8 night to France and Spain. It stops at an extra port in Spain but otherwise is the same just 2 extra nights so I wasn't sure if it was worth paying extra for a "bigger" ship?

We have been told about the gratuities by the travel agents and they added them to our quote. Thank you though as I wouldn't have known about them otherwise! Thank you for the other tips too, I will start keeping a notebook. With all this valuable information in. I am very much a planner so will be doing all the research I can!

The Navigator of the Seas was our kids first cruise ship and they loved it. They were 9 and 12 at the time.

Think of the ship as floating "hotel", albeit, with smaller rooms! A "family" cabin should be fine, but will still be a bit tight. BUT...you won't be IN the room except to sleep and change...really! There is a lot to do on the ship...you'll be out and about!

The 2 younger kids will enjoy the kid's clubs...the 16 year old...well, they'll find others in their age groups to "hang" with...most older teens "do their own thing"...not much into organized activities!

Get a guidebook on ports you're not familiar with..it can save you a bundle if you find you don't need "excursions" to have a good time!

Navigator is a perfect kids ship with a deck for younger kids and the teens find friends everywhere. Food is not bad and for kids its great. Lot of burgers, chip, regular European breakfast etc.

We are first time cruisers also travelling on the Navigator on the 07/08/16, we have a son aged 16, we are all looking forward to the cruise. We have done so much research and the Navigator seemed to be the best option for us. I hope you make the right choice and have a lovely time on your first cruise like us.

The only advantage to booking two cabins is that you will have 2 showers in which to use. If someone is taking a shower the others are SOL and will have to wait, and that will make getting ready for dinner a longer process if you are all packed into a single stateroom.

I have nothing to contribute to the cabin concerns, but I have been on 10 cruises, 10 different ships, and the Navigator is my favorite of all. It is a great ship. I am partial to the Voyager class ships, something for everybody of every age.

The only advantage to booking two cabins is that you will have 2 showers in which to use. If someone is taking a shower the others are SOL and will have to wait, and that will make getting ready for dinner a longer process if you are all packed into a single stateroom.

And there are more-urgent issues first-thing in the morning when there's only one bathroom. :D

JB :)

Both nice ships (nice class of ships), but the itinerary isn't the greatest. There really isn't much in Gijon at all, Vigo is a good distance out from where it docks.

Le Havre is there to make you go to Paris, at vast expense, although the two stops on the shuttle bus are the town centre (not much there) and a shopping mall.

Hello!

We are looking at booking our first ever cruise for next August. We are two adults and three children (they will be 9,12 and 16). We have stumbled across a great deal for the Navigator of the Seas for next August in a family ocean view room with 2 drinks packages included. We live in the Uk so will be sailing from Southampton. It's for 6 nights and stops in Spain and France. I know nothing about cruising as none of my family or friends cruise and neither of us have been on one before so I'm not sure if this is a good cruise for a first timer! There is an alternative cruise on Independence of the Seas but it is a couple of thousand more expensive, is it worth it for the bigger ship? Is there plenty to do on Navigator?

 

Also we have the option of 2 sea view cabins adjoining but the cost is £1000 more than the family ocean view room. I'm not sure what would be the best option for us, any advice would really be appreciated!

We have the last family ocean view on hold until tomorrow so we don't have long to make a decision! Should we release the room and continue to research different ships, companies etc?

 

My 12 year old son is autistic if that factors in at all. Thank you!

The Navigator is one of my favorite ships. The Independence is very much like the Navigator. The Independence is bigger and does offer a few more bells and whistles (American slang for more and new things) but it is not worth two thousand more. Besides, if you like cruising, you can always go on the Independence sometime in the future. If you have a great deal on the Navigator, book it. The Navigator is a great ship for first timers.

Why get two separate cabins when you can have the entire family in one big cabin for less? Usually one big cabin costs more than two separate cabins.

I think you have made a great choice.

Both nice ships (nice class of ships), but the itinerary isn't the greatest. There really isn't much in Gijon at all, Vigo is a good distance out from where it docks.

 

Le Havre is there to make you go to Paris, at vast expense, although the two stops on the shuttle bus are the town centre (not much there) and a shopping mall.

You're as unimpressed with the itinerary as me. ;)

But on second thoughts ......................

The big downside of cruising is the limited time in each port. :(

Just one day for a city like Venice. Or Barcelona. Or Istanbul. Or Athens. Or the French Riviera. Or have to choose from the myriad places around Naples / Amalfi. And in some cities like Rome or Florence or Paris, a port-of-call visit gives only half a day, due to travel time from the port.

All these places are worth a 3/4/5-day break.

And since Kelly is from the UK, it's relatively cheap & easy to do that on other occasions. :)

But it's unlikely they'll ever visit Gijon or Vigo. Or experience more of Bilbao than I have - off the ferry & the main road out of town. .

Unexciting ports perhaps - but being on a first cruise will more than make up for that.

And plenty of options from Le Havre besides the long haul to Paris - Honfleur? Deauville/Trouville? the British D-Day beaches?

On reflection, in Kelly's circumstances it's not a bad itinerary.:)

Kelly - did you book?

JB :)

In Vigo, it's possible to go down river a bit to a beach; take a ferry across to the other side, or the 1/2 hour ferry out to the nature reserve on the Cies Islands (our favourite). Parts of the town itself are ancient, and you can stroll around, buy a drink or even shop!

There's usually a shuttle into Bilbao from the port- about 45 mins, and again, there's some interesting old streets and the massive Guggenheim gallery...

Usually there's trips to Santiago de Compostella from there, but that might not be for the children.

If it's good weather, you can visit the beach at Le Havre... the town was massively bombed during the war, and the concrete rebuild isn't to every taste. Interesting harbour, too.

We enjoy short cruises around the Bay of Biscay like this. :cool:

Thank you for the comments, I have only just seen the last few so I am sorry. For the delay in replying!

Yes we have booked the Navigator for the 19th of August 2016, we have a family ocean view cabin 8200 plus 2 drinks packages included. We are all very excited for our first ever cruise!

Regarding the ports we were not really too fussed about these, to be honest we are looking forward to being on the ship rather than the ports. We have been to France and Paris many times so will probably stay on the ship.

Bilbao appears to have a beach very close to the port so hoping to have a beach day. We have seen an RCI excursion from Gijon, canoeing down the river which we may do depending on it's suitability for the children. My son is autistic so we would be avoiding the typical excursions like the plague!