sjgertz

I misspoke earlier as I just got some more texts from my friend who is onboard the ship - they are currently in Kauai for a short day (were supposed to remain overnight) then head out to sea - still planning to return to Honolulu on Saturday...

My friends who are currently on the ship texted last night that all further ports have been scrapped and they don't know about Saturday yet...That was about 10 hours ago - things may have changed by now.

Just an FYI we looked at that cruise for this year but ended up on the Sapphire Princess (due to sailing with an almost 8yo) with a very similar itinerary so if you're willing, look at Princess too. In May some of the roads in certain points may not be open for the summer yet...

For others going on this cruise in the future here is the link to my review of the same cruise:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=627062

On our recent Sapphire cruise one had to sign the kid up for port days by the day before - though several later afternoons in port our daughter went when we hadn't singed up (ie after we got back ont he ship from whatever we had been doing). We never used it in the morning of a port day but I would without hesitation. Princess does allow you to be off the ship while one's kids are in the club.

Here is a link to my review of our recent cruise. Hopefully it will be useful to those sailing with school age kids - I know I did a lot of looking at these boards before we went and I found similar reviews very helpful.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=627062

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=627062

Link to my review for future cruisers trying to answer these questions

Does the taxi in Southampton take credit cars or do I need cash? We are taking national express from Heathrow to Southhampton but will then take a taxi to the port - it just dawned on me I may need some pounds sterling.

We made the same decision for June 2018. Decided on Princess as Sapphire has a children's club and Prisendam does not (they used to run it if more than 20 kids on board but that stopped Dec 2017) and we are travelling with our 7yo. Sapphire ended up being about $2000 cheaper for our room preference...We liked the concept of the smaller ship and the kids club was the deal breaker - we would have paid the higher price for the smaller ship experience.

I board a princess ship on June 23rd. I have a completely blank current era coffee card. Anyone have a clue if it will be valid? Time will tell...

Called Princess today and found out there are 6 kids ages 3-7 on our sailing. I will now stop worrying about the age divisions in the kids club since they will run as one big club with that few kids and start worrying about if they even run it!

Thank you for all the super useful information. Booked the night at Ibis Heathrow with the help of London Toolkit - figured out how to use free public bus and will take National Express to ship in the morning. Booked private car with Smiths for the way back with a Stonehendge stop.

Sorry I wasn't clear - our cruise departs on June 23rd so we arrive via air the night prior. We arrive at terminal 2

Hi All,

Arriving at LHR about 830pm Friday June 22. Planned to stay at an airport hotel to then catch transit to Southhampton the next day. Return on July7th with a flight time at 6pm

1. Should we stay at the Hilton friday night that is walkable so we don't have to deal with the dreaded hoppa? Would another airport hotel be better?

2. National express bus in the morning seems easy and cost efective

3. On the return we currently have Princess transit that includes a stonehendge visit - this is not cheap

4. I have an inquiry to Smith's for the cost of round trip transit and a stop which would alleviate some of the hotel angst.

Other options I should be considering? 2 adults and one adventuresome 7 year old! Thanks

I think there won't be a lot of kids for two reasons 1. Similar itinerary on HAL (prinsendam) had 0 kids booked, dates were similar and 2. The roll call for the cruise is super active with only a few adolescents in it no school age kids. When I called princess they were not able to tell me how many kids were booked. I think the length and the itinerary are not the most popular for families though the dates are certainly right.

Thanks all. I've booked the cruise and she will just have to deal with whatever comes. I haven't actually told her anything because dependent upon the age of other girls on the boat it may or may not even be an issue.

Seriously looking at a cruise from June 23-July 7. Daughter turns 8 July 12. From what I'm reading she will have to be in the 3-7 yo age group with no chance of the 8-12 yo group? Can anyone confirm what happened to them in a similar situation? I also perceive there will be very few children on this cruise how often are all the age groups combined in one big group which would make it a moot point? Not ready to listen to my almost 8 yo whine for two weeks that she is in the "baby" group (not that i won't just tell her to suck it up:))

Seriously looking at a cruise from June 23-July 7. Daughter turns 8 July 12. From what I'm reading she will have to be in the 3-7 yo age group with no chance of the 8-12 yo group? Can anyone confirm what happened to them in a similar situation? I also perceive there will be very few children on this cruise how often are all the age groups combined in one big group which would make it a moot point? Not ready to listen to my almost 8 yo whine for two weeks that she is in the "baby" group (not that i won't just tell her to suck it up:))

Looking to book an oceanview room on the Sapphire and looking to see how three beds are configured for two parents and one kid. I think the pullman is over the bed - will I forever be slamming my head into the kids bunk? Anyone have a link to a photo? Thank you

FYI for the Club HAL on Prinsendam I called shore services today and as of Dec 20th, 2017 they have suspended Club HAL on Prinsendam as they only have 23 children booked for 2018. There were no children booked on the cruise we were looking at (June 16th - 30th). I'm so sad. Ive always wanted to sail on the Prinsendam. I'm reasonably sure we will be on the Norwegian Jade. This is more proof that HAL is not trying to get the family market.

Thank you Jacqui - our expeirience with a kid on HAL has always been that the staff adore her (she has always seemed to have personal stewards on the Lido deck - when she sailed at 11 months she had a personal ice cream servant and at 3 1/2 a woman who she still talks about visiting in Bali;)). I’m glad to hear the prinsendam Club HAL would work. We will try and check with shore services to make sure it will be running.

Anyone had them operate the sometimes Club HAL on Prinsendam? We're looking at a Norway cruise this summer (14 day north cape) and literature states they run club HAL if there are kids and we're wondering if there is a threshold? We will have an almost 8 yo girl.

Hi All,

My 7 year old has been begging to go to Norway (not sure why) and we're planning to indulge her next June. Looking into the Hurtigruten ships we have picked a ship and an itinerary that make sense for us (three of their ships have children's programming in the summer).

On the website it books her as full fare. Anyone travel with a child on Hurtigruten? Is she really full fare?

Thanks - and yes I know there is no entertainment on this ship and it is for the scenery - this is the kid who asked to go to Paris for her 6th birthday where she just wanted to sit and look at a view of the city. She will do fine looking at fjords passing by.

Thank you - they're perfect

Anyone have a tour guide/company they loved in Dubai? We have a nine hour layover on a flight and want to be picked up and dropped off from the airport - figured it was the same as a day trip on a cruise.