pattle66

We have been on a B2B with the changeover in Perth. The previous leg had a stop in Indonesia and we did not have to pack up our belongings between the cruises. I would say the land based staff have made an error. Either way the staff on board will advise you what the procedure will be.

Enjoy your cruise!

I am sorry RCI did not meet your expectations once you were on board. I have always found the staff at AO to be very accommodating. It sounds like you had it in your mind that you wanted your son in the lower aged group but did the AO staff discuss with you how they would work with your son in his age group? Did they give you any other options?

I admit I am in 2 minds on how I think AO should handle the situation.

On one hand I would not be comfortable with a teenage boy or boys (14 -17) being allowed in the 9 -11 group with my 9 year old daughter. I would be worried about unwanted attention from a teenage boy full of hormones who may not have the ability to control his actions. I am not saying that describes your son but we only know our own children.

On the other hand your son should have been able to enjoy the AO facilities especially as they advertise groups by ability not age. AO do have pagers that they could have provided you with in case of any issues.

I hope that your future cruising experiences are enjoyable.

I always need a cardigan or a shawl when sitting in the theatre because it is so cold. Maybe that is what they were referring to. :D

Our family of 4 hiked Vesuvius before heading to Pompeii last year. We did not do a ships tour but hire Rome In Limo instead. We were the first ones to arrive at Vesuvius and it was spectacular. It is steep but we didn't have any trouble, just take your time. When we were heading down the ships tour were heading up. I felt sorry for a lady who was very slow and she was left well behind but I loved her determination to get to the top. I hope she made it.

Pompeii is amazing. We had a great guide and felt the pace was just right. Of course having never been I am not sure if we missed out on anything..

Enjoy your cruise.

If it is anything like Carnival it will be closed a lot. A sniff of wind and they close it for safety reasons.

We usually book a balcony cabin with a Pullman and sofa for our family of 4. Last year on Splendour we could only get a double sofa but it wasn't an issue. The cabin attendant made it up to be 2 single beds with separate bedding and staggered them so one bed was positioned a foot below the other.

If you would like to see a photo let me know and I will dig one out for you.

Us Aussies have school holidays in September. You might find a few of us on the cruise with kids.

Ephesus is absolutely amazing and very kid friendly - open area to explore. We went with a private guide (which was less expensive than going through the ship) and the company sent someone who was very kid friendly and kept my girls excited the whole time. Not having the benefit of visiting most of the other cities' date=' it's hard for me to say, but personally I would choose the cruise that includes Ephesus since it's such a historical treasure to wander through. I'd even give up the cruise with 3 at sea days - and that's saying a lot!

 

Venice was also one of my girls' favorites when we visited for a few days after our week in Tuscany last summer. If possible, I'd suggest staying over at least a night if the ship doesn't. We rented an apartment and it was wonderful being on the streets after most of the tourists had returned to their ships.

 

Best,

Mia[/quote']

 

I would totally agree Ephesus was a favourite for our 10 year old twins. We had a private guide and she made it so interesting for the kids.

 

Dubrovnik was also great for the kids. They enjoyed walking the wall.

 

You will have a good time no matter which cruise you pick. Enjoy!

Our kids love eating at the MDR. On RCI we have always had fantastic waiters that loved to keep the kids entertained with magic tricks.

We also bring coloring pencils and books and play hangman and tic tac toe. Sometimes their father or I would take them up to kids club if they didn't want dessert.

We took our kids out of school last year for a Mediterranean trip. We spent some time in England before flying to Venice for our cruise. We did B2B cruises with RCI totalling 14 days and then spent a few days in Barcelona before flying home via Singapore. All up it was just over 3 weeks. There were not many kids on board but there were enough to make a few friends in Adventure Ocean (maybe 40 kids all up). Visiting all those ports will be an education in itself. Try to rest up on the sea days as you will be very tired from being on the go.

I researched for months to plan this trip and to make sure our activities would be tailored for us parents and the kids (aged 10). We did quite a few private tours and made sure they were flexible so if the kids were over it we could change them on the fly. We never had to do that though. We scored the best guides that kept the kids fully engaged.

We gave our kids a new digital camera each for the trip. They took their own photos and created a powerpoint slide of their trip. Each port they would email the new slides back to their class. When we returned to school they were excited to see their slides pinned up on the walls. The class were also learning from their experience.

Enjoy your trip!

Not everyone has the same views and that is ok. We believe learning is not something confined to 4 walls in a classroom between the hours of 9-3:30pm. Children learn through all senses and at any time of the day or night. They learn through their environment, friends, family and by themselves. They are very smart. They learn best through experience and when they are happy and enjoying what they do. School is only one learning environment, and it's not their main one.

We live in Australia so our rules are a bit different but we have taken our kids out of school to travel many times. They have cruised the Baltics to Russia, Hawaii, Mediterranean, UK and circumnavigated Australia. All of our cruises have been 10+ nights with the longest being 42 nights around Oz.

Good luck with what ever you choose.

Sitting on our balcony for the first time and feeling the stress leave my body.

I have yet to be on a cruise where fresh OJ was not offered for breakfast. There is a charge though. We cruised the Med last year and the Baltics a couple of years ago.

My kids are 10 and I have yet to let them sign themselves out. At this time I see no reason why they need to be on their own on a ship. They will be 11 on our next cruise and I don't think I will let them sign themselves out then either.

Only the parents know whether it is appropriate for their children.

I haven't heard of a 'rock the boat' cruise. What is it?

At breakfast in the Windjammer they also have flavoured milk. They also have hot chocolate sachets by the tea and coffee stations.

We really enjoy the MDR. We love the service and the food. I don't remember ever being disappointed with our experience (but that may be because I didn't have to cook or do the dishes).

Don't feel alone, we get shafted here in Australia too. Once I book for a price I am happy with I try not to look again. One day I will get enough courage to use a TA from the US.

Last month we booked a cruise for the 4 of us. If I was to book the same cruise today it is nearly $4000 more :eek: I can't believe how prices can change so much for a cruise that doesn't leave until September 2016! Needless to say I am very happy with the price we are paying. :D

I have never had a problem with any of the beds on RCI, including Rhapsody. I always sleep really well on a cruise. Not sure if the slight rocking helps. They are not super soft, or super hard. Perfect for Goldilocks :D

Thanks for your review. That photo is gorgeous! An Alaskan cruise is on my cruising bucket list.

We have been on Radiance a number of times and we love her. My kids also love Adventure Ocean.

We cruised Carnival once as the slides were a drawcard for our kids. I was not impressed. We did try the Green Thunder once but the kids were not tall enough. The slides were closed a lot as the weather was windy.

I'm not bothered if RCI doesn't add slides. Free internet would be cool though :p

A train after a long flight and having to carry all your luggage will add unnecessary stress and will not save you much money.

I would go the taxi option. Our family of 4 always get a taxi to the hotel. We have never had an issue finding a taxi to fit us. The attendant will call for a maxi if he feels you need one. It will come straight away. Hopefully you will be able to fit into a station wagon as Maxi's do charge you more than a normal taxi.

We did B2B on Splendour Of The Seas last year. The first leg started and ended in Venice and the second leg was Venice to Barcelona. It was one of our best holidays but it was tiring! We had a few days in Venice before the cruise and a few days in Barcelona at the end. It is very port intensive with only a couple of sea days. Because we had never been to the Med before we did full excursions in each port.

We booked our own flights because we made stops in Singapore and the UK on our way to Venice.

I stumbled across this review last night and read the first 42 pages! I logged on today for the next installment. Chris, your review is fantastic. My husband was reading over my shoulder and I made sure to drop in a number of times that we do not have our next cruise booked. Fingers crossed it was a big enough hint as he likes your itinerary.:D

Thank you and I look forward to the next installment.

Shellie