Am I okay with this cruise?

[carolinesmom]

Last week I started researching cruises as a possibility for a family vacation for 2010 spring break. We have 4 children ages 14, 12, 9, and 6. I have a great travel agent who handles my Disney trips and she also does cruises. She gave me all the options for 5 night cruises out of Florida ports and one out of New Orleans for the week we can go (Easter week), just those that she would recommend. I had her price the three that departed on Monday, because that would work best for us (we would fly in on Sunday). There was one each for Carnival, RCL, and Celebrity. All were oceanview connecting cabins. Celebrity was considerably less expensive than the other two. The ports for that cruise are Key West and Grand Cayman. My husband and I have been to Key West and love it. I'm sure the kids would enjoy it as well. We know nothing about Grand Cayman, but in doing a little research it sounds like there is a nice beach there and the town is nice, so I'm sure it would be fine.

 

Based upon all of that I'm planning to go with the Celebrity cruise. I just want to make sure the kids are going to be happy. From what I've read it seems like the other two lines have more offerings. But Celebrity does have a kids club and my two oldest could be together which I consider a plus. Any of you who have been on a Celebrity cruise with kids - is it okay? Do you think they will be happy?

 

The only other concern is the dining. My husband is very opposed to bringing a suit on vacation. I checked and there is one formal night during the 5 nights. I figured we could just do casual dining that night and forget about the main dining room. Will that work? I'm thinking the other 4 nights he will be fine in dockers and a collared shirt? Is that true? He would be okay with that. Just not the jacket and tie!

 

If anyone can provide any feedback on this and help put my mind at ease, I would appreciate it!

Thanks!

[cb at sea]

I think your kids would have a fine time on Celebrity--I mean, any cruise is great!

 

GC has beaches an easy cab/bus ride away...there's plenty of transportation at the dock.

Your husband's attire (dockers, etc...) are fine for all but the formal night.

I think this would be a great family cruise!

[Caribbean Sunsets]

The most popular excursion in Grand Cayman are the stingrays. If your children love the water, they should love the stingrays. Check out all of the recommendations on the Caribbean Ports of Call board. You could easily book a private tour that includes snorkel stops and beach time.

[JanineM]

We love Celebrity. We don't have kids, but have been on sailings where there have been plenty of children and teens and they all seemed to be having a good time!

 

We were in Grand Cayman in September and went on a little trolley tour. It was fine, but your kids would probably be bored. It's a very pretty island, so anything beach would be a hit.

 

As to dining ... yes, casual dining would be a terrific choice for the formal night if your husband doesn't want to bring a jacket and/or tie. Men tend to dress up more on Celebrity, although shorter cruises tend to be more casual than longer sailings.

 

We often eat in casual dining just because it has different choices for dinner. The service is still great (although it can be a bit slower because the servers are in training), and the food is good stuff like ribs, fish & chips, lasagna, etc. There are several choices each night.

 

If Casual Dining isn't your thing that night, remember you can always have Room Service! Maybe you send the kids off for pasta/salad bar/ pizza and you have a nice date night? ;)

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

I respectfully disagree about formal night. I think that you wil be making a very big mistake by not participating in formal night. Your husband does not have to bring a suit. He can bring a sports jacket and a nice dress shirt but no tie. A tie is nice and most men will wear one but it is not mandatory. There are even some very nice dress shirts that can be worn without a jacket or tie that look great.

 

Please note that formal nights on a cruise ship are a magical night with special menus, entertainment and music. The cruise staff is dressed up in their special uniforms and so on. There is a sparkle about the ship.

 

You and your family have all the clothes you need in your closet. The kids should look nice in dress shirts but a suit is not needed. The girls already have something that they wear to church.

 

Why? Frankly, there is nothing so nice as seeing your children or other kids (I have two) going into the main dining room together on formal nights, and having a formal picture taken before dinner.

 

Even after 30 cruises my DW and I enjoy formal nights. Others will tell you it is a waste of time and that they do not like to dress up or have to pack a jacket or whatever. Do you really want to carry a tray when the waiters in the main dining room are serving some excellent food?

 

And... it seems to happen on every cruise. There will be a very few couples wandering around the ship in casual clothes on formal nights. The women will have a look that says...maybe that for this one night we could have dressed up!

 

I did not write this to start any arguments about the dress code, but rather to let you know what you will be missing.

[CaptData]

Celebrity has a great kids program. As for formal night, it is a great opportunidty to get a family photo (the kind you send out in Christmas cards). The older two will be in the Teen club.

[carolinesmom]

Fredr, thanks for the insight into the formal night. We are now leaning toward going. My two older daughters look upon this as an opportunity to buy a new dress! A couple of others I spoke with, also, said it would be fine for my husband to wear a jacket and button down shirt, no tie required. I think he would be fine with that. So we will likely do the formal night. I'm glad your post made me think about it a little more.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

Glad to be of help, but do not let your daughters spend a lot of money on dresses. They probably already have something in the closet that will do just fine. My DW and I went shopping today. And you can get everything you need at Kohl's (if there is one in your area) for your daughters at very reasonable prices.

 

Addenda,

 

Key West and Grand Cayman are usually tender ports. If the Century tenders allow seating outside, up on top sit up there because the views are really nice. And both Key West and Grand Cayman you can see on your own, that is, it is not necessary to go on any tours. Tours are nice but can be expensive. The stingrays though are highly recommended for families though we have not done this.

 

Make sure that you talk about the cruise with your family...it is an adventure and neither you or your husband have all the answers. Tell them that no whining or complaining is allowed on cruise ships except by people older than 80. Show them the lay out of the ship and where the cabin is. Let them stay up as late as they want to...one of the reasons that cruises are so popular with children is that they can at least pretend that they are all grown up. This includes..."I went to a fancy restaurant where two waiters brought me lots of food including desserts, and then we went to a show".

 

And enjoy the aesthetics of a cruise... get up early and watch the sunrise and go for a long walk late in the afternoon as the sunsets. Stand in the front of the ship as the ship heads out into the open sea.

 

Do not hesitate with questions.

[GlendaleCruiser]

Fredr, thanks for the insight into the formal night. We are now leaning toward going. My two older daughters look upon this as an opportunity to buy a new dress! A couple of others I spoke with, also, said it would be fine for my husband to wear a jacket and button down shirt, no tie required. I think he would be fine with that. So we will likely do the formal night. I'm glad your post made me think about it a little more.

 

Ditto to formal night! It truly feels like a special occasion when everyone gets dressed up a little. The kids always seem to enjoy it too, and are on their best behavior. Get a lot of pictures taken (you don't have to buy them) and pick out the best ones to buy and take home. I wouldn't miss them for the world.

[Arwenmark]

As long as you are non smokers you will love Celebrity.

[julieanne]

Ditto to Celebrity. Our son sailed with us quite a few times on Celebrity as a child (he's almost 22 now!). They also have a great casual dining! I would also not want to miss formal night!