Giving Family Cruising Another Shot

[lds26]

We just took a family cruise in November and it was a bit o a disaster; http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1095082 . We have decided to give this one more shot. However we are not going to bring all 5 children with us we have decided to do a cruise and just take our eldest son with us for his 14th birthday. We intend to try to do smaller cruises and try to just take one child at a time with us so we can spend more one on one time together. I thank every poster who supported me and encouraged me to give family cruising one more try. I am very excited to say that we are leaving next month on a 3 day cruise to Mexico on the Carnival Paradise. This will be a first for all of us being that we have never done a Mexican cruise before and have never been to Los Angeles port before either.

 

Will let you all know how it goes!

[cb at sea]

If this one doesn't work out...stick to a Land Vacation plan...until the kids are gone...then you and hubby can do as you wish! Good luck!

[crzgrl66]

When are you going? We took a 4 day on Paradise many years ago. I would advise to stay away during Spring break or your 14 year old will get an early education on college drinking, partying, and things that one shouldn't witness in an elevator.

[Baxter]

That kind of activity isn't confined to Spring Break. Not a cruise story, but land-based all-in. We traveled in non-Spring Break time. At one point, a group of kids (not sure if they were high school age or college age) brought a blow-up doll into the main pool and proceeded to....service it, right there in the pool. Security kept on walking by. After my husband made numerous complaints, a security fellow finally put a pin in the doll....literally.

 

Having done both short cruises and longer ones, I find the shorter cruises bring out a different client base. Or maybe more people cruise for a different purpose. But that first short cruise we took was an eye open. People falling down drunk in the hallways, pool areas, and restaurants...obnoxious behavior in the restaurant...you name it. I'm all for having fun, but it was out of control.

 

Any trip will be what you make of it. And you may run into questionable behavior regardless of time of year, duration of the cruise, whatever. I'm a big supporter of family cruising....taking my 3 year old on one next month. It is the first time she is eligible for Camp. I'm hoping there might be an activity or two that will interest her. And if not, we'll have fun running around the ship seeing the sites.