Help With Choosing Our Next Cruise Destination

[ceilidh1]

I am looking for some suggestions on our next cruise destination. We have daughter who has just turned 3 - she has already done 5 cruises so is no stranger to the routine. We are getting ready to book our next cruise either in December or January but can't decide on the destination. We are currently toying with either Panama Canal (LA to Florida or vice versa) or South America/Antarctica. We would cruise Princess, since this is our preferred line. Anyone done either itinerary with a 3 year old? Any thoughts? We are considering leaving her with grandparents this time round, but not sure I would enjoy myself if she were not with us. Having said that, I don't want to take her if it would be totally unsuitable for her or if the ports are not great for a young child. Any advice welcomed....

[ourfamilylovescruising]

I am looking for some suggestions on our next cruise destination. We have daughter who has just turned 3 - she has already done 5 cruises so is no stranger to the routine. We are getting ready to book our next cruise either in December or January but can't decide on the destination. We are currently toying with either Panama Canal (LA to Florida or vice versa) or South America/Antarctica. We would cruise Princess, since this is our preferred line. Anyone done either itinerary with a 3 year old? Any thoughts? We are considering leaving her with grandparents this time round, but not sure I would enjoy myself if she were not with us. Having said that, I don't want to take her if it would be totally unsuitable for her or if the ports are not great for a young child. Any advice welcomed....

 

I think if I was you I would do the Panama Canal and wait to do Antarctica till she is older.

[cb at sea]

I agree...

[Scrapchick]

Yes.... We've done both destinations and the Antarctic one is a very adult type of cruise. There's a huge amount of travel involved to get there. It's expensive and would hold nothing of attraction to a young child. WE actually landed on the continent's mainland and explored, but I think Princess just does scenic cruising in the area.

 

If you haven't done the Panama Canal yet it's a marvelous experience and there are plenty of other ports to stop at to. There should be more kids on board for that sailing. Don't be afraid to utilize the kids club on board too, to keep your child entertained for a bit. The reality is, she won't get much out of either trip and she certainly won't remember anything, so save the once of a lifetime stuff like Antarctica for later.

 

My DD is almost 9 now and just beginning to take a real interest in where we are going, instead of just hankering for the kids club. I think some parents make the mistake of thinking their kids will automatically find things interesting because they do, but kids just aren't developed enough for that for the first few years. At least, that's been my experience.

 

We'are taking our first ever trip away from our DD in the Fall and going on a cruise to the Far East. DD has school and can't go, but we also feel it's a very adult type voyage and she'd get very little out of it. We plan our other trips to include her, but this one is going to be adults only.

[RoadTripFanatic]

I'd go for the Canal with a 3 year old. My parents did the Antarctica cruise a few years ago. While it looked amazing most of what they did my at the time 7 year old wouldn't have been able to do! Excursions with age limits was the biggest factor. :(

[ceilidh1]

Thanks for the advice...I think if we do decide on Antarctica the little one would stay with grandparents and we would go alone. Trouble is, I don't know if I am ready to be on a vacation without her!!!!! Panama Canal is looking more appealing!!!!

[griffy116]

We would never think of cruising without the kids. We take a family cruise every other year..that said, we have a "lovely" video on our Hawaii cruise, in the bus going on one of the tours when my Grandson and nephew were quite young. My sister, (unaware of the camera) reaches across the aisle to tell my Grandson and nephew to put down their DS and look out the window and "join us" instead of doing something they could be doing at home..and then the video pans out to the gravestones (at the Punchbowl), as the rest of the family and passengers broke out into laughter. They have never let my sister live that one down. They are 16 and 20 now and have their own cabin and take their own tours. We've built memories (some not the memories we had envisioned) we all treasure.