Best ship leaving out of Port Canaveral?

[de8212]

Not sure if there is a way to define "best" but is there any boat that would be better than the others leaving out of Port Canaveral? Looking to possibly take a cruise sometime in May/June 2011 with the kids. Ages will be 4 and 6 at that time.

 

Also, where on Carnivals site does it show the fun kid activities to do? My wife is wanting a Disney cruise but she is open to another cruise line if I can find alot of things of interest for the kids.

 

Thanks.

[tracyanns]

Not sure if there is a way to define "best" but is there any boat that would be better than the others leaving out of Port Canaveral? Looking to possibly take a cruise sometime in May/June 2011 with the kids. Ages will be 4 and 6 at that time.

 

Also, where on Carnivals site does it show the fun kid activities to do? My wife is wanting a Disney cruise but she is open to another cruise line if I can find alot of things of interest for the kids.

 

Thanks.

 

With kids of that age, if you can afford Disney I would do that hands down...but if you want CCL, go with the Dream...they will love the Camp Carnival and the waterslides...they probably are not big enough to go on the larger slides but they can on the smaller ones...

[firefly333]

I think the kids have to be 42 inches tall for Dream slide.

 

Camp Carnival has a lot of activities ... maybe someone in the family section of CC has the capers for kids to see what activities they do.

[tracyanns]

I think the kids have to be 42 inches tall for Dream slide.

 

Camp Carnival has a lot of activities ... maybe someone in the family section of CC has the capers for kids to see what activities they do.

 

They do have to be 42 inches for the larger slides but there are smaller ones for the smaller kids too...

[paulandfran]

 

Also, where on Carnivals site does it show the fun kid activities to do? My wife is wanting a Disney cruise but she is open to another cruise line if I can find alot of things of interest for the kids.

 

Thanks.

 

http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/obx/youth_experience/campcarnival.aspx

[firefly333]

They do have to be 42 inches for the larger slides but there are smaller ones for the smaller kids too...

 

I was thinking many 6 year olds are tall enough, and maybe a tall 4 year old..thats why I posted it. Not to say the rest of the waterworks would be unavailable.

[dadofgage]

Not sure if there is a way to define "best" but is there any boat that would be better than the others leaving out of Port Canaveral? Looking to possibly take a cruise sometime in May/June 2011 with the kids. Ages will be 4 and 6 at that time.

 

Also, where on Carnivals site does it show the fun kid activities to do? My wife is wanting a Disney cruise but she is open to another cruise line if I can find alot of things of interest for the kids.

 

Thanks.

 

 

I would suggest that you strongly consider a Disney cruise - it was just incredible! That being said, you will pay more (probably a good amount more) for a Disney cruise as compared to RCI or Carnival.

 

I'm not sure where you are located, but you can probably find better deals on Carnival if you do not go on the Dream, especially during the times you are looking - if you can get down to Tampa or FLL or MIA you can probably save money and have just as much fun on a separate ship.

[de8212]

thanks for all the info. I can't really find anything on the Carnival Dream that works with our time frame.

 

Disney would be great but it's ~$1300 more than the Carnival/RC lines. Still not out of the question but that's alot of money to me.

 

The carnival one I found was the Sensation. I couldn't find any info on whether or not they had alot of kids type activities.

 

Thanks for the link, paulandfran. So Camp Carnival is just on Dream?

[tracyanns]

thanks for all the info. I can't really find anything on the Carnival Dream that works with our time frame.

 

Disney would be great but it's ~$1300 more than the Carnival/RC lines. Still not out of the question but that's alot of money to me.

 

The carnival one I found was the Sensation. I couldn't find any info on whether or not they had alot of kids type activities.

 

Thanks for the link, paulandfran. So Camp Carnival is just on Dream?

 

No, Camp Carnival is on every ship and your kids will enjoy it on any ship...I am not familiar with the Sensation so can't help you out there.

 

RCCL is another option, kids seem to enjoy their kids clubs also and they are very camparable to CCL, but also cheaper than Disney. My only thought with Disney is that your kids are at a great age for it and $1300 isn't that big of a difference if you can swing it...maybe just splurge once while they are young, mine are 9 & 16 and I would love to go on Disney again but my kids don't want to...so I guess they outgrew the mouse before I did:(

[de8212]

I gotcha. We did go to Disney in Orlando Thanksgiving week 2009 so it hasn't been that long since they've seen "the mouse" but I understand what you are saying. RC was ~100 more or less of Carnival but I couldn't find a good page with all the activities on their page either. That ship was Monarch of the Seas.

[MomtoCCC]

I gotcha. We did go to Disney in Orlando Thanksgiving week 2009 so it hasn't been that long since they've seen "the mouse" but I understand what you are saying. RC was ~100 more or less of Carnival but I couldn't find a good page with all the activities on their page either. That ship was Monarch of the Seas.

 

Monarch is an older RCCL ship - I wouldn't pick that one. We went on RCCL Liberty of the Seas when my daughter was 4 and she LOVED it! The kid's club was wonderful and the Splash Zone area was great. Plus she went ice skating and thought that was great. I'm sure some of the newer Carnival ships would be great also. Depends if you are looking for 7 day cruise or a shorter one.

[Hunwolf]

We went on the Monarch and had a blast. Our 8 year old (at the time)...thought it was the best kid's club she's been on. And we've been on some much bigger and newer vessels.

 

Go figure...

 

The Dream and Fatness err Freedom of the Seas roll out of there too I think.

[Savs]

Disney is the best cruise I have been on yet....loved it!

 

Ok, with that being said.....we are heading on the Carnival Dream in a little over a week. The Disney crusie is sooooo expensive and in order to cruise with a family of five, we need to find a more affordable cruise.

 

I'm hoping some day we will sail on the Disney cruise again....

[golfadj]

We wanted to do the Dream the last week of Jan but the itinerary did not appeal to us as it was one we had just done in May..

 

Considered RCCL but decided to go back to the Miracle in Ft Lauderdale by driving a few more hours.

[crewsweeper]

If you're cruising for the kids and Disney is too expensive, RCCL's Liberty of the Seas might be a better option. If you're crusiing for the aults and the kids are just coming along, I'd go with either the Carnival Dream or the Libery of the Seas, based on price and itinerary.

[cruisedawgg]

If you're cruising for the kids and Disney is too expensive, RCCL's Liberty of the Seas might be a better option. If you're crusiing for the aults and the kids are just coming along, I'd go with either the Carnival Dream or the Libery of the Seas, based on price and itinerary.

 

Freedom of the Seas sails out of Port Canaveral. I've been on that ship, and LOVED it! I've also been on Disney ship, and would say that of the two, hands down, Disney is my choice. For kids small and big :) Castaway Cay alone makes it worth the trip!!!!

[Hunwolf]

We wanted to do the Dream the last week of Jan but the itinerary did not appeal to us as it was one we had just done in May..

 

Considered RCCL but decided to go back to the Miracle in Ft Lauderdale by driving a few more hours.

 

That's what we did back in early June...but we took the Emerald Princess out of FLL. Of course...that won't be an option next summer with X and Princess pulling out of FLL. Though I'm hearing rumors one (or both) might be rethinking that decision.

[firefly333]

I gotcha. We did go to Disney in Orlando Thanksgiving week 2009 so it hasn't been that long since they've seen "the mouse" but I understand what you are saying. RC was ~100 more or less of Carnival but I couldn't find a good page with all the activities on their page either. That ship was Monarch of the Seas.

 

I am am RCL fan, but would never pick Monarch OTS for 4 people. I thought the inside cabins too cramped for 2 of us and couldnt wait for that cruise to be over. The insides are 119 s.f. :eek: vs. 185 s.f. on Carnival.

 

Pick a newer ship if you want to have a special cruise on RCL, not one of the two oldest ships... same with Carnival. Nothing wrong with the older ships, but do be aware of what you are booking.

[Hunwolf]

Yeah...I wouldn't recommend 4 people on the Monarch unless you could get the larger OV cabins at least.

 

I think the Sensation does a 4 night out of PC. There's also the Sun...FWIW.

 

But my choice would be Disney if you can mortgage your home or sell a kidney.

[geoburm]

My wife and I have done the CCL Sensation twice now and have enjoyed it both times, most recently back in November 2009. They renovated it back in early 2009 and gave it the Water Works, plus other upgrades, very nice "older ship"....also, agree that Camp Carnival is on every CCL ship. Check out the YouTube video I did...it will give you an idea of the Water Works slide, etc...

 

 

Agree that Disney is definitely geared more towards young kids, but, like most people say, you will be paying the price for it....also, we never been on Disney...

[foreverleanna]

 

Agree that Disney is definitely geared more towards young kids, but, like most people say, you will be paying the price for it....also, we never been on Disney...

 

 

Ive been on disney. Hated it

[morganboys]

Having been on both the sensation and the monarch I would say the monarch is hands down. When we went on the sensation last june the thrifty rental gal who shuttled us to the ship said that the freedom was the nicest of the ships that sailed out of PC. When we went on the monarch this june the hertz guy told us the same thing. While waiting for cocoa beach shuttle when we got back from the monarch we stood and talked to several drivers for other shuttle services and the also told us that the freedom was the nicest of all the ships. one told us that the disney ships were nice but he could do a back to back on the freedom for the same price as going on either disney. my suggestion is to go on to you tube and search by the ships name. watch some of the videos and see what you think.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

No, Camp Carnival is on every ship and your kids will enjoy it on any ship...I am not familiar with the Sensation so can't help you out there.

 

RCCL is another option, kids seem to enjoy their kids clubs also and they are very camparable to CCL, but also cheaper than Disney. My only thought with Disney is that your kids are at a great age for it and $1300 isn't that big of a difference if you can swing it...maybe just splurge once while they are young, mine are 9 & 16 and I would love to go on Disney again but my kids don't want to...so I guess they outgrew the mouse before I did:(

 

The DCL cruises in June/July are only 4/5 days. That's a lot of money for a shorter cruise and since it's a new ship a lot of insides and OV's are already sold out.

 

Bill

[S.S.Oceanlover]

thanks for all the info. I can't really find anything on the Carnival Dream that works with our time frame.

 

Disney would be great but it's ~$1300 more than the Carnival/RC lines. Still not out of the question but that's alot of money to me.

 

The carnival one I found was the Sensation. I couldn't find any info on whether or not they had alot of kids type activities.

 

Thanks for the link, paulandfran. So Camp Carnival is just on Dream?

 

here's another link that may help

 

Camp Carnival info

 

Bill

[mrpayroll]

Based on ages of kids, if Disney is in your budget, go for it. Don't care what others say, Nothing beats Disney for the young kids. You pay more but the experience for the kids is great. The other ships will be there in yrs to come when kids are older....