Help us decide??!!

[cruisehappye2a]

A little background. We will be travelling with our 18 month ld son, we are 29, my parents (one of which isn't a real crowd fan and loves the sun and the other loves to be active) and my grandma who will be 81 and enjoys the finner things in life :)

 

First off...ships. I am thinking maybe the Freedom class ships. They seem large enough for everyone but not as big as Oasis. Any opinions here?

 

Also, which would be better with a toddler.

 

We can't decide between the east and the west caribbean. Both look great, what are some great ports, especially with little ones.

 

I know these are very broad questions but my searches haven't given me the answers I am looking for.

 

Cheers!

[Merion_Mom]

A little background. We will be travelling with our 18 month ld son, we are 29, my parents (one of which isn't a real crowd fan and loves the sun and the other loves to be active) and my grandma who will be 81 and enjoys the finner things in life :)

 

First off...ships. I am thinking maybe the Freedom class ships. They seem large enough for everyone but not as big as Oasis. Any opinions here?

 

Also, which would be better with a toddler.

 

We can't decide between the east and the west caribbean. Both look great, what are some great ports, especially with little ones.

 

I know these are very broad questions but my searches haven't given me the answers I am looking for.

 

Cheers!

 

If you are looking to sail after March, the Freedom would be an excellent choice, as they are adding some kid-friendly things during the March dry dock.

 

I like both itineraries - some people strongly favor one over the other. (I never *got* that, though).

 

If you can narrow down your parameters, I could possibly be more helpful.

[smoosh21]

If one parent doesn't like crowds, you may want to go to the smaller Radiance class ships.

It may also help from a toddler perspective as you won't have to carry them around so much

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I love the Freedom Class ships. I also don't agree that crowds are typically smaller on a Radiance Class ship because there is less space for the passengers to be compressed in. I didn't find Oasis and Allure any more crowded than Brilliance and Jewel when we sailed on them. Yes, they are beautiful, elegant ships. They might appeal more to older passengers.

 

One part of the crowd issue, however, is not so much the ship, but the time of the cruise. Over holidays and summer vacations, any ship will be more crowded simply because that is when most people, especially with kids, can take the time to travel.

 

My experience has been that the bigger the ship, the more amenities and attractions there are for kids and teens and young adults. I'm a big kid at heart at 67 years old and I find the bigger ships more entertaining. That is not to say that a ship the size of Majesty can't provide a fun cruise and we have enjoyed Majesty many times, but I do really like the bigger ships especially for families. My own grown son has not so jokingly said , "No FlowRider; no cruise."

 

Also, the bigger ships, such as Freedom, are likely to have more children the age of your child, so there is more to offer them because of the sheer numbers. But also, the bigger ships offer more of interest for every age group. If you are concerned about the older passengers in your group, make sure they have a cabin close to elevators to shorten their walks.

 

As for itinerary, we prefer the Eastern Caribbean for scenery, but typically end up in the Western Caribbean because those cruises often fit in our schedule better. Eastern Caribbean cruises are often longer. My personal bias is that I will cruise anywhere just to be on a ship. In the end, I don't really care where the ship goes. It is the expereince of cruising that is special.

 

Whatever you do decide, I hope every member of your party has a wonderful, relaxing and unforgettable time.

[jackretired]

Freedom / Eastern

[cruisehappye2a]

Thank you for the replies. I am the only one in our group that has cruised before and love to plan things so naturally I am the one they have left all of the decisions up to. I'm okay with that, I just want everyone to have a great experience. I have heard st. thomas is a very busy port is this true?

[pjsatc86]

We did Freedom Eastern Swing last May. Great Cruise! The only time you felt crowded was on the Promanade during and after a parade and leaving shows. I have no experience with the kids activities, but they had lots of stuff for adults. The shows were good and we had very good staff.