Familys 1st cruise and I am all over the place.HELP!

[Mommabear5]

Ok let me start with this. I am a 40 year old mother of 5. My husband is 39. We will be celebrating 20th anniversary this June.

He doesn't care what we do or where we do did. His exact words, "I just want to relax, you tell me where and when and I will be there". So he is no help with making my choices any easier.:rolleyes:

The chlidren, 4 girls, 21,19,16 & 13. My older girls want to relax in the sun, maybe dance & sing, eat great food, see beautiful sights and just relax and enjoy being on vacation.

My 16 & 13 are sports kids. Basketball is their favorite. They love swimming, playing games, meeting new people, and doing anything that has them moving.

Then there is my son who is 18. He is looking for all the above. He loves his sports and being active but can chill & relax with the best of them. He is also a big food fan! Growing boy after all.

Me: I have been on 1 cruise the carnival inspiration back 2003. I loved crusing however I was very sick many of the days at sea. I later found out that I have veritgo so I plan to be prepared ahead of time next time around. I am looking for a larger ship due partly because I was told you feel less motion the larger the ship. I have also been told lower cabin locations will be better for me as well. I am looking to cruise sometime early to mid January as that is when the kids will be home for their winter breaks from college. I am only looking at Eastern Caribbean.

I was set to book on the Carnival Dream but the reviews I have read have made me reconsider. The newer bigger ships on RC are way move then I want to spend. I would however consider there older, but yet still larger ships. Those seems to be the most affordable cruise lines.

I am just wondering for you more experienced cruiser out there if there is any ship you think would best fit all our needs?

We don't want to be fighting for pool chairs and spending valuable time waiting on longer then the normal lines. Been to Disney 3 times so if we want to stand on lines we would just go back to Disney!;)

I really would like to get something set in stone so we can start preparing and planning. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and if anyone needs more info please feel free to ask away.

Thanks All.

[rolloman]

Ok let me start with this. I am a 40 year old mother of 5. My husband is 39. We will be celebrating 20th anniversary this June.

He doesn't care what we do or where we do did. His exact words, "I just want to relax, you tell me where and when and I will be there". So he is no help with making my choices any easier.:rolleyes:

The chlidren, 4 girls, 21,19,16 & 13. My older girls want to relax in the sun, maybe dance & sing, eat great food, see beautiful sights and just relax and enjoy being on vacation.

My 16 & 13 are sports kids. Basketball is their favorite. They love swimming, playing games, meeting new people, and doing anything that has them moving.

Then there is my son who is 18. He is looking for all the above. He loves his sports and being active but can chill & relax with the best of them. He is also a ice food fan! Growing boy after all.

Me: I have been on 1 cruise the carnival inspiration back 2003. I loved crusing however I was very sick many of the days at sea. I later found out that I have veritgo so I plan to be prepared ahead of time next time around. I am looking for a larger ship due partly because I was told you feel less motion the larger the ship. I have also been told lower cabin locations will be better for me as well. I am looking to cruise sometime early to mid January as that is when the kids will be home for their winter breaks from college. I am only looking at Eastern Caribbean.

I was set to book on the Carnival Dream but the reviews I have read have made me reconsider. The newer bigger ships on RC are way move then I want to spend. I would however consider there older, but yet still larger ships. Those seems to be the most affordable cruise lines.

I am just wondering for you more experienced cruiser out there if there is any ship you think would best fit all our needs?

We don't want to be fighting for pool chairs and spending valuable time waiting on longer then the normal lines. Been to Disney 3 times so if we want to stand on lines we would just go back to Disney!;)

I really would like to get something set in stone so we can start preparing and planning. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and if anyone needs more info please feel free to ask away.

Thanks All.

Check out the NCL EPIC. It is everything you need and then some and their prices are cheaper than Royal Carribean Oasis or Allure (both incredible by the way). Your best bet is the NCL EPIC or RCCL Freedom or Liberty of the Seas.

[Warm Breezes]

I was just going to suggest NCL too. We have only sailed on the Jewel so far with rooms booked on the EPIC. The newer NCL ships have awesome sports courts and the buffet set ups help avoid any long lines. NCL and CCL (from the research I've done) are less expensive than RCCL (which is why I've never sailed them). From the ships I've been on (NCL, CCL, and Disney) NCL best fits the description of what you are looking for. We also like the NCL comedy and production shows better than CCL.

[rolloman]

I was just going to suggest NCL too. We have only sailed on the Jewel so far with rooms booked on the EPIC. The newer NCL ships have awesome sports courts and the buffet set ups help avoid any long lines. NCL and CCL (from the research I've done) are less expensive than RCCL (which is why I've never sailed them). From the ships I've been on (NCL, CCL, and Disney) NCL best fits the description of what you are looking for. We also like the NCL comedy and production shows better than CCL.

 

The Epic for families is incredible. This year alone I have sailed Oasis, Allure, EPIC and Disney Dream. For the value EPIC is the choice. If you want to step down a notch and stick with NCL choose the Pearl or Gem. The Jewel is a sister ship but on the Pearl and GEM they made several improvements as they are newer. (such as putting in Bowling alleys)

[Mommabear5]

The Epic for families is incredible. This year alone I have sailed Oasis, Allure, EPIC and Disney Dream. For the value EPIC is the choice. If you want to step down a notch and stick with NCL choose the Pearl or Gem. The Jewel is a sister ship but on the Pearl and GEM they made several improvements as they are newer. (such as putting in Bowling alleys)

 

 

WOW! you had some year, God Bless ya!

I am looking into the Epic as we speak and it sounds pretty nice from what everyone discribed so far but I have heard not so great things about NCC. Mostly that they nickle and dime you for everything. True in your experience? The trip is going to cost us enough with out having customer service people in our face trying to get us to buy stuff.

 

 

Just got a quote of $4159.22 for 2 family inside cabins for 7 of us on the Epic sailinig January 7 2012.

Which comes out to $594.17 per person which averages around $84 per day per person. I am thinking this is a fab deals???RIGHT?

[rolloman]

WOW! you had some year, God Bless ya!

I am looking into the Epic as we speak and it sounds pretty nice from what everyone discribed so far but I have heard not so great things about NCC. Mostly that they nickle and dime you for everything. True in your experience? The trip is going to cost us enough with out having customer service people in our face trying to get us to buy stuff.

 

As far as the nickle and dime, well, they all are doing it lately, but it is up to you if you want to spend more, they will only offer enhancements. I am not a huge fan of NCL but I can tell you I am a huge fan of the EPIC. Your kids and you will have an awesome time. By the way, as far as Carnival goes....I would never take my family onboard a Carnival ship again. EDIT...I just checked and the EPIC is in Europe as are most ships in June. I will check and see what else is out there...are your months to sail June or is July ok? August is a bad month as typically it is hurricane season.

[Mommabear5]

It's funny you said that about Carnival because we said the same thing but the prices are so much lower then others but I guess you get what you pay for and you are correct,I don't have to spend what I don't want too. Please tell me more about the Epic. Ice Bar looks really cool. Included or cover charge?

I just called and because hubby is union we got it a little cheaper, down to $4,049.00!:)

If everyone of the kids are good for these dates I think I may have a winner, thank you so much. Would have never even looked at NCC.

[rolloman]

Wow, just saw that the GEM sails out of NYC. Perfect for you. No flights and Bermuda is one of my favorite places. Hands down the GEM would be my choice. It is the newest NCL ship prior to the EPIC.

[rolloman]

OK, EPIC has the ice bar and they do charge but you get 3 drinks so basically the charge is for the drinks. It is kinda fun, basically a novelty. I moved south for a reason, not a fan of ice lol. The pool areas and entertainment are absolutely incredible. The free dining is great and the upcharge restaurants are really great lol. Some people like to chop on the fact the restrooms (sink outside, shower room and toilet seperate)in the rooms are not their favorite but we had no issues.

[Mommabear5]

Yeah but don't forget I would be sailing out of NY in January and isn't their weather partable to ours that time of year? well year round I meam it would be one chilly cruise, no?

[Warm Breezes]

WOW! you had some year, God Bless ya!

I am looking into the Epic as we speak and it sounds pretty nice from what everyone discribed so far but I have heard not so great things about NCC. Mostly that they nickle and dime you for everything. True in your experience? The trip is going to cost us enough with out having customer service people in our face trying to get us to buy stuff.

 

 

Just got a quote of $4159.22 for 2 family inside cabins for 7 of us on the Epic sailinig January 7 2012.

Which comes out to $594.17 per person which averages around $84 per day per person. I am thinking this is a fab deals???RIGHT?

 

Mommabear...they can only nickle and dime you if you allow them too. The MDR, Buffet, Blue Lagoon/O'Sheehan's, Pizza, Room Service, etc are all included in the price...if you want to go to any some specialty restaurants there is a charge, but you don't need to go. This is the same on all lines only NCL has more specialty restaurants to choose from. The entertainment is included with the exception Cirque Dreams on the EPIC. Which you can choose to go to or not. They do charge for drinks (alcohol/smoothies/sodas), pictures, bingo, souvineers, etc...but so does every other line. There are some extra activities that charge for (bowling/arcade/spa) but only if you want to do them (other lines do this too)...the basketball court/pool is free just like on any other line. I spent the same on my NCL cruise as I do on my CCL cruises.

 

FYI I got 2 inside rooms on the EPIC in December for a family of 4 for $1000 less than RCCL Oasis for the same type of room and same itinerary.

[Warm Breezes]

Yeah but don't forget I would be sailing out of NY in January and isn't their weather partable to ours that time of year? well year round I meam it would be one chilly cruise, no?

 

I'm with you...I'd go south in January...brrr

[Mommabear5]

Thanks you just answered a few other questions I was going to ask about. I figured the rocl climbing and bowling were going to be at an extra expense (how much?) and some of the resturants as well.

Its good to know that they do have many of the other freebies too.

I am curious though are the free dinning places any good or are we left wth well the left overs?:confused:

One other thing, we are not big drinkers more water,coffee, and ice tea folks. Are those items free?

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Problem with sailing out of New York is that it will be rough. I've done it twice and it was one of the only times I've been queasy.

 

Other problems is that unless you do a long cruise there are very few ports of call.

 

Kids are going to like any cruise. If there are 7 of you, remember that NCL has smaller cabins then Carnival. Royal's older ships don't have the bells and whistles and I'm not really a fan.

[rolloman]

I'm with you...I'd go south in January...brrr

 

I did not see where you said January, I was assuming June sorry. Anyways EPIC is your ship, but just to answer your question Bermuda weather is 70's for the highs in January. Another FYI the Gem is sailing a 10 days to the Eastern Caribbean from NYC then. I would price it out if I were you..too me anything to avoid flying is always a plus :-) I would say the EPIC is a 9.5 out of 10 and the Gem is an 8. One other huge thing I remembered about the EPIC. They have escalaters mid ship which are great and reduce traffic ALOT. I never waited on an elevater the whole cruise.

[Warm Breezes]

Thanks you just answered a few other questions I was going to ask about. I figured the rocl climbing and bowling were going to be at an extra expense (how much?) and some of the resturants as well.

Its good to know that they do have many of the other freebies too.

I am curious though are the free dinning places any good or are we left wth well the left overs?:confused:

One other thing, we are not big drinkers more water,coffee, and ice tea folks. Are those items free?

 

From what I've read the rock climbing is free, but the bowling has a charge...look on the NCL boards, there are a couple threads that list the prices for everything. That's what I've been doing in researching this cruise. I thought the Buffet on NCL Jewel and the Blue Lagoon was excellant. We only went to the MDR once and the food was ok (but I liked Carnival's better). Each ship is a different experience. I'm going with an open mind.

[Warm Breezes]

Thanks you just answered a few other questions I was going to ask about. I figured the rocl climbing and bowling were going to be at an extra expense (how much?) and some of the resturants as well.

Its good to know that they do have many of the other freebies too.

I am curious though are the free dinning places any good or are we left wth well the left overs?:confused:

One other thing, we are not big drinkers more water,coffee, and ice tea folks. Are those items free?

Yes

[rolloman]

Thanks you just answered a few other questions I was going to ask about. I figured the rocl climbing and bowling were going to be at an extra expense (how much?) and some of the resturants as well.

Its good to know that they do have many of the other freebies too.

I am curious though are the free dinning places any good or are we left wth well the left overs?:confused:

One other thing, we are not big drinkers more water,coffee, and ice tea folks. Are those items free?

There is a charge for bowling. Rock wall, basketball golf and 3 huge pool slides no charge. Several restaurants are beautiful and free and really good food. I wouldnt get caught up in the food thing. The ship is fabulous, the food is great, yes there are pay restaurants just like every other ship out there today. Water tea coffee, lemonade, juice in the morning free...just like on every other line out there. Bottom line is you will not spend any more extra via charges on this ship than you would on any other ship. The entertainment alone to me is worth the price of the cruise. Blueman Group, Cirque of Dreams, Jazz Club, Nickalodean shows for the younger group etc....

[Mack2]

I want to try the Epic one day... We're doing the Oasis in November... but my eldest is 12, not 18.

 

Still... I've been very happy with RCI as opposed to Disney, Princess, and Carnival... have yet to cruise with NCL, but I'm sure we'll get around to it.

 

Based upon my experiences, without cruising NCL, I would recommend a Freedom-class or Explorer-class RCI ship.

 

Oasis is more expensive right now... but I think it's partly because of the novelty of it. The Freedom-class RCI ships offer the same experience minus the theaters and shows (some that you have to get tickets for) and the extra restaurants (that you have to pay extra for)...

 

Frankly, I want to go back to a smaller ship... Something about these giant ones that is lacking... the intimacy... You were part of an adventure on a smaller ship... now, you're just one extra head of cattle on these huge things... but that's neither here nor there.

 

Check out the Freedom-class RCI's

Freedom of the Seas

Liberty of the Seas

Independence of the Seas

 

Have fun! Don't stress.

[rolloman]

I want to try the Epic one day... We're doing the Oasis in November... but my eldest is 12, not 18.

 

Still... I've been very happy with RCI as opposed to Disney, Princess, and Carnival... have yet to cruise with NCL, but I'm sure we'll get around to it.

 

Based upon my experiences, without cruising NCL, I would recommend a Freedom-class or Explorer-class RCI ship.

 

Oasis is more expensive right now... but I think it's partly because of the novelty of it. The Freedom-class RCI ships offer the same experience minus the theaters and shows (some that you have to get tickets for) and the extra restaurants (that you have to pay extra for)...

 

Frankly, I want to go back to a smaller ship... Something about these giant ones that is lacking... the intimacy... You were part of an adventure on a smaller ship... now, you're just one extra head of cattle on these huge things... but that's neither here nor there.

 

Check out the Freedom-class RCI's

Freedom of the Seas

Liberty of the Seas

Independence of the Seas

 

Have fun! Don't stress.

Concerning RCCL. The Freedom Class is a great choice, but in no way can compare to the Oasis class as you will find out in November. Alot of people thought the Oasis would be a novelty in pricing, well it has been out a year and a half, a sister ship built, sailing the same port and guess what, the price has held strong and the ships are sold out. I would not count on huge price drops anytime soon. Tickets for entertainment? Where did you get that from? There are no tickets. You can pre-register. But entertainment is free. Just like all ships. There are a few pay restaurants but over half of them are free.

 

The EPIC is the third largest cruise ship in the world behind Oasis Allure so yeah it is a big ship but since the OP does not take to well to ship movement then it is perfect for her. This whole business people try to create that your cruise experience will be lacking unless you stumble all over yourself to pay for upcharges offered is a load of bull.

[Mack2]

That's it... sorry, not that you had to purchase tickets... but the fact that you have to register for a spot to see certain shows aboard the Oasis.

 

It reminded me of the lines to get the tickets to see the ice show aboard the Explorer and Freedom class ships... so I wasn't looking forward to that whole deal... I'm anxious to pre-register online before we get to the ship... just to get THAT aspect out of the way.

[Mommabear5]

I am going to show the kids tonight everything I found on the Epic. She is some ship. I didn't even know about her. How the heck is that even possiable I do not know!

I was researching DCL, cause as I mentioned we love Disney or didnt I mention that? Anyway we do but with the kids being the ages they are and since hubby and I have cruised without them they really want to experience it for themself. Anywho where was I? Oh yes so this all began with Disney Cruise but :eek: I know you get what you pay for but come on their prices are out of this planet. So onto Carnival I began to search and then Royal and never thought of NCL cause of the nickle and dime issue.

With all that said, sorry rambling, we will take a closer look, compare the price to the Oasis and Allur which are a bit bigger and have more of that wow factor but from what I seen so far Epic isn't too far behind.

Thank you all for your input and help. It has been a interesting and insightful day for me. So thanks.

I will let you know what they kids think.:)

Oh one last question for those who have been on Epic, should I pay the extra for a balcony cabin? I watched a video that said it wasnt too much bigger then the inside but its 8 nights and do you think the 4 of us will be too cramped in there & what about the cabin for my 21,20 &19 year olds????? The plot thinckens! lol

[rolloman]

I am going to show the kids tonight everything I found on the Epic. She is some ship. I didn't even know about her. How the heck is that even possiable I do not know!

I was researching DCL, cause as I mentioned we love Disney or didnt I mention that? Anyway we do but with the kids being the ages they are and since hubby and I have cruised without them they really want to experience it for themself. Anywho where was I? Oh yes so this all began with Disney Cruise but :eek: I know you get what you pay for but come on their prices are out of this planet. So onto Carnival I began to search and then Royal and never thought of NCL cause of the nickle and dime issue.

With all that said, sorry rambling, we will take a closer look, compare the price to the Oasis and Allur which are a bit bigger and have more of that wow factor but from what I seen so far Epic isn't too far behind.

Thank you all for your input and help. It has been a interesting and insightful day for me. So thanks.

I will let you know what they kids think.:)

Oh one last question for those who have been on Epic, should I pay the extra for a balcony cabin? I watched a video that said it wasnt too much bigger then the inside but its 8 nights and do you think the 4 of us will be too cramped in there & what about the cabin for my 21,20 &19 year olds????? The plot thinckens! lol

The three older kids could get an inside, they probably could care less about their accomodations. I then would get a DELUXE balcony for you four, the regular balcony is much smaller, if the kids want to hang out for some privacy on a balcony, well you then have one for them to use. One issue for putting more than two in a cabin is the bathroom. One way to circumvent this issue is to use the locker room in the gym to work out then shower. Just an idea. For me when the wife and child are hogging the bathroom I usually scout out a public one nearby that I use. To be honest I would not put the Oasis too much ahead of the EPIC. The EPIC is quite the ship. I would also choose EPIC over Disney Dream for several reasons and the Dream is an incredible ship.

[mjkacmom]

Our family of 7 has sailed out of NYC on 2 NCL ships - Spirit and Jewel - and loved it! We love not flying, and having the travel time to our vacation average 20 minutes. We've also done DCL, and although we liked it, it was not worth the hefty pricetag, plus we love NCL's freestyle dining, especially with our large family (sometimes we like to split up). NCL usually has one of the lowest pricetags, and the nickel and diming people speak of is actually them offering extras, like many dining options, that other lines don't even offer. We ended up spending less on the daily service charge ($12 per person, per day), than what we spent with the tipping envelopes on DCL. DCL does offer free soda, but most mass market lines charge, or offer a soda card for a fee.

 

Although NCL probably has the most fee-based restaurants, they have the same amount of free dining venues as other lines - 2 MDR's, buffet, poolside bbq, room service, a 24 hour restaurant... Plus, for a small fee, you can get a dining experience like land-based restaurants (asian, french, steakhouse, tex-mex...).

[Pat&Liz]

I thoroughly recommend Freedom of the Seas for your requirements. I believe it's currently still sailing a Caribbean itinerary (whereas it's sister-ships are sailing European itineraries). It's not as big as the Oasis-class, but I think that's a good thing.

 

It has the rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, mini-golf, basketball court, arcade, 3 pool areas (one solarium, adult-only "quiet" pool, one sports pool, one kids 'splashzone' , and teen-club area for your under-18s. Also it has a variety of other bars/disco-type clubs and a couple of karaoke booths; and a sports bar.

 

All the activities are free, including other entertainment like the shows and ice-show.