Youth Questions on the Renovated Grand

[Capt. & Teach]

Has any one had any experience with the youth centers on the Renovated Grand? We will have 8 and 9 year olds with us and teenagers below 18. The younger ones will be in the Shockwaves and the teens in Remix. How did the kids like it? What kind of activities were available in the Shockwave group?

 

Has anyone been on a Caribbean cruise during the Christmas Holidays?

 

Thanks

[caribill]

Has anyone been on a Caribbean cruise during the Christmas Holidays?

 

Thanks

 

Yes. What do you want to know about the experience?

[Capt. & Teach]

just wondering what the Holidays are like. Have done many cruises but not over the Holidays. We are going to have grown kids, "grands" (8 and 9 and 14, 17, 17.) Is Christmas Eve usually a formal night? Anything special in the way of parties and stuff. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Judi

[erber]

Regarding Christmas on a cruise ship --

 

We were on the Crown last year over Christmas and will be on the Grand this year over the holidays.

 

On our cruise last year we left on Dec. 23rd. I think that Christmas Day was formal night, not Christmas Eve, but I cannot remember for sure.

 

The ship was very festive -- nice decorations all over, Christmas music, Christmas choral singing in the Atrium when we boarded, and some Christmassy food items (gingerbread souffle, turkey with all the trimmings). They even had Egg Nog in the Horizon Court on Christmas morning.

 

The Captain announced that Santa would be arriving and made a big deal of it. Santa did come aboard and they had a time on Christmas morning for children to go see him and get a present (our children are not young enough anymore... ages 20 and almost 17). I think it was for kids 12 and under but I am not positive.

 

They had a gingerbread house decorating event that you could sign up for. We did not sign up for it but we did watch some of the decorating.

 

Our younger child (who was 16 last Christmas) went up to Remix a few times and after meeting other teens, they just "made their own plans". Our 20 year old was too old for the teen programs so she went to the occasional event for 18 to 20 year olds. She met a lot of nice kids her own age.

 

When we went on our first cruise in 2009 our kids were both in "Remix" and spent a lot of time at the activities. They liked it. We felt Princess did a good job with their teen program. We have no experience with the Shockwaves group as our kids were too old for it.

 

We have been on a number of Princess cruises and I think I enjoyed the festiveness of the Christmas cruise the most.

[caribill]

Some holiday pictures below. Click on each for a larger image.

[Capt. & Teach]

Thankyou Erber and Caribill. We have young children coming on a Christmas cruise with us and their parents are concerned about Christmas on Board. Maybe this will help ease their concerns.

Don

[Cruisin' Chick]

We were on the Golden during Christmas last December (and on the Island five years before during the holidays, which also included Hanukkah on that sailing). Both cruises also included New Years.

 

The ship will be decorated for the holidays as well as many Christmas oriented activities, movies, etc. The ship's officers gathered in the Piazza and sang carols on either the 24th or 25th -- you can check out my blog about the cruise: http://www.sites.google.com/site/holidayalohaii/

 

Our girl was on her 7th cruise and her first one as a teen last year. She's at that age when if one teen says something is lame, they all think that. So the group tended to go up to the Remix to meet up with their friends and go elsewhere (to the pools to swim or watch MUTS) or see one of the shows (her gang were into the entertainment).

[Smooth seas]

 

Has anyone been on a Caribbean cruise during the Christmas Holidays?

 

Thanks

 

If the cruise you are on is part of a regular itinerary and Christmas Day falls on a port stop then you will be in port. This has happened to us on several Princess Cruises. We did know before we booked by checking out the itinerary. When this happens it seemed to us that Christmas was somewhat more muted, e.g. no formal dining, festival of lessons and carols etc.

 

Conversely the P&O fleet, Princess's sister company, usually plan their itineraries so that Christmas Day is at sea. This gives time for communal carol service, special Christmas show by the entertainers as well as visits from Father Christmas and of course a formal evening and special Christmas dinner.

 

Providing that you know if you will be in port you should not be expect there to be a formal dress Christmas dinner. Whatever as always relax and enjoy the cruise. Better by far to be cruising than cooking at home.

[caribill]

Providing that you know if you will be in port you should not be expect there to be a formal dress Christmas dinner.

 

We were on a Princess cruise over Xmas two years ago. Both Xmas Eve and Xmas day were port days.

 

They moved a formal night that is usually on a sea day to be on Xmas day, so being in port does not mean it will not be a formal night on Xmas day.

[Smooth seas]

We were on a Princess cruise over Xmas two years ago. Both Xmas Eve and Xmas day were port days.

 

They moved a formal night that is usually on a sea day to be on Xmas day, so being in port does not mean it will not be a formal night on Xmas day.

 

From 3 Christmas cruises on Princess that have had Christmas Day in port we have not had formal dress. On the ones at sea they have always been formal. In fact on the last port call one 2 years ago we didn't get the last people on board until after dinner had started as we had a 6:00 p.m. departure. It would appear that there is no set pattern.