Trying to pick a cruise for spring break

[Savmom9801]

We are taking our children (12 & 15) on a spring break cruise in March 2014. I have a deposit with RCCL Freedom of the Seas (7 day western Caribbean) and just put a 24 hour courtesy hold on celebrity silhouette (7 day eastern Caribbean). I have until Dec 31 to cancel with RCCL without losing my money. There is very little difference in price & I was able to get connecting staterooms with balconies on both. I will post this on RCCL page as well.

 

These are my concerns:

 

I hate crowds, waiting in line, and frustrating unsupervised kids. I am concerned about spring break travel because of this, but have no choice due to school schedules. Therefore, I am thinking the Celebrity cruise would feel like a vacation - thinking less kids since they don't cater to kids. I want to have some fun with my kids, not be separated from them all week while they do teen club stuff. Maybe one date night with my husband, but that would be it.

 

Celebrity has a much better non-alcoholic package for the kids than RCCL.

Especially since it includes bottled water, etc.

 

Celebrity has no smoking. We did a Mediterranean cruise last fall and you couldn't see to walk thru the pool area because the smoke was so thick. I am sensitive to smoke & suffered allergy problems during the entire trip.

 

I like that RCCL seems to have more fun stuff to do on the boat, but I won't enjoy sexy leg contest, etc. plus thinking if the lines are long, will we even get to do the surf simulator, rock climbing wall, etc. I am worried that my kids will be bored on Celebrity. Anyone got suggestions for having fun with kids on celebrity on days at sea. We will have 3 days at sea on Celebrity vs. 2 days on RCCL.

 

We are in Georgia so the drive to Ft Lauderdale for Celebrity is 2 hours longer than the drive to Port Canaveral for RCCL.

 

Which is better - eastern or western itineraries. We really just want to snorkel, play on the beach, and swim with dolphins. My son would enjoy the Mayan ruins in Mexico, but he would also enjoy the fort IN Puerto Rico & we wouldn't have a long bus ride to see it.

 

As you can see we really need help! I want it to be an awesome trip. My husband didn't enjoy our Greek Isles trip last year because the days at sea were pretty boring & the night time entertainment was terrible. If this one is a flop, I will never talk him into a cruise again! He would rather just go someplace in a plane and stay than be "stuck on a boat" as he says. I'm afraid if there's not enough to do on Celebrity he will feel that way when we have 2 back to back days at sea.

[ariawoman]

I think the bigger question to be asked here is who are you cruising for, yourselves, or the kids? If the kids will be fine regardless of the line and you're looking for a vacation for yourselves, then go for celebrity. If you're looking for a line that will be more active for the kids, I'd think the freedom would be the way to go. X is my line of choice but RCCL has more on board for kids. If your kids are more like adults, then X could be a fine choice.

 

It really depends on the kid, and what you want overall out of the vacation.

 

Oh and I'll add that i had 5 sea days in total on my most recent cruise, and I was never lacking for something to do (as an adult) so I dont know how your husband would find little to do on either line.

Edited November 7, 2013 by ariawoman

[akowilm]

Wow, you have a tough decision to make! While I am a huge fan of Celebrity, I think the itinerary for RCCL better suits your needs. I have done both. For the Eastern, we zip-lined in St. Kitt's and took a wonderful boat excusion in St.Maarten, but the best part of that cruise was the time I got to spend with DH, a lot of relaxing, spa visits, specialty dining, Molecular bar, dancing; a great couples/adults experience. The Western itinerary has much better snorkeling, good dolphin excursions, more family activity and excitement. I think the RCCL ship would be a better fit for teens as well. I hope this helps, and just know you will have fun on both!!

[miched]

Get an all inclusive resort in Cancun. There are plenty of snorkeling tours, take a trip to "Chicken Pizza" to see the Mayan Ruins. Lay on the beach all day. Swim in the ocean or hotel pool. Hubby will be happy because there won't be any sea days.

 

 

🎅🎄

[hansolosmom]

This past summer we did Reflection in the Med. With my 15 & 17 yo sons. I know Silhouette is that same class as Reflection, but there may be some ship differences. I have no idea how many kids were onboard, but I felt like the ship was overrun with them. The problem (IMO) is Celebrity isn't as well equipped to handle the kids/teens, yes there are kids rooms, I don't know if its the staff or the activities but it doesn't seem a lot of kids go there, they hung out in the Hideaway. My 15 yo who usually spends a lot of time in the teen club didn't at all this trip, he spent most of his time with us. So even if you think its a more 'adult' line, there will be kids.

Also with the smoking, there is no smoking on the balconies, however, the 2 worst places were entering the buffet from the pool deck on the smoking side (can't remember if it was port or starboard) they're were just bunches of smokers and its a silly place to have the smoking area because it's not really open so the smoke has nowhere to go. The other place which was by the Sunset bar, after the first night I couldn't go there, it was packed. Now I don't know if it was like that since this was a Med cruise and it does seem like more Europeans smoke. (Yes I'm generalizing about smoking Europeans). But seriously anytime I walked by, the chairs were full and there were people standing and smoking in the area. It reminded me of the NJ boardwalks where they make the smokers stand in these painted squares which are the designated smoking areas.

The beverage package is great, we did the premium NA for me & the boys, then classic alc for my dh, it worked perfectly. It was great to get water bottles before getting off the ship for excursions,a nod really anytime.

 

Conversely we were on Freedom for the first Nick cruise, so there were tons of kids onboard, but I never felt like it was overrun with kids. I think its because that ship has more open spaces and things to do for the kids. Yes there were lines for the flow rider and rock wall, but I never thought they were that bad. The flowrider line is fun because you get to watch the wipeouts.

Totally agree the drink packages don't compare on RC to the Celebrity offering.

Also smoking on RC the policy is changing on Jan 1 - I know its no smoking on balconies, can't remember all the other rules.

 

Itineraries - either one is good.

 

Of course as I always say, these were OUR experiences, everyone's is different so take it with a grain of salt.

[Fouremco]

Get an all inclusive resort in Cancun. There are plenty of snorkeling tours, take a trip to "Chicken Pizza" to see the Mayan Ruins. Lay on the beach all day. Swim in the ocean or hotel pool. Hubby will be happy because there won't be any sea days.

I tend to agree that you might want to explore other options. Rather than "Which cruise?" I think that you should be asking yourself "Why a cruise?" If your hubby didn't enjoy a Greek Isles cruise, I doubt that he'll enjoy either of these, and you definitely seem conflicted between going on a cruise that the kids would probably enjoy far more but isn't quite your personal cup of tea. Maybe it's time for a family chat on options and expectations.

 

BTW, I notice that you state that Celebrity has no smoking. While they have more restrictions than some lines, they are most definitely not non-smoking.

 

[dkjretired]

We are taking our children (12 & 15) on a spring break cruise in March 2014. I have a deposit with RCCL Freedom of the Seas (7 day western Caribbean) and just put a 24 hour courtesy hold on celebrity silhouette (7 day eastern Caribbean). I have until Dec 31 to cancel with RCCL without losing my money. There is very little difference in price & I was able to get connecting staterooms with balconies on both. I will post this on RCCL page as well.

 

These are my concerns:

 

I hate crowds, waiting in line, and frustrating unsupervised kids. I am concerned about spring break travel because of this, but have no choice due to school schedules. Therefore, I am thinking the Celebrity cruise would feel like a vacation - thinking less kids since they don't cater to kids. I want to have some fun with my kids, not be separated from them all week while they do teen club stuff. Maybe one date night with my husband, but that would be it.

 

Celebrity has a much better non-alcoholic package for the kids than RCCL.

Especially since it includes bottled water, etc.

 

Celebrity has no smoking. We did a Mediterranean cruise last fall and you couldn't see to walk thru the pool area because the smoke was so thick. I am sensitive to smoke & suffered allergy problems during the entire trip.

 

I like that RCCL seems to have more fun stuff to do on the boat, but I won't enjoy sexy leg contest, etc. plus thinking if the lines are long, will we even get to do the surf simulator, rock climbing wall, etc. I am worried that my kids will be bored on Celebrity. Anyone got suggestions for having fun with kids on celebrity on days at sea. We will have 3 days at sea on Celebrity vs. 2 days on RCCL.

 

We are in Georgia so the drive to Ft Lauderdale for Celebrity is 2 hours longer than the drive to Port Canaveral for RCCL.

 

Which is better - eastern or western itineraries. We really just want to snorkel, play on the beach, and swim with dolphins. My son would enjoy the Mayan ruins in Mexico, but he would also enjoy the fort IN Puerto Rico & we wouldn't have a long bus ride to see it.

 

As you can see we really need help! I want it to be an awesome trip. My husband didn't enjoy our Greek Isles trip last year because the days at sea were pretty boring & the night time entertainment was terrible. If this one is a flop, I will never talk him into a cruise again! He would rather just go someplace in a plane and stay than be "stuck on a boat" as he says. I'm afraid if there's not enough to do on Celebrity he will feel that way when we have 2 back to back days at sea.

 

Don't know who told you Celebrity doesn't cater to kids, they were dead wrong.

 

You mention spring break in 2014, if you are going the week before or the week after Easter, there will be tons of kids.

 

I have traveled with my children over the years and Celebrity is a wonderful product for them, one of my kids practically lived in the kids club, the other stuck with us.

 

The S class ships on Celebrity are magnificent ships.

[WpgCruise]

I think Miched has offered great advice.

 

If your hubby thought a Greek Isle cruise was boring because of the sea days, a Caribbean cruise will have him miserable. After one or two every island can look to some to be the same old same old and get boring pretty quick.

 

It has also been suggested that a family conference to discuss everyone's vacation needs would be a good idea, and I also encourage this.

 

Cruising isn't for every family and a vacation should be something everybody enjoys, not some being happy, others being miserable.

 

 

Get an all inclusive resort in Cancun. There are plenty of snorkeling tours, take a trip to "Chicken Pizza" to see the Mayan Ruins. Lay on the beach all day. Swim in the ocean or hotel pool. Hubby will be happy because there won't be any sea days.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2013 by WpgCruise

[DWhit]

I'd recommend the FOS cruise. Plenty to do on the ship. If your husband thinks this cruise is boring, then he just doesn't like cruising. Your kids will love it as well. It sounds like you would prefer the X cruise, but you might want to make a small sacrifice on this trip. Best of luck!

[monicajay]

I'd ask the kids. You might be surprised by their answers. They are old enough to participate in a 'family discussion' and at least if they are part of the process they can't whine and complain.

 

Plus, it's a really good experience for them to see how we have to make choices and decisions in life.

[Lsimon]

I've never been on any RCL ship other than the Radiance. I also have not been on a Celebrity 7 day cruise during spring break time.

 

With that said: Both have their pluses and minuses.

I think both probably have good kids programs. Celebrity's will probably be smaller which might be good or bad for your kids. At 12 and 15 how much will they want to stick with the ship's kids program and do you give them a choice on this? 12 is an in between age but I don't know about the teen program. We took our first cruise when our teens were 14 and 16 and I don't remember them being too interested in the kids program (this was on Carnival during spring break).

 

The RCL ship will have much more in the way of activity areas geared towards family and kids. On Celebrity there isn't much for kids other than a basic outdoor pool, the basketball courts and the kids club. Also shuffleboard and some lawn games like bocce ball. If your kids can find their own fun or just relax around the ship they'll be fine. But if they need sea day activities such as the ice skating, flow rider, rock climbing, miniature golf, water park and such they'll be happier on RCL.

 

I don't know how family oriented the shows are on RCL but I can say that they really are not family oriented on Celebrity. There will be the usual musical reviews and one great Cirque type aerialist/acrobatic show but the rest will have acts geared for a very elderly crowd.

 

So the bottom line is if your family makes their own fun or do they need family entertainment activities on the ship to keep occupied.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Lsimon

[wallie5446]

Spring break is when everyone just like you has the time with the kids out of school to travel, no need to labor the point. We were on the Freedom in 2011, great Ship, our 4th time going West. Ruby Princess last yr for our 5th time going East, Reflection in 8 days , East yet again. For a 12 an 15 yr old, Ship, East or West, it does not matter to them. We took our DD on 10 before she was 20, and she loved them all, well maybe 1 was kinda so-so:rolleyes:.

Both are wonderful choices, our DD picked Celebrity 1st every time, then went to work for RCCL.

 

ps: think long an strong about doing spring break in Mexico, any other time, okie dokie.

Edited November 7, 2013 by wallie5446

[aideek2000]

Although I love cruising, I second an all inclusive vacation on the riviera maya, but not Cancun. I suggest Playa del Carmen about 40 minutes from Cancun. Get an all inclusive in the area of Playacar and take day tours to Tulum for ruins and Akumal for snorkel with turtles, Xcaret is also a beautiful place to spend the whole day. And I think several airlines have discounted airfare to Cancun from Atlanta including swa. Rent a car, everything is well marked. Look at tripadvisor forum and you may see a better match for your needs.

 

Sent from my Le Pan S using Forums mobile app

[miched]

Although I love cruising, I second an all inclusive vacation on the riviera maya, but not Cancun. I suggest Playa del Carmen about 40 minutes from Cancun. Get an all inclusive in the area of Playacar and take day tours to Tulum for ruins and Akumal for snorkel with turtles, Xcaret is also a beautiful place to spend the whole day. And I think several airlines have discounted airfare to Cancun from Atlanta including swa. Rent a car, everything is well marked. Look at tripadvisor forum and you may see a better match for your needs.

 

Sent from my Le Pan S using Forums mobile app

 

We haven't been to that area in a few years and I have forgot about it. You are right about Xcaret. I think they also have a nice eco and water park. It was a very nice area. I think that it would also be cheaper than taking a cruise plus the room will be larger.

 

.🎄🎅

[Feelin' Nauti']

 

As you can see we really need help! I want it to be an awesome trip. My husband didn't enjoy our Greek Isles trip last year because the days at sea were pretty boring & the night time entertainment was terrible.

 

If this one is a flop, I will never talk him into a cruise again! He would rather just go someplace in a plane and stay than be "stuck on a boat" as he says. I'm afraid if there's not enough to do on Celebrity he will feel that way when we have 2 back to back days at sea.

Are you forcing your DH to go on another cruise? :rolleyes::confused:

 

Make your DH happy, book a land base vacation. ;)