For those who have cruised during Thanksgiving...

[scottsgal]

DON'T order the Turkey from the DR, it is pressed lunch meat.

Get your turkey & dressing fix at the Lido the best we have ever had.

 

We always eat our Thanksgiving dinner in the buffet - all 4 of the cruise lines we've sailed over Thanksgiving had the fresh carved turkey at the meat station and all the fixings that were delicious. WAAAYYY better than the pressed turkey served in the dining room.

[besito20]

We are cruising on Thanksgiving week on the Inspiration. If we happen to get lucky and have "LA" fall weather, then we should be sailing in the upper 70s that week! :)

 

I'm looking forward to seeing many families as I will be bringing my 2 kids with me (9 & 6 yr olds). Hoping they like camp carnival too!

 

Thanks to those that provided the turkey tips too!

[wnc]

We did it in 2010 on the Fantasy and are doing it again on the Pride this year (my birthday is that week).

 

In 2010, there were close to 700 children on the ship. You saw alot of kids in the pool and the hot tubs, but I didn't find them obnoxious. I kind of liked that they ran more movie choices on the TV that week as well. The weather wasn't hot but we still swam at our destinations (Bahamas) although it was cool, not cold water. I did really enjoy that it wasn't scorching hot. We had our kids who were 10 and 14 at the time with us.

 

The only thing I remember being annoyed at was the large section they reserved every night to bring kids from Camp Carnival to the shows. First world problems, right?

We (DW,DS age 14, and I) were on that same cruise. I remember having a great time!

[cosmo cruiser]

A couple of times we have done a B2B with Thankisgiving week being the first leg and the week after being leg 2....................two totally different cruises! Thanksgiving week is FULL of kids. Once the count was more than 60% of the total people on board. Kids everywhere. Playing in the food at the buffet, ice cream cones left melting in the elevators, doors slamming at all hours of the night, running in the hallways, cutting in lines, and overall crazyness. I blame 90% of the mess on the parents that don't actually "parent" while on vacation. These kids are left to run wild. I felt really bad for the staff that had to try to control all the kids. It sure made a lot of extra work for the staff. We spent most of our time on our balcony and in the casino during the first week. Sadly when a staff member would try to step in and correct a situation the parents often would then yell at the staff member because of course their little angel would never............

 

Week two was a totally different cruise. I think there were less than 50 kids on the entire ship the second week and it was wonderful. No kids cutting in line and pushing each other in and out of the lines, no kids playing in the dining rooms, no messes, and you could actually move about the ship with out fear of being trampled by a herd of out of control pre-teens. There was room for a person to swim or be in the hot tub if they wanted to, and the elevators actually didn't stop on every single floor every time you needed one!

 

We now try to only go the week after Thanksgiving if possible. This year we sail on the Friday after Turkey Day and I am sure it is going to be a wonderful (mostly kid free) 8 day cruise for less money than the week before would have been. Just not worth the stress for us to go that week. I guess if a cruise was free.............we would have to consider going that week but anyting other than free, I am picking a different week.

Just our experience. Oh and we actually like kids, just not out of control ones that are not being parented and that take over the ship!

Best of luck on your cruise.

[TikkiTembo]

My family and I cruised last Thanksgiving on the Pride. I believe the Asst. Cruise Director said there were about 900 kids on board; my husband said that he said there were 850 kids but either way it was a lot more than we are used to traveling with. Two were ours. I did not feel over run by kids and I would do another TG cruise in a heartbeat. There were a few kids, no more than 10, that stood out because they were trying to show off for their friends. However, it was the same kids each time that were the problem. And it was not like they were running rampant all over the ship. They pretty much hung out in the same, isolated area of the ship. There were two incidents that stood out for me. One incident in MDR where a waiter was at his wits end because this multi-generational family decided to seat their kids, about 8 of them, at their own table while the adults sat a separate table. Although the tables were right next to each other, the adults totally ignored the little ones and pretty much let them do whatever they wanted to do. Yes, they were a nuisance but they did not ruin my dinner at all. The second is when three teenagers were running thru the Steakhouse. My husband said something to the staff but they said they couldn’t say or do anything about it. So my husband told the boys that this was not a play area and that they needed to stop running thru the restaurant. They stopped and were very respectful to hubby every they saw him on the ship. We usually travel non-peak time but I’m looking forward to cruising again over the Thanksgiving holiday.

[floridagirl2773]

This will be our third Thanksgiving cruise and we always love it. I guess I just don't notice the kids. I'm too busy acting like one myself! It's always me, my mom, DH, and DS. We love not having to cook and it's the perfect way to start the holiday season for us.

 

Our first one was on Royal's Freedom of Seas, second was Carnival's Liberty, and the third will be on the Carnival Glory. I've never had a bad cruise, so I know it will be great! It's not too hot and not too cold. No hurricanes. Sounds like a perfect time to cruise for my family and I. I'm sure this won't be our last.

[GranthamMommy]

We were on the Carnival Breeze for Thanksgiving 2013. There were alot of children but it wasn't a problem like on a previous summertime cruise. I can't speak for your ship. The Breeze was close to capacity, but the children did not bother us. I was surprised. I will sail Thanksgiving again - never in the summer. Enjoy.

[Webecruzen]

We have cruised over Thanksgiving week the past several years and will again this year. Yes, there are a lot of kids on board. The weather is usually beautiful, not too hot. The only port we have missed in 42 cruises was during a Thanksgiving week cruise, we missed Grand Turk due to high winds. We have encountered some rough seas and high winds during this time as well. We have a ds entering his junior year in high school and have to cruise when he is on break. We sailed over spring break this year and said it would be the last spring break cruise. I enjoy Thanksgiving dinner by Carnival, I'm not cooking or cleaning but enjoying a wonderful family dinner.

[Oh away I go!]

:D There will be lots of kids... this is to be expected since school will be out. I too must travel Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and summer since this is when I am off work. That is the life of an educator.

 

I cannot wait to retire in two years. Looking forward to cruising in September, October, January, February, and May. LOL

[Bobug]

...for your replies. Sounds like a different mix of experiences. We usually go with the flow & try not to let things bother us too much. I am more concerned about the new cruisers going with us & hoping they have a good time. My grandbabies will be young...almost 18 months & just turning 5 so we won't be worried about the hot tubs being overrun etc since we will mainly be doing things that they are able to do. The other 2 couples going with us do not have children with them.

[lcseale53]

Just booked our 9th Thanksgiving cruise. Yes, there will be many kids but it's been our experience over the years that they are generally well behaved. A few will push your buttons but the vast majority are fine. DW teaches, and with school being out the entire week the timing works for us. Most of the ships are decorated either before or during the cruise so it's festive as well.

 

Leon

[jacmo24]

Thanksgiving is our favorite week to cruise. Yes there are kids. Lots of them but I've never had a problem with it on Tday cruises. My son made lots more friends. I don't recall any kids out of hand, running, hanging out etc. Now our last Christmas cruise (we've done two) was full with loud, up all night teens. Jumping stairs. Racing in hallways. It was awful.

 

But it's the luck of the draw really IMO. When you can only travel on school breaks, that's what it is. I find Tday to be less insane than Christmas for sure.

[ibcruiseing]

We did last Thanksgiving on the Victory, good amount of kids.. The weather was the worst we have ever had, people sick high winds and big waves! the first 2 nights dinning rooms were only 1/2 full and people getting sick all over!