Trying to Plan First Family Cruise...Urgghhhhh

[wananga]

How is choosing a family cruise for the first time so hard :confused:

 

Please bear with me whilst I explain.

 

For our 2016 family holiday I have decided that we will go on a cruise (first time for any of us.......(we don't count the Picton ferry crossing over to the South Island from Wellington ;)). Cruising just ticks all the boxes for us for sun, tropical beaches, food, relaxation, activities, .....ok deciding that has been the easy part.....trying to make that happen is turning out to be such a trial. :(

 

We are a family of four me (48), DH (39), DS (17), DD (13) and I plan to bring two DGD (3, 5) plus a friend for DS (explained later)

 

We are limited of course by several factors....timing of the trip and budget constraints. We have chosen early December 2016 because it is right after son's final year 13 exams have finished (any other time would interfere with his study and of course his drinking ability because he turns 18 in September, son's drinking ability is apparently a big consideration....are other 17 yr olds so keen to be 'legal' or just ours????)

 

We can't afford those wonderful Mediterranean/Caribbean/European cruises because that would involve flying long distances. We can afford to either get ourselves up to Auckland OR overseas to Brisbane or Sydney. Ok so far so good, what cruises are available early early December from any of the ports. Auckland is much preferable, far less travel and therefore less expensive BUT wouldn't you know it all the cruises departing from Auckland in December 2016 are mostly NZ based cruises.....now I love my country but two of our holiday requirements are sun and tropical beaches.....this in my experience is NOT NZ in early December especially when we travel further south. So that leaves Brisbane and Sydney. We need to leave early December or at the latest late November because the airfares are much better in price, once you get past a certain date in December, the airfares and cruise prices become pretty expensive as we head towards Christmas.

 

Our budget for the entire trip would be around $10,000

 

I would really like to go on Carnival/RCI but all these cruise lines use US$ and charge gratuities which with our weak NZ$ (weaker than AU$) makes these cruises so much more expensive.

 

I like the 'casual' feel of P&O (I think this suits our family much more) but reviews generally agree they are a step 'down' from the others (and yet are dearer or on par with the others for price), however I love that they don't charge for tipping (although of course you are able to tip for exceptional service and of course we would do that) and the currency on board is $AU.

 

Many, many hours later I have come up with this solution:

 

P & O - South Pacific - Pacific Dawn 7 nights 3 December 2016 Brisbane to Brisbane - current price of Quad is $835 BUT if we book last minute on their Pack & Go fares this COULD come down to around $600 saving us many dollars.

 

The plan would be to fly over to Brisbane early say Nov 28, book cheap accommodation and have a few days exploring the theme parks before the cruise. If we don't get the cheap fares for the cruise no problem we have already booked a great Gold Coast holiday which we could extend out with the cruise money.

 

I find that our options for cruises out of NZ are so limited. If I could afford my cruise of choice it would be 13 nights Radiance out of Sydney 3 December 2016 - South Pacific Cruise ending in Auckland....perfect!

[Tiggertastic]

The first one was always the hardest to sort. P and O is definitely no step down from carnival. Rccl has a lot to do for the kids. Your son turning 18 may get him a drink but on some cruise lines they don't allow it until 21 and some only with a waiver so check it's covered. Also being 18 takes him out of the teen club, maybe that's why he's got a friend joining? Looks like you've found a couple of good options.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just a couple of points:

 

- I'm fairly certain that Carnival ships operating out of Australia have onboard costs in AUD and no additional tips, just like P&O and Princess.

 

- Drinking age is 18 on ships cruising the Australian region, incuding RCI.

 

- Keep an eye on the price for that RCI cruise that you like, it may get cheaper.

 

- Quad rooms often sell out first but sometimes it's cheaper to book two twin cabins than one quad.

Edited July 15, 2015 by OzKiwiJJ

[GUT2407]

How is choosing a family cruise for the first time so hard :confused:

 

Please bear with me whilst I explain.

 

For our 2016 family holiday I have decided that we will go on a cruise (first time for any of us.......(we don't count the Picton ferry crossing over to the South Island from Wellington ;)). Cruising just ticks all the boxes for us for sun, tropical beaches, food, relaxation, activities, .....ok deciding that has been the easy part.....trying to make that happen is turning out to be such a trial. :(

 

We are a family of four me (48), DH (39), DS (17), DD (13) and I plan to bring two DGD (3, 5) plus a friend for DS (explained later)

 

We are limited of course by several factors....timing of the trip and budget constraints. We have chosen early December 2016 because it is right after son's final year 13 exams have finished (any other time would interfere with his study and of course his drinking ability because he turns 18 in September, son's drinking ability is apparently a big consideration....are other 17 yr olds so keen to be 'legal' or just ours????)

 

 

I think most 17 year olds are in the same boat, can't wait to be legal.

 

We can't afford those wonderful Mediterranean/Caribbean/European cruises because that would involve flying long distances. We can afford to either get ourselves up to Auckland OR overseas to Brisbane or Sydney. Ok so far so good, what cruises are available early early December from any of the ports. Auckland is much preferable, far less travel and therefore less expensive BUT wouldn't you know it all the cruises departing from Auckland in December 2016 are mostly NZ based cruises.....now I love my country but two of our holiday requirements are sun and tropical beaches.....this in my experience is NOT NZ in early December especially when we travel further south. So that leaves Brisbane and Sydney. We need to leave early December or at the latest late November because the airfares are much better in price, once you get past a certain date in December, the airfares and cruise prices become pretty expensive as we head towards Christmas.

 

I can't speak for Aukland but at that time of year pretty much a cruise a day out of Sydney.

 

Our budget for the entire trip would be around $10,000

 

How long do you have

 

I would really like to go on Carnival/RCI but all these cruise lines use US$ and charge gratuities which with our weak NZ$ (weaker than AU$) makes these cruises so much more expensive.

 

I thought Carnival were in Aussie $.

 

I like the 'casual' feel of P&O (I think this suits our family much more) but reviews generally agree they are a step 'down' from the others (and yet are dearer or on par with the others for price), however I love that they don't charge for tipping (although of course you are able to tip for exceptional service and of course we would do that) and the currency on board is $AU.

 

I am not a big P&O fan, but plenty love it.

 

Many, many hours later I have come up with this solution:

 

P & O - South Pacific - Pacific Dawn 7 nights 3 December 2016 Brisbane to Brisbane - current price of Quad is $835 BUT if we book last minute on their Pack & Go fares this COULD come down to around $600 saving us many dollars.

 

Price COULD come down, but it could also go up or the cruise/cabin you want be sold out, that is always a gamble.

 

The plan would be to fly over to Brisbane early say Nov 28, book cheap accommodation and have a few days exploring the theme parks before the cruise. If we don't get the cheap fares for the cruise no problem we have already booked a great Gold Coast holiday which we could extend out with the cruise money.

 

Theme parks on the Gold Coast can be expensive.

 

I find that our options for cruises out of NZ are so limited. If I could afford my cruise of choice it would be 13 nights Radiance out of Sydney 3 December 2016 - South Pacific Cruise ending in Auckland....perfect!

 

Remember that while the cruise might cost a bit more you will save one way airfares. I think from what you say Radiance may be a good fit.

[DianeandMark]

P&O is a great first cruise. We had a wonderful time on the Pacific Dawn doing the same itinerary as this. There was a great range of ages on board, we are mid 50's and there were plenty of kids, teens and 20 something's on board and from what we could see everyone was having a great time. Having said that, we live on the Gold Coast and there are great theme parks, beaches etc to enjoy. :)

[ozblue_7]

I'd be saving the Gold Coast money and trying for your favourite option on Radiance.

 

Don't forget to factor in cost of on board drinks, and excursions.

[goodycruising]

A cruise is more cost effective than people sometimes realise. We spent 2 weeks in Melbourne a while back and it cost more than 3 weeks on a cruise. Not anywhere near as good either!

 

It is getting up there in price by the time you add up all that for 7 people, but remember a trip to the Gold Coast includes a LOT of eating out, and that can really add up compared to the all inclusive cost (not incl alcohol of course) of a cruise.

 

Then you have shows each night in the theatre, pools and days at islands.

 

I think you are onto a good idea to come here and engage the brains trust, and your idea of booking the flight and playing the rest out a bit closer might be a great idea. There are often some good prices a few weeks out for cruises that don't cover the main school holiday times.

 

There are some very canny researchers, and I look forward to seeing the ideas they come up with. I looked at Radiance, and the balcony at inside price special currently running seems to only be for 2 persons per cabin, so it didn't add up very well for 7 :(

 

There is very likely to be some more good prices, particularly to the south pacific. It is usually cheaper than NZ cruises.

[bubbles2014]

How is choosing a family cruise for the first time so hard :confused:

 

Please bear with me whilst I explain.

 

For our 2016 family holiday I have decided that we will go on a cruise (first time for any of us.......(we don't count the Picton ferry crossing over to the South Island from Wellington ;)). Cruising just ticks all the boxes for us for sun, tropical beaches, food, relaxation, activities, .....ok deciding that has been the easy part.....trying to make that happen is turning out to be such a trial. :(

 

We are a family of four me (48), DH (39), DS (17), DD (13) and I plan to bring two DGD (3, 5) plus a friend for DS (explained later)

 

We are limited of course by several factors....timing of the trip and budget constraints. We have chosen early December 2016 because it is right after son's final year 13 exams have finished (any other time would interfere with his study and of course his drinking ability because he turns 18 in September, son's drinking ability is apparently a big consideration....are other 17 yr olds so keen to be 'legal' or just ours????)

 

We can't afford those wonderful Mediterranean/Caribbean/European cruises because that would involve flying long distances. We can afford to either get ourselves up to Auckland OR overseas to Brisbane or Sydney. Ok so far so good, what cruises are available early early December from any of the ports. Auckland is much preferable, far less travel and therefore less expensive BUT wouldn't you know it all the cruises departing from Auckland in December 2016 are mostly NZ based cruises.....now I love my country but two of our holiday requirements are sun and tropical beaches.....this in my experience is NOT NZ in early December especially when we travel further south. So that leaves Brisbane and Sydney. We need to leave early December or at the latest late November because the airfares are much better in price, once you get past a certain date in December, the airfares and cruise prices become pretty expensive as we head towards Christmas.

 

Our budget for the entire trip would be around $10,000

 

I would really like to go on Carnival/RCI but all these cruise lines use US$ and charge gratuities which with our weak NZ$ (weaker than AU$) makes these cruises so much more expensive.

 

I like the 'casual' feel of P&O (I think this suits our family much more) but reviews generally agree they are a step 'down' from the others (and yet are dearer or on par with the others for price), however I love that they don't charge for tipping (although of course you are able to tip for exceptional service and of course we would do that) and the currency on board is $AU.

 

Many, many hours later I have come up with this solution:

 

P & O - South Pacific - Pacific Dawn 7 nights 3 December 2016 Brisbane to Brisbane - current price of Quad is $835 BUT if we book last minute on their Pack & Go fares this COULD come down to around $600 saving us many dollars.

 

The plan would be to fly over to Brisbane early say Nov 28, book cheap accommodation and have a few days exploring the theme parks before the cruise. If we don't get the cheap fares for the cruise no problem we have already booked a great Gold Coast holiday which we could extend out with the cruise money.

 

I find that our options for cruises out of NZ are so limited. If I could afford my cruise of choice it would be 13 nights Radiance out of Sydney 3 December 2016 - South Pacific Cruise ending in Auckland....perfect!

 

Please email me :)

[wananga]

Oh many many thanks for the replies.

 

That is great news to me that the currency aboard Carnival is Oz dollars.

 

We love the Gold Coast, we have already been a few times but we have such a great time there. There is even a special now for the 3 in 1 theme park tickets for around $84 p/p which equates to $588....fantastic value.

 

If we depart from Brisbane then I have a few choices:

Dec 3 -7 nights Pacific Dawn - $835

Dec 5 - 8 nights Legend of the Seas - $889

Dec 9 - 7 nights Pacific Eden - $907

Dec 11 - 7 nights Sea Princess - $1006

 

The pool aboard Pacific Dawn looks tiny and I think Pacific Eden will be a newish ship to P&O (plus it will have the new eatery The Pantry on board...which looks great).

 

We are looking to leave around November 28ish could be later depending on which cruise we try and get. We would want to spend around 4-5 days before the cruise and a 7-8 night cruise so that would be in total around 13-14 days away and be back home in NZ no later than the 19th I guess.

 

I think the 13 night Radiance trip out of Sydney is quite a good price currently but just too pricey for an extended family of 7.

 

Yes I am not factoring in pricey shore excursions, we plan to swim and snorkel at most ports if we can. Hubby and I aren't big drinkers and I won't drink at all around my grand-daughters which just leaves the legal son and his friend.......how on earth you could enjoy a cruise perpetually drunk I have no idea (which is how I envisage my son being if he actually gets a drinks package, it is interesting to read how many drinks one has to consume to break 'even' with these packages, son will be drunk by the 3rd drink of the day...oh well I suppose we can add that to the free entertainment package).

[MicCanberra]

I think your Princess or P&O cruises look best there, the Legend is RCI so will be USD on board.

[wananga]

I just worked out what the gratuities would cost for the Radiance trip - $1638!!!! That is not even including the extra you might pay for the cabin attendant and staff at the kids club.

[wagtail_syd]

The last two weeks of Nov and first week of Dec are schoolies week aren't they? I would avoid the Gold Coast like the plague over that period, especially with your young granddaughters in tow.

 

I wonder if P&O cruises (and perhaps also the other lines) around that time will also be full of schoolies. I haven't cruised at that time of year so someone else will need to advise. Being trapped on a boat with hundreds of drunk 18 year olds does not sounds like fun...even if two of those 18 year olds belong to you. I feel like a real old lady saying this but I would be worried about my 17 year old drinking heavily on board a ship if he isn't used to drinking yet. However my kids are much younger than yours so I am probably a bit naive about these things.

 

We liked Carnival for the water slides and water park which were great for kids and teens. Everything was in AUD with gratuities included. I think they have a sale on at the moment so worth checking out.

[Wastegirl]

I hope you are making you son and friend pay for his own drinks bill, that can really add up on a ship if you are not careful. Of the Australian based ships only Princess is currently offering a drinks package at $59 pp pd. But once one does it, the others may follow suit (crossing fingers).

 

With the Legend, as you have worked out, you also have to pay gratuities and everything in US dollars, so that has to be factored in. You have to pay gratuities for each person including children, but then you don't have return flights.

 

You are right about the Eden, it will be new and refurbished. It was previously a Holland America ship and having been on one of their ships I can tell you their staterooms are a very good size, no matter what the category.

 

I'm sure you are already aware of this, but don't forget to get all the legal paperwork from the parents agreeing for you to take their children out of the country (I understand this even applies to grandkids).

 

I also believe that some cruise lines insist on one person in the cabin being of a minimum age, in RCCL's case over 21, so you might like to check this as well.

[goodycruising]

I just worked out what the gratuities would cost for the Radiance trip - $1638!!!! That is not even including the extra you might pay for the cabin attendant and staff at the kids club.

 

Ouch! It doesn't seem so much when it is just 2 pax! You would not need to pay more for the cabin attendant, that is covered in the gratuities, but I don't know about what happens in kids club.

 

I think the drinking on board is an expensive idea for young ones. I would be reluctant to stump up much for drinks on board as they could get through quite a bit.

 

Good luck with your research.

[wananga]

Schoolies....omg:eek: ...had to look that up to understand what it meant? Even MORE food for thought.

 

Thanks for all this great advice about what I need to take into account.

 

Yep son and friend...their drinking is at their own cost! DH and I will be keeping a close eye on them both.

 

Legal work for grandkids....had not even thought about that! Will have to investigate. ....(Did a quick search apparently no problem there the grandkids just need valid travel documents...I take this to mean tickets/passport etc. Nothing was mentioned about some sort of legal parental consent)

Edited July 16, 2015 by wananga
Additional info added.

[MicCanberra]

Great tips Elise, especially about the grandkids needing documented permission.

[goodycruising]

Oh yes, the person over 21 in a cabin - worth checking out. Sounds like a bit of a hassle, but if you have all your ducks in a row you will find it easy to board and fore warned is best.

 

Schoolies is a nightmare. The trouble is the older ones sometimes that hang around too. At least on the ship you can supervise better.

Edited July 16, 2015 by goodycruising

[MicCanberra]

Schoolies....omg:eek: ...had to look that up to understand what it meant? Even MORE food for thought.

 

Thanks for all this great advice about what I need to take into account.

 

Yep son and friend...their drinking is at their own cost! DH and I will be keeping a close eye on them both.

 

Legal work for grandkids....had not even thought about that! Will have to investigate. ....(Did a quick search apparently no problem there the grandkids just need valid travel documents...I take this to mean tickets/passport etc. Nothing was mentioned about some sort of legal parental consent)

 

I suggest making something up that has the permissions from the parents just in case.

 

Something like this - http://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/travel-consent-au/?loc=AU&pid=msnppc-consnt_au-consent_h1-msnkey_parental%20consent%20form&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc

or

http://www.freewebs.com/docdiva/Minor%20Travel%20Consent.pdf

Edited July 16, 2015 by MicCanberra

[The_Big_M]

No gratuities apply for kids club.

 

Though that probably won't make much difference in the scheme of things!

[Blue Elephant]

I think the Carnival cruises it of Sydney are likely to be a good fit. I went on a Carnival Spirit cruise last year and found that it was all OK. Aust dollars on board, no extra gratuities.

 

Prices for drinks were quite reasonable. Carnival Spirit has a good rock band, Music Manilla, that have totally mastered the Australian play list. That should entertain your newly minted adults!

 

They also have the Green Thunder waterslide.

 

The theme parks on the Gold Coast will be Crowded if it is schoolies season.

[wananga]

ok will check out the carnival cruises from Sydney and thank you MC for the permissions template.

[MicCanberra]

ok will check out the carnival cruises from Sydney and thank you MC for the permissions template.

 

No worries, I would check for an official NZ form (if one exists) just to be sure, perhaps call your immigration department to see if anything is required.:D

[tickford]

Good luck with your research so much to consider to cover all your age groups. One thing I wouldn't be allowing is a newly 18 yo get an alcohol drinks package, from 0 drinking to full on to get your money's worth, nup wouldn't be happening here, lol.

Why is it that these kids just can't wait to get to the drinks, my son was the same I have to say.

[MicCanberra]

Good luck with your research so much to consider to cover all your age groups. One thing I wouldn't be allowing is a newly 18 yo get an alcohol drinks package, from 0 drinking to full on to get your money's worth, nup wouldn't be happening here, lol.

Why is it that these kids just can't wait to get to the drinks, my son was the same I have to say.

 

I think most kids are the same, they cannot wait to grow up and do what grown ups do. When they get there, they realise it is not all that great as now that they have freedom, they also have responsibilities as well as the bill.

Edited July 17, 2015 by MicCanberra

[GUT2407]

I think most kids are the same, they cannot wait to grow up and do what grown ups do. When they get there, they realise it is not all that great as now that they have freedom, they also have responsibilities as well as the bill.

 

 

Yep I drank like fish till I was about 19, haven't drank since.