Kids and Cruising

[mistywood75]

Need some advice. I have been on 1 cruise recently to the Eastern Caribbean on Allure of the Seas with RC. It was amazing and we loved it. We want to take our 5 kids on a cruise (call us crazy, I know) but just looking for a decent, fun, quick trip. Would like to sail out of LA for 4-5 nights. Kids ages range from 2-11. We want something fun but not ridiculously expensive. Heard Carnival is best for things like this but also a lot of drunk party people. Any ideas? We will probably go during a non peak season to avoid Spring Break, etc. Any suggestions would be great.

[Shmoo here]

Need some advice. I have been on 1 cruise recently to the Eastern Caribbean on Allure of the Seas with RC. It was amazing and we loved it. We want to take our 5 kids on a cruise (call us crazy, I know) but just looking for a decent, fun, quick trip. Would like to sail out of LA for 4-5 nights. Kids ages range from 2-11. We want something fun but not ridiculously expensive. Heard Carnival is best for things like this but also a lot of drunk party people. Any ideas? We will probably go during a non peak season to avoid Spring Break, etc. Any suggestions would be great.

 

You don't have a whole lot of choice out of LA. Carnival or Princess, basically.

 

One note, short cruises do tend to be more a party cruise than the longer ones.

 

That said, we did a Carnival 4 night cruise out of LA (Catalina, Ensenada ports of call) that wasn't too bad. It was a Sun-Thurs itinerary in February. It was fairly laid back.

[Cruisin' Chick]

You don't have a whole lot of choice out of LA. Carnival or Princess, basically.

 

One note, short cruises do tend to be more a party cruise than the longer ones.

 

That said, we did a Carnival 4 night cruise out of LA (Catalina, Ensenada ports of call) that wasn't too bad. It was a Sun-Thurs itinerary in February. It was fairly laid back.

 

Cruises that short will tend to be the Baja cruises (or a short coastal) that will have a stop in Ensenada (one of my least favorite ports). Carnival does this cruise all year round. Princess may have some of these but only between september and May, but most of the time, their cruises will be 7 days of longer.

[cb at sea]

A west coast cruise will NOT be anything like a Caribbean cruise....there is no comparison between the two. The Caribbean has gorgeous waters, warm and balmy. The Pacific is always cold..and rough...they really can't be compared.

 

Short cruises are PARTY cruises..can't be helped! Folks are trying to get as much from a weekend as they can!

[Ashland]

A west coast cruise will NOT be anything like a Caribbean cruise....there is no comparison between the two. The Caribbean has gorgeous waters, warm and balmy. The Pacific is always cold..and rough...they really can't be compared.

 

Short cruises are PARTY cruises..can't be helped! Folks are trying to get as much from a weekend as they can!

 

No one said it would be the same...it's Mexico. We have gone on many...Baja and Mexican Riviera cruise's.

 

Since RCI left the next best option would be PCL to the Mexican Riviera...these aren't usually party boats.

[jean95404]

I took my two grand daughters (aged 7 and 10) on a 5 day 4 night cruise out of Los Angeles last February. It was kind of a test to see how they were as sailors. They had a terrific time and so did I. There is a group called the Pelicans that the children can participate in. My grand daughters went from 9-12 and then we had lunch. They made friends with whom they swam with and played games with. I had the opportunity of having some "me" time, they had lots of fun with kids their age, and then we had dinner and evenings together. The people running Pelicans were just great, the ships staff were wonderful. I'm taking my two grand sons on a cruise in April. Certainly a cruise is an easier method for me to take my young grandchildren on a vacation by myself.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

As others have pointed out, the shorter cruises tend to be party cruises--on most lines not just on Carnival. If it's in the budget and you want to sail from the West Coast, I suggest a Mexican Riviera cruise instead of one of the short three- or four-day cruises. On a seven-night cruise, Carnival is a great value and you won't experience the party atmosphere like on the shorter cruises. In my experience, most people who classify all Carnival cruises as party cruises have never cruised Carnival. I'm platinum on Carnival and not a partier and have enjoyed all of our Carnival cruises.

 

I don't think you're crazy at all OP. Cruising is a great family vacation! I've never once heard one of my children say they were bored on a cruise--they love it! Before we started cruising, it felt like I didn't get much of a vacation (always herding or entertaining the kids and making reservations and such). The first time we cruise, I was hooked. Mom got a vacation, too! :D:D:D

Edited November 20, 2016 by Quilting_Cruiser

[Nebr.cruiser]

Go for it if you can--if possible do the 7 day Mexican Riviera though. We once took 7! grandkids ages 5-11 on a cruise (no parents) out of Ft. Lauderdale. It was a wonderful time for all of us--six years later they still talk about it.

[payitforward]

Norwegian also does Mexican Riviera out of Los Angeles.