Please help me with my very first cruise

[ashleyriley]

Most European cruises are port intensive, meaning most passengers take either cruise line or independent excursions during there cruise. I think if your interested in taking your young children on a cruise I would first try a Caribbean cruise to see if you like it. I would wait to do the more expensive European cruise when your children are older enough to actually enjoy it. It’s really tough doing extensive excursions with young children in tow. A four, five, or even a seven day Caribbean cruise gives your family a chance to see if cruising is for you. I personally got hooked way back in May 1983 when I did a seven day solo cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Song Of America Eastern Caribbean sailing from Miami. I currently have cruise number forty booked with my family on Holland America’s Westerdam January 2019 sailing from Singapore.

I think this is the best advice you have been given. We did NCL Italy, Greece and Croatia itinerary last year. it was amazing but exhausting. This is really a trip you want to be able to enjoy and remember, I feel that the ages of your kids may be too young. There is uphill walking on cobblestone streets that can be hard on adults who are in shape. My advice would be to wait a few years so the family can really get the most out the experience.

 

 

 

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[AtlantaAlly]

Answer to number 3: Campo De Fiori. We had an Airbnb last fall (I think the name of it is in my venice review) and the location was absolutely perfect.

 

 

 

100% agree on this. We had a b&b there and were able to walk to everything. We did a whirlwind 4 days and I think we saw almost the entire city. Keep in mind when I saw we walked... we wore really comfortable shoes and got our steps in, and then some. But it’s a beautiful area and I loved the market!

[kitkat343]

I should note that we had a lot of organizational difficulties in terms of disembarkment and embarkment in Santorini. I'd hoped my difficulties were due to my incompetence, but it appears that this may be a very challenging port with young children.

 

These threads will discuss the logistical issues (you tender off, and then need to take a cable car up or ride a donkey to get to the parts of Santorini you'd want to see. Both options were completely packed when I did this tour 10 years ago and it doesn't appear to have gotten any better. You can apparently avoid the cable car/donkey on the way up if you take a ship tour - plus you might get a priority tender, but still need to deal with the crowds going down on the cable car). Santorini is gorgeous but this looks a little challenging with kids, unless you're willing to cut your port day short and leave late and return early. And even at that, you'd need to keep an eye on the other ships in port since they might have earlier return times and your trying to get back early might just put you in line with a lot of other cruisers.

 

Here are the recent forums that discuss the issues with disembarking Santorini

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2664179

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2579665

[Sparkling_girl]

Thank you all very much. As much as I am excited to book this trip, at the same time I got cold feet reading how crowded and hard it might be on kids...We went to Istanbul and Cappadocia back in May and I am shocked how great they behaved and visited every attraction even the underground city! The tour in Cappadocia was private and at Istanbul I was my family's your guide :)

 

I am now having second thoughts, are the port stops stroller friendly? Also, I see they no longer offer a stop at Istanbul? Are there and cruise lines that stop there?

Thank you

[CruiseGal999]

Thank you all very much. As much as I am excited to book this trip, at the same time I got cold feet reading how crowded and hard it might be on kids...We went to Istanbul and Cappadocia back in May and I am shocked how great they behaved and visited every attraction even the underground city! The tour in Cappadocia was private and at Istanbul I was my family's your guide :)

 

I am now having second thoughts, are the port stops stroller friendly? Also, I see they no longer offer a stop at Istanbul? Are there and cruise lines that stop there?

Thank you

 

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruiseto/cruiseitineraries.cfm?portofcall=113

[em-sk]

Thank you all very much. As much as I am excited to book this trip, at the same time I got cold feet reading how crowded and hard it might be on kids...We went to Istanbul and Cappadocia back in May and I am shocked how great they behaved and visited every attraction even the underground city! The tour in Cappadocia was private and at Istanbul I was my family's your guide :)

 

I am now having second thoughts, are the port stops stroller friendly? Also, I see they no longer offer a stop at Istanbul? Are there and cruise lines that stop there?

Thank you

 

I would say Istanbul is worse than your stops in Rome and Italy for handling kids.

 

Most people have answered your questions. I would add a few more answers. In Rome I like this little family run place called Maison Giulia in Vila Giulia. The family that runs its also has some apartments for rent within a block or two that may be a nice fit for a family of four. You should drop them an e-mail. There is a cruise specific forum "roll call" on cruise critic and it was suggested by one of the other people on the cruise. Filled up with people from the cruise. The hotel organised a van from the hotel to the ship. Very central location.

 

As far as booking you can book direct with the cruise line or a travel agent. I usually do direct with the cruise line. That gives you a single point of contact.

 

The port is a distance out. About an hour from Rome. Plan to come in a day or two before. Lots to do in Rome before the cruise.

 

These European cruises are generally very port intensive, (i.e., your in a new port nearly every day). Between that an the amenities on the ship your probably not spending a lot of time in your cabin.

 

There is always a "free" place to eat open on the ship somewhere. Most people are happy with the "free" restaurants. Wine, beer and liquor is expensive on shop. If that an important part of any meal for you or you plan on drinking a bit then a package can be a good deal.

 

For excursions you just have to look at each destination. In many cases you dock close to city centre or there is a low cost shuttle to get you into the city. The roll call may also have people organizing tours, Different people have different preferences, I am happy just wondering around on my own. I will do the ship tours if it is a destination the is out of town or complex to get access to. That is generally not the case in Europe.

[Sparkling_girl]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruiseto/cruiseitineraries.cfm?portofcall=113

Thank you so much!

[cefm]

 

3. Which neighborhood in Rome do we stay so we can see so much in three days and then get to the cruise port?

 

 

 

As a frequent traveller to Rome, I would recommend anywhere within a 10 minute walk of Termini Station

 

A. There are tons of cheep hotels and hostels with private rooms.

 

B. Rome is small and everything is walking distance.

 

C. Every metro (subway) goes there and you a 25 minutes away from any point of interest from the Vatican to the Coliseum to the Spanish Steps within 5ish stops.

 

D. The is a direct train from the airport there several times an hour.

 

E. There is a direct train from there to the cruise port several times an hour.

 

F. If you want to say trip to Naples or Florence. The train station has high speed trains to there.

 

 

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[Sparkling_girl]

I would say Istanbul is worse than your stops in Rome and Italy for handling kids.

 

Most people have answered your questions. I would add a few more answers. In Rome I like this little family run place called Maison Giulia in Vila Giulia. The family that runs its also has some apartments for rent within a block or two that may be a nice fit for a family of four. You should drop them an e-mail. There is a cruise specific forum "roll call" on cruise critic and it was suggested by one of the other people on the cruise. Filled up with people from the cruise. The hotel organised a van from the hotel to the ship. Very central location.

 

As far as booking you can book direct with the cruise line or a travel agent. I usually do direct with the cruise line. That gives you a single point of contact.

 

The port is a distance out. About an hour from Rome. Plan to come in a day or two before. Lots to do in Rome before the cruise.

 

These European cruises are generally very port intensive, (i.e., your in a new port nearly every day). Between that an the amenities on the ship your probably not spending a lot of time in your cabin.

 

There is always a "free" place to eat open on the ship somewhere. Most people are happy with the "free" restaurants. Wine, beer and liquor is expensive on shop. If that an important part of any meal for you or you plan on drinking a bit then a package can be a good deal.

 

For excursions you just have to look at each destination. In many cases you dock close to city centre or there is a low cost shuttle to get you into the city. The roll call may also have people organizing tours, Different people have different preferences, I am happy just wondering around on my own. I will do the ship tours if it is a destination the is out of town or complex to get access to. That is generally not the case in Europe.

Thank you for your great reply. So you think if the kids could handle Istanbul, Rome would be easier? :)

Are the ports of call stroller friendly? Are Santorini, Athen and Rome easy to navigate with kids? Any hiking?

[em-sk]

Thank you for your great reply. So you think if the kids could handle Istanbul, Rome would be easier? :)

Are the ports of call stroller friendly? Are Stentorian, Athen and Rome easy to navigate with kids? Any hiking?

 

Yes. Rome with all its plazas and pedestrian only streets is a breeze compared to Istanbul. I found Rome to be fairly flat, There are stairs in places, however if you walk a block or two one way of another there is usually a street that slops up/down to get you where you want to be.

 

Others suggested being near the train station, I find that area overly congested. The hotel I suggested is on a side street that connects into one of the main plazas and lots of pedestrian only streets connecting from there. It is also close to a promenade along the river that takes you to the Vatican. (If you want to do a tour inside the Vatican, you need to book that well in advance. The squares outside you can just walk in.

 

Athens we will very likely want to go and visit the Acropolis. There is a fair hike to get up their. Doing it on my own I would walk from where the ship docks to the nearby metro station. That is about a 10 minute walk. Take the subway into the city, Spend time around the base and then slowly head up. Given some of the stairs and all the walking not certain I would do that with a 7 and 4 year old.

 

Athens may be a port where an organised bus tour makes sense. Either with the ship or third party. (Have a look at the roll-call for your trip someone may already be trying to find people to join them on one). That would get you and your kids to start of the acropolis with enough energy to walk up to the top and still have energy once your at the top.

 

Santorini is not a port I have been to.

 

Nearly all NCL cruises go into Naples. I would do the half-day trip to pompai as for most people it is a "must see". The ship docks in the city, I would just walk off and spend the morning, come back on the ship for lunch and then do an excursion to pompai in the afternoon.

 

Not certain which other cities on the cruise your on.

Edited August 7, 2018 by em-sk

[4Mast]

Rome -The Vatican Museum (that's where you actually visit) can be a tiring day (there is about 7 Kilometres of corridors) and its always busy. We opted for a garden tour (see opted for a walking tour of the gardens that let us explore inside the Vatican corridors after - there is a short route to the Sistine Chapel). Book tickets well in advance. St Peters is also worth a visit but again its busy.

 

Istanbul - we found that traffic rules but one at Topkapi area it was fine.

 

Athens - there is a local bus from the port that can drop you near the entrance to the Acroplosis but its a long hot walk to the top. Not pushchair friendly.

 

Santorini - We tendered to the island and used the cable car to get from the landing to the top of the island where the towns are. It is possible to beat most of the queues (lines) by opting for a boat journey to another town.

 

Naples - we had an organised tour of Pompeii and then relaxed on the ship.

[Peachypooh]

I have never been on the ship you are sailing on nor the port stops but here are a few tips about cabin selection, etc.

 

1. Read the deck plans. Try to get a cabin with other cabins above and below you for noise reasons. You don't want to be below the garden cafe or above the theatre. Also scope out which areas on the ship you are most likely to use such as the kid's club and which cabins would mean less walking. If the kid's club is aft then an aft cabin reachable by an aft elevator bank or stair case would mean your children don't have to walk the whole length of the ship to get there.

 

2. With small children I always made 5:30 dinner reservations ahead so that we knew we had a place to take them for dinner if the buffet was a zoo. Also we always kept snacks and juice in the room for between meal snacks so that we didn't have to call room service or go to the buffet. You can stock up on small boxes of cereal, crackers and peanut butter, etc. every few days at the buffet.

 

3. We did an inside room and a balcony with two adults and two children. The inside cabin was claustrophobic with the drop down beds from the ceiling. The balcony was great as when one adult was helping the kids get ready the other can step outside and get some fresh air. Also sometimes with a family if you are unpacking during sailaway you will miss it if you don't have a balcony. I know you talked about a cabin with a window vs balcony. Keep checking prices as sometimes higher category cabins are less than lower category ones. On my upcoming Jade cruise the mini suites are less than the balconies.

 

Hope you have a great cruise. To me the extra money to avoid a connection would be worth it but you are also

buying 4 tickets so that would be a factor.

[ashleyriley]

Thank you for your great reply. So you think if the kids could handle Istanbul, Rome would be easier? :)

Are the ports of call stroller friendly? Are Santorini, Athen and Rome easy to navigate with kids? Any hiking?

Hi, I think you are so excited about booking the cruise you are not listening to what previous posters have said. One explained the options of a cable car or a donkey being the means to get to the area one goes to Santorini for. I don't call either "stroller frieindly" Athens has ancient streets that have many potholes. The Acropolis is amazing but has uneven, rocky terrain that would be hard for little ones to navigate. And would a 4 year old even remember or know what it is? Sorry, but I still say wait to take this trip untill the kids are older.

 

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[PTC DAWG]

Agree with the advice from those saying the kids are just too young for this. For many reasons...but sail on if you must.

[Sparkling_girl]

Thank you, so the harder to navigate ports are similar to Cappadocia. We had a two days 9-5 tour with no stroller and no problem.

For Naples, do you also recommend Positano?

The cruise online booking (on all of the websites I checked) only offer deck 4 and 8,9. Which would ypu prefer? 4 has a medical center and 8,9 only have small interior rooms. Maybe I just get us a toom with a balcony.

 

What are tenders? And roll-calls?

Are kids allowed on the donkey ride and cable cars?

 

Thank you

[mrobstad]

I agree, this is not a cruise for kids. Cobblestone streets and uneven pavements. If you have to take kids, the family room is definitely what you want. I think they are only interior, but much more space (that you’ll need). Also, kids club babysitting is a must. If you go to your roll call, someone may have booked a company Rome In Limo, which is the highest rated excursion company. I’d only fly nonstop-it’s an 8 hr time difference which could take you a week to recoup. Finally, you won’t have time in Rome, and if the cruise line offers it, I’d take their port to ship transport.

 

 

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[AtlantaAlly]

 

What are tenders? And roll-calls?

Are kids allowed on the donkey ride and cable cars?

 

Thank you

 

 

Tenders mean that the cruise ship doesn’t dock, you have to take a small ferry (tender) to and from the port while the ship is anchored off shore.

 

Roll calls are posts by ship by departure date so you can e-meet people before going on your cruise. You can go to boards>rollcall>Norwegian

 

I would think the cable cars are probably OK for kids, not sure on donkeys.

[ashleyriley]

Thank you, so the harder to navigate ports are similar to Cappadocia. We had a two days 9-5 tour with no stroller and no problem.

For Naples, do you also recommend Positano?

The cruise online booking (on all of the websites I checked) only offer deck 4 and 8,9. Which would ypu prefer? 4 has a medical center and 8,9 only have small interior rooms. Maybe I just get us a toom with a balcony.

 

What are tenders? And roll-calls?

Are kids allowed on the donkey ride and cable cars?

 

Thank you

If not having a stroller is "no problem" why ask if the ports are stroller friendly?

 

Selective listening going on here. Experienced cruisers who have actually been to the ports are giving the OP solid advice and it all seems to be ignored. Seems like basic common sense, but apparently not.

 

Signing off now, hope it all works out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[kitkat343]

Are kids allowed on the donkey ride and cable cars?

 

You should not allow your 4 year old to get on a donkey even if they allow it. I was 30 and couldn't really control mine (people who have ridden horses probably can control he donkey but I couldn't). I was scraped and bleeding on one of my legs from where the donkey ran me against the stone wall. My brother's donkey kept trying to fight with the other donkeys and he wound up losing a shoe halfway up the hill (this must not be an unusual occurrence, since the first tourism shop on the top of the hill sold overpriced cheap shoes).

 

Santorini is absolutely gorgeous but you need to resolve the potential logistical issues prior to booking this cruise. I have taken a 2 year old to Cartagena, Columbia, and a 3 year old to St. Petersburg and I am telling you this not as someone who doesn't believe in travel for young children, but travel with kids only works if you are able to create a plan ahead of time that eliminates logistical problems so your children will remain happy and can enjoy their visit.

 

Santorini is a tender port, which means that you could wait in line for a very long time to disembark if you want to get off soon after the ship arrives, and then you might need to wait in line a long time (up to an hour reported on the Greece boards) for the cable car up and again down if you are planning on leaving anytime close to the ship's arrival or departure. It is possible to avoid all of these lines by leaving late and coming back early, but you can only do this if you have checked the return time for the other ships, since coming back at 3 to avoid your ships 5 pm deadline won't help if another ship is returning at 4. And bear in mind that Santorini is very popular. This site will tell you how many other ships are in port that day: https://www.cruisetimetables.com .

 

What I would recommend is contacting all of the private tour operators to determine if you pay for a private tour for just your family can they pick you up and drop you off where the tenders let you off and skip the cable car/donkey. If Santorini is important to you (and I understand why it would be, as it is absolutely gorgeous) I would not book this cruise until this issue is resolved, or you are prepared to have a very short port day there. And prior to booking, please also remember that Rome is a little difficult for kids since you are not close to the port. And these logistical issues are magnified by 100 when your kids are jet lagged, sleep deprived and cranky.

[shrew]

My thoughts are if you've traveled to more "difficult" places with your children you'll be fine. Children grow up in Santorini and if you're prepared to experience the non-American (not easy) experience you'll do well. I say go with your gut, as everyone should.

[Sparkling_girl]

Thank you, you're right. Here are the ports from the cruise I'm interested in. My personal favorite places to visit are: Athen, Santorini and Positano which I guess I'll have to arrange something for that. Any recommendations on which other ones are worth reserving a tour for?

 

Thanks

 

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

Santorini, Greece

Athens (Piraeus), Greece

Mykonos, Greece

Rhodes, Greece

Chania, Crete, Greece

Valletta, Malta

Messina (Sicily), Italy

Naples, Italy

Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

 

[Sparkling_girl]

Hi, I think you are so excited about booking the cruise you are not listening to what previous posters have said. One explained the options of a cable car or a donkey being the means to get to the area one goes to Santorini for. I don't call either "stroller frieindly" Athens has ancient streets that have many potholes. The Acropolis is amazing but has uneven, rocky terrain that would be hard for little ones to navigate. And would a 4 year old even remember or know what it is? Sorry, but I still say wait to take this trip untill the kids are older.

 

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Kids can go on the donkey and car rides so we'll be fine.

[ashleyriley]

Kids can go on the donkey and car rides so we'll be fine.

Of course kids can go on the cable cars ( after a long wait in the line to board) and the donkeys. My response was in the context of Santorini being stroller friendly, the question YOU asked. It is not stroller friendly, neither is Athens. So the plan is to carry or have the 4 yr old walk on the rocky, cobblestone uphill streets in the hot sun? Why is that enjoyable for the child? Common sense not so common.

 

 

 

 

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[Sparkling_girl]

None of these options have balcony. Bummer...

 

 

1) 11-Day Greek Isles & Italy from Rome (Civitavecchia)

 

2) 10-Day Greek Isles & Italy from Rome (Civitavecchia)

 

3) 10-Day Eastern Mediterranean & Greek Isles from Rome (Civitavecchia)

 

What are tenders and roll-calls?

[kitkat343]

Some ports have not built docks that are deep enough to allow large cruise ships to pull up next to land so people can just walk off the ship. This might be because it is harder geologically to create these docks in some locations, or it could be because there is a lot of local resistance to increasing the numbers of tourists from cruise ships (land tourists tend to spend more money since they need hotel rooms and eat more meals and usually stay longer) and cruise ships have a lot of pollution. If there is no place to dock (or only room for one or two ships to dock) then tenders are used. These are small boats that carry passengers from the cruise ship to shore. Tenders can be tricky, since they are more difficult for elderly passengers and passengers with disabilities (you need to step across the side of your cruise ship onto the tender boat). Bear in mind that the currents sometimes means there can be a slight gap between the two boats. Crew members are stationed on both sides of the cruise ship and tender boat to help passengers get across safely. Technically, they aren't supposed to help passengers board, but both times I've tendered with small children the crew has very kindly and helpfully picked up small children and handed them across the boats. So we have not experienced any hardship in actually reaching the tender boats.

 

However, the difficulty of tendering is that on a large ship, thousands of people are trying to get off at the same time through smaller boats. Some tenders are well organized; others are a bit more chaotic, and can involve standing in line or waiting in a theater for a long time for your number to be called.

 

The issue I've been trying to warn you about with Santorini is that since everyone knows the cable cars and donkeys have long lines, they all try to get off early to beat the crowds (and obviously everyone can't do that at once). Priority disembarkation is often available to suite passengers, and passengers with high status (people who have completed a lot of cruises with the same cruise line). Priority is also sometimes given to ship tours, which on some lines happens in Santorini. So you need to be prepared to potentially wait awhile before being able to start touring Santorini.

 

So you might wait up to an hour to be allowed to take your tender, and then another hour waiting for the cable car (please don't take your child on the donkey - the line is just as long and its not a flat, easy donkey ride - it's up a really steep hill with donkeys that truly aren't well trained and are completely unsupervised and I think it is quite dangerous for small children).