fluffy_rippley Posted August 13, 2007 #1 Share Posted August 13, 2007 Hiya All, Hubby & I are visiting family in FLorida wiht our fifteen year old daughter, from the UK for the Xmas & new year period. We are thinking about going on a cruise during part of it to the Carribbean. We're not too fussed about the ports of call (we're quite happy to look round anywhere!) but we definately want a ship that has plenty going on! Hubby & I are both 35 (so not ready to go to bed too early just yet!!!) & we also want a decent teen programme for our daughter so she's not too bored!! As well as decent family type entertainment for when she actually wants to spend some time with us!! lol I've managed to find a few different cruise lines, but who to go with??????? :confused: I'm very confused! Royal Caribbean certainly seem like some of the nicest ships, with more to do, but how much time do you actually spend on board??? I'm not too worried about the cabin, again, cos you only really sleep & get changed in there!! I've also gotten prices from Nowegians Pearl, Carnival & Princess. I just really can't make my mind up, so would really love some advice from you guys!! luv & hugs nicky xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomko2 Posted August 13, 2007 #2 Share Posted August 13, 2007 One of the newer RCI ships would probably fit the bill nicely, e.g. Freedom of the Seas. Where in Florida will you be staying? There are several ports and it would make sense to pick something close. The holiday season is quite expensive for cruising so if you have options you could look at early January cruises which are sometimes very good values. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookish Angel Posted August 13, 2007 #3 Share Posted August 13, 2007 I hope you and your family have a great time here in the USA. As for cruise lines: that depends on what you are looking to do and at what level of service you expect. Personally, my fave line is Holland America as it is more upscale, quiet and more in keeping with what I like on a vacation; lectures, fine art, etc. However, that might not appeal to you, particularly since you will be with your child. My advice is to check out some cruise lines' website to get a feel for what they offer (most have actual video tours of major areas of the ships) and then check the Cruise Critic boards for specific discussions about those lines/ship. etc. I used this procedure before my first cruise and it was very helpful. Whatever you decide, cruising is wonderful and relaxing and the odds are that whatever ship you ultimately decide on will offer you a great time. Best regards, Angel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
741323 Posted August 13, 2007 #4 Share Posted August 13, 2007 Don't dismiss Carnival. We are also from the UK and went on a Carnival cruise last year. They go out of their way for the kids and teens. If you choose an itinerary with lots of ports of call then Carnival could be something you might like - although there are lots of "partying people" you don't have to party and there are quieter areas of the ship as well! If you choose RCI Princess Carnival then you will have roughly the same sort of on board activities - although Princess like to think they are a little more refined. Carnival have great stage shows, RCI are a bit more sports oriented... We are about to try Holland America.... Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abitaturbodog Posted August 13, 2007 #5 Share Posted August 13, 2007 I would look at Carnival --the newer, bigger ships, and Royal Caribbean -- also the newer ships. Both offer a lot for teens and adults, plus great service and good food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy_rippley Posted August 13, 2007 Author #6 Share Posted August 13, 2007 What are the newer Carnival ships that you would recommend??? Nicky xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ga_Crusin Posted August 13, 2007 #7 Share Posted August 13, 2007 I'd also suggest looking at Celebrity. They're more upscale, akin to Holland America, but with much better facilities for younger kids. I don't know about the teen programs. But with Celebrity, I think you'd want the bigger ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eclipsepearl Posted August 14, 2007 #8 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I hate to contridict another poster offhand but we just returned from a Med cruise with Celebrity. It was the Galaxy and the dd of the other family was 12. They didn't have much for her age, although they did have a teen disco. She's an only child and basically just hung out with me and her mother the whole time. My younger kids had a blast, though. The Fun Factory was great! My eight year old never wanted to leave it. Look into the larger ships that have good facilities for older kids. Even if she's not into rock climbing or ice skating, a ship with those sorts of distractions onboard simply might draw more teens her age in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annski Posted August 14, 2007 #9 Share Posted August 14, 2007 we love celebrity because there are fewer children the childrens program on our last cruise had less than 12 under 12 years old which was good for one on one activities and there were very very few teenagers There was no listed of a teenage program. I think also the average age was quite a bit older than 35 years old.:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
741323 Posted August 14, 2007 #10 Share Posted August 14, 2007 We went on the Carnival Valor last year - there were not hundreds of kids on board - but enough for them to make friends. Being British we were a bit of a novelty. The Valor is an immaculately clean Carnival ship - and great value for money - the colours in my view are a bit too garish - but the facilities are good (gym is excellent) and food is good. When you consider the price differential between cruise lines... I agree Celebrity is probably better - but you would pay for that difference - and just maybe the price difference may be something some would forgo.... We are booked on the Carnival Glory for next year (booked flights and cruise ourselves using an online US Travel Agency for the cruise) and as a result made a huge price saving on UK prices. If you are looking for a new Carnival ship I would suggest reading the reviews on the Carnival ships on here - and looking at ratings given to the ships. A bigger ship will generally have a bigger range of activities to cater for the larger number of passengers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted August 14, 2007 #11 Share Posted August 14, 2007 RCCL has the most ammenities to do onboard. Carnival has the best value. We go back and forth between the two. You would be happy with either one. The BEST ship we have ever been on was RCCL Freedom of the Seas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofmn00 Posted August 14, 2007 #12 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I have only been on one Carnival ship, but I saw lots of teenagers and all looked as to be having a GREAT time! And of course, being a little cheaper than the other cruiselines, it is a great value for the money. But from looking at other ships, it looks like RCCL has awesome things to do like the rock wall, ice scating, and doesn't one of them have a surf pool (unsure, could be another line....:confused: ) But whatever you decide, I am sure you will have a great time cruising!!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warmer Climes Posted August 14, 2007 #13 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I have cruised RCCL's Explorer and NCL's Dream with teenagers and they preferred the Explorer hands down because it's bigger and has more for teenagers to do. I would look at larger, newer ships if I was you- and don't overlook NCL's Pearl which I hear is fabulous. I think you need to read member reviews and even though it's a lot of work I know there are many reviews written by people who have cruised with teenagers. (Another ship I looked at was Caribbean Princess- there is a review of that ship written by a teenage boy). Barb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikkiGarcia Posted August 14, 2007 #14 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I have 2 teenagers who LOVE Royal Caribbean. Their teen programs are excellent. We sailed NCL this March. While the itinerary was good, the teen program was a dud. Kid programs are great on many cruiselines, but teen programs are very difficult to pull off. You don't want it to seem like you are being babysat (like NCL) but you don't want them taking over the ship. We have been on 6 different RC ships and even though the teen facilities vary a bit, every sailing most if not all teens seemed to participate and make great friends quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuizer2 Posted August 15, 2007 #15 Share Posted August 15, 2007 Hiya All, Hubby & I are visiting family in FLorida wiht our fifteen year old daughter, from the UK for the Xmas & new year period. We are thinking about going on a cruise during part of it to the Carribbean. We're not too fussed about the ports of call (we're quite happy to look round anywhere!) but we definately want a ship that has plenty going on! Hubby & I are both 35 (so not ready to go to bed too early just yet!!!) & we also want a decent teen programme for our daughter so she's not too bored!! As well as decent family type entertainment for when she actually wants to spend some time with us!! lol I've managed to find a few different cruise lines, but who to go with??????? :confused: I'm very confused! Royal Caribbean certainly seem like some of the nicest ships, with more to do, but how much time do you actually spend on board??? I'm not too worried about the cabin, again, cos you only really sleep & get changed in there!! I've also gotten prices from Nowegians Pearl, Carnival & Princess. I just really can't make my mind up, so would really love some advice from you guys!! luv & hugs nicky xxx Rule out Princess. Given what you have stated in your post, Princess is likely a little to sedate for you. I have only been on one NCL cruise, so I don't know too much about its teen program. However, NCL, Carnival and RCI all offer the kind of activities that you seem to be interested in. Carnival and RCI both have excellent teen programs. If your or your daughter likes water slides, then Carnival is the way to go, as RCI doesn't have any. The best teen areas that I am aware of are on the last two Voyager class ships (Navigator and Mariner of the Seas) and the three Freedom class ships (Freedom and Liberty of the Seas). These four ships have an expanded teen area that includes the Living room (a place for teens to hang out with other teens) and Fuel (a teen disco with a soft drink bar). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abitaturbodog Posted August 19, 2007 #16 Share Posted August 19, 2007 For Carnival, I would recommend the Spirit class and Conquest class ships. These are the biggest and newest. You might want to check out the Carnival and RCCL boards to get an idea of the ships and the people who sail on them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizi116 Posted August 25, 2007 #17 Share Posted August 25, 2007 Rule out Princess. Given what you have stated in your post, Princess is likely a little to sedate for you. I have to disagree! We just came back from a Princess cruise and loved it! Kids also had a blast (9&12). We were on the Caribbean Princess and we have no complaints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3GR8Sons Posted August 25, 2007 #18 Share Posted August 25, 2007 We cruised Carnival Valor last winter (Christmas week) with our sons (13, 11, 8). The kids had a blast and there were lots of activities for the teen crowd. Our oldest met girls (a big plus for a teenaged boy), danced in the disco, went on the scavenger hunt, played in the arcade, swam in the pool, etc. I thought the atmosphere on Carnival was fun, like a week of summer camp, but others think it's tacky. It really depends on your personal tastes. The crew on Valor was spectacular. One of the performers heard my 11 year old complain that he couldn't play any of the pianos in the public areas because the keyboards were locked up so he invited him to come to Winston's and play there with him. My son played a few Scott Joplin pieces and other passengers gave him tips. It was such a thrill for him. It seems like the crew really likes kids and makes the cruise really fun for them. We are booked on Princess for the upcoming year and based on posts here I am worried, but my TA (who has kids the same age as mine) says that Princess will be fun for the kids. I am sure you will have fun no matter what line you choose. Jenna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luxuriate Posted August 26, 2007 #19 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Royal Caribbean or Carnival.......prefer RCCL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy_rippley Posted August 29, 2007 Author #20 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Awww thanks peeps!!!!!!!! Well as it turns out, apparantly By brother & his wife & two boys are also thinking of going on the cruise!! This would be great, but one of the boys is eighteen, & the other one is twenty, so they won't want to have much to do with their younger cousin! :( They are pushing towards the Carnival Glory, so i'm gonna go & mooch on their board to see what info I can find! (If anyone has any info, I'd be more than happy to have a read-up!!!) thanks again nicky xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
741323 Posted August 30, 2007 #21 Share Posted August 30, 2007 We are travelling on the Glory in April 08. We have travelled on her sister ship the Valor - so have no concerns about the Glory. However as people who like our own space we do always book a balcony cabin. The kids programme will be good if it is anything like the Valor. It will be a bit "loud" but good value for money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coach32 Posted August 31, 2007 #22 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Been on both Carnival and RCI with a group of teens and young adults. They loved both and gave me the following review. The hamburgers are good on both but the gave the nod to RCI. Overall they thought the food was better on Carnival. RCI SHip was bigger with more daytime activity. Carnival is a PARTY BOAT! they loved it. Here's the big difference RCI evening disco's are broken up by age group (17 and under, 18 -20, 21 and up I believe) they wanted to party together and had a hard time doing it. On Carnival the party is everywhere and all are invited. If its peak time (holiday or spring break) nobody does a better job than RCI with a large amount of people. Our last trip with them was a July 4th and the ship was full. None of us remember waiting in line for anything, not even a lounge chair. The boy's may surprise you with the amount of time they spend with your daughter especially if she meets other girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.