Best cruise for family reunion ages 10 to 70?

Question

I would like to know the best prices for a carribean cruise and not disney since none of the kids will want to go on disney. Does anyone have any good lines? We were thinking Princess and then Norwegian cruise lines.

Answer 1

Some friends of mine went on a Disney cruise and they said everyone in their family really enjoyed it.  I think it was because they have kids only area, a place for teens only, and adult only places.  They also have family areas.  If you were to go through a travel agency, they might be able to get you a discount after you are sure how many are going. Good Luck and Have fun.

Answer 2

Personally, I don't care for Norwegian.  They don't do a good job keeping their ships in good shape, service is lackluster, and the food just doesn't compare with other lines.  (To be fair, they've just announced that in the next few years they're investing $1 Billion in improving their product.  So probably in a couple of years it will be good.  But not right now.)

There are a few options I would recommend, but which one is right for you depends on what you like:

Royal Caribbean, particularly their newest and biggest ships (Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, any of the Voyager-calss vessels), have great facilities for kids: ice rink, rock climbing wall, surf simulator.  That said, the ships are huge which can make for an impersonal experience (you won't really get to know other people on the ship, but not everyone wants that anyway).  Bring walkie-talkies, or else you won't be able to find family members!

Princess is a good all-around option.  Not too expensive, but generally good quality.  Good kids' program.  And their big ships will have something for each age group.  Bring walkie-talkies here, too.

Carnival is good if your family is more social.  It's a really friendly, fun atmosphere.  They have a top-notch youth program.  On the down side, Carnival is more about the fun than about polish, so it can be a bit too glitzy for some.

Holland America Line is the more "refined" option.  Smaller ships, better food, better service, but definitely less night-life, really not a party atmosphere.  In the summer they do have a very good youth program.

Answer 3

Carnival... the best for all ages, Royal Caribbean is a close second.

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Answer 4

Princess is wonderful. Top notch. Great for kids too. The hardest part is deciding where to go and for how long. My favorites are Alaska, the Panama canal, and the Caribbean. I have been on 8 princess cruises and all were great. They have such beautiful ships and so many activities, you never get bored. Go Princess. I have heard some people have been disappointed with Norwegian cruse lines. So there you go.

Answer 5

I went on a cruise on the Mariner of the Seas, Royal Caribbean ship.

I think that would be a nice one to go on.

Plus, there wasnt a lot of kids on it. mainly older people.

Answer 6

I have been on about 20 cruises with 4 different cruise lines and here's what I recommend based on that.  I have been on Celebrity cruise line, Princess 3 times, and Norwegian and Royal Caribbean about 8 times each.   Princess, Royal Caribbean  and Celebrity have the best ships; best decorated and most comfortable in my opinion.   Royal Caribbean has the best on board activities.

I recommend you and family go on the Royal Caribbeans Freedom of the Seas or Liberty of the Seas, two identical ships that rotate the same itineraries Eastern and Western Caribbean.  We went on the Freedom last November. It was a great cruise.

The ship holds over 3,000 passengers but we completed boarding in about 30 minutes from the curb to our cabin. It would have gone faster if they had been ready at a couple spots. We were slowed mainly by one person looking at all of the "Set Sail" passes as we entered the terminal. Then they were slow in setting up a second security desk to take security photos for the cruise cards. After that it was a breeze.

I loved the balcony cabin we had. It was roomy and had plenty of space for clothes; bags go under the bed. They announced to us that the beds on the Freedom will be cruise line wide; its was a great pillowtop bed and was very comfortable in comparison to beds on other ships. There was a flat panel HDTV in the room, a safe, and a shower stall with a sliding door. Our room included a love seat and coffee table.

The ship has a mall area down its middle with shops on both sides, including a barber shop, coffee shop, and a place where you can get free food 24/7. That's in addition to the 24/7 free room service. Its like a larger version of RC's Mariner and Adventure of the Seas ships.

The ship has some features that other ships don't have. The rock climbing wall is on many RC ships. But the new "flow rider" is unique to RC's Freedom and Liberty of the Seas ships. It is a place where you can go surfing on a boogie board right on the back of the ship. It works great, although I didn't try it. There is stadium seating for people to watch or sit while awaiting their turn. The ship also has an ice skating rink and during the week there are two days when there is a free ice show that is great, kinda like the Ice Capades. The ship also has a full sized basketball court and mini-golf. I cannot remember if it also had the roller blade track but it certainly has the ice skating.

This ship is great for kids and families with kids. On the pool deck there is one area called the H2O Zone which is essentially a small water park for kids; but us big kids can play there too. It has water cannons, a small lazy river, a pool, and falling water all over. Kids will love it. Then the middle of the ship has another pool where everyone can get wet or use a hot tub. Then up further there is an adults only area called the Solarium with a pool and two hot tubs that extend over the sides of the ship. These tubs are huge, can hold maybe 12 people and you can look over the side of the tub at the ocean.

The ship has THE best gymnasium I have ever seen on a cruise ship. All of the latest equipment, including weight machines, rowers, steppers, treadmills and each has its own TV screen so you can watch TV while you workout. It also has a boxing ring and some other new high tech stuff. Also has steam room and sauna for those who use the gym.

In addition to the ice shows there was a show in the main show room each night. There is a casino and there are bars and lounges all over the ship. There is an internet cafe but I would ship it as it way too expensive and just wait until you get to Cozumel and there is an internet cafe right at the pier that is only $5. for an hour (vs $50 an hour on ship).

The only thing I did not like about the ship was its Windjammer Cafe where everyone goes for breakfast and lunch if they don't go to the main dining room, is too small for everyone and people were walking around looking for a table after they got their food. We decided to just order the free breakfast room service an eat on the balcony.

I guarantee your family will enjoy the Freedom and/or the Liberty.