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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

To cruise or not to cruise?

53 replies

Rizzlekicks · 04/02/2013 15:25

We have never been on a cruise but have been told that it is a fun holiday to do with children. Our dc are 6 and 7 yr old.
Has anyone been on one before and if so, would you recommend it?

OP posts:
Fluffy1234 · 04/02/2013 15:58

I've been on 3 with my dc and have 2 more booked. I think they are great holidays. My children were 10 and 8 and a half when I did my first one and they were a great age. I love sunbathing but I enjoy sight seeing slightly more , so for me it is is great exploring a new place nearly every day. The food and service are amazing. I've been on Royal Caribbean, NCL and Disney cruise ships. Disney was the best by miles, not in a tacky way but a really classy ship. The adult only pool was to die for with lovely wooden loungers and really thick cushions and staff handing out cooling cloths and bringing you drinks... Pure bliss. I prefer organised trips over doing your own thing at each port but the choice is yours.

whateveritakes · 04/02/2013 19:12

I did a Western Europe one as a single parent with my 4 year old. Although the extras can stack up it is brilliant value. 24 hour food is perfect for children who need food and drinks "now" and there is free childcare of a really good standard (although mine wouldn't leave me and the pool).
We did all the trips on our own apart from Pompeii and that it the best bit. You can see all the famous sights without having to have a weekend away. Then you can go back some other time to really holiday in the places you like. Been back to Villefranche 3 times now!

malteserzz · 04/02/2013 21:01

We have done 4 ,3 around the med and 1 to the caribbean and absolutely love cruising! The food is fantastic, the entertainment and things for the kids to do are fab and it's just lovely waking up in a different port every day!
We've been with thomson, p and o carnival and celebrity if you need and help with any of those.

Kewcumber · 04/02/2013 21:06

my 7 yr old thought he'd died and gone to heaven on our cruise. I did nothing, didn't join anything just ate, went to the gym and watched films. I did eat a LOT though.

Original poster
Rizzlekicks · 05/02/2013 11:30

Thanks for all your replies. I took a look at the Disney cruises and it is around £1300 per person. Is this the kind of price that I should expect to pay for a week's cruise or is it particularly expensive?
What is a good reputable company to go with?

OP posts:
Fluffy1234 · 05/02/2013 13:34

You can cruise for quite a bit cheaper than that. I really like iglu cruise and cruise.co.uk. They often include some onboard credit or pre paid tips. Regarding the Disney cruise it would probably be cheaper to book your own flights to Barcelona and then book the cruise bit separately. We did that and added on 3 nights in the Costa Dorada beforehand. Good luck.

whateveritakes · 05/02/2013 17:15

Have a look at Travelzoo they have a section for cruises that includes agents like iglu.
Cheap cruises start at £400 for an inner room. I would recommend a balcony if possible because it's fab having wine on one with the children in bed. Otherwise you don't see much out of the little porthole windows so I'm not sure they really matter.
There were deals last year for £549 that included a flights and a night in a fab Barcelona hotel.

whateveritakes · 05/02/2013 17:25

Have a look at Travelzoo they have a section for cruises that includes agents like iglu.
Cheap cruises start at £400 for an inner room. I would recommend a balcony if possible because it's fab having wine on one with the children in bed. Otherwise you don't see much out of the little porthole windows so I'm not sure they really matter.
There were deals last year for £549 that included a flights and a night in a fab Barcelona hotel.

whateveritakes · 05/02/2013 17:28

Sorry about that. Got carried away with this 2 week cruise to Holy land £599!!!

somebloke123 · 08/02/2013 13:13

A basic question: what is normally included in the price of the cruise, as far as on-board consumption is concerned?

Food? Entertainment? Drink? I'm assuming not drink, but is it exceptionally expensive. Are there any particular consumables that it's worth bringing yourself?

Fluffy1234 · 08/02/2013 14:08

Breakfast, lunch and dinner at either a buffet or table service restaurant. Snacks, midnight buffets. There are normally speciality restaurants with a cover charge of about £15 per person. The three I went on had service areas where you could help yourself to lemonade, water, tea and coffee. The Disney cruise provides all soft drinks throughout the day and with meals. Water us provided with meals on all the ships I have been on. Alcohol is quite expensive. My husband brought a drinks package last time for about 50 dollars a day and I was happy with a yummy baileys, ice cream cocktail thing after dinner that cost about £6. There is loads of entertaiment included. If you steer away from gambling it shouldn't cyst you anything. There are very tight rules on taking alcohol aboard. It varys from 1 or 2 bottles of wine to nothing. I think you are allowed to take on some soft drinks if they fit in your travel bag not your case. Or something like that, ive never done it. Excersions can be expensive but I look on it as I may never go back to that place so want to make the most of it. Overall cruising isn't the cheapest holiday but for the level of pampering and service etc I feel they are value for money. Hope this helps.

somebloke123 · 08/02/2013 14:17

Many thanks fluffy - that's very helpful. I have never been on a cruise myself but we are toying with the idea of going on one of those Arctic/ Northern Lights cruises at some point.

Fluffy1234 · 08/02/2013 14:19

Glad to have been of help. I'm going on a Norwegian fjord one in a few months. It's from the U.k which I haven't done before.

zumo · 10/02/2013 20:12

We have done 8 the kids like it more than we do
Join the cruise critic forum, plan your own shore excursions and its excellent
Some people have been know to smuggle booze onboard to save money.
You will see so many places you wouldnt normally visit, we went to Israel and it was just fantastic, far better than we expected.
You will enjoy it

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 12/02/2013 19:45

Just found this thread as we are thinking about going on a cruise for the first time, another question if anyone is still around - how much should we be budgeting for excursions on a Med cruise?

Suzieismyname · 12/02/2013 20:35

only been on one cruise and that was before the kids but it was absolutely great. We chatted a lot to a family with kids I'd say of junior age and they loved it. So much to do on the ship and stopping somewhere different every morning means you won't get bored if you need to go and see/do things but you'll have pools to lounge around if you just want to relax. We went on Royal Caribbean specifically because we didn't fancy going on a more European-run one with the same announcement in about 5 languages. (I did French and Spanish at university and A level by the way, so I'm not a language-phobe). My in laws have been on loads of cruises and would say that the Cunard ships are probably more your typical OAP cruise line.
Our DDs are 2 and 4 and we will go on a cruise with them as soon as we can afford it and DD2 is sleeping in a bed.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 12/02/2013 20:51

The one we are looking at particularly is Royal Caribbean, I'm no language phobe either having studied French and Spanish but DH hasn't got a word of either, the main thing is that we are very restricted on choice of dates and live near Southampton, so it seems silly to fly somewhere else. I cannot find any mention of family or interconnecting rooms though, I think I am going to have to phone an agent.

waterbabyabroad · 12/02/2013 22:43

We've just gone ahead and booked our first cruise as well. DC's are 4 and 6 and we've taken the plunge and gone for the Disney Magic leaving from Barcelona. We booked through cruisedirect after phoning 5 or 6 different agents. They gave us the best price after i told them the lowest quote i had. The RC cruise going to the Italian Med was our second choice and looks great as well.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 12/02/2013 22:54

Was there much variation between the quotes? I just found an old thread that said the agents are generally no cheaper thanbooking direct.

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 13/02/2013 05:32

We did the med cruise on Disney magic 2 years ago, it was fantastic. It's worth having a balcony if you can afford it especially if your dcs are young. Going on celebrity cruise in med this year as dh wants to try another line (been on 4 Disney cruises). Celebrity better be good as he's got me & dcs to answer to if not.

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 13/02/2013 05:46

Oh & sailing into Valetta (Malta) is probably is so beautiful. We all love going to Florida but all say our highlight is definitely the cruise part.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 13/02/2013 07:13

I don't think I'd be able to cope with a balcony, I have a bit of a fear of heights and can't stand at the railings of the Isle of Wight ferry, let alone a cruise ship! I always have to stay about 6 feet back from the rails. I need to have a good look at the pictures of the deck layouts to see if I'm going to be ok before we decide to do this.

waterbabyabroad · 13/02/2013 10:55

We got a balcony stateroom in the end...decided a family room wasn't worth the extra £1500. I Think we saved about £300 booking with the agent rather than through Disney direct. They weren't offering any discounts until i made it clear that i'd book with the cruise line directly if they didn't offer a cheaper price!

Aftereights - are you allowed to bring alcohol on Disney ships? It looks like you are but would be good to hear from someone who has been on board before...

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 13/02/2013 13:17

We didn't take any board sorry cant help. But try to get autograph books for your dcs & don't forget your camera as lots of opportunities for both even before you board. & as long as you take photos with your own cameras you won't need to purchase their official ones. You'll all have a ball!

Fluffy1234 · 14/02/2013 15:58

You are allowed to take alcohol on Disney cruise ships as long as it is in your carry on bag and not your suitcase. We stayed a few days in Costa Dorada beforehand and brought a box of red wine there and that worked out fine. I did the Disney med cruise 2 years ago and it was definitely one of my best ever holidays.

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