Are Princess cruises suitable for families with DCs?

[TheMotherChip]

Really fancy a Norway cruise next summer and have been checking out prices. RCI are very expensive, P&O a bit cheaper but Princess are significantly cheaper. Is this because no families would choose them in the summer holidays? DCs are young teens, would it be ok for them?

I'm wondering exactly the same! Princess are meant to be higher spec than P&O....so why are they so much cheaper, even in school summer hols??

The Fjords tend to be less popular with families. I don't know why, as my 16yo thoroughly enjoyed our trip there with P&O last summer, although it could be that the weather tends to be exactly like that of Scotland in the summer!

I live very close to the port and tend to associate P&O, RCI and NCL with families, whereas Cunard, Princess, Celebrity, Fred Olsen and (obviously) Saga are for couples. Speak to a travel agent who specialises in cruises like Bolsover or Thomas Cook Southampton. They can tell you how many child places have been booked and how many are available.

I think it depends on the cruise - you may be OK with a cruise from Southampton in the school summer holidays...I think teens tend to find company with other teens initially making friends from the teen club.

My friend did a Princess cruise in Japan with her then 16 year old and there were very few DC on board - in fact, my friend who is in her early 50's felt very young.

We have been in Princess cruises with our DC. They were originally the US area if P&O before P&O were taken over. So the offer for DC is very similar although the clientele on Princess is more North American and international. Our DCs were old enough to sign themselves in and out of the kids club so generally used the clubs to initially meet people. Then once they found a crowd, only used the club as a meeting point. If your DC are a bit younger you may have to take your passport each time you need to pick them up - even on a sea day and even when the staff know you.

As a PP said, there are less children on a Scandinavian cruise but generally enough for them to find a social life. I don’t think our DC found Scandinavia the best area to visit but enjoyed it well enough. It’s great if your DC want to do active things eg cycling down mountains, kayaking etc but we always find these tours too expensive for a family so don’t book them and do our own thing ashore.

Have never been on Princess, but we started cruising when DSs were 13 and 16 on P&O and they really enjoyed the "kids Clubs" We never saw them and it was great as they went around on their own, but could not access alcohol although DS2 seemed to be able to satisfy his appetite for ice cream.
DS2 had his 18th on a cruise to the Baltic and the rest of the teenagers were put out when he could no longer go to their activites etc- to the point where they all left when he had finished dinner and joined him on a dance floor or at a show. He is still in contact with several friends he made on cruises.

We did Norway last year with P&O, the place is fantastic, the ship was a floating smelly toilet. Booked cruise number 14 with Princess for the first time this year, Pricing depends on the weather and how the operator feels on the day, we went on one cruise and sat with some one who had paid £4000 each as an early bird, didn't tell them we paid £1000 each for the same deal! Shop around and when some one tells you the ship is full ignore them and ask another operator, once booked direct with H&A in the USA as all uk operators told us the ship was full.