My DH & I (mid-30s) are thinking of taking a cruise with our 2 boys 12 & 9 over Easter break next year. I know I want to take a Western Caribbean cruise, I really want to go to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, but deciding which ship is very confusing! We went to DisneyWorld for 9 days this year, so I'm not sure taking a Disney cruise is what I want (although we had a GREAT time at WDW).

How do you go about selecting the "right" ship for your vacation? Any suggestions?
Thanks!

Princess has a very nice program for the kids. They break it down into very manageable age groups. There will be LOTS OF KIDS on board during spring break. I've cruised several times during my own spring break from teaching, and always found the ship to be quite full with families. Carnival, IMHO, although I enjoy sailing with them, did not quite have the kids' programs as well organized, and I'm not sure that the kids enjoyed it that much as many were still running amok on the decks and around the swimming pools. On Princess, the kids were kept busy and must have enjoyed it because we hardly heard a peep... they were too busy and entertained to be running amok.

That said, you might check Caribbean Princess for your spring break. I'll be sailing on "her" this Saturday and will no doubt report on cabins, food, atmosphere, pools, etc etc when I get back home.

Royal Caribbean-Radiance of the Sea goes the route you would like. Good program for the kids. We hardly knew they were on the ship. Beautiful ship with very good service. We thought the food was good on this ship also.

I disagree with your "assumption" that a Disney cruise is the same as going to WDW with all those kids.

Last Disney cruise i went on there were lots of kids but the kids program was So effective that you really never saw those children much at all..

Do you know of ANY organization that is BETTER at keeping kids entertained than Disney?

But to answer your question:

I suggest you go to a website such as cruise-addicts and input your proposed itinerary or the places you want to go and see which ships go there.

Obviously for someone like you the itinerary in this instance is the most important. How you pick between two or more ships that go there..well, that could be a bit harder.

Good luck.

I didn't say "that a Disney cruise is the same as going to WDW with all those kids." If I was worried about the kids I obviously wouldn't go during Easter break. We had a fabulous time at Disney, I'm just looking for a different experience. I found with my boys that they weren't really interested in eating with Mickey (which we did several times during our WDW vacation), or being around all the "characters", my DH & I however had a BLAST!

I will look into Princess & RCL, and check out the suggested web-site. Thanks!

We go for the newest and largest ships, and must have restaurant type dining, such as NCL Freestyle or Princess Personal Choice. Then we consider ports and price.

The Conde Nast reviews are pretty reliable and they break down ships by size (number of passengers). I like small ships with open seating (for meals).
M

Any of the cruise lines have pretty good children's itinerary...you can actually request a copy of the children's activities for whichever ship you are considering. This will give you a good idea of whether they have items that will keep the boys happy..We've been on Carnival, NCL, and RCCL...Carnival is probably best at kids, but NCL does well and does a great job for adults also. I don't care for RCCL..but I'm probably a minority....We've been talking our kids since they were 5....always a great mixture of family fun and time alone for Mom and Dad....also one other thing...get some of those radios to take on board (preferably the new ones that reach more than 2 miles)..3...one for each boy and yourself..that way you can keep in touch without spending your time find eaching child. they rent them on the boats...but we find they work well for alot of things...xmas shopping at the mall...etc...

For my first cruise in many years, I did a lot of research (books, TA, various i-net travel boards, including this one).

I ended up choosing a ship with an excellent itinerary and faultless accommodation and service. And we enjoyed ourselves a lot. However, despite all my research, the experience was not what I had hoped for.

The food turned out to be mediocre in the extreme and I was really put off by the on-board intensive marketing of everything from drinks to 'art'. I also found the entertainment pretty crude, the library poorly stocked and operated, and the decor tasteless. The ultra-casual approach that some pax thought was appropriate was also a tad disconcering e.g. baseball caps, tank tops, and shorts for formal dining.

So, lesson learned, I now focus on cruise lines that are all-inclusive, and that offer opportunities to learn about the history and culture of ports of call (as opposed to shopping), that have excellent libraries, that have world-class chefs in charge of the dining program, and that do not have bingo or art auctions.

This takes me (mostly, but not exclusively) to the six star lines which are all-inclusive and emphasize itinerary, have adventurous menus, and outstanding service. The quality of the cruise-line itself is much more important than the age or size of the boat or cabin. To date, I have not been disappointed.

So, if I were starting from scratch again, I would do a better job identifying my own preferences and weed out the lines that either don't cater to them or that offer things I don't need/want (e.g. rockclimbing, huge casinos).

You and your own family will no doubt have your own lists of constraints and preferences...perhaps your choice of departure port is limited ? perhaps fare and total cost are issues ? perhaps you want to be with your children most of the time (or you don't)? perhaps you are lost without a good gym program ? perhaps you want a big selection of pools and hot tubs ? perhaps one family member is timid about trying new foods (aka 'picky'). And so on.

Try to be as clear as you can about your own selection criteria, and then rank the various options according to how well they meet these criteria.

Also note what ships are offering that you DON'T want - because it's in the price whether you use it or not.

The selection process could be fun for the family to do together and would help clarify expectations and minimize surprises. One of your boys could no doubt whip up an Excel spread sheet to make it all easier.

Whatever you choose, even if there are mistakes, you will have a good time.

To curiousx: I agree wholeheartedly with you which is why I have yet to choose a cruise! Sfandspmom is bringing her children! Your six star lines do not make any room for them! You gave great advice, I just wish I could take it!

Cruisex is right on. My spouse and I went through a similar awakening. Unfortunately, if a couple is traveling with kids..., you really have to throw the 6 star ships out of the mix. If a couple is bringing a toddler than the 6 stars would still work well. I think sfandspmom will need to go with one of the mainstream lines in order to have activities that will appeal to her children. They will just need to put up with the "constant marketing" that goes on. The ships we consider with our kids in not what we'd consider if it's just the two of us. We've had some wonderful family cruises as I'm sure you will. Others have given you good advice here.

We choose our cruise vacations based on the following, in order of priority: 1. Itinerary 2. what ships Royal Caribbean or Celebrity have with this itinerary (we only go on those two, had bad experiences with others) 3. Schedule 4. Port

There is a book out in the book stores called "The Unofficial Guide to Cruises."

Another idea is to talk to your travel agent and tell him/her your likes, dislikes, what you are looking for in a cruise, etc. Pick a travel agent that specializes in cruises.

Cruise Critic's web site is wonderful. There's a discussion board with lots of topics, to include "first time cruisers."

Personally I love Celebrity and will keep them as #1. I've also sailed on RCCL, Carnival, Norweigen, and Princess (I'll never sail with them again).

Enjoy whatever you choose!

Monica