Caribbean Cruises - which line?

[Miss Marple]

Looking at taking a cruise just after Christmas taking my elderly parents with us.  Three of my boys will be going (20, 19, 17).  We are looking for something for about a week or less.  There are some good prices but I have no idea which cruise lines are better than others.  Is there much difference?  We are looking at a Princess line cruise that goes to Roatan and Belize and the prices was great.  But it was only given 2 stars...are the star ratings very accurate?  We've never cruised before but I think it would be nice to have everything done for us rather than worrying about finding food and transportation for everyone.

 

Any advice and recommendations will be appreciates :)

[Mom in High Heels]

If you can afford it, Disney.  Even though you're kids are older and you'll be with your parents, none of you will be bored!  There was so much to do on our cruise for adults and teens, it was ridiculous.  The shows and entertainment are spectacular.  The Caribbean cruises all go to Castaway Cay, which is Disney's own private island.  We haven't done the Caribbean on Disney, but it's on our list.  The longer the cruise the better!

 

We've also done a Royal Caribbean cruise and, while it was good, was nothing compared to Disney.  I also felt that they nickled and dimed us to death.  The cruise was nice though. 

 

Good luck!  It sounds like a great after the holidays plan!

[OrganicAnn]

Holland American was very nice.   Has an older group of passengers. 

 

 

[jelbe5]

We have done Royal Carribean 2x and loved it. Excellent food and service.

[Jan in SC]

Disney!

[Miss Marple]

OK, for those advocating for Disney:  when the boys were little we went to Disney World.  We didn't love it.  The boys enjoyed it as youngsters, we endured it as adults.  We have asked the boys more recently if they would like to go back and they have no desire to go back to DW.  They did it once and they are done.  So, obviously, we aren't huge Disney fans (although we love their movies).  Would we be happy on one of their cruises?  My dh and I have always shied away from cruises because we like to do spur-of-the moment things and felt cruises would be to restrictive.  But this year I think it would work well esp. with my folks.

 

OTOH, my sister and her husband could go to DW every year.

[Tammi K]

A Disney cruise is nothing like Disney World. The first thing my kids said when we entered was, "Look, Mom, A Chiluluy!" Sure enough, the main entry room was adonded with a huge Chiluly sculpture. The ships are beautiful - very tasteful. They are not at all cartoony.

 

With the exception of lacking gambling, if that is your thing, Disney offers as much as any other line with taste and style. We did a cruise with 6 kids ranging in age from 18 down to 3. EVERYONE had a blast.

[livetoread]

We really like Royal Caribbean. Whichever line you pick, the ships themselves are going to vary. Often the older ships are cheaper. Cruisecritic is a good place to hang out and learn about the various companies, ships, and ports.

[SailorMom]

We had an awesome trip on Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas.  We would have loved to have done Disney - but for the same price as one balcony cabin for 4 nights on Disney we were able to get 8 days, a balcony for us and an inside room across the hall for the kids.  As for the "nickel and dimed" it is more of a "pay as you go".  Which I like....  I don't drink soda - so why would I want it included in my fare?  If you like it, buy a soda card.  Disney gets overall better ratings for cuisine and ambiance, but really - I can't imagine how our week could have been any better on Freedom, and the food was great (and no, we're not buffet people, we ate every dinner in the main dining room and it was excellent). 

Holland America is quite nice, but usually attracts an older clientele and won't have the same night life for your older kids.  We did a 2 week Hawaii cruise last year and loved it - had an amazing time -, but we were one of only a few "younger" couples in our late 30's early 40's.  There were like 3 teenagers on the ship, lol. I know their shorter itineraries attract more young people, though.

Princess gets very good reviews, overall, but if the ship is older and has not been updated/refurbished the stars will be lower. 

I think you need to decide what kind of vacationers you are.  There is a cruise line for everyone.... Here is my take on the three lines we've sailed:

 

Carnival:  young, exciting, busy, fun, not formal at all, entertainment ok, great night life, fun for teens/young adults.  They get a bad rap sometimes, but we were on the Fascination out of Jacksonville and had a great time.  You get what you pay for, but still - it was a blast.

 

RCI: same as Carnival but more upscale, more options on board, more formal at dinner, big casino, excellent entertainment, great night life, great for kids, teens, young adults, not very personal (too many people, too big of a ship)

 

Holland: Calm, serene, cerebral (I loved the educational speakers - very cool- and a book club in the library everyday), more formal, less night life, smaller casinos, good selection of small lounge acts, but the nightly shows are so-so, not much nightlife at all. We did actually get to know some of the staff very well, and they really do make the trip great.

 

I second Cruise Critic - spend a good deal of time there before you book :)

[Prairie~Phlox]

I have no idea, but we are going on the Norwegian Epic on the 30th to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary. We leave on the 30th. We're all pretty excited.

[AlmiraGulch]

I have no idea, but we are going on the Norwegian Epic on the 30th to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary. We leave on the 30th. We're all pretty excited.

 

My favorite ship!!  I've been on a lot of cruises.  A lot.  This ship is the only one I've ever sailed twice.  

 

My husband has also been on quite a few cruises.  When he went on the Epic earlier this year, he was blown away.  It's an outstanding ship.

 

Also, NCL is by far my favorite cruise line, and I've sailed most of the mainstream cruise lines (except Disney or Princess).  It has something for everyone, really, of all ages, and there is no pressure to schedule your day around dining times.  Granted, most of the cruise lines now have something similar to anytime-style dining, but no one does it as well or as smoothly as NCL, and no one has as many dining options.

 

Anyway....enjoy your trip!  I do hope you love it.  

[Punchie]

I've only ever sailed Princess (I used to work for them, actually), so my vote is to go there. However, if you are really active Royal Caribbean would be a good choice. I'm going on a Disney cruise in a year (squee!), but given how their pricing works out, the closer it is to sailing, the more expensive they are. If you want to sail Disney, you're better off booking a year in advance. The only cruiseline I would avoid is Carnival. Some people like it, some people don't. One of the travel agents I used to deal with called it the "Motel 6-frat party" of the cruise industry. No one I know who has sailed with Carnival was terribly impressed.

 

For the Princess cruise, did the review say why it was given 2-stars? There are so many variables - the ship, the service, the food, the ports, the excursions...

 

And looking at the fact you'll have pretty much grown up kids with you, you might want to look more into Royal Caribbean. They have ships with rock climbing walls and ice skating rinks, etc...