Thread: What's the best cruise out of NY for 20-23 month old twins?

I'd like to get in a cruise before they turn 2 and presumably prices go up since they get classified as children vs. infants. There will likely be three adults - myself, DH and my brother and our twins. They will be anywhere from 21-24 months depending on when we travel (Feb-May). Also, my son has some known allergies and I'm concerned about ingredients in food at the restaurants. It seems like only 4 ships come up in my search (with a Caribbean destination and NY port so we don't have to worry about an airplane trip)

• Disney Magic -
• Carnival Miracle
• NCL Gem
• NCL Jewel

I had a bunch of question:

• Is Disney Magic worth it? It seems like it is 3x the cost and our kids probably won't appreciate it and we may feel overrun with kids
• Do any of them have sitters/good childcare? How safe do you think it is - I am assuming they've all had background check? One review for Disney was critical of their childcare. I was thinking I'd rather have a sitter in-room and taking them to some breakfast or dinners with my learning disabled brother. (He can help but can't be responsible for the kids by himself.) I feel like he'll be watching so the sitter will be more on her toes. DH and I would have some adult dinners alone. We'd mostly need the sitter in the morning and then when we go to dinner. We don't want to pay a lot of money only to feel exhausted because we don't have our part-time help (nor do we want to pay for someone to come on the cruise with us.)
• Are any of the ships more luxurious than the other? Are we sacrificing too much quality by not leaving from a FL port which could open up more ships? I love good food and previously had gone on a new RCL ship which was wonderful so that's my comparison point. It was a short cruise for insiders/publicity. DH and I haven't been on a real vacation since I got pregnant. So I don't want this to be just an OK vacation. We also want it to be hassle free and an airplane flight adds hassle
• What's the best set up for us? Which is more cost effective? a one bedroom suite (assuming each kid sleeps in a pack n play) plus a separate room for my brother or two bedrooms with a living room in-between. Ideally, if the kids can have their own room (vs. a section within a large room), that would be better as they go to sleep at 8pm and we're still up.
• If I'm thinking of traveling sometime between Feb and May, is the later, the better, weather wise for the Caribbean and even on the way down? I love warm weather. Of course, I would want to avoid Spring Break -whenever that is and major holidays which might be more expensive

Thanks so much for all your help!

First, two year-olds really don't appreciate what's good or bad. They're so overwhelmed by everything that anything is great to them.

Disney is absolutely wonderful for kids. But 2-year olds just won't appreciate it given how much it costs. We have a 3-year old grandson and can't wait to take him on Disney. But personally, I think we're going to wait a couple of years so that he'll really enjoy everything it has to offer.

One of the things that we do whenever going on a ship for the first time is to check out the kids' area. For children that age, we've always found the programs to be very good no matter which cruise line you go with. So even if you decide to go with a more mature line, they have very good programs for that age.

Keep in mind that the old adage is true for cruising, "If the children aren't happy, then the parents aren't happy." So all of the cruise line want to insure that the kids are happy.

Bottom line is, find a cruise that is right for you and the kids will have a wonderful time no matter what you choose.

But talk to a Cruise Specialist and they will help answer all of your questions and give you as much information as you can handle. Stay away from people who recommend or suggest one over another as we're all different people and what one likes, another will dislike. So it's important to find what's right for you and your requirements.

Pete

I would agree about finding a cruise specialist (a travel agent who specializes and knows about cruises; some only really know about land vacations). When you call a travel agency, ask which cruise specialist there has traveled with little kids. That's who you want to sit down with and plan your cruise.

One thing about the Caribbean from what I know is that the weather tends to be warm all year round. My two Caribbean cruises have been in March and November (the second one as a tropical storm was forming which became a hurricane just hours after we got back to Miami). Not sure about the weather between NY and the Caribbean, though.

Spring break for colleges starts around late February or early March and can go way into April. The schools try to stagger their breaks nowadays so that they're not overwhelming the typical spring break locales. I know that our local school district here (the Los Angeles Unified is the second biggest in the country) always takes off the week leading up to Easter -- even when I was a kid in the dinosaur era and currently, but maybe some others have other schedules. When your kids are older and active in the kids' program, they may prefer to be sailing when there's a boatload of kids onboard.

As for expecting to have adult dinners without the kids, maybe your brother can play babysitter (if you feel comfortable about that). Then you won't be concerned about whether the onboard sitters are good or not. My daughter's first cruise (other than my preggers one, that is) was when she was 23 months of age, one month too young to be in Camp Carnival. So she was always with us, so any "alone" time was when she was asleep. We did take her to the main dining room where she was doted upon by the waiters, who would come over and swoop her up for the waiters' parades (she loved it). Fortunately, she didn't fuss during the meals, but we were prepared for one of us to take her out of the dining room if she had. She enjoyed exploring the ship and we enjoyed watching her do so (the two of us have been on that one before).

Now with Carnival and some other lines (not sure about each and every one of them), it doesn't matter what age the third and fourth passengers in the cabin are. I think we were always able to get a lower rate for her on Carnival and Princess (as the third person). I think there's one or two that have a child cruisers for free rate, but the cruise specialist can check that out for you.

I can understand not wanting to fly as that could be some trouble and possibly extra costs if you get a seat for the kids (when we took the girl on her first flight at 3, we did buy her a seat). We went in a day before (which is always recommended) and did some shopping for things like extra training pullups, fruit boxes, etc., to save on luggage. We have some friends who took their son on his first flight when he was just months old and that was from LA to NY.

Welcome to Cruise Line Fans!!

Disney is wonderful -- if you do decide to go -- do it in April - nice weather.

Thank you all very much for your feedback! I found out that there is also a port in Bayonne, NJ we can get to. That would also open up a Celebrity Cruise, although it is a little longer than what we had intended.

Good idea on asking for an agent (though I'm hoping that won't be more expensive than booking directly or online.) I did go through cruise.com when I booked a short Cunard cruise for my mom and my brother. However, I wasn't very happy with the service. I had to cancel my trip since my husband had emergency surgery and since I didn't get the trip insurance, I lost all of my money. Then, they were supposed to have two twin beds - one for my mom and brother. However, my brother's was in some sort of space where he had to climb up and he kept falling down/out since he has a disability. Even when they explained this to the crew, nothing was done.

Unfortunately, I can't trust my brother alone with the kids so we would need to get a sitter. He could though, report to me if anything happened - if there was someone else there, if the babies fell, etc. and I think his presence would be a deterrent for any sloppiness on the part of the sitter.

Do you know if it is less expensive for me to call the cruises directly vs. going through cruise specialist? I'll also look into cruisesonly and some other sites.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by cruisinwtwins

Thank you all very much for your feedback! I found out that there is also a port in Bayonne, NJ we can get to. That would also open up a Celebrity Cruise, although it is a little longer than what we had intended.

Good idea on asking for an agent (though I'm hoping that won't be more expensive than booking directly or online.) I did go through cruise.com when I booked a short Cunard cruise for my mom and my brother. However, I wasn't very happy with the service. I had to cancel my trip since my husband had emergency surgery and since I didn't get the trip insurance, I lost all of my money. Then, they were supposed to have two twin beds - one for my mom and brother. However, my brother's was in some sort of space where he had to climb up and he kept falling down/out since he has a disability. Even when they explained this to the crew, nothing was done.

Unfortunately, I can't trust my brother alone with the kids so we would need to get a sitter. He could though, report to me if anything happened - if there was someone else there, if the babies fell, etc. and I think his presence would be a deterrent for any sloppiness on the part of the sitter.

Do you know if it is less expensive for me to call the cruises directly vs. going through cruise specialist? I'll also look into cruisesonly and some other sites.

Thanks!

You're going to get a killer answer from Pete soon, I promise. But I'll give you a tip - the prices are going to be almost identical. In fact, a reputable agent - be they an individual operator like Pete and Reggie here at the site - or an online retailer with good customer service departments - you do need to deal with someone that's going to talk to you.

A good agent, where ever you find them, can track a price, get you other discounts and make sure you're in your preferred cabin. You won't pay a premium for this service.

If you're looking strictly at online sites for their price competitive nature - I'd point you towards CruiseDeals.com, iCruise.com and many members here speak highly of some of their experiences with VacationsToGo.com

Let us know how you get on - and expect a few more answers to your question.

With very specialized needs as you have, I would definitely go with a good travel agent who knows the situation. Your experiences with cruise.com are indicative of most of the big agencies that are more interested in numbers than in personalized service and I have a feeling that you will not get the service you need from any of them.

As far as prices, you will find that the prices are going to be almost identical wherever you go unless the agency has a group cruise for the specific ship and sailing that you are going on. Some might quote lower prices but the bottom line is almost always identical.

Agencies can give you additional services as Tim suggested. Most cruise lines will not tell you when the prices go down- good agents will monitor the prices and get you shipboard credits to make up the price differential. An agent also gives you an additional line of defense if something does go wrong and is more likely to solve the problem - or to make sure the problem does not occur in the first place.

Agents get paid for by the cruise line. The prices to individuals are the same no matter which way you book.

Gee, these guys didn't leave much for me to say!

But they're right; booking with an agent will get you the same price (and sometimes lower) than the cruise lines or online sites. The difference is in the service. An agent works for you and has your best interest in mind.

Booking with the cruise line is the worst way to book - they represent themselves, so if you have any problems, who do you think they'll support? If you're working with an agent and have a problem, they have contacts not available to you and will work hard to assist you.

As for service, CLIA (the Cruise Lines International Association) that we all belong to, put out a statement years ago that said when you call the cruise line or an online site, more than 95% of the time you're talking to someone who works in a call center, has worked there less than 6 months, and has never even seen a ship, let alone been on a cruise or to any of the ports. In other words, they are sales people and their purpose is to sell you a cruise, not to provide you service, answer any of your questions, or offer information about the ship and ports. Cruise.com is definitely one of these.

Now, as for your cruise, of all the options you've mentioned out of NY, my personal favorite is Celebrity. Their prices will be a bit higher than Carnival and NCL, but they are worlds apart when it comes to food, service, and ships. Celebrity knows how to provide an outstanding cruise and their food is wonderful.

Lots of options for you to consider.

As for travel insurance, it's something you definitely want to look at when traveling, but something you really should seriously consider when traveling with small children. Too many things can happen with them that would cause you to cancel your trip. But as with most things, talk to a reputable agent because there are good insurance companies and bad insurance companies. And 'big' name does not mean good service. Plus, some places, especially online sites, tend to sell travel protection and not travel insurance. There's a big difference in the two and something you need to be very aware of when considering whether to buy it or not, and which one to buy.

Pete

Personally, I love Celebrity. And contrary to what Pete says, if you look around, you will find prices to be about the same as Carnival and NCL for comparable ships. (The older ships are always cheaper but they have fewer amenities overall. Also NCL has lots of "upgrade" items like the specialty restaurants which can add to your costs) The children's program is every bit as good as most of the other lines even though Celebrity does stress the fact that it is an upscale line. The infants have their own area away from the older kids so there is little interaction between the various age groups. Here are a few pictures from the Kids' Zone http://www.cruiselinefans.com/celebr...kids-zone.html (kids Zone)

Hope you have a great cruise whichever cruise line you decide on.

We have sailed in February and we found the weather in the Caribbean to be cooler than expected, and the sea too chilly to swim in - visited Princess Cays and it was way too cold to swim in the sea despite my best efforts.

I would definitely wait until a bit later in the year, especially if you are sailling out of a northern port such as NY. Remember, you will have to sail quite a distance before you get into the warmer waters of the Caribbean, and you will then also have to sail back up north. If you departed from Fort Lauderdale you would be able to go deeper into the Caribbean more quickly and hopefully find better weather and calmer seas.

It is difficult to recommend one ship over another - I think it is all a matter of personal choice and what you want, and what is most important to you. What suits one person may not suit another.

Funnily enough we found the food and the service on Celebrity Solstice the worst we had ever experienced (even Carnival!) and we were both disappointed and surprised. Staff definitely did not have a 'can do' attitude, and food was poorly presented, repetitive and very far from being wonderful. We were expecting 5* but it definitely wasn't anything like that. Eateries continually closed down (just when you wanted to eat!) unlike Princess where the buffet is open 24 hours a day - and not just for a burger! Even on RCI ships we found it most frustrating when you had been ashore and returned at around 2.30 to find the buffet closing down and the ubiquitous burger being the only offering. I don't go on a cruise to eat a burger in a bun!

If you want to be able to eat when you want to then Princess really do seem to have it down to a 't.' Even on RCI's 'Oasis of the Seas' the only place to get a cup of tea or coffee at night was the small and very crowded cafe on the Promenade. The buffet restaurant closed at 9.00 pm so there was nowhere comfortable and relaxing to sit and chat with friends over a 'cuppa.' Such a shame when it offers a wonderful view over the sea, and plenty of seating. We usually spend part of the late evening in the buffet restaurant on the Princess ships, playing cards with friends or just chatting. Why on earth can't Celebrity and RCI leave at least the beverage stations open?

But I digress. I think as others have said, sailing with Disney is probably best left until the twins are a little older and can really appreciate all the wonderful things that they offer. I live in hopes of being able to take grandchildren on a Disney ship one day.

Good luck with your choice and hope you have a wonderful time.