From: Ohioguy on
It looks like my wife and I will be going on a cruise in early
October. It just works out that several relatives can come by and watch
our kids (all are 7 or under). I think this will be the first time my
wife and I have had a week to ourselves since our first child was born
over 7 years ago.

My preference for a vacation is actually hiking in the wilderness for
a week or so, but my wife wasn't interested in that. I find that when
I'm around crowds of people, it typically makes me feel worn out. I
tend to recharge when I have time to reflect in nature, in my garden, or
similar activities. Probably has something to do with growing up in the
country, out on a farm.

Anyway, details: we can take a 7 day cruise, with up to a day
allowed for travel on both ends. In other words, we can be gone a grand
total of about 9 days, and wouldn't want to push it past that. Due to a
"Disney on Ice" show that various folks in the family want to see, we
can leave either October 1, 2, 3 or 4. Sort of wish there was a website
that could also lump in airfare - I'm trying to do it separately. (from
Dayton, Ohio) I think we will focus on the Caribbean 7 day trips.

I'm most interested in buffets, magic shows, and perhaps
40's/50's/60's type nostalgia music shows, or just some variety shows.
I'm not very interested in formal dining, because by the time you've
waited to be seated, waited to order, waited to get your food, and
waited for the bill - I find myself thinking, "gee, I could have fixed
something like that in half the time". I am looking forward to having
time to relax and read as well, rather than change diapers, get kids
ready for school, etc.

I've used a website, cruisecheap.com, to come up with some
possibilities. They are all Carnival ships - Legend, Victory & Liberty.
Oct. 3 7 night Western Caribbean from Tampa shows $569 for balcony, so
that is one possibility.

I'm also considering the Norwegian Epic. I think I heard that it has
Blue Man Group show, which I've always wanted to see - and was trying to
decide if it was worth the extra cost. (and smaller room, most likely)

If anyone has advice or suggestions, I'm very interested in
benefiting from your experience to hopefully improve the quality of the
trip.

Thanks!
From: LVTravel on


"Ohioguy" <none(a)none.net> wrote in message
news:5ydOn.76532$304.8267(a)newsfe12.iad...
> It looks like my wife and I will be going on a cruise in early October.
> It just works out that several relatives can come by and watch our kids
> (all are 7 or under). I think this will be the first time my wife and I
> have had a week to ourselves since our first child was born over 7 years
> ago.
>
> My preference for a vacation is actually hiking in the wilderness for a
> week or so, but my wife wasn't interested in that. I find that when I'm
> around crowds of people, it typically makes me feel worn out. I tend to
> recharge when I have time to reflect in nature, in my garden, or similar
> activities. Probably has something to do with growing up in the country,
> out on a farm.
>
> Anyway, details: we can take a 7 day cruise, with up to a day allowed
> for travel on both ends. In other words, we can be gone a grand total of
> about 9 days, and wouldn't want to push it past that. Due to a "Disney on
> Ice" show that various folks in the family want to see, we can leave
> either October 1, 2, 3 or 4. Sort of wish there was a website that could
> also lump in airfare - I'm trying to do it separately. (from Dayton, Ohio)
> I think we will focus on the Caribbean 7 day trips.
>
> I'm most interested in buffets, magic shows, and perhaps 40's/50's/60's
> type nostalgia music shows, or just some variety shows. I'm not very
> interested in formal dining, because by the time you've waited to be
> seated, waited to order, waited to get your food, and waited for the
> bill - I find myself thinking, "gee, I could have fixed something like
> that in half the time". I am looking forward to having time to relax and
> read as well, rather than change diapers, get kids ready for school, etc.
>
> I've used a website, cruisecheap.com, to come up with some
> possibilities. They are all Carnival ships - Legend, Victory & Liberty.
> Oct. 3 7 night Western Caribbean from Tampa shows $569 for balcony, so
> that is one possibility.
>
> I'm also considering the Norwegian Epic. I think I heard that it has
> Blue Man Group show, which I've always wanted to see - and was trying to
> decide if it was worth the extra cost. (and smaller room, most likely)
>
> If anyone has advice or suggestions, I'm very interested in benefiting
> from your experience to hopefully improve the quality of the trip.
>
> Thanks!

While the Carnival from Tampa may not have all you desire the price is good
and one thing you won't have to worry about that I see in the post is
"waited for the bill" as food is included in the cruise fare. The only
thing you may have to wait for is if you ordered in one of their specialty
restaurants or alcohol at the table in which case the wine steward or the
waiter should produce your check to sign before you finish your desert.
Most cruise lines have meals down to a science and you can either eat
leisurely or speed up the meal (especially if you have a table for two.)
Waiting to be seated is normally only an issue the first night because you
need to find your assigned table at the appropriate time (fixed dining
restaurants) or if you have some form of anytime dining you can arrange with
the maitre 'de to have a particular table at a particular time every night.

You may want to relax on a cruise and I have found that this is really easy.
If you want excitement that can be had also. A cruise is only what you make
it combined with the expectations of service and friendship from the staff.

From: Surfer E2468 on
hope you will enjoy your first cruise,you can do as much as you wish or
just lounge around,we have taken 49 cruises and still just like to sit
on the deck and relax watching the ocean. If you do the caribbean the
tours of the islands are quite good. The ships we like the most are
princess,holland america, celebrity,and royal caribbean. We tend to stay
away from the extra huge ships(EPIC ETC.) do not like the idea of 5 to 6
thousand people on a ship. Always like
the smaller ships.,much more cozy. Will not sail carnival or n.c.l.
letus know what you decide,with all the children you have you need a
quiet vacation.





cruise lover(~~~~~)






..

From: Barbara Brown on
I'm glad to see you are focused on the ship and not specific ports.
Since you're sailing in hurricane season you can't always be guaranteed
of being in a specific port. Too many people forget that and blame the
cruise line.

Anyway, cruising can be the most relaxing vacation depending on how you
approach it. You don't have to take part in all the on board activities.
You can lay by the pool. If you get a veranda cabin you can relax in
privacy and watch the waves, just as relaxing as watching nature in a park.

I haven't sailed any of those ships as we stick with Holland America
(more our age group) or Princess with is a mix. But they are all owned
by Carnival.

Our only experience with NCL was good except for the ship having very
small cabins (NCL Sky). I'd stay away from Royal Caribbean as they are
more active and crowded and big.

Even when your ship has formal nights you don't have to eat in the
dining room on those nights. You can go to the buffet instead. Yes, you
are required to dress appropriately in dining rooms. But other than
formal nights it's slacks (no jeans or shorts) and a nice shirt.

For the port calls you can find nature experiences in almost any port.


--
Barbara Brown
http://www.bapcentral.com
Pet, Family, and Cruising Information

http://www.babrown.com
Training Games & Authorware Programming



On 6/4/2010 3:41 PM, Ohioguy wrote:
> It looks like my wife and I will be going on a cruise in early
> October. It just works out that several relatives can come by and watch
> our kids (all are 7 or under). I think this will be the first time my
> wife and I have had a week to ourselves since our first child was born
> over 7 years ago.
>
> My preference for a vacation is actually hiking in the wilderness for a
> week or so, but my wife wasn't interested in that. I find that when I'm
> around crowds of people, it typically makes me feel worn out. I tend to
> recharge when I have time to reflect in nature, in my garden, or similar
> activities. Probably has something to do with growing up in the country,
> out on a farm.
>
> Anyway, details: we can take a 7 day cruise, with up to a day allowed
> for travel on both ends. In other words, we can be gone a grand total of
> about 9 days, and wouldn't want to push it past that. Due to a "Disney
> on Ice" show that various folks in the family want to see, we can leave
> either October 1, 2, 3 or 4. Sort of wish there was a website that could
> also lump in airfare - I'm trying to do it separately. (from Dayton,
> Ohio) I think we will focus on the Caribbean 7 day trips.
>
> I'm most interested in buffets, magic shows, and perhaps 40's/50's/60's
> type nostalgia music shows, or just some variety shows. I'm not very
> interested in formal dining, because by the time you've waited to be
> seated, waited to order, waited to get your food, and waited for the
> bill - I find myself thinking, "gee, I could have fixed something like
> that in half the time". I am looking forward to having time to relax and
> read as well, rather than change diapers, get kids ready for school, etc.
>
> I've used a website, cruisecheap.com, to come up with some
> possibilities. They are all Carnival ships - Legend, Victory & Liberty.
> Oct. 3 7 night Western Caribbean from Tampa shows $569 for balcony, so
> that is one possibility.
>
> I'm also considering the Norwegian Epic. I think I heard that it has
> Blue Man Group show, which I've always wanted to see - and was trying to
> decide if it was worth the extra cost. (and smaller room, most likely)
>
> If anyone has advice or suggestions, I'm very interested in benefiting
> from your experience to hopefully improve the quality of the trip.
>
> Thanks!

From: Barbara Brown on
I forgot to mention, you can get air from the cruise line. I'm not sure
if they have prices online but you can ask your travel agent to quote
you the air and then compare it to shopping yourself. We usually use
frequent flier miles but the one or two times we've paid for air, we've
used the cruise line as they were cheaper.

--
Barbara