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Old 18 Feb 20, 02:56 PM  
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Olliesmommy
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Join Date: Mar 09
Cruising at Xmas, 2 adults, 2 teenagers

Hi all,

complete cruising virgin here so dont even know where to start. Looking to possibly book a cruise that will cover Xmas or just after, departing Florida and either Eastern or Western Caribbean. Kids would be 15 and 17 then so would need a good few activities as not sure a club will cut it anymore and no wifi means no life in their minds.

Any suggestions as what could work? I'm a little overwhelmed with all the diff cruise lines out there and also what would be best for sleeping arrangements (we have 1 boy and 1 girl so no sharing beds)

any help appreciated.

thanks

JJ
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Old 19 Feb 20, 11:51 PM  
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Fenland girl
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Hi,

We have a few cruises under our belts so are happy to help, but I am sure there are more experienced cruisers out there who will be happy to chip in.

I recommend you start off by looking at the itineraries so you can decide which ports you want to visit, this will help narrow down the cruise line options. Once you have your preferred itinerary, think about what you typically like to do on holiday as this will help you pick between the cruise lines - if you are the kind of people that really like dressing up and formality then P&O might be the line for you, if you like dressing down and not eating at set times then Norwegian might be more your style, if you like lots of life and parties you may lean more to royal Caribbean, if you love shows and big productions Disney may be your thing. There are lots of forums out there that will help you learn not just about the different lines, but also the different ships each line has.

With regards to Wifi, this is typically very slow and expensive on most ships - as you are at sea the connection is via satellite. You will be able to buy different bundles - but these normally relate to the amount of data or devices you can connect, not speed. Your kids may have to get their insta fix when you are on land and not when you are on the ship.

As for sleeping arrangements, all the main cruise lines do cabins that sleep four (a double bed and bunk beds), or you could splash out and go for a two bedroom suite. It’s down to how much you want to pay, but all the main lines will be able to accommodate you. Four ‘adults’ in a room may be a bit cozy, so you might want to consider booking a cabin with a balcony (so people can ‘escape’ for some peace and quiet), and as you are looking at Caribbean itineraries the weather will be plenty warm enough for you to get plenty of use out of it (it’s lovely sitting on the balcony before you to bed, listening to the waves and looking out for lights on the horizon).

If your kids are sporty, then nearly all the larger ships have table tennis, basketball courts, a gym, some kind of climbing wall/course, something golf related (ranging from a practice net to mini golf) and some have more exotic things such as go kart tracks or clay pigeon shooting. There are also plenty of competitions, quizzes, crafts, arcades (for a fee), talks and films on throughout each day, so there should be something to keep them occupied (if clubs aren’t their thing). I don’t think I have come across anyone of any age who has ever been bored on a cruise!

And when pricing up your options, don’t forget to include the extras such as drinks packages, and speciality dining you may want to do, activity costs and tips/gratuities. Your cruise line will tell you how much per person per day to budget for waiters/housekeeping etc, but any drinks you buy that are not part of a package or spa treatments you intend to have will normally have a recommended tip of 20%.

Hope the above helps. If you want to ask any more question, feel free to PM me.
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Old 20 Feb 20, 07:26 AM  
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danisleigh
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I would recommend RCL especially one of the bigger ships. We are off on the symphony in 6 weeks but have also been on the anthem and the independence which all had loads to do. DS is now 18 so didn’t want to come this time but all the way up to his birthday last year he went to the teen clubs on cruises and made friends then we barely saw him. They used the club as a meeting place then would do their own thing! DS also enjoyed NCL and Disney but the big RCL ships definitely have the wow factor when it comes to entertainment for teens if you are worried they won’t go to the clubs.
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Old 20 Feb 20, 07:42 AM  
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TinkerBabe
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Just to add that we have cruised many times with our teens, and found that it can be the same price or only a fraction more to book 2 cabins, so that you have double the space and twice the bathrooms! We usually have connecting cabins, or ones directly opposite. We are cruising to Mexico this August with carnival and we have an inside cabin, and the children are in a window cabin opposite us (their cabin is a single bed and a sofa bed, which is why they are getting the window and not us!) and this cost only £40 more than having us all in one cabin.
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Old 21 Feb 20, 12:33 AM  
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Ciano
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Our 2 are 11 and 16 boy and girl. We get 2 x interior cabins this gives everyone a bed and 2 bathrooms to get ready in! The interior cabin are connecting so we leave the door open at night. They are the cheapest way of doing it. For this cruise I have his upgraded us to 2 x balcony cabins as a treat. Having a balcony is lovely on a 7 day cruise but you might not use it on a shorter one. We go with Royal Caribbean. My kids never did kids clubs but love the bigger ships with all the activities.
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