Cruise from Southampton - family of 4

Dan-Dan

Morning All

I was talking to a friend at the w/e who was waxing lurical about cruises , and that they are PERFECT for familys (we have two kids aged 2 and 4) as nowdays (he tell`s me) they have kids clubs ,babysitters , pools etc etc

Its NEVER occured to me to do a cruise but im thinking one to the med , from Southampton , could well be waht the doctor ordered....if the price was right!
Problem is , i looked on Royal Caribbean , and its a nightmare to decipher wahts whats , where they go , how much!

Is anyone on here a little bit of an expert on cruises , any chance of an idiots guide and some recommendations on how to search for a good deal ?

Mnay thanks!

Dan

Caz3121

loads on information on http://www.cruisecritic.com/
I love a cruising holiday....you can do as much or as little as you like and it is a great way to see a lot of different places without lugging your suitcase about

Froggitt

IMHO, the main thing to do is choose a cruise line that suits your family, and every family is different. So, if you want formal then Cunard and P&O. If you want casual then NCL and RCI. If you want educational and enrichment then Celebrity, Fred Olsen, Cunard. If you want hoodies then Thomson.

NCL and RCI are really great for kids clubs etc.

Med from UK rules out a number of the above choices though, as some just dont sail to Med from UK.

http://www.cruise.co.uk/search/?date=15 Jun 2013&date2=15 Aug 2013&operatorid=&destinationid=3&shipid=&chkuk=checked&chkitaly=undefined&chkspain=undefined&chkcaribbean=undefined&chkusa=undefined&chkocean=checked&chkriver=undefined&chkallsailings=undefined&chkall=undefined&searchtype=undefined&cruisetypeid=undefined&chksouthampton=undefined&chkbarcelona=undefined&chkrome=undefined&chkvenice=undefined&chkeurope=undefined

I agree, cruises are perfect for families. They will even look after your kids on the ship on port days when you want to visit Rome or Pisa and you dont want to have to take kids with in al the heat.

daparojo

We went on a 14 night Med cruise with RC 12 months ago on the Indy from Southampton with the wife and two boys 12/15. We had an inside cabin, no point having anything else as we were never in there apart from getting changed and sleeping. The cabins are bigger than expected and the storage options are superb.
We never saw our kids when we were at sea and in the evenings, too much going on for them, the wife and I had to speak to each other!!! Imagine that The cruise was outstanding, and for a family, it's well recommended.

Dan-Dan

thanks for the links guys!!

Dan-Dan

Froggitt wrote: »

If you want hoodies then Thomson.

LOL , very valuable tip , thanks!

So do thompson own their OWN ships then??

Froggitt

They own (or lease) a fleet of their own ships, most (if not all) are old cast offs from the major cruise lines, with a lick of light blue paint. Think Butlins on water.

Dan-Dan

Urghhhhhhhhhhh

Froggitt

Their newest ship is over 20 years old. Some have been through three of four incarnations. You can't compare facilities on a 30 year old boat with most of the ships that RCI, NCL, Celebrity, P&O own.

Thomson Spirit 1983 PreviouslyNieuw Amsterdam, Patriot, Spirit

Thomson Celebration 1984 Previously Noordam

Thomson Dream 1986 Previously Homeric, Westerdam, CostaEuropa

Thomson Majesty 1992 Previously Royal Majesty, NorwegianMajesty, Louis Majesty

travellerboy

For your first cruise pick a shorter one, say 7 days, ideally departing from a Mediterranean port, as you lose too many days travelling from Southampton and the sailing can be rough or very rough as you travel thro' the Bay of Biscay.
Choose the best cabin you can afford, outside is far better than inside and a balcony is even better. If you are not concerned what type of cabin or where it is located then book a last minute deal, it will be cheaper.

Stay away from Thomson ships, choose Royal caribbean or NCL for your first experience.

Neil49

Froggitt wrote: »

If you want hoodies then Thomson.

A bit of a cruel comment for Thomsons. Went with them in March and didn't see a single 'hoodie'.

Overall, had a very good time but not what I would call a family friendly ship as it was too small and didn't had the right kind of facilities.

Aside from that, I agree that RCI and NCL would be the best options for a family.