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Cruise ship holiday recommendations


trousers
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It's that time of year again....hatching plans for summer holidays...

 

High up on the list of options this year is a Mediterranean cruise....

 

Any advice on this subject matter gratefully received (best cruise liner companies?, ones to avoid?, best routes?, fly to departure point or sail from Southampton? etc)

 

We'll have two teenagers in tow (aged 13 and 16) so obviously need to keep them entertained.

 

I've avoided cruises in the past because I have this preconception (misconception...?) that they are "Butlins on water" so any options that avoid the riff raff without breaking the bank too much is probably what I'm looking for! :)

 

Cheers

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It's that time of year again....hatching plans for summer holidays...

 

High up on the list of options this year is a Mediterranean cruise....

 

Any advice on this subject matter gratefully received (best cruise liner companies?, ones to avoid?, best routes?, fly to departure point or sail from Southampton? etc)

 

We'll have two teenagers in tow (aged 13 and 16) so obviously need to keep them entertained.

 

I've avoided cruises in the past because I have this preconception (misconception...?) that they are "Butlins on water" so any options that avoid the riff raff without breaking the bank too much is probably what I'm looking for! :)

 

Cheers

 

Try and catch the norovirus before you go, so as to build up immunity for the trip itself?

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Cruise Lines:

 

Royal Caribbean - probably best choice if you've got teenagers in tow. Lively enough for the younger set, waverider, rock-climbing, etc.

 

Celebrity Cruises - If you're into fine dining, relaxation and understated classy.

 

P&O: Okay, very 'Brits abroad' but service not as good as Celebrity, plenty of activities, but perhaps a bit staid for youngsters.

 

Cunard: Don't know them personally, but they seem a bit up themselves, still have two-tier classes, mebbe too posh for kids

 

Princess: Fair middle-of-the-road line, bit of everything. Perhaps a bit 'American' and they seem to have lost their edge in the last couple of years.

 

NCL: Don't know them personally, but they are a little further down the luxury scale. However, no formal dressing up required, so may appeal.

 

Carnival: Don't run out of Europe, and are VERY American-orientated

 

MSC: Italian. 'Nuff said.

 

Costa: Do you REALLY want to consider them?

 

Saga/Fred Olsen: very much for the older set, forget them if you've got teens, and NO, I haven't been on them :)

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Cheap cruises usually mean an inside cabin and they can be very claustrophobic so we pay the extra for a balcony and loved it. Have to admit though that we're not youngsters although there are plenty of things for teenagers to do on board if you choose the right ship.

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Have been on over 30 cruises, some holidays some working. Done loads of med ones and highly recommend it. P&O is by far better than Cunard for your teenagers as their ships have much better facilities to cater for that age.

 

remember Cunards ships are Ocean Liners NOT Cruise ships, they are designed mainly for transatlantic voyages and they also still have a class system. You can only dine in certain restaurants and go in certain bars etc if you have paid top dollar to be 'First Class"

 

P&O do loads of Eastern or Western med voyages embarking and disembarking in Southampton. It's always worth paying for a balcony cabin I find. Outside cabins just have a porthole/window and inside have nothing and are a big claustrophobic!

 

anymore info just PM me.

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I'd recommend doing a short 'taster'-type cruise before booking a full one. Its definitely not for everyone, we did one from Athens up to Istanbul and back via the Greek islands, would never go on that type of holiday again. I can understand the attraction of it, and I can't fault the ship or its service, but being cooped up like that drove me mad, never again. Some of the liners do short Med cruises for a few days, they aren't expensive and you can get an idea of what to expect. As someone once said, if you want to know what a three month holiday on a cruise ship is like, go on a one day cruise.

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Part of me thinks that too....hence needing some convincing :)

 

OK, Signor Trousers. I've re-read your initial post and it looks like you want to avoid the riff-raff and crowds. With teenagers of those ages, it looks like you're going to be going during the school holidays, which may influence your choice. Most Brits with kids doing a first cruise choose P&O, because it's familiar and British. For that reason, I would avoid. I would suggest your choice is between Royal Caribbean and Celebrity (also owned by RC, but more 'premium').

 

You haven't said whether they're boys or girls, active or sedate? RC will appeal to boys more, Celebrity to the girls - lots of 'pampering' available. Most modern cruise ships have well-equipped Gyms as well.

 

Departure point: Southampton is great, because your holiday starts on board within an hour of leaving your house. There's usually queues at the terminal, but they move very quickly. Downside(?) is that it takes a couple of sea-days getting to and from the Med. But this gives you time to explore the ship.

 

Itinerary: Once you hit the Med, most days your at a different port, so your choice is to stay on the ship and enjoy the space (most go ashore) or choose organised excursions. You do feel a little like cattle at this point, but a good way to get an overview of a place that you've not visited before. Alternatively, just do your own thing ashore - just don't be late back.

 

On-board: Food almost universally good, often excellent. Celebrity is big on fine dining and wines. There are additional fine-dining restaurants on board where an cover charge applies, otherwise food is all-inclusive of course. Drinks outside of the restaurants and all alcohol are additional charges.

 

Accommodation: Cabins are obviously smaller than hotel rooms, but are well-appointed. Get a balcony for your own bit of private space, particularly if going somewhere like Venice.

 

Entertainment: The glitzy musical shows aren't really my scene, but standards seem okay. There's always in-cabin telly or the casino!

 

Don't be put off by the tales of Norovirus, either. Yes, it does occur, but it's almost always started by passengers bringing it on board and poor personal hygiene, i.e. wash hands, use gel etc.

 

Give it a go, I think you'll enjoy it.

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Another vote for Royal Caribbean - preferably on a Freedom Class ship - I think Independence of the Seas does the Med. With teenagers they are the best bet.

 

I tend to find the only people who think they are not old enough for a cruise holiday are those who have never been on one. Cruising has come a long way in the last 15 years and provided you avoid the Saga/Fred Olsen type geriatric cruises, and the Thomson Holidays budget cruises - then you will probably have a great holiday. My last cruise (albeit in the Caribbean) had me Scuba Diving, Mountain Biking and PaddleBoarding and there is something for everyone if you pick the right ship.

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I did a cruise down the Nile a few years ago and loved it, the teenagers may actually enjoy the sightseeing tours too.

 

Did this 3 years ago and was very impressed - but I would only recommend this if you all have an interest in Egyptian tombs, temples and fancy seeing exactly where Tut was buried. Food excellent, and relatively small ship so not too many people on board.

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For food and class you can't beat Cunard. However for teenagers you should probobly go Royal Caribbean. as ships like the independance of the seas has an ice rink, climbing wall, mini golf , american diner etc

 

Take a uk/usa travel plug to charge gadgets and a short extension lead as some plugs are obstructed top or bottom preventing transformers fitting.

Cunard dont have a kettle in your room but the provide excelent room service free of charge. full meals, tea coffee hot choc. just ask.

 

If you want to avoid departure queues just arrive in the last hour of departure. You should be on in 20min.

Edited by tony13579
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I was the same as you....booked a taster cruise in January 3 nights to Amsterdam on the Azura....the wife got the norovirus first morning and was confined to the cabin

for the rest of the cruise. I was allowed to go where I wanted but not much fun on your own.

I used the buffet type restaurants and they are as you descibed ...just an eat as much as you like stuff your face type.

Food was Ok though and lots of choice.

I will never book another one as P&O were absolute sh1te with her. If you do book one take plenty of Imodium.

If you book any other holiday you can at least walk around when better, sit on a beach on your own etc but on a cruise you become a prisoner in a cabin she was not allowed up on deck

late at night etc.

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I fully endorse all that Captain Pugwash has said. We have now done about 20 cruises (mainly P&O) totalling over 260 nights including Baltic, Mediterranean, North America and Caribbean. Make sure you go from Southampton. I assume you are looking at school holidays? That makes it more expensive. Depending on your budget you can look for a four-berth cabin which has two beds and two ceiling bunks. The cabin steward will look after lowering and replacing the bunks for you. Some people have a balcony cabin for themselves and also book an inside one directly opposite which gives them the space at minimal cost. With teenagers a ship like Aurora, which is our favourite, might be too much of a 'country hotel' for you. Ventura or Azura are ok if you don't want a promenade deck or cinema, RCI are recommended by some. We have only been as a family group with our daughter and SIL and their two toddlers who absolutely loved it. The biggest complaint from the parents is that they never see their kids. Give me a pm if you want a chat about it.

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Can highly recommended the ncl epic for a med cruise, did one last May Naples,Rome,Florence, cannes and marseille including 1 sea day. the entertainment was excellent as all the shows are actually Vegas shows including the blue man group. loads of stuff to do for teens, water slides, climbing wall, footie and basketball courts, arcade etc. food was excellent with the choice of something like 10 restaurants (some have an excess charge but only if you want something extra special) and all anytime dining instead of having a set dinner time every day and all the outer cabins have balconies. was my first cruise and can't wait to book another one

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Have done 3 cruises, 2 on Celebrity ships which were a class above the other one. Personally I would never go from Southampton unless luggage allowance is an issue when taking a flight somewhere, as you waste a couple of days, and if you don't have great "sea legs" then the trip down to the med can be a bit awkward. The last one we did started in Venice and ended in Barcelona and was for about 12 days. We tacked on a n extra day at the start to do some extra Venice sightseeing.

The cruise quality was outstanding, and if you aren't much of a drinker you can get away with very little cash onboard. The evening meals really were top quality, especially considering how many they are feeding in a short time. We preferred early seating (there were 2 options) which meant we had the rest of the evening free to enjoy the entertainment (and give the huge amounts of food time to digest!). The big expense was the excursions and sometimes it's better to just do your own thing. The really popular excursions were quite pricey and also sold out very quickly. You could easily double the cost of the cruise with excursion costs

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