RCCl, Princess, Carnival or Disney!

[ssatterly]

I want to take my mom and 2 kids next Dec. and I don't know which to choose. My kids will be 6 and 9 when we go. My mom will be 50. They have never cruised before. i don't want to spend more that $3000 for us all. I can get Disney for $2900 for and inside and $2600 for a D1 (balcony) on Rccl, i have yet to price the other 2. Can someone please tell me some good and bad about each line?

[DaCruzNut]

My opinion.....

I have sailed on all of the cruise lines you've mention, plus several, others, with the exception of Disney.

I have heard too many "negative" things about Disney, from friends, and others, and don't feel comfortable giving it a try. I'm not a big 'casino' fan, but do enjoy a little gambling on a cruise. Te lack of a casino, on Disney, doesn't appeal to me. And, while I enjoy having some children aboard (it helps me feel young), I would find that the large percentage of childrenpassengers, on Disney, would be distracting.

Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, might be a little too "grown-up" for your kids! RCCL tends to be slightly more "formal,' and their "childrens programs" tend to be sparser than other lines.

Ditto for Princess (one of my favorites.....) and Celebrity (my #1 line!).

Personally, I think Carnival is your best choice. They have worked hard, and succeeded, to rid themselves of the "Animal House" atmosphere; have improved the qualiy of their food, immensely; and cater to a wide age-group range. Too many "Seasoned Cruisers" like to put Carnival down, but you don't get to be the largest cruise line, and buy up all of your competitors (Princess, Cunard, etc;) if you don't give passengers their money's worth!

[sailingrose]

Sorry Jeff but I disagree. RCI would be perfect.

My daughter started cruising with us at 8 and her favorite line by far is RCI. The kids programs are well run and the kids are always in a hurray to get to the kids programs after dinner. My daughter is a teenager now and still gives high marks to RCI.

Princess's kids program is hit and miss. Depends when your sailing and where.

We have never sailed Disney because they don't have a casino so we can't comment on them.

Carnival from what I understand has improved their kids programs but it depends on the ship. Personally we don't care for Carnival.

Will the kids programs be a factor in your decision? Some parents don't want their kids to participate in the clubs or limit their time there. The adults will love any of the choices. Good luck with your decision and let us know what you decide or if you need anymore help.

[TheSkipper]

Go with Carnaval. You will all have a great time. I too have sailed on all of the lines you mentioned and a bunch more, but based on your priorities and ages I think Carnaval will work best.