cruise with a 10 year-old?
I am thinking of taking my daughter on a cruise this winter or early spring (on a school break). I have never been on a cruise before and need help with which cruise lines offer the most proverbial bang for the buck. Money is a big consideration, especially since airfare will be part of the deal (we live in western new york). What can you suggest as far as destinations, value, etc.?
If you are looking for the best value, take a look at the cruises leaving out of New York. That way you can save money on air fare. The 7 day cruises leaving out of New York can do the Bahamas, Bermuda, or Canada/New England. If you want to go longer than 7 days there are more destinations, but the price goes up.
Check out: http://www.vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm and put in NY (any city) as the departing port and click on return to the same port and you’ll get hundreds of cruises that you can shop from. I’m looking at some right now that are as cheap as $499 a person to go to the Bahamas and $319 to go to Canada/New England.
Any of the cruise lines will cater to a 10 year old. Even Holland America (they specialize in more mature passengers) has kids programs.
Typically, Carnival is kind of the Walmart of the cruise lines. They have great cruises at great prices. But if you look on the page that I showed you, they aren’t the only ones with great deals. Many times the more upscale cruise lines will still offer cruises for people on a budget.
Cruises are great regardless of your destination. Everyone has favorites. Working the biggest bang for your buck on your first cruise is going to include many of your personal preferences. From NY you’re probably wanting to go warm, so the Bahamas/Bermuda cruises are probably going to rate higher on your preference list than Canada – but maybe not. Some cruise boats may have special shows/activities that might spark your interest. Some have waterslides, some have ice skating rinks etc.
Bottom line though, you can’t really go wrong – especially on your first cruise. Chances are you will love it regardless of what ship / destination you choose. So choose one in your affordability bracket and just enjoy it! If you cruise more often, you’ll start to build preferences, but on the first cruise you’ll just love the experience!
Spring Break Bahamas Party Cruise
