is it really that good

[fruby]

Hello,

After 19 cruises I must tell you that yes, cruises are a wonderful way to travel and especially for families.

I suggest that you look at a cruise to Alaska from Seattle for a family cruise. There is much to see and do in Alaska. English is spoken, and airfare to Seattle is more affordable than to Vancouver.

Hope that this helps.

Fred

[fredo]

Originally posted by newcruiser533:
Is cruising really that good of a vacation?

Obviously, you will mainly find cruise lovers here.

But .. yes, it's really that good.
And off-season it's even better (low costed, no crowded).

[K&S]

YES & YES!!!!!! Cruising is a great vacation! We have cruised with and without our children. Either way we have enjoyed ALL 5 of our cruises. Our first cruise was recommended to us by a very good travel agent whom broke the cost out for a land vs cruise vacation. So we decided that cruising offered so much more. When we were thinking about doing another land vacation our TA directed us again to a cruise. Now we look for what ship goes to where we want to go. Cruising is the BEST vacation it offers so much.

[Wheels87]

It's interesting, but in my opinion people either love cruising or they hate it. Almost all of the people I talk to love it and the few that hate it tend to be very unhappy people to begin with. At this point, I can't imagine doing any thing else with my vacation time. I spent a week on the beach in Mexico in August and all I could think about was how much more fun I was going to have on the AOS in December. So I figured "Why fight it?" From now on my family and I will simply cruise everywhere we can.

Good Luck!!!

[TrvlPro]

How can you top a city on the sea with great food and service? Everything close by and constant entertainment choices. Getting to see exotic destinations and then get back onboard and be wined, dined, waited on hand and foot and entertained again. Then the next morning you're in a new exciting place and repeat the process. You meets lots of wonderful people, both the cruisers and the staff. You never clear a table, do a dish, make a bed or any of the other routines that are not so pleasant in daily life. The only thing I dislike about cruising is having to leave the ship when it's over. Oh yeah, and I'm not crazy about those muster drills!

Cheers, Neil

[Jim C.]

I agree Neil! I want my "Get out of Muster Drill Free" card!

[Hank]

After spending nearly 2 years of my life on cruise ships (all as a passenger) we are still trying to decide if its a good thing to do .
But seriously, the original question begs for more info. How old are the members of your family, what are their likes/dislikes, are you looking for beaches (i.e. Caribbean) or very interesting ports (Europe, Asia, Australia/NZ)? Also, are you working within a tight budget or are you prepared to spend the big bucks?

Hank

[Berick1234]

How can a cruise NOT be a great vacation..With or Without the kids:-)....so much to do, so much to see....I will be on my 19th cruise and I'm still a rookie by cruise standards...Wish I had started sooner....4 nights in Las Vegas costs as much, or more, than a 7 night Caribbean cruise....I sure don't miss Las Vegas:-)

Happy Sailing,


Bob E

[queenofcruzin]

YES !! I vacation "not cruising" too, but I always LONG for my cruises. I always tell people that I am addicted and NOT interested in a cure. So many choices on every ship for every passenger. Do alot of things, or do nothing at all (many times my favorite) and the price is the same. I agree with Wheels that unhappy just can not be pleased. Cruising is for me, and I am not even in to my "cruising prime" yet !

[shelby]

This is just our third as a family but we are addicted. In addition to other comments I just wanted to say- How else can you travel somewhere new everyday and to your hotel room behind you?

The eating thing is so right too. My one thing I hate about vacation is where to eat, driving there, parking, waiting for a seat, etc. We have spent 3-4 hours a day on meals before. On a cruise you walk in , sit in your seat with your waiter and your dinner is usually started to be served within 5 minutes. (and its great food too)