Seeking help choosing a cruise line

[Debbie F.]

Hi! I'm hoping to take a holiday cruise with my 65 year old mother and 13 year old daughter. I need something that has both great teen activities and is "high end." My mom deserves something special, and my kid, while wanting fun with other teens, also has a deep appreciation for the good things in life. The ports of call are actually of less interest to us than the ship itself. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[NancyN]

Ah, Debbie, the combination you are seeking is very hard to come by. "High end" cruises are typically not "kid friendly". A great teen program and a luxury line are polar opposites. However, the closest cruise line that would fit both bills is Celebrity. It is a premium line that would appeal to your mother and has a dynamic youth program (although not as extensive as mainstream cruise lines). They are upscale, but still have a reasonable number of children onboard. I would concentrate on their newer Millenium Class ships to best satisfy both needs.
Nancy

[Debbie F.]

Thank you for your input Nancy. I'll check out Celebrity. I'm also going to look into NCL. I realize that they are middle of the road, but they have a ship with the exact dates I need leaving out of NY, which is good for us so that we won't need to fly during the busy holiday season.

My mom cruised with Carnival a couple of years ago, and liked it well enough, but doesn't want to go with them again. We'll have to try a "luxury" line some time when we are more flexible with dates. Thanks again for your input.

[oppis]

Hi Debbie,

check also the offers of Royal Caribbean.
Here you also can find everything, in fact look for the Radiance class, they have more elegance but also things like a rock climbing wall for a 13 year old daughter.

[Shelton]

Debbie,

You might try looking into Princess, they have a great program for “teens” and the ships are understated luxury. I cruise Caribbean Princess in May, and loved it, there is a lot for both groups, Bingo for your mother and countless activities for your daughter. If you mother was OK with Carnival she will be thrilled with Princess, even though they are owned by the same people they are completely different and offer two different levels of service.


Shelton