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Which ship should I pick?


Smurfy

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Help me pick a ship, please! I'm looking to do a 4-8 night cruise (3/4 night b2b works too) this summer for my 40th birthday. I'll be going with my 2 kids (12 and 16 at time of travel). We aren't really the "adventure" type. My kids may enjoy some water slides, but they wouldn't be interested in rock climbing or anything like that. I'm looking for the ship that has things like great shows, games (bingo, etc), and even some classes (I've seen cooking classes offered on some), maybe an escape room too. Is there an ideal ship for us? This will be our first ever cruise. I am working with a MEI travel agent who has been amazing, but I'd love to get multiple opinions.

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My only concern about NAV is, I have found the prices on NAV to be exceptionally high on a per person/per day basis (especially for suites) - particularly for the "add-ons" like the drinks packages and/or dining packages.  Not knowing which port you are looking at, I would say look at Oasis, Allure (no water slides yet...but maybe by the summertime ?), Liberty, Anthem.  Having done a B2B on NAV, I would probably not do it again b/c of the prices.

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Surprised about the prices...when we looked for April..Marnier was about 40% more for every cruise we looked at..which I was surprised about.....now I didn't look at add-ons as I cant see them till I book it...and I don't price out suites......but for what I was looking at..Nav was the winner hands down when it came to cost.

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I am with @WAAAYTOOO  and @YOLO which port? 

For example, do you have to fly to every port, or can you drive?

I also place a lot of weight on the itinerary. 

  • We did Enchantment out of Miami, not my favorite ship due to size, but would sail her again in a heartbeat if the itinerary is right.  Smaller ships can get into smaller ports.  Plus, not only do the staff really get to know you, but you have this feeling of connecting with the sea, compared to larger ships.

Personally, if this is your 1st cruise, and the prices work, I would sail out of Cape Liberty due to the facts you have stated...children's age and not adventurous.   You could fly in the day prior, stay on the NJ side and train it into NYC to see the sights, such as the 9/11 Memorial where you can get what NYers call a dirty dog from a street vendor, go to Chinatown, or even Ellis island, They offer both the NE and Caribbean cruise options.    NE is amazing, especially Nova Scotia.  Halifax has a renown Titantic  museum.  

If you like a smaller ship, Baltimore is great too.  Again, you could tie in the vacation with visiting the Inner Harbor or DC.  

In  the end, impo, regardless of the ship you will have an amazing time. 

 

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For the best shows, you can't beat Oasis class (a Broadway show, Aqua show, additional production show that beats the standard Royal shows).  They also have the best food selection.  Even is not adventure type, you still have the option of the Abyss, laser tag on some...and many food options and areas to explore.

My kids aren't really adventurous either, but loved all of those things.  But you can just skip them too.

If too big for you, then I agree with others...can't go wrong with Independence (it has Grease), Mariner or Navigator is you are ok with 3 or 4 day cruises, or probably any other Freedom class.  The amped ones will have newer restaurants and slides added.

All of the above as well, have an ice rink and the show for those are pretty good too.

As asked above, do you have a preferred departure port?

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11 minutes ago, Pima1988 said:

Personally, if this is your 1st cruise, and the prices work, I would sail out of Cape Liberty due to the facts you have stated...children's age and not adventurous.   You could fly in the day prior, stay on the NJ side and train it into NYC to see the sights, such as the 9/11 Memorial where you can get what NYers call a dirty dog from a street vendor, go to Chinatown, or even Ellis island, They offer both the NE and Caribbean cruise options.    NE is amazing, especially Nova Scotia.  Halifax has a renown Titantic  museum.  

I live in NE and yet still love the NE cruises.  We love Bar Harbor and Halifax.  YES!  Halifax is such a great cruise port.  LOVE LOVE LOVE it there...

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Just now, WannaCruise said:

For the best shows, you can't beat Oasis class (a Broadway show, Aqua show, additional production show that beats the standard Royal shows).  They also have the best food selection.  Even is not adventure type, you still have the option of the Abyss, laser tag on some...and many food options and areas to explore.

Agreed.  You cannot beat the entertainment on the Oasis class!

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1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

My only concern about NAV is, I have found the prices on NAV to be exceptionally high on a per person/per day basis (especially for suites) - particularly for the "add-ons" like the drinks packages and/or dining packages.  Not knowing which port you are looking at, I would say look at Oasis, Allure (no water slides yet...but maybe by the summertime ?), Liberty, Anthem.  Having done a B2B on NAV, I would probably not do it again b/c of the prices.

You are so right!!!! I have to cancel my Nav this Summer 2020 because the price is too high.

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We were just on Navigator last August and it was great - the slides were a great addition.  I can't speak to the price now, but it was reasonable back in August.  As everyone else is saying, it really depends on where you are looking to cruise out of.  If you are going out of Cape Liberty, the Anthem of the Seas might be a good choice. While I wasn't a big fan of the Anthem, my son who was 17 at the time, absolutely loved it. There was a lot of things to do, from rollerskating to bumper cars and much much more. I'm actually reconsidering my stance and thinking about booking another cruise on Anthem based on the amount of people here who love her - I'm thinking maybe I was being too judgmental the first time around.

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1 hour ago, darketower said:

We were just on Navigator last August and it was great - the slides were a great addition.  I can't speak to the price now, but it was reasonable back in August.  As everyone else is saying, it really depends on where you are looking to cruise out of.  If you are going out of Cape Liberty, the Anthem of the Seas might be a good choice. While I wasn't a big fan of the Anthem, my son who was 17 at the time, absolutely loved it. There was a lot of things to do, from rollerskating to bumper cars and much much more. I'm actually reconsidering my stance and thinking about booking another cruise on Anthem based on the amount of people here who love her - I'm thinking maybe I was being too judgmental the first time around.

Double check Anthem's Solarium - we love it!  What a great space.  The 3 tiered pool is really sweet, partly because it usually offers different amounts of sun (on sunny days of course).  We find it usually to be not too crowded and offers plenty of ways to relax (read, swim, enjoy the view, board games (on the tables), crafts, naps, Patriots podcasts, swing, hot tubs, drinks, lounge chairs in the water, lounge chairs with pillows, left & right outside above bridge lookouts...).  Also, for colder (NE) itineraries, it comes in handy as they keep it quite warm in there.

We also love the Music Hall, although it doesn't seem to be used as much for live bands as it has in the past.

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Thanks everyone for replying. Port doesn't matter to me, as I will be flying in regardless. Itinerary isn't a huge deal, but I think I prefer Bahamas and Caribbean (avoiding Mexican ports). What about Oasis of the Seas? It's out of New Jersey in the beginning of June. Regardless of which port I pick, I plan to fly in about 3 days early and have a enjoy the sites before we set sail. I've never New York or New Jersey before, so that would be nice. I've read that there are 3 airports within close proximity (LAX, Laguardia and Newark). I know Newark is closer, but is one better to fly into? I prefer  to stay in New York, so one of those 2 may be better?

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Yes, the Oasis will be doing a short run out of Cape Liberty in mostly warm weather.  Those cruises have been for sale for a while now, so it might be tricky getting yourself the best deal.  But if you find something you and your children like, my opinion would be to consider it.  The Oasis is quite a marvel to explore and the entertainment is wonderful - so much to see and do.  Those 7 day cruises will make a great first cruise for you and having those extra days to explore NYC will just add to the experience that much more...

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Just now, Smurfy said:

Thanks everyone for replying. Port doesn't matter to me, as I will be flying in regardless. Itinerary isn't a huge deal, but I think I prefer Bahamas and Caribbean (avoiding Mexican ports). What about Oasis of the Seas? It's out of New Jersey in the beginning of June. Regardless of which port I pick, I plan to fly in about 3 days early and have a enjoy the sites before we set sail. I've never New York or New Jersey before, so that would be nice. I've read that there are 3 airports within close proximity (LAX, Laguardia and Newark). I know Newark is closer, but is one better to fly into? I prefer  to stay in New York, so one of those 2 may be better?

We always fly out of JFK when we book travel out of NYC - tried Laguardia once and the traffic was horrible.  Haven't tried it again.

We are booked on Oasis in August and will be driving down the day before. We were on Harmony last summer and if Oasis is anything like Harmony (she should be) it will be awesome.  I love the Oasis class ships. There is so much to do, not just for the adventurer, but for all.  When we were on Harmony, we never felt like it was over-crowded. The entertainment was fantastic - Grease was awesome, the comedians and pub singers were equally as good.  I highly recommend you catch many of the videos floating around you tube in addition to any of the blogs from @Matt in regards to the Oasis class ships.  There are a few on the newly amplified Oasis and it would do you good to watch them to get a feel for them.  

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If you can swing the prices on Oasis, she would be an excellent choice due to the food and entertainment options.  I live in NY.  JFK is my favorite NYC area airport.    Then, you can take Uber to Manhattan.  Also, if you love shows, you can't beat Broadway.  You can get discounted tickets at the TDF booth.   https://www.tdf.org/nyc/81/TKTS-Live?loc=sssp

 

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36 minutes ago, darketower said:

We always fly out of JFK when we book travel out of NYC - tried Laguardia once and the traffic was horrible.  Haven't tried it again.

We are booked on Oasis in August and will be driving down the day before. We were on Harmony last summer and if Oasis is anything like Harmony (she should be) it will be awesome.  I love the Oasis class ships. There is so much to do, not just for the adventurer, but for all.  When we were on Harmony, we never felt like it was over-crowded. The entertainment was fantastic - Grease was awesome, the comedians and pub singers were equally as good.  I highly recommend you catch many of the videos floating around you tube in addition to any of the blogs from @Matt in regards to the Oasis class ships.  There are a few on the newly amplified Oasis and it would do you good to watch them to get a feel for them.  

Oops, I meant JFK, not LAX LOL. I will definitely check out more of Matt's blogs. I'm glad to hear that you didn't feel overcrowded on the Harmony. That was one of my concerns with picking a larger ship.

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46 minutes ago, YOLO said:

Yes, the Oasis will be doing a short run out of Cape Liberty in mostly warm weather.  Those cruises have been for sale for a while now, so it might be tricky getting yourself the best deal.  But if you find something you and your children like, my opinion would be to consider it.  The Oasis is quite a marvel to explore and the entertainment is wonderful - so much to see and do.  Those 7 day cruises will make a great first cruise for you and having those extra days to explore NYC will just add to the experience that much more...

Surprisingly, it was the cheapest 7 day that I could find, given the criteria that I put in. I'll take it! LOL 

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1 hour ago, Smurfy said:

Thanks everyone for replying. Port doesn't matter to me, as I will be flying in regardless. Itinerary isn't a huge deal, but I think I prefer Bahamas and Caribbean (avoiding Mexican ports). What about Oasis of the Seas? It's out of New Jersey in the beginning of June. Regardless of which port I pick, I plan to fly in about 3 days early and have a enjoy the sites before we set sail. I've never New York or New Jersey before, so that would be nice. I've read that there are 3 airports within close proximity (LAX, Laguardia and Newark). I know Newark is closer, but is one better to fly into? I prefer  to stay in New York, so one of those 2 may be better?

Couple thoughts!

Given that you've never been to NYC before I'm sure you will want to do all of the iconic "NYC" things. But in addition to that draw, I encourage and highly recommend taking one of the Foods of NY food tours. Most of them will take you into neighborhoods you would probably never visit given that you haven't been to the city before. Any of them are a great option, but I would recommend starting with either of the Greenwich Village tours. This part of NYC will feel very different from what you probably expect New York to be like (in a good way!)

Everyone will have very different opinions with respect to lodging in NYC, so here are my two cents (LOL)... While the touristy areas are great when you're new to the city I would recommend staying in midtown hotels on the further avenues (avenues run north/south; streets run east/west). For example, you will probably want to stay in Midtown Manhattan for all of the sights but don't be fooled by the flashy ads you'll get for Times Square hotels. For one, hotels promoted as "located in Times Square" could be in any number of spots that you probably wouldn't think of as in Times Square. Regardless, staying in that area especially if you don't like crowds will be very overwhelming. So I recommend booking hotels in Midtown but on the low or high numbered avenues. My favorite hotel to stay in IF I have to stay in Midtown, is the Lexington (a Marriott property). It's a very walkable distance to the theatre district but you're not confronted with huge crowds the moment you walk out of your hotel.

If you don't give yourself a couple days in advance of your cruise and you're cruising out of New Jersey (unless the airfare is a stellar deal at JFK) fly into Newark and stay in one of the nearby hotels. It's not worth the cost and headache to travel from JFK to the Cape Liberty cruise port if you're not going to have time to spend in the city.

Ok, those are my two cents (maybe four?) for now!

HAPPY PLANNING! ?

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I agree, I would fly into EWR (Newark).  Not a fan of JFK, it is massive.  

Another thought since you said you are going to fly in 3 days prior.  Look at flying into Philly and renting a car.  Philly is a great little city, and of course has amazing history.   If you go this route you MUST do at least 1 of these things, besides the traditional touristy things

  •  Have a cheese steak sandwich from either Genos, Pat's or Jims.  This is the city's claim to fame, at least 1 of them.
  •  Have one of their pretzels from the street vendor....totally different than a NYC pretzel
  •  Visit the Philly Zoo
  •  Go to South Street

Of course you need to do the tourist climb the stairs of the art museum (ROCKY movie), take a picture by the LOVE sculpture (downtown), and see the Liberty Bell.

From there you can hit the Jersey shores, such as Asbury Park, Belmar, LBI, etc., stay away from Seaside Heights/Park or Wildwood ---touristy.    You can hit Princeton, a quaint town, home of course to Princeton University, as a pit stop from the beach....just skirt across off the Parkway to the TPKE...than get back on the TPKE to your hotel near the port.   The last day you can stay at a hotel near the port, drop off the rental and than train it into NYC.  There are many hotels that have a free shuttle to the port.

You could also fly into Baltimore (BWI) or DC (Dulles =IAD)  In Baltimore you could go to the Inner Harbor, they have amazing ships to tour.  You can Amtrak it up to Newark.  Dulles, you can get a hotel room that will have a shuttle service to the closest Metro (train)  Spend a day in DC, visit the Zoo to see the Pandas,  take a tour of the Pentagon and see their 9/11 memorial (very unique), contact your congressman prior and get a tour on the Hill,if you have never have seen the Lincoln Memorial, do that if nothing else....pay attention to his hands,  it is sign language, A and L.  Than the next day Amtrak it up to Newark.  Again find a hotel that has a shuttle to the port, and take an Uber to the closest train station into NYC.  

NYC is a great city.  In NYC you must do 1 of the following regarding foood

  •  Get a dirty dog from a street cart vendor.  They are hot dogs, but called dirty dogs, because they are boiled in water, hence the water is filled with the all of the hot dog oils.  They are amazing.
  •  Go to either Little Italy or Chinatown.  The food is amazing.
    •  If you want to buy jewelry (gems) You are right around the corner.  Take cash with you and haggle. The area is called the Bowery.  They are cheaper than anything you will find on a cruise.  
  •  Pizza.  Be prepared for cheesy, oily, great goodness!  
  •  Bagels or Bialys. or even a blintz or knish

Point is from as south as DC, if you are doing 3 days prior or after, you can actually see more than you think.  I live in Northern VA.  It takes me 4  1/2 hrs from my door to the port when we leave during commuter off times.  

Just more food for thought.

 

 

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Airports in NYC

JFK - The largest and located on the east side of the city.  Jet Blue, American, and Delta have the largest presence there.  It take about an hour by taxi or public transit to get to midtown.

Newark - Still a large airport. United has by far the largest presence here.  It takes about 30 min by taxi and about 40 min by public transit.  This is also the closest airport to the cruise port which might be handy if you are heading straight to the airport after the cruise.

LaGuardia - Is the closet to midtown but is a mess with construction right now. Delta and American are the biggest airlines here. 30 minutes by taxi and 50 minutes by public transit (the least convenient of the public transit options).

All of the times will depend on time of day and traffic so take them with a grain of salt.

I know a lot of people like Southwest; they fly out of LaGuardia  but not in large numbers compared to the other airlines as well Long Island MacArthur Airport (about an hour and half east of the city)

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2 hours ago, Smurfy said:

Surprisingly, it was the cheapest 7 day that I could find, given the criteria that I put in. I'll take it! LOL 

Sailing Oasis in September out of NJ and the prices were amazing at the time especially given it's a revamped ship. This will be my third time on Oasis (2010 & 2012) and cannot wait to see all the changes. You and your kids will love it. I think everyone has given you excellent sightseeing ideas, especially @Pima1988 with the dirty water dogs...YUM!

I live upstate NY a bit and would recommend the drive if you're into that kind of stuff, Hudson Valley isn't far from NYC and is full of hiking, history (West Point, George Washington House, FDR Library, etc), shopping, vineyards, and breweries are popping up ... But, with 3 days you might want to stay in NYC.

I am also big on EWR.

Check out the live blog from @twangster, some great photos of the recent Amplification: 

 

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On 1/2/2020 at 8:45 PM, Smurfy said:

Help me pick a ship, please! I'm looking to do a 4-8 night cruise (3/4 night b2b works too) this summer for my 40th birthday. I'll be going with my 2 kids (12 and 16 at time of travel). We aren't really the "adventure" type. My kids may enjoy some water slides, but they wouldn't be interested in rock climbing or anything like that. I'm looking for the ship that has things like great shows, games (bingo, etc), and even some classes (I've seen cooking classes offered on some), maybe an escape room too. Is there an ideal ship for us? This will be our first ever cruise. I am working with a MEI travel agent who has been amazing, but I'd love to get multiple opinions.

I would take a look at when their ships are going through their Royal Amplified (refurb/upgrade).  We went on Navigator several months after this, and didn't regret it.  Might want to look ahead to see what's going to be on the ship compared to what's on it now.

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