Best cruise line for kids out of CA or texas?

[DisneyMom234]

We are looking for a cheaper cruise for our first time... But still fun for the kids. What cruises and lines are good out of CA or Texas? (We are in utah so somewhere close to us)

Preferably in the next month or two? What ships are good for kids (4 and 5 year old boys)

What destinations?

Never cruised before so any info is much appreciated

 

[eskimoinparadise]

We are looking for a cheaper cruise for our first time... But still fun for the kids. What cruises and lines are good out of CA or Texas? (We are in utah so somewhere close to us)

Preferably in the next month or two? What ships are good for kids (4 and 5 year old boys)

What destinations?

Never cruised before so any info is much appreciated

Navigator of the Seas sails out of Galveston, and that class of ship a great kids club. A 4 and 5 YO would have a blast on that ship.

 

[Mouseketeers4]

I think Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston would be a better option for your family. We were just on a sister ship, Independence, with our two little ones (3 & 5) and had a lot of fun. The kids clubs are great and Liberty has the H2O zone water park area which my two loved. Liberty also has the DreamWorks experience (parades, m&g, and dining with characters from Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda).

 

[eskimoinparadise]

I think Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston would be a better option for your family. We were just on a sister ship, Independence, with our two little ones (3 & 5) and had a lot of fun. The kids clubs are great and Liberty has the H2O zone water park area which my two loved. Liberty also has the DreamWorks experience (parades, m&g, and dining with characters from Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda).

True, but Liberty doesn't start cruising out of Galveston until next year, and the OP wants to cruise in the next month or so. The OP would have to fly to NYC to take Liberty this year.

 

[DisneyMom234]

Yes we have an opportunity to get away and havent for awhile. Wed love to go out of country but dont have passports and we like the thought of kids camps to give the parents some alone time while kiddos are still having fun. We live in utah so unless there is some killer deal from here to FL texas and california are the poets we can use. prefer between now and beginning of sept at the latest (preferably end of august)

 

[Mouseketeers4]

True, but Liberty doesn't start cruising out of Galveston until next year, and the OP wants to cruise in the next month or so. The OP would have to fly to NYC to take Liberty this year.

Thanks! We're booked on Liberty for next year and I didn't even realize she wasn't there yet. Looks like Navigator is your only Galveston RC option right now OP. You could also consider a Carnival cruise. I've never sailed with them, but Magic is out of Galveston and it looks like they have a lot of great activities for kids. Click here and select Carnival Magic on the left. I didn't price anything out, but Carnival tends to be cheaper than Royal Caribbean as well.

 

[eskimoinparadise]

Yes we have an opportunity to get away and havent for awhile. Wed love to go out of country but dont have passports and we like the thought of kids camps to give the parents some alone time while kiddos are still having fun. We live in utah so unless there is some killer deal from here to FL texas and california are the poets we can use. prefer between now and beginning of sept at the latest (preferably end of august)

In addition to RCL's Navigator, there are three Carnival ships sailing out of Galveston -Triumph, Freedom, and Magic. All three of these ships would also be good choices for kids. Virtually all of the itineraries that go out of Galveston are the same regardless of ship, so you'd have four choices (IMO - all about the same onboard experience).

 

[DisneyMom234]

I dont even know what to look for in difference of ships.. Can someone help me out there? Ive never cruised before so this all seems so over my head lol

 

[DisneyMom234]

Anyone know what those ports are like? The mexico ones out of galveston?

 

[DisneyMom234]

What are the deckplan codes? How doni figure out which decks are best?

 

[eskimoinparadise]

Anyone know what those ports are like? The mexico ones out of galveston?

I dont even know what to look for in difference of ships.. Can someone help me out there? Ive never cruised before so this all seems so over my head lol

If you go out to cruisecritic.com and look at the new cruisers/first time cruisers forum, you can get a wealth of information that should help you with the what to look for question, and cruisecritic also has an excellent ports of call forum where you can find all kinds of information and reviews of each of the western ports.

With 4 and 5 year old boys, a good kids club is a must. Both Carnival "Camp Carnival" and Royal Caribbean "Adventure Ocean" are great clubs for that age. Our grandsons liked them a lot more than Disney's clubs. I'd probably give a slight edge to Carnival on this one.

Ports are relatively similar (Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize, Honduras, Grand Cayman), and all have their plusses and minuses. Probably the only one we wouldn't care if we missed would be Belize. The tender ride into port from the ship takes forever, and there really isn't much to do once you get there. Other than that port, all of the others have plenty to do and see to keep you and the kids entertained.

 

[eskimoinparadise]

What are the deckplan codes? How doni figure out which decks are best?

For a first time cruiser, I'd recommend cabins somewhere around mid ship (between the forward and aft elevator banks) And a bit lower down on the ship. On Voyager class ships if you are looking at family oceanview cabins, they are all the way forward (at the bow of the ship) and that can get a bit rocky. On that class of ship, take a look at the promenade interior cabins. They overlook (big picture window) the Royal Promenade (indoor shopping mall). Our kids always book two adjoining promenade rooms whenever they cruise with the grandkids, and they love them.

 

[ronandannette]

Here's an option out of Long Beach. If you've never cruised before, Carnival will give you as satisfactory an experience as any. Once you've tried it and have a sense of what you liked or didn't like and what priorities you'd have for your next trip you can start getting much more precise in your comparison shopping.