OK, I’ll say it…I have never gone on a cruise.
That said, my husband had a great idea: have his 80-year-old mother come for her annual visit from Holland, and instead of boring her to death in 115 degree heat (in July), take her on a cruise.
Except…Great Holy Og they are expensive!!
We were thinking about maybe doing a 5-day from LA to Ensenada on Carnival…even that’s pretty pricey. I have an 11-year-old also, and I don’t want him to be bored out of his tree either.
Any suggestions? Any experiences with elderly/kids on a cruise? Is it worth the extravagant price tag? Is Carnival OK? Any ideas how to get a better price? (Can only leave from West Coast this time, I think…unless it’s REALLY worth our while to fly to, say, Galveston…)
Please and Thank You!
Cruise Critic seems to be a very informative site. Having never been on a cruise, I can add no personal information.
(I still really like the idea of a DopeCruise though!)
Cruises aren’t always horribly expensive. It depends on where you go, and more importantly, when you go. They will be at peak price in July when your MIL comes for her visit. Cruisecritic.com is a great website, and they even have message boards that aren’t too bad.
My one and only cruise was on Royal Caribbean and I had a blast! I didn’t think I’d like it but I didn’t want to leave when it was over. My mother went on a cruise with a group on Carnival last year and really liked it. I don’t think you’d have to worry about a kid being bored. They seem to have all kinds of activities for kids, plus there’s stuff like a pool, rock climbing walls, theater, etc on board. And ice cream 24/7!
Seriously check out some of the websites for cruise lines. If you can swing it, do it. I can’t wait to go on another one.
Even though M.I.L. is Dutch and might consider American Waterways about as exciting as tulips, a cruise doesn’t always have to mean in the ocean.