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We've been on 10 cruises, and one thing you'll find is that the Mediterranean cruises have few kids.
The longer the cruise, the fewer children, assuming you are not cruising during school vacations and not just elementary school, but watch out for college breaks/vacation schedules.
Good information. I never thought of these issues, and they make sense. I assumed the true child-free cruises would be the Alaskan Inside Passage, New England/Eastern Canada, and the Scandinavian fjords.
One thing is for sure: any European itinerary would not have the Lauderdale/Miami or L.A. "drink and throw up" crowd headed to the Bahamas or Mexico, respectively, and people would instead be on board to absorb the unique cultures and aspects of the various ports of call.
Good information. I never thought of these issues, and they make sense. I assumed the true child-free cruises would be the Alaskan Inside Passage, New England/Eastern Canada, and the Scandinavian fjords.
One thing is for sure: any European itinerary would not have the Lauderdale/Miami or L.A. "drink and throw up" crowd headed to the Bahamas or Mexico, respectively, and people would instead be on board to absorb the unique cultures and aspects of the various ports of call.
Alaska is definitely NOT child free unless you take the first or last sailing of the season. You'll find toddlers on the Canadian cruises in the fall.
Yeah, that sounds pretty much like the perfect itinerary. How long would such a cruise typically be?
The cruise sounds like a good itinerary: there are similar ones, you might want to check out. it would be about a 10 to 14 day (at the longest) cruise I would add.
Good information. I never thought of these issues, and they make sense. I assumed the true child-free cruises would be the Alaskan Inside Passage, New England/Eastern Canada, and the Scandinavian fjords.
One thing is for sure: any European itinerary would not have the Lauderdale/Miami or L.A. "drink and throw up" crowd headed to the Bahamas or Mexico, respectively, and people would instead be on board to absorb the unique cultures and aspects of the various ports of call.
you haven't cruised have you? Alaska is not child proof by any imagination and the European cruises, unless they are taken in the late fall do have lots of families. European love to expose their children to adventure and culture, plus people drink regardlss of what line you cruise and what itinerary.The actual Med cruises,after Sept have few kids. I will also add, unless you are talking 3 or 4 day, short get away cruises the majority of the lines, whether doing the Caribbean, or the Mexican Rivera (which isn't being done much right now) do not cater to a bunch of drunks.
you haven't cruised have you? Alaska is not child proof by any imagination and the European cruises, unless they are taken in the late fall do have lots of families. European love to expose their children to adventure and culture, plus people drink regardlss of what line you cruise and what itinerary.The actual Med cruises,after Sept have few kids. I will also add, unless you are talking 3 or 4 day, short get away cruises the majority of the lines, whether doing the Caribbean, or the Mexican Rivera (which isn't being done much right now) do not cater to a bunch of drunks.
There are ways of avoiding kids on European cruises--certain lines won't book younger children and won't cater to them (no kids clubs, child care, children's menus, etc.). These lines gently let parents know that their children are not welcome before they consider booking. Look at the smaller upscale and luxury lines.
My experience with Royal Caribbean on a seven day Western Caribbean itinerary was that they not only cater to drunks, but they encourage over-drinking and don't do much to prevent underage drinking.
My experience with Royal Caribbean on a seven day Western Caribbean itinerary was that they not only cater to drunks, but they encourage over-drinking and don't do much to prevent underage drinking.
The more people drink and the more they encourage it, then the more they should build up a war chest for those few and far between occasions when passengers wind up going overboard, literally, for this very reason. Idiotic.
Please, spare me the condescension typical of a "connoisseur," which you also gave me a dose of on the "all you can drink on cruise" thread. I've watched the cruise ships embark and depart, or arrive and disembark, at the cruise terminal at Canada Place in Vancouver. Those are Inside Passage cruises. I've watched the passengers get off and get back on their ships at Quebec City. Those are New England/Canada fall color cruises. Most of the people on the ships are middle-aged or retired. I noticed few, if any kids, and few under-40 folks, to be honest. Especially on those itineraries.
Please, spare me the condescension typical of a "connoisseur," which you also gave me a dose of on the "all you can drink on cruise" thread. I've watched the cruise ships embark and depart, or arrive and disembark, at the cruise terminal at Canada Place in Vancouver. Those are Inside Passage cruises. I've watched the passengers get off and get back on their ships at Quebec City. Those are New England/Canada fall color cruises. Most of the people on the ships are middle-aged or retired. I noticed few, if any kids, and few under-40 folks, to be honest. Especially on those itineraries.
You couldn't be more wrong, particularly with the Alaskan cruises. They are full of kids. Even the typically adult ships like Regent have kids on board when they go to Alaska.
I know this must have been asked before, but I would appreciate information from those of you who have cruised fairly extensively and can post from first-hand experience. Which cruise line(s) did you like best, and why? Which ones would you avoid? Thanks so much.
(We're primarily thinking of a Mediterranean cruise or possibly some other cruise departing from somewhere in Europe.)
Check out Barge Cruises or one of the smaller cruise lines in Europe (Seabourn is excellent). Once you've done one you'll never want to go back to the big ships again.
Please, spare me the condescension typical of a "connoisseur," which you also gave me a dose of on the "all you can drink on cruise" thread. I've watched the cruise ships embark and depart, or arrive and disembark, at the cruise terminal at Canada Place in Vancouver. Those are Inside Passage cruises. I've watched the passengers get off and get back on their ships at Quebec City. Those are New England/Canada fall color cruises. Most of the people on the ships are middle-aged or retired. I noticed few, if any kids, and few under-40 folks, to be honest. Especially on those itineraries.
I was a travel agent for 10 years, just retired, you have to be in the business or travel to know. Fall color cruises out of CAnada or New England, of course there are few, if any children, they are in school. Canada/Alaska cruises are very popular for families, they have been for about the last 5 years. 10 years ago, no, there were only a handful of ships that did Alaska, now every major cruise company does the itinerary, most with 2 or 3 ships. Some leaving from Vacouver, many now leave from Seattle and of course a lot leave from Alaska and sail south. Even Disney is now doing Alaska. Do you think they would do Alaska if it wasn't a popular family cruise?
I am sorry I upset you, and that wasn't my intention, but I did want to clarify, if you haven't cruised, which you did say you hadn't on the drink thread, you really do not have a full understanding of what cruising is like and who cruises where.. 30 years ago families rarely cruised at all. It was for the upper middle class and the wealthy...it was also a vacation enjoyed mostly by those 50 and older. Times have changed so much and so has cruising. That is my point. Sorry if you took offense.
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The actual Med cruises,after Sept have few kids. I will also add, unless you are talking 3 or 4 day, short get away cruises the majority of the lines, whether doing the Caribbean, or the Mexican Rivera (which isn't being done much right now) do not cater to a bunch of drunks.
