2025 Vacation Plans
- Thread starter alaskanseminole
- Start date
We're flying to Phoenix in March over our sons' college spring break. It will actually be their first time flying anywhere. We're staying in Williams a couple of nights and taking a train to the Grand Canyon, a first for all of us. I hope to take in a spring training game.
St Louis March 5-9th (arch madness) .. then, hopefully, various trips to various cities until end of March.
Bahamar resort in May. San Diego/LA trip to visit friends in June. NYC to visit two brothers in July. Gonna try to plan a Mexico visit in September. Vegas or Florida in November. I also plan to mix in a Denver and/or Albuquerque somewhere in there when weather is good for golfing.
Then December, we will see, might make quick trips to various places like Chicago, Peoria, Bloomington, Terre Haute, Nashville.
Bahamar resort in May. San Diego/LA trip to visit friends in June. NYC to visit two brothers in July. Gonna try to plan a Mexico visit in September. Vegas or Florida in November. I also plan to mix in a Denver and/or Albuquerque somewhere in there when weather is good for golfing.
Then December, we will see, might make quick trips to various places like Chicago, Peoria, Bloomington, Terre Haute, Nashville.
Now my wife wants to go on a Caribbean cruise, I’m not sold on it. Other than the cost(yes I’m a poor) I’m also concerned about sea sickness.
I realize that cruise ships are huge but is sea sickness still an issue?
Which cruise lines are the best?
Which destinations would you recommend. Would our 4 teenagers enjoy it?
Any advice would be appreciated.
I realize that cruise ships are huge but is sea sickness still an issue?
Which cruise lines are the best?
Which destinations would you recommend. Would our 4 teenagers enjoy it?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Sea sickness shouldn’t be an issue. Stabilizers make it so you won’t even notice.
Royal Caribbean best line IMO.
Caribbean cruises are typically broken up into Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean. Western Caribbean is more of the entry cruise adventure with ports like Cozumel, Nassau etc.
This.
I went on a cruise with Princess Cruise line in 2006. It was fun. I won $115 playing roulette.
Avoid Carnival Cruise if you can. I heard it described as a "Floating Dennys."
We have 2 planned this year (one over spring break and one over Christmas) and have done multiple before. We use Carnival (consider them Hy-Vee) because they are cheaper than Royal Caribbean (Trader Joes). We aren’t fancy people and need the high end everything so Carnival works just fine for our family (no pic wife and 2 teenagers). People bag on Carnival but those are people who like to go high end restaurants, don’t want to be around kids, or just have a higher amount of disposable income to waste on a “nicer” experience.
Sea sickness isn’t really much a thing anymore with the boats unless you are going around a tropical storm. If you stay middle of ship and lower, you will rarely feel anything.
There is always food to find somewhere (we rarely eat in the main dining room anymore as there are so many other places you can get food) that suits your needs and lots of things to do on the ship to pass time. We like it because we get to visit all different kinds of places that we would normally never be able to visit because of cost and time. You spend 6-8 hours visiting an island and exploring. If you like it a lot then maybe someday you can visit it for a stand alone vacation if you want.
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Slow year since 26 looks like maui and italy.
25 we have two “destination weddings” to attend so that will probably do it. Thankfully both in US and family.
Laguna Beach and Palm Beach.
Thanks for the reply. We don’t need anything fancy either so she’s looking into Carnival. She’s also wondering about rooms. Do you have any suggestions on those?
Taking a ten day Mediterranean cruise on Royal Caribbean in May.
Just my luck one of the ports is Santorini - which may not be there in three months. 😳
Just my luck one of the ports is Santorini - which may not be there in three months. 😳
Carnival is going to be tons of drunk students and lower class people.
Just FYI.
Carnival is thought of as the entry level and is a favorite of the young hell yes let’s party 24/7 crowd. Most of the brawls that have broken out on the pool deck are on Carnival.
If you’re not sure that’s a chance you’re willing to take then go at a time of year when colleges aren’t on break or family reunions aren’t happening. Or spend just a few hundred more and choose another line.
Bon Voyage!
You can record yourself planting a U.S. flag in a patch of dirt overlooking the canal and become an overnight MAGA sensation.
Interesting. Did Italy last September and we'll be in Maui on Thursday. My 2 favorite places.
With work for me and the no pic wife doing extended business trips in Nashville, Fort Lauderdale, and Grand Cayman. Taking trips to Lake of the Ozarks this spring and Greece late September into October for two weeks in Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos. Probably hit St Maarten in December to get away before the holidays.
This.
If @InsaneHawkJJP takes his family on a Carnival Cruise it means he's a poor and shouldn't be allowed on HBOT
JMHO.
Agreed. I personally would put Slovenia a close second.
Have some great pics from up there.
I crossed the 16th avenue bridge in Cedar Rapids, had a couple beers at the Safari Lounge and crossed back alive. I wouldn’t try it again…
We have done them all (balcony, window, and interior). Unless the cost difference is small (less than $150 to move to window or less than $300 to move to balcony) we just stay in interior rooms now (again because I can save more money which means more vacations). We are only in our room to sleep, change clothes, and shower so we don’t feel the need to spend extra money unless the difference is small. Since maybe it is your first time, maybe you want that experience/room/freedom that a balcony offers and then you can decide if it is worth it if you ever go again. There isn’t a whole lot of space in the rooms anyway, so it’s not really a place to hang out, especially with teenagers.
From a Caribbean itinerary perspective we have been to Key West, Nassau, Freeport, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Grand Turk.
As far as Carnival being the “party ship” or “fights break out all the time boat”, that is extremely overblown. You might see more partiers on the shorter itineraries, especially to the Bahamas, over the holiday breaks but you can participate as much or as little as you want. We rarely drink at home, let alone when it is double the cost on the boat, and we have had no issues finding space for whatever we want to do (party, play cards, eat, soak up the sun, trivia, shows, music, casino, etc.).
There will be idiots on the boat, no matter which cruise line you select.
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This would be incorrect. Was on one of the massive Oasis class Royal Caribbean ships around 8 years ago. 18 decks of ship. Heavy seas and it was rocking and rolling. Lots of people under the weather. It's always all about the weather.
That is something I would enjoy. One of my favorite bars is in the Ozarks.
Yikes. I’ve seen videos of what it looks like inside the dining room during severe weather and it’s flat out scary.
Clearwater Beach in March should be great weather. And DC in May should be just before it gets crazy hot. Enjoy!
I have cruised over 10 times, hell maybe ven 20 and my wife and I enjoy the experience. You generally get to see enough of the island or locale. As others have said, then if you wish you could go back there on a seperate trip if you didnt get enough of one place. I like the variety and like having different experiences without having to move my clothing etc each time.
We have been to Alaska once, Mediterranean twice, Adriatic once and countless Caribbean trips. We have been on Carnival, NCL, Celebrity, and Princess. Have also taken many land vacations but cruising has its appeal for sure.
Sea sickness has only been an issue one over a decade ago and it was crazy rough on a Caribbean cruise.
My kids have been on all but 2 of our cruises. Since they were toddlers on up. They love it. They are all adults now to give you an idea of how long a time we have cruised with them.
Carnival: Lots of kids and party types. More of a middle class experience. As such, there can be rude people from time to time. The ships themselves are nice but the clientele is perhaps a tad less refined than other lines. Food is generally meh but not bad.
Celebrity: Not much to do for kids like slides, mini golf etc. Perhaps the highest class of cruisers than the others. Food is amazing and on par with 4 star brick and morter places.
NCL: Good mix. Stuff to do with kids, pools, minigolf, ropes course, climbing wall etc. A definite step up from Carnival. Good food. Not Celebrity but way better than Carnival.
Princess: Just below Celebrity on food, or close. Tends to be an older crowd, but not Holland America old, less things for kids to do. We have cruised least on this line but would consider it again for the right ship and itinerary. Not as many kids or things for kids to do. Ships tend to have the classic cruise look not modern as some of the newer Celebrity and NCL offerings. Big atriums, lots of columns and typical decor. That alone probably is why I haven't used them much. I like more modern styling.
Noted, thanks. Like I said I’m not sold on a cruise anyway so this information is very useful. I’d rather go to Colorado or Utah and hike.
I really liked Santorini. The first time. Super cool, unique etc.
We did it another time and I liked it but the crowds have gotten large and we had a ton of stress regarding buses, (the city is a top the island and oyou need to bus up and then back down) so I wont do it again. Loved Mykonos much more and would go there again in a heartbeat. But yeah, the cool pics you get the first time you go to Santorini and see it are worth it. Just plan on allowing for lots of time to get back to the ship. Don't wait, like others do, to try to catch the last bus back as that is sure to put you in a massive line and add an unacceptable amount of stress to what should be a fun vacation.
It wasn't altogether scary. Just a lot of people who felt like shit for a day. That slow heavy rocking back and forth is what gets people. The chandeliers in the dining room swaying. I think the restaurants and dining room were about 70% empty one of those nights. Went out on the deck to check it out and huge waves were hitting the ship broadside. That was kinda cool actually.
Thanks again. She’s looking into Carnival and the Grand Turks. As you mentioned there are drunks everywhere.
I have done some of my favorite hikes while cruising.
Volcano while in St Kitts. 3000 ft vertical hike while in Alaska, Kotor top of the cliff stair hike as mentioned prior, etc.
Simply depends on where you go.
You couldn’t have gotten me out on a deck for a million dollars.
We were headed back to Port in Miami just ahead of a tropical depression and the waves were almost coming over the top of the ship. This was in the 80’s before those mega ships and it scared me to death.
That might be a little dangerous right now since there was USA flag burning there last week.
IF it’s still there I will be sure to get on an earlier bus! There have been over 500 recorded tremors in the last two weeks and some of the islanders have evacuated. Crete has been mentioned as an alternative port.
Travel insurance is a must!
I am leaving for the desert, Tuesday. Golf, baseball and sunshine! A month of it, the good Lord willing.
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