Cruise Out of NY

We cruised out of NY 4 years ago on NCL. We had a great time! We love the freestyle cruising because you can basically eat all day long! We weren't traveling with any children, but we saw plenty of people who had kids with them. They had a kid friendly pool area in the back of the ship - looked like a lot of fun! My only piece of advice is to request a room with a port-hole or a window; especially if any of you are claustrophobic.
Have fun!!

My wife & I have been on 2 Carnival cruises. We did not have our kids with us, but we saw a lot of other kids on the ship. They have a program called Camp Carnival that has plenty of supervised activities that keep the kids so busy, there is no time to say "I'm bored". Activities like swimming, crafts, indoor play area, singing, dancing, etc. Babysitting is also available so the parents can go to the adult activities, like Karaoke, Comedy Club, or the Casino. Food at the buffet area is great. Burgers, chicken, & hot dogs are available all day til late at night, with lots of varied choices changing throuout the day. Formal dining is available with more "gourmet" meals that are preselected by the chef staff. Be sure to attend meetings about destination activities. The ship staff will tell you the best places to eat, shop, visit, even offer special discounts by showing your ship ID. Other activities like snorkeling, ATV rides, etc can be set up & paid for in advance. Ships are all decorated differently. Our first cruise was decked out in high tech neon colors, & very modern. Second cruise was more Victorian, with darker colors, & more antique styles. Whichever cruise line you decide on, be sure to check out all of these things, either online, or from brocures. You'll have a great time.

I cruise out of NY all the time on Norwegian. Norwegian is much more
sedate than Carnival. I have sailed on Carnival and would not do it again.
It really is quite the party ship. You might want to check with each
line and see who has the best childrens program. I am sailinng out of NY
to Bermuda in May. Investigate before you commit.

I have never done NCL but I have done Carnival 3 times from NY. I have also done Royal Caribbean out of Bayonne, NJ. We had no issues leaving from NY or Bayonne. I have to say my best cruise was my first Carnival Cruise. I think Carnival is a much younger crowd and family orientated. We went to Bermuda which was great because we stayed in Bermuda for three days. Since it was our first cruise I wasn't sure how my kids would do so I though if they didn't feel well at least we would be docked for three days and not at sea as much. I did get them the patch just as a precaution and we were all fine. Carnival has great food, 24 hour pizza, and ice cream, which my kids loved. I have also done the Bahamas which was nice, and just went on a cruise last month to the Florida Keys, and Mexico. I love to cruise it is in my opinion the best way to travel. I have to say that Bermuda was my favorite cruise and we have been back 3 times since. I am now looking into a Princess Cruise I have heard wonderful things about that line as well. Good luck and have fun!!

My parents went on a cruise out of NYC and had a great time. They didn't have a 5 year old with them so can't help! Sorry! Enjoy!!! A.

Since I see that you live in NJ, also be sure to check the cruises that leave out of Port Liberty in Bayonne, NJ - it is a lot less hassle than going into NY!

I went on a Carnival Cruise last May out of NY. My son was 3 1/2yo at the time. We also went with my niece who was 7 and nephew who was 5. The cruise made 4 stops, one was to the Bahamas. A cruise would not have been my first choice (family vacation). I have to say all the kids had a great time and it was relaxing for the adults. They have a kids camp and babysitting. I did not think my son would go to camp, but it turned out that all he wanted to do was be at the camp. He actually cried to go to camp. This gave us a lot of adult time. In the evening they had babysitting at the camp untill the wee hours. The camp is an enclosed area and I felt confident in the staff. The give you a cell phone in case they need to contact you and vice versa.

We were living in NYC at the and leaving from their was a breeze.

Almost a year later my son still talks about the cruise frequently.

Let me know if you need anymore info.

W.

I travelled with my family in November, 2008 from NY to the caribbean on a 10 day cruise (Holland America). At the time my son was 5 and my daughter was 18 months. Here's what I can tell you... the trip south was not so bad, as the weather was getting warmer, the top of the ship was open, the kids could play by the pool (HA is NOT a kidfriendly cruiseline, but it was not my choice and I thankfully didn't pay!). The trip back, where the weather is getting colder and you are more locked into indoor activity was not so much fun... you just wanted to be at the other end, docked in NY and off the boat.
That all said, if your ship has a kids program, and your 5 year old will consider it, then you may be ok. They do keep them busy, but it is not at all like an on-land all-inclusive where they actually do outdoor activities... I have found the cruise kids programs to be glorified babysitting... they'll do activities & projects & maybe a show, but they are pretty much in a single location (*at least the younger ones).
Lastly, remember that much of the breakfast and lunch are served buffet style, and you generally have to go to a few counters to get all your 'stuff' - and as soon as you sit, your 5 year old will want another, a different whatever... cereal, sandwich, drink... etc... get the point... you mostly need another person with you at the meals always.
Another note... we went on a carnival fun ship in december... WAY TOO LOUD and activities not for children's eyes or ears (that may vary by ship)... also, the rooms are small... and bring lots of easy to transport dinner entertainment, like crayons & paper, bendaroos... it helps A LOT
My preference is off-peak club med... sandpiper is close you can go for as many or few days as you want... as is punta cana... great club.
Hope that helps... Good luck. Enjoy whatever you do!

Hi S.,

Last July my family and I sailed out of NY on NCL to Bermuda. It was so convenient as we have a 4 and 6 year old and to not have to deal with airports and airplanes was a great way to start and end a vacation. We loved Bermuda, the beaches are wonderful. NCL has a great kids program and pool area for kids so they were thoroughly entertained. I myself am not a fan of NCL, wasn't crazy about the staff, the food or the ridiculous service charge that is automatically added to your bill. I believe it is $12 per person per day. I prefer to tip accordingly as NCL's method does not give the staff any reason to perform above average. Having said that, for the convenience of leaving out of NY and the fact that the children had a great time, it was a nice vacation but I doubt I would use NCL again.

Well, I'm obviously in the minority here, but I had a horrible time on my Norwegian Cruise out of NYC in 2005. A lot of our problems were ones you probably won't encounter (like sewage coming out of our bathroom and a misrepresented snorkeling trip), so I won't go into the details here.

Two things that seemed to be universal:

1. Our cruise was super rocky until we hit North Carolina. This was in early December, so hopefully the weather in May will make your trip smoother, but I will never cruise out of NY again. My husband never gained his sea legs.

2. The food on the Norwegian Dawn was disgusting. We weren't the only ones who thought so. By the time we reached our first port of call everyone on the ship was thrilled to see that there was a Burger King just a short walk from where our ship was docked. It was the talk of the ship for days. Either people were excited to get real food again at Burger King or they were disappointed that they didn't see the Burger King until it was too late to go. By the way, I'm not a fast food eater. I'm not sure I've eaten at Burger King since that trip, but it was much better than the food I had on the cruise.

I've been on other cruises and enjoyed the food. I think it may have been the freestyle eating. Perhaps when chefs don't have an exact head count for each mealtimes, quality is affected.

I hope I'm not too late in warning you about this. In the last 4 years it has become one of my personal missions to warn people against cruising Norwegian Dawn.

S.,

The one and only cruise I ever took was a Carnival cruise out of NYC. While I am glad I had the experience I don;t think I'm a cruise type of person. Leaving out of NYC it took about 3 days to get to our 1st destination, we made 3 quick stops then another 3 days to get home. There were plenty of activities on the ship, but personally I would have preferred more time at the destinations. I did not have children at the time so I can't say how that would have changed my perspective. I have friends that took their kids on a Disney cruise and said it was the best vacation of their lives. Great camps and lots of adult time.

Have a great vacation.
R.