Inputs for vacation : Cruise or Mexico

[radhak]

we and 4 more families want to go on a vacation together. (others coming in from NJ / AZ / CA). Everybody has kids 10 years old or less. The suggestions are we take a cruise, or visit mexico. Everybody busy, so would only be a 3-4 day thing for the Cruise, maybe a bit longer for Mexico if need be.

So, does anybody have any inputs on either? How are Guadalajara or Ixtapa?

Being in South FL I should know about cruises, but unfortunately never bothered as yet - what's the average cost to expect?

[cabinetman]

How about this..a cruise to Mexico. There's plenty to do on cruises to keep the kids busy...could be relaxing. Oh, don't forget about all the food.

[Uncle Cracker]

Beat me to it, C-Man! You get the best of both worlds... The least expensive cruises (and shortest duration) will go from Florida to Veracruz and/or Cozumel, but the best ones (and the longest) will travel the Panama Canal, and go to Acapulco, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and others.

Cruises vary widely in price, depending on season and cabin class (inside/outside/balcony). There are endless online sources for info thereof, such as http://www.cruisecheap.com or http://www.cruisesonly.com... Check them out.

[eccentrictinkerer]

My wife and I have been vacationing in Mexico for the last 12 years. We stay in a town called Playa del Carmen, about 35 miles south of Cancun.

Accommodations are reasonable, the food is great and the people are wonderful. The majority of visitors there are European, so be aware that there will be some toplessness (in case that bothers you)

We took our entire family to Mexico in 2004, 3 daughters and their husbands, and their 3 kids. We stayed in a villa at Playa del Secreto. The following link shows a short video of our trip.


http://tinyurl.com/tnst3

There's a great site, www.playa.info, that shows off the town quite well.

Warm white sand, turquoise water and mas cervesa! See you there January!

[Alex Franke]

I would also vote for the cruise. I've been on about 50 of them (quite literally) and I'd go again in a heartbeat. There are many different cuise lines all with different versions of the experience. Some cater to younger crowds, and some older; some more active, some less; some emphasize service, others entertainment or activities; etc. Be sure you talk to someone with good experience in the business to get a good recomendation. (My experience is that cruise selling warehouses like Cruises Only generally have a lot of relatively inexperienced salespeople.)

Also, shorter cruises (3-4 days) tend to get a younger crowd. Seven days to the Mexican Riviera or Caribbean (eastern, western, or southern) is the norm and usually has a good mix of people. 10+ day cruises, IMHO, are not necessarily better -- often repositioning cruises (e.g. panama canal, transatlantic, etc) have fewer ports and get an older crowd. Also staff tends to change up a bit during repositionings so the service can sometimes be affected.

And about the kids: Cruises can be GREAT for kids -- many cruise lines have kids programs that try to keep the kids very busy and very safe for large blocks of the day. Please don't think that 7-days is too long for the kids. Besides, for cruises, the 3/4 passengers in the cabins are usually at a significantly lower rate.

Be sure to work with a florida agent - and ask for any Florida resident rates. Cruise lines often offer special rates for florida rsidents who don't need airfare.

Good luck and let me know if you want any cruise line suggestions or have any other questions. I've been on just about every major cruise line out there and I'd be happy to give you my input on them.

[Alex Franke]

A couple other things to know about cruises in case you do go that route. First of all they're absolutely a blast when you're with friends or family. If you can get more people to join you, you can generally get group rates, some freebies, or even a free fare (at like the fifteenth person, called a "tour conductor" or "TC") if the agency is willing to part with it. A lot of agencies create their own groups and steer people toward those dates for better rates (or just better profit), so it wouldn't hurt to ask if they have any groups you can join. Don't worry - you don't have to hang out with the other group members when you do this. But it can have perks like cabin credits, free shore excursions, special cocktail parties, etc.

Know, also, that if you find an agency that's willing to negotiate on the price, it's probably working with an average of about a 15-17% commission on the base fare... some more, some less. Avoid agencies that are willing to give the farm away, though - you don't want them running away with your money before you get your tickets! (Same goes for any agency, actually -- be sure it's an established, trusted agency.)

Also remember, food is free (for the most part) and that's usually a big expense on a vacation.

Rates are highest in the summer or any time when kids are out of school, and they're lowest during hurricane season (like sept-nov). Don't let hurricanes discourage you, though. The chances you'll be cruising during one are slim in the first place, but also (unlike a hotel) the ship can -- and most certainly will if necessary -- change course (ever even entire itineraries) to avoid bad weather. The only time i've been affected by weather, we simply did the itinerary backwards, got to see an extra port of call, had an extra day at sea and an extra night on the ship, and I think even got a coupon for cash off our next cruise "for our trouble." And the weather (where we were) was beautiful the whole time.

[cabinetman]

A little story about an ocean cruise.

A moron saw an ad for a $49 ocean cruise. He was told by the travel agent to meet him on the beach. Once there, he gave the agent the $49 and when he wasn't looking the agent hit him over the head and sent him out in the ocean on a raft.

The moron woke up many hours later adrift in the ocean, with no sight of land. After a couple of days of drifting he saw a speck of what looked like another raft. After many hours, the two rafts got close enough so that he could yell at the other guy.

He yells out "Did you take the $49 ocean cruise?".
The guy on the other raft yells back "Yeah I did".
The moron yells out "Are they gonna come and get us?"
The other guy yells back "They didn't last year".

[gabedad]

forget cruises and forget mexico

FDR resort in Jamaica. It's small 77 rooms - every room is 1, 2, or 3 bedroom suite. All inclusive, free dive every day for certified divers. Free glass bottom boat, snorkeling kayaking windsurfing. Jamaican grill going all day with jerk pork , chicken, burgers , dogs etc.

The Best thing however is your own personal vacation nanny for the week. She watches your kids from 9-5 and babysits at night for $4 an hour. They are resort employess fully trained and wear uniforms. They are the pair of eyes your kids need so that you can actually have a vacation. They stock your fridge in your room with snacks and clean as well. They are awesome.

www.fdrholidays.com . We have gone the past 8 years in a row and just keeps getting better. We have met guests that have been there 15-20 times +! That type of repeat business says a lot. You are not treated like a room number their. The staff makes you feel like family.

[radhak]

Wow, awesome inputs! Thanks everybody ! Now to check out all your suggestions...

Of course, keep it coming - the more info the better!

[maxparot]

I've cruised a few times now and there is no better way to see foreign destinations. My last cruise was from Puerto Rico to Aruba, Tortola through the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and 3 stops on the Mexican Riviera. We are now scheduled to spend a week in Cabo San Lucas in May. Having seen Cabo while on that cruise and needing to use up our timeshare point savings.
A cruise is great for families since you can do things both together and separately. Just make sure you book a cruise line that is family friendly and a cruise of 10 days or less will generally have plenty to keep kids entertained onboard. I like Princess lines and they seem to be set up well for families even though my wife and I don't have children to worry about.

[LCHIEN]

i've been on quite a few cruises, last week wife and i went on a non-cruise vacation which reminded me how nice cruises are.
on our 9-nite vacation we booked four hotels in three cities which cost (before using points) around $2100 and this was in off-season. Then there was food (about $360) - and rental car (only $205 for 7 days which was a bargian) and gas. I won't count the airfare, local taxis and sightseeing..

A 7-day cruise could have been had for 2X $700-1300 depending upon location and cabin class and includes breakfast, lunch dinner and in-between and after meals, shows, and dinner is a 6- or 7 course affair with great service and as much as you want to eat. There's little planning and no serious decisions (how expensive, what to eat and how to get there) to be made at meal time.

As you can see, cruising is quite carefree, but we had an agenda so we didn't take one.

We're already planning our next vacation - cruise with my grown son and daughter for next summer after he graduates - a good chance for us all to get together and spend time with each other.

So that said, I can see that what you probably want is a 4-5 or a 7 day cruise on something like Carnival Lines, if you're thinking of getting people together from CA to FL then airfare will be a significant issue. You may want to chose Galveston or New Orleans for departure points to be fair.

I know Galv offers both short (4-5 days) and 7 days trips on 2 ships of the Carnival lines. Also 7 days on Royal Carribbean. Carnival is aimed at younger crowds but we enjoyed it in Dec 2005 (We're 55-60) and will probably do Carnival with my kids. I've also been on Royal Caribbean, and Holland America, and Princess - the latter three deal with somewhat older crowds (but you see all ages) probably the 30s 40s and 50s maybe some 60s. The higher priced lines start to have longer cruises in segments.
There are also repositioning crises when the Carnival/H-A and Princess lines move some ships from the Caribbean to Alaska/norther europe in the summer... generally these run 12-17 days and don't stop too many places and would not be a choice for you.

So a number of 7 day cruises are available from Los Angeles/San Diego for western Mexico stops.
The there are a number of 7 days from Galv/NO and FL that go to Western Cairb routes like Cozumel, Cayman, Jamaica etc.
and there are from FL Eastern Carib cruises to like Bahamas, San Juan, Aruba, ST Thomas, and other Virgin Is.

Cruises are ideal for kids, they have kids programs and activities (days and evenings), allowing you to have some adult time. Older kids can be left to their own devices without them getting into too much trouble and worrying about outside predators.

The food is usally quite good, you have to learn to eat what is really good and leave the rest for sampling.

Any of those carib destinations or West Mexico dest. would be good for a group, I would really recommend a 7 day if you can swing it- after airfare it might be worth it. By the fourth days you really get the hang of cruising.

Allow another 50-100-150 per couple for tips, plus drinking money plus tour money if you want to take tours. Tours can cost 20-40-100 per person per tour depending on what they are, I wouldn't go tour crazy, do some exploring on your own or hire a taxi for a group of four or five, much cheaper.

I went to one of those all-inclusive resorts in Ixtapa and it was much less than a cruise... booze was cheap, and you could go deep sea fishing for a song, but the entertainment and food was way below cruise ship standards.

[scmhogg]

I have done both in Mexico. There are lots of 3 or 4 day cruises leaving from San Diego, Long Beach and LA [San Pedro]. They range from $150 P/P for an inside/claustrophobic cabin, to $600 for a suite. Regular cabins, with a window, run around $300. I would stay away from Carnival. They are cheesy and often known as drunk cruises.

You can also get a 7 day cruise, with stops in Puerto Vallarta or Acapulco, for not a lot more than the 4 day.

After much travel with youngsters, I have found a a big spread in the quality of child entertainment. Their level of satisfaction is often determined by the number of same age kids on board. One or two new pals makes the trip. Also, the kid care crew will tailor the activities to the median age. It looks like you are bringing plenty of friends with you, if they get along. The ship gets much smaller as the days wear on, if they are unhappy.

We have also made a number of trips to Club Meds in Mexico. Unfortunately, most have been sold. The only remaining clubs are Ixtapa and Cancun. Ixtapa doesn't reopen until December. My youngest says the best vacations he ever had where at Club Med. He learned trapeze, archery, how to be a DJ.... Club Meds are usually enclosed and safe to let kids wander. The GO's who work with kids have always been terrific.

Steve

[Crash2510]

If you do not have a passport the families could save thousands by going to Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands

[Alex Franke]

Here's how I describe the major cruise lines in terms of alcohol. Of course this is a gross generalization and it's not to say that a "cherry Coke" cruise is any worse than a VSOP cruise -- that might be exactly what you're looking for... and all of these cruise lines sell all of these drinks.

Carnival - Domestic beer (often in buckets)
Celebrity - VSOP & $50+ wines
Costa - Vino con pasta!
Crystal or Seabourne - Louis XIII & Dom Perignon
Disney - Cherry Coke
Holland America - Manhattans & __ on the rocks.
NCL - Imported beer
Princess - Martini & __ sours
Royal Caribbean - Microbrews & $20 wines

BTW, I forgot to mention that 3-4 night market for curise ships is very rough on the ships. It's generally a younger crowd and more of a party atmosphere, and that takes a tool on the ships. If you do a 3-4 night cruise, be sure it's on a newer ship.