Hi everyone,
We are thinking of taking a cruise to Europe next summer with the kids. Can anyone recommend a cruiseline?
My two cents:
I've also been traveling and cruising and going to Europe for a long time as well...
And we've raised two kids, taking them on many cruises...including cruises to Europe...
First, know that several cruise lines do very good cruises to Europe...
And you can have a great cruise on most of them...
With kids, I would first rule out Oceania and Azamara and all of the "luxury" lines...Though great cruises, they don't really accommodate kids at all--no kids or teens programs...
That said, it leaves you with the usual big ship lines:
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, NCL, Costa, Carnival, HAL...and several European lines...
But, maybe the first thing to consider is the itinerary...Where do you want to go? How long of a cruise are you looking for?
Start looking at some of the itineraries...As far as I am concerned, the longer ones (around 14 nights) are better...If you're flying over there, might as well make it worth your while...But, also consider that you will want to stretch out this time with a pre-cruise and maybe a post-cruise stay...With the jet lag, travel fatigue and time zone changes, you will want some time for your (and your kids') systems to catch up...also to have a chance to enjoy the embarkation city...and it's a good hedge against missed or delayed flights, missed connections, etc...
As to itineraries, think a bit about what you really want to see...and what might be educational for the kids (what ages?)...
Also consider that you will likely see younger demographics on Mediterranean cruises than on Baltic cruises (lots of reasons, not always true...but, from my experience, it is typically true)...All of the above cruise lines have kids and teens programs, BUT some still tend to get an older crowd and some are more attuned to kids...HAL tends to attrct an older crowd...We took our kids on a Princess cruise in the Baltic and they were frustrated at the total lack of kids--and that the average age of passengers was, to put it bluntly, elderly...
Some cruise lines market more toward younger demographic and families...Carnival and Royal Caribbean, for example...Of those two, I am not very fond of Carnival, to say the least...I think it's the bottom of the barrel in the cruise industry...Of course, it has its fans and those people tend to love it...
Royal Caribbean, IMHO, is the absolute best cruise line when it comes to kids' programs and kid-friendly amenities...their larger, newer ships have everything from rock climbing walls, to mimi golf to ice skating rinks to surfing pools to even, on the newest ones, carousels and zip lines...
Of course, also realize that lot of European cruises are port-intensive...not a lot of at sea days, long days of touring in port...
Realizing that, it may tilt you to MY personal favorite: Celebrity...
The key to Celebrity is they have the least crowded, best designed ships with the best food and service...They do have kids programs...and, having just gotten off a European cruise on the new Eclipse, I can tell you that the ship was absolutely fantastic--maybe my favorite cruise of all I've been on...
Personally, I always rule out Costa since they tend to cater to a non-English speaking crowd, so the entertainment is a little different...
As I said, I don't like Carnival at all--ships are way too crowded and they cut far too many corners...And I am not particularly thrilled with Princess either...nothing terrible, just the ships aren't designed as well as the RCCL or Celebrity ships, the food service isn't managed as well and the ships tend to be a bit crowded...Also note that Princess has some smaller ships--sisters to the Oceania and Azamara ships--but those won't cater to the kids--so avoid those...
To sum up...my recommendations: Royal Caribbean or Celebrity...
PS. My wife works for the school district, so we always cruise July/August...It can be a little hot, but not that bad...The Med is not very humid...Just dress accordingly, bring sunscreen and a hat and carry water...As to crowding and closures...I don't think anything is near as bad as some would make it...and we've NEVER had any problem with anything being closed in the ports and tourist areas we've visited...People who rely on tourism to make a living do not shut down during tourist season...
Good luck...