Something like Viking that allows tweens

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in this post but don't understand the goal.

Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence?

Are there any time limitations on the number of days?

What is the child interested in?

I would consider rail if the issue is avoiding driving. And spend way more time and $$ in the wonderful destinations.

Not op but IMHO this post is out of line. WTF is your problem?

Not the pp, but I’m not sure why you find this so offensive. Seem like reasonable questions to me.

Agree, I didn't understand what the OP was asking. The kid is very interested in... what? What is the goal of the cruise? It's hard to give advice when I'm not sure what the OP is trying to achieve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in this post but don't understand the goal.

Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence?

Are there any time limitations on the number of days?

What is the child interested in?

I would consider rail if the issue is avoiding driving. And spend way more time and $$ in the wonderful destinations.

Not op but IMHO this post is out of line. WTF is your problem?

Not the pp, but I’m not sure why you find this so offensive. Seem like reasonable questions to me.

OP asks about travel and OO asks personal questions about the reason for the trip which has no bearing on the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in this post but don't understand the goal.

Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence?

Are there any time limitations on the number of days?

What is the child interested in?

I would consider rail if the issue is avoiding driving. And spend way more time and $$ in the wonderful destinations.

Not op but IMHO this post is out of line. WTF is your problem?

Not the pp, but I’m not sure why you find this so offensive. Seem like reasonable questions to me.

I am the PP who was called out of line. The father's year of working abroad was introduced by OP, so I assume it is somehow relevant to the goals of the vacation but I don't understand why.

You asked "Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence"? Why is that relevant and how is it not an out of line personal question?

I don't think it's offensive to suggest tangential opportunities. Some people are capable of flexible thinking.

I did not criticize your off-topic train suggestion. I am fine with that. It was your rude personal intrusion. No need to threadjack anymore, I will not respond to this topic again.

[Anonymous]

I watched a Smithsonian channel show on a Viking cruise. It looked miserable, tons of waiting to dock, waiting to go through locks, debarking and getting on another boat because of some obstacle, getting to some quaint town and there being tourist from 3 boats there. It sounds like traveling by Amtrak. IMO no teen would want to do that. Just get them a train pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched a Smithsonian channel show on a Viking cruise. It looked miserable, tons of waiting to dock, waiting to go through locks, debarking and getting on another boat because of some obstacle, getting to some quaint town and there being tourist from 3 boats there. It sounds like traveling by Amtrak. IMO no teen would want to do that. Just get them a train pass.

That was a Europe itinerary I presume. OP prefers USA/Canada where river cruises are much less popular, with good reason.

Train travel in the US is (unfortunately) much more expensive than in Europe and of course the stops are much further apart. The train suggestion is a poor one IMHO.

Another advantage of a cruise is the "unpacking once" aspect which I would think would be a benefit with a teen. (or anyone )

An Alaska cruise sounds like a good suggestion, since there is one for every budget and every type of ship. and they are generally well received.

[Anonymous]

Silversea has several cruises through eastern Canada and no age restriction. It would be a similar feel to Viking ocean cruises, though probably slightly more upscale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I was just going to post a question along these lines. My young adult DD wants to go on a Viking-like cruise with me on a European river. I told her she’d be the youngest by far on the boat.

Any suggestions for a 20something and late 50something?

We did one of these over Xmas and there were a few families. It’s only an issue if your kid wants to hang out with others her own age.

How was this? DW would like to one of these with our kids in a few years (age 5 and 9). Some of the European cruise lines have kids clubs and specialty cruises for families.

[Anonymous]

A few companies for European river cruises that allow teens and Tauck and Disney I believe have specific groups for family travel on their river cruises. River cruises are not as much if a thing in the US and I think are going to skew really really elderly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in this post but don't understand the goal.

Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence?

Are there any time limitations on the number of days?

What is the child interested in?

I would consider rail if the issue is avoiding driving. And spend way more time and $$ in the wonderful destinations.

Not op but IMHO this post is out of line. WTF is your problem?

Not the pp, but I’m not sure why you find this so offensive. Seem like reasonable questions to me.

I am the PP who was called out of line. The father's year of working abroad was introduced by OP, so I assume it is somehow relevant to the goals of the vacation but I don't understand why. Is it because they are city people and the mother doesn't drive? I know a NYCer who is like that...so they need full transport between stops such as a cruise provides. In that event, I wanted to share that there are some rail possibilities for accessing the Bos-Wash corridor and Canada areas being discussed. If looking to sightsee American and Canadian nature, some people might enjoy that option even though it's obviously less deluxe than a cruise. You could do some fantastic things with cruise-level $$$ inland at various US and Canadian natural beauty spots. That was the point there. I don't think it's offensive to suggest tangential opportunities. Some people are capable of flexible thinking.

So as for asking about the time limits, that's obviously related to itinerary planning. Same with the kid's interests...maybe interested in whales, maybe interested in First Nations' artwork, maybe interested in onboard variety shows. That's also quite relevant to spec'ing out a cruise. I love whale watching and I enjoyed my trips out of Gloucester, MA and Bar Harbor. However, I'm not sure a big cruise boat would have time for that during a port call. And if so, it would probably be the only excursion you could do besides a little postcard shopping.

I've been on a bunch of big cruiseliner cruises outside the US and I've also been to a lot of the stops on the Atlantic Coast cruise lines, but not by cruise boat. I did do a Maine Windjammer a few years ago and I think that might possibly be more fun for a kid than a big cruise boat. In that case, the boating was really at the heart of the experience. My major issue with cruises is too much cost per day goes into overhead for amenities I don't value and the port calls are usually too short for me to do what I want to do in a particular place. For example, Boston is worth at least 2-3 days vs. 1, Bar Harbor is worth more than a 9-5 or less, etc.

Just some thoughts for OP to take or leave.

Jeebus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in this post but don't understand the goal.

Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence?

Are there any time limitations on the number of days?

What is the child interested in?

I would consider rail if the issue is avoiding driving. And spend way more time and $$ in the wonderful destinations.

Not op but IMHO this post is out of line. WTF is your problem?

Not the pp, but I’m not sure why you find this so offensive. Seem like reasonable questions to me.

I am the PP who was called out of line. The father's year of working abroad was introduced by OP, so I assume it is somehow relevant to the goals of the vacation but I don't understand why.

You asked "Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence"? Why is that relevant and how is it not an out of line personal question?

I don't think it's offensive to suggest tangential opportunities. Some people are capable of flexible thinking.

I did not criticize your off-topic train suggestion. I am fine with that. It was your rude personal intrusion. No need to threadjack anymore, I will not respond to this topic again.

PP. There seemed to be some extraneous info that was important to OP about the dad. Because it was mentioned. And some people have emotional goals for vacations like bonding, beautification/makeover, etc. Cruises are often targeted at indulgence-type travel goals...spa cruise, unlimited gourmet or food cruise. That's why I asked about whether it was a treat cruise. The lines vary in what they specialize in. That's actually what cruises do best...unlimited or convenient access to treats/food/massages. But if the goal was just to go to certain cities, there are other ways to structure the trip.

Final thought, I live in the Great Lakes region and would not recommend an ordinary cruise boat visit. The skies are beautiful but the coastlines aren't very dramatic. I think Alaska or Maine to Canada would be much more interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I was just going to post a question along these lines. My young adult DD wants to go on a Viking-like cruise with me on a European river. I told her she’d be the youngest by far on the boat.

Any suggestions for a 20something and late 50something?

We did one of these over Xmas and there were a few families. It’s only an issue if your kid wants to hang out with others her own age.

How was this? DW would like to one of these with our kids in a few years (age 5 and 9). Some of the European cruise lines have kids clubs and specialty cruises for families.

It was nice and I was glad we went but it didn’t make me want to do another really? Food was ok to fine but not great. The stops were nice although we didn’t get too long anywhere and had to pick and choose what to see. The river itself was very scenic which was nice.

One thing to be aware of is if the river is too high or too low then the boats can’t run— so they may end up busing you places or transferring you to a boat further downstream etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in this post but don't understand the goal.

Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence?

Are there any time limitations on the number of days?

What is the child interested in?

I would consider rail if the issue is avoiding driving. And spend way more time and $$ in the wonderful destinations.

Not op but IMHO this post is out of line. WTF is your problem?

Not the pp, but I’m not sure why you find this so offensive. Seem like reasonable questions to me.

I am the PP who was called out of line. The father's year of working abroad was introduced by OP, so I assume it is somehow relevant to the goals of the vacation but I don't understand why.

You asked "Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence"? Why is that relevant and how is it not an out of line personal question?

I don't think it's offensive to suggest tangential opportunities. Some people are capable of flexible thinking.

I did not criticize your off-topic train suggestion. I am fine with that. It was your rude personal intrusion. No need to threadjack anymore, I will not respond to this topic again.

PP. There seemed to be some extraneous info that was important to OP about the dad. Because it was mentioned. And some people have emotional goals for vacations like bonding, beautification/makeover, etc. Cruises are often targeted at indulgence-type travel goals...spa cruise, unlimited gourmet or food cruise. That's why I asked about whether it was a treat cruise. The lines vary in what they specialize in. That's actually what cruises do best...unlimited or convenient access to treats/food/massages. But if the goal was just to go to certain cities, there are other ways to structure the trip.

Final thought, I live in the Great Lakes region and would not recommend an ordinary cruise boat visit. The skies are beautiful but the coastlines aren't very dramatic. I think Alaska or Maine to Canada would be much more interesting.

People choose cruises for different reasons. Many choose on itinerary, especially in places like the Mediterranean , where you can visit a new place every day with no or few sea days. The small luxury lines are growing rapidly with travelers with diverse and sophisticated needs. The idea that it’s only the “Getting my 15 drink a day package on carnival to Bahamas!” Cruiser is mistaken.

And by the way, a very small number of cruises have “specialty” itineraries, and most of those are chartered by promoters. It appears you don’t have much experience cruising. Lines vary greatly. Definitely not for everyone but there is probably a perfect cruise line for someone with an interest.

Now please tell me how a train trip could possibly interest this family. Ridiculous suggestion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in this post but don't understand the goal.

Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence?

Are there any time limitations on the number of days?

What is the child interested in?

I would consider rail if the issue is avoiding driving. And spend way more time and $$ in the wonderful destinations.

Not op but IMHO this post is out of line. WTF is your problem?

Not the pp, but I’m not sure why you find this so offensive. Seem like reasonable questions to me.

I am the PP who was called out of line. The father's year of working abroad was introduced by OP, so I assume it is somehow relevant to the goals of the vacation but I don't understand why.

You asked "Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence"? Why is that relevant and how is it not an out of line personal question?

I don't think it's offensive to suggest tangential opportunities. Some people are capable of flexible thinking.

I did not criticize your off-topic train suggestion. I am fine with that. It was your rude personal intrusion. No need to threadjack anymore, I will not respond to this topic again.

PP. There seemed to be some extraneous info that was important to OP about the dad. Because it was mentioned. And some people have emotional goals for vacations like bonding, beautification/makeover, etc. Cruises are often targeted at indulgence-type travel goals...spa cruise, unlimited gourmet or food cruise. That's why I asked about whether it was a treat cruise. The lines vary in what they specialize in. That's actually what cruises do best...unlimited or convenient access to treats/food/massages. But if the goal was just to go to certain cities, there are other ways to structure the trip.

Final thought, I live in the Great Lakes region and would not recommend an ordinary cruise boat visit. The skies are beautiful but the coastlines aren't very dramatic. I think Alaska or Maine to Canada would be much more interesting.

People choose cruises for different reasons. Many choose on itinerary, especially in places like the Mediterranean , where you can visit a new place every day with no or few sea days. The small luxury lines are growing rapidly with travelers with diverse and sophisticated needs. The idea that it’s only the “Getting my 15 drink a day package on carnival to Bahamas!” Cruiser is mistaken.

And by the way, a very small number of cruises have “specialty” itineraries, and most of those are chartered by promoters. It appears you don’t have much experience cruising. Lines vary greatly. Definitely not for everyone but there is probably a perfect cruise line for someone with an interest.

Now please tell me how a train trip could possibly interest this family. Ridiculous suggestion.

Hmm...there are some scenic rail trips that go through natural beauty areas and mountains during leaf peeping season. You can also take a pretty nice trip to Canada originating in NYC. If you were interested in the US big parks out West, there are scenic Amtrak routes to some of those. If you're interested in cultural amenities, fine lodging, gourmet dining, shows, and city excursions you can do all that with a land-based itinerary that builds off of rail. To me, a cruise is more about transport convenience and not having to move your luggage from place to place. So rail is analogous. Floating theater, restaurants, pools can be convenient but the land-based equivalents are superior in my experience. For everyone hating on my ideas, just leave them alone and make your own suggestions to OP. Apparently you don't have anything better to do than pick on my opinions.

[Anonymous]

PP. Also...I did ask what the kid is interested in. Agree this is highly relevant to determining "the best" cruise for a precocious tween.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in this post but don't understand the goal.

Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence?

Are there any time limitations on the number of days?

What is the child interested in?

I would consider rail if the issue is avoiding driving. And spend way more time and $$ in the wonderful destinations.

Not op but IMHO this post is out of line. WTF is your problem?

Not the pp, but I’m not sure why you find this so offensive. Seem like reasonable questions to me.

I am the PP who was called out of line. The father's year of working abroad was introduced by OP, so I assume it is somehow relevant to the goals of the vacation but I don't understand why.

You asked "Is it a treat vacation to make up for the dad's absence"? Why is that relevant and how is it not an out of line personal question?

I don't think it's offensive to suggest tangential opportunities. Some people are capable of flexible thinking.

I did not criticize your off-topic train suggestion. I am fine with that. It was your rude personal intrusion. No need to threadjack anymore, I will not respond to this topic again.

PP. There seemed to be some extraneous info that was important to OP about the dad. Because it was mentioned. And some people have emotional goals for vacations like bonding, beautification/makeover, etc. Cruises are often targeted at indulgence-type travel goals...spa cruise, unlimited gourmet or food cruise. That's why I asked about whether it was a treat cruise. The lines vary in what they specialize in. That's actually what cruises do best...unlimited or convenient access to treats/food/massages. But if the goal was just to go to certain cities, there are other ways to structure the trip.

Final thought, I live in the Great Lakes region and would not recommend an ordinary cruise boat visit. The skies are beautiful but the coastlines aren't very dramatic. I think Alaska or Maine to Canada would be much more interesting.

People choose cruises for different reasons. Many choose on itinerary, especially in places like the Mediterranean , where you can visit a new place every day with no or few sea days. The small luxury lines are growing rapidly with travelers with diverse and sophisticated needs. The idea that it’s only the “Getting my 15 drink a day package on carnival to Bahamas!” Cruiser is mistaken.

And by the way, a very small number of cruises have “specialty” itineraries, and most of those are chartered by promoters. It appears you don’t have much experience cruising. Lines vary greatly. Definitely not for everyone but there is probably a perfect cruise line for someone with an interest.

Now please tell me how a train trip could possibly interest this family. Ridiculous suggestion.

Hmm...there are some scenic rail trips that go through natural beauty areas and mountains during leaf peeping season. You can also take a pretty nice trip to Canada originating in NYC. If you were interested in the US big parks out West, there are scenic Amtrak routes to some of those. If you're interested in cultural amenities, fine lodging, gourmet dining, shows, and city excursions you can do all that with a land-based itinerary that builds off of rail. To me, a cruise is more about transport convenience and not having to move your luggage from place to place. So rail is analogous. Floating theater, restaurants, pools can be convenient but the land-based equivalents are superior in my experience. For everyone hating on my ideas, just leave them alone and make your own suggestions to OP. Apparently you don't have anything better to do than pick on my opinions.

Your opinions are off topic as they are not what OP asked about. Also, they are awful. “You can take a train to Canada!” WOW, really?

And your claim rail is analogous is false. What train waits for you with your luggage while you go on excursions? Exactly none. You’re not a real poster, I think.