You are more likely to get sea sick if you cruise out of Baltimore (as opposed to Miami) since you will spend days sailing rough seas and you will be on a smaller, older ship. Fact.

Are your parents afraid to fly? Is that the issue? It can't be cost since you can fly to Miami for $200 and find super cheap cruise options. Check less mainstream lines like MSC.

Fly to Miami and cruise from there. If you are traveling with kids, do a Disney cruise. If cruising another line, spring for the newer nicer ship. Plan to do excursions to nice beaches or whatever you like to do.

I think it sounds fun, but I know on DCUM it's as reviled as the dreaded scented candles. Which, honestly, increases the appeal for me.

24 hour buffets
E. coli
Norovirus
shuffle board
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm
what's not to love?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since we would have to go out of Norfolk or Baltimore, sounds like I'll just have to grin & bear it. My husband probably won't go (no vacation time left), my child is 13, and our usual vacations are jam-packed site-seeing & doing trips. I'm also concerned about being sea sick.

Guess I can do some damage to all-you-can-eat desserts, if I'm not tossing my cookies.

With a 13 year old, I'd go to Bermuda. I wouldn't bring a younger child. Its lovely. You can probably rent a moped with a kid that age. I thought I'd get sea sick and never have. Baltimore is nice as its easy, drive up, get on. Bermuda is great as you have a few days there and plenty to do. I didn't mind the small ships in some ways as you could dine when you wanted to and it was relaxing without all the people but we were content to sit in the front of the ship relaxing and watching the waves. Bring tons of medicine and the sea bands if you are worried.

No one gets sick on the new ships. They're way different than how they were 30 years ago.

We've done Bermuda and just went on a Disney ship. It was very up/down for about 1/2 the trip. A few people did get sick and I was uncomfortable till I got used to it. The smaller ship felt more stable.

Fly to Florida to get on cruise.. much better destinations from there

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since we would have to go out of Norfolk or Baltimore, sounds like I'll just have to grin & bear it. My husband probably won't go (no vacation time left), my child is 13, and our usual vacations are jam-packed site-seeing & doing trips. I'm also concerned about being sea sick.

Guess I can do some damage to all-you-can-eat desserts, if I'm not tossing my cookies.

Why not go out of NYC harbor? That's nearly as close as Norfolk but the better ships sail from there.

+1 Looks at cruises out of NYC or Cape Liberty NJ - there are bigger and newer ships at those locations and you can still drive and park pretty easily.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since we would have to go out of Norfolk or Baltimore, sounds like I'll just have to grin & bear it. My husband probably won't go (no vacation time left), my child is 13, and our usual vacations are jam-packed site-seeing & doing trips. I'm also concerned about being sea sick.

Guess I can do some damage to all-you-can-eat desserts, if I'm not tossing my cookies.

With a 13 year old, I'd go to Bermuda. I wouldn't bring a younger child. Its lovely. You can probably rent a moped with a kid that age. I thought I'd get sea sick and never have. Baltimore is nice as its easy, drive up, get on. Bermuda is great as you have a few days there and plenty to do. I didn't mind the small ships in some ways as you could dine when you wanted to and it was relaxing without all the people but we were content to sit in the front of the ship relaxing and watching the waves. Bring tons of medicine and the sea bands if you are worried.

No one gets sick on the new ships. They're way different than how they were 30 years ago.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since we would have to go out of Norfolk or Baltimore, sounds like I'll just have to grin & bear it. My husband probably won't go (no vacation time left), my child is 13, and our usual vacations are jam-packed site-seeing & doing trips. I'm also concerned about being sea sick.

Guess I can do some damage to all-you-can-eat desserts, if I'm not tossing my cookies.

With a 13 year old, I'd go to Bermuda. I wouldn't bring a younger child. Its lovely. You can probably rent a moped with a kid that age. I thought I'd get sea sick and never have. Baltimore is nice as its easy, drive up, get on. Bermuda is great as you have a few days there and plenty to do. I didn't mind the small ships in some ways as you could dine when you wanted to and it was relaxing without all the people but we were content to sit in the front of the ship relaxing and watching the waves. Bring tons of medicine and the sea bands if you are worried.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since we would have to go out of Norfolk or Baltimore, sounds like I'll just have to grin & bear it. My husband probably won't go (no vacation time left), my child is 13, and our usual vacations are jam-packed site-seeing & doing trips. I'm also concerned about being sea sick.

Guess I can do some damage to all-you-can-eat desserts, if I'm not tossing my cookies.

Why not go out of NYC harbor? That's nearly as close as Norfolk but the better ships sail from there.

My parents a couple of hours south of DC. NY wouldn't be a closer option, thanks though.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since we would have to go out of Norfolk or Baltimore, sounds like I'll just have to grin & bear it. My husband probably won't go (no vacation time left), my child is 13, and our usual vacations are jam-packed site-seeing & doing trips. I'm also concerned about being sea sick.

Guess I can do some damage to all-you-can-eat desserts, if I'm not tossing my cookies.

Why not go out of NYC harbor? That's nearly as close as Norfolk but the better ships sail from there.

OP here. Since we would have to go out of Norfolk or Baltimore, sounds like I'll just have to grin & bear it. My husband probably won't go (no vacation time left), my child is 13, and our usual vacations are jam-packed site-seeing & doing trips. I'm also concerned about being sea sick.

Guess I can do some damage to all-you-can-eat desserts, if I'm not tossing my cookies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:don't go out of baltimore. old ships, and more time at sea than at decent ports of call.

did a western med and alaska cruise loved both. have done Caribbean cruises out of tampa and Miami. lots more options if you willing to fly first.

We a did a Bermuda cruis out of b-more with inlaws and family. for the same reason the OP mentioned... it was just OK... If your first cruise is on an older ship with limited ports of calls you will never go on a cruise again. Unless you go in with low expectations.

AGREED! I really only go on newer ships. There's a huge difference. I've probably been on 15 cruises.

+1

The ship that you go on makes a HUGE difference. I've been on 30+ cruises (most of them as part of a family trip- not by preference on my part) and I'm getting to the point where I only want to be on the newer/bigger ships. While any ship will have restaurants/pools/lounges, those tend to get overly crowded on the smaller ship because there is not much else to do. Every night you get a schedule of activities for the next day and, on the smaller ships, even on sea days, the schedule is pretty empty. When they start listing the times that the pool/restaurants *open* on the schedule, you know they are just trying to fill space! But on the bigger ships, they have *much* more going on....so much that you will have multiple things that you want to do throughout the day.

Anonymous wrote:don't go out of baltimore. old ships, and more time at sea than at decent ports of call.

did a western med and alaska cruise loved both. have done Caribbean cruises out of tampa and Miami. lots more options if you willing to fly first.

We a did a Bermuda cruis out of b-more with inlaws and family. for the same reason the OP mentioned... it was just OK... If your first cruise is on an older ship with limited ports of calls you will never go on a cruise again. Unless you go in with low expectations.

AGREED! I really only go on newer ships. There's a huge difference. I've probably been on 15 cruises.