You decide - Which cruise would YOU do?

[crusinmama06]

I keep going back and forth with myself. So which one would YOU do for your family?

 

 

Choice #1 - Adventure of the Seas

7 Nights

San Juan, Puerto Rico - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands - Basseterre, St Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis - At Sea - Oranjestad, Aruba - Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles - At Sea - San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

*This one requires airfare and would be more money

--more travel time, driving 2.5 hours to airport, then 3.5 hour flight

--2 days pre-cruise in a hotel

 

Choice #2 - Enchantment of the Seas

9 Nights

Baltimore, Maryland - At Sea - At Sea - San Juan, Puerto Rico - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands - Santa Barbara de Samana, Dominican Republic - Labadee, Haiti - At Sea - At Sea - Baltimore, Maryland

 

*No flights and we could drive to the port and no pre-cruise hotel needed....(2.5 hours away)

 

 

 

Adventure has the ice skating rink. Enchantment has the bungee trampoline.

 

With Enchantment, I am giving up a newer ship but with Adventure, I don't know how relaxed I would be after all of that travel time? What do you all think?

[Mom2B&Z]

It would depend on how much the kids like being at sea, since choice #2 has quite a bit of time at sea. The downside to that one is I wouldn't go to Haiti right now with the cholera outbreak, but that's just me. You could always stay on the ship, knowing that it's a risk.

That being said, the ice rink wouldn't thrill us (we're already at the rink 3 days a week - hey, we're Canadian ;)) and I don't let them use trampolines so that's a wash for me.

[SingleFatherofDD]

Prior, to getting into practice at the hospital I work at I would always love the longer cruises. Now I can usually get away only for about 7 or 8 days. I know for sure my DD would love to be at sea all of those days. She would have plenty of time at the kids club and also in the pool.

 

The real question is how do you like long cruises compared to short cruises. Also will your DDs get bored when they are on the ship for that long of time without getting off at ports. I know every family is different. Either cruise would be good for me because they stop at my favorite port of St. Thomas.

[rolloman]

I did the Adventure out of San Juan, actually the same cruise you describe, and to this day it was one of the best cruises I have ever been on. Aruba is with out a doubt my favorite port. I also have been on Enchantment 3 times. If you fly to Puerto Rico let me know if you need any help... my wife and family are from there and of course I have been there several times.....

[crusinmama06]

To answer the above questions - my kids LOVE sea days. And the longer the cruise, the better. If my kids could be on a 30 day cruise, they would. ;) The first "wooohoo" that my 10 year old said when looking at these was Enchantment's 4 sea days. :D

 

But I love the discussion I have with you all. I ask my husband and he says "Hey, whatever you want. You tell me and I'll be there" :cool:

 

Yeahhhh thanks honey. So that's why I come here...to discuss. :D I know what the kids want but sometimes I like having adult opinions...lol. And since I seem to be the only adult around here, I need you folks. :p

[cb at sea]

When are You leaving? I would NEVER leave from Baltimore in the fall/winter...I want HOT weather from the get-go.

 

 

If it's a summer cruise, Baltimore involves no airfare (for me!)...

 

If it's cooler, then I'd opt to sail from a HOT weather port....that's the reason I cruise anyway...summertime weather!

[rolloman]

Well, it is a tough decision. IMO the Adventure is far the better ship with the better itinerary. The Enchantment is not a bad ship by any means, think of Voyager class as an 8.5 and Enchantment as a 7 on a scale of 10. I would think the amount of money saved by doing Enchantment would allow for another near future cruise....

[sandytoes03]

I tend to agree with CB. Driving would be highly appealing for me, but I wouldn't want to leave from Baltimore in the late fall/winter. I would do Southern Carib. Gorgeous POC and AOS is really fantastic. Maybe my favorite ship so far!

[SingleFatherofDD]

I can tell you for sure I am don't act like an adult when it comes to cruises. For me anytime that I can get on a ship is like a kid going into a candy store. Ever since I was around 10 years old I would always try to make my parents have another cruise planned before we got off the cruise we were on. It is something that I have always looked forward to. Now as I get older and my parents don't travel with me I do the same thing. I have another cruise planned before I leave on my present one.

 

Right now I am the type of person who would love to stay on ship and just sit back and relax. However, with an active 5 year old DD it is completely different. When ever we go to a warm weather place she asks if there is a beach near by. I don't mind going to the beach but it isn't like being on a ship in port when everyone is off and you have the whole ship to yourself.

 

Still I like cruises that have more sea days than port days. You get to enjoy the ship more and also you have more time relaxing. I love the time I spend with DD when she is in between sessions at the kids club. We eat Lunch together and then we swim together. It is a bonding time.

[Essiesmom]

I can't tell you what cruise to take, but I can offer some advice if you choose to sail from San Juan. If you sail from Baltimore, on the last day, you just walk off the ship to your car. In San Juan...the airport is a madhouse. I was there with only one ship in port. And not a huge on, either. You collect your luggagte, get to the airport, then have to take your luggage to the Dept. of Agriculture scanners for scanning before you can go check in with your airline. And even if you have done online checkin onboard, you will still have to stand in long lines to check your bags. There is no curbside baggage check. So, if you do decide on AOS, schedule your flights out for late afternoon and book a tour in San Juan. Then when you get to the airport early afternoon, the lines will be gone. EM

[Gatrcruzer]

Hi crusinmama! While the southern itinerary sounds fabulous, and a newer ship is nice, given that you are traveling with (I think?) young kids (can't remember how many or their ages) I'd personally choose the Enchantment. It's just so much less stressful to be able to drive to the port, not to mention the cost and aggravation of flying, particularly when it entails such a long drive, the heinousness of security these days, and the possibility of delays/cancellations, which are more likely in the cold months. Yes, it's colder those first couple of days, but RCI has so many fun things going on that it shouldn't be a big problem. If it was just you and your husband I'd consider doing the southern route, but with the whole family I think I'd go for convenience.

 

As any FYI, Labadee looks beautiful - we were just there, and did not get off the ship only because we were sick (migraine for me and a bad respiratory infection for my husband), but otherwise we would have gotten off. RCI is monitoring the situation and won't stop there if it is problematic. Let's face it, ports are always just where you hope to wind up. Bad weather, natural disasters, or political instability can all get in the way of going where you hope to go.

 

And I'm with you and your girls - I LOVE sea days! Whichever cruise you choose, hope you have a wonderful time.

[SusieV]

2 days longer for less money and no flights? Yeah, this would be an easy choice for me but I don't care about the ports in the Caribbean- BTDT.

 

I don't know how much the amenities of the ship factor into your decision. For me, as long as there are specialty restaurants and a casino with a poker table (props if it's a live table and not an electronic one), I'm happy. My son is too little right now to have an opinion so we do what Mommy and Daddy want :) I guess when he's older we'll have to consider switching to RCCL from X but for now, no worries.

[VikkiGarcia]

My family loves sea days. We sailed from LA to Hawaii with 5 sea days each way. My kids complained about the 4 days at port. We find it so much more relaxing. I do not feel so compelled to do every activity the ship offers daily. The kids have more time in the kids club to make closer friends. My kids have done many 14 day cruises and have never complained once about the lenghth.

[Julienatul]

Do the second one, more cruise time, less hassle! The older ships still have plenty to offer. I dont think you will miss the ice skating rink and it saves you money !!!

[boulders]

Another vote for Enchantment. The lack of the flight would make my decision. I've been on Adventure, from San Juan. The flight from MSP was long and expensive. Getting back into SJU was a madhouse as a pp said. We did the express checkin, but I've heard that they've stopped that. The lines to checkin with the airlines were unreal. Once through security, there was almost nothing to do. Our flight was not until 5 p.m. There were hardly any seats in the airport, many people were sitting on the ground and there was just one very small fast food place for food.

 

We're leaving on Explorer of the Seas in 21 days. Woo Hoo!. I'm so looking forward to driving to port, even though it's a 8 hour drive for us.

[MamaParrotHead]

If given a choice, I'd always go for the longer cruise. LOL Plus I dig the sea days, as do the kids. Labadee is RCI's private island, right? Love beach days (plus that's less spending money to tote around since you can use your ship account there, like Carnival's HMC, right?). Unsure of the excursion possibilities anywhere other than Labadee, St. Thomas and Puerto Rico...but those have plenty to offer for kids.

[seashell36]

Add another vote for the Enchantment from me. My whole family loves the sea days. My kids would vote for the bungee trampoline over the ice rink. We get our fair share of skating - but bungee trampolines are a rare item around here.

 

Michelle - your DH sounds like my DH - "you plan the cruise and I'll be there" were his words when I started planning our anniversary cruise.

[crzgrl66]

Michele how lucky to have a port driving distance for you. I would choose not to fly any time. (unfortunately there isn't much out of San Francisco) And what a bonus, 2 extra days on the ship!!! I would vote go out of Baltimore.

[Dengail]

I would go for the longer, more exotic ports. I also LOVE the Voyager class ships...best cruise we've EVER done. I figure, the longer the better and if you're spending the time getting ready for a cruise, might as well make it as long as possible. St. Kitts would be amazing!

[Ula]

Just MHO the less travel time to the port the more fun the cruise is. Since your children like sea days I would go with that.

We just got off the very young child cruise. Very few teens and a ton of tots. Never laughed so much on a cruise. Those young ones are funny. I think the only two that did not have fun were the two boys whose mom and dad had a giant fight right on the pool deck. That was a first for us.

The funnies were the dad in the Tux coaxing his kids out of the pool. And the mom telling her son on the pool deck they needed to go get changed and he stripped right there. Moon over Mexico.

[topspot]

I say if you do Enchantment, see what the airfare would be to PR, and put that $$$ that you would save into your cruise fund for your next one.:rolleyes:

Always be prepared (for your next cruise of course!)

[crusinmama06]

I say if you do Enchantment, see what the airfare would be to PR, and put that $$$ that you would save into your cruise fund for your next one.:rolleyes:

Always be prepared (for your next cruise of course!)

 

Flights are running $280 - $574pp to San Juan.

 

And of course I already have my next cruise planned. ;) I am ready to hit the reservation button the second RCI releases Liberty of the Seas bookings for Cape Liberty for 2012. :D:D:D

 

Somewhere in there I have to put the kids on NCL Epic, RCI Oasis or Allure. ;)

[Wilda]

How about a 3rd option; cruising on Explorer out of NJ. That will get you a 9-nighter (depending on when you are going), you can still drive, and you will have plenty of sea days.

 

I personally don't care for the itinerary out of SJ. Way too many port days, too busy. We prefer the sea days and since our 10 yearl old GS is a huge AO fan it works well for us!

 

I have my finger on the 'purchase' key for the Liberty out of NJ as well:)

We are doing EOS next Friday; will let you know how it was departing from a cold weather port in Dec:p

[ckekjhaze]

another vote for leaving from Baltimore- and a thank you- you reminded me that Baltimore is drivable for us so I'm having fun planning a trip with our girls :)

 

Kathy

[hucifer]

2 days longer for less money and no flights? Yeah, this would be an easy choice for me but I don't care about the ports in the Caribbean- BTDT.

MTE. Plus the bonus of no body scanners or patdowns. Sign me up!

 

Enchantment all the way -- no question.