Advice on choosing a ship/cruise

[meggie711]

I'm not new to cruising, but am having trouble deciding on our next cruise. We usually just take advantage of whatever's closest to us and in our budget, so there isn't usually a lot of research involved. However, DH and I are both early 30's, will be going on a cruise next year for our 10 year anniversary, just not sure which one. We would like to have a 7-day, balcony, E. Caribbean, Florida port departure.

While we are curious about the large ships (Oasis, Allure, etc.), the price just isn't what we want it to be. We have looked at Epic and really liked what all she has to offe, but we are hoping to avoid going to Miami (although Miami is still an option). We will be driving, and Port Canaveral is much closer to us. We are looking at Carnival Dream, but keep hearing so much about the crowds, the setup of the ship, and apparently how the ship apparently wasn't built with crowds in mind. Every review I read seems to speak negatively about the large crowds on the Dream and difficulty in getting anywhere.

So.. I wonder.. are there any ships comparable to, say, the Mariner of the Seas? It was a large ship, plenty to do, great shape, and crowds never seemed to be much of an issue. We prefer an E. Caribbean itinerary. Does anybody have advice about ships we should consider (or stay away from)? Or possibly anybody who can share their thoughts on Carnival Dream and the crowding issue? Thanks for your thoughts!

[cruzeluver]

Freedom of the Seas which is almost identical (just a bit larger) to Mariner sails out of Port Canaveral. Have you looked into fares for that ship?

 

I agree with those hat have posted about crowding issues on Carnival. They simply put more passengers on their ships than other lines do with ships of similar sizes.

[meggie711]

Freedom of the Seas which is almost identical (just a bit larger) to Mariner sails out of Port Canaveral. Have you looked into fares for that ship?

 

I agree with those hat have posted about crowding issues on Carnival. They simply put more passengers on their ships than other lines do with ships of similar sizes.

 

We looked at it last night and it only shows dates until April 2013. We are planning to go somewhere between August and October 2013 (I guess it would have helped if I included that in original post). Also the price is still higher than the Dream.. the price is making it a no-brainer right now, but I really wish there were more options.

[beachbum53]

The crowds on any ship can vary, depending on the time of year. Spring Break, summer vacation, and certain holidays (or any "Peak" periods) can be especially crowded. Also, the more amenities a ship has to offer, such as an ice skating rink, rock-climbing wall, flow rider, etc. will attract more people. Have you looked at the Carnival Fantasy, which sails out of Charleston, S.C.? Would this be within a reasonable driving distance for you? It is a slightly smaller ship, but that could be an advantage over one of the slightly larger ships, especially if you're not sailing during a peak period. I think the smaller ships have a slightly more "intimate" feeling to them, but maybe that's just my perception.

[meggie711]

The crowds on any ship can vary, depending on the time of year. Spring Break, summer vacation, and certain holidays (or any "Peak" periods) can be especially crowded. Also, the more amenities a ship has to offer, such as an ice skating rink, rock-climbing wall, flow rider, etc. will attract more people. Have you looked at the Carnival Fantasy, which sails out of Charleston, S.C.? Would this be within a reasonable driving distance for you? It is a slightly smaller ship, but that could be an advantage over one of the slightly larger ships, especially if you're not sailing during a peak period. I think the smaller ships have a slightly more "intimate" feeling to them, but maybe that's just my perception.

 

It looks like a 5.5 - 6 hour drive, where Miami is right at 7 hours for us. I think for the drive, I would probably rather just go to Miami so that we can stick with the better itineraries. I'm thinking I've answered my own question... for the money, itinerary, and ship, we need to just go with the Dream. I say that like it's a bad thing.. it's not at all. I just have those concerns with crowding. I understand peak seasons can be more crowded. I've just heard a lot about this ship being bottlenecked no matter the time of year (Aug - Oct 2013 is what we are looking at). I appreciate everybody's input. :)

[05mak05]

It looks like a 5.5 - 6 hour drive, where Miami is right at 7 hours for us. I think for the drive, I would probably rather just go to Miami so that we can stick with the better itineraries. I'm thinking I've answered my own question... for the money, itinerary, and ship, we need to just go with the Dream. I say that like it's a bad thing.. it's not at all. I just have those concerns with crowding. I understand peak seasons can be more crowded. I've just heard a lot about this ship being bottlenecked no matter the time of year (Aug - Oct 2013 is what we are looking at). I appreciate everybody's input. :)

We're in the same situation trying to find a cruise out of Florida for May 2013. We had heard rumors that the RCI Jewel would be homeported year round out of Tampa, but that is not to be. For our family get together for May 2012, we're on the Carnival Legend as we had no other choice.

[olemissreb]

I'm not new to cruising, but am having trouble deciding on our next cruise. We usually just take advantage of whatever's closest to us and in our budget, so there isn't usually a lot of research involved. However, DH and I are both early 30's, will be going on a cruise next year for our 10 year anniversary, just not sure which one. We would like to have a 7-day, balcony, E. Caribbean, Florida port departure.

While we are curious about the large ships (Oasis, Allure, etc.), the price just isn't what we want it to be. We have looked at Epic and really liked what all she has to offe, but we are hoping to avoid going to Miami (although Miami is still an option). We will be driving, and Port Canaveral is much closer to us. We are looking at Carnival Dream, but keep hearing so much about the crowds, the setup of the ship, and apparently how the ship apparently wasn't built with crowds in mind. Every review I read seems to speak negatively about the large crowds on the Dream and difficulty in getting anywhere.

So.. I wonder.. are there any ships comparable to, say, the Mariner of the Seas? It was a large ship, plenty to do, great shape, and crowds never seemed to be much of an issue. We prefer an E. Caribbean itinerary. Does anybody have advice about ships we should consider (or stay away from)? Or possibly anybody who can share their thoughts on Carnival Dream and the crowding issue? Thanks for your thoughts!

 

If you are interested in the RCI/Celebrity ships, why don't you just wait until the 2013 itineraries are posted. According to this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1569740 the Caribbean itineraries were supposed to be released this week - at least for Celebrity anyway. At least this way you wouldn't feel like you are "settling" (don't mean that in a negative way toward NCL or Carnival or anybody) but that you are making a truly informed decision.

[Jimnbigd]

I also recommend the Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral. If you get a full suite or larger (larger than a Junior Suite), you'll have access to the concierge lounge for free drinks each night, plus the luxury of a suite. RCI should announce the schedule by the end of this month (April).

[cb at sea]

RCI ships generally have a better "flow" than Carnival's ships....more public space for the passengers to "spread out"....however, Carnival's standard cabins are larger than RCIs, so there's a trade off!