Caribbean cruise questions!

[salbags]

Hi

 

We are looking at a 7 night cruise on Spirit with round trip St Thomas to St Thomas and would like some help deciding.

 

1. Flying from UK, which is best connection base in US as would like to tag on another week somewhere else but with easy access, so Miami would be good, but is there somewhere else that would have better connection times to bring travel time down. Seabourn economy coming in at £900 or so which seems over the top as can get to Miami for £550.

2. Despite being a bad sailor and having done 1 cruise on Quest in the Med with one day feeling a bit queasy, are the seas going to be choppy in JAN/FEB as I've heard it can be quite windy then.

3. Will the Spirit feel small to us after the Quest and could it feel a bit of let down with less restaurants ( we loved the speciality restaurant on Quest) facilities and only juliette balcony's compared to the full ones on Quest. Also can you keep baclcony doors open all night.

4. Prices not really discounted at moment for that time of year, should we wait and see if they go down.

5. Is the Pride a better ship than Spirit as there is a 7 day option there but with slightly different ports.

 

Many thanks in anticipation of your replies

[Mr Luxury]

Reading your post I get the feeling that you do not want to spend your money or go on the smaller ship which I think you might not like.

Hold onto your money and look at another trip on one of the larger ships when you find one that suits.

[salbags]

Not a question of being mean with money. Just want the right cruise for us and don't want to book it and then find it discounted a few weeks later.

[PremiumSuite]

Not a question of being mean with money. Just want the right cruise for us and don't want to book it and then find it discounted a few weeks later.

 

salbags, the Spirit doesn't sail out of St-thomas roundtrip but rather either Barbados or Phillipsburg (St-Maarten), are you sure it's not the Legend?

Also the Pride is going to Asia this year. Is this cruise for next year and if so on which ship?

As to the Pride or the Spirit g=feeling much smaller than the Quest...absolutely! It's not the same feel at all on the little sisters compared to the Quest. The Romeo and Juliette balcony doors can remain open if yu wish all night as they are sllidding doors....just be careful a little critter such as a BAT doesn't make a new home for itself in your Suite.

[Mr Luxury]

don't want to book it and then find it discounted a few weeks later.

 

Yes indeed. :rolleyes:

 

Once you have booked the cruise you and your TA can keep an eye on the price and if it goes down, Seabourn will honour the lower price.

 

Let us have the sail dates and the ship then you might get more advice.

[CraftyEC]

Yes indeed. :rolleyes:

 

Once you have booked the cruise you and your TA can keep an eye on the price and if it goes down, Seabourn will honour the lower price.

 

Let us have the sail dates and the ship then you might get more advice.

I didn't think that worked over here! Good to know it does, I will pay more attention to prices for forthcoming cruises.

[Bostonactor]

Mr Luxury,

Seabourn will honor the new price if it is BEFORE you have made your final payment, 3 months out.

[Emperor Norton]

Pride v Spirit shouldn't matter. Lack of a full balcony in the Caribbean may. However I'd just post up at the Skybar. Better view than the balcony, shade from Sun damage and easy access to those addictive special nuts.

[PremiumSuite]

Pride v Spirit shouldn't matter. Lack of a full balcony in the Caribbean may. However I'd just post up at the Skybar. Better view than the balcony, shade from Sun damage and easy access to those addictive special nuts.

 

Yes but they want the Romeo and Juliette balcony doors open all night!:eek:

[Emperor Norton]

Yes but they want the Romeo and Juliette balcony doors open all night!:eek:

 

There's a special place in hell for that. I think it's called Carnival or was it RCCI?

[kiltie]

Yes indeed. :rolleyes:

 

Once you have booked the cruise you and your TA can keep an eye on the price and if it goes down, Seabourn will honour the lower price.

 

Let us have the sail dates and the ship then you might get more advice.

 

Like CraftyEC I didn't think we had that option in the UK? Has it worked for you?:confused:

[PremiumSuite]

There's a special place in hell for that. I think it's called Carnival or was it RCCI?

 

 

...or was it Costa?

[JaneBP]

I have often kept open the Juliette balcony doors all night.

[PremiumSuite]

I have often kept open the Juliette balcony doors all night.

 

Did you have any little critters visit you in the night sometimes?

[Mr Luxury]

Mr Luxury,

Seabourn will honor the new price if it is BEFORE you have made your final payment, 3 months out.

 

Yes indeed.

[Mr Luxury]

Like CraftyEC I didn't think we had that option in the UK? Has it worked for you?:confused:

 

Yes,but with an agent that books a lot of Seabourn.

You might have to force the point home a bit.

[JaneBP]

Did you have any little critters visit you in the night sometimes?

 

Never. The only time I kept everything closed up and covered was in the Amazon or some such where the critters were huge and annoying. And I do not mean the Room Service Tram.

[PremiumSuite]

Never. The only time I kept everything closed up and covered was in the Amazon or some such where the critters were huge and annoying. And I do not mean the Room Service Tram.

 

I could imagine closing everything while in the Amazon heading to Manaus. I remember they had bugs bigger than my small poodles!

[PaulaJK]

If I have correctly understood your air fare issues, don;t forget that you

must then fly Miami to St. Thomas which adds to the 550. If you are thinking about lingering longer, you could also look into San Juan Puerto Rico which has air connections to St Thomas.

[salbags]

Many thanks to all your replies. Still contemplating:confused:

[kiltie]

Yes,but with an agent that books a lot of Seabourn.

You might have to force the point home a bit.

 

Thanks Mr Luxury - will ask about that next time we book!

[stamfordian]

I remember they had bugs bigger than my small poodles!

 

Welcome back ST!

[TigrTony]

I can't comment on the difference between The Quest and it's smaller sisters, having been on neither. I'm scheduled to sail on the Quest from Venice to Athens in October. I do have a suggestion for you if you plan to overnight in St. Thomas. The Marriott Morningstar and Fishermans Reef is a great choice with rooms right on a fantastic beach! The other post recommended flying into Puerto Rico which would be great if you can. From their you could have a great and inexpensive adventure and take the float plane over to Charlotte Armalie, pretty much right where the ships dock. St. Thomas itself could hardly be a better base to explore bothe the US and BVI. You can get ferries from Red Hook harbor to most if not all of them. Finally, you can have a great few nights either end of the cruise at an all inclusive resort close to Red Hook called Bolongo Bay.

 

It will be awesome no matter what you do.

Tony