Mitsugirly needs help picking a cruise!

[Beeslilmama]

Hello fellow Carnival Cruisers!

 

5) Splendor - 7 days from Miami to Dominica (8-4) St Thomas (11-7) San Juan (7:30-3:30) Grand Turk (11-5:30) (Love St Thomas and GT of course. We have never been to DR or SJ. Ship doesn't have the extras like Guys/Iguana but does have a kids water park that I know the munchkin would love)

 

6) Breeze - 8 day from Miami to Grand Turk (8-4) San Juan (1-8) St Kitts (10-8) St Maarten (8-5) (Love GT and St Maarten. Two new ports we have never been to. The hours in port seem pretty good and this is the ship of all ships that I have been wanting to go on. It's also an 8 day cruise)

 

[/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color]

 

Hope you pick one of these because I love your reviews and these are two I am thinking about as well.

[mitsugirly]

I'd go on 6 or 7 for the extra cruise day 😜

 

Were booked on the Conquest March 19th and r running into the same thing with flights......Round trip Non-Stop for 3 of us out of LAX To Ft Laud is running $1,700 currently for 3.....I keep checking each day and it hasn't changed

 

SW was even higher with No direct flights 🙈🙈

 

I'm going to keep checking and hope after Xmas it goes down a little but keep hearing because were cruising in (March) and it's Spring Break it might even go up instead of down 😳😖😖

 

Love reading your reviews on Carnival and NCL 😃😃

 

Good luck to you. I'm going to have to pull out every option for this one it looks like. :eek: Isn't it terrible when you almost have to book your flight before booking a cruise just to make sure you can go? :p

 

Thanks for the comments on the reviews. I appreciate it.

 

For flights to Port Canavral look into Datona Beach and Melborn Airports.

 

I will have to check other airlines. I know that SW doesn't go there and a few others that were mentioned on here doesn't either.

[mitsugirly]

My vote - especially with your child is Sunshine, hands down! My son LIVED in sports square and at the water park when we were aboard. Plus it has the guys and Iguana you love. And Jiji's is just a MUST - quite good - even the boys loved it. Laslty, the "southern" cruises are rarer to find, and when one works in your schedule, snap it up. As you know, GT is a great place for snorkeling. Aruba has been one of my most favorite ports by far - the people are wonderful and we were able to do an island tour/norht (?) shore excursion in the off-road trucks. We not only got to see the island (it makes stops at the highlights before headed to the rough coast) but the kids had a blast bouncing all around as we drove by the rocky sea. And when we were back, we still had time to walk the market (colorful and beautiful) and grab a bite at a local restaurant. One of my best cruise days, ever - and THAT's saying something! Curacao is also has some spectacular scenery and tons to do.

 

Good luck picking - you won't go wrong with any of them!

 

It does sound like a wonderful option going to Southern and I have always said I want to do a southern cruise. I'm just not 100% sure I want to do it on the Sunshine. I was looking at some alternatives and did find that the Magic will be moving to FL and the Sunshine will also have some FL cruises. It might be easier for me to wait until they move them to FL to cruise them. But I'd have to look at the dates to see if they would both work at a different time. Ahhh, decisions are so hard. :o

 

Hi Kim,

 

A little late to the party but throwing in my two cents a a few items,

 

I took the tri-rail in reverse(Mia-palm beach) after a cruise with my sister, and we had 4-5 pieces of luggage between us, plus handbags...it was fairly doable. We took a cab from the port to the stop for the tri-rail, had to go up some escalators/elevators but found it easily enough. There are a few steps to get on the train if I recall, so that was a bit of a pain, but after that, there was a place to put luggage. I think it was supposed to be a 90 minute ride( this was three years ago, so forgive me if things changed) and it did stop in FLL and several other towns along the way. We were staying at the embassy suites west palm, and they had a shuttle that picked us up from the station on that end. I do think there is a shuttle that takes you to the airport as well. If you guys managed the Newark Airtrain crowd, I think you all would be fine on this.

 

Flights- have you checked prices from CAK? I don't know how far you are from there, but they used to have a lot of cheap AirTran flights when I lived there. Definitely a budget airline, but it doesn't charge for carryon or seat assignments like spirit. Then again, you can check those prices too....very cheap but you have the above cost.

 

As for cruise...I'm going to say the Breeze only bc that's a ship I want to do too lol. It does seem like a good port to ship activity combo, and I've rarely read a bad review on it.

 

Stacey

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Thanks for your experience on the tri-rail. I think we could manage it, but will have to see if it will tie in with our plans once we figure that out if we pick a Florida cruise.

 

I checked CAK.WAY more expensive. :(

[funinthesun1964]

Hi there, girly!

I voted for the Breeze, because you said it was the ship that you have been wanting to go on (I have never been - yet). But the ports are great, and I know you would have a great time. The 8 day cruises are nice.

 

Second place = Sunshine, for Aruba and Curacao. Going on the Conquest in February to these two islands. I've been waiting for a few years, so finally going to go and see!

 

Enjoy whichever you choose! Have fun!

[mitsugirly]

Hands down, the BREEZE!!!:D

Sakari will LOVE the Waterworks area, ropes course, 3D Theater, etc.

The ship is just GORGEOUS and the itinerary looks SWEET!!!

 

Can't wait to hear what you decide.

 

We've been on the Breeze twice and she is our favorite ship.

Bummed that she is moving to Galveston, but we are going on the Magic in July, and she is getting all of the great 2.0 upgrades too.

 

Hope the airfare works out for you.

 

Keep us posted..

 

I know that Sakari would love the Waterworks and ropes course. I would love that as well...including the 3D theater! :D

 

Another reason I think I "might" try Breeze is because of her moving to Galveston. I'm just not sure about that port and the things I constantly read about it. It makes me nervous for various reasons. So maybe sail the Breeze this time and then when they switch ports and bring the Magic to FL, sail that one? LOL I'm just thinking out loud at the moment. :p

 

You would love the Conquest. You like the smaller ships and I think would really appreciate the Conquest and it's beach heavy itinerary!

 

If only they made a smaller ship, less people, with the waterworks and ropes course on it. It would be perfect. Although it would seem as if the Sunshine fits that bill, it falls short on the "less people" category. LOL

 

I think I'm going to go compare the "space" versus the "amount of people" on the Sunshine compared to one of the many NCL ships I have been on that are small. I know what it's like to be on a smaller ship and enjoy them, but want to see if the amount of people are anywhere close to what I have experienced so far.

[mitsugirly]

Also, if you get a cruise with San Juan, definitely hit Toro Verde if you can. They have an awesome zip line course through the rainforest including the final one called the Beast, where you hang on your belly like superman and zip for 1000 ft.

 

Which brings me to add, have you checked out the southern Caribbean itinerary out of San Juan?? I think the ship is the Liberty, has 2.0 upgrades(I went on Valor) and airfare to SJU isn't that bad, can be similar to Florida. It's a port intensive itinerary but it hits Barbados(lots of sea turtles and great beach) and St Lucia, which is beautiful, plus at Maarten, Thomas and Kitts. If you haven't checked it out, do- it's a great cruise, and San Juan is great for a pre/post cruise day or two.

 

Stacey

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yea, someone else mentioned the zip lining and I looked it up :eek:

 

I tried looking up a cruise out of San Juan last night and there wasn't one listed for the week I'm looking for. :(

 

We were on the Sunshine in the Med (2013). I did not find it overly-crowded, and I loved the public spaces (especially the Havana Bar area and the Serenity). Spring break will certainly bring more families with children, but that shouldn't affect how crowded the ship will be. I pretty sure it was almost at capacity when we were in the Med.

 

Thanks for the info. Glad you didn't find it too crowded. *noted*

[mitsugirly]

Hello and hello to family, #7 is our vote for sure ... lol :) as you can see we already booked that one ... Check out the sunshine , activities and the water park for sure for Sakari ...

We are looking for beach excursions for all 3 places , There is alot of choices for Curacao and Aruba, (isn't funny how Curacao is pronounced ) ??

If you take number 7, we will see you guys on board , Jeff and Cyndee

 

 

Edit -- missed the date ....

Hi Griz-Jeff. How have you been? Awesome that you have the Sunshine booked. Will you guys be on Spring Break again this time around? Ours must be falling at a different time this next year.

 

Curacao is a funny name. I remember the first time I heard it pronounced on t.v., I was like what?!? Who came up with that?? LOL

 

The waterpark does look awesome. I'm going to compare the Sunshine vs Breeze vs Magic and see what the difference is.

 

I voted Breeze since it has all the extras you like plus lots of entertainment on ship for daughter. Plus it's out of Texas so easier for you and has a couple of new ports for you.

 

Magic is due to get Guys and Cantina and Alchemy etc during drydock. Would your dates be before or after drydock?

 

I just want to say I love your reviews and you are always so helpful. They have helped us many times decide what to do. Thank you!!!!

 

I'm sure you will be happy with whatever you decide. Just please do a review afterward.😀

 

Can I ask why you say out of Texas is easier? Just due to the flights available or another reason? Just wondering.

 

I'm really super glad to hear that Magic is getting the upgrades. That's definitely an added plus in my book.

 

Thank you so much for your kind words about the help/reviews. I really appreciate it. I try to give back to the community what they do for me. If it wasn't for this place, I'm not sure what I would be doing in each port. LOL

 

You betcha there will be a review for sure! :D

[mitsugirly]

You have to have Guys Burgers....it's a given! Good luck with whatever you choose.

Mary

 

Absolutely. I know on my last cruise (NCL) I was really missing Guys. :p Although it's not a deal breaker, it sure is an added plus to have it.

 

I voted for the Sunshine - 8 days and 3 amazing ports.

 

Orlando (MCO) is probably your best bet for flights opening up or a sale for the way home.

 

Have you thought about doing a 1 way rental car home? It would be a long drive but could be a cheaper option (The Mousesavers website has a great Hertz rate and works very well for one way rentals).

 

I will keep checking Orlando. Thanks for the info.

 

No no and no on renting a car and driving home. Absolutely not. LOL :p My driving far distances are behind me. The last several times we drove, I have gotten anxiety if anyone else drives and I also get to the point (even if I drive) that when we stop for rest breaks, I get real shaky and dizzy. It's just not for me anymore. Plus it always takes 2 days and it's just not worth it to me. :( I would drive for a few hours (like from place to place within Florida, but that's pretty much my extent). :p

[griz400]

Hi Griz-Jeff. How have you been? Awesome that you have the Sunshine booked. Will you guys be on Spring Break again this time around? Ours must be falling at a different time this next year.

 

Curacao is a funny name. I remember the first time I heard it pronounced on t.v., I was like what?!? Who came up with that?? LOL

 

The waterpark does look awesome. I'm going to compare the Sunshine vs Breeze vs Magic and see what the difference is.

 

 

 

Can I ask why you say out of Texas is easier? Just due to the flights available or another reason? Just wondering.

 

I'm really super glad to hear that Magic is getting the upgrades. That's definitely an added plus in my book.

 

Thank you so much for your kind words about the help/reviews. I really appreciate it. I try to give back to the community what they do for me. If it wasn't for this place, I'm not sure what I would be doing in each port. LOL

 

You betcha there will be a review for sure! :D

 

 

 

 

April 8th on the Sunshine, and we booked the Victory at Canaveral for a Halloween cruise on the 30th.... at 419.00 pp interior, Verandah deck, we could hardly pass it up

[mitsugirly]

I voted for Sunshine to Aruba, Curacao, GT. I know absolutely nothing about the boat but have been to both Aruba and Curacao. Lovely places and I would like to return to both.

 

I think these two places (A&C) are just like Bermuda. Everyone loves them and there's not many that have a bad thing to say about them. I definitely want to go for sure, whether now or later, I will make it there. (I just wish this cruise had Bonaire in it as well).

 

I would selfishly vote for the Glory, because 1) I love your reviews! and 2) I am taking my daughter on the Glory in May and would love to read your review before I go.

 

Have a wonderful trip!:)

 

Well that's good enough then. :D

[mitsugirly]

Daytona is DAB and Melbourne is MLB. Both are close to Port Canaveral. Don't know if flights from your area fly into them. One way car rental would be fairly inexpensive.

 

I'm taking notes. Driving from there is doable for us. :p

 

It is Liberty that cruises currently out of San Juan on that itinerary but in mid March it will be relocating from San Juan. I had originally booked that trip and it was to leave on March 13 out of San Juan but there currently isn't a replacement cruise in that time frame as the ship is mid relocation.

 

Southern Caribbean 12nts

 

Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Lines

 

Ship: Carnival Liberty

 

Date: 06 March 2016

 

Duration: 12 nights

 

Ports of call: San Juan | St Thomas, US Virgin Isles | Bridgetown | Scarborough | Grenada, Windward Islands,Grenadines | Oranjestad, Aruba | Grand Cayman | Galveston

 

 

Yea, that's what I was told (that it was Liberty that was there) and I couldn't find ANYTHING listed for our dates. Now I know why. :)

[mitsugirly]

Hope you pick one of these because I love your reviews and these are two I am thinking about as well.

 

:D Thanks.

 

Hi there, girly!

I voted for the Breeze, because you said it was the ship that you have been wanting to go on (I have never been - yet). But the ports are great, and I know you would have a great time. The 8 day cruises are nice.

 

Second place = Sunshine, for Aruba and Curacao. Going on the Conquest in February to these two islands. I've been waiting for a few years, so finally going to go and see!

 

Enjoy whichever you choose! Have fun!

 

I think you are close to my thoughts as well. I have always wanted to sail on Breeze and Magic (after sailing on the Dream). Once they redid the Sunshine, I added that to my list as well.

[mitsugirly]

April 8th on the Sunshine, and we booked the Victory at Canaveral for a Halloween cruise on the 30th.... at 419.00 pp interior, Verandah deck, we could hardly pass it up

 

I have always wanted to do a Halloween cruise. I think it would be so neat and to be able to dress up would be awesome! I would consider it next year, but I think we already have a cruise picked out (going back and forth between 2 different ships and 2 different months-Oct & Nov) for next year. Maybe the following year we'll give it a try. :D

[AngAndBoys]

To clear a couple things up regarding sailing out of Galveston: You fly into Houston. There are 2 airports here. If you are flying Southwest, they only use Hobby (HOU), which is good for you because it is closer to port. Maybe 45 minutes. The other is IAH and it's maybe an hour and 15 minutes away.

 

Don't know if it will matter, but Spring Break around here tends to be earlier in March. My kids are out week of March 12, and believe me, that is reflected in cruise prices out of Galveston that week. I imagine Florida's Spring Break season goes on longer since it gets more of a northern crowd, so you might see better prices on cruise, hotel, and flights coming from here.

 

The stupid tax. First, let me apologize for the greed of my state. It is quite an embarrassment to me. That being said, it is on an honor system. You have to voluntarily go to the booth to pay. If your cigs and booze are in your bag and you don't go to the booth, they won't check. There is one person standing in the crowd trying to direct people over there. Almost nobody goes.

 

The port and staggered arrival times. Oh boy. I haven't experienced that yet so can't comment. Watching the threads about it, the solution seems to be to get there after 11:30. Seems like it bottlenecks earlier. Also, it does not appear to be well organized at the moment. I am hoping it gets better as they work out the kinks.

 

Fog. Goodness. I've only been caught in it once. Didn't get off the ship til after 12. I did not cry. They planned activities for us and opened the casino. It was bonus vacation!!!

 

People in Texas are super friendly and you might enjoy the experience of a different kind of crowd. Witness 10 gallon hats and starched Wranglers in the dining room. Pig roping on Lido! Haha, :/...about the pigs, not the hats. Galveston is a destination in and of itself with lots of attractions. I cannot, however, recommend the beaches, especially to someone who is used to Fla and Caribean. The water is pretty brown and not very clear. It has to with the Mississippi River churning up the sand in the gulf. Also lots of seaweed and jellyfish.

 

Anyhow, I didn't want you to write off Galveston because of some bad reviews. I swore to never go out of New Orleans again after the first time it took more than 2 hours to get through the check in line. I finally did when Triumph was being fixed and I wanted a quick getaway. Second time, breezed through that port in 15 minutes. So, who knows?

Edited December 8, 2015 by AngAndBoys

[marshalltp]

 

Not bad. I will definitely have to keep this in mind when looking for a cruise to either of these places. I like adding options. :p

 

Great to know that they have a luggage area. That makes it a lot nicer and puts my mind at ease.

 

So this rail would be good for any WPB, FLL or Miami area cruises right? There isn't one that services Port Canveral is there? :o

 

 

 

We are booked the week after you on the Breeze. Detroit airfare has been crazy. We are flying Columbus to Miami on Delta.....our friends also from Michigan are flying out of Toronto to West Palm and taking TriRail.

[winddawn]

You know you want the Breeze. Go for it!

 

I have been on the Magic - great ship. But to/from Galveston to the airports is a PIA. Galveston is also notoriously known for fog and March is still one of the "foggy months". (I will be taking the Liberty Repo in March which ends in Galveston - but that is at cruise end - not cruise beginning which I would go crazy with worry over).

 

I like Conquest class ships (Conquest, Glory & Freedom) for the size, but I am not so sure you will. This class has a "stadium like" Lido deck and decks 3&4 have the galley between the forward and aft dining rooms so you can't go from the front to the back of the ship on these decks. They also don't have Waterworks.

 

The Sunshine is going to Aruba. I love Aruba. But only 3 ports with 4 sea days. A lot to do on the ship for 4 sea days - but she is going to be very crowded for spring break and she has a lousy space/passenger ratio.

 

That leaves the Splendor for 7 days OR the Breeze for 8. If the price isn't much of a difference, go for the Breeze. You know you want to.

I agree with ferfoodle. I just got back from Magic and Galveston to the airports is a PIA, and you have to deal with that staggered embarkation which is a mess. It was foggy in Galveston at 1PM last Sunday. Houston port was closed so Princess was delayed leaving by a day, but luckily Galveston did not close. It could have though. It was so foggy.

[tropicaledrink]

I have read so many of your reviews, and I look forward to another!

 

Here is what I would pick and rule out.

 

RULE OUT: Splendor, Conquest, Sunshine. Reasoning: If you're going to go all the way to Miami/FLL, I would pick the Breeze. For the Sunshine, I rule it out due to some reviews about crowding and deck space. With it being Spring Break, I wouldn't want to try 8 days on it. If it was off season, or a shorter cruise, I'd be willing to give it a go. HOWEVER, that itinerary is by far my favorite itinerary.

 

MAYBE: Glory, Freedom. Mostly due to shorter times in port on these itineraries. Again, I would choose other ships in these ports.

 

YES: Breeze and Magic. Both ships are re-positioning very soon, so this is kind of your last chance to get either in the locale it is in now. You'll get a similar experience in either ship (Magic will be getting Alchemy Bar, which would sway the vote for me!). Selfishly, I want you to go on the Magic so I can have a review (we're looking at a December 2016 sailing from Port Canaveral.) BUT I think the Breeze may be the winner here. I like the itinerary better, it's 8 days, and it's a chance to sail the Breeze before she leaves for Texas. UNLESS there is a significant difference in price, my vote is for the Breeze for you based on everything you have posted. :)

[tkportersat]

I have read many of your reviews, thanks for all the good advice!!

I picked the Breeze as that is on my wish list for ports and one that I looked into myself, but got a great deal out of New Orleans instead and didn't want to fly. So for now it is on hold....I have previously been on the Magic (awesome) and Conquest (Eh).

[pirate4me2]

I have to say, for me this is a hard choice! I voted for Sunshine because we did that itinerary last May on the Liberty and LOVED it. By far that was our favorite cruise to date port wise. The beaches were awesome. Plus I loved the Sunshine when we sailed her earlier this year, enough so that I am sailing her again next May.

Having said that though, if I were looking to book there are a few others on your list that I would consider. I sailed the Breeze and loved her, I think she is my favorite ship so far. And those ports look awesome...I have always wanted to go to St Kitts. The Magic cruise would also be in the running for me as we did that run on the Sunshine and enjoyed it, although I was not overly impressed with Belize.

I have not sailed on the Freedom or Glory but would like to sail those two ships sometime. I like to try different ships, and they both have amenities that I like (Blue Iguana breakfast burritos are almost a deal breaker for me! Love them!).

I can tell you that the cruises listed I would not want to do would be the one on the Conquest (no Serenity area? I love Serenity! But you have kids you'll be sailing with so that may not be a deal breaker for you), and the Splendor. I just sailed Splendor in October, and it was a fun cruise but I think she is my least favorite ship I have sailed on so far. I am not sure what it was, but I just didn't enjoy that cruise as much. You may like her though. She is one of the few ships left with non-Playlist production shows, so she has the full orchestra during the shows which was cool.

Whichever cruise you choose, I hope you and your family have a great time! And please do a review when you return...I love reading them. :)

[mitsugirly]

To clear a couple things up regarding sailing out of Galveston: You fly into Houston. There are 2 airports here. If you are flying Southwest, they only use Hobby (HOU), which is good for you because it is closer to port. Maybe 45 minutes. The other is IAH and it's maybe an hour and 15 minutes away.

 

Don't know if it will matter, but Spring Break around here tends to be earlier in March. My kids are out week of March 12, and believe me, that is reflected in cruise prices out of Galveston that week. I imagine Florida's Spring Break season goes on longer since it gets more of a northern crowd, so you might see better prices on cruise, hotel, and flights coming from here.

 

The stupid tax. First, let me apologize for the greed of my state. It is quite an embarrassment to me. That being said, it is on an honor system. You have to voluntarily go to the booth to pay. If your cigs and booze are in your bag and you don't go to the booth, they won't check. There is one person standing in the crowd trying to direct people over there. Almost nobody goes.

 

The port and staggered arrival times. Oh boy. I haven't experienced that yet so can't comment. Watching the threads about it, the solution seems to be to get there after 11:30. Seems like it bottlenecks earlier. Also, it does not appear to be well organized at the moment. I am hoping it gets better as they work out the kinks.

 

Fog. Goodness. I've only been caught in it once. Didn't get off the ship til after 12. I did not cry. They planned activities for us and opened the casino. It was bonus vacation!!!

 

People in Texas are super friendly and you might enjoy the experience of a different kind of crowd. Witness 10 gallon hats and starched Wranglers in the dining room. Pig roping on Lido! Haha, :/...about the pigs, not the hats. Galveston is a destination in and of itself with lots of attractions. I cannot, however, recommend the beaches, especially to someone who is used to Fla and Caribean. The water is pretty brown and not very clear. It has to with the Mississippi River churning up the sand in the gulf. Also lots of seaweed and jellyfish.

 

Anyhow, I didn't want you to write off Galveston because of some bad reviews. I swore to never go out of New Orleans again after the first time it took more than 2 hours to get through the check in line. I finally did when Triumph was being fixed and I wanted a quick getaway. Second time, breezed through that port in 15 minutes. So, who knows?

Thank you so so much for all this information. I really appreciate it! :)

 

 

We are booked the week after you on the Breeze. Detroit airfare has been crazy. We are flying Columbus to Miami on Delta.....our friends also from Michigan are flying out of Toronto to West Palm and taking TriRail.

 

Flights are just crazy for this time frame. I think it's worse now than this past spring break. :cool:

 

I hope you have a wonderful time on the Breeze!

[mitsugirly]

I agree with ferfoodle. I just got back from Magic and Galveston to the airports is a PIA, and you have to deal with that staggered embarkation which is a mess. It was foggy in Galveston at 1PM last Sunday. Houston port was closed so Princess was delayed leaving by a day, but luckily Galveston did not close. It could have though. It was so foggy.

 

Please tell me more about this staggered embarkation. Is it something new? NCL just started with this and honestly, I don't understand it because they still don't allow you on the ship until a certain time anyhow. So why stagger everyone's arrival if eventually everyone will all be there waiting to get on anyhow?

 

This fog thing really has me concerned, I have to admit. While waiting to depart is one thing, but arriving back later would really suck due to the fact that people have flights out and if you miss it...:eek: That would create all kinds of havoc!

 

I have read so many of your reviews, and I look forward to another!

 

Here is what I would pick and rule out.

 

RULE OUT: Splendor, Conquest, Sunshine. Reasoning: If you're going to go all the way to Miami/FLL, I would pick the Breeze. For the Sunshine, I rule it out due to some reviews about crowding and deck space. With it being Spring Break, I wouldn't want to try 8 days on it. If it was off season, or a shorter cruise, I'd be willing to give it a go. HOWEVER, that itinerary is by far my favorite itinerary.

 

MAYBE: Glory, Freedom. Mostly due to shorter times in port on these itineraries. Again, I would choose other ships in these ports.

 

YES: Breeze and Magic. Both ships are re-positioning very soon, so this is kind of your last chance to get either in the locale it is in now. You'll get a similar experience in either ship (Magic will be getting Alchemy Bar, which would sway the vote for me!). Selfishly, I want you to go on the Magic so I can have a review (we're looking at a December 2016 sailing from Port Canaveral.) BUT I think the Breeze may be the winner here. I like the itinerary better, it's 8 days, and it's a chance to sail the Breeze before she leaves for Texas. UNLESS there is a significant difference in price, my vote is for the Breeze for you based on everything you have posted. :)

 

I really like how you broke everything down and your reasoning. That's exactly what I was thinking the other night (about the position Breeze and Magic are both in at the moment and then changing). If I did Breeze now, then when Magic comes to PC, I would get a chance to do it as well. Hmmm

[mitsugirly]

I have read many of your reviews, thanks for all the good advice!!

I picked the Breeze as that is on my wish list for ports and one that I looked into myself, but got a great deal out of New Orleans instead and didn't want to fly. So for now it is on hold....I have previously been on the Magic (awesome) and Conquest (Eh).

 

Thanks for the comments. I appreciate it. What ship are you doing out of NOLA? I have to say that NOLA is one of my favorites to sail out of. Especially if you have enough time during the day to walk around the Riverwalk. So much to see and do all within walking distance makes it a pre-vacation type of day.

 

I have to say, for me this is a hard choice! I voted for Sunshine because we did that itinerary last May on the Liberty and LOVED it. By far that was our favorite cruise to date port wise. The beaches were awesome. Plus I loved the Sunshine when we sailed her earlier this year, enough so that I am sailing her again next May.

Having said that though, if I were looking to book there are a few others on your list that I would consider. I sailed the Breeze and loved her, I think she is my favorite ship so far. And those ports look awesome...I have always wanted to go to St Kitts. The Magic cruise would also be in the running for me as we did that run on the Sunshine and enjoyed it, although I was not overly impressed with Belize.

I have not sailed on the Freedom or Glory but would like to sail those two ships sometime. I like to try different ships, and they both have amenities that I like (Blue Iguana breakfast burritos are almost a deal breaker for me! Love them!).

I can tell you that the cruises listed I would not want to do would be the one on the Conquest (no Serenity area? I love Serenity! But you have kids you'll be sailing with so that may not be a deal breaker for you), and the Splendor. I just sailed Splendor in October, and it was a fun cruise but I think she is my least favorite ship I have sailed on so far. I am not sure what it was, but I just didn't enjoy that cruise as much. You may like her though. She is one of the few ships left with non-Playlist production shows, so she has the full orchestra during the shows which was cool.

Whichever cruise you choose, I hope you and your family have a great time! And please do a review when you return...I love reading them. :)

 

I really wanted to do the A-B-C islands earlier this year, but I believe it was the Valor that was going there and it didn't really look like it would be the best fit for my family at the time. Sunshine is a good fit. I'm just worried about the date I have to go and the people during that time frame.

 

I really loved the Dream and it's one of my favorite cruise ships after one of NCL's and that says a lot since I'm mainly a NCL cruiser. So I KNOW that if we were on the Breeze, it would probably trump the Dream because of all the "extras" on it.

 

Yea Serenity isn't any factor for us what-so-ever. Since I have a little one, I can say that I have only went back there once and that was just to take pictures of it. :( I said after going on the Dream that the next time we cruised on Carnival, I would try out the Serenity when the munchkin was in the kids club, but we never did. For some reason we never swim unless she's with us because I know how much she loves to swim. So we only go when she's with us.

 

The shows are not a big factor for me. I could take them or leave them. (I do like the comedy shows though). IMO, Carnival shows do not even compare to the entertainment on NCL and I always feel let down when going. So, not a deciding factor for us.

 

Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions. I really appreciate it.

[mitsugirly]

 

WOW, :eek: would you look at that? People really want to see me on the Breeze I guess. :p

 

So, I'm going to plan for the Breeze, try to work out some things about the transportation, which is going to be really tricky considering the location, and see if I can make this happen.

 

If I can't figure out anything reasonable, I might have to try Magic instead.

 

 

I have went back and copied down everyone's suggestions on air flights/transportation and I'm going to check every possible solution to getting there and back. If anyone else has any suggestions on the transportation issue, please throw them out there at me. :p

[Tapi]

Flights- have you checked prices from CAK? I don't know how far you are from there, but they used to have a lot of cheap AirTran flights when I lived there. Definitely a budget airline

 

 

Air Tran is dead, R.I.P.[emoji26] Well, technically it "merged" with Southwest, but what truly happened was that Southwest sold all of Air Tran's Boeing 717's to Delta, discontinued service to several cities, downsized others, forced a bunch of employees to either "relocate" or lose their job, and in the meantime, fares went up thanks to the reduced capacity in many markets. Here in Atlanta a lot of people despise Southwest because they dismantled Air Tran and, while Southwest has a big presence here, it's more expensive because of the reduced destinations and number of flights.

[carib1]

I was just checking Southwest to see if there were any changes in prices, and they opened up a lot of flights and the prices aren't too bad. Might want to check them out.

 

I was able to switch to an earlier flight on our way down, and come home a day earlier and got a $184.00 credit. :)