Best Options for Second Cruise

[Stopemocide]

My husband and I recently had the chance to go on the Vision of the Seas for her March 5th sailing out of Tampa.

 

We were sold on the Royal Caribbean experience, but would like to try a different ship next time.

 

What ships/itineraries do you all recommend for a good second cruise, bearing in mind the following information?

 

We love the pools, but the pool on Vision did get a bit crowded, so we would like something that has more than one pool option. Am I correct in thinking that that limits us to Freedom class and up?

 

My husband gets bored, so I need an itinerary that gives him plenty of interesting ports.

 

Late twenties, no kids. We like to drink, but aren't drink package/booze cruise type people.

[champagne123]

I sound like a broken record, but OASIS CLASS.....Oasis, Allure or Harmony. Three pools....tons of hot tubs...bars .....shows....parades....OMG....you will be blown away and hubby will NEVER be bored. Just don't go during schools breaks. More kids than usual. BEST SHIPS IN THE WORLD.

[Clarea]

Consider Adventure out of San Juan. You have a Voyager class ship, with the same main pool deck size as Freedom (subtracting the kiddie H2O zone), and many interesting ports in the Southern Caribbean. Some itineraries only have one sea day.

[blueblock]

If you're looking for interesting ports, consider a Mediterranean cruise. The Freedom out of Barcelona in 2017 would give you the big-ship (but not mega-ship) experience combined with interesting ports.

[Royal2464]

Any ship in the Voyager, Freedom or Oasis class should work for you. Just pick one of those three class ships based upon the best itinerary to suit your needs.

[MiniChunks]

Consider Adventure out of San Juan. You have a Voyager class ship, with the same main pool deck size as Freedom (subtracting the kiddie H2O zone), and many interesting ports in the Southern Caribbean. Some itineraries only have one sea day.

 

I second this! We were on Adventure out of San Juan in October and it was great! Not many kids, perfect ship size for my likes. I've never been on Oasis, but between Adventure and Liberty, I liked Adventure better. 3 pools and one is adults only in the solarium.

[LeeW]

I second this! We were on Adventure out of San Juan in October and it was great! Not many kids, perfect ship size for my likes. I've never been on Oasis, but between Adventure and Liberty, I liked Adventure better. 3 pools and one is adults only in the solarium.

 

Agree. Better, book a back to back out of San Juan. Your husband likes ports - the big ships are limited where they can go. The San Juan itineraries alternate between eastern and southern Caribbean, with generally only one sea day on the trip. Great islands and great variety. The solarium pool is quiet and adult only. We prefer the Aruba route, but taking both is better. San Juan is also a neat place to sail out of.

[marys350]

Another vote for Adventure of the Seas out of San Juan. There are several different itineraries and the Southern Caribbean islands are my favorites. San Juan is a great place to visit for a day or to before or after the cruise.

[knittinggirl]

I'd say something like a Canada/New England. Pools not as important in the fall, but you'll have four ports together. Beautiful fall color!

 

Another is Southern Caribbean. Six port days sandwiched between two sea days getting there and back. Ports were warm going on hot, so you'll also get a lot of pool time.

Edited April 7, 2016 by knittinggirl