Favorite ship/itinerary for a caribbean cruise?

[Brooke71991]

I am planning a cruise for after my cruise on the Splendor. I have only ever been on the Fascination and never on a ship with the 2.0 upgrades. My sister and her husband will be sailing with us for their first ever cruise and I want them to enjoy it as much as I do. We are planning a Caribbean cruise for 6-8 days likely in April/May. I am just curious as to what ships people really enjoy and what itineraries. We were thinking of maybe doing Vista or Horizon, but my sister is not a big fan of large crowds so I am unsure if that will be an issue on those ships. Thanks so much in advance!

[tortuga1975]

Make sure Half Moon Cay is in your iternary.

[Towel Critter]

Conquest class. Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Any three or four of the following five islands: Half Moon Cay, San Juan PR, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, St. Kitts.

[A&Jfamily]

I am planning a cruise for after my cruise on the Splendor. I have only ever been on the Fascination and never on a ship with the 2.0 upgrades. My sister and her husband will be sailing with us for their first ever cruise and I want them to enjoy it as much as I do. We are planning a Caribbean cruise for 6-8 days likely in April/May. I am just curious as to what ships people really enjoy and what itineraries. We were thinking of maybe doing Vista or Horizon, but my sister is not a big fan of large crowds so I am unsure if that will be an issue on those ships. Thanks so much in advance!

 

It would help to know what you like to do. If you are just wanting beaches and shopping, the go Eastern. If you are wanting a lot of down time with more sea days go Southern. If you want a more exotic feel with the ability to see ruins, experience zip lining in Mexico or hold a sloth in Roatan, go Mexican.

 

Any of the Carnival ships with the 2.0 upgrades will be fun. Personally, Magic was even larger than we like - Sunshine is our favorite ship because if you are a foodie, it has the best dining variety with 4 pay venues in the evening from sushi to asian to italian to a steakhouse.

 

If you are looking at a cost effective "fun" vacation, the Carnival is likely the line for you. RCI offers a lot of bells and whistles and many of their ships are HUGE. I am sure NCL is fine, but I have had enough friends who have cruise both Carnival and NCL and prefer the food and the experience on Carnival more. Princess is going to be more of a classic cruise experience where on elegant night you will see the majority of people in suits and tuxedos, and will be more low key with less of the harry chest fun offered by Carnival.

[Micahs Grandad]

S Caribbean with Aruba and Curacao

[eileenfa]

Eastern Caribbean or southern Caribbean. I have done them both on the Breeze. They are my preference. Doing vista with eastern Caribbean. Can't wait [emoji4]

 

 

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[buddylover]

Definitely Southern Caribbean itinerary......more exotic ports like Curacao, Barbados etc. We have been on Vista, not a fan and a very crowded closed in feeling on that ship. However, we LOVED the Breeze, which to date has been our favorite CCL ship. All the ships can feel crowded if you eat on the Lido buffet during 'prime' dining times. Good Luck and have FUN!

[Brooke71991]

Thanks so much for the replies! And we are wanting exotics places with beautiful views. We do not care much for shopping. We like adventure and doing things we have never done before, especially if it involves wildlife or great scenery. And we are most definitely foodies. We appreciate great food. We tend to try and eat healthy, but while in vacation we eat whatever, whenever, so great food is definitely important. So is alcohol. A ship with an alchemy bar is a must from my understanding. We are all getting cheers. We are doing it to try the variety of drinks we have heard about. We live in a small town, so not much in the way of getting good drinks. And we would never sail with anyone but carnival for 2 reasons, we like having a lot of fun and the comedy club. On my last cruise, I went every night but one. It is a must for me. And I am afraid if I venture to another line that I will be sorely disappointed as this is what sold me on carnival.

[mimxmom]

All of the ships will have pros and cons you will have to weigh what matters most to you. Our last cruise was on the Sunshine (without kids). LOVED LOVED LOVED the Serenity area. Best in the fleet IMO. However, some other areas of the ship are less desirable. Main theatre doesn't have great seating. Comedy Lounge is very small and some have to watch on a tv. Love the Havana Bar with their breakfast and lunch offerings. We loved the look of the ship also....more tropical. Been on many of the Conquest class ships and we do really like the layouts of those but alot of people do not. Any ship with the 2.0 upgrades has many more dining options.

 

Islands depend on your personal interests. Of what I have visited, my favorites are: Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, Grand Turk, Aruba

[Micahs Grandad]

All of the ships will have pros and cons you will have to weigh what matters most to you. Our last cruise was on the Sunshine (without kids). LOVED LOVED LOVED the Serenity area. Best in the fleet IMO. However, some other areas of the ship are less desirable. Main theatre doesn't have great seating. Comedy Lounge is very small and some have to watch on a tv. Love the Havana Bar with their breakfast and lunch offerings. We loved the look of the ship also....more tropical. Been on many of the Conquest class ships and we do really like the layouts of those but alot of people do not. Any ship with the 2.0 upgrades has many more dining options.

 

Islands depend on your personal interests. Of what I have visited, my favorites are: Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, Grand Turk, Aruba

 

Favorite entertainment on ship is comedy club. They made them much too small on Sunshine and Vista class and not about to go on a cruise and watch shows in our cabin. Therefore we prefer Conquest and Dream class with larger public spaces

[Brooke71991]

Favorite entertainment on ship is comedy club. They made them much too small on Sunshine and Vista class and not about to go on a cruise and watch shows in our cabin. Therefore we prefer Conquest and Dream class with larger public spaces

 

Thank you for letting me know that. The comedy club is going to be a large part of our trip and I do not want it to be a hassle. When we were on the fascination, we never had any issues getting seats. We would unwind every night with a drink and a late night comedy show. This helped define our experience and I want the same for my sis.

[A&Jfamily]

Thank you for letting me know that. The comedy club is going to be a large part of our trip and I do not want it to be a hassle. When we were on the fascination, we never had any issues getting seats. We would unwind every night with a drink and a late night comedy show. This helped define our experience and I want the same for my sis.

 

 

 

Read up more on Sunshine. We have been on her multiple times and prefer her to Conquest or Dream Class. And when you read you will find many people who claim her as their favorite. Yes some do not like her as much but I would say more do than don't because of how much she brings to the table with all the 2.0 plus excellent Serenity, Alchemy and sports square.

 

We go to the comedy club multiple times each cruise and simply go early and wait for 5-10 minutes if there is a show we want to see. The open the doors about 15 min prior to the show. It really is NOT a big deal at all. It holds more than you would think it would - I have seen people lined back to the piano bar still getting in. Please do not let this deter you from Sunshine especially if you are a foodie. JiJis is awesome and the steak house always good. Love to be able to grab real sushi at Bonsai. And Havana bar has Cuban nibbles at breakfast and lunch that are a great change of pace. Most of these things are not offered on other ships.

 

Given your interests, I would go Western. More ports of call allowing you to see ruins, go cave tubing, play with monkeys iguanas birds and sloths and take a zip line. If you find a cruise with Carnival Plus you can go to the mainland and do one of the cave snorkels. Most of these things cannot be found in St Thomas, St. marten, Grand turk etc.

 

 

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[E@syPe@zy]

My preference is the Dream Class and a Southern Itinerary. The Cove Balconies are my favorite. I've been on the Dream and the Breeze and will consider the Magic now that it has the 2.0 upgrades.

My favorite debarkation port is New Orleans. So much fun before the cruise begins and it seems like a great bunch of cruisers from that port. I have even been out of N.O. when the Super Bowl was there and it really didn't cause any issues at all. Just lot's of fun!

Carnival doesn't go to Bonaire very often, but I would love to go back to the Southern route with a Bonaire stop.

[Brooke71991]

Read up more on Sunshine. We have been on her multiple times and prefer her to Conquest or Dream Class. And when you read you will find many people who claim her as their favorite. Yes some do not like her as much but I would say more do than don't because of how much she brings to the table with all the 2.0 plus excellent Serenity, Alchemy and sports square.

 

We go to the comedy club multiple times each cruise and simply go early and wait for 5-10 minutes if there is a show we want to see. The open the doors about 15 min prior to the show. It really is NOT a big deal at all. It holds more than you would think it would - I have seen people lined back to the piano bar still getting in. Please do not let this deter you from Sunshine especially if you are a foodie. JiJis is awesome and the steak house always good. Love to be able to grab real sushi at Bonsai. And Havana bar has Cuban nibbles at breakfast and lunch that are a great change of pace. Most of these things are not offered on other ships.

 

Given your interests, I would go Western. More ports of call allowing you to see ruins, go cave tubing, play with monkeys iguanas birds and sloths and take a zip line. If you find a cruise with Carnival Plus you can go to the mainland and do one of the cave snorkels. Most of these things cannot be found in St Thomas, St. marten, Grand turk etc.

 

 

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I will definitely read up more in the sunshine. I have seen many people recommend her. But it seems if I wanted to go the western route that it would not be on the sunshine. The only western I saw for her is later this year. I did not see any for 2018 or 2019.

[Brooke71991]

My preference is the Dream Class and a Southern Itinerary. The Cove Balconies are my favorite. I've been on the Dream and the Breeze and will consider the Magic now that it has the 2.0 upgrades.

My favorite debarkation port is New Orleans. So much fun before the cruise begins and it seems like a great bunch of cruisers from that port. I have even been out of N.O. when the Super Bowl was there and it really didn't cause any issues at all. Just lot's of fun!

Carnival doesn't go to Bonaire very often, but I would love to go back to the Southern route with a Bonaire stop.

 

I can get to New Orleans in about 6 hours. I am also close to most of the Florida ports and Carolina ports. Makes things a little more flexible. What did you enjoy so much about Bonaire? And what is great about the cove balconies? I have not sailed a balcony yet, but am certainly open to it. My first cruise was a last minute thing. My second cruise which will be on the splendor had too large of a difference in price between the ocean view and balcony. We are spending that money on cheers and excursions. I have noticed on the 8 day carribeans that the differences between balconies and ocean views is not nearly as large. So may sail a balcony on this cruise.

[Doggielover68]

Southern Caribbean is my favorite itinerary. St. Kitts had some of the best views I've ever seen. I would recommend an island tour there.

 

 

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[A&Jfamily]

I will definitely read up more in the sunshine. I have seen many people recommend her. But it seems if I wanted to go the western route that it would not be on the sunshine. The only western I saw for her is later this year. I did not see any for 2018 or 2019.

 

 

 

People who cruise a lot develop a feel as to whether the ships are the destination or whether they are cruising for the ports. We are port people as we find we are drawn to the adventures to be had rather than some feature on the ship. If you are purposely cruising to see new places I would shop around for the ports and see what is highest on your bucket list and then come back to us with possible cruises to choose from. These boards are very good for that help.

 

 

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[jasong38501]

I can get to New Orleans in about 6 hours. I am also close to most of the Florida ports and Carolina ports. Makes things a little more flexible. What did you enjoy so much about Bonaire? And what is great about the cove balconies? I have not sailed a balcony yet, but am certainly open to it. My first cruise was a last minute thing. My second cruise which will be on the splendor had too large of a difference in price between the ocean view and balcony. We are spending that money on cheers and excursions. I have noticed on the 8 day carribeans that the differences between balconies and ocean views is not nearly as large. So may sail a balcony on this cruise.

 

The cove balconies are on deck two so they are closer to the water. They are also more enclosed and under the life boats so they are more shaded. I decided on the Dream for my next cruise and I had a lot of the same priorities you do and for the price it couldn't be beat. It will be my mom's first cruise so I'm hoping she falls in love with it as much as I do.

[Brooke71991]

People who cruise a lot develop a feel as to whether the ships are the destination or whether they are cruising for the ports. We are port people as we find we are drawn to the adventures to be had rather than some feature on the ship. If you are purposely cruising to see new places I would shop around for the ports and see what is highest on your bucket list and then come back to us with possible cruises to choose from. These boards are very good for that help.

 

 

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That is a good suggestion. I will explore the ports of call more. This way I get more of an idea of what appeals the most to me.

[E@syPe@zy]

I can get to New Orleans in about 6 hours. I am also close to most of the Florida ports and Carolina ports. Makes things a little more flexible. What did you enjoy so much about Bonaire? And what is great about the cove balconies? I have not sailed a balcony yet, but am certainly open to it. My first cruise was a last minute thing. My second cruise which will be on the splendor had too large of a difference in price between the ocean view and balcony. We are spending that money on cheers and excursions. I have noticed on the 8 day carribeans that the differences between balconies and ocean views is not nearly as large. So may sail a balcony on this cruise.

I haven't been to Bonaire yet....that's why I would like to go. On the Southern route I have been to Aruba and Curacao, but Not Bonaire and I understand the snorkeling is fantastic. Always take our snorkel gear with us and try new spots.

The Cove Balconies are only on the Dream and Vista Class and they are almost always the lowest price of all of the balconies. They are on very close to the water and you can see flying fish and sometimes dolphins. When you pull into a port you have a nice vantage point and they just seem more private than other balconies. And on the Dream class, you don't have to look out over the outside promenade on Deck 5...just look down and it's water. It may not appeal to everybody, but I really like it. I also like balconies on the Lido deck and higher. There are less rooms on those floors, so less people waiting for elevators and great location to pools and places to eat.