Jimorel Posted August 31, 2017 #1 Share Posted August 31, 2017 I am thinking of a Jan or Feb 2018 Caribbean cruise and I am wondering if anyone has suggestions. I have only sailed on RCI to Nassau. Primarily I am thinking of either Princess, NCL or RCI for the cruise. Are there particular ports that you like or would avoid? We have a target date for booking our cruise of between Labor Day and September 9. Any help or hints will be appreciated. Thank You! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyboy Posted August 31, 2017 #2 Share Posted August 31, 2017 We like Cozumel. It is now included though in the US travel warning for Mexico. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teknoge3k Posted August 31, 2017 #3 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Of course everyone is different. We won't even look at a sailing that includes Nassau or Freeport. To us it's a waste of money to go to those places. I'd rather go somewhere nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champagne123 Posted August 31, 2017 #4 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Ditto. Nassau and Freeport. (my first cruise and did not know any better)....everything else I have loved. Try looking at MSC also. It is an Italian owned cruise line that sails out of Miami. Great prices and great ships. (The Divina and Seaside...which is brand new and will be in Miami in a couple of months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandma Dazzles Posted August 31, 2017 #5 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Really enjoy the southern Carinbbean ports including Barbados, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. A, B, C islands as mentioned above are a nice combination. Each island is unique and beautiful - you really feel like you are on different islands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCruisers Posted August 31, 2017 #6 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Since you've only cruised to Nassau, anyplace in the Caribbean will be new to you! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 31, 2017 #7 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Shorter sailings tend to go to Nassau/ Freeport etc. If you can look at a seven day cruise that will open up many more options to visit the Caribbean. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antmaril Posted August 31, 2017 #8 Share Posted August 31, 2017 My friend and I will be on The Regal Princess in January. This cruise goes to Princess Cays (Private Island), St. Thomas and St. Maarten. The cruise has three sea days, which we love. My friend has never been to the Caribbean. I have been to St. Thomas, but it was 35 years ago and St. Maarten is new for me. We are looking forward to it. Being in the warm sun in January will be a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCruisers Posted August 31, 2017 #9 Share Posted August 31, 2017 The "3 for Free" Princess Promotion begins in a few days -- September 5th -- and is worth your serious consideration. :D Princess is a very good cruise line with nice itineraries to the Caribbean in Jan/Feb when you want to go. Jan/Feb is also our favorite time to cruise to the Caribbean. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted August 31, 2017 #10 Share Posted August 31, 2017 The Bahamas aren't even "Caribbean countries"! They are in the Atlantic....but they are grouped in the same general route as the real Caribbean Islands. Go South, if you can...weather is always great and warm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise-Crazzy Posted August 31, 2017 #11 Share Posted August 31, 2017 My favorite Islands are St. Thomas, (US Virgin Islands), Antigua, St. Lucia, Grand Cayman, and of course ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, & Curacao) The Princess Cays is always enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mom says Posted August 31, 2017 #12 Share Posted August 31, 2017 You'll find most cruises lumped into one of 3 categories: Western, Eastern, or Southern. Southern cruises originating from US ports tend to be longer than the usual 7 days because of the time it takes to get down and back. The Western ones usually have some combination of ports that include Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica. Our preference has been for the Eastern Caribbean cruises for short 1 week cruises, ( mostly for the variety of islands) or a Southern one if we have 2 weeks. All of these have their pros and cons. All of the mass cruise lines run them. All you can do is research the cruise lines and research the islands and then select which suit your tastes, preferences, and budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greselda2251 Posted September 3, 2017 #13 Share Posted September 3, 2017 I don't know where you live, we live in the southwest and will be doing the eastern caribbean on MSC this coming February. We have cruised with Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and RCL, the last 13 years, but wanted to try something different. Of course, we will have to fly into Ft. Lauderdale, FL to catch our MSC cruise. We have heard some very nice things about MSC, so we will be giving them a try! And as an added bonus, our balcony cabin was less than our other balcony cabins on the other lines. MSC also honored our Platinum status on another line....sweet:D It is worth a look see! We will be doing a review upon our return in February;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Crew News Posted September 3, 2017 #14 Share Posted September 3, 2017 My every stop in St Maarten requires a visit to the tiny store right behind the Tourist Information booth, about 200 feet from the end of the pier, to purchase wheels (6.6 pound) of Gouda cheese for $27. Since the wheels are sealed in wax there is no problem with US Customs or putting them in your luggage for a flight home. Aruba is nice but skip the cave tour on Aruba unless you like like exploring under 3-foot ceilings. Skip Ocho Rios because of the crime rate and very pushy vendors who put "free" items in your hand and then shout that you are "stealing" their goods if you walk away. St Thomas and the excursion to nearby St Johns' world-famous beaches was exceptional. . Riding into the crater of an active volcano in St Lucia and seeing the steam rise a hundred yards away was amazing. Beautiful flowers. The last week in November and the first two in December are the cheapest Caribbean travel times which includes much lower air fares . A partial-transit Panama Canal cruise is amazing to experience one of the marvels of 20th-century engineering. Seeing the bottom of a huge cargo ship just a few yards away is an eerie feeling:. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champagne123 Posted September 3, 2017 #15 Share Posted September 3, 2017 I don't know where you live, we live in the southwest and will be doing the eastern caribbean on MSC this coming February. We have cruised with Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and RCL, the last 13 years, but wanted to try something different. Of course, we will have to fly into Ft. Lauderdale, FL to catch our MSC cruise. We have heard some very nice things about MSC, so we will be giving them a try! And as an added bonus, our balcony cabin was less than our other balcony cabins on the other lines. MSC also honored our Platinum status on another line....sweet:D It is worth a look see! We will be doing a review upon our return in February;) Doesn't MSC solely cruise out of Miami? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted September 3, 2017 #16 Share Posted September 3, 2017 Really enjoy the southern Carinbbean ports including Barbados, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. A, B, C islands as mentioned above are a nice combination. Each island is unique and beautiful - you really feel like you are on different islands. Grandma knows best. :D I second her recommendation of the Southern Caribbean. If I never went back to Nassau it would be OK. Roz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted September 3, 2017 #17 Share Posted September 3, 2017 I am thinking of a Jan or Feb 2018 Caribbean cruise and I am wondering if anyone has suggestions. I have only sailed on RCI to Nassau. Primarily I am thinking of either Princess, NCL or RCI for the cruise. Are there particular ports that you like or would avoid?We have a target date for booking our cruise of between Labor Day and September 9. Any help or hints will be appreciated. Thank You! I really like the ABC Islands, at top of my favorites. are Arba, Bonaire, Cracao. Toward bottom of my favorites are Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Dominica and Martinique Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Itchy&Scratchy Posted September 3, 2017 #18 Share Posted September 3, 2017 Depends on what kind of port vacations you are looking for. Are you an active vacationer or are you a beach buddy? We've been to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize, Princess Cays, St Maarten, St Thomas, ABC islands, Labadee (Haiti), Ocho Rios and Falmouth in Jamajca, and whatever RCI has for a private island. We found Cozumel and Costa Maya to be rather boring or underwhelming in terms of beach vacations. But not bad. ABC were fanstastic - Aruba (butterfly farm was cute and then we cross the road to use the beach in front of some hotel - it was free and great). Bonaire's Luc Bay was a dream spot (not much of a beach, but we spent probably about 5 hours in the water, just lounging or walking). I picked a bad beach to go in Curacao (it was boring - Pirate Bay beach) - pick something different. Belize had a fantastic excursion (tubing through underground caves). Loved it!!! Not through the cruise, though, so it was smaller and more enjoyable. We did ziplining through the jungle and looked at Dunns Falls in Ocho Rios. We didn't have any energy after ziplining to actually climb the Dunns Falls. Looked like fun. Falmouth is very boring and a long drive from everything. I'd skip it, but darn it, that's where Regal Princess keeps sailing to. Labadee was very picturesque - I did beach, and hubs did ziplining. We both loved it. The following cruise was with a kid, so we just did a beach thing. Still loved it. St Thomas and St Maarten were beachy and ok. They were crowded and, while pretty, nothing super special. Our friends love Dominica above all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted September 3, 2017 #19 Share Posted September 3, 2017 Dominica is wonderful. A very poor island but the locals are very friendly and there's lots of unspoiled scenery. Roz Sent from my SM-S820L using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greselda2251 Posted September 7, 2017 #20 Share Posted September 7, 2017 Yes, champaigne 123, you are correct that MSC sails out of Miami. However, we are flying in on Southwest, hence our landing in Ft. Lauderdale;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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