Help deciding between 4 Caribbean Cruises

[hazelcorona]

Hello

 

I need any and all help possible...I have been on 2 cruises with other lines. 1 great and 1 not so great. Unfortunately the not so great one was my husband's first and only cruise and he is VERY reluctant to try a cruise again.

We were given a free cruise (we have to pay taxes and get ourselves there - and before anyone chimes in, it is not a scam, it's not fake or timeshare or anything else)

 

So I've narrowed it down to these 4 possible cruises:

Eastern Caribbean on Regal Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Princess Cays, St Thomas, St Maarten)

Eastern Caribbean Voyager on Crown Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Princess Cays, St Thomas, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts)

Western on Caribbean Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel)

Southern Caribbean on Crown Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire)

 

My husband is not necessarily a nature/scenery lover. He doesn't want to spent TONS of money on excursions on every island (the highlight of our not so great cruise was four-wheeling) please help, any/all information, recommendations, opinions are VERY much appreciated

[voljeep]

Voyager or Southern

 

how many days are each cruise, if that matters to you?

[paul929207]

I think the second cruise is 10 days and the rest are 7.

 

On most islands, there will be people at the port terminal offering 2 or 3 hour tours for $20 or $30 US.

 

You can usually get an inexpensive taxi to a free beach.

 

Excursions thru the ship tend to be expensive.

[Sasksilver]

Voyager or Southern

 

how many days are each cruise, if that matters to you?

 

I agree! Both itineraries are great. My first cruise was a 14 day southern Caribbean cruise on Princess - I was hooked. We did not do a lot of excursions on that cruise - most islands we simply wandered nearby the port, and when we wanted refreshments we found a local bar/restaurant by the water and enjoyed. It was unforgettable.

[capriccio]

Welcome to cruise critic and congratulations on your free cruise!

 

Are the Crown Princess itineraries 10 days and the Regal and Caribbean Princess 7 days? If so I would definitely pick a 10 day cruise especially since it is free. Have you been to any of the ports before? I've been to all the ports (many more than once) except Curacao before and especially liked Bonaire, Barbados and Grand Cayman due in part to the excellent excursions we took:

 

Bonaire - snorkeling with Woodwind

Barbados - snorkeling with Calabaza

Grand Cayman - sting rays with Captain Marvin

 

If you are trying to decide among ports you have never visited, check out the Caribbean Ports of Call board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587.

Edited August 28, 2018 by capriccio

[CATGUY7]

Personally, I’d pick the Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire cruise... because I love Bonaire!!! (We took a boat to Klein Bonaire and did a little snorkeling and relaxing on the beach, and then just walked around the town and did a little shopping. In Aruba, we took a city bus to Eagle Beach across from Amsterdam Manor, rented chairs and spent the day. Both were wonderful!)

[hazelcorona]

Eastern is 7

Voyager is 10

Western is 7

Southern is 8

 

So that doesn't matter too much

[Host CJSKIDS]

Welcome to cruise critic!!

 

Congrats on your free cruise, that is incredible!

 

Out of the 3 ships, the Regal is the newest and and the nicest IMHO.

 

Our of the itineraries I would chose the Southern Caribbean on the Crown. Love the ABC islands, especially. Bonaire.

 

The one I would not bother with is the one on the Caribbean Princess. Just because of the ship.

[skynight]

Hello

 

I need any and all help possible...I have been on 2 cruises with other lines. 1 great and 1 not so great. Unfortunately the not so great one was my husband's first and only cruise and he is VERY reluctant to try a cruise again.

We were given a free cruise (we have to pay taxes and get ourselves there - and before anyone chimes in, it is not a scam, it's not fake or timeshare or anything else)

 

So I've narrowed it down to these 4 possible cruises:

Eastern Caribbean on Regal Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Princess Cays, St Thomas, St Maarten)

Eastern Caribbean Voyager on Crown Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Princess Cays, St Thomas, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts)

Western on Caribbean Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel)

Southern Caribbean on Crown Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire)

 

My husband is not necessarily a nature/scenery lover. He doesn't want to spent TONS of money on excursions on every island (the highlight of our not so great cruise was four-wheeling) please help, any/all information, recommendations, opinions are VERY much appreciated

The two on the Crown are 10 day cruises the other two are 7 day cruises. Based on value I would take the free 10 day vs. the free 7 day.

Some other information.

Princess Cays is a private beach which you tender to. Nice, no cost, lunch provided. Yours will be the only ship there.

There are lots of opportunities for low cost tours in both St. Maarten, & St. Thomas, and both of these ports are easy to just walk around. The same holds for Antigua, but you probably will have to pre-plan any private excursion. Lots of beaches in Antigua plus other sites. Barbados is good for snorkeling and sailing. No downtown to speak about. St. Kitts has a pier side mall to walk around. St. Lucia is famous for its walk in volcano and the beach at the base of the volcano. More sea days if you take the southern Caribbean, but Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire really nice stops. Aruba has nice beaches with Eagle beach a 10 min. ride from the pier. It also has a nice downtown area. Bonaire is great for scuba and snorkeling. We were there this past winter and rented a golf cart to ride around the island. One of the best things we did. Check out http://www.bonairecruisers.com/

Although nice I'm not really a fan of the Western Caribbean itinerary.

With the 7 day Regal Princess cruise you have one of the newer ships with some nice features like Alfredo's sit down pizza, no charge, and a really large and excellent buffet.

[moki'smommy]

We like the Caribbean Princess, but she is the oldest ship (I think) and has features that are absent on some of the others. We love Grand Cayman and Curacao.

If you do your homework, there are lots of excellent tour providers who will do excursions at far lower prices than the ship tours. In addition, there are many things you can do "on your own." You don't have to spend big bucks on excursions.

 

Regal had the most boring itinerary, but is the newest ship. My normal rule is "longer is better," and the 10 night is certainly more interesting. I'd go with Voyager or Southern.

[caribsun]

Crown, Eastern Caribbean.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Western on Caribbean Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel)

I would SKIP this one.

 

 

If you want a newer ship and better food and nice destinations - Regal.

If you don't care about the ship's age and buffet food but want great destinations or more destinations - Voyager or ABC Islands.

 

 

Oh, how I love ABC islands (especially Bonaire and Aruba), but Princess never seems to send Regal or Royal Princess there when I can actually sail or at all.

[OCruisers]

Hello

Southern Caribbean on Crown Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire)

My husband is not necessarily a nature/scenery lover. He doesn't want to spent TONS of money on excursions on every island (the highlight of our not so great cruise was four-wheeling) please help, any/all information, recommendations, opinions are VERY much appreciated

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

The Southern Caribbean on Crown Princess is our suggestion for you.

Renting jeeps in Aruba and Bonaire is a popular thing to do and something your husband would probably enjoy! :D

[geocruiser]

For me Regal Princess is the best ship.

[famski740]

I would choose the Southern Caribbean on Crown Princess. The ABC Islands are the best and as stated above the best chance of renting a 4 wheel vehicle and seeing the island. Aruba also has a private excursion where you can rent a Trike (3 wheel motorcycle and tour the island (if your husband likes 4 wheeling he would love the Trikes www.trikes-aruba.com).

[jennybenny]

I would choose the Regal Princess because I love the Royal Class ships. If you care about balcony size, try a premium deluxe balcony otherwise the balcony is tiny. What I love about the ship: the adult only pool, the cabanas you can rent there, the various specialty dining options on the Royal class ships that are not available on other ships (Wine Maker's dinner, Chef's Table Lumiere, Super Tuscan Dinner in Sabatini's), Bellini bar, the casino was nice, it's a beautiful ship. The Enclave is nice, but we didn't use it.

 

Barbados is my favorite beach island, beautiful sand, peaceful waters. Grand Cayman is my favorite cruise island for scuba diving, Nihihau in Kauai is my favorite but you can't do that on a cruise. I have not done a Southern Caribbean cruise, but I've heard the ABC islands are awesome and they are on a bucket list.

 

Have fun picking a cruise. Let us know what you decide on!

[hazelcorona]

I would choose the Regal Princess because I love the Royal Class ships. If you care about balcony size, try a premium deluxe balcony otherwise the balcony is tiny. What I love about the ship: the adult only pool, the cabanas you can rent there, the various specialty dining options on the Royal class ships that are not available on other ships (Wine Maker's dinner, Chef's Table Lumiere, Super Tuscan Dinner in Sabatini's), Bellini bar, the casino was nice, it's a beautiful ship. The Enclave is nice, but we didn't use it.

 

Barbados is my favorite beach island, beautiful sand, peaceful waters. Grand Cayman is my favorite cruise island for scuba diving, Nihihau in Kauai is my favorite but you can't do that on a cruise. I have not done a Southern Caribbean cruise, but I've heard the ABC islands are awesome and they are on a bucket list.

 

Have fun picking a cruise. Let us know what you decide on!

 

 

Are the specialties included or extra?

[jennybenny]

Are the specialties included or extra?

 

 

 

Extra but we budgeted it into the cruise and were very happy with all of it.

Chefs table is the most expensive but the wine makers dinner is a nice alternative to not spending as much. I highly recommend it

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[skynight]

"would choose the Regal Princess because I love the Royal Class ships. If you care about balcony size, try a premium deluxe balcony otherwise the balcony is tiny. What I love about the ship: the adult only pool, the cabanas you can rent there, the various specialty dining options on the Royal class ships that are not available on other ships (Wine Maker's dinner, Chef's Table Lumiere, Super Tuscan Dinner in Sabatini's), Bellini bar, the casino was nice, it's a beautiful ship. The Enclave is nice, but we didn't use it."

Premium deluxe balcony cabins Cat. D4, are aft facing, but this category may not be part of your free cruise.

Below $$ amounts are estimates from what I remember. I'm sure someone on these boards has more exact costs.

The adult only pool, Retreat Pool, is free, there is a charge to use the cabanas in the area of $100/day. The Sanctuary next to the Retreat Pool is $20/half day, $40/ full day, $30/full day if you book the entire cruise.

Wine Maker's Dinner $40/pp

Chef's Table $110/pp

Sabatini's $29/pp

Bellini Bar, serves cocktails menu priced like all beverages.

Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar, menu priced items

The Enclave, something like $120 to $140/pp for the week, not exactly certain.

The casino will be glad to accept your donations. Available on all ships.

The other ships you mention also have adult pools, sanctuary, Chef's Table but not as nice a setting, Sabatini's, and something similar to the enclave but also not as nice. They also have plenty of nice bars

[OCruisers]

Are the specialties included or extra?

 

The speciality restaurants are at an extra charge.

 

Great you're basically getting a "free" cruise.

Wondering ... what sort of cabin are you being given for your free cruise -- inside, ocean view, balcony, mini-suite, full suite or what????

Are you allowed to pay extra and upgrade if you wish?

[Thrak]

I'd just like to get back to Barbados to get a bunch of Foursquare Rum! I can get Barbados rum most anywhere if I want to get Mount Gay but I loved the Foursquare and can't find it anywhere. Poop.

 

 

 

I'd take the Eastern Voyager.

[keithm]

Hello

 

I need any and all help possible...I have been on 2 cruises with other lines. 1 great and 1 not so great. Unfortunately the not so great one was my husband's first and only cruise and he is VERY reluctant to try a cruise again.

We were given a free cruise (we have to pay taxes and get ourselves there - and before anyone chimes in, it is not a scam, it's not fake or timeshare or anything else)

 

So I've narrowed it down to these 4 possible cruises:

Eastern Caribbean on Regal Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Princess Cays, St Thomas, St Maarten)

Eastern Caribbean Voyager on Crown Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Princess Cays, St Thomas, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts)

Western on Caribbean Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel)

Southern Caribbean on Crown Princess (Ft Lauderdale, Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire)

 

My husband is not necessarily a nature/scenery lover. He doesn't want to spent TONS of money on excursions on every island (the highlight of our not so great cruise was four-wheeling) please help, any/all information, recommendations, opinions are VERY much appreciated

Myself, I'd take the longer cruise. I find 7 day cruises way too short. You blink, you're getting on. You blink again & you're on the way back home. Sounds like your husband is not a cruise fan. Any chance of a "girls" cruise without him?

[jennybenny]

"would choose the Regal Princess because I love the Royal Class ships. If you care about balcony size, try a premium deluxe balcony otherwise the balcony is tiny. What I love about the ship: the adult only pool, the cabanas you can rent there, the various specialty dining options on the Royal class ships that are not available on other ships (Wine Maker's dinner, Chef's Table Lumiere, Super Tuscan Dinner in Sabatini's), Bellini bar, the casino was nice, it's a beautiful ship. The Enclave is nice, but we didn't use it."

 

Premium deluxe balcony cabins Cat. D4, are aft facing, but this category may not be part of your free cruise.

Below $$ amounts are estimates from what I remember. I'm sure someone on these boards has more exact costs.

The adult only pool, Retreat Pool, is free, there is a charge to use the cabanas in the area of $100/day. The Sanctuary next to the Retreat Pool is $20/half day, $40/ full day, $30/full day if you book the entire cruise.

Wine Maker's Dinner $40/pp

Chef's Table $110/pp

Sabatini's $29/pp

Bellini Bar, serves cocktails menu priced like all beverages.

Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar, menu priced items

The Enclave, something like $120 to $140/pp for the week, not exactly certain.

The casino will be glad to accept your donations. Available on all ships.

The other ships you mention also have adult pools, sanctuary, Chef's Table but not as nice a setting, Sabatini's, and something similar to the enclave but also not as nice. They also have plenty of nice bars

Fair enough, you bring up a valid point. I'd take a free cruise in an inside cabin, and often do travel in inside cabins so I'm not opposed to them. Just wanted to state the size issue.

 

The summary of pricing is appreciated. I didn't know if off hand and it's a nice cheat sheet for potential expenses.

 

While other ships do have adult only pools none as are nice and spacious as the Retreat pool on Royal class ships.

The Super Tuscan dinner has previously only been available on the Royal Class ships.

Wine Makers dinner also only available on Royal class ships. So there are additional dining options on the Regal than the other ships.

 

I was just mentioning the things I enjoyed from that class ship.

Thanks for the additional info. :)

[hazelcorona]

Thank you everyone for the input so far.

It is an interior , which we are ok with. I am going to ask if we can pay for an upgrade.

We are going with the newest ship, so 7 day. Our last cruise was 5 day so 7 day seems good to test his cruise tolerance. He is the person who won so he has to go.

 

Now to find some private exercsions that cost less than the cruise line's ;)

[deliver42]

Another dining option is the Ultimate balcony dinner for $100.00 per couple Geat dinner with super service, champagne, and wine.