Help deciding between 4 Caribbean Cruises

[Thrak]

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?

 

I totally agree with this. 10 days is pretty much a minimum number for a decent cruise. We did a couple of 4 day "getaways" when I was working and they were nice as far as escaping from work but waaaaaaaaaaay too short. The only other short cruise we have done was 7 days after an 8 day land tour in Alaska. The 7 day cruise seemed really short. We loved the 28 day cruise to Hawaii and the South Pacific and the 14 day Circle Caribbean was also a decent length (although so many port days were exhausting!). Given the choice between a 7 day or a 10 day there is no question in my mind which to choose.

 

Edit: Oh, I see you have already decided on the 7 day cruise. Enjoy your cruise! (Hopefully your hubby will have a great time. :))

[capriccio]

 

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

 

That shouldn't be hard since we almost always do private excursions and never pay anywhere close to the cruise line price. Look at the Caribbean board - you'll get responses from lots of folks on a wide variety of cruise lines.

[OCruisers]

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 ;)

 

Keep in mind that you don't have to take an excursion in every port!

Sometimes, it's enjoyable to just stay on the ship.

Enjoy your cruise! :)

[Crystal04]

What does he dislike about cruising? That might help. You can usually pay a fee to upgrade your room on a free cruise. From what I remember it was 60pp for an obstructed ocean view and 300pp for a balcony. It probably varies for each cruise though. If I was to book based off of my personal preference I would book the second one. I don't like sea days and even though that one has 3 the ports make up for it.

[kendon]

Voyager.

[geocruiser]

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 ;)

 

The you are going on Regal. If you are going to pay for a upgrade. You will have to go to a balcony cabin. There are some obstructed balcony on deck eight (Emerald deck) mid ship, that are a good buy. You might want to look into them. Regal has a great buffet too.

[hazelcorona]

The cruise we did that was his first and only, went to islands with not much to do other than shopping or excursions, there was a comedy show on board and a variety song/dance show, a casino and lots of bingo. Oh and trivia....

 

My first cruise had a lot more activities throughout the day and evening but that was a different cruise line.

 

So this cruise will be my 3rd only 3rd cruise line, this will be his 2nd

 

I came on here becsuse I don't have any friends who have been on princess

[hazelcorona]

Change of plans due to lack of availability ....

Western Caribbean (7 day) on Caribbean Princess to Princess Cays, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City & Cozumel it is ...

Total cost is airfare + $270 total

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Change of plans due to lack of availability ....

Western Caribbean (7 day) on Caribbean Princess to Princess Cays, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City & Cozumel it is ...

Total cost is airfare + $270 total

sigh... Wouldn't be my choice.

[hazelcorona]

sigh... Wouldn't be my choice.

 

Is there any particular reason?

(I'm sort of stuck with this one but if I know what to anticipate I can try to prepare / combat ;) )

[63 Super Sport]

The ABC cruise would be my number one pick. All of these ports have great walking areas to visit. I suggest booking private guides in advance. That way you can go at your own pace and see what you like. We enjoy history and learning about the port. Check the port boards for ideas.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Is there any particular reason?

(I'm sort of stuck with this one but if I know what to anticipate I can try to prepare / combat ;) )

Just because Caribbean Princess is the oldest of the ones you offered up, and Cozumel is one of the not so worthy destinations. Don't even get off the boat - save your money and enjoy the ship's offerings instead.

 

A free cruise is a free cruise. If I didn't see the other choices, I would have been super happy. :)

[voljeep]

Is there any particular reason?

(I'm sort of stuck with this one but if I know what to anticipate I can try to prepare / combat ;) )

 

It's a great ship with a decent/normal itinerary that Princess does many times a year

 

a couple of the others , IF AVAILABLE, might have been better based on the ports that aren't frequented as much - ABC's and the St's,..

 

you're going to have a fantastic cruise !!:cool:

[hazelcorona]

Just because Caribbean Princess is the oldest of the ones you offered up, and Cozumel is one of the not so worthy destinations. Don't even get off the boat - save your money and enjoy the ship's offerings instead.

 

A free cruise is a free cruise. If I didn't see the other choices, I would have been super happy. :)

 

Gotcha ;) It says it was refurbished 4/2017

 

The stops are Grand Cayman (possible fathoms run tour ;) ) Roatan (MAYBE iguana farm or underwater Boss) , Costa Maya (have always wanted to see Mayan Ruins...) and Cozumel thinking possible Tequila tour and or dolphin interaction ... all to be determined. :)

 

Can't be too sad or disappointed in a free cruise ;) and I need all the hopes, prayers and wishes that my husband enjoys this one so that there could be more cruises in our future :D

[deliver42]

Enjoy your cruise.

[billslowsky]

Gotcha ;) It says it was refurbished 4/2017

 

The stops are Grand Cayman (possible fathoms run tour ;) ) Roatan (MAYBE iguana farm or underwater Boss) , Costa Maya (have always wanted to see Mayan Ruins...) and Cozumel thinking possible Tequila tour and or dolphin interaction ... all to be determined. :)

 

Can't be too sad or disappointed in a free cruise ;) and I need all the hopes, prayers and wishes that my husband enjoys this one so that there could be more cruises in our future :D

 

Sounds like you have a good plan. At the very least, you get to see the Mayan Ruins.

[darstamp]

I did a week on Antigua and the highlight was doing a tour of Nelson's Dockyard and going up to Shirley Heights. It is part of Nelson's Dockyard National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are many beautiful beaches but if I only had one day there, that's what I would do.

[geoherb]

I'd usually go with the longer cruise, but the ABCs are very tempting. It's one of our favorite itineraries. We especially love Bonaire.

[Skai]

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

 

Renting a vehicle on all of the ABC islands is good advice, although Aruba is the island of the three that one could utilize reliable public transpo to get around.

 

As for which itinerary to pick...Most here have suggested the 8-day or 10-day, as it's sound logic that a longer cruise is better than a shorter one.:cool:

 

For that reason alone, I would suggest the Eastern Voyager for its length and variety.

 

The ABC islands are very nice for beach/water activities, but not much else. Along with a shared colonial Dutch history, the terrain is also very similar on all three islands -- Semi-arid, almost desert like in parts, often windswept, but easy to circumvent in a car for a day in port. If beaches/water activities are your primary draw, these islands can provide.

 

The Eastern(Voyager) itinerary, however, may offer more variety. Each stop will be unique in comparison to the others.

 

A stop in the Bahamas(Princess Cays) is a 'private island' experience beach day. Ship's tenders travel all day to and from the ship to the private beach. No excursion needed here.

 

A stop in the U.S. Virgin Islands.(St. Thomas is well known for its shopping, and beaches. St. John(by local ferry) makes for a great DIY day as well.) -- This area is recovering from the hurricane last year, but the beaches and water will still be nice. Shared Safari-truck style taxis to the nice beachs are reasonably priced.

 

St. Kitts affords opportunties to tour a fort on the Northern part of the island, and there are a couple of decent beaches in the South. Nevis also makes for a nice day trip.

 

Antigua is the island of beaches. I believe there is one for every day of the year there. One can tour Shirley Heighs and the Royal Dockyard and then head to one of the nicer beaches on the SW shore of the island, or simply head straight to the beach and make it a full day. There is a Public Bus system here.

 

St. Lucia is volcanic and lush being one of the more Southern/Windward of the Antilles. Some of the more popular tours there include a land and/or sea trip to the area around the Pitons, and there is also Reduit Beach and Pigeon Island in the North. St. Lucia would be a place that joining a shared tour could provide good value.

 

Barbados and its British history is interesting. There are lots of activities to do here, many involve some of the nicest beaches that Barbados is famous for. Taking a Catamaran day sail and snorkeling w/ turtles being other extremely popular activities

 

That all stated, the above is my personal opinion and what I would go for. Many of the above suggestions can be done DIY or shared private tours with a little research ahead of time. Whatever you decide to do, I recommend joining the roll call for your sailing, as there may be others posting there that can offer tips and suggestions for what to do at the ports of call. Some may even organize private tours that can be shared to split costs(often much cheaper and more intimate than those sold by the cruise line).........

 

If all that potential activity and stimulus seems like it might not be up your husband's alley, perhaps one of the shorter cruises might suit better. The Regal is a very nice ship and the ports of Princess Cays, St. Thomas and St. Martin are all very easy and a good mix of shopping/beaches ---- as much leisure/or activities that one desires.

[Skai]

Change of plans due to lack of availability ....

Western Caribbean (7 day) on Caribbean Princess to Princess Cays, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City & Cozumel it is ...

Total cost is airfare + $270 total

 

Ha Ha:')

 

Should have read the whole thread before typing the above response. Have fun on your cruise. The Western can provide for a fun itinerary too.

 

If you like to snorkel, the snorkeling off of West Bay Beach is pretty interesting. The beach is pretty popular among day/week trippers, so there are plenty of amenities available. One may purchase a day pass at one of the numerous locations(often including the basics like beach chairs/umbrellas/lockers/water-sports gear/showers/changing rooms/bathrooms/bar/restaurant etc etc.).

[58Piano]

I like western carribbean. The ports on the Eastern were hit hard with Hurricanes last year. Not sure how much is up and running in St Thomas and St Maarten.

We love Cozumel. We always go to Passion Island. Our favorite beach. The kind of beach you put into memory as your happy place to go to when life gets tough.

[Cruzinnana47]

Congrats on winning the cruise. I think your choice will work out fine. We recently sailed on the Caribbean Princess and enjoyed our experience. Although it wasn't your first pick, the Western Carib. itinerary can be fun, and it looks like you're already doing plenty of research on what to do in each port. ENJOY YOURSELF! Hoping hubby will want to cruise again!;)

[kitkat343]

I'm the exception - I actually really like the itinerary you will be sailing. In Costa Maya, I'd strongly recommend the Mayan experience with Native choice https://www.thenativechoice.com/tours/mayan-experience-tour . They will take you to the ruins (which are not a major ruins, but quite nice to see, plus you can get some really good pictures climbing on part of them.) and then they will take you to a nice area where Mayan grandmothers will cook you a delicious lunch. The only downside of this tour is that you meet at their office, which was a slightly long walk (it's four blocks) for us due to the fact that we visited with a 3 year old. If you are a reasonably fit adult, it won't be a difficult walk (although it might be hot and you might want to buy or bring water off the ship with you). There is a map here which will help you decide if you should try to take a cab or if you'll be fine walking: https://www.thenativechoice.com/find-us They'll give you water as soon as you arrive. They recommend travelers with disabilities take a cab (it's a really short cab ride) but there were no cabs in port when we disembarked, although we saw them when we returned.

 

We've been to Roatan twice, and really liked Bodden adventures. They provide transportation to whatever attractions you'd like to see on the island. You can see your options for tours here, but they will take you anywhere you want to go on the island: https://www.boddentours.com/bestofroatan.htm If you like animals, the owner, Victor Bodden, transformed his backyard into an animal experience place for tourists. You can go into monkey cages and they will climb all over you (make sure you leave your purse/glasses outside since they are very playful and curious creatures and will go after these things). there were also parrots and other animals to play with. We really liked the iguana farm (and both the iguanas and monkeys like bananas so you might want to bring some to them). If you like zip lines or walking across hanging bridges, South Shore ziplines was great (please note that bidden's house has a zipline, but there were tripadvisor reviews that stated it was not operating completely safely and I was pretty terrified when my guide suggested that my then 3 year old could zip line). Snorkling and scuba diving are excellent on Roatan, so those are more options.

 

In the Grand Cayman Islands, the stingray city is very special. Just be sure to book a private tour, since that way the group will be smaller and you'll get more time holding a stingray if you'd like to touch one. If you like animals, the turtle farm is also quite interesting.

 

Cozumel is the only one of the port on your cruise I didn't love, but Dolphinaris was quite nice. You can book either a regular dolphin swim or a longer program with the dolphins ( https://www.dolphinaris.com/swim-with-dolphins/dolphin-trainer/ )

[Desert Cruizers]

I haven't been on the Voyager but would do either an Eastern or Southern over a Western. With the Voyager you get more Ports and that is a plus.