Carnival best ports for nature lovers

[cruiser1085]

I am a relative newbie to cruises, having taken only one to the Caribbean as part of a continuing education seminar and one to Alaska's Inside Passage (which I absolutely loved, so much natural beauty). i.e. I know very little.

 

 

 

My fiance has been gifted a 4-night cruise voucher and it seems Carnival Cruise Line has the most availability for the dates we can travel, however, we are not party people, which it seems Carnival has a bit of a reputation for, and my fiance doesn't like being cooped up. He's agreed to go only if I want to.

 

 

 

So, all that said, which is better for nature lovers, Ensenada from LA or Cozumel from Florida? And what is your favorite excursion for outdoor activities like kayaking or fishing or snorkeling, visiting Mayan ruins, or simply renting a car and exploring on our own?

 

 

 

Is there a specific ship that has more on-board for someone who doesn't like being confined to a ship? i.e. quality of hot tub, a great deck for walking laps, mini golf perhaps, jazz music or best food? I saw one that was described as lots of country music and that for sure would not fit my fiance.

 

 

Or... I am open to other suggestions for cruise lines I could search for.

 

 

 

I'd love to get feedback from those of you with more cruise experience.

[riffatsea]

Hi,

Sadly 4 day cruises turn out to be more about partying than the longer ones so you may not enjoy it as much as you have the previous ones.

We have been to Cozumel and Ensenada both many times.

Cozumel is in the Caribbean so warmer water and more access to ruins etc.

The best ruins are off the island but the ones right on Cozumel itself are also interesting.

As far as I am concerned in Ensenada the best thing to do there is a winery tour not water activities. The Pacific is cold for most of the year.

[Out of Iowa]

Caribbean destinations offer swimming with stingrays, dolphin experiences, bioluminesence kayaking, cave tubing, walks in the jungle to hidden waterfalls, deep-sea fishing, parasailing....lots of options!

 

Everyone should see some Mayan ruins with their own eyes. Renting a car is an at-your-own-risk type of activity; many people choose organized excursions (ship- or local- vendor). Moped rental? No. If you find yourself in Grand Cayman, go snorkeling and to experience the stringrays at Stingray City with Moby Dick excursions (focus on safety, small group, loads of fun and personal attention!).

 

Yes, Carnival did have a "we've got the fun" party reputation; it's fun with lots of onboard activities (mini golf, water slide, trivia, Hasbro game shows, comedians, basketball court, afternoon tea time, towel animal class) but you won't find yourself surrounded by over-imbibing drunks! There are families, multi-generation families, interest-groups, singles on each cruise...and, keep in mind, the longer the cruise duration, the fewer misbehaviors you are likely to see!

 

With whatever you choose, have fun!

[A&Jfamily]

Select a ship that has a balcony - first and foremost. It’s worth every penny to have that private space and prevents cooped up feeling. If we ever received a voucher we would Pay the price difference on the room or skip the cruise entirely.

 

A key west/Cozumel cruise is lovely. So is Grand Turk. There is plenty to do in the Bahamas for nature lovers as well but they at first blush are not the prettiest destinations. Progresso is a commercial port like Freeport but Uxmal ruins are the best we have seen, even over Tulum. Those are the places you are going to reach on 4-5 days.

 

If you ever go farther, Roatan is outstanding for animal options from monkeys to sloths to bird to iguanas. Belize has fantastic snorkeling/diving.

 

 

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[IntrepidFromDC]

Cozumel is ok if you want to drive around outside of town, for nature. Haven't done any cruises out of LA. If you want a cruise that is AMAZING on nature, consider Alaska. Best cruise ever and especially for nature and the scientist onboard who spots wildlife in the fjords coming up ahead. But you asked about best port. Skagway is amazing, huge salmon everywhere in the water when you raft, but watch out for the grizzlies (really). Your tourguide on any nature walk will be well-prepared to deal with grizzlies though.

[A&Jfamily]

Cozumel is ok if you want to drive around outside of town, for nature. Haven't done any cruises out of LA. If you want a cruise that is AMAZING on nature, consider Alaska. Best cruise ever and especially for nature and the scientist onboard who spots wildlife in the fjords coming up ahead. But you asked about best port. Skagway is amazing, huge salmon everywhere in the water when you raft, but watch out for the grizzlies (really). Your tourguide on any nature walk will be well-prepared to deal with grizzlies though.

 

 

 

You should probably specify that the salmon primarily run in July - with different species coming in at different times. When we cruised Memorial Day week, the salmon has not arrived yet.

 

 

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[IntrepidFromDC]

You should probably specify that the salmon primarily run in July - with different species coming in at different times. When we cruised Memorial Day week, the salmon has not arrived yet.

Sent from my almost-as-good-as-a-Samsung-iPhone

 

I did not realize that but it makes sense, although we were September and I don't know if it was spawning season or whatnot.

 

Sent from my better than iAnything Samsung ;p:p:D

[SadieN]

4 day cruise?

Out of Los Angeles they go to Catalina. Lots of endemic plants on the island. Wrigley gardens has lots of them. Can go into the interior for more, maybe even see a bison.

[2011mom]

I often do the 4-day from LA cruise, and I am also a nature lover. In Catalina I usually do a beautiful loop hike, you walk up to the Wrigley mansion and behind that is a loop hike that's I think about 8 miles, with incredible views at the top. There's also decent snorkeling in Catalina, though it doesn't compare with some Caribbean ports. Lots of bright orange garibaldi.

 

 

Ensenada is not as nice. There's a great zip line/ropes course if you're into that, just ask a taxi to take you to las canadas. There's also a blowhole which is pretty amazing, but you have to walk down an obnoxious line of vendors to see it. I've done a little hiking in Ensenada, up the hillside at the far end of town. Nice views at the top, but there's plenty of trash along the way.

 

 

Like others have noted, there are some fantastic Caribbean ports (and Alaska) but if you're only doing a 4-night cruise, you don't have such great ports to visit. Nice ruins at Cozumel though.

 

 

As to the party atmosphere, well, I'm not much of a partier but I love the short cruises for a getaway. I like the production shows, the comedy shows, sometimes the piano bar. And it's always nice to walk out on deck. The Ensenada run are Carnival's smallest ships, but I like them. There's a jogging track and everything I need to have a good time and not feel too crowded.

[Nic6318]

hi

 

If you are looking for a 4 day cruise and your choices are either east coast or west coast, I would say go on one that is closest to you.

 

A four day cruise isn't very long, just getting to the ship is enough of a chore if you are flying. If you can combine it with a "land" destination to make a longer vacation then I could see travelling a little further.

 

Certainly if you are looking for Mayan ruins, or warm sunny beaches, the Caribbean is your best bet. I will be going on a 4 day cruise in Nov. leaving from Miami, going to Key West and Cozumel. If you could do a 5 day trip, then you could go to 2 Caribbean destinations such as Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

 

The ships that do these shorter cruises are generally, older, smaller ships, but you should be able to have fun. There is a variety of entertainment, and if you are fairly new to cruising, it should all be new and fresh to you.

 

hope this helps

have a great cruise

[Fergus]

Belize has a cavetubing excursion that is fantastic. You hike through the jungle for a bit, with the guides talking about all the uses of jungle plants, then raft through several caves and down the river. We loved it!

[JandPB]

You can make your cruise whatever you want it to be. You don’t have to party at all if you don’t want. I’ve never sailed from Cali so I can’t speak to it. Cozumel has plenty of options for nature. If you ever get the chance, the southern itinerary from San Juan, St Lucia is amazing. There are a lot of great options on that itinerary.

 

 

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