First timers - Caribbean cruise

[shiznics]

Hey there!  First time cruiser here as well.  My friend and I just booked the Symphony of the Seas 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise out of Miami, FL on May 7, 2022.  Was going to take a cruise sooner, but pandemic....  

[lenquixote66]

On 11/7/2020 at 10:39 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Hopefully you are considering at least a week - the shorter ones tend to be booze cruises, which barely give a taste of the Caribbean.  If you have the time, you might think of something sailing from San Juan, PR - giving you warm sailing all the way as well as a good couple of days in one of the best ports.

Our first Caribbean cruise was from San Juan.I agree with NBT.

[broadwaybaby123]

What's your price point for your cruise?  There are several lines that sail to the Caribbean: Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival, Costa, and Norwegian all come to mind, although I'm sure that there's more that I'm missing.  Some are cheaper than others, but those lines sail all over the Caribbean.

 

Also, what time of year are you thinking of?  September and October is generally the start of Hurricane Season.

[Host Kat]

Howdy!  

 

The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 & ends November 30. Caribbean cruises are usually a bit cheaper during the season... but also risky. However, all cruise lines will do their best in trying to keep their guests & crew out of harm's way.

 

I was on a RCI Rhapsody OTS cruise out of Galveston the week of Hurricane Wilma in 2005. I call it "The Boll Weevil" cruise. We cruised around the Caribbean "lookin' for a home" since we could not go to any of the 3 scheduled ports. The captain did make it to 2 other ports. The 1 missed port's fees were refunded as OBC.   

 

I sincerely hope this information will be helpful. 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

 

[broadwaybaby123]

What's your price point?  More formal cruises tend to cost more than casual ones.  Disney is by far one of the most expensive cruises!

[CanadaRob]

On 11/7/2020 at 12:19 PM, seasickchris said:

Wow!  Never gave a thought to the great questions raised above 😂. Thanks for all the responses! We are a couple who were enjoying (early - my partner told me to say) retirement until COVID hit. 
 

 

 seasickchris I know you haven't been back in a while so unsure if you have booked anything.  I wanted to add my .02.

When checking flights, check on flights to San Juan over Florida.  Can do 2 weeks and see some of the iconic beaches in Aruba, Barbados, the picturesque houses in Curacao, etc.   If price sensitive would look at MSC out of Martinique/Guadaloupe.  MSC is agressive in the Caribbean but the product is not for everyone-check some reviews here no matter what airline you choose.