Cruising from the USA

[DOJO1]

We are looking at Bahamas or Caribbean cruise late 2023 or anytime 2024. We are cruisers but never from the states ( we are in Australia).

Cruises seem to be shorter, we prefer 14 days or so, especially when travelling so far from home.

• Needs to be Carnival to use up some of the credits we have from COVID cancelled cruising
• Are b2b's possible? What's better Bahamas or Caribbean/East/West Southern?
• We are in our 50's and enjoy sea days.
• Best time to go with weather/less children on board and pricing?

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated :)

[crystalspin]

Hi DOJO!

Although I hate with a capital H answers that just sent you to a different board, in this case I think you need to ask on the Carnival Board because of your particular requirements. Go here

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/133-carnival-cruise-lines/

 

and ask the entire question there.

[kimberlym322]

Yes you could do B2B's.  longer cruises are going to be out of like New York (NJ) or Baltimore.  You could look into these two ports and look for a cruise that goes to the Caribbean and then one to the Bahamas or the other way around.  Northern ports holidays are not a good time to go because of schools being out.  If going out of FL that is a hit and miss because you have people from everywhere cruising out of there.

[Essiesmom]

The average Carnival cruise is 7 days, but there are some that alternate 6/8,  and a few longer.  But some ships do itineraries that vary, like eastern Caribbean one week, western the next.  Or you can do a Panama Canal partial transit which is usually about 10 days.  And you can a,ways tack another cruise on either end.  I suggest you go to www.cruisetimetables.com and choose cruises from Miami, as those are probably the longest.  You might get a partial canal transit from Galveston.  Bahamas cruises are short, 3-5 days, but you might tack one onto the end of another cruise, maybe by changing ships in Miami.  You don’t usually get as deep into the Caribbean from Port Canaveral.  
     Weather in the Caribbean is pretty warm all year long, with the occasional annoyance of a tropical storm.  This has been a quiet year so far.  The cruise lines will work around them…. As far as school holidays go, you can pretty much tell when they are by the prices.  The long holidays are Christmas, and around Easter.  We also have a number of national holidays that are observed on Mondays.  Kids go back to school any time from early August until after Labor Day, which is the first Monday in September.  School can be out from mid-May until early September, depending on the area of the country.  
   I think I’ve scribbled enough for now.  EM

[Nebr.cruiser]

Most Carnival Caribbean cruises are 7-8 days or less, but you can find a few of 10 days or so.  You can do back-to-back, and with careful planning  either stay on the same ship with a different itinerary or change ships.

 

I'd much rather do the actual Caribbean than just the Bahamas.  All routes are good, if you haven't been before, but we prefer the Southern Caribbean.  Most cruise of 7 days will have 2-3 sea days.  We like those too!

 

Best times to avoid kids (not always so easy on Carnival) are times when school in the states is in session.  Especially good, for less kids and pricing, is late  November (after Thanksgiving holidayis over) through early December (before cruises that hit the Christmas holiday).  Also good are January and earlier February.  Late February and March are often filled with families due to spring breaks, which vary with region.  Easter is also busy.

 

Longer cruises are less likely to have tons of kids, but Carnival is definitely family friendly.  We would avoid their very short cruises, 3-6 days.

[navybankerteacher]

I know Carnival has a few 14+ day itineraries - some involving partial or full transit of Panama Canal.  Their back to backs would like be two of the same itinerary - or one Bahamas (which is pretty dismal) paired with a Caribbean - but each more likely to be kid-crowded than one longer sailing.

[Mary229]

Carnival sails from other ports besides Florida , you may want to check New Orleans and Galveston for longer cruises.  Since they start further west some of the eastward bound are longer duration. 

[Essiesmom]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

Carnival sails from other ports besides Florida , you may want to check New Orleans and Galveston for longer cruises.  Since they start further west some of the eastward bound are longer duration. 

If you check Galveston, nearly all do western.  Same for Tampa, other than the occasional 8 day partial Panama Canal.  Same from New Orleans.  Currently not sailing from Fort Lauderdale.  Cruises from Port Canaveral seldom go farther down than San Juan, occasionally St. Thomas.  Not really IN the Caribbean, just on the northern edge.  Which is why I suggested Miami.  EM

[Mary229]

8 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

If you check Galveston, nearly all do western.  Same for Tampa, other than the occasional 8 day partial Panama Canal.  Same from New Orleans.  Currently not sailing from Fort Lauderdale.  Cruises from Port Canaveral seldom go farther down than San Juan, occasionally St. Thomas.  Not really IN the Caribbean, just on the northern edge.  Which is why I suggested Miami.  EM

There are some and it is worth considering.  Since they do originate in the west and go east there is a lot of ground covered.