Back to Back Caribbean Cruises

[Beach208]

What is the best Back to Back Caribbean Cruise? i.e. Eastern Caribbean then the Western Caribbean or Southern or what? Also what cruise line is the best for this for people 55+ but still active? Comments are welcomed:)

 

Beach208

[Mocorobabe]

Our favorite class of ships is the Radiance Class...Radiance, Brilliance, Jewel, and Serenade...of Royal Caribbean. We would suggest the B2B cruise on the Radiance. It is an Eastern and Western Caribbean cruise. You can take it 2 ways...8 day Eastern and 6 day Western..or take the 6 day cruise first followed by the 8 day one.

 

We are taking this particular cruise on the 17th of February (8 days) and the 25th of February (6 days)

 

Feel sure you would enjoy it either way.

 

Mocorobabe

[firefly333]

I want to do the Coral Princess 10 days to Panama next.

 

Pick a Princess, such as the Caribbean Princess to match with it? I just did the Eastern on this ship and it was nice and hear Western is just as nice.

 

I did hear a younger person on my flight home complain that the Coral was the geriatric crowd. I have heard others say on the cruises more than 7 days you run into an older crowd.

[CruseKrazy]

As you can see we are booked on an RCI Grandeur of the Seas back to back cruise in April. I wasn't even thinking of this when we booked the first leg.

 

After planning what we might do in Puerto Rico and the cost, it dawned on me that it would be just as much fun and actually cheaper to simply stay on the ship for the second leg.

 

Overall we will be stopping at 9 ports of call West, South, East and then North. With the 55+ discount on each leg, it's a great deal. Will likely look for this kind of deal again in future.

[petel]

What is the best Back to Back Caribbean Cruise? i.e. Eastern Caribbean then the Western Caribbean or Southern or what? Also what cruise line is the best for this for people 55+ but still active? Comments are welcomed:)

 

Beach208

 

We love RCI and feel like it's a perfect fit for our age group. As for the "best" B2B that is such a personal thing.............if it's ports you want then you have to choose. The further south you go in the Caribbean it seems the bluer the water. Excursions are probably more mature and refined at the closer in ports because of the traffic and practice. For us, any B2B helps stretch the days on the ship......... the repositions followed by or proceeded by a "local" cruise is a wonderful and very cost effective way to go. Last fall we did a 7 night Greek / Turkey B2B with an 18 night transatlantic. Perfect!

[WELSH WIZARDS]

We did a great back to back last year, and enjoyed it so much we booked next winter as soon as we got back.

We left the UK on the Golden Princess, did a week cruising around Europe, and then 10 days Transatlantic, 17 days in all. We spent some time in Florida, and then did the Caribbean with Celebrity on the Constellation.

We will do two different ittinerys in Nov, and we are thinking about the other way around in May, America back to the UK,as Repositioning Cruises are such good value

[Bodger]

Personally, I would look at one of the 14 night cruises that goes to the Southern Caribbean instead of doing a B2B. I find the southern ports to be more interesting, and if it matters to you, they are less likely to be a lot of children.

 

Additionally at the southern ports you are less likely to have half a dozen ships in port as you will on eastern and western itineraries.

 

Our personal preferences run to HAL and Celebrity, and smaller rather than larger ships. YMMV.

 

Bodger

[Stevesan]

To avoid repeating ports, book a B2B alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean. Check the Ft Lauderdale itineraries of your favorite cruise lines.

 

Crown Princess has seven day cruises out of San Juan that alternates Southern Caribbean itineraries. The only port that repeats is St Thomas. I've booked Crown for February as a single fourteen day cruise. The price is same either way, and Princess gives credit for two cruises. Booking it as a single cruise just makes logistics simpler.

 

HAL offers a fourteen day S. Caribbean out of Tampa. Not a B2B, but it's a good itinerary on one of HAL's 'S' Class ships. That's good if you prefer smaller cruise ships. HAL is often the preferred cruise line for us age challenged cruisers.;) Having said that, I'm well past 55 and I like both HAL and Princess!

 

The best part of a B2B is waving bye-bye to the sad souls leaving after week one.:)

[Keith1010]

We have done back to back cruises. I would try to find two back to back cruise that do not repeat itineraries. Eastern and Western are usually the most common b2b cruises in the caribbean.

 

Keith

[LHT28]

We are doing a B2B with Caribbean/Central America ports of call.

1st...Cozumel, Belize, Guatemala, Roatan Honduras, Costa rica, Colon Panama, Columbia, grand Cayman

2nd..Turks & Caicos, D.R, Tortola, Antigua, St Lucia, Dominica, Virgin Gorda,

[DocF]

I would strongly agree about doing B2B on a ship that alternates a western and an eastern itinerary. I also agree that a 14 day southern cruise would make a lot of sense.

 

MY DW and I are both mid-60s. We really like Carnival as we get a much bigger cabin at a lower price. We can participate or ignore activities as we choose.

 

My 88 YO mother likes Carnival, RCI, and Celebrity. She says Holland America is for old fogies. :rolleyes:

 

Doc:)

[PennyAgain]

When you do a back to back cruise on the same ship, are you allowed to leave your stuff in your room and even stay on the ship or do you have to get off and reboard?

[montana200024]

When you do a back to back cruise on the same ship, are you allowed to leave your stuff in your room and even stay on the ship or do you have to get off and reboard?

 

you get to leave your stuff...if you book the same room

you have to meet and the staff take you down to customs, and bring you right back...process about 20 min...

 

Carnival is the best for entertainment...they have great piano sing along bar, an entertainer outside the casino...and a big screen tv on pool deck (Liberty)...i loved it...would do many b2b on Carnival..

 

we did a b2b on RCCL..and it was kind of boring..we are 55+..lol

[retrembl]

My wife and I booked a B2B on Holland America - MS Westerndam in Nov/Dec 2005. Fort Lauderdale to the Western Caribbean and then Ft Lauderdale to the Eastern Caribbean. We had a Great Time. We were in a Cat SY Stateroom 6101. We were able to book the fare for only $929.00 per person for each leg of the cruise. The major savings was only one airfare for two cruises.

The Westerndam also sails the Southern Caribbean. So you can elect to Sail South then East, or West the South or combo there of.

 

Richard & Nancy Tremblay

[cruisnpat]

We did a B2B on the Liberty of the Seas one week eastern and next week western. That was great.