Help us choose a Caribbean cruise!

[OhPinchy]

We're a 28 year old couple from Ireland looking to go on our first cruise in mid-November this year (could not confirm our suitability to travel until now due to personal reasons) and after a fair bit of searching on here and elsewhere (and talking to friends/family that have cruised) it seems like the Caribbean is the best fit.

 

We're looking for a cruise that offers lots of activities to keep us interested and one with a good relaxed atmosphere on-board (set-dining sessions ok if the atmosphere is not generally very formal). It seems the West Caribbean is the best spot for snorkelling which is a real interest for us, but I'd say anywhere in the Caribbean would have pretty good snorkelling so we're quite flexible.

 

Having spoken to some Irish travel agents it seems they don't know much about the actual ships and atmospheres so I think it's best for us to figure out the sailing that best suits us and then look to get the right deal - I'll compare travel agent prices to the cost of booking cruise, flights, and hotel direct and then decide the best option. We will go for a Balcony cabin to make sure we don't get claustrophobic.

 

The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas seem like great options and would cost under 1000 EURO for 7 nights in a Balcony. The Mariner of the Seas seems like another reasonable option for under 700 EURO. A friend was on the Mariner and said it was great - are the Freedom or Liberty and their routes worth the extra cost?

 

My parents did a Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Gem with NCL and really liked it. I know people on here might regard it as a budget cruise line, but from talking to them it really seems like it's actually a very good ship. They have a Western Caribbean cruise with 4 stops (versus possibly 3 with RCI) for under 800 EURO for a Balcony. Am I right in thinking the RCI ships offer more options in activities, or is that only the Freedom class (i.e. not the Mariner)?

 

Those are the options that I have currently outlined, but I'd really appreciate any thoughts on these options or other options along similar lines. I think the ship is the most important factor, then the route, but we're newbies to this so I'm sure there's plenty we're overlooking. Thanks! :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

RCI sounds like the best fit for you.

 

Enjoy!!

[caber]

Don`t miss the Stingrays in Grand Caymen.

[CowPrincess]

For specific info on the ships, try posting on the "Royal Caribbean" board and the NCL board, as it sounds as though those are the two lines which most interest you. I'm sure you'll get LOTS of good info specific to the various ships.

[EBallgrl]

Just thought that I would point out that Carnival Cruise Lines also offers a Western Caribbean itinerary on a couple different ships, usually at lower prices than the other lines. That may be another option for you to look into. Western is great! Had a blast there last year and will be going back next month, I do not care who takes me there! Good hunting! :D

 

And I agree, you MUST swim with the stingrays if you end up in Grand Cayman!

[Sherman793]

Just got back from the Mariner. The western run is awesome! The ship is beautiful and is not much smaller than Freedom. There are 4 stops and the snorkling/sting rays in Grand Caymen are great. The snorkling in Cozumel is not good the reefs were decemated a few years ago in a hurricane but there are plenty of things to do there. Labadee is RC own island and is a very relaxing beach day. I recommend Marva Shaw in Ocho Rios for falls and tubing. You can google her she is not with the cruise line but books with lots of CC people.

 

We also did the 8 day Eastern on Liberty (Carnival), loads of fun and go go go. There were 4 islands on that one too. Beautiful ship and if your heart is set on Western run it will also be awesome. We are going on Glory in the spring again. You will not be disappointed in any of these picks. November can be rainy so be prepared for some but it is not a sure thing by any means.

 

Mike and I did one cruise (Western) in November and it rained every day. We LOVED it!! Still did all the ports, shopped, toured just did not do the water stuff as it was canceled. One of the most relaxing cruises we have done.

 

Have fun!:)

[OhPinchy]

Thanks for all the info folks - I'll look into the Carnival option though it does seem we won't go far wrong with either RCI or NCL.

 

I'll get some specific quotes from travel agents, weigh them up against book-it-yourself options and then look at specific ship threads (e.g. cabin selection tips etc.) before finalising.

 

Once booked I'll then refer to the wealth of info on here for cruising tips and port info, great resource is CruiseCritic!

 

Sherman793 - I know weather can't be predicted, but would it be less likely to rain in Western or Eastern Caribbean? Snorkelling is one of our main interests so I wouldn't want to miss it, not the end of the world if we do, but would be good to consider.

 

Go raibh maith agaibh a chairde.

[beachbev]

I have been on the Mariner & Freedom. I like the Mariner by far. It is my favorite. The Freedom was just SO big.... Both are fun! Good luck !

[vmom]

I don't think the Mariner will be an option for you since it will be moving to the western coast of Mexico doing cruises from California down the Mexico coast.

 

I would recommend reading a lot of the reviews of possible ships you may be interested in to get a flavor for the ship and its activites.

 

We've been on 3 RCCL cruises and you really can't go wrong with RCCL.

[JanineM]

I'm going to jump in with a vote for Mariner. We've sailed on her 3 times and she is a BEAUTIFUL ship with two excellent Captains who keep their staff happy. (Happy staff = happy passengers :D ). If you want lots of activities then the Voyager class ship is worthwhile. The shows in the theatre are so-so, but the ice show is fabulous, and there are opportunities for dancing, piano bar, trivia games, etc.

 

Mariner doesn't move to the West Coast until 2009, so if you are wanting to sail THIS November then you'll be okay.

 

If you don't want to dress formally then you do have options on Royal Caribbean. The buffet is open in the evening (full buffet, plus Jade which is a Japanese style area of the buffet), there is room service, plus there are the two specialty dining restaurants.

 

I have not sailed on NCL or Princess, but my sister did sail on NCL and wasn't really happy with it. Granted, this was the Hawaiian itinerary and perhaps the ships in the Caribbean are better.

 

We have sailed both Eastern & Western and I personally prefer Western, but that may be because we have been to eastern more times and I am a bit tired of St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

 

Just my two cents worth. Hope this helps a bit with your decision!

[OhPinchy]

Thanks for all the thoughts folks...have to say I think there's a wealth of options and I think it sounds like any of these options will help us have a great time.

 

Interesting to hear that the Mariner has plenty to offer despite not being as big as the Freedom class...that brings it back into play.

 

I'll be grilling the travel agents tomorrow and have found a thread in the NCL forum where someone in the UK found a US travel agent to book through to save on the exchange rate. The EURO may have dropped to $1.39 but it still would give a good saving so I'm all ears for any info from anyone that has done likewise.

 

Having read lots of review of RCI and NCL ships I think we'd be happy on any of those so now it's about getting the right deal for our preferred itinerary (Western Caribbean, starting 15/16 November for 7 nights in a balcony cabin with 4 stops).

[OhPinchy]

Right, we're going to make our final decision today on the NCL Pearl or Mariner of the Seas for our Western Caribbean 7 night cruise this November.

 

We're actually leaning towards the NCL Pearl due to the flexibility it offers and primarily, what we're thinking is a more suitable list of ports for us.

 

Pearl stops in Roatan, Belize, Cozumel, and Great Stirrup Cay. We want to do a good bit of snorkelling and diving and maybe see the Mayan ruins at Belize and these seem great ports for diving.

 

Mariner stops in Labadee Haiti, Ochos Rios Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Ochos Rios and Grand Cayman sound a bit more commercialized and might not offer as good diving though I'm fully open to correction on that.

 

We're not mad on the idea that we would have to choose a meal time before going on the cruise, particularly with some comments I heard on hear in mind - if we go for 8.30pm that's probably perfect for days we'll just be coming back from excursions around 5/6pm, but too late for days we've been on the ship all day.

 

We're not that concerned with food quality and my parents' experience on the Norwegian Gem suggests that the food will more than meet our needs, though it does seem the Mariner has the edge in this area.

 

In terms of cost, for a Balcony Guarantee on the Mariner we can get it for 767EUR = $1073. For the Pearl, for a Balcony on deck 6/7 it costs 908 EUR = $1271. Both prices include tax, fuel supplement, and gratuities. The Guarantee on the Mariner is $170 cheaper than choosing a specific deck 6/7 cabin.

 

The nickel and diming that NCL seem to do is another factor against them but it seems RCI are not averse to doing this too.

 

I'll be interested in playing one or 2 Texas Holdem poker tournaments - I know the ships take a massive rake but it would be just for fun - do both ships offer tournaments?

 

Most people seem to regard RCI as a better line than NCL, so would we be mad paying more for the Pearl over the Mariner (though from my basic knowledge Pearl seems more suited to us)? Just want to do a final sanity check before going with the current plan to book the Pearl.

[Lionesss]

We loved the Mariner Western Carribean.

Labadee, Jamaica, Grand caymen and Cozumel.

Four ports was a lot to do, little relaxation, on the go.

Next time Freedom of the Seas Eastern, we want to see what Coco stop is like.

Later