Help me decide our next cruise! Thanks!

[CookieBird]

Hi everyone - my husband has given me to go ahead to plan our next cruise...yippie! We want to go in Feb 09 and have a few options from our travel agent. We are traveling with another couple and will do balcony guarantee rooms. Based on our past travels in my signature below and your experiences - what would you recommend? Most of these are new ports to us. Price is all around the same. Thank you!!!

 

Voyager

Feb 1 - Galv-Coz-GC-MB Jamaica

Feb 8 - Galv-Coz-Roat-Costa M

 

Carnival Legend

Feb 1 - Tampa-GC-Coz-Roat (is this the super bowl??)

 

Carnival Conquest

Feb 1 or 8 - Galv-Jam-GC-Coz

 

Hopefully I got the ports right. We have only cruised out of Miami on our past trips. Any other suggestions???

 

I'm posting this on Royal Carb board also to avoid any bias.:D

[mcfam5]

Hi everyone - my husband has given me to go ahead to plan our next cruise...yippie! We want to go in Feb 09 and have a few options from our travel agent. We are traveling with another couple and will do balcony guarantee rooms. Based on our past travels in my signature below and your experiences - what would you recommend? Most of these are new ports to us. Price is all around the same. Thank you!!!

 

Voyager

Feb 1 - Galv-Coz-GC-MB Jamaica

Feb 8 - Galv-Coz-Roat-Costa M

 

Carnival Legend

Feb 1 - Tampa-GC-Coz-Roat (is this the super bowl??)

 

Carnival Conquest

Feb 1 or 8 - Galv-Jam-GC-Coz

 

Hopefully I got the ports right. We have only cruised out of Miami on our past trips. Any other suggestions???

 

I'm posting this on Royal Carb board also to avoid any bias.:D

 

Does the sailing on the Legend also include Belize as a port? We are cruising on the Legend next summer and our ports are Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and Roatan. We selected this because other than Cozumel, these are new ports for us. Also, because we drive to port from Michigan and Tampa is only a short 16 hours away.

[Traveling Bob]

Hi everyone - my husband has given me to go ahead to plan our next cruise...yippie! We want to go in Feb 09 and have a few options from our travel agent. We are traveling with another couple and will do balcony guarantee rooms. Based on our past travels in my signature below and your experiences - what would you recommend? Most of these are new ports to us. Price is all around the same. Thank you!!!

 

Voyager

Feb 1 - Galv-Coz-GC-MB Jamaica

Feb 8 - Galv-Coz-Roat-Costa M

 

Carnival Legend

Feb 1 - Tampa-GC-Coz-Roat (is this the super bowl??)

 

Carnival Conquest

Feb 1 or 8 - Galv-Jam-GC-Coz

 

Hopefully I got the ports right. We have only cruised out of Miami on our past trips. Any other suggestions???

 

I'm posting this on Royal Carb board also to avoid any bias.:D

 

Two suggestions:

1. Pick the port that, for you, is easier to get to and from (Galv or Tampa). It starts your vacation a little earlier.

2. If you are good friends with the other couple, don't take guarantee. While there is a small chance that you will get an upgrade, it would most likely only be for one of the cabins, if at all. Pick the class you can afford and get cabins next to each other. When we travel with friends, we like to open the divider on the balcony. We usually meet there before dinner and have a drink while a slow S.O. (sombody is always slower than the other 3) finishes getting ready. With guarantee, you may not be able to get side by side cabins.

 

Hope you enjoy your trip!

[KroozFoolz]

The Super Bowl is on February 1, 2009 in Tampa.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Dittos to the side by side balconies comment.

We have cruised with friends multiple times and our best times was when

we had adjacent balconies. So nice to visit around the divider - coffe in the morning, cocktails while dressing in the evening and sharing a bucket of beer while lounging about on sea days.

 

I'd avoid Tampa since it's SuperBowl Sunday :eek:

 

Galveston is a nice port to sail from and we like the Conquest and the Voyager. Jamaica is our least favorite port (no flaming please) and Grand Caymen is a great place for swimming with the stingrays.

 

roatan is a great place for a cheap massage on the beach at Tabayana.

Belize is so-so. You have to tender in (same with GC) and there's not much to see unless you plan on doing a fabulous snorkeling tour.

 

Cozumel is fun - rent a car and drive to the far side of the island.

 

But, all in all, you can't go wrong. Enjoy.

[Payd]

Hi everyone - my husband has given me to go ahead to plan our next cruise...yippie! We want to go in Feb 09 and have a few options from our travel agent. We are traveling with another couple and will do balcony guarantee rooms. Based on our past travels in my signature below and your experiences - what would you recommend? Most of these are new ports to us. Price is all around the same. Thank you!!!

 

Voyager

Feb 1 - Galv-Coz-GC-MB Jamaica

Feb 8 - Galv-Coz-Roat-Costa M

 

Carnival Legend

Feb 1 - Tampa-GC-Coz-Roat (is this the super bowl??)

 

Carnival Conquest

Feb 1 or 8 - Galv-Jam-GC-Coz

 

Hopefully I got the ports right. We have only cruised out of Miami on our past trips. Any other suggestions???

 

I'm posting this on Royal Carb board also to avoid any bias.:D

 

Out of the itinerary's you have chosen - I am partial to the Legend cruise - I have it booked for March.

 

GC and Coz are not to be missed! Both are wonderful ports.

 

I'd vote for Tampa because I love the warm weather departure from Florida.

[mcfam5]

Although I am partial to the Legend cruise (we have it booked for August), I would definitely avoid Tampa on Feb. 1st seeing as that is Superbowl day. Could you do the following week from Tampa???