Best first time cruise for a couple without kids?

Before approaching a travel agent I wanted to get some feedback from the real cruising experts!

Here are the specifics my fiancee and I are looking for:

- not geared towards children

- 3 to 5 days

- leaving Florida; port doesn't matter

- casino

- great food/drinks options (all inclusives?)

- shore excursions

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks :)

Before approaching a travel agent I wanted to get some feedback from the real cruising experts!

Here are the specifics my fiancee and I are looking for:

 

- not geared towards children

- 3 to 5 days

- leaving Florida; port doesn't matter

- casino

- great food/drinks options (all inclusives?)

- shore excursions

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks :)

Our first was a five day on the Carnival Destiny out of Miami to Grand Turk, Nassau and Half Moon Cay. Loved it, and we were hooked on cruising.

We did SNUBA on Grand Turk, got a Cabana on HMC, and did a walking tour in Nassau.

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Our first was a five day out of Miami to Grand Turk, Nassau and Half Moon Cay. Loved it, and we were hooked on cruising.

 

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Awesome! What line did you choose?

Our first was a five day on the Carnival Destiny out of Miami to Grand Turk, Nassau and Half Moon Cay. Loved it, and we were hooked on cruising.

 

We did SNUBA on Grand Turk, got a Cabana on HMC, and did a walking tour in Nassau.

 

 

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Sorry replied before reading the whole response. I'll check the Carnival Destiny out, thank you!

Sorry replied before reading the whole response. I'll check the Carnival Destiny out, thank you!

Lol, you would need a time machine. :) Destiny had a major overhaul and is now the Sunshine.

Look for the itinerary, I think they have two ships that still do the exact one.

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Lol, you would need a time machine. :) Destiny had a major overhaul and is now the Sunshine.

 

Look for the itinerary, I think they have two ships that still do the exact one.

 

 

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Just saw that haha. Sorry, obviously very new to all of this. I appreciate the info though; any little bit helps!

Depending on when you travel you might not encounter a lot of children. Stay away from spring break and weeks around the holidays (Easter, Christmas, Summer).

3-5 day cruises tend to be party cruises so be prepared for that. Choose a ship that goes to islands you are interested in visiting. Norwegian, Carnival, Royal Carribean all offer short cruises. I wouldn't worry much about the ship, the ports are more important.

I think a bigger question is how much do you want to spend? Do you want a luxury experience or a budget experience or something in between? The luxury cruise lines are more all inclusive but the budget and moderate cruise lines offer beverage packages to make the cruise more all inclusive. If you want something really all adults and more unique and personal then you might look at a sailing ship such as Windstar or Star Clippers.

If you are looking for a ocean going ship experience, then the mass market lines might suffice:

Good:

Carnival

Better:

RCCL

NCL

HAL

Best:

Princess

Celebrity

Luxury

Seabourn

Crystal

Silversea

Regent Seven Seas

Paul Gaugin

Viking Ocean Cruises

Oceania

Cunard

SeaDream Yacht Club

3-5 days will either be party, lots of families or both.

To minimize kids you need to take 8+ day cruises or sail when the vast majority are in school like September, October and the first 2 weeks of December. Maybe early May.

All Inclusives are premium lines( and the price reflects that)

Same with gourmet food options.

All mainstream ones are geared towards families.

You need to be looking at crystal, seaborne, azamara, etc.

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All cruises welcome kids....you can ignore any you see, unless they are YOUR kids! Don't worry about kids.

Before approaching a travel agent I wanted to get some feedback from the real cruising experts!

Here are the specifics my fiancee and I are looking for:

 

- not geared towards children

- 3 to 5 days

- leaving Florida; port doesn't matter

- casino

- great food/drinks options (all inclusives?)

- shore excursions

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks :)

I would recommend Celebrity based on what you are looking for. Celebrity is most definitely not geared towards children and is a very adult atmosphere. They also include the classic drink package for free for virtually all their bookings, and if you book now you get 2 free "perks" and your second perk could be $300 OBC to use towards dining/gratuities. But they have a price tag to reflect this.

Another vote for Celebrity.

Good time to go is after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. Not many school age kids and cheaper.