dchurchward

My wife, teenage boys and I will sailing on the Carnival Magic from Port Canaveral over Christmas, with the holiday being a sea day. I am curious how Carnival ships handle the holiday? I am sure there will be Christmas decorations, but would like to know if there are special activities or events due to the holiday. I appreciate any thoughts you can share.

I would say it depends on the interests you and your family have. Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are great. if you want more of a fast paced cruise, Carnival is also a great option. Like has also been said, the newer Royal Caribbean ships have a lot to do, with multiple activities for people of various interests. One thing to consider as well is if there are specific ports you are interested in seeing. I hope my thoughts are helpful.

I went on a HAC cruise with my wife when we were in our 30's as well. I tend to agree with the advice you have been given. If you don't see the activities on the cruise as being a high priority to you, and enjoy better food, HAC is likely a better choice. If, however, you are concerned that you may get on the cruise and decide you want a more active itinerary, then go with RCI. While you didn't bring up this option, if you want to go somewhere in between, Princess may be another option to consider. Hope that helped.

My wife and two teenage boys will be taking an Eastern Caribbean cruise over Christmas. While we have decided what we want to do at the other ports, we can decide if the train tour would be a good excursion. We tend to like train tours overall, such as the train in Skagway, Alaska, but wonder if the train tour in St. Kitts is worth it, and what people think about it. Also, if you go on the tour, is there a better side of the train to sit on. Thank you for the help.

First off, I would never fly in on the day of the cruise. That being said, if you do, you will want to try and fly through hubs with lots of flights to your cruise departure city so that you increase your chances of making the cruise even if a flight is delayed cancelled. However, as other's have called out, remember the airline will likely prioritize frequent flyers and those who pay more for their fares.

My first cruise was in 1991 on the original Carnival Mardi Gras. It is exciting, but also a bit sad to see the new Mardi Gras in the Carnival Fleet. I do want to take a cruise on it to see if they have any items or areas that commemorate the original "fun ship."

My advice, having been to Nassau a few times, is to be very aware of your surroundings. I wouldn't call it dangerous per se, but there are a large number of poor people and some sketchy individuals, depending on where you go.