moniquet

It was a problem in Antigua in February and according to the newspaper link it is in Barabados, San Juan and Mexico. Hopefully it will die down by December.

Southern Caribbean has always been hot for us in December. San Juan, StLucia, Barbados the hottest. The cruise lines private Islands seem cooler.

I like to read them but mainly just for interest and some good tips. It doesn't change my descison which cruise. There would have to be a really lot of very bad reviews all saying the same thing for me to be worried.

If comparinglike for like cruising is much cheaper. Like for like includes, nice room with sea view, comfy beds with good linen. Room service and other little perks. A room in Europe hotel may only cost $100 per night but from experience it would not be as good as a cruise ship stateroom. There is also the cost of 3 meals per day per person.

Our last AI in St Lucia cost about the same as the cruise we are doing in November. However, the room was not as good a standard as the cruise ship suite plus food and service not as good.

I have just priced a hotel in Fort Lauderdale for next January, €225 per night and it is nothing special.

As I said we love both land and sea but if counting the coins then AI is not cheaper.

A quick google confirms that there are pay for posts jobs.

I'm there with you. You are eating in a beautiful restaurant, with tablecloths, cloth napkins and at least two people serving you. Looking nice enhances the experience. I can keep my casual clothes for eating at the buffet.

What a good post. I agree. The crew try so hard and then someone slobs in with a t shirt.

What would anyone have to gain by making a false negative review? I don't understand. A positive one yes as they could be getting paid by a cruise line.

I am more suspicious of over gushing ones where absolutely everything is perfect.

Have gone from a Junior suite to a grand suite just once. Have been reliably told that it is unusual for upgrades to skip more than one grade. There are a lot of urban myths about:)

Pros and cons. We like both and try to do one of each every year. Cruise ships are better organised if things go wrong and I think the food and service is better. Advantage of being on an Island is lazing on the beach at sunset or having a walk round. If you aren't big drinkers AI can be expensive.

We have taken less cruises the past few years as we became a bit disillusioned but we have come back again:D

We sailed Carnival the week after Thanksgiving. Mainly Adults, not a party ship at all.

A quick comparison.

RCCL Jewel of the seas, nov 1st. UK. TA. Balcony price £882. USA TA. Balcony price $859. Massive price difference. The UK price in dollars would be around 1350.

Princess didn't do it for me, food not as good as other lines, including Carnival. I did not find our Carnival cruise a party ship. They do have the annoying large screen around the large pool but so does Princess. Only sailed Princess once and will be the last. Really don't understand why some consider it a cut above.

Our favourite is Holland America but we loved our Carnival cruise.

It may depend on the cruise line. We have been booking through a USA Agent for around 15 years and have saved hundreds of pounds sterling each time, including our next cruise in November. Some cruise lines have forbidden USA Agents to sell to European clients. There has been a few threads on here about it. I will do a search.

Thanks all:) not just me then. Once had a guaranteed cabin before on Cunard and we were assigned after paying the final balance.

We have a guaranteed suite sailing on Liberty in November. Does anyone have an idea when we are allocated a cabin number?

Thanks Bumbles, that is what I wanted:)

Is it always anytime dining the first evening? Do you just turn up?

We are going on part of the same cruise as you but will be boarding in Barbados 9Sept due to flight problems from UK to San Juan. Will be adding our thoughts about this cruise etc but this will probably be our last cruise with Carnival too much hassle with their UK site. Had enjoyed our previous cruises around the Caribbean with Carnival.

We are doing this cruise in November from San Juan. No flight problems now as Norwegian Air fly direct from gatwick.

Husband always wears his Tux (not many places he has a chance to wear it:))

It is dying out, someone on the next table to us on Emerald Princess was wearing a T shirt. I don't mind, we do what we want. What gets to me is if sharing a table and the others go on and on about why they wouldn't dress up, as if we were doing something wrong.

I saw most formal dress on Cunard but even there one man was wearing a leather jacket:D

We were in Antigua in February and the seaweed was so bad there were 6 workers constantly cleaning it up on one beach. Heard Barbados is bad too.

I think you mis-typed something here. Ryndam is a Holland America ship, not RCI.

So I did, thanks for reminding me. We sailed from Tampa, had a senior moment:D

Have enjoyed all our cruises. our first was 1999 on RCI Enchantment of the Seas, we sailed RCI a few years later on Ryandam and it was ok. but not so good. Overall our number 1 is Holland America, feels more upmarket, better suite perks, food and service. Least favourite was Emerald princess, nice ship but smallish cabin and everywhere seemed overcrowded, never managed to get a seat in any of the bars. Sailed on Carnival a few years ago and enjoyed it, not many children and cabins are larger, trying them again this year because we wanted the Southern caribbean from Puerto Rico.

My Ratings

Holland America...Westerdam

Cunard.....Queen Mary

Carnival.....victory

RCI

Princess

Us Europeans usually embark in Barbados because its a lot less expensive than getting a flight to San Juan, a minimum of 2 flights, usually 3, awful. Barbados is a regular route for us Europeans, we all love Barbados.We need visas anyway cos its a US ship, you would need visas coming to Europe. An advantage of the Bajan embarkation is 2 Roll Calls :D. Have fun x

There is now a direct flight from Gatwick with Norwegian Air to San Juan. we are booked for November.:)

Sounds horrific to me! Prefer traditional cruising and dislike the larger ships. I don't want to sit staring at my iPad every morning to find the right venue/time to eat dinner. Not relaxing at all.