Cassicruiser

Great, comprehensive information, thank you so much!

Both cities have lots to do to keep you busy for 3 days. Check out their tourist sites: www.sunny.org for Fort Lauderdale, http://www.miamigov.com/home/visitors.html for Miami and http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/visitors/ for Miami Beach. If you are visiting between December 6th and 9th be aware that is Art Basel this year and Miami Beach hotels will be expensive and full with some overflow to the Miami hotels.

Thanks I'll check out those websites.

That's exactly when we will be there :( - maybe in that case it would be better to stay in Fort Lauderdale. I guess if we rent a car we could drive down to Miami for the day...

We are most likely cruising out of FLL in December (haven't made a final decision yet on our cruise) and will have a few days pre cruise to see a bit of the area and do some fun things. We will be visiting from Australia, and first time in Florida. Would you recommend spending a few days in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and which areas would be best to stay in if we want the best experience of seeing the city, and enjoying the beach areas. I really know nothing about either city, and will do research before we leave, but just wondered where we should book a hotel. Thanks :)

Cruising from San Juan sounds like a good idea, and there is a good itinerary on the Freedom, but we will be spending some time with friends in Miami and so need to cruise from Florida.

Western doesn’t appeal as much, so that makes the decision a little easier. I’m happy that the Adventure cruise goes to San Juan and St Maarten, (hopefully by December it will in better shape) and St Kitts looks great too. I think I just need to get past wanting to go to Curacao in particular, it's not worth paying an extra $400 or so pp for the one island, on an almost identical ship.

We did Navigator of the seas , 9 day cruise from Miami A. B C islands plus Labadee , very nice ship , would want to do more than 7 days considering how far you have traveled

I love longer cruises – but the cruise part is just a portion of our trip, so that we can see a bit of the Caribbean. We’re also spending time in Toronto and Florida. I assume Navigator and Adventure are pretty much the same, so nice to hear it’s a great ship.

Hey Cassicruiser,

I have read all these answers and find

It surprising that no one mentioned

St. Lucia as a stop.

We are approaching our 20th cruise,

and have been to St Lucia 4 times.

Yes, it is a very poor, but a very Beautiful Island.

 

It has adventure, we have zip lined

through the jungle, ridden horse's on

A beach and into the surf, snorkeled

off a catamaran, and sailed by the

beautiful Pitions at sunset.

For culture you can visit where Empress Josephine came to take

( The Baths ) climb up to see the bubbling mud pots and take a mud

bath.

Oh, or go to a quiet cove and enjoy

A beautiful beach.

The islanders are poor but very friendly and have never bothered

us.

I Don't think the last hurricanes did

any damage there as it is very far

south.

St. Lucia is called the " Tahiti " of

The Caribbean and lives up to that

image.

I think your family could all find something that would interest them.

You are coming a very long way, so

I hope you find the perfect itinerary.

Tropicqueen

 

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I looked at St Lucia, and it looks gorgeous! I’ve tried to find an itinerary that suits which includes St Lucia, but there just isn’t one on one of the cruise lines that we wanted, at the time we need. I wish there was a way to tailor a cruise with exactly the ports we want to go to on the exact ship we want, but that would just be too neat and easy :p

We just had to make the same decision. We had it down to these two itineraries. We wntmwith Navigator because 1. More nights 2. The itinerary is perfect. I love the ABC islands

The decision was pretty much made for us - the Navigator cruise has become so much more expensive, with a basic inside cabin jumping up from around $650 to over $1000 pp, and no balconies left. So I've booked a refundable rate on the Adventure, but I'm happy with either itinerary so in a way this has done me a favour!

I’d choose the Adventure itinerary as it seems to offer variety and much of what you’re looking for.

The right departure port, history and architecture in San Juan, a beach day at Labadee and some fun for those who choose to indulge [emoji5]

I should add that I’m a fan of Voyager class ships which may have influenced me slightly.

 

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Hi fellow Aussie

The decision has been pretty much made for me - I had narrowed it down to the 2 RCI cruises on Navigator of the ABC islands, or Adventure of the Eastern ports. We decided on Navigator and went online to look again at the prices before booking, and they shot up literally overnight! By about 40%. The price of an inside was now more than what the balcony had been the day before :o Don't know how that happened! So we booked the Adventure quick smart while the price is still ok, and booked a fully refundable fare in case Navigator comes down, but I suspect we'll stick with the Adventure. I'm fine with it though, as both itineraries have Labadee, as you say San Juan looks really interesting, and St Maarten and St Kitts look beautiful, if a little damaged. Just hope the hurricanes this year leave those poor islands alone. The only port I really wanted to go to on the Navigator was Curacao.

Great photo! Thanks!

Some of the balcony openings look a fair bit smaller than the others, or is that an optical illusion? Do you think it makes any difference? If the starboard side is a mirror image then 8306 and 8308 have average size balconies I guess.

Also weird how 8606 and 8608 are connecting cabins yet there looks to be quite a gap between them, unlike the balconies that are in pairs

Hi there - does anyone have any info on these cabins and their balconies. They are the first 2 cabins after the hump and it looks like 8308 has a smaller balcony and the view aft would be blocked by the hump. Can the cabins on the hump look into the balcony? We are travelling with our 2 older children so don't necessarily need connecting cabins, just thought it would be nice, and would move to normal adjoining cabins if the balconies on theses cabins are not great. Thanks

Unfortunately, pricing trends are not predictable.

I've never seen a cruise that's 8 months away, and not a holiday cruise suddenly jump up so significantly in price literally overnight, and become so much higher than any other sailing on this or similar ships. Something weird going on

The online agency is probably booking you with a non-refundable deposit fare (and I feel strongly this is something they should disclose to you but ultimately it's on you to do your research) which has a $100 per person change fee. If you book a refundable deposit there is no fee for changing your cruise or even canceling outside of final payment but of course the cruise fare will be higher, and in most cases significantly higher (minimum I've seen was $70 per person on a cheap cruise in an inside cabin).

This one was with 0 deposit (or the agency paying our deposit for us) which is misleading as it's still $100 per person if we change or cancel. So I'm trying to find an agency that fully refunds our deposit if we change cruises. We have found this previously where we have been able to cancel with no penalty and then book a different cruise, but I have read that things have changed in the past 6 months or so

I am so bummed, and this is just crazy! After a week or so of going back and forth between these 2 cruises and a few others, and from all your great advice, I finally decided last night to do the Navigator Cruise to the ABC islands. This morning I went online to check a few different website prices before I called to book, and the price for this cruise has gone up 25% overnight and there are no balconies left! And it's only on this particular sailing. Navigator does this route multiple times per year and all other sailings have remained the same, except for this one. Even an inside cabin has jumped from $710 to over $1000. It's early Dec, so not a Xmas cruise.

So because of that, we now have to go with our 2nd choice of Adventure of the seas, which has remained the same price. Its a good choice too, but it's such a bummer when we finally decided on the other one.

Does anyone have any insight as to why this cruise would suddenly jump up in price so far ahead. Is it likely that it would come down anytime soon?

We will book the Adventure cruise in the meanwhile and switch if it does. The online agency I called has a $100 fee to do this, is this usual, or should there be no fee to cancel a cruise and switch to another one on the same cruiseline?

I've done both ship and all those ports. I could, and have been very happy with both. Go for the one longer day. Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are all pretty worthwhile.

One longer day means another sea day which is great. Also the ABC itinerary has much longer port days which is also a factor. I guess this decision is a really nice problem to have!!

I have done several Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises and sailed on both Navigator and Adventure. We had a great time on Navigator doing the Eastern Caribbean including some of our favorite ports of St Maarten and St Kitts. Our Adventure cruise was not so great. We flew to San Juan specifically to do the ABC islands but never made it there. Why? One of the propellers broke/damaged, so the itinerary was changed. To me, San Juan is a great port but sailing out of there was the most disorganized I had experienced.

So because I have yet to see the ABC Islands, my vote is the ABC Islands as I have also heard great things about them.

If you do end up choosing the Eastern Caribbean and stop in St Kitts, try Reggae Beach. We used Pereira Tours (Liz Pereira - Owner) for a great tour package of the Island and hours at Reggae Beach.

https://lizpereirastourstore.shutterfly.com

 

Good Luck and happy cruising.

Ah that sucks that your cruise was completely changed. Hope you get to see the ABC islands soon!

And I'll make a note to check out Pereira tours if we do go to St Kitts

I would choose the ABCs and the extra day but that of course based on my personal cruising history. Having done the eastern many times I am happy to be doing ABCs myself in October for the change. That said, I also switched it up due to hurricane impact and letting the islands settle a bit more before returning, but that is easier said when you've been there a few times.

 

Considering what you have been saying a few times about wanting a 'Caribbean' feel to an island, this really comes down to what you like to do when you travel. Shop, island tour, active excursion like snorkel or swim with turtles, museums/history etc? What you plan to do on the island extremely impacts what your experience will be. There are islands I have loved based on an excursion I've taken, then read others say they found it boring and nothing to do ... a result of not venturing further than the shops right at the pier.

 

Go with your gut, I do not think you will not make a bad decision either way. At least one port, for the 'Caribbean' feel, find a beach with a restaurant or bar with music playing and just sit to enjoy the ambiance and that could literally be anywhere when the sun is shining and the sand and ocean is near.

 

Good luck in your choice and have a great trip!!!!

Excellent advice!

I have been to all of the islands you mention except St. Kitts. We did the ABC cruise on the Navigator in December. Though the ABC have beautiful beaches and we enjoyed our trip, the islands in the ABC are all very similar with Aruba having more action. Reading what your desires are, I would go with the Eastern Caribbean. I think you will get a bigger variety of cultures, food, and scenery on that cruise. The ABC islands are flat and arid. You will find beautiful beaches on either itinerary. I think you should do what someone suggested and google images of the individual islands. Once you do this I think you will prefer the Easter Caribbean as it matches more to what you have described.

 

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I'll definitely need to spend a bit more time looking at pictures and options of each island. Eastern does sound more diverse, but I guess there's also a lot to be said for islands that are less busy and packed with tourists, and also have less poverty away from the tourist areas.

Flip a coin. Do one this year and the other next year.

We live in Australia, a little too far to go back again anytime soon, and too much of the world still to see. Hence the crippling indecision on this one:p

The last 2 replies from Ravensbad and Hope to travel have turned everything around and now I'm back to square one :D:p But I guess that's where I was heading with my questions. While everyone seems to love the ABC islands, I picture the Caribbean as lush and mountainous with beautiful beaches and a Caribbean vibe. The dry, arid Dutch islands weren't equating with this in my head, but maybe I'm totally wrong. And maybe they also have a great vibe, just different.

We want somewhere with beautiful beaches, great little towns to walk around, beautiful landscape with some fun things to do (Trike or ATV excursion, maybe something like river tubing or similar, but maybe that's more on Western itineraries?) but also with Caribbean music and a Caribbean feel. At the same time, I like the idea of the ABC islands being a little less busy, cleaner and safer, with less poverty and hurricane damage. Does that pretty much sum it up?

Oh how to make this decision???

My wife and I have done the 8 day cruise at least 4 times. We just got off the Navigator cruise March 16-25. We have now found a new favorite. The islands were fantastic and the Navigator offered great service. Snorkeling in Bonaire was the highlight of the trip

 

 

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Hi Nick - Did you love the trip because you preferred the islands themselves on this itinerary? Or was it just more of a change from doing the Eastern islands a few times?

I see snorkelling mentioned all the time as a highlight, so is this one of the main drawcards for this area or what else was it about the ABC islands that you loved as opposed to your previous cruises?

We would probably snorkel once but have snorkeled back home many times and are looking more for the Caribbean feel (happy with a Caribbean European feel on these islands), fun excursions and beautiful islands and beaches.

When you say Caribbean feel are you talking about the music playing in the air type of feel, look of the island, the beaches, or the people themselves? I have not been to all those places but for me the music playing at the beaches, bars, restaurants has a lot to do with feeling of a particular place.

That's exactly what I mean! It may be touristy, but that's the kind of feel I would love, although I've been to the Netherlands and loved it, so feel like I would really like the European feel of the Dutch Caribbean islands as well. It's just different and I'm hoping there's a bit of a mix of European and Caribbean?

Champagne123 and Cruiser#247 - thanks for your great positive comments. You guys and all the other great comments on here make the decision a LOT easier.

Well that wasn’t very helpful- you’re not going to JA!! Sorry :)

 

 

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I used Jamaica as an example of the place I think of that would have a Caribbean vibe. So understandable mistake! And your post still puts things in perspective, so thanks :D

Definitely the southern itinerary out of San Juan.

 

For starters, San Juan is a fantastic port of embarkation which is an excellent destination in itself. Allow a few days prior to your cruise to explore, specially around Old San Juan.

 

I’m currently in Puerto Rico for 5 days and it’s wonderful to see that the island is back in business after the hurricanes of 2017. There’s obviously still work to do, but It’s hard to tell what this island went through 6 months ago. The lush green is back, businesses are open again and many new ones have sprouted all over the island.

 

As someone else mentioned, the Caribbean truly begins south of San Juan. The islands of the Lesser Antilles retain, for the most part, the charm and uniqueness that this region is known for. You’re much less likely to find islands overrun with tourists or which have been overdeveloped to apease American tourists. You will most likely experience a more authentic Caribbean along the Southern Route.

 

Keep in mind that there are different itineraries labeled as “Southern”. Out of Florida ports, some itineraries that head to Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire (the ABC islands) are labeled as such. While these islands do offer their own unique experience and are very enjoyable, they are nothing like the more tropical and lush islands along the Lesser Antilles. The ABC islands are in the most part flat, dry , and desert like, so chose your itinerary wisely and don’t assume that all Southern Caribbean destinations are the same.

 

About the other two options (Eastern and Western), I find that these routes have become too commercialized and Americanized. They provide a watered down and somewhat faked version of what the Caribbean is truly about. Places like Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Labadee, Mahogany Bay, Costa Maya, as well as the many other cruise line built destinations may be nicely developed, but they hardly offer an authentic experience unless you explore well beyond the shore, which many cruisers choose not to do. These destinations feel more like going to the world showcase at EPCOT Center than going to the real thing. For me, they provide a version of the Caribbean which best matches what tourists who’ve never visited the region envision, but not necessarily reality.

 

And for some reason, it’s hard to find an itinerary that doesn’t stop at either Cozumel (Western) or Nassau (Eastern). While these destinations have their appeal, they are so overrun with tourists that it’s hard to get a true feel for what they are about. On any given day, you may be in port with 5-7 other ships and 20,000 cruise passengers.

 

With that said, there are ports along both the Eastern and Western routes that I thoroughly enjoy, including Grand Cayman on the Western itinerary and St. Maarten on the Eastern itinerary.

 

If you’ve never visited the Caribbean, chances are that you’ll have fun no matter which itinerary you select. But do know that it’s a vast region with many different cultures and experiences. So think of what you’d like to see and do before you pick an itinerary. Enjoy!

 

 

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I had the same question, as we will only get one shot at a Caribbean cruise for the foreseeable future (coming from Australia)and have been trawling the boards for answers. This answer is the best, most comprehensive, so thank you! The overwhelming consensus is that Southern is the nicest itinerary, and Ididnt realize there are different southern routes. We are looking at the ABC islands after reading these boards and now I'm starting to trust my decision.

You can always do the Eastern or Western Caribbean. There are tons of them on all the cruise lines. ABC Islands are amazing. Our favorite was Bonaire.

As we're coming from Australia, we won't be doing another Caribbean cruise for a very long time, so I guess what I'm saying is if we only have one visit which itinerary is best? Most people seem to be saying ABC islands...

Not really, I find Aruba and Curacao much different than Jamaica.

Do they have a Caribbean island feel though? And if not what sort of cultural feel do they have?

I guess what I mean is - the majority of people recommend the ABC islands over the Eastern islands, so I assume they are beautiful and a great itinerary, but I want to feel like we're in the Caribbean.

Thanks so much for all your great replies - seems the Southern ABC islands are overwhelmingly the favourite, and there is not much to pick between Adventure and Navigator other than the drydock schedules.

Do the ABC Islands have the Caribbean 'vibe' especially being flat and dry and also being Dutch islands? When I think Caribbean, I do think lush and French/Jamaican island feel,but maybe that's from watching Cool Runnings (one of my favourite movies)

JMG your back to back 14 day sounds wonderful, but we wanted to spend a few days in Miami and we have a week in Toronto for a family wedding beforehand so combined with the trek from Australia we won't have the time. I doubt we'll get back to the Caribbean any time soon, so want to make sure to see the best possible islands.

The Western itinerary was also in the mix, but it seems from trawling through the posts on here that that would definitely be third choice.

Hi everyone - we are doing our first Caribbean cruise in December (coming from Australia so won't be doing another anytime soon) and have narrowed down to a 9 night Navigator to Labadee, Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba or 8 night Adventure to Labadee, St Maarten, St Kitts, San Juan.

Need help deciding on which to do please. Is there much difference between the 2 ships? Is it an issue that Navigator is due for a drydock while Adventure just had one? Which itinerary is better?

We are a family of 4 (kids are adults, 20 and 22) and want some fun adventure type excursions, as well as Caribbean culture, beautiful beaches and great ship. This class ship seems the perfect size (biggest we've done is Radiance, and Celebrity Solstice), and 8 or 9 nights seems a good length cruise.