Help on choosing a cruise

My husband (36), myself (34) and our son (6) are looking to do a Caribbean cruise end of this year beginning of next. I did a Caribbean cruise in high school but dont really remember much. I have just started my research but have heard this is the best place to go for advice and help. We are not sure which cruise would be the best one for us that means ship and ports. Obvi something family friendly is important. Being that it is our first time to the Caribbean I would like to be able to see the most see spots if possible. I know that may be different for a lot of people but getting some ideas would be helpful. We have done Carnival to Mexico and I did Royal Caribbean in high school so any and all options are a consideration for us. I really appreciate the help and hopefully a point in the right direction.

Thank you

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

There are lots of choices but it is hard to help someone we don't know not knowing all of your preferences and even budget.

Let me recommend that you get the assistance of a travel agent who specializes in Cruises. Per Cruise Critic rules we are not allowed to provide recommendations so I would ask friends who you know who cruise if they have a TA they would recommend.

Keith

Without knowing your budget, it would be hard to get specific, however, since you are looking for the most ports you can see, Southern cruises out of San Juan will give you 6 beautiful ports of call. Our 7 day Southern cruise included San Juan, St. Thomas, Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, and Antigua. All ports were awesome with beautiful beaches, gorgeous aqua water and great excursion options. Hope this helps.

Don't overlook MSC and COSTA cruise lines. Children are usually free. MSC has a wonderful childrens program. Don't be scared of reviews that people post about either. These are not your bucket of beer Carnival etc. and they are better priced then the well known American favorites. The only real negative that some say is that the announcements are in several languages depending on the nationalities on board at the time. These lines are tops in Europe. The ports will be the same...beautiful...no matter what the Cruise Line is. These lines do not have the bells and whistles ...but you will save money for your next family cruise :)

I would suggest Royal Caribbean for your family. It has a young vibe. It's very kid friendly and has lots of activities for adults. We've been on several. FYI - We prefer the relaxed nature of Holland America. Older cruisers (50 - 75 years old.)

NCL out of New Orleans is awsome

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Try to get a cruise that goes to Grand Cayman. That was the first port on our first cruise, our daughter was 9. We went to the turtle farm and we all loved it! We booked through Carnival, the ride over was included and we got a lunch too. There was snorkeling in a big lagoon pool. There was another normal pool with some water slides. So, i have a feeling that your son would love it. Next time we get to Grand Cayman we want to do the stingrays. That excursion always gets good reviews. Have fun!!

It depends on which ports you want

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I feel like it really depends on how much you want to be on the ship and how many excursions or days in port you will enjoy off the ship. We have young kids and we often enjoy the port days on the ship when it is practically deserted. Our kids don't enjoy walking a lot or learning about history and culture. Therefore, we would put more emphasis on the ship and what it has to offer, especially for our kids, because if they have a good time, so will we (pool, splash pad, kids' club, shows, etc.). If you plan on spending a lot of time on shore, pick the better itinerary.

We have done Carnival, Celebrity, RC, and Norwegian. Our kids do not like to go anywhere without us, including the kids' club, so we do not plan according to the best kids' club, but there is no doubt in our mind that Disney is well worth the money for a 6 year old, kids' club or not. Carnival, Disney and RC all have some ships that include movie characters, so if you go with one of these companies, I recommend you check that the ship has these. Norwegian was really not very kid friendly other than the great choices of waterslides on Breakaway class ships and large pools.

Finally, consider if you care about loyalty programs. If so, go with a cruise line you have already cruised with. Perks start up right away on your second cruise. Check out the perks to see if it means anything to you. Even if you cruised with them a long time ago, they will locate your info and give you the points.

My husband (36), myself (34) and our son (6) are looking to do a Caribbean cruise end of this year beginning of next. I did a Caribbean cruise in high school but dont really remember much. I have just started my research but have heard this is the best place to go for advice and help. We are not sure which cruise would be the best one for us that means ship and ports. Obvi something family friendly is important. Being that it is our first time to the Caribbean I would like to be able to see the most see spots if possible. I know that may be different for a lot of people but getting some ideas would be helpful. We have done Carnival to Mexico and I did Royal Caribbean in high school so any and all options are a consideration for us. I really appreciate the help and hopefully a point in the right direction.

Thank you

Our first Caribbean cruise with the kids hit a variety of sites -- San Juan PR for the history, St Thomas for the shopping, Grand Turk for the beach, etc. If you don't know what you will enjoy, planning a variety of sites plus sea days, is a start. I don't recommend a short Bahamas cruise.