Where should we go and why?

[trctjs]

We are planning a Carnival Cruise in June or July 2011 to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We are traveling with one other couple.....and we are having a heck of a time deciding where to go and what ship. So I thought I'd open it up for advice from much more seasoned cruisers.

 

We are looking at the Eastern Car. itinerary on the Dream.....but am not 100% sold yet.

 

We have done the western on the Conquest for our 5 year anniversary. We are not wanting the same ports...... We are traveling in the summer because our kids spring breaks don't line up and we don't want family members to have to deal with school schedules etc. But we are traveling sans children! :D

 

So...let me have it. Where would you recommend and why? :D

[firefly333]

Where so you live, in Texas?? Id do Conquest Eastern before Id fly to Florida if I didnt have to.

 

Id do Panama or Alaska for something really special, dont think Id fly to Florida for the Dream unless I was meeting friends.

[trctjs]

That would be helpful info right?!

 

We live in the Chicagoland area....our friends live in the Dallas area. We did the Conquest before so they didn't have to fly. We obviously have to fly no matter where we go....and they are willing to travel this time. So we thought we'd try a different ship too. :D

[firefly333]

I just havent been hearing that great of things about Dream to make me want to fly to cruise on it. Oasis yes, Celebrity Solitice, beautiful they say, but Dream seems to have some issues of crowding and other things that dont entice me.

 

Id just as soon do Freedom or some other Conquest class. Pick a Eastern itinerary if you dont want to do a longer southern iternary. I had a ball in St. Thomas and Costa Rica is on my must see list. I loved Roatan, which you can even get to from Western on Triumph, but you dont sound like you want to fly to do Triumph which is a older ship than Conquest, but it goes out of New Orleans and does Belize and Roatan.

 

Any ports you are hot to see?? I have a bucket list. Id pick by ports. Most of the 7 days or longer on Carnival will all have nice ships.

[trctjs]

I don't really have a bucket list. :eek: My friends travel to Mexico a lot since it's so cheap from Texas and they don't really want any Mexico ports....so that is part of our problem.

 

We loved the Conquest....and we are interested in that itinerary out of NOLA. I'm the only person of the group that has visited the French Quarter....so everyone is a bit enticed with spending a night there prior to boarding.

 

I found an 8 day itinerary that I thought sounded awesome but I'm not sure what it was.

 

We're still waiting on Carnival to open all their itineraries for 2011 too. There are so many choices! Who knew it would be so difficult?! ;)

[trctjs]

8 Day Southern on the Miracle....that's the one I'm eye'ing. :D

 

Thoughts on that?

[cruisin07family]

I haven't been to those ports but we loved the Miracle. We had a balcony cabin on Panorama and it was very nice and roomy. We thought the staff, entertainment, and food was top notch.

 

I'm not sure that the Miracle does the Southern itinerary in the summer months. I think it returns to NYC. Who knows what 2011 will bring though?

[trctjs]

Oh I hadn't thought of that. I wonder what ship does have that itinerary in the summer months.......

 

eta: :( Doesn't look like we can do that itinerary in the summer. Bummer.

[jsfromsc]

Remember that's hurricane season, too. Probably safer to go in June than July but still no guarantees that there won't be a tropical storm or hurricane. We're doing the 8-day southern Caribbean on the Miracle in about 18 days. I can hardly wait. I've heard great things about that class of ship and have not been on one before. Also St. Thomas/St. Johns are nice ports. I was just reading on another site today that the summer is actually a slower season for travel in the Caribbean. I'd also like to do an Alaskan cruise and those are only available in the summer months.

 

Happy choosing! I think planning and looking forward to the cruise are half the fun.

[trctjs]

I thought Hurricane season was in the fall?

 

We are so limited on time that will work for all of us it seems. :(

 

June....I don't have any idea when school will get out because our district is building a new elementary and they haven't released the 10-11 calendar yet. (all our family lives in Iowa....so that's where our kids will need to go) and then my middle child has a birthday at the end of June....and my oldest has a birthday at the beginning of August. That pretty much leaves July......

[um5xno1]

I thought Hurricane season was in the fall?

 

 

 

May to November

[spacewoman]

I haven't been to those ports but we loved the Miracle. We had a balcony cabin on Panorama and it was very nice and roomy. We thought the staff, entertainment, and food was top notch.

 

I'm not sure that the Miracle does the Southern itinerary in the summer months. I think it returns to NYC. Who knows what 2011 will bring though?

 

Miracle comes up to NYC in April and leaves 2nd week of October - that's the plan for 2010 I'm unsure of 2011

[trctjs]

Okay then....if you could go on a 7-8 day cruise somewhere warm...without your kids....to celebrate your anniversary with your best friend and her husband also celebrating their anniversary...

 

Where would you go? Lots of people are looking....only a few are answering ;)

[c-cruise]

As others have mentioned I would avoid the Caribbean during the Summer because of Hurricane season. Early Summer is better for statistically less chance of a hurricane. If your friends don't want Mexico I would avoid a Western itinerary as they pretty much all have at least one Mexico port. To me Carnivals most interesting Caribbean itineraries are the 8 day Eastern on the Freedom out of Ft. Lauderdale and the 7 day Southern on the Victory out of San Juan.

 

I know you said somewhere warm, but I would seriously consider looking into Alaska for this trip since you are leaving the kids behind. More of an adult oriented cruise destination which might be nice for an anniversary.

 

Canda/New England would be another suggestion, but they Carnival doesn't start their 7 day sailings until Sept. (at least for 2010) which would after school starts.

 

Europe is an option for 2011 on Carnival, but kind of a long ways to go for a 7 night cruise.

[Janan]

I thought Hurricane season was in the fall?

August to November...eventhough the price is cheaper I haven't gone during hurricane season...and if I can help it I won't:D

 

Andy

[trctjs]

We went western in October. Hurricane season doesn't really scare me all that much...we'll buy insurance :)

 

We don't want to go to Alaska. At least not right now.....at some point I'd love to but we are wanting fun and sun.....I'd be more apt to take my kids with us there because it seems like a more laid back sort of cruise. We are kinda lookin' for a party ;)

 

eta: that 8 day on the Freedom looks nice too!

[c-cruise]

Ahh ok, since your looking for a party then Alaska is definitely not what you want this time around.

 

If hurricane season doesn't worry you then just go for the Caribbean. You can get some good deals that time of year and the ports should be less crowded as many lines pull most if not all their ships out of the region in the Summer. Not all travel insurance covers delays or cancelation for hurricanes (Act of nature), you would want something that offers "cancel for any reason" coverage. The biggest issue with hurricanes/tropical storms is usually not that the cruise will be cancelled, but rather that your itinerary would be drastically altered.

 

That 8 day on the Freedom is a nice itinerary. Goes to a couple less visited ports (Antigua, Tortola), plus the usual suspects. Got to like the extra day on this itinerary as well! Also, it leaves out of Ft. Lauderdale which to me is a bonus as well.

[wesail4fun]

I would do the Dream Eastern/Southern itinerary. The past several weeks I have been reading very positive reviews on the Dream. People are raving about the new cove balconys.

 

We are doing that itinerary 9/25/10. I live in Texas & have gone out of Galveston twice; but have found it much easier to go out of Miami. Never had a delay with flights.:p This month leaving our car at EZ cruise parking, DH had to wait 45 min. for a shuttle back to the boat.:eek: I'm sure we'll go out of galveston again, but for us the cruises are cheaper even with flying out of Florida. PVP says Galveston charges more since limited ships available & popular port for Texans:D.

 

From what I've read the embarktion process from port canaveral for the Dream has been great also. Of course it's just my opinion. I'll go on a cruise anytime from anywhere if the opportunity arises.:D

[trctjs]

Thanks :)

[KroozFoolz]

I would suggest the Half Moon Cay, St. Thomas, San Juan (day hours stop) and Grand Turk itinerary offered on Valor and Liberty (both Conquest class ships) out of Miami. (June and July 2011 dates now showing on Carnival website for these ships/this itinerary)

Great combination of ports - beaches, shopping, history and rainforest.

[Heirloom]

Check out Victory out of San Juan.

 

Sometimes when with another couple, it's great fun to see things together.

 

So many ports.....one each day. Some excursions you may jointly share, others you go off on your own, and talk about what you did over dinner !

 

Other times, one couple visits an island, the other may choose to do nothing.

[bafinegan]

|If you like port intensive cruises, look at the 7 night victory outof san juan. We did that one last may and had a blast. has ports that you dont normally see in a carribean cruise.

baf

[tikimon]

Just keep in mind that if you are deciding your trip for the ports that is subject to change without notice.

 

When we book a cruise, ports are also a factor with us, but not the deciding factor.

[brink cruisers]

I agree with the previous post. The eastern Caribbean on the Liberty is a good choice. If you'd like to check out some photos of our November 2009 trip, check out this link: Sometime photos help you make up your mind.

http://capturelife.smugmug.com/Travel/Cruise-Caribbean-2009/10847885_JCaGS#756654469_GNUEn

[trctjs]

Thanks for those pictures!

 

The Liberty is one on our list. We have narrowed down to:

 

Dream: western

Dream: eastern

Liberty: eastern

Valor: eastern

 

We just aren't sure how to choose. LOL I'd love to do that one on the Liberty.....but everyone else wants more at sea days and less port days. :(