what ship to go on

[liliapaul]

hi everyone we need some advice. we have been on 5 cruises but all have been with thompson although we had a great time we want to go on a bigger ship with lots more to do .we want to go to the caribean in feb/march 2013 but what ship and who do we book it with any ideas would be helpful

[Cruise_Kitten]

You have obviously come here because you are thinking of RCCL. We usually sail on the Freedom Class ships. They are big but not as big as the Oasis Class. After having been on Thomson ship you may not want to be on the Oasis or Allure as they will make the Thomson ships look like tug boats :D

 

The Freedom Class is our favorite as it has pretty much everything.

 

As to who to book it with you can try Travel Agents, Online Suppliers and also Direct with RCCL. That way you get a better choice.

I personally book direct with RCCL on the phone, get on board credit with them every time and I like the control I have over my booking.

 

CK x

[liliapaul]

thanks for the advice my grandaughter is on independence of the seas at the moment doing canaries they said the ship is amazing the photos are amazing can never go back to a small ship after looking at them and for johhny rockets we allways go their in florida i will go through through them direct

[DonnaK]

Check the prices for flights to Florida versus flights to Puerto Rico. If there's not a big difference, then I would look at southern Caribbean cruises out of San Juan. They have better itineraries, and the weather is warmer in the winter. Both of the ships that sail out of San Juan are lovely - Adventure is Voyager class which has many of the amenities that RCI is famous for (ice rink, Promenade, etc - similar to Independence without the flowrider) and Brilliance is Radiance class which are a bit smaller and more intimate but very classy with lots of windows overlooking the sea.

 

If entertainment is important to you (it is to us), then Oasis/Allure are excellent choices. Don't be put off by their large size - they are divided into neighborhoods - and they disperse the crowds extremely well, so that they seem far less crowded than smaller ships. We were pleasantly surprised at how well this ship is organized.

 

We always book direct with Royal Caribbean, but you are in the UK, so I'm not sure what's the best option for you.

[Cruise_Kitten]

Check the prices for flights to Florida versus flights to Puerto Rico. If there's not a big difference, then I would look at southern Caribbean cruises out of San Juan. They have better itineraries, and the weather is warmer in the winter. Both of the ships that sail out of San Juan are lovely - Adventure is Voyager class which has many of the amenities that RCI is famous for (ice rink, Promenade, etc - similar to Independence without the flowrider) and Brilliance is Radiance class which are a bit smaller and more intimate but very classy with lots of windows overlooking the sea.

 

If entertainment is important to you (it is to us), then Oasis/Allure are excellent choices. Don't be put off by their large size - they are divided into neighborhoods - and they disperse the crowds extremely well, so that they seem far less crowded than smaller ships. We were pleasantly surprised at how well this ship is organized.

 

We always book direct with Royal Caribbean, but you are in the UK, so I'm not sure what's the best option for you.

 

We always book direct as I like being in control of my booking. I can organise the excursions, drinks packages, and keep an eye on the price for price drops. The people at Royal Caribbean UK all act as TA's anyway. We like the On Board Credit we get with them as it usually out weighs the 5% online booking discount. For our cruises this year going direct meant we got $200 credit per cabin and our third cruise got us $300 per cabin! Not bad at all I say, and this credit can be used on board for anything you like!

 

CK x