Input needed please

[avatheps]

I have a planning question and hope this is a proper place to start. My DW and I are booked for our first cruise in Dec of this year. It has been of tremendous value to us to plan it over several months time. With that in mind and already thinking that cruising might be something we would like to do again, we are now starting to plan for another. The first cruise is to the eastern Caribbean. I want to explore new venues, so have decided on either southern Caribbean or Mexico for the next. We are on a fixed retirement income and find it most affordable to travel out of the NYC area because we can reach any of the ports by bus with little effort or expense. We would both appreciate any input from those of you having made these trips in recent months. Security in Mexico is a major concern to my DW. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Bob

[paul929207]

You can check with a travel agent, but I doubt you can get to the southern or western Caribbean out of NYC. It is just too far, unless you are looking at a longer cruise.

[cruiseapril]

Hi- If you look at "Find a Cruise" at the top of this page, you can select a port and find cruises from there.

 

Also, we would suggest looking at Amtrak to get to Baltimore or Charleston or Florida, if you find cruises you like from those areas.

[RoofingPrincess]

You're not going to get to the Southern Caribbean or Mexico on a cruise leaving from the NYC area. Southern tends to leave out of Florida or San Juan. Mexico, from Florida or from Gulf ports like Galveston, New Orleans, etc.

All you'll get out of NYC is Bermuda, Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, and Canada/New England.

[Ottawa_cruise_man]

You're not going to get to the Southern Caribbean or Mexico on a cruise leaving from the NYC area. Southern tends to leave out of Florida or San Juan. Mexico, from Florida or from Gulf ports like Galveston, New Orleans, etc.

All you'll get out of NYC is Bermuda, Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, and Canada/New England.

Really? ;) :D

[cherylandtk]

Norwegian Breakaway, 12 days out of NY in Jan. 2014, but probably too soon after your first cruise.

Norwegian Gem, 9 days in the fall of 2014, although it is really more eastern, they call it southern, and is much the same ports as on your first cruise.

 

That is about it for 2014 out of NJ or NY unless you want a month-long cruise or one of the luxury lines. 2015 has similar itineraries and dates.

 

Most Western Caribbean itineraries will leave from a Gulf Coast or Florida port.

[avatheps]

Thank you all for the advice. I have been pondering a train excursion and DW has always wanted to tour NOLA. Mayhaps we can arrange just such a trip as has been suggested here. Thanks again for your invaluable help.

 

Bob

[luddite]

Departing from New Orleans, you will not be disappointed.

[Guest maddycat]

We cruise out of Bayonne, NJ and have done 10 and 11 night Southern Caribbean cruises. We've sailed on RCI's Explorer of the

Seas and Celebrity's Silhouette to the Southen Caribbean from NJ. We're waiting for Nov. 2014 cruises to be posted on the RCI site so that we can book another 11 night Southern Caribbean cruise.

[dorisis]

If you really are "hooked on cruising" you may want to consider retiring to Florida Five ports that can take you almost anywhere in the world. NO TORTUROUS AIR FLIGHTS ! Save big without air fare.

 

~Doris~>Who can now cruise more than once a year.

[Tralynn]

Thank you all for the advice. I have been pondering a train excursion and DW has always wanted to tour NOLA. Mayhaps we can arrange just such a trip as has been suggested here. Thanks again for your invaluable help.

 

Bob

Cruising out of New Orleans is really a unique experience. It takes 7 hours to just get down the Mississippi River which is really neat.

 

Plus, our city has so much to offer. Great music, yummy food, and lots of culture.

[JimAOk1945]

We cruise out of Galveston frequently. Unfortunately, the only itineraries available from that port are Western and Eastern Caribbean.

 

We have been on both and are now scheduled for a Southern Caribbean cruise round trip from San Juan, PR in December. Maybe next year we will try cruising from Florida.

 

Happy cruising. It's a great way to see the world!

[avatheps]

Wow, so many options. We have a son in Jacksonville, FL that we visit frequently. The only thing that might make that a no go is I have only seen Carnival out of there. I am not too keen on them at the moment. The NOLA cruise port sounds nice. If I could get a decent price on Amtrak to and from the port that is. Seems to me that train travel is overpriced for what you get.

 

Bob

[Essiesmom]

Wow, so many options. We have a son in Jacksonville, FL that we visit frequently. The only thing that might make that a no go is I have only seen Carnival out of there. I am not too keen on them at the moment. The NOLA cruise port sounds nice. If I could get a decent price on Amtrak to and from the port that is. Seems to me that train travel is overpriced for what you get.

 

Bob

 

If you are considering train travel, come on over to

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/

Amtrak Unlimited, not an official Amtrak forum, but a forum for fans of rail travel. Folks there can help you locate the best deals. EM

[skrufy]

The cruises to the Carib. out of the NYC area are limited. To get a good choice range you have to sail out of the Florida Ports, which go to the eastern, western, and southern Carib.

[bus man]

You can get a few Western Caribbean cruises on Royal Caribbean out of Baltimore, generally during the winter months only. Needless to say, one can take an Amtrak train from New York City to Baltimore.

[bob brown]

Besides the usual cruises out of the Port of New York mentioned already, there are the end-of-season repositioning cruises. This is where a ship will change its seasonal homeport--either leaving New York or coming to it. For example the NCL Jewel is leaving New York, and heading to its summer home in Seattle for the Alaska season (after which it will homeport at New Orleans for its new winter home.

That is just one ship--there are others going to or from Europe and South America as well. Not to mention the regular liner runs of the Queen Mary 2.

[delily]

Don't book your second cruise until you have taken the first one. You will be surprised by many things and may have a completely new ideas about how and where you want to cruise once you've done it. You may also be surprised by how much more you spend on board than you expected and may want a little more time between trips if you are on a fixed income :-)

[avatheps]

Great suggestions everyone. Thank you very much. I have now bookmarked the link to Amtrak and will check it out ASAP. I see lots of options available. I just have to decide which ones make the best trip for DW and I. Have a great day all.

 

Bob