Which Cruise (10-day or 12-day Caribbean) from Newbie

[opus2002]

Hello,

 

First time poster here. Wife and I have never been on a cruise before nor to the Caribbean. We could use some help in figuring out which itinerary fits our needs better Since we have friends at Oceania, we have narrowed it down to two trips.

 

Islands common to both cruises

- Miami

- San Juan, Puerto Rico

- Gustavia, France

- Philipsburg, St. Maarten

- Nassau, Bahamas

 

 

10-day on Riviera:

- Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

- Tortola, BVI

- Cayo Levantado, Dominican

2 days just cruising the sea, plus islands common to both

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Caribbean-cruises/miami-to-miami-RVA150322/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F%23destinations%3Dcaribbean%23cruiseLengths%3DUpToSeven%2CEightToTen%2CElevenToFourteen

12-day on Regatta:

- St. John’s, Antigua

- Castries, Saint Lucia

- St. George’s, Grenada

- Bridgetown, Barbados

3 days cruising the sea, plus islands common to both

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Caribbean-cruises/miami-to-miami-REG150411/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F%23destinations%3Dcaribbean%23cruiseLengths%3DUpToSeven%2CEightToTen%2CElevenToFourteen

 

 

I would have preferred the shorter trip, but work schedule wise, the longer 12-day trip is better. (Other one is still doable.) Riviera is a bigger ship with bigger rooms while the Regatta has smaller rooms and has recently been renovated. Since we have never been on a cruise, we don’t know what our preference is – better or smaller ships. We are looking for a relaxing time, good beaches, and some sightseeing as well.

 

 

Question:

- Ports of call wise, which one is better suited to what we are looking for? (Great beach at or near port of call, some sightseeing)

 

- I remembered reading that in Oceania, you can only eat at the specialty restaurant once. I think this was on Riviera. But then, I read a review about Regatta, that they ate at a specialty restaurant several times. What did I miss here?

Edited February 19, 2015 by opus2002

[hypercafe]

We like the ports on the 12 night trip better. You get one or two pre cruise reservations in each restaurant depending on room type. You can get more space available on the ship. There is never a charge. Have never been on the small ships be I understand they are very nice. Most, if not all islands have nice beaches, St Martin has one right next to the ferry landing from the cruise port.

 

Sent from my SM-T320 using Forums mobile app

Edited February 19, 2015 by hypercafe

[chicstersun]

I would go with the ten day Riviera cruise. We have been on both ships and prefer the larger one. Dinning in the specialty restaurants is a minimum of one night in each. Many times you can book an extra night if space is available.

 

As far as the beach experience, Turks and Caicos is the best. Just walk off the dock and you are at the beach. Lots of shopping and food right next to the beach. One of our favorite stops we want to return to.

[Caroldoll]

There is a Margaritaville there and I can get t-shirts big enough for my very, very tall husband. The beach has chairs at no cost and filtered sun. Very convenient and comfortable.

[Caroldoll]

On the 10 day, forget Cayo Levantado, it is a mess. Horrible.

 

On the 12 day, there are great ports. I love Barbados too.

[jeffrub]

On the 10 day, forget Cayo Levantado, it is a mess. Horrible.

 

On the 12 day, there are great ports. I love Barbados too.

 

+1 I agree with Carol.

 

We have been too all of the ports on your 2 itineraries and the 12 day one sounds like a winner.

[opus2002]

Sounds like ports of call wise, the 12-day cruise is better; thought, the 10-day one has Turks and Caicos. Other than Cayo Levantado a mess, what makes the 12-day ports of call better?

 

Too bad the ship on the 12-day has smaller cabins.

[StanandJim]

Sounds like ports of call wise, the 12-day cruise is better; thought, the 10-day one has Turks and Caicos. Other than Cayo Levantado a mess, what makes the 12-day ports of call better?

 

Too bad the ship on the 12-day has smaller cabins.

 

As a "general rule" if you're looking for a better cruise in the Caribbean, the longer ones are always the way to go, because the islands which can possibly be reached on a seven day itinerary from either Miami or San Juan have become dreadfully touristy.

 

As far as your comment about cabins is concerned, that's a deliberate marketing decision. The "draw" is always going to be either the Ship or the Ports. If you ever find a cruise where both are fantastic, don't stop to take a breath, jump on it!

[CintiPam]

I vote for the 10-day cruise on Riviera because: (1) Riviera is a beautiful ship with excellent cabins in all price classes; (2) the food on Riviera is fantastic; (3) if it is your first cruise, 10 nights is better than 12; (4) the artwork on Riviera is worth looking at (and there is an actual audiotour to enjoy); and (5) my top reason: the Riviera cruise you are considering perhaps is the one we are taking a year from now. So far, we are the only people on the roll call I started.

 

We took our first Caribbean cruise just over a year ago, and on our second one just a month ago, we signed up for our third, all on Riviera.

Edited February 21, 2015 by CintiPam

[wally_bushy]

Flip a coin

Heads Riviera, tails Regatta

(hope it comes down tails)

First cruise, either

[roothy123]

You may want to take my choice with a grain of salt, as I book more on the basis of itinerary, low number of sea days, and sightseeing opportunities instead of beaches. However, I've been to all of those places other than Turks and Caicos and Nassau (I hear it's pretty touristy), and feel the 12 day itinerary is much better, at least for sightseeing and interesting things to see. It also has good variety, with both sightseeing and beach opportunities.

 

I loved San Juan (though touristy) and Barbados, although I don't remember the beach possibilities there. We rented a car in Barbados and drove mostly around the coast, which was beautiful. St. Barts (Gustavia) is pretty interesting, and definitely has some nice beaches. (One of their beaches is right at the end of the airport runway, however, so I at least saw a beach.) I found St. Maarten a bit too touristy for my taste, although I did get a kick from going to the beach where large airplanes literally fly over your head on their approach to the nearby airport. Grenada is not as well traveled as some other ports, but I liked it a lot as it was a little different from many of the Caribbean ports. We took a short tour to see spices with another couple and then they went off to the nearby (and well-known) beach there while I explored the little town near the port. Tortola was fun, as was Antigua (a moderate amount to see there) and St. Lucia. (The Pitons, and the beach underneath, are pretty, although the rest of the island less so.) Samana/Cayo Levantado (spelling?) is mostly a beach stop in a beautiful palm tree dense location. We were due to dock in Turks & Caicos once, but never made it due to roughness of sea. However, in researching it, there didn't appear to be all that much to do besides beach/water sports and one lighthouse for me.

 

In some of these places, a tour either on your own or using a ship's excursion, will let you see a lot more than just wandering around the port. That was particularly true for Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia. Once you decide where you're going, you can find a lot of info on the Ports section of the Forums here on Cruise Critic. Or, as newbies, you might want to just take the easy way out and use shore excursions offered by Oceania.

 

I've been on the small and large O ships and like them equally. For someone who hasn't cruised, however, I'd probably recommend Riviera, as they have more specialty restaurants than the smaller ships and a little more activity, should you want that. Then again, if you want a little more quiet space and time, the smaller ships may be best for you, especially for a first cruise. Really in terms of size, I don't feel that much difference when going back and forth between small and large. I was afraid I would find the larger ships too big after cruising on the smaller ones, but now I like both equally.

Edited February 21, 2015 by roothy123

[opus2002]

Thank you again for all the comments.

 

I decided to compare these two cruises with some of the 7-day ones. Just like StanandJim wrote above, there is really not much to see during a 7-day cruise, which will placed more emphasis on the ship.

 

I was set to go on the 12-day cruise one based on the all the comments about having better port of calls. Then, I noticed that half (4 out of 8) of the port of calls on it had the shipped arriving between noon and 2pm. While Regatta stays until late at night, we'll be in bed well before then. So, that makes the stay on those four really a half day, at least for us. Now, I am back to undecided.

 

Roothy123, thank you for all the detailed comments.

Edited February 21, 2015 by opus2002

[LHT28]

I was set to go on the 12-day cruise one based on the all the comments about having better port of calls. Then, I noticed that half (4 out of 8) of the port of calls on it had the shipped arriving between noon and 2pm. While Regatta stays until late at night, we'll be in bed well before then. So, that makes the stay on those four really a half day, at least for us. Now, I am back to undecided.

 

Riviera stays late 1 night until 11pm on the 10 day cruise posted

arrives at 1pm in SJU leave at 8pm

you are not required to stay ashore until the ship is ready to leave ;)

 

You will find Oceania tends to stay longer in a lot of the ports unlike other lines that are are there for a few hrs

 

Enjoy whatever cruise you choose

[globevest]

Our first ever cruise was a 12 day on Regatta five years ago, with a very similar itinerary to yours. We did not want to get off when arriving back to Miami. We are now addicted to cruising. We have sailed Riviera (and will again on 5th March). Both of your itinerary's are 'port intensive' so the modest difference in cabin size does not enter the equation for me.....both ships are very comfortable.

 

I would go for Regatta based on the ports....and we have been to all of the ports on your cruises. If you are a 'foodie' then Riviera provides a greater choice....but Polo, Toscana, The Terrace, and the MDR + Waves on Regatta have plenty of choices for a 12 day cruise IMO. Good luck.....

[Softball20]

We've not sailed on O yet (we in the airport lounge as I type, on our way to our first one), but we have spent a lot of time in Caribbean, both on cruises and many times on land trips. I'd go for the 12 day itinerary based on the ports. We are beach people, and you'll experience some great beaches on each of the islands. They are all a bit different and have their own character. If you're in to sight seeing as well, there are a few more things to see on the islands on the longer sailing. While I like Grand Turk, it's such a small island that gets a bit overloaded when ships are in port. It's a fantastic diving destination, but there's not too much else to see. As they've built up that port area, it's pretty touristy. (Don't get me wrong - we love Margaritaville, but you're not visiting Grand Turk if you are just hanging out there and at the beach by the port.) Tortola is beautiful, too, but you'll get a much better feel for the Caribbean with the other ports.

[Mura]

Hello,

 

First time poster here. Wife and I have never been on a cruise before nor to the Caribbean. We could use some help in figuring out which itinerary fits our needs better Since we have friends at Oceania, we have narrowed it down to two trips.

 

 

Just to change the subject somewhat, why are you focused on the Caribbean? I ask because we did two cruises about 10 years ago in the area and have decided not to return. Now, that is OUR prejudice! It's certainly a reasonable area to cruise for a first time (especially if you live in the vicinity of the port which is always a high attraction for us, who live in NYC so are nowhere near Miami or Ft. Lauderdale) ...

 

But given your time frame there are other areas to cruise. Perhaps I shouldn't introduce the subject since you already have enough things to consider!

 

But if you were to consider, e.g., a European cruise, then you have air fare to think about ... and also time limits. Many people fly to Europe (and home) allowing for no time in the embarkation and departure ports, but we always plan on 2-3 days before and after a cruise, depending on whether we've been there before (and if so, how often and for how long).

 

Sorry to complicate the issue ... but I haven't if you are determined to do the Caribbean for your first cruise! In looking at your inquiry, I'm thinking that perhaps a 10 day european cruise might work for you ...

 

Then again, I am likely to be totally off the mark ...

 

Mura

[opus2002]

Just to change the subject somewhat, why are you focused on the Caribbean?

Mura

 

We wanted some beach experiences, plus other areas are not as accessible.

 

With Europe, it's quite a flight and my wife easily gets sea sick on day cruises with small boats. So, I am not sure how she would fare in a bigger (relatively speaking) boat cruise. So, that is one preference for a shorter cruise. Plus, I have been to a number of European countries before. So, my preference will be for something different.

 

Alaska, New England - we have been to these places before. (We did day cruises in Alaska.) But, we have never been to the Caribbean.

Edited February 22, 2015 by opus2002

[roothy123]

Well it's my belief that seasickness is less common on cruise ships due to their stabilizers. Also in general the ship does its fastest traveling at night when people are winding down or sleeping. Both of these things might help your wife.

[LHT28]

With Europe, it's quite a flight and my wife easily gets sea sick on day cruises with small boats.

 

How small are the boats she get sick on??

I get sick on the Island ferry in Toronto but just fine on the small cruise ships

 

Take seasick meds with you in case she has a problem

[Mura]

Lyn beat me to it -- how small is small? The "R" ships take 684 passengers which isn't that teensy. I won't say that I haven't gotten seasick on them, however ... and one of the worst days we had was going to Aruba ... we had a couple of sea days after doing the Canal. The captain actually took us further out to sea where it was CALMER.

 

But I understand why you want to try something new. I'm afraid I let my bias *against* the Caribbean get the better of me.

 

Mura

[tropicalkerry2002]

You want want to get off after 12 days, let alone 10!

Longer is better!

[opus2002]

The ship that wife got sea sick on is a small inlet ship. We did venture out far to the sea, so I don't think we can make a fair comparison. Here is the ship to give you an idea.

 

http://www.kenaifjords.com/day-cruises/national-park-tour/

 

 

BTW, this guy here has an impressive amount of pictures on review of cruises.

http://www.thepreismans.com/

 

A near ideal itinerary....but out in December 2015.

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Caribbean-cruises/miami-to-miami-RVA151222/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F%23destinations%3Dcaribbean

Edited February 23, 2015 by opus2002

[Softball20]

If you want relaxing beach experiences and haven't been to the Caribbean, go for it! To me, Caribbean cruises are completely different from European cruises. The Caribbean cruise offers a more relaxing beach experience -- like I mentioned earlier, we love the Caribbean and we are beach people, and Caribbean cruises offer the opportunity to relax and visit many places, usually with a couple sea days. Med/European cruises, however, are usually much busier and port intensive. For us, it's a busy vacation, but we like that because we like to see the various sights of the cities, and we plan full days of touring, etc. They are both good, but different vacations.