Cruise ideas

[johnnjay]

I'm looking for some suggestions on where to go for my next cruise. My wife and I have been on 2 cruises in the Caribbean and are leaving on an Alaskan cruise next week. We are looking at what's out there but any input for our next cruise is welcome. We have only cruised with RC.

[Clarea]

Have you done Southern Caribbean? That has a different feel for us than the typical Eastern/Western.

[bluebeard39]

How about a Mediterranean Cruise that goes to France, Italy and Greece. We did that for our honeymoon in 2013 it was a wonderful cruise.

[gerif]

Even though we're relatively close, we always enjoy Canada/New England.

[cruzinlisa]

Have you done Southern Caribbean? That has a different feel for us than the typical Eastern/Western.

 

This. We were watching wheel of fortune on TV and someone won a trip to Aruba, which prompted us to look at cruises that went to Aruba (and Curaco, which is on my bucket list), We actually found a few (on Carnival) that were from Florida and in a price range that is doable. Probably not next year because DH wants to go to Gulf Shores next year, but someday.

 

 

 

How about a Mediterranean Cruise that goes to France, Italy and Greece. We did that for our honeymoon in 2013 it was a wonderful cruise.

 

Definitely on my bucket list. This or Greek Isles cruise. I went to Spain once when I was 18. I loved it but was not really old enough to enjoy it. I want to go back to Europe- particularly Med- again. But airfare and restrictions on time off are prohibitive for me at this point.

If it were not though, this would be my top choice.

[reallyhooked]

All suggestions I like. Also Hawaii

[GJustice]

Southern Caribbean, Hawaii, Panama Canal

[easyboy]

Baltic cruise and British Isles cruise

 

 

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[cruiserking]

Royal Caribbean also has some great transatlantics. These are usually very well priced re-positioning cruises 12 to 16 days that leave from Florida and include four or five ports in Europe before arriving in either Barcelona, the Netherlands or Southampton, UK.

 

Jonathan

[Bruin Steve]

I'm looking for some suggestions on where to go for my next cruise. My wife and I have been on 2 cruises in the Caribbean and are leaving on an Alaskan cruise next week. We are looking at what's out there but any input for our next cruise is welcome. We have only cruised with RC.

 

We've been on 45 cruises...and are currently booked through #50...

What I like to do is to mix it up--look for places I haven't yet cruised...Of course, though, we are limited by my wife's school district calendar--which makes it hard to cruise anytime other than summer or, perhaps, Winter Break...but, because of school dates, some entire itineraries get excluded. And, because of those time constraints...and often budget constraints, we tend to do a lot of the same cruises because they are close to home and don't require airfare or extra time on either end...

 

So, with all of that, we've managed to do several variations on the Caribbean, on the Baltic, on the Mediterranean, Alaska and the Mexican Riviera...Plus, the Panama canal, a river cruise in China, Australia/New Zealand and, incredibly, the Galapagos.

 

What I can tell you is that EVERY cruise is a little different...and different people cruise for different reasons.

 

Some people cruise to see different cultures, art, history and architecture...Others cruise for striking scenery, some for wildlife and adventure...and yet others cruise just to relax, kick back and get a tan...Sometimes, we cruise just to get a break away from home...

 

So, the first question might be What are YOU looking for in a cruise?

 

If budget is your primary constraint, maybe keep looking close to home.

If you want to experience new places and different cultures...or a bit of history, I heartily recommend Europe--especially the Mediterranean--where there are different itineraries for all sorts of different interests. Look at the ports--do you want to see great cities? Or experience small islands? Do you want incredible history and archaeology dating back longer than recorded history? The Middle Ages? The Renaissance? These are all available on different European cruises.

 

If you want to see great scenery, try the Norwegian Fjords...or Iceland...

 

A cruise in Asia or Southeast Asia may be fascinating to you--experience some cultures far different than our own.

 

As to cruise lines, Royal Caribbean is always a good choice...but know that for some itineraries, the ice rinks, rock climbing walls and surfing pools are really unneeded...So, also look into itineraries on Celebrity, for example...Owned by Royal Caribbean but the ships are far less crowded...and, IMHO, the food and service is better. In Europe, where you just want to relax after a busy day in port, this is a good choice.

 

Good luck...

[cruzgryphon]

Agree with previous posters about the Mediterranean - east or west you can't go wrong. For a first timer though I'd recommend Eastern Med which features stops in Greece. Baltics are nice as well - lots of itineraries to choose from. Enjoy!!

[deliver42]

I've looked into repositioning TA cruises, which are pretty reasonable until you get the airfare prices, which are out of this world, so I stick to the Caribbean, with the exception of my recent Alaska cruise.

[John&LaLa]

I've looked into repositioning TA cruises, which are pretty reasonable until you get the airfare prices, which are out of this world, so I stick to the Caribbean, with the exception of my recent Alaska cruise.

My last flight from Barcelona to Orlando was under $300.

 

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[Clarea]

I've looked into repositioning TA cruises, which are pretty reasonable until you get the airfare prices, which are out of this world, so I stick to the Caribbean, with the exception of my recent Alaska cruise.

You need to check out Royal's Air2Sea prices, very good for one-way international flights.

[Ocean Dancer]

Do you want a larger ship where that IS the destination, or exploring new places?

 

Check out the Serenade this winter. She offers 10 & 11 day cruises that visit wonderful Southern ports.:D

[Sailor_Sally]

There is always Cuba . Go now before they tighten up the travel restrictions .

[Ocean Dancer]

There is always Cuba . Go now before they tighten up the travel restrictions .

What have you heard? We are booked for Thanksgiving.:cool:

[irun5k]

Have you done Southern Caribbean? That has a different feel for us than the typical Eastern/Western.

 

Totally agree. Years ago I went on the southern itinerary, Monarch out of San Juan. Totally different "feel", as you say- hard to explain but felt more relaxed, more detached, than the boilerplate eastern/western itineraries.

[johnnjay]

Thank you for all of your suggestins thus far. As for the reason my wife and I started cruising its primarily the cost and affordability of being able to see a lot if different places at once. We both love to see new places and experience new things. The southern Caribbean is something we have talked about along with Mediterranean cruises.

[OceansOfTravels]

I would suggest Southern Caribbean or the Mediterranean as well. I know the flights can sometimes scare people away, but check out the website "Skyscanner". The website allows you to put in Flexible dates, or pick a specific month, or to see which month has the cheapest flights. We have saved hundreds of dollars using Skyscanner and have had many trips inspired when we saw the cheap flight deals (Helloooooooooo St.Maarten :D), and has allowed us to do trips that we thought we could not. If you want to spend some time in Puerto Rico, Barcelona, Venice or wherever your cruise may leave from, use AirBnB. You can save a lot of money by renting a local apartment or condo for 2 nights over a hotel, get a more local experience, and have your host be able to tell you all the local places to eat and things to do. I have always felt that I've enjoyed my trips more when I used an AirBnB than purchased a hotel room because I got a better local experience. Wait a little longer to cruise, save up some more, find a good flight deal and AirBnB, and you could have the best trip of your life :D

[Jennilee17]

We did a Mediterranean/Greek Isle cruise. It was amazing. We are planning on booking a British Isle cruise for the summer of 2018. Its a good way to see lots of parts of a different country and only unpacking once! : )