Caribbean Ports—trying to choose cruise

[jkeitch]

Can anyone who've been all round the caribbean give advice on itinerary? I'm trying to choose between the following:

 

Harmony to St Maarten, San Juan & Labadee (April28)

Harmony to CocoCay, San Juan & St Maarten (May 19)

 

Symphony to St Kitts, St Thomas & Nassau (April 27)

Symphony to St. Kitts, St Thomas, & Cococay (May 18)

 

Travelling with Kids (8 & 6) so I'm really thinking CocayCay will be great. Out of all we've only been to Labadee (over 10 years ago). I heard St Maarten beaches got hot hard by the hurricanes? We won't really be doing any paid excursions—mostly beaches and maybe some touring around.

Let me know your favourite destinations or any tips you have while there. Thanks!!!

[OCruisers]

18 minutes ago, jkeitch said:

Can anyone who've been all round the caribbean give advice on itinerary? 

 

Symphony to St. Kitts, St Thomas, & Cococay (May 18)

 

 

 

This would be our choice for you and your family.  

 

[zdad59]

I would immediately eliminate the itinerary with Nassau.    In my opinion its a waste of a stop.    We port there on our cruise in two weeks.    We plan to stay in the ship.

 

We LOVE San Juan, especially for a port stop where you dock in Old San Juan.     OSJ is a great place to walk around and just absorb the culture.

 

Depending on what you like to do St. Thomas can be hit or miss.    Some nice beaches (Megan's Bay), but not a great island to tour (in my humble opinion).

 

We really like St. Maarten.   Lots to do.   Maho beach is always fun when there for the 1st time.    Lots of good beaches.   Marigot, on the French side, is a super little town.

 

St. Kitts is a nice island.   If you choose that I highly recommend an island tour by Thenford Gray

 

We've been to Labadee and liked it.   Haven't been to CoCo Cay so can't compare the two.

 

Based on all that I would choose a Harmony itinerary that best suits your calendar and budget.   We've sailed on Harmony and LOVED the ship.

 

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by zdad59

[Merion_Mom]

33 minutes ago, jkeitch said:

Can anyone who've been all round the caribbean give advice on itinerary? I'm trying to choose between the following:

 

Harmony to St Maarten, San Juan & Labadee (April28)

Harmony to CocoCay, San Juan & St Maarten (May 19)

 

Symphony to St Kitts, St Thomas & Nassau (April 27)

Symphony to St. Kitts, St Thomas, & Cococay (May 18)

 

Travelling with Kids (8 & 6) so I'm really thinking CocayCay will be great. Out of all we've only been to Labadee (over 10 years ago). I heard St Maarten beaches got hot hard by the hurricanes? We won't really be doing any paid excursions—mostly beaches and maybe some touring around.

Let me know your favourite destinations or any tips you have while there. Thanks!!!

 

I would not choose a cruise with CocoCay.  I don't think that stuff is going to be finished by those dates.

 

(I know that RC says that some of it will be finished; I trust them about as far as I trust my cat to fly around the room and dust the chandelier).

 

So, that eliminates half of them.

 

Between the other two, I would pick Harmony to St Maarten, San Juan and Labadee.

 

St. Maarten is still rebuilding, but you can have a great time at the places that are rehabilitated.

 

San Juan is a wonderful place with so much to see and do.

 

Labadee is a delightful beach day, and it's not as much of an "amusement park" as CocoCay will be, there are plenty of things to "play" on.

[Ken at the beach]

Is there a reason that you’ve eliminated all the Western Caribbean itineraries?

[jkeitch]

Thank you all for the advice.

 

We eliminated Western because a bunch of us have already been to a few destinations, so wanted to explore a little further.

 

I didn't know there was a possibility CocoCay wouldn't be ready so that would make my decision much easier as the cruises going there are a bit pricier. 

[Hoopster95]

2 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

(I know that RC says that some of it will be finished; I trust them about as far as I trust my cat to fly around the room and dust the chandelier).

 

 

59 minutes ago, jkeitch said:

I didn't know there was a possibility CocoCay wouldn't be ready so that would make my decision much easier as the cruises going there are a bit pricier. 

 

I heard Cococay won't be finished by May... and a good chance not even fully completed by end of 2019.