Long Time Lurker Looking for Advice

[chale63]

Good morning all! 

 

For my mother's 50th birthday back in 2019, I got her a week long Mediterranean cruise that should have taken place in 2020 and thanks to COVID, that obviously didn't happen. We rescheduled it for August 2021 but then Royal Caribbean canceled, not the entire cruise, but just our pickup in Rome. Sigh. So here we are in 2022 and a two week trip to Europe just isn't in the cards this year and has been pushed to 2023.

 

Our problem? Our future cruise credits need to be redeemed in eight days and while we know we want to do a 6-8 night cruise in June somewhere warm and tropical we don't know much else. My last cruise was in 2014 as a drunk college spring breaker and her last cruise was way before that and we are in desperate need of advice.

 

There are three itineraries that we are in between and would love to hear the pros and cons of each. For example, is there enough to do on Mariner of the Seas for eight days, especially with four of those days being At Sea? Is Perfect Day at CocoCay worth missing out on?

 

If it would help to know what we expect from the cruise, I would say relaxing is top priority. Good food options is up there as well, we will definitely being doing the unlimited speciality dining plan. At night we'll enjoy a cocktail or two but in a more chill environment. We both enjoy the casino, her vice is slots and mine is roulette. 

 

8 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise on Mariner of the Seas

• Ports of Call
  • Oranjestad, Aruba
  • Willemstad, Curacao
  • Kralendijk, Bonaire

 

8 Night Labadee, Aruba & Curacao on Allure of the Seas

• Ports of Call
  • Labadee, Haiti
  • Oranjestad, Aruba
  • Willemstad, Curacao

 

7 Night St. Thomas & Perfect Day Cruise on Symphony of the Seas or Harmony of the Seas

• Ports of Call
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas 

 

Sorry if this post is too long or no one really cares for these types of posts. With this being our first cruise in so long, I just really wanted to pick the right cruise especially since it was for such a special birthday for my mom. 

 

Thanks so much for any replies! I promise to do a live review once we finally get to go on the cruise! They have been so fun to read while we've experienced cruise FOMO.

Edited April 22, 2022 by chale63

[PokrChick]

6 minutes ago, chale63 said:

8 Night Labadee, Aruba & Curacao on Allure of the Seas

That's my choice of the three.  Love the ship and the ports!  No matter what you choose, I am certain you will have a great time!

[Callan33]

All great options! I would personally go with Symphony as it is the newest in your group of choices. Also much larger than Mariner with plenty of food venues and specialty dining. But I’m also not a fan of the smaller, older ships so just an opinion.  Enjoy your trip. 

[firefly333]

Choice 2, oasis class and 8 days and abc islands more rare.

 

Choice 1 nice ports older ships, 8 days for nice ports.

 

Choice 3, newer ship but not that much better than choice 2 and only 7 days. 

[fischymom]

Being 50 my self....for my personal enjoyment I would like the first two options and not hit Coco Cay. But that is somewhat due to the fact that I enjoy the history portion of stopping at ports more than I do the setting on a beach tanning. It's been many years since I was at Coco Cay and it's way more amusement park like now than it was back then. Also think about the ships - bigger is going to have more things going on to keep your days filled. 

A good way to help choose is to YouTube those particular cruises and get a feel for what all is at those locations. I spend WAY TO MUCH time on YouTube "researching" LOL. 

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, chale63 said:

I promise to do a live review once we finally get to go on the cruise!

Welcome to CC and coming out of lurk mode.

[OCSC Mike]

First, never apologize for asking any question here. I'd be shocked if any question didn't get multiple answers.

 

I have trouble answering these types of questions b/c to me they often come down to which ports you prefer and that's a personal preference.

 

My favorite excursion ever is on St. Maarten and I enjoyed CocoCay so I would pick that one but I've never been to the ABC islands nor have I researched what to do there. I won't even get off the ship in Labadee. So what I'm saying is, I would research what I would be doing in the different ports if I were in your shoes before I could decide.

 

As for ships, I'd be fine on Mariner for 8 nights but there is definitely more stuff to do on the newer/bigger ships.

 

Hope this helps.

[Sunshine3601]

My selection is Allure 8 night.   Nice itinerary and nice ship with great food options.   Fun for everyone of all ages. 

 

We love Aruba and Curaçao and June should be great weather at these islands.    hardly ever rains there.Lots of things to do and explore at these islands. If you have an overnight in Aruba or a late night departure, even better.

 

Labadee is a nice relaxing private island.   

 

Whatever you pick will be really nice!  Have fun planning🤩

[Tree_skier]

I'd take option 2 as #1, option 1 as #2 and option 3 as #3.  That being said, all the options are excellent.  It is more a choice of good, better, best. You can't go wrong with any of those choices.

[cruiseguy1016]

I, personally, do not care for RCI's private islands. I would rather visit another country and learn about the island and the culture. For that reason, my choice would be Mariner to the ABC islands. Bonaire (not included in the other itineraries) is a very beautiful island with some of the best diving/snorkeling in the world, if you're into that. As for your question about whether Mariner has enough to do, the answer is yes. They have the Royal Promenade which is a great place to just hang out. Mariner has gone through the Amplification remodel. She has many new and exciting venues.

[cured]

21 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

First, never apologize for asking any question here. I'd be shocked if any question didn't get multiple answers.

 

I have trouble answering these types of questions b/c to me they often come down to which ports you prefer and that's a personal preference.

 

My favorite excursion ever is on St. Maarten and I enjoyed CocoCay so I would pick that one but I've never been to the ABC islands nor have I researched what to do there. I won't even get off the ship in Labadee. So what I'm saying is, I would research what I would be doing in the different ports if I were in your shoes before I could decide.

 

As for ships, I'd be fine on Mariner for 8 nights but there is definitely more stuff to do on the newer/bigger ships.

 

Hope this helps.

Sorry for off topic, but what is your favorite excursion in St Maarten?  We are contemplating the OP's choice 3 and starting to research what St. Maarten and St. Thomas has to offer.

 

To the OP,  I am in my early 60's. My preference is an Oasis class ship every time.  I love sitting in Central Park with a glass of wine. Lots of specialty dining, lots of venues to explore. I enjoy people watching.  We usually get a CL suite facing the aft of the ship just for the people watching. I would take the 8 day Allure and then Symphony.   

 

I have never been to Labadee, but it is a beach, so inherently relaxing.  The Beach Club on Coco Cay is our favorite.

Edited April 22, 2022 by cured

[OCSC Mike]

5 minutes ago, cured said:

Sorry for off topic, but what is your favorite excursion in St Maarten?

Captain Bob's excursion. See Day 5 of my long trip report from 2017. The lunch has changed to sandwiches as the restaurant was unfortunately destroyed in a hurricane but the rest should be very similar afaik.

 

 

[bjlbbk]

We are partial to the Oasis class ships as well...we enjoy all the different neighborhoods but absolutely love the outdoor atmosphere at Central Park and on the Boardwalk. The Aqua Theater is a nice bonus too. We will be on the Allure in July for the 8 night itinerary and are looking forward to the extra day at sea as well. That being said you will have a great time whichever you choose...have fun!

Edited April 22, 2022 by bjlbbk
missing word

[chale63]

58 minutes ago, Callan33 said:

All great options! I would personally go with Symphony as it is the newest in your group of choices. Also much larger than Mariner with plenty of food venues and specialty dining. But I’m also not a fan of the smaller, older ships so just an opinion.  Enjoy your trip. 

Thanks for the response! I think we may hold off on Symphony since we'll probably be on it next year for our Mediterranean cruise. 

[smokeybandit]

Mariner for sure. Better itinerary. 

[cured]

23 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

Captain Bob's excursion. See Day 5 of my long trip report from 2017. The lunch has changed to sandwiches as the restaurant was unfortunately destroyed in a hurricane but the rest should be very similar afaik.

 

 

Thanks!!

[chale63]

49 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

First, never apologize for asking any question here. I'd be shocked if any question didn't get multiple answers.

 

I have trouble answering these types of questions b/c to me they often come down to which ports you prefer and that's a personal preference.

 

My favorite excursion ever is on St. Maarten and I enjoyed CocoCay so I would pick that one but I've never been to the ABC islands nor have I researched what to do there. I won't even get off the ship in Labadee. So what I'm saying is, I would research what I would be doing in the different ports if I were in your shoes before I could decide.

 

As for ships, I'd be fine on Mariner for 8 nights but there is definitely more stuff to do on the newer/bigger ships.

 

Hope this helps.

It does! Thanks so much for the response. 

 

From what I've been seeing a lot of people feel the same way about Labadee as you do and the videos I've watched are a little underwhelming.

[MiniChunks]

I've never been on an Oasis Class ship before, so my initial inclination would be the Mariner. I'm on that Allure itinerary leaving next week and am worried that I will miss all of the outward facing venues of the smaller ships. Radiance class is hands down my favorite, and i'm sure a totally different vibe from Oasis Class. Voyager Class(Mariner) is my second choice to Radiance and that itinerary is great, so Mariner gets my vote. I'll report back after our sailing if my mind changes. 

[chale63]

46 minutes ago, cured said:

I love sitting in Central Park with a glass of wine.

I think my mom would also love this which is why I am leaning more towards the Oasis class. I think her ideal night would be dinner at a specialty restaurant followed by a cocktail or two in Central Park.

[Spif Barwunkel]

The ABC Islands on the Mariner make this a no brainer. Mariner is in good shape and presents well. If you want bigness and glitz rather than destinations, choose either of the other two. Big factor should also be where you leave from. All other things being equal, choose Port Canaveral over FLL and MIA every time.      

Edited April 22, 2022 by Spif Barwunkel

[MiniChunks]

3 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

The ABC Islands on the Mariner make this a no brainer. Mariner is in good shape and presents well. If you want bigness and glitz rather than destinations, choose either of the other two. Big factor should also be where you leave from. All other things being equal, choose Port Canaveral over FLL and MIA every time.      

 

Curious why you'd choose Canaveral over FLL or MIA? I've never cruised out of PC, but isn't it a long ride from the airport? 

[sandebeach]

If you enjoy spending time in the casino, the casinos on the Oasis-class ships are the largest casinos in the Royal fleet.

[babyblue78]

20 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

The ABC Islands on the Mariner make this a no brainer. Mariner is in good shape and presents well. If you want bigness and glitz rather than destinations, choose either of the other two. Big factor should also be where you leave from. All other things being equal, choose Port Canaveral over FLL and MIA every time.      

 

The ports are the same 2 of the 3 ports though on Allure vs Mariner (Aruba and Curacao), and Allure has extra sea day.  Based on what the OP is asking for (better dining options, relaxation, atmosphere) seems like the Allure ship and itinerary fits the bill.

 

When 2 of the 3 ports are the same, I wouldn't say that choosing Allure would be "bigness and glitz rather than destinations). 

[DaniDanielle]

I pick Allure.

[Spif Barwunkel]

51 minutes ago, MiniChunks said:

 

 

 

 

 

33 minutes ago, babyblue78 said:

 

The ports are the same 2 of the 3 ports though on Allure vs Mariner (Aruba and Curacao), and Allure has extra sea day.  Based on what the OP is asking for (better dining options, relaxation, atmosphere) seems like the Allure ship and itinerary fits the bill.

 

When 2 of the 3 ports are the same, I wouldn't say that choosing Allure would be "bigness and glitz rather than destinations). 

Been on Allure, great ship. Been on Mariner, great ship. Labadee vs Bonaire as the third port-of-call, Bonaire every day, unless you want the private island. As for relaxation, Allure holds 64% more passengers than Mariner. That will invade the relaxation space a bit increasing atmospheric pressure. As for food options, check out the deck plans for each ship. Not much difference and the food is just as good on either. Someone mentioned Oasis Class ships have the largest casinos in the fleet. Indeed, it is much more fun losing your money in a larger location. More folks losing theirs with you.

 

I'll stick with bigness and glitz.  

Edited April 22, 2022 by Spif Barwunkel