Which ship?

[Readyt0cruise]

My husband and I are trying to plan a cruise. I have been on 3 previous cruises and he has been on 0. We are debating between the Mariner of the Seas and the new Liberty of the seas. Mariner goes to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and CocoCay. Liberty goes to San Juan, St. Maarten, and Labadee. I personally have only been to Labadee out of those places and loved it. I wasn't sure if some of those ports are better than others???Liberty is supposed to be the biggest thing out there and am afraid it will be super crowded? Any advice? Is new and big not necessarily better? We are looking to go in May, which will actually be the maiden voyage of the Liberty. Any comments/recommendation are welcomed!

 

Thanks!

[EggDropErin]

If you love shopping, I recommend St Thomas and St Maarten. Absolutely loved St Thomas and there are some unbeatable bargains in St Maarten. Will be going back to those ports on the next cruise we book.

[cb at sea]

Either one will inspire awe in your husband! Both itineraries are practically the same, (One island really isn't so different from another!) so pick the ship where you get the best cabin at the best price!

[broberts]

Liberty and its sister Freedom are really just "stretch" versions of the Voyager class to which Mariner belongs. I don't know about Liberty, but reports on the initial sailings of Freedom indicated that they did not fully book the ship, presumably so that teething problems could be handled more easily.

 

If you enjoy walking around old cities and sightseeing San Juan shouldn't be missed. Military buffs will especially enjoy the El Morro and San Cristobal fortresses. The views from both are stunning and worth a visit by anyone. Liberty is scheduled to dock around 3pm, (you won't want to miss the sail-in), which should give you enough daylight for a walking tour since you won't have to clear immigration.

 

As others have said St Maarten has wonderful shopping. Its also got some beautiful beaches and scenery. If you like sailing or other water sports you should consider the America's Cup Regatta excursion.

 

St Thomas is a wonderful stop, especially for scuba and snorkeling. Lots of great beaches and scenery. Good shopping too.