Carribean cruises

[PrincessYoga]

I am trying to organise a Carribean cruise for my in-laws (10 adults and my will be 1 year old child)for the autumn 2008. The baby is due to be born anytime now. The inlaws suggested 2 weeks in Florida in villa and Disney World. Living in San Diego in childhood and with family still there I have been to Disney more times than I can count. I have sold them on the superior benefits of cruising. I have never been to the Carribean. Do you recommend the western, eastern or southern route? Is there any preference of departure points? Any ports to definitely see or ones to be avoided? I am keen that they all have an amazing time.

 

Thank you.:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ft Lauderdale -- HAL does nearly all of their Caribbean cruises from there.

 

Southern itineraries are the best - JMO.

[gizmo]

Ft Lauderdale -- HAL does nearly all of their Caribbean cruises from there.

 

Southern itineraries are the best - JMO.

 

Same as KK. I like the Southern itineraries the best.

[PrincessYoga]

Thank you, KK and Gizmo. I am checking out intineraries and prices as we speak. I am dying to go on another cruise.

[grannynurse]

I don't want to rain on your parade but fall is hurricane season, I'm concerned because we're sailing the south Atlantic this October, all the way across from Rome to HMC and Ft. Lauderdale.

But plus side is prices are cheaper and you could get the brand new Eurodam which launches in July 2008. She'll start her Caribbean sailings in mid October. I'd go for that!!

Have fun searching,

GN

[jtl513]

I don't want to rain on your parade but fall is hurricane season, GN

Right! No HAL ships are in the Caribbean until October. The earliest would the the Maasdam on Oct 4th.

[SeaSharp]

SOUTHERN - 10 days - Fort Lauderdale

Enough time to get relaxed, but not enough time for the "newbies to cruising" to get bored.

OR, better yet, try the 14 day Southern Caribbean out of Tampa. Given a choice, that would be my pick, hands down!! It's a very easy port to sail from, too.

[PrincessYoga]

Thank you for your suggestions. I was looking at the 10 days out of Fort Lauderdale. My fil likes the Eastern on the Noordam from New York because he likes New York....But it looks like Southern wins hands down. What makes the Southern better than the other so I can convince him?

[DFD1]

Southern allows you to travel further into the Caribbean, seeing islands not reachable by shorter cruises from Florida. IMO, the southern Caribbean is far and away the most interesting and beautiful.

 

As for 7 day cruises, IMO the eastern Caribbean wins hands down over the typical western Caribbean itinerary.

[silvercruiser]

Southern Caribbean islands are much less crowded. For example, on last winter's Western Caribbean there were 8 ships in Belize the day we were there, complete chaos. Years ago Cozumel and Grand Cayman were nice, but very crowded now. Besides, you can usually count on good weather all the time in Southern.

Tampa is an easy place to fly to, if you're interested in the 14-day Veendam Southern Caribbean cruise.

[heartofamerica]

Southern allows you to travel further into the Caribbean, seeing islands not reachable by shorter cruises from Florida. IMO, the southern Caribbean is far and away the most interesting and beautiful.

 

As for 7 day cruises, IMO the eastern Caribbean wins hands down over the typical western Caribbean itinerary.

 

Agreed. I've sailed Western, Eastern (twice) and Southern...the southern was by far the most beautiful of the bunch.

[barante]

All Caribbean destinations are wonderful, but Southern Caribbean is my favorite. We took it again in March on the Noordam and liked the ship and stops so much that we booked it for March 2008.

My favorites are Barbados, a really nice place once you kneecap the taxi mafia outside the cruise terminal. The way to do, by the way, is to lwalk just a few hundred yards, leave the terminal compound and negotiate with reputable and nice behaving cabbies there. But before you do that, you might as well stop at the government tourism office inside the ship terminal. They have maps and can make recommendations, quote prices for taxis etc. We got a recommendation for a deserted free beach that seemingly went on for miles, with a restaurant and changing facilities and restrooms that was within the sight of the ship and that one could have reached by taking a long walk.

Other favorites include San Juan (if it isn't a Sunday), where the fort and the adjoining historic area are getting better and better with renovations each time; Dominica, an unspoiled, lush island of dramatic beauty where the Noordam parked at the end of a w o o d e n pier jutting into the ocean, and St. Maarten, a great stop with terrific shopping, a free beach at the water taxi terminal downtown (with changing facilities and restrooms) and nude beaches farther away, if you fancy to rollick in nude.

There are other stops but if we feel like regarding them as sea days, we just stay on the ship and may take a stroll on our own.

We have taken four wonderful cruises on Celebrity, one satisfactory one on the Norwegian Dawn, will take the Norwegian Crown to Bermuda in September, and then the Noordam. It's a great ship with wonderful amenities. One of my regrets is that I never really tried the aft pool. This time I will correct that oversight because it has a great view.

[barante]

I got an email this morning about a three-day HAL sale. Lots of great Caribbean itineraries from various ports.

Here's one that's almost free:

NOORDAM

departing December 12, 2007

 

from New York

10 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise

 

INSIDE

$734

OCEANVIEW

$779

BALCONY

$912

SUITE

$1357

 

CHECK AVAILABILITY NOW