New Years Eve Cruises in the Caribbean!

[dotsebeil]

My husband and I (with a large group of friends and family) have booked a New Years Cruise with Carnival for this coming December (Carnival Destiny Eastern Caribbean 12/29/08 - 1/3/09) and are really interested in getting more information about these types of cruises.

 

This cruise is twice as expensive as the same cruise both the week before, and week after, and we want to make sure that its worth our money (as it is we are feverishly scrounging to find the money to make this cruise happen).

 

I have been searching the carnival reviews and boards for a few days now looking for information on this specific cruise. I assumed that because they charge more for this week than any other, that they would go all out for New Years Eve. This doesn't seem to be what is being reported. It sure sounds like Carnival is charging twice as much but treating New Years Eve as though it is just another day on your vacation.

 

I know that many of the people who do reviews tend to weigh in heavily on the faults of the cruise, not because they're whiny, but because these are the things that stand out in their minds after their trip, but before they have all of their wonderful photos developed! The only person I found who specifically said that they enjoyed the New Years Celebration went on in the same sentence to say that she wasn't going to embellish because it is not pertinent to most people.

 

I want to hear the good and the bad about this aspect specifically! How is the party? IS there a party? Is this cruise more special than others on the same route?

 

It looks to me like this will be the first year that the Carnival Destiny takes on an Eastern Caribbean route. That said, I would love to hear from New Years Cruises on ALL or ANY ships that cruise the Caribbean this time of year!

 

Thanks in advance!

[Litewait]

I have not done the Destiny, however I have cruised both the Paradise and Elation over New Years and currently working on the Pride for this year. Hoping to do a CC Group!. These cruises are alot of fun, The ship

is still decorated for the holidays and looks beautiful. When you arrive on board you are greeted with free champagne for the first few hours ( can't remember exactly). At dinner on New Years Eve the tables are decorated

with streamers, hats and horns. There are parties in all the bars and dance areas. They do a balloon drop around 11 and then the big countdown on the Lido deck at midnight. My kids went with me this year and it was the best New Years we have ever shared.

 

Pictures are always expensive on Carnival, but the special New Years back drops are worth the extra dime.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to pay extra. I love them.

 

Happy New Year & happy Cruising!

Donna

[b714210]

We were just on the Triumph for New Years. We went to San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Martin. This was our 6th cruise with CCL, and I will try to highlight the differences I noticed.

1.Christmas decorations were still up.

2. Free champagne the first couple of hours getting on the ship.

3. Christmas music was played throughout the ship, every day until about the 2nd or 3rd of January.

4. San Juan was pretty closed up- many restaurants closed about 7, and were reopening at 11 for New Years celebrations.

5. Unfortunately, the port also closed early, so our stop in San Juan was reduced from 5-12 to 5- 10:30 p.m. We didn't find this out until the day before.

6. We had to leave St. Martin 2 hours earlier than planned; we were told the day before at dinner but no one seemed to know why. I have no idea if it was related to being a holiday cruise, as we were in St. Martin on the 2nd.

7. Party on the deck with free champagne about 11:30- 12:02 on New Year's Eve.

8. Ice carving was a big 2008.

We did get an incredibly good price, I think because we booked right after the Triumph was moved from New Orleans to Miami and the ship was virtually empty. I checked on prices for next New Years, and they are more than double what we paid. I would not pay that much, IMHO. I am also a teacher and can only go during school breaks, but when you are bringing your children, it's just too expensive for us. I also paid more for airfare over the holiday, and more for our hotel in Miami. So, it was worth what we paid because we got a great price, and got away from winter Wisconsin weather. But, I don't think, (again my opinion) that it is worth that much more money for a little free champagne and a couple of hats and noisemakers. The party was great, and it was probably a once in a lifetime experience- so you would have to decide if the price would make it worth it for you.:rolleyes:

[dotsebeil]

To be honest, I'm not sure how much we're actually paying for this cruise. My husband and father are doing the number crunching while my mother and I are deal-hunting for excursions... and other ways to spend the money!

 

Since we're going on an Eastern Caribbean, we're looking forward to wasting a day laying on the beach and drinking bottomless coconuts at senor frogs! This has always been our favorite pastime at that port!

 

The Carnival website lists the cruise at $799 for ocean view at this point, but i'm sure we're paying at least $50 or $100 less because we got a group rate.

 

I'm still trying to convince myself that the $400 difference from the week before or the week after is worth the experience... but some people on our group have been wanting to do this cruise for years. So really, its an extra $400 to spend that time with friends and family.

 

The youngest members of our group are 19 and 20, we don't really have any young kids coming. Did you have any experience with those problems with teens and pre-teens running amuck on your ships?

[DqALEX]

To be honest, I'm not sure how much we're actually paying for this cruise. My husband and father are doing the number crunching while my mother and I are deal-hunting for excursions... and other ways to spend the money!

 

Since we're going on an Eastern Caribbean, we're looking forward to wasting a day laying on the beach and drinking bottomless coconuts at senor frogs! This has always been our favorite pastime at that port!

 

The Carnival website lists the cruise at $799 for ocean view at this point, but i'm sure we're paying at least $50 or $100 less because we got a group rate.

 

I'm still trying to convince myself that the $400 difference from the week before or the week after is worth the experience... but some people on our group have been wanting to do this cruise for years. So really, its an extra $400 to spend that time with friends and family.

 

The youngest members of our group are 19 and 20, we don't really have any young kids coming. Did you have any experience with those problems with teens and pre-teens running amuck on your ships?

If you have never done New Years on a ship try one. I have done New Years the last two years. Im booked on the Carnival Freedom for next New Years. The party up on the lido is a great one. The free booze come out around 11:45. It is a cruise you will not forget. Of all the cruises I have done Nothing beats New Years. The ship still looks great from Christmas. The cruise has a different feel to it.

[ShedQueen77]

We did New Years Eve this past year on the Destiny although on the Southern Caribbean route.

 

There was free champagne the night of sailing and on New Years Eve as well. There were parties everywhere! We were supposed to have one on the open Lido Deck but it was moved indoors because of the high winds. There was a balloon drop from the Atrium too.

 

There were no teens or pre-teens running amok on the ship at all. We were shocked when our CD announced that there were 718 kids on the ship. I think we maybe saw 10 kids tops without their parents on the entire cruise. The others were accompanied by their parents and even those seemed far and few between.

 

Regarding price, you will pay a bit more for a cruise that sails during any holiday whether it's New Years, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Labor Day! Most people are off work during those times and are available to cruise. To make the money, Carnival raises the prices a bit.

 

HTH :)