I may have to "jump ship"!

[CruiserTK]

For me, the Southern route is my favourite. It would be great to be able to go on an eight or ten-day Caribbean cruise, but if you are limited to a seven-day Caribbean cruise, then I think it is easier to fly to San Juan and sail to Southern islands from there; granted it is more expensive. If you do the Southern route from FL, you have a sea day immediately as you are sailing to San Juan. I personally like flying to San Juan as the ship sails later in the day and you literally have an extra port as you can sign in, deposit your bags, and leave the ship to visit San Juan.

[CruiserTK]

Perhaps if relations change with Cuba, and RCCL is able to sail there, your options will definitely change. I have Canadian friends who have gone to all-inclusives on Cuba; they rave about the beaches and people. Here's hoping...

[Mark_K]

Why doesnt any of the cruise ships go to Turks and Caicaos? I would love to go there.

The port was basically built by Carnival. About the only larger ships that visit there are ones from lines they own. Once in a while an RCI ship will get there but not often.

 

Grandeur's doing a repo this fall that stops both there and Samana, DR. if you're really interested.

[Mark_K]

I agree. The caribbean itineraries are beyond boring with RCCL. It is a shame because I would stick with them and only them if they changed their ports more often. Another issue I noticed is that every southern AND eastern itinerary has St Martin/St Thomas. They can't even switch up their own ports in different carribean areas. :mad:

 

Most other lines also offer southern itineraries out of Florida while RCCL still makes you pay the price to fly to San Juan.

Every other sailing of Vision out of Santo Domingo visits neither St Martin nor St Thomas.

[MVPinBoynton]

We love RCL, but other than going on a new class of ship, there is no reason to do an RCL itinerary with the same old ports.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I keep wishing RCI would sail from Florida to Burmuda. I don't know why this doesn't happen. The only ship I can find that does it is a once-a-year sailing by Costa from Fort Lauderdale to Bermuda that includes a stop in the Bahamas.

 

I agree that the St Thomas/St Martin thing is getting really old for me. Radiance did stop in Antigua a year ago. At least that was one thing new. Like others here I am hoping for a port call in Cuba, but I bet it would be at least five years in the making.

 

I don't want to fly to San Juan. Those cruises don't pick up much I haven't seen on Panama Canal routes anyway. Flying is just becoming such an unpleasant proposition. For example this week alone three airlines closed down with no notice and London's much bally-hooed new high tech baggage sytsem went haywire creating a nightmare scenario there for travelers.

 

We are Diamond level Crown and Anchor, but I did sit down last night and try to look into new itineraries on other cruiselines. Holland America has a new ship coming out, the Europa. Celebrity is launching Solstice, but I didn't see anything new in its itinerary. Hubby wants to cruise, but he doesn't wnat to keep going back to the same old Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.

 

I would even consider an RCI cruise that just hits Eastern US ports such as Port Canaveral for the Space Center and Charleston and Savannah for their history, etc.

[Minoushka]

Since RCI to date has not posted any interesting new itineraries out of FL, I may have to go on the NCL Pearl next year. She is doing 7 nights out of Miami and including full days in both Samana, DR and Tortola! I do so wish RCI would give us some new islands out of FL, and a longer cruise would also be appreciated out of FL or TX.

 

Try Princess .They have nice itineraries but are pricey

[MVPinBoynton]

I keep wishing RCI would sail from Florida to Burmuda.

 

I would love to see RCL or any of the lines have regular FLL to Bermuda cruises. We have never been there. I just can't see flying to NYC to go on a cruise when we are in the cruise capital of the world in South Florida.

[Suzanne74]

I would even consider an RCI cruise that just hits Eastern US ports such as Port Canaveral for the Space Center and Charleston and Savannah for their history, etc.

 

That sounds fun!

 

Also, the poster saying the caribbean isn't the only place to cruise, I agree - HOWEVER, we have a 6yr old and flying to the west and then going on a cruise is not only time consuming for her but keeps my husband away from his business longer then he would want. Plus it is impossible to get cheap airfare to Seattle, Vancouver, LA from the east coast. I can fly to MCO or FLL for $120 RT many times thru the year. Don't get me started on prices of European cruises. So while I agree that there are other options out there, the caribbean happens to be cheaper and easier for families on the east coast. Once DH and I can travel on our own or DD get older, I will be on all those other cruises, believe me. But, since there are plenty of islands down in the caribbean that RCCL aren't utilizing, I want to complain! ;)

[pmfan]

We love RCL, but other than going on a new class of ship, there is no reason to do an RCL itinerary with the same old ports.

I agree. RC we would like new ports. Please

[Cruising89143]

It's good to step out and try other lines. Within the last year I have cruised on NCL and HAL. Both are nice but I am coming back to RCI. IMHO they just have the complete package when it comes to what I'm looking for when cruising. I have yet to find a cruise line that can match the ships of RCI. When it comes to ranking the cruise lines that I have cruised within the last few years, I rank them as follows.

 

Royal Caribbean

Holland America

NCL

Carnival