Help me choose which cruise!!!

[CruisinInNC]

Ok, I have too much info for my brain to handle tonight. I am booking a SURPRISE anniversary/birthday cruise for my hubby this year (September/October). He did this for our first anniversary and we had a blast on the Fantasy in 2006!

 

So, here's what I've narrowed it down to - based on price, departure port, and ports of call that we're interested in (No Nassau, pleeeeaaaase! :rolleyes:)

 

:confused: PLEASE - help me choose!!!:confused:

7 Night Exotic Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras; Belize City; Cozumel; Sea; Miami. -- $479 interior ,Valor

 

7 Night Eastern Caribbean: Miami; Half Moon Cay; Sea; Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas; San Juan, PR; Grand Turk; Sea; Miami. -- $509 interior, Liberty

 

7 Night Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Costa Maya; Belize City; Cozumel; George Town, Grand Cayman; Sea; Miami. -- $499 interior, Valor

 

7 Night Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Cozumel, Sea; George Town; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Sea; Miami. -- $499 interior, Liberty

All have upgrades available, Free $200 Onboard Savings Booklets, and 15% off excursions.

 

We don't need to have OV or balcony (would be nice, but not really neccessary. With the comfy Carnival beds, my eyes are closed when in the room anyway LOL).

• Any pros/cons for any of them?
   
  
• Which would YOU
  
• choose for your next cruise in October (weather, crowds, etc considered)?
   
  
• Would you book flight with cruise, or separately? (hubby did all of this in secret with our first one, so this is my first time booking everything myself)
  
• 
  
• How would I go about getting any OBC?
  

I know you all are the PROS, which is why I am begging you to help me choose!! Heck, I might even do it by vote - most posts in favor of one of the cruises means we'll take it! LOL

 

Any tips would be GREATLY appreciated! Feel free to email me if you have cheaper options on Carnival from anywhere in FL not including Nassau. LOL mpayne68 at gmail dot com

[OhioJeff]

You have done Eastern C, So try Western

 

7 Night Exotic Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras; Belize City; Cozumel; Sea; Miami. -- $479 interior ,Valor

[TanIslandGirl]

:)I would go with option #1 on the Valor.

Grand Cayman & Roatan have some of the most beautiful white sand beaches. Cozumel is a port full of many many things to do. Shopping, tours, beaches, great bars, etc. Makke sure you let us know what you decide. If you have cruised Carnival before try to use a discount code when you check your prices, you may get an upgrade using code DP3.

[valancy1]

Ok, I have too much info for my brain to handle tonight. I am booking a SURPRISE anniversary/birthday cruise for my hubby this year (September/October). He did this for our first anniversary and we had a blast on the Fantasy in 2006!

 

So, here's what I've narrowed it down to - based on price, departure port, and ports of call that we're interested in (No Nassau, pleeeeaaaase! :rolleyes:)

 

:confused: PLEASE - help me choose!!!:confused:

 

 

7 Night Exotic Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras; Belize City; Cozumel; Sea; Miami. -- $479 interior ,Valor

 

7 Night Eastern Caribbean: Miami; Half Moon Cay; Sea; Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas; San Juan, PR; Grand Turk; Sea; Miami. -- $509 interior, Liberty

 

7 Night Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Costa Maya; Belize City; Cozumel; George Town, Grand Cayman; Sea; Miami. -- $499 interior, Valor

 

7 Night Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Cozumel, Sea; George Town; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Sea; Miami. -- $499 interior, Liberty

 

All have upgrades available, Free $200 Onboard Savings Booklets, and 15% off excursions.

 

We don't need to have OV or balcony (would be nice, but not really neccessary. With the comfy Carnival beds, my eyes are closed when in the room anyway LOL).

 

• Any pros/cons for any of them?
  

• 
  
  
• Which would YOU
  
• choose for your next cruise in October (weather, crowds, etc considered)?
  
  
• Would you book flight with cruise, or separately? (hubby did all of this in secret with our first one, so this is my first time booking everything myself)
  

• 
  
• 
  
• How would I go about getting any OBC?
  

I know you all are the PROS, which is why I am begging you to help me choose!! Heck, I might even do it by vote - most posts in favor of one of the cruises means we'll take it! LOL

 

Any tips would be GREATLY appreciated! Feel free to email me if you have cheaper options on Carnival from anywhere in FL not including Nassau. LOL mpayne68 at gmail dot com

 

OK, FWIW (and you know what opinions are like <G>)...

 

I would do the Western on Liberty simply because that was our first cruise ever and we LOVED LOVED LOVED the ship, the ports of call and everything. I know a lot of people are down on Jamaica, but we went with Phil Lafayette and did tubing in the White River and had an absolute blast. We did Soto's on Grand Cayman with the stingrays and snorkeling (my new fave thing to do).

 

Either Liberty trip would be a highlight. My first impression was to choose 1/2 moon cay but you've already done that.

 

Let us know what you decide. HOW FUN!!!!

[Hawk Fans]

Yes...Go Exotic. Sounds outstanding! Good luck with the suprise!

[CruisinInNC]

Thanks everyone!!

 

Do you all think these are the best rates I'll find for 7-day trips? I've heard some people say "Under $100/day" is good, but even that seems steep to me. (I wouldn't have said that before finding CruiseCritic! LOL)

[DaytonCruiser]

Thanks everyone!!

 

Do you all think these are the best rates I'll find for 7-day trips? I've heard some people say "Under $100/day" is good, but even that seems steep to me. (I wouldn't have said that before finding CruiseCritic! LOL)

The $100/day applies to booking balconies.

[Kurbanfan]

Either Valor itinerary would work for me:)

[kyrisong1]

I'm with the first two posts, option 1 cause it's got terrific ports.

Google for prices and info for GC- Nativewaytours- reef,rays and rum point

cavetubing.com in belize, Victor Bodin in Roatan, Cozumel screams for a beach day with an open bar somewhere sucking down Magaritas!!!!

Have a great cruise whatever you decide!!!

Oh I always book my own air, get there a day ahead to take the gamble out of making port.

Have FUN!!!!

Carole

[valancy1]

I booked my Liberty cruise last year and we paid (for a balcony) about $1200 for the two of us.

 

You asked about OBC; I am not sure that this is even happening anymore--I've not been reading CC lately so am out of the loop. I did not get any OBC; I just watched for prices to go down and then asked to be upgraded.

 

So go ahead and book whichever itinerary you choose and keep watching the prices. They can always work to upgrade you. I think it's a fair price, for whatever that's worth.

 

I will say one more plug for Soto's... if you like a smaller experience (meaning less people on the boat and at the Stingray sandbar) you might like Randy and Kerry. Really nice people, low-key and he stops where others don't so you're not in the mix with a bunch of other people.

 

In Cozumel, we rented a Jeep. We drove round the island and loved it, but now I would go somewhere to snorkel! I've heard it said that Coz is excellent for snorkeling and diving, if that is something you like doing.

 

If you chose to rent a Jeep and you dock downtown, DO NOT rent with Avis. My lord, it was like a 2-mile walk over there... and we passed places like Budget and Thrifty on the way! GRRR! LOL. You can always pick up a car without reserving ahead of time, which is what I did and wouldn't ever do it that way again.

 

Whatever you decide, you'll have a blast.

[simkoreb]

Valor to Roatan!!! My favorite port, great ship.

[jayneca]

My vote is for 'Exotic' as well. Great ports... We were there in October ... great weather.

 

Nativeway Tours for Stingrays/Rum Point on Grand Cayman (very reliable, and personal )

Xstream for cave tubing in Belize

Roatan is suppose to have great beaches or ziplining canopy tour

and Cozumel, hmmm, you can always go over to Playa Del Carmen... great beaches there as well.

 

Enjoy

[PaulMedik]

Ok, I have too much info for my brain to handle tonight. I am booking a SURPRISE anniversary/birthday cruise for my hubby this year (September/October). He did this for our first anniversary and we had a blast on the Fantasy in 2006!

 

So, here's what I've narrowed it down to - based on price, departure port, and ports of call that we're interested in (No Nassau, pleeeeaaaase! :rolleyes:)

 

:confused: PLEASE - help me choose!!!:confused:

 

 

7 Night Exotic Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras; Belize City; Cozumel; Sea; Miami. -- $479 interior ,Valor

 

7 Night Eastern Caribbean: Miami; Half Moon Cay; Sea; Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas; San Juan, PR; Grand Turk; Sea; Miami. -- $509 interior, Liberty

 

7 Night Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Costa Maya; Belize City; Cozumel; George Town, Grand Cayman; Sea; Miami. -- $499 interior, Valor

 

7 Night Western Caribbean: Miami; Sea; Cozumel, Sea; George Town; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Sea; Miami. -- $499 interior, Liberty

 

All have upgrades available, Free $200 Onboard Savings Booklets, and 15% off excursions.

 

We don't need to have OV or balcony (would be nice, but not really neccessary. With the comfy Carnival beds, my eyes are closed when in the room anyway LOL).

 

• Any pros/cons for any of them?
  

• 
  
  
• Which would YOU
  
• choose for your next cruise in October (weather, crowds, etc considered)?
  
  
• Would you book flight with cruise, or separately? (hubby did all of this in secret with our first one, so this is my first time booking everything myself)
  

• 
  
• 
  
• How would I go about getting any OBC?
  

I know you all are the PROS, which is why I am begging you to help me choose!! Heck, I might even do it by vote - most posts in favor of one of the cruises means we'll take it! LOL

 

Any tips would be GREATLY appreciated! Feel free to email me if you have cheaper options on Carnival from anywhere in FL not including Nassau. LOL mpayne68 at gmail dot com

 

 

I would choose;

 

7 Night Eastern Caribbean: Miami; Half Moon Cay; Sea; Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas; San Juan, PR; Grand Turk; Sea; Miami. -- $509 interior, Liberty

 

You've been to Half Moon Cay which is what I'm basing my choice on so my choice may not be best for you. It's our favorite port. :)

 

We're doing the 'exotic' Western Itin on Legend in April out of Tampa instead of Miami, but if you haven't been, those are all great ports as well. In fact all four choices are good. :D

 

We always book our own airfare and fly in the day before. It's cheaper and less hassle.

 

OBC will be earned by watching prices after you make your deposit and calling and requesting a price adjustment for each lower price you find. Sailing in October, you should see a few adjustments. It may pay for you to check out the new Book Early incentive where your deposit is non refundable, but they drop the price after final payment if it lowers....and it should lower.

 

We have two cruises (B2B on separate ships) planned for October and we're planning to book last minute for the best price...but we may end up being land locked if the ship sells out. We're also planning to watch the weather for even better prices in October.

[zirka]

We are doing option 3 on the Valor sailing on the 18th of October. We are excited to be going to Costa Maya. This was a port we were supposed to go to in the summer of 07 and it our whole itinerary got changed. We are excited and loved the Valor.

[gypsyrose]

We are choosing option #1 for our next cruise. There is sooooo much to do at all of the ports. We always book our own flight as it is usually cheaper and we fly in 2 days before the cruise and enjoy a relaxing time at South Beach. If you are interested in going there we stayed at the Marsielles which is ocean front and walking distance to many things. And of course it was a great price.

[Rochmom]

I did exotic Western last August (late in the month) on Glory. It was our first cruise, and we are hooked. We're doing the eastern itin this summer.

 

Cozumel has a ton to choose from, so anyone can find something to do there (I shopped. Oh boy, did I shop).

 

Roatan was by far my family's favorite port. Tabyana Beach was beautiful, and though there were lots of people there, it didn't seem crowded. We also did a dolphin encounter at Anthony's Cay. Don't expect any shopping in Roatan, however. There is not much of a commercial district.

 

Belize is not really a beach port - we did the Mayan ruins, and had wonderful guides.

[Casino Player]

The first one on the Valor sounds nice, however, why don't you do something really different? Have you ever been to New England/Canada? The ship goes out of NYC and is a seven day cruise. Go to Boston, MA; Portland, ME; St.John, N.B.; and Halifax, N.S. It is a really nice cruise and I'm going on it with my wife to celebrate our 20th anniversary. we have done this type of cruise before and we really enjoy it.

Whatever you decide, have a good time.

[mjmiller]

I'd go with your option #1. More stops, have heard that Roatan is beautiful (we haven't been there yet!). In Cayman, the stingrays are cool, go with a local guide, feed and hold the stingrays.

 

Flights are generally cheaper booked on your own, not thru the cruiseline.

 

October? - we personally won't go at that time of year - hurricane season. Plus it's nice here in WI then. We go in Jan/Feb when it's nasty cold here.

 

Don't get too excited about the savings book. There isn't much worthwhile in it. :(

[firefly333]

The $100/day applies to booking balconies.

 

News to me??!! Iv never seen a balcony under $100 and dont expect to. Cheapest so far is $699 plus taxes, which to me isnt under $100 a day.

 

Maybe you are only counting Carnival rates and military or some such that you can usually find prices under $100 per day on balconys?

 

I know Iv crept close to that $100 booking a inside cabin when you used to pay fuel and thought it was a good enough deal to book because I could drive to port.

 

OP I dont see how you could go wrong with any of those rates. I wouldnt count on that coupon book from your TA being worth anything, great if you find one coupon, but most are buy something no one would pay full price for get another one discounted or some such. Some said they used the money off the spa coupon, nothing else. (you could still do better in the spa on a port special).

 

OP Id pick the closest port to you that you can drive to, save on the air fare.

[A&Jfamily]

[quote=

 

Another vote for this one too. Try Tabayana beach or Gumbalimba park in Roatan. Beautiful island!

[tbjl24]

News to me??!! Iv never seen a balcony under $100 and dont expect to. Cheapest so far is $699 plus taxes, which to me isnt under $100 a day.

 

Maybe you are only counting Carnival rates and military or some such that you can usually find prices under $100 per day on balconys?

 

I know Iv crept close to that $100 booking a inside cabin when you used to pay fuel and thought it was a good enough deal to book because I could drive to port.

 

Just booked 5-night Destiny 8C for $499/pp. :D

[letsgocruz1]

OP, I like to just book thru Carnival, see if you can get a PVP that you can work with. It's just so easy to call them up when you see a price drop and get them to adjust your invoice (they will do this up until final payment). Some TA's don't want to give adjustments, so ask ahead of time to be sure.

 

Also, we always book tours on our own. Much cheaper, and much more personalized service!

[5thR]

Someone earlier mentioned the September and October is hurricane season. Yes, this is definitely something to consider, but we have cruised twice during September and have been fortunate to avoid bad weather. The ships have a lot of experience with hurricane protocol, and most of the time are able to rearrange your ports to accomodate bad weather. The good thing about cruising during this time (at least from our experience) is our ships were less crowded, and because most US kids are back in school then there are a lot less children on board. If you are a bit of a risk taker, September and October are fine for travelling. I don't think you need to jump on these rates immediately -- Sept and Oct are far enough out that rates should remain low and even drop more or have more to offer. I suggest finding out what time of the month(s) you get the best airfare (if flying to Miami) and go with that time frame. Definitely book your own flights for the best value and you have control about departure and arrival times and how many stops you want to make on the way.

 

All the itineraries you posted have great stops, but personally I like the Liberty itinerary (option 2) better than the the Valor (option 1) because the two days at shore don't "book-end" your ports of call. On Liberty you start out with a stop, followed by a sea day, then the remaining 3 stops finished by a day at sea. I prefer to break up the port stops -- it seems that you aren't rushing around so much. Finally -- Option 4 on Liberty only has three ports of call, and because I prefer shore stops more than sea days, I would opt for one of the other three.

 

I hope this helps!

[mjmiller]

All the itineraries you posted have great stops, but personally I like the Liberty itinerary (option 2) better than the the Valor (option 1) because the two days at shore don't "book-end" your ports of call.

 

My consideration about option 2 is that the OP has already been to two of those ports. Try something new! ;)