Help me choose which one of these cruises?

[Mooloo]

hi guys

 

I was planning on taking my mum on a cruise in November for a couple of weeks to mark her big birthday.

 

I'd planned to start looking round in May, but was told someone that I needed to have booked last year - cue hyperventillation as it's really the only thing she's set her heart on for a long time. Then I was told to wait till June as that's when the deals come out.

 

What with swine flu & one thing and another, I've left it really late & seem to have missed all the good deals.

 

I'm hoping you experienced wise ones can come up with some suggestions, reccomendations, comments and most of all an assurrance that I've not left it too late, to sort out my first ever cruise.

 

I've been advised by those in the know at MSE to ask in these forums - what do you think of these three deals & to help me decide eventually.

 

My criteria was: depart from London; on 14 November (+/- 1 or 2 at a real stretch); Carribean; about 14-16 days.

 

HELP!

• Have I left it too late?
  
• There seems to be limitless choices and I feel my heart sinking at all those choices. It's bad enough deciding between pizza and pasta in a restaurant, but it's like I can literally do anything and I don't know where to start.
  
• The only thing that I 'know' is that I want American standards of service as it'll be one of those once in a lifetime things for her.
  

The ones below come in at about £1,500 each.

 

your thoughts on which you'd go for or whether there's a better deal out there would be good.

 

Thanks in advance -

****

P&O Artemis 14 - 29 Nov 2009 (15 nights)

 

Barbados

Sat 14 Nov Embark Artemis.

Sail mid evening

Aruba

Mon 16 Nov Full Day

Limon Costa Rica

Wed 18 Nov Full Day

Colon (from Cristobal) – Panama

Thu 19 Nov Full Day

Curacao Dutch Antilles

Sat 21 Nov Full Day

Tortola British Virgin Islands

Mon 23 Nov Full Day

St Maarten

Tue 24 Nov Full Day

St Vincent

Wed 25 Nov Full Day

Tobago

Thu 26 Nov Full Day

Grenada

Fri 27 Nov Full Day

Barbados

Sat 28 Nov arr early morning.

Disembark for overnight flight to the UK

Sun 29 Nov arr am

ship usually berthed alongside

*******

Princess - Sea Princess: 14 - 29 Nov 2009 (15 nights)

 

1 FLY UK⁄BARBADOS

Transfer and embark Sea Princess 10.00pm

2 ST. VINCENT 8.00am 5.00pm

3 GRENADA 7.00am 2.00pm

4 BONAIRE 12 noon 7.00pm

5 CURAÇAO 7.00am 2.00pm

6 At sea

7 GRAND CAYMAN (Cayman Islands) (Anchor) 8.00am 5.00pm

8 MONTEGO BAY (Jamaica) 7.00am 10.00pm

9 At sea

10 SAMANÁ (Dominican Republic) (Anchor) 8.00am 5.00pm

11 St THOMAS (Anchor) 9.00am 6.00pm

12 ST. KITTS 8.00am 5.00pm

13 ANTIGUA 7.00am 5.00pm

14 DOMINICA 8.00am 5.00pm

15 BARBADOS

Disembark Sea Princess and transfer to the airport for your overnight flight to the UK. 7.00am

16 ARRIVE UK

****

Caribbean Panoramas II (NORWEGIAN DAWN), Norwegian Dawn, Caribbean/Bermuda 16 nights Full Board

Nov 14 2009 - Nov 30 2009

 

Cruise Itinerary Arr Dep

Sat Fly UK⁄Miami Florida

Transfer to first-class hotel for overnight accommodation

Sun Miami Florida 4pm

Mon Cruise the Caribbean

Tue (Anchor) George Town Grand Cayman 8am 4pm

Wed Cozumel Mexico 10am 7pm

Thu Cruise the Caribbean

Fri Miami Florida 8am 4pm

Sat Cruise the Caribbean

Sun (Anchor) Saman! Dominican Republic 10am 5pm

Mon Tortola British Virgin Islands 9am 6pm

Tue St. John’s Antigua 8am 5pm

Wed Bridgetown Barbados 9am 6pm

Thu Basseterre St. Kitts 11am 7pm

Fri Cruise the Caribbean

Sat Cruise the Caribbean

Sun Miami Florida

Disembark and transfer to a first-class hotel for day room

accommodation, prior to overnight flight home 8am

Mon Arrive UK

(Anchor) Go ashore by tender

[paul929207]

NCL will be much less formal than the other two.

[Essiesmom]

First, I think as it is your first ever cruise, and you have some ideas of the standards you want, you should visit a good travel agent and discuss your requirements. He/she will know what questions to ask you in order to get the right fit.that said, I think that if yo are looking for the traditional cruise experience, you should stick with P&O/Princess. You have two more ports on sea Princess than on Artemis...but consider that on Artemis, you don't have to decide between inside and outside cabins...they are all outside. We sailed on her when she was royal Princess, and she is a wonderful ship, the smallest of the three. EM

[patseacruiser]

First cruise I would consult a travel agent. Definitely I would stay with P&O/Princess too. Then you can decide by what cabins/price is available, etc. Have a wonderful time. P.S. - go into Barbados at least a day early - it's my favorite island.

[SeaTeach]

Definitely have a session or two with a travel agent. Yes, you do not have a lot of time but please do a little research of your own. Checkout the sites of the narrowed down cruiselines, look at their pictures (around the ship) and those of cc members, check out the length of the stay on the islands, look at the excursion menus, and read a few reviews. Hopefully, this has helped. Have a wonderful cruise with your mum, and maybe this will become a tradition.