I have never been on a cruise and I am thinking of getting one for my wife for christmas. I want a NICE ship. A nice cabin... a suite or a view is a must. No dumps! I want to go in March, to the Caribbean probably leaving from Miami or someplace in Florida. We want to go for 4 or 5 days. I have heard so many horror stories about terrible ships and disgusting accomodations I figured perhaps I should ask for some advice. We want to be pampered, warm and have a great time. We are not taking the kids and we want an adult atmosphere and entertainment. Suggestions??? Terry
Hey Terry, My wife and I just went on our first cruise the last week of Jul/first week of Aug. We left out of Nawlins (pretty convenient), and did 5 days. New Orleans-day at sea-Playa del Carmen-Cozumel-day at sea-New Orleans. We sailed on the Carnival Holiday. The boat was top of the line in the mid-late 80's but it was starting to show it's age. But we didn't care! It was probably the MOST fun we have ever had on a vacation. We can't wait to go on another one. The Holiday is out of Mobile now and we now have the Carnival Conquest (which is the flagship) and the Sensation. Norwegian Cruise Lines also sails out from here as well. You won't be disappointed. And if you decide to sail out of Nawlins, I'd be happy to look after the Daytona! Dave BTW, there is a FCA guy in Chicago who does cruises in the latest FCA bulletin.
Went to Alaska (I know, wrong direction) on Princess. I believe they do the Carribean. If you can handle the music they play at cast off (Love boat theme) everything was very nice. The boat I was only was 2 years old, Italian built, very clean and all crew members very nice. I like to eat well and I considered the food just OK.
Forget what everyone has said so far. (No offense guys). If you want an AMAZING time like I did last December, take a Royal Carribean cruise. My family and I went on a 7 day cruise, flew to Puerto Rico, cruised to Aruba then Curacao then St. Maartin then St. Thomas and finally back to Puerto Rico. I believe there were 2 full days on sea which were still great. I cannot emphasize how great of a time I had. It can get a little expensive with the different adventures and things you can do, but are all worth it! I went snorkeling, Parasailing, and my favorite was Jet skiing among other things. The Boat is the second largest in the world (Adventure of the Seas), it was first last year but the Queen Mary 2 was completed. There is so much stuff to do on the boat, that you will be extremely satisfied, but most of the time you will probably just sit on a chair and lay out in the sun while servers walk around asking you for drinks. Also if you want pampering, they will pamper you. Excellent spa there, room cleaner was amazing; every time she left there would be a new towel animal left for us, lobsters, monkeys, frogs etc. and the Waiting staff was unbelievable. One night we had escargo which was great. The following night we asked if they had it again, there wasn't any prepared that night, but the following night they had a few dishes prepared just for us just because we asked. They hadn't even wrote it down or anything, the manager just took note. The food is amazing and hopefully if you meet people like we did, they will be amazing too. There weren't too many people in my age range (19) but regardless of that I had an AMAZING TIME, and you even said you were looking for an adult environment which it definitely is. The islands are excellent and did i mention there is sooo much to do. My father who isn't normally the biggest risk taker ended up on a Jet Ski after I told him i went on one, he also went parasailing, snorkeling, and wall climbing which he wasn't too good at but he still had a great time and it was nice to see us all just relaxing. All the worries in your world disappear as soon as you get on the boat. Please, for yourself and your wife seriously consider Royal Carribean (I should be their new spokesman ). I promise you will have an amazing time, and most likely will say to yourself when you get to your first island "i want to move here." ps. I'd be more than willing to email you some pictures, we are planning for another cruise next year and I can't wait!
Thanks! I will definitely check into that one. I am also looking at a 7 night cruise from Carnival on the Carnival Conquest. It leaves New Orleans and goes to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and back to NO. The ship sounds wonderful, its 952 feet and only 2 years old. I just wonder about how warm it will be in winter? Terry
Dont go on carnival unless you like explosive diarrhea with abdominal cramping. Princess Cruises is the way to go. Celebrity is excellent but $$$$
I second Princess; if you're going to do it, do it right. Huge disparity between the quality of the food, rooms, activities, atmosphere etc..
Hasn't anyone remembered Cunard?? The Queen Mary 2 is the worlds largest cruise liner, and has some of the most lavish staterooms out of modern ships. My family is taking a transatlantic cruise in the summer of '06. You should look into it! www.cunard.com
Don't follow the masses, be unique. I will NEVER set foot on a large cruise ship again. You huddle in a huge floating hotel with Mr. and Mrs. Middle America that feel like they're on the vacation of a lifetime. You attack small cities with thousands of visitors and it forces you to wait in line for everything, including transportation and food. Do you like uncrowded beaches? I hope not. If you want to cruise the Carribean in style, try this: http://www.starclippers.com/index_en.html It doesn't cost much more than a floating city cruise, and the ship is so much smaller it can get into ports that the mammoth ships can't touch. You eat when you want to, sit with whom you want, and are 'surrounded' by a max of about 200 people, most of which you'll get to know. You can help with the sails, steer the ship, or ride in the bowspirit. It's not roughing it like a barefoot cruise either. Accomodations are nice, you have to wear a collar to dinner, but no coats are required and shorts are fine. Try to get on one of the smaller boats, the Star Clipper or Star Flyer. They're identical, I've been on both. The Royal Clipper is gorgeous, but newer and larger.
Jim, I am intrigued. I love to sail. My retirment dream is to retire on a sailboat and sail around the world. This might be right up my alley. I do however want to have lots of stuff to do. Scuba diving, snorkeling, wave runners.... activities. We also want good food and great service. Tell me what you found so special? What is missing on one of these smaller sailing cruises that I would have on a "floating city"? Also... I am middle america! We are late 30s, suburb subdivision dwelling middle american couple all the way..... I dont mind spending a tad more, but I cannot let it get out of control. Thanks to everyone for the tips. I have ruled out Carnival based on your comments. There are so many different ships and cruises to choose from its a bit overwhelming. Anyone know of good sites were you can get actual non-biased passenger commentary? Terry
The boat has scuba, snorkel, and sunfish equipment on the boat. No jet skis. There are excursions every day and you can be as active as you choose. I took a high speed boat ride to a remote waterfall in a rainforest one day and lazed on the beach the next. Up to you. All you're 'missing' from a big cruise ship is crowds, lines, and schedules. The food was great, the service was unobtrusive. If you need someone spraying you every hour with chilled Evian, this isn't for you. It's very casual, less so than a large ship. Nothing wrong w/ being middle america, most of us would describe ourselves this way. But that doesn't mean I want to be hanging out with the guys that wear dark socks with their sandals either.
