Australian needs help with Caribbean

Hi we'd really like to cruise the Caribbean next year but I'm totally confused with routes. We seem to have a choice of Eastern, Western or Southern. If we want to do 2 of these the ship seems to leave Florida, cruise for a week, return to Florida then cruise again visiting a few of the same ports then a few different ones.

We'd really like to see Barbados, Aruba and Mexico. I'd be grateful if anyone could give me advice on the best route and ship. I know it's personal preference but I need some serious opinions!!!!

Thank you. Gaynor.

Most of the cruise line web sites will let you specify ports to visit that will narrow down your search. There are several cruise travel agency web sites that will do the same as will vacations to go.

You might consider two cruises - either back to back or with a day in FLA in between. Easiest is if they leave from the same port (both from POM or Port Everglades), although shuttles between Miami and the FLL area are easy.

When do you want to cruise? Some ships are in FLA for only part of the year and then head to Europe, etc. for the summer season.

Good luck! :)

Hi we'd really like to cruise the Caribbean next year but I'm totally confused with routes. We seem to have a choice of Eastern, Western or Southern. If we want to do 2 of these the ship seems to leave Florida, cruise for a week, return to Florida then cruise again visiting a few of the same ports then a few different ones.

 

We'd really like to see Barbados, Aruba and Mexico. I'd be grateful if anyone could give me advice on the best route and ship. I know it's personal preference but I need some serious opinions!!!!

Thank you. Gaynor.

Greetings

It is difficult to visit Aruba or Barbados on 1 week cruises out of Florida. They are just a bit too far. You can take cruises out of San Juan and get to those ports but then your Mexico visit becomes difficult. If you want to cruise out of Florida, you'll have to consider longer cruises.

Good Sailing

Tom

Aruba and Barbados are Southern Carib.

Mexico (Cozumel and Costa Maya) is Western Carib.

The Southern Caribbean is really Southeastern, so it's rare that a cruise will also go Western to Mexico. The southern cruises tend to be long, while you can do a 4 nighter (and longer) to Mexico from south Florida. Maybe you can do both.

It is easiest to find these cruises from October to Mid-May.

Holland America has 21 nighters round trip Ft Lauderdale on Ms Oosterdam that goes to both Aruba and Barbados. The shorter cruises tend to do either Aruba or Barbados, not both.

Silverseas does a roundtrip cruise from Barbados that stops at Aruba December 7th for a week.

do not forget hurricane season when planning dates....new ships are fast enough to avoid worst of storms but better to avoid storms

can recommend modified back to back on different ships...we did this once out of Ft Lauderdale. each cruise was cheaper than getting to Florida. Did Royal Princess and Oasis of the Seas. Oasis and Allure are amazing ships. Destination in themselves.

We did a night ashore between cruises. Did a rental car to get to the hotel where we mostly relaxed and did laundry. You could do a few days in Florida and check out the Everglades etc.

Hurricanes :eek:

Check this out: What Experts are Predicting for Hurricane Season 2015

Hi Gaynor, we have had the same issue. We're from UK so when we fly we want to make the most of our time away. We've done East & West Caribbean several times including a B2B

We enjoyed all of them but wanted to head a bit further South this time, to visit Barbados Antigua & St Lucia. We found that almost impossible on a 7-day cruise unless you were willing to fly t San Juan & usually take one of the older ships. We started looking at longer cruises & found a Princess cruise out of Ft Lauderdale on a 10 day itinerary, so we're combining that with a few days in Orlando :)

If you want to include Mexico you'll either have to do a B2B, maybe change skips in between, or take a much longer cruise..

Hope you find something you like

Deb

Hurricanes :eek:

 

Check this out: What Experts are Predicting for Hurricane Season 2015

As somebody who lives on the Gulf coast the last thing I look at and worry about is preseason storm predictions. I just let the weather channel get their shorts all in a knot over that stuff because they really are useless.

Hi we'd really like to cruise the Caribbean next year but I'm totally confused with routes. We seem to have a choice of Eastern, Western or Southern. If we want to do 2 of these the ship seems to leave Florida, cruise for a week, return to Florida then cruise again visiting a few of the same ports then a few different ones.

 

We'd really like to see Barbados, Aruba and Mexico. I'd be grateful if anyone could give me advice on the best route and ship. I know it's personal preference but I need some serious opinions!!!!

Thank you. Gaynor.

crusingmum,

I'm just looking for the 3 ports that you like to visit and I don't care which cruise line it is. For example, Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Sea leaves Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) on January 4th 2016 and you can visit Aruba, Barbados and some other ports. She will come back on January 15th, you get off the ship and check in a hotel for one night and go on RCI Independence of the Sea the next day January 16th for 5 night cruise that goes to Belize and Cozumel.

What do you think?

Thank you all so much for taking the time to help us.

It's going to have to be a b2b isn't it? If we do Southern Carib to see Aruba and Barbados is there then a cruise that goes one way from Florida to Mexico? Or we might be better taking a flight to Mexico then doing a cruise from there.

The Australian cruise websites are not nearly as good as USA ones but we can't book on USA ones from here.

cruisingmum,

Yes, it's going to be b2b cruise, but they don't have same day turn around b2b cruise that goes to Mexico. You need to stay in a hotel for one night before you go to second cruise that goes to Cozumel Mexico the next day. You cannot originate your cruise from Mexico.

ITINERARY 1 (Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Sea)

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART

Mon Jan 4 Fort Lauderdale, FL 4:30pm

Tue Jan 5 At Sea

Wed Jan 6 At Sea

Thu Jan 7 Aruba 10:00am 8:00pm

Fri Jan 8 Bonaire 7:00am 2:00pm

Sat Jan 9 Grenada 1:00pm 8:00pm

Sun Jan 10 Barbados 7:00am 5:00pm

Mon Jan 11 St. Lucia 7:00am 4:00pm

Tue Jan 12 Antigua 7:00am 4:00pm

Wed Jan 13 At Sea

Thu Jan 14 At Sea

Fri Jan 15 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am

Disembark and stay in hotel for 1 night.

ITINERARY 2 Royal Caribbean Independence of the Sea

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART

Sat Jan 16 Fort Lauderdale, FL 4:30pm

Sun Jan 17 At Sea

Mon Jan 18 Belize City, Belize 9:00am 6:00pm

Tue Jan 19 Cozumel, Mexico 8:00am 6:30pm

Wed Jan 20 At Sea

Thu Jan 21 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am

Or

Skip the itinerary 2 and fly to Mexico after your first cruise. They have direct flight from Miami to Cancun and takes about 2 hours.

You can fly from Miami (MIA) to Cancun Mexico (CUN) on January 15th afternoon after you disembark your cruise and stay in an All Inclusive hotel in either Cancun/Riveria Maya (CUN) or Cozumel (CZM).

I don't know what you want to see in Mexico. If you want to see Mayan Ruins, you should stay in mainland Mexico (Cancun or Riviera Maya) and take a day trip to Mayan Ruins (Tulum, Chichen Itza etc). Your hotel can arrange it for you. You should know Cancun is party town and Riviera Maya is more laid back compare to Cancun. You can also take a ferry from Playa del Carmen to visit Cozumel for a day trip.

Then fly home from Mexico (CUN).

I hope that's help. :)