Need helpg choosing RCI ship (Caribbean)

Hi, my husband and I are thinking of booking a 7 or 8 day cruise for our next vacation. We have never been on a cruise before, but have been to Hawaii multiple times and Maui is a place that we ADORE. We are huge beach lovers, crystal blue beaches that we could swim in would be heaven, snorkeling, swimming with sting rays/turtles and such is what we enjoy doing. The quality of beaches is very important to us, which is one reason we love Hawaii. I would like to try something new which is why we are looking at the Caribbean. I'm kind of thinking that Eastern or Southern Caribbean would be the best fit for us. Ports where its just mainly shopping or mulling around a town square is not my idea of fun. If anyone has some ports that they would recommend I'd really appreciate it.

My husband is a bit wary of cruising and I need to make sure our experience is great so that he won't veto future cruising! From some of the reviews on this site I think we will go with RCI or possibly Princess. The Allure of the Seas (RCI) looks AMAZING but is on the pricier side for us. Though I'm a little concerned that someone mentioned that its like sailing on the Great Mall of America? We are not drinkers/partiers and prefer a ship with great pools, family friendly. We are in our mid 30's. We are not foodies by any means, and usually getting food is an afterthought so having top notch cuisine isn't a priority for us.

I am curious what ships others would recommend especially within RCI that might be a little less pricy than Allure but still offer a nice atmosphere? We live in the mid-west so flights to Ft. Lauderdale or Galvaston add a considerable amount to our vacation expenses. If anyone can recommend some RCI ships and ports that have fabulous beaches I'd love to hear about it (along with what time of year you were there) since we are just newbies at this. Thanks!

I would suggest you visit the Royal Caribbean website and do a mock booking at the link below.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/home.do

Choose the month, departure port, and length of cruise. Do this for both Galveston and Ft Lauderdale. Then compare the itineraries. That will narrow it down to the ships that cover each route. This should help you with the decision making process.

Then decide which is more important to you, the ship or the itinerary. For us, the itinerary always comes first. Not all the ships have the "mall" feature called the Promenade. We have cruised on ships with and without the Promenade and have enjoyed them all.

You can see the features available on each ship by looking at the website link below.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/home.do?cS=NAVBAR&pnav=1&snav=6

The prices of cruises in the off-season will be lower than during high demand times such as school breaks, summer vacations, and major holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.

Hope this helps. Good luck and happy cruising. It's a great way to travel.

You might want to look at RCI Freedom of the Seas - slightly smaller than Allure, but still a great ship (or so I have been told ;) we sail on her in November). I also have heard great things about Navigator, which sails out of Galveston. I cannot help on ports, but I think Eastern is usually favored for beaches. We are doing Western on Freedom, and there are some great stops for beaches and snorkeling.

Hi,

Rule #1 for newbies - Seek out a Travel agent that specializes in cruising.

They will look at all your preferences, budget and needs and find you an appropriate vacation. At no cost to you.

Rule #2 for newbies - Book excursions through the cruiseline, until you are comfortable doing your own thing.

Be open to all cruise lines. We are not loyal to any one line, but look at the whole package. Have not had a bad cruise yet.

But, be very careful, cruising can be very addictive. :D

Good luck, and enjoy your cruise, whichever you choose.

I can tell you, Caribbean beaches are MUCH nicer than Hawaiian beaches..by a LONG shot! The island of St.John (from St. Thomas) is the best, most beautiful, most pristine beach you'll ever see. Water so clear, you can see it...water so warm you can't feel it...it's amazing!

I would go with a Voyager or Freedom class ship...not too big...but not so small that there's nothing to do.....it's perfect!

While Hawaii is quite pretty, have to admit we like the beaches in many ports in the Caribbean better. ;)

LuLu

Don't book a ship for the pool. Like cabins, pools are small when you take into account how many people are trying to use them. Not big enough to swim in, just for a dip to cool off. EM

Allure is absolutely amazing. Other than Oasis, there's nothing like it.

However, you mentioned Galveston as a possibility. Take a look at Navigator of the Seas. It's a beautiful Voyager Class ship that was recently refurbished and looks great.

I would second the idea that you should book your first cruise through a travel agent who specializes in cruises.

As for which ship, I would say anything but Majesty. Just because it is much older and does feel "small". I've been on most of the rest of the classes and none have them have ever felt crowded, except waiting for elevators at dinner time (easily solved if you can take the stairs).

If you like beaches, make sure you pick a cruise that stops at either Coco Cay or Labadee. Those are private beach properties owned by Royal Caribbean. Although pretty much any port has some sort of beach tour, with these ones the use of the beach is included as well as a BBQ lunch.

If you want further information specific to RC, also have a look at the Royal Caribbean specific area of Cruise Critic.

Hi, my husband and I are thinking of booking a 7 or 8 day cruise for our next vacation. We have never been on a cruise before, but have been to Hawaii multiple times and Maui is a place that we ADORE. We are huge beach lovers, crystal blue beaches that we could swim in would be heaven, snorkeling, swimming with sting rays/turtles and such is what we enjoy doing. The quality of beaches is very important to us, which is one reason we love Hawaii. I would like to try something new which is why we are looking at the Caribbean. I'm kind of thinking that Eastern or Southern Caribbean would be the best fit for us. Ports where its just mainly shopping or mulling around a town square is not my idea of fun. If anyone has some ports that they would recommend I'd really appreciate it.

 

My husband is a bit wary of cruising and I need to make sure our experience is great so that he won't veto future cruising! From some of the reviews on this site I think we will go with RCI or possibly Princess. The Allure of the Seas (RCI) looks AMAZING but is on the pricier side for us. Though I'm a little concerned that someone mentioned that its like sailing on the Great Mall of America? We are not drinkers/partiers and prefer a ship with great pools, family friendly. We are in our mid 30's. We are not foodies by any means, and usually getting food is an afterthought so having top notch cuisine isn't a priority for us.

 

I am curious what ships others would recommend especially within RCI that might be a little less pricy than Allure but still offer a nice atmosphere? We live in the mid-west so flights to Ft. Lauderdale or Galvaston add a considerable amount to our vacation expenses. If anyone can recommend some RCI ships and ports that have fabulous beaches I'd love to hear about it (along with what time of year you were there) since we are just newbies at this. Thanks!

Cruise agent & avid cruiser here...this is a tough one because the best beaches IMO are in the Eastern or Southern Caribb, BUT best snorkeling/ diving is definitely Western Caribb...here is the breakdown: first, NO ship has great pools, BUT the Allure/ Oasis does have a great Adult pool area called The Solarium..it has amazing hot tubs, and a water hot springs pool..the Freedom/ Voyager class ships also have an Solarium, but much smaller..IMO the best beaches are in St. Thomas ( and St. John which is a 20 min boat ride from St. Thomas), St. Maarten, San Juan, Tortola, Grand Turks, and even Nassau has nice beaches..BUT, best snorkeling would be in Cozumel, Belize & Grand Cayman, where you can also swim with the sting rays in sting ray city..BTW, beaches in Grand Cayman, Jamaica & Cozumel are also gorgeous ( not so much in Belize)...there are nice beaches for the Southern Caribb in St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Croix, and Antigua..problem would be you have to fly to San Juan, PR, for those ( usually)..the Freedom Of The Seas out of Port Canaveral goes to Falmouth ( Jamaica), Grand Cayman & Cozumel..the Liberty Of The Seas will start in Nov from Galveston going to Cozumel, Belize & Honduras, or Falmouth, Grand C., & Cozumel, and the Independence Of The Seas ( Fort Laud) is doing a 6 or 7 nighter, with the 7 nights one doing Labadee ( RCI's private island- has everything, very nice!) , Falmouth, Grand C., & Cozumel..the 6 nighter is the same MINUS Cozumel..The Freedom, Liberty & Independence of The Seas are all slightly smaller than the Allure/ Oasis, but are still big & fantastic ships..

BTW, to avoid crowds & children/ teens & get better pricing, cruise when school IS IN SESSION- never when school is out on vacation! Also Princess is very nice, BUT average age is a bit more mature than RCI's & a bit less activities UNLESS you go on their 2 newer ships, the Royal or Regal Princess..BUT they both do only Eastern Caribb...try the Ruby or Caribbean Princess from FT. L for Western Caribb...hope this helps..any more questions/ concerns let us know..there are plenty here who can help you, and welcome to Cruise Critic & the wonderful world of cruising!

Big Al

Hi, my husband and I are thinking of booking a 7 or 8 day cruise for our next vacation. We have never been on a cruise before, but have been to Hawaii multiple times and Maui is a place that we ADORE. We are huge beach lovers, crystal blue beaches that we could swim in would be heaven, snorkeling, swimming with sting rays/turtles and such is what we enjoy doing. The quality of beaches is very important to us, which is one reason we love Hawaii. I would like to try something new which is why we are looking at the Caribbean. I'm kind of thinking that Eastern or Southern Caribbean would be the best fit for us. Ports where its just mainly shopping or mulling around a town square is not my idea of fun. If anyone has some ports that they would recommend I'd really appreciate it.

 

My husband is a bit wary of cruising and I need to make sure our experience is great so that he won't veto future cruising! From some of the reviews on this site I think we will go with RCI or possibly Princess. The Allure of the Seas (RCI) looks AMAZING but is on the pricier side for us. Though I'm a little concerned that someone mentioned that its like sailing on the Great Mall of America? We are not drinkers/partiers and prefer a ship with great pools, family friendly. We are in our mid 30's. We are not foodies by any means, and usually getting food is an afterthought so having top notch cuisine isn't a priority for us.

 

I am curious what ships others would recommend especially within RCI that might be a little less pricy than Allure but still offer a nice atmosphere? We live in the mid-west so flights to Ft. Lauderdale or Galvaston add a considerable amount to our vacation expenses. If anyone can recommend some RCI ships and ports that have fabulous beaches I'd love to hear about it (along with what time of year you were there) since we are just newbies at this. Thanks!

Having been leary about going on my first cruise many years ago, after getting it under my belt you can't get me to stop cruising.....lol.... we were just on the Oasis in 2013. Was it big? Yes. Does it feel big? No. Everyone has their own opinions on which itinerary is best. To me it's what fits you. I do like the eastern best, but that's just me. I like Princess myself, but, my main reason is because as a veteran they give me on on board credit, which I have not found on any other cruise line yet. As far as the age genre on Princess vs RCI, I really didn't see a difference, but that again, is just mho. As far as flights, I think some of the cruiselines offer fares in the packages, but this I cannot be sure about since I always try to choose Ft. Lauderdale as my port so I can drive there in 40 minutes.

You might want to look at RCI Freedom of the Seas - slightly smaller than Allure, but still a great ship (or so I have been told ;) we sail on her in November). I also have heard great things about Navigator, which sails out of Galveston. I cannot help on ports, but I think Eastern is usually favored for beaches. We are doing Western on Freedom, and there are some great stops for beaches and snorkeling.

We've sailed on Freedom and Navigator. They are "sister" ships and the layout is basically the same. They have plenty of things on board to keep you busy, but it's not as big as Allure. We will be on Freedom for the third time in June. We are going on the Eastern Itinerary, but we also love the Southern and Western Itinerary. Navigator sails from Galveston. Freedom from Port Canaveral. Either is a great choice for your first cruise. Prices are much better than Allure, right now.

We've sailed on Freedom and Navigator. They are "sister" ships and the layout is basically the same. They have plenty of things on board to keep you busy, but it's not as big as Allure. We will be on Freedom for the third time in June. We are going on the Eastern Itinerary, but we also love the Southern and Western Itinerary. Navigator sails from Galveston. Freedom from Port Canaveral. Either is a great choice for your first cruise. Prices are much better than Allure, right now.

Freedom and Navigator are not sister ships.

Freedom class ships are 160,000 tons, include Freedom, Liberty and Independence of the Seas.

Voyager class ships are 138,000 tons, include Voyager, Mariner, Navigator, Explorer and Adventure of the Seas.

Freedom class ships have greater choice in activities and dining venues.

However all classes except the Majesty offer similar experiences.

Hi, my husband and I are thinking of booking a 7 or 8 day cruise for our next vacation. We have never been on a cruise before, but have been to Hawaii multiple times and Maui is a place that we ADORE. We are huge beach lovers, crystal blue beaches that we could swim in would be heaven, snorkeling, swimming with sting rays/turtles and such is what we enjoy doing. The quality of beaches is very important to us, which is one reason we love Hawaii. I would like to try something new which is why we are looking at the Caribbean. I'm kind of thinking that Eastern or Southern Caribbean would be the best fit for us. Ports where its just mainly shopping or mulling around a town square is not my idea of fun. If anyone has some ports that they would recommend I'd really appreciate it.

 

My husband is a bit wary of cruising and I need to make sure our experience is great so that he won't veto future cruising! From some of the reviews on this site I think we will go with RCI or possibly Princess. The Allure of the Seas (RCI) looks AMAZING but is on the pricier side for us. Though I'm a little concerned that someone mentioned that its like sailing on the Great Mall of America? We are not drinkers/partiers and prefer a ship with great pools, family friendly. We are in our mid 30's. We are not foodies by any means, and usually getting food is an afterthought so having top notch cuisine isn't a priority for us.

 

I am curious what ships others would recommend especially within RCI that might be a little less pricy than Allure but still offer a nice atmosphere? We live in the mid-west so flights to Ft. Lauderdale or Galvaston add a considerable amount to our vacation expenses. If anyone can recommend some RCI ships and ports that have fabulous beaches I'd love to hear about it (along with what time of year you were there) since we are just newbies at this. Thanks!

St. Thomas and St. Maarten in the Eastern Caribbean both have great beaches and the Oasis and Allure both go there out of Fort Lauderdale.

A less expensive option would be the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. It also goes to St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

Princess also goes to the Eastern Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale and will also stop at St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

The best beach in the Western Caribbean is probably Seven Mile beach on Grand Cayman. Grand Cayman is also where you can swim with stingrays and turtles. Neither Allure nor Oasis will stop at Grand Cayman. However, the Freedom of the Seas will.

Also in the Western Caribbean is Cozumel. You can swim with dolphins, seals or manatees. Cozumel also has some good beaches. The Allure, Oasis and Freedom OTS along with Princess will stop in Cozumel.

If you go on the western itinerary, from Florida, then you will likely stop at either Royal Caribbean's private beach on Hatti or Princess' private island in the Bahamas.

Princess and Royal Caribbean also have ships in Galveston or Houston. They only go to the Western Caribbean and will not visit the private beach or private island. Cozumel and Grand Cayman will be visited however.