Need advise picking a cruise line and ship..

Hey, I made a post a few weeks ago about possibly taking my wife on our first cruise, well its confirmed and were looking to sail some time the second half of Feb..

We are closing in on our 10th anniversary and never had a honeymoon so I want to make this the honeymoon we never had (on a budget of corse) lol.. Any way we are open to sailing out of any port in florida and heading to the western caribbean (Mexico, caiman islands, and possibly Jamaica) and wanting a fairly large ship due to it having more things to do (shopping for her).

But we are struggling on which cruise line/ship to go with, All we know is we thing we'd like a balcony.. Any suggestions would be welcomed with open arms..

P.S she wont be drinking any alcohol die to expecting our 3rd, But I plan to have several mixed drinks a day witch I know can add up, so maybe a line that had a unlimited beverage deal would be nice BUT NOT NECESSARY.

ANY ship/cruiseline will do...RCI has an alcohol package that only 1 has to buy...your wife can skip it!

I would go for the ship with the best cabin for the price....all the rest is gonna be fine.

You need to be aware of the age demographics on the ship you choose also. Some lines are geared to an older crowd and it can be very awkward. We just experienced this on our last cruise on RC. Just depends on the class of ship, time of the year and how active do you want to be?

Congratulations on your 10th anniversary and soon to be third child. Welcome to the world of cruising.

Pressident's Week cruises might have alot of kids on board as many school districts are closed that week for winter vacation. If you are not taking your two kids with you and you are looking for adult quality time, I would avoid Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival that week. They are geared towards families. Disney is always geared towards families so another one to avoid if you are going sans kids.

RCL and NCL have the largest ships (Royal's Oasis class has 6000 PAX). The Voyager Class has 3500 PAX; Freedom Class has greater than 4000 PAX. Celebrity's Solstice Class (aka S-class) has just under 3000 PAX. Carnival has some mega ships as well, although I do not know which ones.

That said, Celebrity will have less kids since they are classifying themselves as a luxury liner. They do have a kids camp with activities for them, but nothing like RCL, Carnival or Disney.

For a honeymoon, I would probably choose either Celebrity or Princess, but any choice would be great.

Excellent point about when you cruise during Feb. break

If you are on a budget shopping on a ship is very expensive unless you mean sale items that occur on any ship, t-shirts, costume jewelry, etc.

I would concentrate on the itinerary first.. if you like Cayman Islands, Cozumel etc.. check out what activities you would do ( of course lots of shopping on all of them)

Many cruiselines have the western itinerary, check Expedia , RC, NCL and Carnival from Tampa has a short 4 & 5 & 7 day cruises ( 5 day was our first) and loved it.

The ship will have plenty for you and wife to do whether big or small.

Some allow bringing bottles of wine on board and also all have a drink package.

Congrats on your 10th anniv and third child.

Please check the pregnancy regulations of the cruise lines you are considering. Most will not allow you to board if she is in or will enter the 24th week of pregnancy any time during the cruise. EM

Thanks.. I have read whereost cruise lines have a pregnancy limitation.. My wife will only be around 12 weeks when we sail so will not be showing. Plus we do not plan on disclosing to them that she is even pregnant this way we will not be hassled about it.

ANY ship/cruiseline will do...RCI has an alcohol package that only 1 has to buy...your wife can skip it!

 

 

I would go for the ship with the best cabin for the price....all the rest is gonna be fine.

And the best iternary that works for you both.

Thanks.. I have read whereost cruise lines have a pregnancy limitation.. My wife will only be around 12 weeks when we sail so will not be showing. Plus we do not plan on disclosing to them that she is even pregnant this way we will not be hassled about it.

I would not assume she wouldn't be showing at 12 weeks, most women on second and third pregnancies show must faster, my friends definitely looked pregnant by 12 weeks. It's really best to just get a note from her dr saying how far along she is and that she is fit to travel. I have read on these boards other people who were denied boarding for not having the letter.

A good travel agent who specializes in cruises would be so very helpful to you. :)

LuLu

A good travel agent who specializes in cruises would be so very helpful to you. :)

LuLu

So True.:)

A good travel agent who specializes in cruises would be so very helpful to you. :)

LuLu

I third this suggestion. And since you're talking about wanting to sail in a month's time, you might not have a big choice of ships and cabins. A good cruise specialist can research what's available for you.

Hey, I made a post a few weeks ago about possibly taking my wife on our first cruise, well its confirmed and were looking to sail some time the second half of Feb..

 

We are closing in on our 10th anniversary and never had a honeymoon so I want to make this the honeymoon we never had (on a budget of corse) lol.. Any way we are open to sailing out of any port in florida and heading to the western caribbean (Mexico, caiman islands, and possibly Jamaica) and wanting a fairly large ship due to it having more things to do (shopping for her).

 

But we are struggling on which cruise line/ship to go with, All we know is we thing we'd like a balcony.. Any suggestions would be welcomed with open arms..

 

P.S she wont be drinking any alcohol die to expecting our 3rd, But I plan to have several mixed drinks a day witch I know can add up, so maybe a line that had a unlimited beverage deal would be nice BUT NOT NECESSARY.

Cruise agent here..if you would like to go to all those ports of call, then RCI's Freedom Of The Seas out of Port Canaveral does that- you fly into Orlando & either you drive yourself OR ( better) RCI will pick you up & take you for a small transfer fee..that ship goes to Falmouth ( Jamaica), Grand Cayman, Cozumel,and Labadee, RCI's private island ( very nice, basically a beach day with beach activities)..also consider the Oasis & Allure out of Port Everglades ( Ft. Laud) , BUt they will be more $$ and they both do NOT go to Grand C....Independence of The Seas does a 6 nighter to GC,Falmouth, and Labadee ( no Cozumel).

Celebrity has some very nice ships that also do Western Caribb..the Reflection, out of Miami,is a beautiful ship that does Cozumel, Ocho Rios ( Jamaica), Grand C., and Labadee..the Celebrity Silhouette, out of FTL, also does Cozumel, Grand C.,Falmouth, and Labadee..

One problem as another poster said, is that you are VERY close to sailing-getting a cabin in high season this close is not easy, nor cheap..some NE schools have what is called a "Winter Break", which I used to have in mid Feb in NY..regarding the difference in the cruise lines, RCI is a bit more family oriented, while Celebrity is considered the "upscale" RCI ( RCI owns Celebrity) line..IMO, I would look at the Freedom & Reflection first, then the Independence & Oasis/ Allure..all really are good choices..look at price, ports of call & where your balcony cabin is ( make sure you are NOT above nor below public areas like the pool deck or Royal Promenade, they can be noisy!)..any more questions, give a shout, I have been on all but Costa & MSC cruise lines..

Big Al