Caribbean cruise advice needed

We did South Pacific on Voyager earlier this year and watched the RCI advert channel selling other cruises keen to do Caribbean and like the look of Harmony.

Q: what time of the year is best?

Q: do u recommend doing an Eastern and then Western or vice versa itinerary?

Q: why is Harmony the most expensive?

We r a family of 4, 2 boys 12&13 in Australia [emoji1037] Thanks I really enjoy reading posts on this forum [emoji3]

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We did South Pacific on Voyager earlier this year and watched the RCI advert channel selling other cruises keen to do Caribbean and like the look of Harmony.

Q: what time of the year is best?

Q: do u recommend doing an Eastern and then Western or vice versa itinerary?

Q: why is Harmony the most expensive?

We r a family of 4, 2 boys 12&13 in Australia [emoji1037] Thanks I really enjoy reading posts on this forum [emoji3]

 

 

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You're going to get multiple answers on this one.

"Best time of year?" I would say around late January or February. The prices seem better then, there aren't a lot of kids onboard, and the weather in the Caribbean is beautiful. June-September is Hurricane Season, more crowded, more expensive, and WAY hotter. But I don't cruise with kids. So that may be a factor for you.

"Eastern or Western?" Personally it depends on ports. I prefer Eastern, but Western stops at Labadee which I love. A great "beach day." Western is better for beaches, but there are also great beaches in St. Thomas and St. Maartin. But as for which is first on a Back to Back, doesn't matter. So pick for your convenience so travel.

Harmony is more expensive because she's new, has more "bells and whistles," and very popular right now. That may change when Symphony comes out if she comes to the Caribbean.

We did South Pacific on Voyager earlier this year and watched the RCI advert channel selling other cruises keen to do Caribbean and like the look of Harmony.

Q: what time of the year is best?

Q: do u recommend doing an Eastern and then Western or vice versa itinerary?

Q: why is Harmony the most expensive?

We r a family of 4, 2 boys 12&13 in Australia [emoji1037] Thanks I really enjoy reading posts on this forum [emoji3]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Since you are planning a back to back cruise, it really doesn't matter the order. And I agree that you should make it worth your while to fly all the way here to cruise the Caribbean. (I flew to Sydney but cruised all the way back ;) :D)

The best time to cruise is whenever your kids are on school break. There will always be other children for them to play with, and the Caribbean is always beautiful.

Yes, Harmony commands high prices because she is the newest ships with "all the bells & whistles".

We've had very good luck with early January, right after New Year's. Prices have been lower and there's a minimum of children.

Oasis in now sailing from Port Canaveral so if you are flying to states you may want to check air prices to Orlando as well as Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. At times air prices can be a factor in ones decision. There are many deals being offered at this time.

We prefer Eastern Caribbean or Southern Caribbean to Western. We are not beach people so that does not come into play in our decision.

As someone posted if you are planning B2B it really doesn't matter which you choose 1st as you will visit Eastern and Western. I believe it was Bob who posted that January normally has lower prices.

I know many people are recommending January, but personally would not cruise the Caribbean in January, unless I was going way south to the southern Caribbean.

Cruised a couple of times in January and weather was bad. Each time this happened US was getting pummeled by snow, even cold in Florida, and it seemed to continue into Caribbean with lots of heavy rain. Between the colder temperatures, 70s, not the usual 80s, heavy rain and airline delays getting to the port, both coming and going, not my favorite cruise.

I mention this because although I know perhaps we were just unlucky (three times), I wouldn't risk it if I was planning such an expensive trip from Australia.

Do agree that a back-to-back on an Oasis class ship is an awesome cruise. You get to go to the eastern and western Caribbean; which comes first doesn't matter.

The first week in January is generally cheaper than the rest of the winter months. As noted above, Jan. can have some cool weather on the western itinerary. I've been in Cozumel when you had to wear long pants and a jacket. The cheapest fares are usually Sept. and Oct. I would also consider either Oasis or Allure for better prices. They are the same class as Harmony and only lack the slides. There is plenty for children to do on those ships as well.

Mid November to mid December also have good prices. :D

Mid November to mid December also have good prices. :D

except the week of Thanksgiving.

I see that some people who cruise without kids are recommending January. As someone who cruises with kids, that would not be my top choice and I definitely would not fly all the way from Australia for a January cruise unless that was my only option. Yes, the prices are better, but that's because it's often cold and kids want to go in the ocean! I think April or May is ideal. The seas are usually calm as you don't have the risk of hurricane season and it is warm enough to swim. While the time around Easter/ early April can be pricy with US spring break, there are often good deals to be had the last week of April or early May before the US schools let out for the summer.

Yes, the prices are better, but that's because it's often cold and kids want to go in the ocean!

That's first time I've seen that reason for lower prices in January.

Out of curiosity I looked up the temps for this past January on the Eastern ports.

Labadee, 6 days on which temp was below 80, St Thomas had one and San Juan had none.

P.S. Being from Australia where seasons are reversed along with the school year, kids are out of school in January and a great time for a vacation in the Carribean.

I have typically found the best prices in Sept - Nov/Dec, not including holiday weeks. We have often cruised at those times in the Caribbean and I can tell you the weather is beautiful, hurricanes have not been a problem for us (one trip there was question until the last minute whether we'd go to Cozumel... we did end up going and were the first or 2nd ship to visit after they'd been hit by Wilma. Palm trees were missing their tops but otherwise fine. Shop owners were very eager to bargain!).

We've brought our kids (currently 17, 15, 13) on Caribbean cruises anytime from October to March over the past several years, and there were always some other kids aboard. Personally, mine enjoy each other's company over "new people" and enjoy having more space in the pool and smaller groups in the kids club vs when there's a school break! :)

As far as calm seas, the Caribbean Sea is always calm! We often depart from San Juan, PR and it's smooth sailing all the way. No having to cross the Gulf Stream like out of FL.

For order, it doesn't much matter, but the eastern itineraries are more port intensive and can be more tiring unless you just do beach days. The western itineraries have more sea days and can be a bit more relaxed, but the ports have more active choices (rainforests, scuba, and such) and have a higher chance of rain.

HTH

Happy Sailing!

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That's first time I've seen that reason for lower prices in January.

 

Out of curiosity I looked up the temps for this past January on the Eastern ports.

 

Labadee, 6 days on which temp was below 80, St Thomas had one and San Juan had none.

 

P.S. Being from Australia where seasons are reversed along with the school year, kids are out of school in January and a great time for a vacation in the Carribean.

Yes, the air is usually fairly warm, but the water is cold especially the further north you are. But I get that going when the kids are out of school makes sense, especially for a long vacation.

I know many people are recommending January, but personally would not cruise the Caribbean in January, unless I was going way south to the southern Caribbean. ...

Obviously, weather is unpredictable. However, to add the opposite view, we've cruised in the Caribbean in January and February about a dozen times. Yes, there's been occasional rain, but it's always been a short shower, and the temps were around 80.

As someone from the UK, I am not an expert when it comes to predicting the weather in the Caribbean so my input will be limiting to sharing personal experience ...

I have been cruising with Royal Caribbean for 30 yrs and a lot of my early cruises were to the Caribbean. I have done some in January but most have been during the hurricane season (June to September).

On reflection, based on experience, I would happily cruise in January or during hurricane season. No regrets so far. That is not to say we have always had perfect weather.

If there are specific reasons to book Harmony (perhaps to experience latest features). I would book one of the sister ships (Oasis or Allure).

Many years ago we did a back to back where we actually switched ships. Something to consider to experience cruising on a different class of ship and a wider itinerary.

Thanks for all the advice, I have started looking at prices around May even though it's not school break time.

I know it's not a cruising question but does anyone know about flights and do u think it's cheaper for us to fly in on west coast and then domestic over to Florida or fly into New York and then down? [emoji3]

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There might be some special deals to NY, but in general I doubt it would be cheaper than via LAX or SFO (or some other hub on the way to Florida).

We like October-November and cruise fare seems to be a little cheaper. Then Feb - Mar are the next choice for us. I understand New Zealand Air has great fares to the US and the cabins and service are supposed to be excellent. If it works with your plans and cost, consider flying to west coast doing a Panama cruise and then the Caribbean. Personally I like the southern Caribbean the most.