Help me choose a cruise!

Hello,

My husband and I (both 29 yo) are looking to go on a Caribbean cruise as part of a USA trip at the end of this year. I've narrowed down a few but each has different pros so it's hard to choose.

#1 - 7 day Western Caribbean cruise with Regal Princess (Princess Cays - Grand Cayman - Costa Maya - Cozumel). We would be in an interior cabin. This seems like the best option as it's a big new ship with lots to do and a good balance between sea days and stop numbers. The itinerary seems good.

#2 - 7 day Western Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Reflection (Cozumel - George Town - Montego Bay - Cococay). This would likely be in an interior cabin but possibly a balcony as it's more affordable. The itinerary is good but I'm unsure about the ship/cruise line as it seems to have less of a focus on entertainment and activity options and more focus on fine dining and wine etc. I could be wrong on this?

#3 - 10 day Ultimate Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Equinox (Charlotte Amelie - Basseterre - Bridgetown - Roseau - Phillipsburg). This would be in an interior cabin. Unsure about itinerary as it seems more "exotic" - would have to look into the port cities and activities a bit more. As above, unsure about ship and cruise line.

#4 - 7 night Western Caribbean cruise on Allure of the Seas with Royal Caribbean (Nassau - Falmouth - Cozumel). The main attraction with this is the large ship with lots of options. It'd be our first cruise so it seems like a good choice. The itinerary however seems limited in comparison to the others. This would also be in an interior cabin.

Price-wise they are all similar with the exception of #2 which is a bit cheaper but would be a bit more expensive if a balcony cabin was chosen.

It'd be great to your get your thoughts. Thanks :)

We don't really know much about you, so can only say which we would prefer.

So for me it is #1

For me, #3 is the one I would book! I just like the eastern carib a little better than the west. Good luck on your choice!

One big question for you. You said this cruise will be part of visit at the end of the year, but you didn't say exactly when. This makes a difference because if you're doing this cruise during the Christmas holidays, it will mean some ships will be loaded with kids, and that can be a negative for some cruisers.

With that said, it's really difficult to advise you on what line to take. Most here would tell you to take the 10 day cruise, especially if the cost is pretty equal to a 7 day. In addition, everyone here will have a different opinion because people have their favorite ship/cruise line. One thing that you said can be considered true, and that is the fact that Celebrity ships, and this also goes for Princess ships, aren't behemoths with 5000+ passengers, and consequently won't have all the non-stop activities. But, that can also be a negative because there can be long lines for everything-----there's a big difference between being on a ship carrying under 3000 passengers, and one with more than 5000.

But in the end, regardless of which ship you choose, it will be great, because first cruises are always special.

That 10 day Equinox cruise looks very attractive!

I've actually been on all 3 ship classes. RCI Oasis Class and Celebrity Solstice Class are amazing ships. Regal Princess was a bit disappointing for me. The staterooms are minuscule and the ship doesn't really have any new innovations like the others. Regal would be my last pick of those 4.

So it comes down to itinerary or ship. Equinox has the best itinerary of your choices. Allure has the most shipboard options and far better entertainment than the other choices.

By the way, Regal was also the most crowded of all those ships. Allure has the most people, but because of the size and design of the ship, you rarely see it. It is an absolute myth that lines are longer on Allure and it is more crowded.

For your age, the Allure. Amazing ship. :)

If this is your first cruise, you are going to be wowed by any ship. I definitely would not start with the largest, busiest ship. Leave that until you have discovered what cruising is really all about. I would do Reflection or Equinox. I think you will find plenty to do on both, and they are lovely ships. EM

At your age, either #1 or #4!

#1 would be our choice between these two because of the itinerary and better Main Dining Room food.

Also, we always meet many from "down under" on Princess ships. :)

LuLu

Looking at your choices it seems that you are looking to cruise in 'early' December....before cruises that include any holidays. A very economical choice!

With that in mind you will get the most 'bang for your buck' by choosing the Celebrity itinerary.

Having said that I would add that we cruise to see new places and do new things.

The Oasis does not appeal in that, for us, the ports are very 'vanilla' and uninteresting (Cozumel would be the exception). At that time of year the Bahamas are often rainy, cloudy and way less than warm.

Frankly, IMO, the megaships exist to keep you onboard, generating revenue for the cruise line rather than exposing you to new places and cultures.

Thanks for all your replies - they are very helpful. Can someone who has been with Celebrity before let me know what kind of entertainment they have on board, particularly in the evening? One thing I like about the bigger ships is the option of going to a theatre type show on board. I'm not sure if Celebrity have something similar as their website doesn't provide as much details as the others.

Celebrity does indeed have production shows in their theater, particularly the last one of the cruise which has a Circque like element. They have comedians, magicians...Ask on the Celebrity board here as to what is current. EM

Yes, Celebrity does have Broadway production type shows or some other type on entertainment in their main showroom every night. :)

We rather like a variety of bar/lounge entertainment which is somewhat lacking on Celebrity. :(

Princess is an overall better fit for us BUT we still have always enjoyed our Celebrity cruises. :)

LuLu

Thanks again for your replies. I think we will rule out #3 as although it's better value for money due to the length, it also takes up an extra three days of our land-based time.

Before you choose, spend some time reading the boards for all the different major cruise lines - not just those offering the cruises you are looking at. I've found over the years that the people on these boards are an accurate reflection of your fellow future cruisers. There are major differences from one to another. If the folks posting on a given board don't seem like the kind of people you want to spend a week or more around, think twice...

Thanks again for your replies. I think we will rule out #3 as although it's better value for money due to the length, it also takes up an extra three days of our land-based time.

That's the cruise I was going to recommend. So if you're eliminating that one, I recommend Allure. There's nothing else like it.

To further complicate things even more, I just found out about the new RCL ship Anthem of the Seas. It has what looks like a great itinerary but it is 12 nights and it is out of New Jersey.

We have been to New York before and loved it but weren't planning on going this time as we couldn't fit it in. The cruise is also a bit more expensive than what we were planning on spending.

The route is Labadee - Falmouth - George Town - Costa Maya - Roatan - Cozumel and it has five sea days. I'm not sure how cold these would be though given where the ship is travelling to/from. I presume at least the first and last day would be really cold?

Decisions, decisions... :p

We have cruised out of NYC a few times, and yes, the first and last couple of days are just to get to the hotter Caribbean climate.

Have you looked at cruises out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is a US territory and RCI and Carnival runs 7night cruises to the Southern Caribbean. This almost always guarantees better weather, and super ports of call.

Keep in mind .... The longer the cruise, the older the passenger base tends to be. ;)

LuLu

Thanks again for your replies. I think we will rule out #3 as although it's better value for money due to the length, it also takes up an extra three days of our land-based time.

Too bad - Celebrity generally beats RC and Princess in comfortable quarters and food, entertainment is comparable. Eastern itinerary is superior, but if you do rule it out, I would go with #2. #4 has a bleak itinerary: Nassau and Falmouth are two of the least attractive ports, and Cozumel is just so-so ---- and at year end Nassau could be chilly.

Cruising is perfect for my husband and I because he's all about the ship and I'm all about the ports!

I'm all about the excursions and what the places I'm visiting has to offer.

You've narrowed down what ships appeal to you but what I would do next is research each of the ports and see what it is about them that appeals to you. Do you want history, beaches, snorkeling, shopping, etc?