Which Caribbean Cruises are right for a redhead?

Last year we had a wonderful 10 day cruise on the Horizon to Grand Cayman, Panama, Costa Rica, Roatan and Cozumel. This was our first trip, other than Joe's business trips to San Juan, to the Caribbean. We loved the sea days, and we loved the interesting things to do in each port. We had zero beach time: Joe is a redhead, and he can't take the sun. He was heavily slathered with sun block for the Stingray City tour.

This year we're considering two November cruises from San Juan: 7 days on the Connie or 5 on the Radisson Diamond. The ports are St. Thomas for both cruises, plus St. Barts, St. Kitts and St. Maartin for the Diamond and Casa de Campo, Grenada, Antigua, and Barbados for the Diamond.

Our problem is that we can't picture what we'd do in any of the ports: none of the ports sounds as interesting as the ports on the Horizon trip. If you don't sun, snorkle or gamble, is the trip worth doing? Also, are 5 days on the Diamond worth a cost that's more than for 7 days on the Connie?

This is an active board, so we suspect you'll have some interesting views on these subjects.

2 Options:

Visit Alaska

Dye his hair black!

Celebrity Century 5/8/04 -Western Caribbean

Carnival Ecstasy 2/04 - Baja

Tahitian Princess 2/03- French Polynesia

Sea Princess 7/02 - Alaska

Carnival Ecstasy 5/02 - Baja

Royal Caribbean Monarch 10/00 - Southern Caribbean

Carnival Elation 10/99 - Mexican Riviera

Royal Caribbean Monarch 1/97 - Southern Caribbean

Don't listen to Princess of Quite a Lot!!! While not a redhead, I have very fair skin and have to be careful in the sun. When we do a Beach vacation down south, I get up very early in the morning to walk and swim. Then around 10:30, we have a late breakfast. After that I stay out of the sun until 3pm. Either I would sit on a shady balcony or in a very shady spot on the beach. My husband got tired of reading so many books! That is what is so great about a cruise. If you want to stay completely out of the sun, there are many indoor activities.

When you visit an island, just try not to be in the sun between 11 and 3. You can do something early in the am, return for lunch and then go out again later.

Our last cruise stopped in St. Thomas, St.

Kitts and St. Martin. In St. Thomas and St.Martin, we went to the beach from 9-11....11 is really too late... (lots of #30 sunblock) and shopped. We were in St. Kitts for 1/2 day, so did a tour for a few hours...very interesting. Again,your husband should wear a hat and sunscreen.

You can do it...just be very careful of the sun. Enjoy.

P.S.We were in Grenada too...a very lush, beautiful island...and a very pretty port. We toured in the am, returned for lunch, then around 3pm we took the water taxi to Grande Anse Beach, where we stayed for a couple of hours. We had a wonderful day!

Aw...cmon..I was only kidding!!!

Celebrity Century 5/8/04 -Western Caribbean

Carnival Ecstasy 2/04 - Baja

Tahitian Princess 2/03- French Polynesia

Sea Princess 7/02 - Alaska

Carnival Ecstasy 5/02 - Baja

Royal Caribbean Monarch 10/00 - Southern Caribbean

Carnival Elation 10/99 - Mexican Riviera

Royal Caribbean Monarch 1/97 - Southern Caribbean

Anytime I read a post like this, about a redhead, all I think about is an old episode of I Love Lucy!

This ship 10/91

That ship 11/95

Whatever ship 12/98

here a ship 13/99

there a ship 14/00

everywhere

a

ship ship 15/05

<font size="3" color=red>Over 1 year</font> into my LMBO cruise

I am a redhead (OK, part natural, part bottle) and fair skinned. We are going on the Norwejian Fjords cruise in July. Average high temps are about 65 degrees. Lots of sights to see, not a lot of sunning. It will be nice to escape the heat in the middle of July, something to consider....

Princess of Quite a Lot....i know you were kidding. By the way, please tell us how you chose your name...it's great!

Newtoc...I Love Lucy,too!

My wife is the redhead, we both lived within 10 miles of the beach while growing up, and I hate to get my glasses wet. There is still quite a bit to do in the caribbean. For starters in St. Thomas we have gone on the Island tours and spent quite a bit of time at coral world. It is like Marineland was 30 years ago but when the water is clear the tower is fascinating. In St. Marteen we loved shopping on the French side of the island. There is an outdoor mart with dozens of stalls selling local stuff. The booths all have awnings over them. Many of the islands have semi or totally submersibles which are almost as good as diving and are totally in the shade.

This should give you a few starters! Have fun!

Babylene,

Thanks, but I can't take the credit. I saw a cute picture from Mary Engelbreit...it's one of her sayings. I like to think I have a lot in my life (great kids, health and love), but not everything. It gives me something to always strive for!

Celebrity Century 5/8/04 -Western Caribbean

Carnival Ecstasy 2/04 - Baja

Tahitian Princess 2/03- French Polynesia

Sea Princess 7/02 - Alaska

Carnival Ecstasy 5/02 - Baja

Royal Caribbean Monarch 10/00 - Southern Caribbean

Carnival Elation 10/99 - Mexican Riviera

Royal Caribbean Monarch 1/97 - Southern Caribbean

Great suggestions so far, although it might be hard to change my fair skin or take an Alaska cruise in November! Prettybeth suggests our favorite type of vacation: going some place cool during the summer. We do that most years, but can't this year - we're locked into a narrow time frame in November. It does sound as if we'll find things to do if we try hard enough.

Might I suggest the ovbvious sun hat and protective clothing?? Worked for me in July on the Mediterranean.

Millie Med. Cruise

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Joanandjoe: Take something out of Puerto Rico - the air fare to fly from Newark is not as bad as you would think.

As for babylean - don't trust the Canadians.

The Southern Caribbean awaits......

Next - Millennium - The wait begins anew.

Alway booked and waiting...

Longboy...you are BAD!!!! Say Hi to Barbara.

P.S. The chocolates were delicious!

Since we live in Teaneck, Longboys is a neighbor 6 or 7 miles away. If you want to get in touch, write to us at Joanandjoe@virtualtourist.com, our "public" email address. By the way, both of the cruises we mentioned leave from San Juan.

New kid, I do wear a floppy Stetson, long sleeves when I'm not in the water (and a tee shirt when I am), and SP 45 sun block. I'm still hot and uncomfortable on a beach from about 10:30 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m. (and that's up North!) That makes going to the beach difficult on a shore excursion.

As for Babylene, dont knock les Canadiennes: they know how to live right. When Joan was sick in Ottawa and on antibiotics, a French Canadian doctor told her: "no alcohol, so don't drink more than a half bottle of wine a day." Our kind of doctor!

That's a French Canadian doctor. If he were a Jewish doctor, he would have prescribed chicken soup!!!

Got it. I looked at the cruise.

That is port intensive.

I like a lot of sea days.

Or

At least two per trip.

Trouble is with most Eastern Caribbean runs they only have a few ports they can hit.

Same with the west.

Unless you jump a 10 - 11 - 14 day cruise or go out to Hawaii you do not get a lot of Sea days.

But looking over the lists - you already know that.

Yes. I'm only down the road rt 4 to 208 then second exit.

Next - Millennium - The wait begins anew.

Alway booked and waiting...

We like sea days too, but we're kind of stuck. Early to mid-November is a transitional period. Many ships are repositioning, and at least two Celebrity ships (Horizon and Galaxy) will be in drydock when we want to cruise. The cruise we would want, Summit 11/5 to 15, has already sold out all outside rooms except category 7. There just aren't any choices with sea days for this period (leave home no earlier than 11/4, return home no later than 11/22).

Right now we're leaning towards the Radisson Diamond, plus 3 or 4 days in San Juan.

You can make a cruise filled with sea days by not going out on the islands. With everyone off the ship, you don't have to worry about chairs by the pool being filled and you do get excellent attention.

Joanandjoe,

I haven't read all of the posts in this thread. Sorry if I am repeating something suggested earlier. Look at the caribbean cruises departing from Baltimore. Lots of sea days due to the time it takes to get to the tip of Florida from Maryland. Also, late October should be a little cooler with a little less sun but there is a hurricane concern.

Princess of Quite A Lot

YOU MUST BE A BLOND. I am either bald or gray but the "dye it black" comment took a lot of thought.

Les

Joanandjoe .... What did you finally "end-up" doing in Limon and Colon?

Recs for your upcoming cruise decision:

In Barbados you might enjoy Harrison's Cave -- interesting to see once and no sun there!!!

In Antigua you will find the very best taxi drivers you could hope to have. We've had to travel there lots on business and never had a bad taxi driver. Be sure to include Nelson's Dockyard on your list of things to see. Actually, just tell your taxi driver to take you to interesting places with shade available and you'll have no problem there.

Good luck with your decision and Happy Sailing!

OCruisers- In Colon (Panama) we took the ferry trip. Expensive and it had long bus rides; but it was worth every penny! We wanted to go through at least part of the canal, and this was a great way to do so. In Puerto Limon, Costa Rica we and several other couples we met through the CC boards went to the tent on the pier and took a local tour to the Tortugueras canals and a banana plantation, with mouch lower cost and more personalized attention than the ship's tours.

Shirley and Les - as you'll see on another thread, the Galaxy is being moved from Baltimore to Galveston. Boo! Hiss! During the period we want to sail (early to mid-November) the ship isn't even listed for most of the period (nothing from 11/1 to 11/13).