ccleveland

My vote is definitely the Fascination. As you can see below, I've sailed on the Fascination several times and planning to again in December!

Awesome! Ya the wife and I decided to do the fascination on 9/21. I'm hoping for good weather and no hurricanes

That drive is long.

 

I would choose Jacksonville and the shorter drive.

 

Somehow driving to a cruise is more fun than driving home.

Yes I agree. The wife and I agreed to do the fascination for 5 day on 9/21. Yay. Can't wait! Booking it now

It does suck that Half Moon Cay is missed a lot which thats why im contemplating on whether to go with Cozumel and Progresso or the cruise I just recently found an hour ago that does Key West and Half Moon Cay and Nassau from Miami on one of the bigger ships. I probably will end up staying with the fascination in Jacksonville because its only a5 hour drive for me and it's a decent price for a 5 day. If the Half Moon Cay gets missed all I know is that I'm on a cruise ship and thats the important part just getting away from home having a good time

Great info. I am leaning towards Jacksonville because it is closer for us to drive and I would rather do a 7 day out of NOLA because of the drive.

I agree if its 7 hours or more it definitely needs to be a seven day cruise or more because of the length of a drive. honestly if you have to drive 7 to 10 hours away and it's a big ship for the same price as a 5 day cruise with a small ship then do it because I found a cruise for a five day in Miami on one of the bigger ships and it goes to the same exact places as in Half Moon Cay and Nassau and Key West

Which is a shorter drive?

 

In Nassau you can walk to the Queen's Staircase for free.

And with Half Moon Cay there should be no additional cost.

 

However, in Cozumel you can get a cab and go to Paradise Beach for minimal money.

And in Progreso you can get a tour with AutoProgreso.

We went on an AutoProgreso tour to Merida and it was $20 each.

We looked at some buildings on the tour and then walked down the street and got a drink and some nachos.

It was fun.

 

We got a tour on another trip and saw some flamingos, a beach and some Mayan ruins for around $20 each.

Check out their website, but you can buy a tour from the AutoProgreso lady in Carnival's little shopping area.

 

Also riding the double decker bus in Progreso is fun. It used to be the Two Dollar Bus, but I think last time it was $3. You ride and a guy tells jokes.

Then there is a flea market that is kind of fun. Just ask for directions.

If you want to buy some good junk, Progreso is the place to do it.

Jacksonville is a shorter drive. Just found a cruise for about same price that's coming from Miami on the bigger ships to key west and Nassau and hmc. I think that would be worth it but it's 10 he drive which sucks

Nice Info everyone! I mean it is more about having a fun time wherever you go and that's what we're aiming for me and my wife don't really have too much money to spend so we just want to spend money getting on the ship to be able to get away from home. Half Moon Cay looks amazing and from what I hear its awesome picture taking area but it does suck that if the weather is bad we cannot go to Half Moon Cay. I think I will just go ahead and choose the Half Moon Cay and Nassau because I've never been there since I have been to Cozumel a few times now. How much is parking in Jacksonville by the port does anyone know?

I am trying to decide if I would like to book a cruise going out of New Orleans to Cozumel Mexico in Progresso Mexico or if I would want to book a 5 day cruise going out of Jacksonville on the fascination going to Half Moon Cay and Nassau

I've been to Cozumel twice but haven't done much both times I went but I have also heard that have to in K is the best Bahamas place to be at. I want to book this today so your decision will gteatly help me.

My only main concern was doing the Bahamas cruise I might have more rough waters and if I took the Western Caribbean going out of New Orleans that the water would be a little more calm. Also the screws is just to be on the ship and get out of being at home for a couple days and me and my wife are not doing any excursions except just two get off the ship and enjoy the sights and go to the beach and enjoy the ship let me know your thoughts

All of you have said some interesting things and it's just such a hard decision. I believe that I definitely want to take a 5 day cruise and not a 4 day cruise which means the sensation is out because the sensation only does a 4 day cruise around the time frame that I'm able to go. With the 5 day cruise there is the fascination and Paradise and elation but the fascination go to Half Moon Cay which is wonderful and the elation in Paradise dusty Cozumel and other stops but I've already done the Cosmo 2 times so I want to try something different I think that's why I'm leaning more towards the fascination because I've never been to Half Moon Cay or Nassau

I need all of your help please! I'm looking at doing a 4 or 5 day cruise in September this year and wondered if the fascination or sensation or relation or paradise ship would be better?

I'm still unsure if I want to go to the Bahamas or the Caribbean such as Cozumel Mexico or the progresso from new Orleans.

this trip would be mainly for me and my wife just to get out of the house and have fun on the ship and get on and off we are not really doing any excursions so we can save money.

Thanks i appreciate it SnjCruisers!

What ask is fun to do in nassau? I hear Atlantis is fun but expensive?

Well I want the cruise to be close as possible to Feb 1 or 2. I'll have to look again I been working so much that I can't keep things straight like today I worked 16 hours and now have to be working noon to 11pm on new years day. Ugh lol

I definitely need this cruise lol well seems like the paradise isn't bad as a ship. Honestly I'm going for the goods food and desserts and comfy pillows. I just don't want to be home so the bahamas or caribbean on any calm sea is heaven for me :)

Ya if I told her then she might be more willing to go on a cruise and maybe a longer one to haha

For now it's either paradise on 2/2, elation can't remember date but beginning of Feb or even a fascination bahamas cruise since my wife has never been to bahamas. Everyone has to go to Nassau or freeport once in there life. My main thing is just to be on the boat with show and food and desserts lol

(keep in mind that my wife thinks were going to helen, GA or gatlinburg TN.. shh its a cruise surprise lol) me and my wife talked tonight and she wants to try and leave on 1/31 afternoon or morning of 2/1 and come back wednesday 2/4. So with that said i need to try and find a cruise around those dates. Maybe if the cruises starts on 2/2 and does 4 days thats ok to... I just can't do the conquest anymore.

Im sticking with a 4 day caribbean if thats even out there or i will just go with a 4 day bahamas. I totally will take a cruise over going to gatlinburg TN, helen GA, or to the beach in florida because the cruise includes sleeping and food and fun! haha :)

Thanks "Tapi" for the review about the Royal caribbean cruise trip . That was aweosme. Im totally not putting carnival down at all here. I have only done 2 carnival cruises in my life and LOVED THEM!! Its just that i talked to my wife (she owns her salon shop right now and its just her running it right now) so she told me tonight that she wants to leave on 1/31 or 2/1 and come back 2/4 (she thinks were going to helen GA or gatlinburg TN. haha its a cruise surprise!) so.... i went to the royal website and saw a 4 night that goes from port canaveral on the enchantment of seas starting at 217 per person.

Im going to write down all my choices now and pretty much see whats lower cost for me (I'm on very tight budget) and go from there. I would rather do western caribean because its probably warmer than bahamas

Ya im looking at a cozmel and grand cayman islands on paradise or maybe the cormel and progresso off the elation. I might just might try royal caribbean only because i have been to cozmel 2 times and this cruise is strictly just to get away and not really do any excursions so maybe trying royal will be fun? I heard carnival is much better though :) Any opinions on what i mentioned? :(

Thanks for the helpful hints! I really want to do the conquest but I taped to the wife last night and looks like she doesn't want to have to close her salon shop for that long. Might have to go for a 4 to 5 day cruise :( and that means paradise or bahamas.

I guess paradise will be my best option because it's refurbished in 2012

Wow you guys rock!! Well I wanted to do the paradise for caribbean cruise in Feb but looks like plans might change and I might have to do a 4 day bahamas cruise. Do you guys think I should try and stick with the 5 day western caribbean cruise (cozmel and grand cYman Islands been to both) or just do the 4 or 5 day bahamas cruise on the fascination or fantasy

If i was to plan a bahamas cruise... which ones are good and bad? I see carnival goes to freeport, nassau, and a few others???

So I just got the "ok" to take off work for the Feb 1 cruise from the Conquest but i just don't know about the almost 10 drive.

Does the paradise have the theater where they put shows on?

The conquest goes to key west and I heard that's a really beautiful place?

I am looking at doing a feb cruise for me and my wife and would like some input. I have narrowed it down to the following:

1) 5 day cruise from tampa on paradise that goes to cozmel and grand cayman islands. Price starts around $200

2) 5 day cruise from new orleans on elation and it goes to cozeml and progresso. Price starts around $230

3) 6 day cruise from fort lauderdale on the conquest goes to key west, cozmel and grand caymans. Price starts around $279.

Please give me some advice and tell me which one you would do if you were me and why. Im only taking this trip for me and my wife just to get out of town and relax. We are not really looking for any excursions unless there $40 or something like that haha. Keep in mind that I'm coming from north atlanta so going to fort lauderdale means traveling 9.5 to 10 hours :(

Sounds good Flatpik6 thanks! I'm trying to go to the bigger Ships because they have the theaters with the shows. That's always a plus to have after earning dinning at 6 :)

What makes the Port of New Orleans the best and what's good about the carnival elation? Does the elation have a theater where they put on shows?

I would totally do the dream but the price is I think close to $400 or something like that and I'm not sure that I can do a seven day considering that my wife owns her own salon shop and she needs to get back to work lol. But the dream was amazing when it was at Port Canaveral I did a 7 day with the dream for my honeymoon and that was the best ship I've been on so far.

Actually I am now trying to decide between New Orleans for the Carnival Elation or at Tampa for the Carnival Paradise both are Caribbean but I'm a little worried about the Gulf of Mexico see being a little bit more rough in the Western Caribbean

I would love to see the review! I would love to go to new Orleans. Is the port beautiful or better than tampa or port canaveral? Only reason I'm worried about ruff seas is because I have a weak stomach lol.

Killer thing about this trip is I have my wife thinking were going camping. Surpirse!!! Haha