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Rayneman5
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We are just starting to talk about a cruise. We plan on going in July or August and want a Caribbean cruise.

 

Are the Florida ports the best option from a convenience and price point perspective ?

 

Keeping cost in mind we were thinking MSC, Royal Car. Or Norwegian. Thoughts?

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There really is no advantage from a price point with any of the FL ports, but Port Canaveral, Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale) and Miami are the most popular and have the most cruise lines affiliated with them - Port Everglades probably the most used of the three. Convenience of each is relative to your travel, but FLL is only a couple of miles from Port Everglades, which makes it very easy. Careful not to mention TA's by name - that is prohibited by CC.

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Convenience of port depends on where you live. If you have to fly to any port, then you can also consider NOLA or Galveston for western Caribbean cruises. For Florida, we prefer Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale, mainly because we don't like flying in to Miami!

 

As to cruise line, that's very subjective. I'd say pick the one that's going places you want to see. If it is not quite your cup of tea, there's always the next time!

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A reputable travel agent can guide you on cruise line itineraries and prices, probably including some pros and cons

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Agree.... I am a former Travel Agent. Make sure the TA represents all of the cruise lines, so they can give you a good perspective on what is best for you're family wants and needs.

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port everglades has the most ships...simple supply and demand...more ships lower prices. you can also get better prices on older ships. we have done the caribbean a lot so now do it for the ships/ Oasis, Allure and Harmony are all amazing. ship is a destination by itself. full blown theater productions.

 

if you are going for the ports then figure out which itinerary does the most ports you want. balcony cabins are great but if you are going to be in port all day might be something to splurge on later.

 

if you fly in think of staying in Ft Lauderdale over night. coming from Canada we have to as weather can be an issue.

 

welcome to the addiction

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If travelling in July/August, note that is hurricane season in the Caribbean. Be prepared for changed/missed ports and be sure to budget for travel insurance. Also budget to arrive a day or so prior to your cruise (hotel, meals). You do not need to let the time of the year be a deterrent, just prepare and budget accordingly. We find Ft. Lauderdale to be very convenient. Easy to get from airport to hotel to cruiseport. Lyft or Uber is quick and easy in the area.

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If travelling in July/August, note that is hurricane season in the Caribbean. Be prepared for changed/missed ports and be sure to budget for travel insurance. Also budget to arrive a day or so prior to your cruise (hotel, meals). You do not need to let the time of the year be a deterrent, just prepare and budget accordingly. We find Ft. Lauderdale to be very convenient. Easy to get from airport to hotel to cruiseport. Lyft or Uber is quick and easy in the area.

 

 

 

I wouldn’t be too concerned - hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. That’s half the year and statistically peaks in mid-September

 

 

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Yes, the Florida ports are convenient from the standpoint of having many choices (New Orleans and Galveston mostly do western itineraries) and don't have the extra sea days like you would from the east coast ports.

 

I like Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Many many cruises use those ports and they are close enough that you can fly to whichever is cheaper and use either port.

 

Be careful using online websites, some add extra booking fees and cancellation penalties.

 

MSC will likely be the cheapest. I've never cruised them, their reviews seem quite mixed.

 

The only thing to keep in mind reference Norwegian and royal is that Norwegian routinely offers booking 'perks', while royal doesn't. So just a matter of price comparison; if two comparable cruises are the same price, you can get a drink package for 'free' on Norwegian (quotes because they make you pay the gratuities on the package, comes out to about $15 pp pd).

 

 

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Where do you live? Can you drive to the departure port?

Regardless if you fly or drive, IMO (and many others) it is best to arrive the day before the cruise.

And if flying, don't plan too early a return flight. Noon should be OK from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, unless the ship is delayed in returning.

Royal Caribbean is doing their WOW sale through Oct. 22, which usually has the best prices for them.

 

You might check out the Oasis or Allure Eastern Caribbean.

Don't wait too long, or you'll find your cabin choices limited and often not the best.

Or when Puerto Rico opens up, you could fly there and do a Southern Caribbean, with lots of different ports.

 

You need to decide if you want lots of ports, or several sea days.

Do you want to drive or fly?

Do you want an inside cabin, window (ocean view, or on some RCI ships a promenade view), balcony, or suite (often with perks like free drinks).

Do you have more then 2 people? If so, do you want all in one cabin, or 2 or more cabins?

If 2 or more, do you want connecting (with the inside door so you can go from one cabin to the other without going into the hallway)?

If you want 2 connecting cabins, definitely book now as these tend to fill up fast.

A shorter cruise (3, 4, or 5 day) will likely have more kids and more drinking and partying.

A 9 day or longer cruise tends to have fewer kids.

Choices Choices Choices.

Edited by Jimnbigd
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Thank you for the replies. There certainly are a lot of choices. Our main choices were

1) book now for 7 day cruise?

2) Go with our 6 month old (already ruled out).?

3) Go for a shorter 5 day cruise?

We fear we may regret booking early because we will miss our 6th Month baby too much (we are first time parents haha).

 

Thinking we just see how we feel when the time comes and if we feel like a vacation see what a better last minute deal is, cruise or all incl.

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Yes. The Florida ports are very convenient for Caribbean cruises. My first thought was: why the Summer? If you can cruise off season, the price goes down and it won’t be so hot. My very favorite is Southern Caribbean, the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao). I prefer booking early and spending time in the planning. We cruise at least once a year. Right now we have one booked (Panama Canal) and one in the talking stages (Bermuda). This year we did the Caribbean on the Allure and Alaska on the Radiance. I suggest using the Cruise Finder app or cruise.com to find one and then working through a travel agent.

 

 

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I have only cruised Carnival and NCL so far; Carnival out of Miami and NCL out of NYC so I know the most about those lines. From what I know about NCL, Carnival, Celebrity, and RCL, my impression is that Carnival is going to be cheapest for your base cruise fare and NCL is going to be cheapest if you want to drink a lot (you have to book a cabin in which you can add the drink package on for "free"). Celebrity and RCL seem to be in the middle of the two.

I have blog posts about both Carnival and NCL (below) if you're interested in reading them.

Generally, the farther in advance that you book your cruise, the better price you're going to get.

I like cruiseweb.com for searching for an itinerary I want based on dates and locations and then I book through the cruise line itself. I haven't used a travel agent, I have just used cruise critic and facebook for learning everything I can about the cruise lines and the specific ship I'm sailing on.

Carnival Tips: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.com/2017/10/carnival-cruise-tips.html

NCL Tips: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.com/2017/10/11-ncl-cruise-tips.html

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