Southern Caribbean Cruise?

[colesc15]

I posted this on Royal Caribbeans side as well, but thought I'd post it here too.. Hi everyone. Just been passively looking at cruises for next year already.. I really want to do a southern Caribbean Cruise, preferably to Aruba and maybe curacao too. I want to stay royal Caribbean but really the only southern one they offer is adventure of the seas out of Puerto Rico. I'm looking at March 2014. The only sailing for adventure that month is March 2nd and then I assume it's going to dry dock since no more sailings. That scares me a week before dry dock. Especially after being on freedom of the seas and allure this year. Other options are an 8 night out of Miami on carnival breeze, a 10 day on celebrity, or a 10 day on princess (which is the most expensive). Any other ideas of which of those options id enjoy most? The celebrity and princess ones are by far the most expensive. Ideas? Opinions.

[chill6x6]

Hey...

I actually look at that general itinerary a good bit... Right now I have the Celebrity Summit out of San Juan booked for November. Was booked on the Breeze 8-day and just didn't want to risk it. Celebrity has two alternating itineraries out of San Juan and I'm planning on doing both. No Aruba/Curacao but basically most any other popular port of call including Grenada. Princess also has a Princess Cays/Curacao/Aruba 7-day out of FLL but the cruise schedules aren't published after Feb 2014 yet...will be a couple more weeks. Royal Caribbean also has a VERY interesting South America/Southern Caribbean itinerary out of Colon, Panama!

[colesc15]

Hey...

I actually look at that general itinerary a good bit... Right now I have the Celebrity Summit out of San Juan booked for November. Was booked on the Breeze 8-day and just didn't want to risk it. Celebrity has two alternating itineraries out of San Juan and I'm planning on doing both. No Aruba/Curacao but basically most any other popular port of call including Grenada. Princess also has a Princess Cays/Curacao/Aruba 7-day out of FLL but the cruise schedules aren't published after Feb 2014 yet...will be a couple more weeks. Royal Caribbean also has a VERY interesting South America/Southern Caribbean itinerary out of Colon, Panama!

 

I'm really hoping for Aruba and curacao. The princess 10 day was so expensive Compared tokothers

[CruzCrazy]

Carnival Freedom does a southern itinerary from Ft. Lauderdale that includes Aruba and Curacao, along with Grand Turk and La Romana, Dominican Republic.

 

I actually did that same itinerary on the Carnival Miracle when she was ported in Ft. Lauderdale and liked it very much, especially Curacao. Happy sailing, whatever ship and line you choose!

[colesc15]

Carnival Freedom does a southern itinerary from Ft. Lauderdale that includes Aruba and Curacao, along with Grand Turk and La Romana, Dominican Republic.

 

I actually did that same itinerary on the Carnival Miracle when she was ported in Ft. Lauderdale and liked it very much, especially Curacao. Happy sailing, whatever ship and line you choose!

 

Freedom was a nice ship a few years ago:)

[colesc15]

Anyone else?

[chill6x6]

If you want a 11-day out of Miami....NCL Sun is less expensive than the Emerald Princess.

[FloridaGram]

I went on the Carnival Freedom to Aruba and Curacao last August. I choose CCL because it was the least expensive and I wanted to go to these islands. We had a good time but I did not love the ship. If you want more details I will tell you but I don't like knit picking so I would prefer not to.

 

My biggest objection to this itinerary was that we did not get into Curacao until 2PM and stayed until 11PM. I would have preferred to be there all day, to go on an island tour and go to the beach. I felt it was a waste of time to be in the port after dark. I did not want to pay for dinner and entertainment on the island at night when that was already paid for on the ship.

 

And it could have been possible to gotten there earlier if they did not stop at DR. We did not even get off the ship there because I had read about it on this board. So we enjoyed a day on the ship and actually got chairs right by the pool. People started filtering back on the ship very early, they went into town and came back about half an hour later because it was so poor and nothing to do. Unless you did a tour there it was a waste of time.

 

So my suggestion to you is that if the other lines do not go to the Dominican Republic and give you a full day at Aruba and Curacao I would try to other lines. CCL is Ok but perhaps it would be a better cruise on the other lines based on their reputations.

[KroozFoolz]

.. I really want to do a southern Caribbean Cruise, preferably to Aruba and maybe curacao too. I want to stay royal Caribbean but really the only southern one they offer is adventure of the seas out of Puerto Rico. I'm looking at March 2014.

 

If a week earlier than March will work for you, Legend of the Seas has a nice 11 night itinerary RT from Fort Lauderdale - includes Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua - Feb 24 - March 7.

 

Don't know if you looked at HAL (it is pricier too) - Zuiderdam has some 10 and 11 night sailings in March 2014 from Fort Lauderdale RT to the Panama Canal (partial) that include Aruba and Curacao as well as Half Moon Cay. They have other ships doing Southern Caribbean sailings too.

[colesc15]

If a week earlier than March will work for you, Legend of the Seas has a nice 11 night itinerary RT from Fort Lauderdale - includes Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua - Feb 24 - March 7.

 

Don't know if you looked at HAL (it is pricier too) - Zuiderdam has some 10 and 11 night sailings in March 2014 from Fort Lauderdale RT to the Panama Canal (partial) that include Aruba and Curacao as well as Half Moon Cay. They have other ships doing Southern Caribbean sailings too.

 

I looked at Hal a little but us being only in our 20's I think we would get bored on a Hal ship.

[mrb1963]

I posted this on Royal Caribbeans side as well, but thought I'd post it here too.. Hi everyone. Just been passively looking at cruises for next year already.. I really want to do a southern Caribbean Cruise, preferably to Aruba and maybe curacao too. I want to stay royal Caribbean but really the only southern one they offer is adventure of the seas out of Puerto Rico. I'm looking at March 2014. The only sailing for adventure that month is March 2nd and then I assume it's going to dry dock since no more sailings. That scares me a week before dry dock. Especially after being on freedom of the seas and allure this year. Other options are an 8 night out of Miami on carnival breeze, a 10 day on celebrity, or a 10 day on princess (which is the most expensive). Any other ideas of which of those options id enjoy most? The celebrity and princess ones are by far the most expensive. Ideas? Opinions.

 

Jewel of the Seas is doing year round Southern Caribbean out of San Juan, starting May 2013 but I don't believe any of its routes stop in Aruba or Curacao

[Cruiser from MS]

We did this cruise on Holland American, and loved it.

[patz]

My DH and 8 friends are booked on the Carnival Breeze 8 day Southern Caribbean for Jan. 18, 2014. Can't wait!!! Just got off a b2b on Valor on Feb. 3.