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Eastern Caribbean Cruise For 2021


Icewinter89
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Hello! Forgive me as this is a little long....I am looking to plan a 5-7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise for 2021. I’ve been on 2 cruises before, but I will be traveling with my mom and aunt who have never cruised before. They are in their early 60s and I am In my early 30s. My previous trips were Royal Caribbean to Bermuda and Celebrity to Cozumel/Key West). On my previous cruises I traveled with a family friend and the other family did all the booking, planning etc. I just packed my bag and followed along. Therefore I have limited knowledge about planning and booking.

 

I'm strongly considering Royal Caribbean. Although I have never been on Carnival, it seems to be aimed at younger, adventurous families. We are not super adventurous, so I think Royal Caribbean would be a better choice. Destinations of interest include St Thomas, St Kitts and St Maarten. 
 

Price is another important factor for me. My mother is on a fixed income, so I will have to pay her way almost completely. My aunt is able to pay her own way. For cost purposes, I would like all 3 of us to share a single cabin. We don’t mind it being a little “cozy”.

 

My big questions are:

Any other destination suggestions besides St Thomas, St Kitts and St Maarten?

When would be a good time to book so I can score the best deals? Is booking now too far in advance?

From my previous experience, if one member of a cabin wants a drink package, all members of that cabin must purchase the same drink package. My mother doesn’t drink alcohol for personal/medical reasons. Will she still be required to purchase this package? 

Any other tips or suggestions? 

 

 

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Welcome 🙂 

 

If you are comfortable with Royal's product then I would stick with them, if for nothing else familiarity and one less unknown.

 

My family of 4 cruised on Anthem last June in a deluxe ocean view and the cabin was very spacious.  Bathroom scheduling was a little tight, but overall it was a good cabin for two 40 somethings and then 18yo daughter and 14yo son.  It would likely be a narrow space between the two singles based on pictures I've seen, and the third bed is a sleeper sofa (we had it set up as trundle style where the second half was still on the floor).

 

I think your mother would be required to purchase the non-alcoholic beverage package, but you should verify with the cruise line and your travel agent.  A travel agent should be able to advise when to book.  If you can price match later then I would book as soon as possible for the best cabin choice.  Be sure to have good travel insurance, at a minimum medical and evacuation.

 

Have a great cruise with your mom & aunt.

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So far, Royal Caribbean wins for me.  I've been on several of their ships and I just gotta say, they have a fantastic design for the buffet.  There are "stations" guests can walk around instead of one long cafeteria line.  (I love food).

Edited by bradtvx
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/8/2020 at 7:01 AM, Icewinter89 said:

 

My big questions are:

Any other destination suggestions besides St Thomas, St Kitts and St Maarten?

When would be a good time to book so I can score the best deals? Is booking now too far in advance?

From my previous experience, if one member of a cabin wants a drink package, all members of that cabin must purchase the same drink package. My mother doesn’t drink alcohol for personal/medical reasons. Will she still be required to purchase this package? 

Any other tips or suggestions? 

 

 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

*  Each of the islands in the Caribbean are unique and beautiful...but you'll find the same thing at each port...many vendors selling "Around the island tour" or taxis to the beach.  I would humbly suggest picking a cruise that includes Labadee or Coco Cay...it would give you a day for relaxing at the beach with no or little planning.  You just walk off the ship, find a spot, and your food's included.

*  There really isn't a good/best time to book...if you see a ship/itinerary/price that you like...book it. (Those so called sales are not really "sales"...sad to say.)

The earlier the better...for two reasons: 1. You'll have more choices for cabins.  2. If price drops, you can easily call your travel agent or RCCL (if you booked directly) and have them reprice your fare (up until final payment.)

*  There may be a few exceptions on having everyone in the same cabin to have to purchase the drink package.  The exceptions we know are: 1. If your spouse is pregnant.  2. If the person in your cabin has medical reasons.  3. If the person in your cabin is a child/minor.  We've known passengers in the same cabin where one buys the UDP, "Ultimate Drink Package", and the other only the "soda package".  For this you'll have to call RCCL directly.

* And absolutely agree with being careful with your choice of ship....if you choose one of the Oasis class ships, the ship in itself will become the destination.

Lastly, enjoy and embrace the planning...we find it fun and just as exciting as the sailing itself...and bring one thing....a smile. Happy Sailing! 😊

 

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Where do you live?

If your able to drive to your port, you save money on airfare and hotel

Try and go for 7 days 

Princess cruises may be a thought also

Not every one in a cabin has to purchase the drink package on Princess 
Stay away from spring break times, school vacations and summer. Prices are higher

That is some of Feb and March 

Early December is a good time also to cruise

😊

Edited by janetz
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1 hour ago, janetz said:

Where do you live?

If your able to drive to your port, you save money on airfare and hotel

Try and go for 7 days 

Princess cruises may be a thought also

Not every one in a cabin has to purchase the drink package on Princess 
Stay away from spring break times, school vacations and summer. Prices are higher

That is some of Feb and March 

Early December is a good time also to cruise

😊
 

Hi, thanks for the response. I live in New York State. Driving to FL wouldn’t really be feasible or cost effective. 

 

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Thank you to everyone who responded. After much consideration, we have decided on the Carnival Breeze. We have also opted not to purchase the drink package. My mom will not be drinking alcohol, she mainly drinks water or unsweetened iced tea. My aunt and I have decided we will have limited alcohol and it would be cheaper to purchase drinks a la carte. 
 

https://www.carnival.com/itinerary/8-day-eastern-caribbean-cruise/ft-lauderdale/breeze/8-days/ce3?Military=N&PastGuest=N&Senior=N&abCode=&itinportcode=fll&numGuests=3&offerCode=&promoCode=&rateCode=&roomType=IS&sailDate=04242021&smp=Y

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Of course you are not going to drive to Florida Have you looked at all the ships sailing from NY? Many sail to the Caribbean 

There are many great cruises from NY and NJ, also Boston😊

Edited by janetz
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On 1/21/2020 at 7:07 AM, Icewinter89 said:

Thank you to everyone who responded. After much consideration, we have decided on the Carnival Breeze. We have also opted not to purchase the drink package. My mom will not be drinking alcohol, she mainly drinks water or unsweetened iced tea. My aunt and I have decided we will have limited alcohol and it would be cheaper to purchase drinks a la carte. 
 

https://www.carnival.com/itinerary/8-day-eastern-caribbean-cruise/ft-lauderdale/breeze/8-days/ce3?Military=N&PastGuest=N&Senior=N&abCode=&itinportcode=fll&numGuests=3&offerCode=&promoCode=&rateCode=&roomType=IS&sailDate=04242021&smp=Y


The Carnival Breeze is my favorite ship.  I really like the layout, the theater, comedy club, and other things a about this ship.  My husband and I only have one or two drinks a night, so we never purchase the alcohol plan.  If you are a moderate drinker, I think you will be fine buying as you go.  You can order bottled water to be delivered to your cabin ahead of time for around $5.00.  It's a good deal and always nice to have cold bottled water on hand. You can also order soda, but I believe it's $10 per six pack.  You are allowed to bring canned soda on the ship if you like.  We always just order two six packs for the cabin.  It costs more, but we don't want to deal with carrying it on.

We also take our own yeti type cups that hold hot or cold beverages.  I like to fill mine with coffee in the morning and tea later on in the day.  My husband gets the soda package and fills his with soda throughout the day.

We usually arrive for shows about 1/2 hour early to get good seats.  They have movies at night on the top pool deck with free popcorn. They always have several different types of live music throughout the ship on a lower deck.  It's nice to listen to live music.  There are always different types of music, so it's a good assortment for people with different tastes.  There are plenty of relaxing places on the ship, so you can always find quiet places if you want to get away from the crowds.

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  • 4 months later...
On 1/8/2020 at 8:01 AM, Icewinter89 said:

Hello! Forgive me as this is a little long....I am looking to plan a 5-7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise for 2021. I’ve been on 2 cruises before, but I will be traveling with my mom and aunt who have never cruised before. They are in their early 60s and I am In my early 30s. My previous trips were Royal Caribbean to Bermuda and Celebrity to Cozumel/Key West). On my previous cruises I traveled with a family friend and the other family did all the booking, planning etc. I just packed my bag and followed along. Therefore I have limited knowledge about planning and booking.

 

I'm strongly considering Royal Caribbean. Although I have never been on Carnival, it seems to be aimed at younger, adventurous families. We are not super adventurous, so I think Royal Caribbean would be a better choice. Destinations of interest include St Thomas, St Kitts and St Maarten. 
 

Price is another important factor for me. My mother is on a fixed income, so I will have to pay her way almost completely. My aunt is able to pay her own way. For cost purposes, I would like all 3 of us to share a single cabin. We don’t mind it being a little “cozy”.

 

My big questions are:

Any other destination suggestions besides St Thomas, St Kitts and St Maarten?

When would be a good time to book so I can score the best deals? Is booking now too far in advance?

From my previous experience, if one member of a cabin wants a drink package, all members of that cabin must purchase the same drink package. My mother doesn’t drink alcohol for personal/medical reasons. Will she still be required to purchase this package? 

Any other tips or suggestions? 

 

 

We took a E. Caribbean cruise a few years ago on RC, we were on Adventure of the Seas.  I am a total cheapskate and I feel that we got a great deal.  Eastern Caribbean routes can very port intensive so keep that in mind.  We found the itinerary very tiring.  So keep that in mind.  You can find some really great deals.  We went in April. Weather was great and prices good.  We splurged on a balcony and it was worth it.  I'm an early riser so I loved the sunrises and sunsets. We had to leave from Puerto Rico which for us had higher airfare rates than the lower 48.  One port that we just loved was Grenada.  The whole island smells like pumpkin pie.  We took a Hop on hop off that was very interesting due to History of the island.  I love History so I'm all about this.  I think if one person purchases drink package, all must purchase. I never found the drink packages worth it to me.  I just can't drink enough to make it pay for itself.  Booking this far ahead is never a bad idea.  Get a refundable deposit package if the people you intend to travel with might bail, though. 

Edited by LuckyStar
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  • 2 weeks later...

We have done two easterns, a 7 night on RC and 10 night on Norwegian.  Both were pretty good.  St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, Marinique,  St. Marteen (the Dutch side), St. Croix and and Barbados all get the seal of approval.  Not crazy about Antigua.

 

Winter is a good time to sail Eastern.  You need to get at least as far as Grand Turk to get warm water in the winter.  There is a volcano on St Lucia that you can drive to and has some great site seeing on the way.  Here is a picture of the Pitons.   Take a camera.

70340439_1098789100512293_7806700606394990592_o.jpg

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