Help deciding on a ship

[Mmelaniee]

I have been on 2 cruises, I have finally convinced my husband to go, I am looking at the Pride sailing out of Tampa going to Belize, Cozumel and Costa Maya. Should we go February or March and do you think this is a good ship and ports to take him on? I want him to have a good first experience so he will continue to go. The only time he can really go due to work is February or March. If you have any suggestions I would appreciate it. TIA

[mz-s]

Tampa is limited to smaller/older ships due to the bridge, if that is Okay with you then enjoy - but if you are people who would like the newer larger ships with more to do like roller coasters etc, then you might want to look at going out of Canaveral or Miami maybe.

[bassmk]

I'm partial to the Eastern Caribbean itineraries, myself. To me, if you're trying to sell him on the idea of cruising, go in February (March has way too many spring breakers for my taste!) and cruise out of Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale to ports like St. Thomas or Amber Cove...something along those lines. Look for a ship that has been refurbished recently. Even the older ships get neat upgrades when they're dry-docked, so check on the last time it was refurbished to make sure it's got all the fun stuff.

[jsglow]

@Mmelaniee, it would help us to know if you are driving or flying to the port and if there is some reason you've chosen Tampa.  While I absolutely LOVE Pride (and all the Spirit Class ships), I'm going to suggest you consider a Miami or Port Canaveral based ship for your hubby's first cruise. We can make further suggestions if that's doable for you.  I do agree that February is better than March to minimize the Spring Break effect and with likely lower prices.

[Drazil65]

Not a fan of the older ships in the fleet but may serve your purpose just fine but you definitely want to keep in mind what other poster said about spring break.  DS is in college and his spring break is 2nd week in March 2024 and I know of other college kids in different states on east coast that are off the 3rd week of March.  Probably want to maybe stay away from spring break weeks if possible.  

[Mmelaniee]

I live in North Carolina I have sailed previously out of Ft Lauderdale in September 2018 on the Conquest and last June out of Miami on the Horizon. I flew in both times if we sail out of Tampa or Port Canaveral we may drive. Where ever we go I just want it to be warm enough to enjoy the water I am very cold natured and figured it might be a little too cool for the Bahamas that time of year. 

[mz-s]

The Bahamas are still fairly warm in February, but the water might be chilly.

[May1cruiser]

Ship selection depends on the person. Was able to convince my parents to go on a cruise for the first time in 2018. They were anxious and not sure if they would like it. Decided on 4 day western out of Tampa on Paradise. Selected a short cruise in case they did not like it and would not be stuck for a longer time. They absolutely loved it. They did not have any expectations of good, better, best so everything was novel. 

 

Make sure you have some plans to include some activities he enjoys to help the odds of starting a cruise addiction. 

[deelightfull]

I will be another echoing voice for February instead of March, fewer children & college kids. (There will still some, let's not kid ourselves, but definitely fewer, and fewer people overall.)

 

Also what is he more likely to be impressed by? Luxury ship? Lots of stuff to do on the ship? Elaborate Spa & Thermal suite?  Fancy Dining ---> newer/bigger ship

 

Value? ---> older/smaller ship

 

In our family I love to cruise, hubby is meh. 

 

We do two distinct kinds of cruises: First, 3 days weekend cruises that fit into our schedule, (and that we can drive to) because they're just such a great value.  He wants to get away for the weekend, doesn't care where, and he knows I love a cruise more than a weekend at any resort we could drive to. For these, smaller, cheaper ships are easier to talk him into, since they're so comparatively inexpensive.  Also the shorter itineraries are almost always on older ships.

 

Second, we do longer, port heavy cruises where he can visit six cities in one vacation and I can unpack only once (well three times with the overnight before and after, but still!)

 

Best of luck!

[jsglow]

1 hour ago, Mmelaniee said:

I live in North Carolina I have sailed previously out of Ft Lauderdale in September 2018 on the Conquest and last June out of Miami on the Horizon. I flew in both times if we sail out of Tampa or Port Canaveral we may drive. Where ever we go I just want it to be warm enough to enjoy the water I am very cold natured and figured it might be a little too cool for the Bahamas that time of year. 

Is it fair to say your focus is the beach? Is this also true for your husband? And you're not scuba divers? Assuming this is all true, I prefer to go east toward the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and beyond. It looks like you might be considering a 6 night cruise based on your ports.  I'm going to suggest that Vista's 6 night and Magic's 6 night might be great choices at about the same price point. 

 

Don't get me wrong; we love all the western ports too but none have the sand/water you'll find going east. On the other hand, if your interest is Mayan ruins, well that's different.

[Butterbean1000]

We've been on several different ships and have enjoyed them all.  We do have favorites, Breeze and Magic.  Mainly because of the Cloud 9 spa with the large hydrotherapy pool and thermal suites. But that won't keep us from booking other ships with the itinerary and port we like. We're trying a new ship, Vista, this time.  We picked this cruise because we like the port, Port Canveral, and the itinerary, Eastern Caribbean.  I guess we're pretty flexible.

[ninjacat123]

Magic out of Port Canaveral is a winner!  We have done it twice, Sept and January and it's a great ship.  Loved the Steakhouse so much we went 3 times!  Had a spa pass the first time and DH loved the hydrotherapy pool and tile chairs so we did spa interior the second time.

If you decide on Port Canaveral, a favorite place for the night before embarkation is Rikki Tiki Tavern.  It is a tiki hut at the end of Cocoa Beach pier and makes you feel like you're on vacation!

[Beav1279]

Personally, I enjoyed starting my cruising life on smaller ships. It was nice not being overwhelmed with the possibilities. The Western Caribbean itinerary is an easy one - those ports have TONS of choices in ports. If he likes the beach, I'd suggest Mr. Sanchos or Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. Both are all-inclusive right on the ocean with nice pools and decent food and drinks.

Costa Maya is a great spot to go see some Mayan ruins. There is a decent spot only 45-min bus ride from the port (some others are 2+ hrs on a bus.. not my thing). 

In Belize, I highly recommend booking an excursion with the ship or just hanging out on the ship that day. Lots of great snorkeling in that area.

[SRQbeachgirl]

I would suggest Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral, with the Western Caribbean itinerary. Those ports offer lots of easy, beachy excursions. There's no chance your hubby will get bored on Mardi Gras with all the venues and activities. If he likes comedy shows or bars, Mardi Gras delivers.

 

Someone suggested Magic, which we do love, but she isn't sailing from Port Canaveral during your travel window.

 

And please, if you want him to ever go on another cruise, then for all that is holy DO NOT GO IN MARCH.

[csm5986142]

11 hours ago, Drazil65 said:

DS is in college and his spring break is 2nd week in March 2024 and I know of other college kids in different states on east coast that are off the 3rd week of March.

 

My daughter's college spring break is the 1st week of March, so I would agree, March seems to be College Spring break and then the younger kids in our extended family have the first full week of April as their Spring break.

[pe4all]

Definitely February over March - but just watch out for President's Week sailings, as many schools (especially in the Northeast) are off and it is a prime week to sail. (retired teacher, so I know!). Pride is a spirit-class ship - smaller than the "newer" ships.  I was just on Spirit in January, and enjoyed the size.  Unfortunately Carnival does not sail from FLL anymore.  The ports you are looking at should be pretty warm that time of year.  Longer sailings will be less "party time" than shorter sailings.  If you do not need all the "bells and whistles" of the newer, larger ships then Pride is a great ship to start dh on.

[missholly24]

I'm not sure I would go the cheapest option for the first cruise. Maybe try a little newer ship with a little nicer ports even though they are more expensive (for obvious reasons). 

[ChuckF]

I really wasn't interested in cruising at first.  My wife said, you can gamble and play golf.  I've been hooked ever since. If your husband likes to golf, look for an itinerary to Montego Bay, Roatan, Aruba, or Curacao. 

[aml3679]

I would do the Pride, we are going in March.

 

The Mardi Gras is beautiful but we were overwhelmed by the size.

[notscb]

The Pride is (or just was) in dry dock getting updates and some refurb done, so despite being an older ship it should still be a nice experience. I loved that itinerary when we went in December out of Galveston. If the port and timing work best for you, I'd certainly recommend it (depending on what kind of vacationers you are and what you're hoping to do at those ports as well).

[FastShip24]

As you can see, you just received multiple opinions.  You make your vacation with your husband, not others. Pick what appeals to you and only you.  It's your vacation