Looking for your help, which of these 3 would you choose?

[live2beontheseas]

I am posting this on both the Carnival and Royal Caribbean boards to get a true opinion. My wife has a co-worker that is interested in taking his FIRST cruise in Oct 2007 departing from somewhere in Florida. I am assuming that he and his family (wife and 1 child) would probably want a short cruise, 4 or 5 night. I have come up with a few choices and I was looking for your help in which one would be better. Here are the choices:

1. 4 night Bahamas on the Majesty of the Seas departing from Miami and visiting Nassau 8am-11:59pm, Cococay 8am-5pm and Key West 10am-6pm

2. 5 night Western Caribbean on the Enhancement of the Seas departing from Ft Lauderdale and visiting Key West 7am-2pm, Cozumel from 10am-7pm day at sea and Cococay 7 am-5pm

3. 5 night Eastern Caribbean on the Carnival Imagination departing from Miami and visiting day at sea, Grand Turk 7am-2:30pm, Half Moon Cay 9:30am-6pm and Nassau Bahamas 7am-5pm

I like the Enhancement’s itinerary, but I like the Majesty’s time in Key West also. We have only been on RC so I am a little partial.

Please share impressions, experiences or other alternatives with me.

[Tabsmom]

I have basically taken 2 of the cruises you are talking about. Took the Sovereign of the Seas (Majesty sister ship) and I took the 5 day Carnival cruise when the Fantasy did it last fall.

 

The Majesty (which was just renovated) is a much more classy ship than the Fantasy class ships of Carnival (IMO) The itinerary is really good too. I love Key West and Coco Cay is wonderful. I also prefer RCL, but my last 2 cruises have been CCL due to cost and itinerary.

 

That said the Imaginations itinerary is FANTASTIC!!!! Half Moon Cay (like coco cay) is a private island. It is one of the most georgeous places I've seen. Grand Turk is a new itinerary that RCL does not go to at this time. It's real unspoiled tropical island. CCL built a real nice cruise center right off the dock.

 

All three of those look really good. I don't think they could go wrong with any of them. Cozumel on the Enchantment is also fun.

[JenniGail]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of those options. I too have sailed on similar ships and itineraries (RCCL's Sovereign, CCL's Fantasy and Fascination.) I actuall prefer CCL because my kids like Camp Carnival better than RCCL's program and the cost of CCL allows us to have a little more spending money for ports, souvenirs, etc.

 

Half Moon Cay is great- but I love itineraries with Key West too. Have done that itinerary twice!

[buddyjo143]

I am posting this on both the Carnival and Royal Caribbean boards to get a true opinion. My wife has a co-worker that is interested in taking his FIRST cruise in Oct 2007 departing from somewhere in Florida. I am assuming that he and his family (wife and 1 child) would probably want a short cruise, 4 or 5 night. I have come up with a few choices and I was looking for your help in which one would be better. Here are the choices:

 

1. 4 night Bahamas on the Majesty of the Seas departing from Miami and visiting Nassau 8am-11:59pm, Cococay 8am-5pm and Key West 10am-6pm

 

2. 5 night Western Caribbean on the Enhancement of the Seas departing from Ft Lauderdale and visiting Key West 7am-2pm, Cozumel from 10am-7pm day at sea and Cococay 7 am-5pm

 

3. 5 night Eastern Caribbean on the Carnival Imagination departing from Miami and visiting day at sea, Grand Turk 7am-2:30pm, Half Moon Cay 9:30am-6pm and Nassau Bahamas 7am-5pm

 

I like the Enhancement’s itinerary, but I like the Majesty’s time in Key West also. We have only been on RC so I am a little partial.

Please share impressions, experiences or other alternatives with me.

 

We just did the Fascination which is similar to trip 2. It was a 4 day with one sea day. and Calica instead of Cozumel. O.K. so it wasn't that similar:p

 

We also did itinerary 2 on the Fantasy last year.

 

That said....I think the wife's co-worker has to figure out which ports he and his family are interested in since they are very different. Cost, if it is a factor, will be less on Carnival. I am partial to Carnival overall. Have sailed on RCCL in nearly 20 years and am not interested in going back until I exhaust Carnival which won't happen for a long time;)

[beachbumfromboston]

Rock on with Carnival cruise Lines. 1st cruise and they are going in October. If they do not have school aged children. May I suggest a better month. April or May. Without fail they weather is GREAT!!!!!