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Posted: 7 years ago | 6117 Views

Please help me pick a ship :)

I am planning to take my wife on her first cruise this year to coincide (more or less) with our anniversary, November 30th. As this is my wife's first cruise, I am planning on taking her to the Caribbean. Originally I was looking at this sailing with Princess cruises:

http://cruiseline.com/cruise/6-night-western-caribbean-ft-lauderdale-roundtrip-46708?saildate=2016-11-27

Originally I had thought to get a balcony cabin. But now I'm thinking that if we can handle an inside cabin I could afford to go on a longer trip like this one:

http://cruiseline.com/cruise/11-night-ultimate-caribbean-ft-lauderdale-roundtrip-24640?saildate=2016-11-28

What do you think? Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

Some more information about what we are looking for.


We have three kids, but they aren't coming with us on this trip. We are in our mid- to late-thirties, and my wife in particular is interested in a relaxing trip as opposed to exiting/chaotic. I think things like robot bartenders and skydiving wind tunnels are cool, but my wife isn't really into it. Thus I am looking at at cruise lines that skew away from a younger crowd, whether that be kids or just adults who act like kids. ;)

The last time I was on a cruise ship there were no "specialty restaurants". We are looking forward to trying some, and I hope the ship we choose makes this worthwhile.

On-board entertainment is important, shows, music, etc. We will probably do some dancing. Jenn will probably want to take advantage of the spa services.

Hmmm... I can't think of anything else to add at the moment. If anyone has any questions I will be happy to answer them.

Thanks in advance.

48 Answers

Posted: 7 years ago

Cool! I think one of the shore excursions I've been looking at goes to that airplane beach. International restaurants are always welcome. :)
Posted: 7 years ago

That's a great itinerary. I would love to hear how that goes for you. I am hoping someday to take a cruise out of San Juan. They go to a lot of ports from there that I have not been to. The only port on your cruise that I have been to is St. Maarten. I'm an aviation fan so naturally I had to go to Maho Beach. That's the one by the airport where the planes come in real low. I have also taken a bus/boat tour around the island. That was offered through Carnival. Some really nice scenery. The French side does have a street where they have a lot of international restaurants.
Posted: 7 years ago

Let us know how it goes! I have visited San Juan as a port of call, but never flew to there... I'd be interested to know how traveling there and back goes. I see a lot of cruises I might light from there.

Posted: 7 years ago

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. We have decided to take this cruise out of San Juan on the Jewel of the Seas on November 27th. We are planning on staying one night at the El Convento in old San Juan, per one recommendation in this thread. We are already salivating over shore excursions. We are in the process of booking a private sail boat trip out of St. Croix which is our first POC.

Getting excited now! :)

If anyone has any particular suggestions for things they have done at any of the islands on our route that are not to missed, we would be happy to hear it. thanks, :)
Posted: 7 years ago
Ejan suggested: "I'd suggest that you go to the "review section" and look up each ship. If you're any good at critical reading, you can pick up what the ship is like. Or, how about starting a thread of your own on each one of these ships and the particular cruise you're interested in? TripAdvisor also has a cruise section forum." Ejan, I agree with you that Tripadvisor and Cruise Critic have different forums. I thought, as you initially suggested, that you were talking cruise reviews which Tripadvisor does not have, instead they refer you to their "Cruise Critic" affiliate, which they purchased some years ago. I never had heard of Tripadvisor until that occurred as we had been with Cruise Critic a number of years even before they became Cruise Critic. So now I use both. Once again, Tripadvisor does not do cruise reviews. Also, Cruise Critic cruise reviews are completely separate from C.C. forums, so don't equate the twain as the same. As far as the forums for both go and your assertion that the "CruiseCritic Community" has some really abrasive individuals on the boards", I agree. However, you also state that the "Tripadvisor forum has mostly friendly, helpful souls". You must be kidding, I have never ran into forums with such vitriolic hate type rhetoric as I've seen on the Tripadvisor forums. To the extent, so bad so, that I never frequent their forums any more. However, as far as Tripadvisor review sections for hotels, restaurants and attractions, I enjoy a level "6" world wide top contributor and assure you no such nonsense and negativity gets into those reviews, such as those you may witness on the Tripadvisor or the Cruise Critic forums.
Posted: 7 years ago

Posted: 7 years ago

Kennicott. I'm talking about the forum sections. Although CruiseCritic is the same company as TripAdvisor, the forums are entirely different personalities. CruiseCritic "Community" has some really abrasive individuals on the boards, but the TripAdvisor "Forum" has mostly friendly, helpful souls.

Posted: 7 years ago

Regarding mini-suites. DO NOT book a mini-suite on Norwegian, at least not on the Breakaway. It is a total waste of money and I don't know how they get away with calling it a mini-suite. It is a balcony cabin with a larger bathroom.
Posted: 7 years ago

"TripAdvisor also has a cruise section forum."

Tripadvisor certainly does have a cruise section forum, they own Cruise Critic. That is what you get on Tripadvisor when you request to review or see cruise reviews. Not knocking C. C. or that they are bad, but that is what is going on.

Posted: 7 years ago

Thanks everyone for the insightful replies. We are narrowing our options and a lot of this stuff has helped me along the way. :)
Showing 11 - 20 of 48 Answers

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