or Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Sea or Carnival Imagination, or Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Sea. Okay since I've never cruised before I have lots of questions for a cruise expert if you are one.....
Carnival's Destiny, Imagination (leaves Miami) and RCL Grandeur (leaves Ft. Lauderdale) go to Key West and then to Cozumel, Mexico.
RCL's Majesty goes from Miami to Key west, Naussau, CocoCay and RCL's Monarch of the Sea goes from Orlando to CocoCay, Naussau and back.
I heard RCL has better food and Carnival has bigger cabins. All seem to cost about the same. I can fly to any port since I have free airfare. We can only go for 4 nights maximum since we have to get back to our kids by then. All cruises are for June 7th or so (I know probably hot and the first days of hurricane season, but only time we could go...) Cruise critic rates them about the same and so do the travelers. I heard Destiny is a little bigger but a tad better than Imagination, is this true? I think I'd like to see Mexico but I think I might want to try RCL before Carnival just for the better food but than RCL's only one to Mexico for this date and length is the Grandeur and I heard of the 5 that is the worst on the list, true or not?
Things my husband and I would like to do on the cruise: sit at a private beach with a tiki bar or little huts to sip fruity drinks (sounds like I have to pay extra for these private excursions usually, right?), watch the ocean go by, avoid crowds as much as possible, not dress up too fancy for dinners, lots of food options other than the main dining room needed(!), see another country, (I've been to Nassau and Key West before, but never Coco Cay or Mexico....what is Coco Cay like?), maybe see a vegas-style show....
Would it matter to you which port you left from?
I like to pick up shells if I have an extra hour on the beach and Key West is known for shelling but are there shells in the Bahamas or Mexico beaches really too?
Do all these ships have casinos?
Okay now some crazy questions (I am a little neurotic)...how many times have you seen bugs, ants, spiders, in your cabins? I've watched some stupid You tube video and bugs were crawling up the cabin walls on a ship. I have a bug phobia (mostly I hate spiders) so I worry, what if I'm stuck in the dirty room with gross bugs crawling everywhere and I can't get off the ship (see neurotic!)...Has this ever been a problem you've encountered or heard of?
Okay next neurotic question... do any of these ships have a pool that I could actually sneak into at night without tons of crowds are people staring at me (I feel subconscious in a swim suit..)?
Which of these ships are not over run with children.. I have 3 kids and need to get away with my husband without tons of kids at every turn....?
After all of these questions do you think I'd still enjoy cruising or do you think I would be better off just finding a nice hotel on a beach with a tiki hut and just sitting there for 4 nights taking in the ocean? I received free plane tickets to anywhere in the U.S, and my options for a vacation are totally open. I thought cruising might work, but I've heard tons of people love cruises and others hate the whole experience. Since I've never been, I don't know where I'd fall.
Well any help is appreciated! Thanks!
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Of those I would say go on Carnival Imagination or Royal Caribbean Grandeur. I have been on the Destiny and it is my least favorite of Carnival's ships. It has an awkward layout and due to all the stairs by the pool, waiters do not walk around as much. You get worse service. I love the Inspiration. They were very recently updated as well.
One crucial difference between Carnival and Royal--Carnival puts the best on the smaller ships. The best entertainment and the best staff. Royal puts the best on their newer ships which are much larger ships.
I hate the Bahamas. The ports are just expensive. It always has worse weather and usually shorter cruises stop there. So I knocked off the others simply b/c the whole itinerary was just Bahamas. Coco Cay is just a private island. It's nothing. Most cruise ships have a private island they throw in there to get a 4th port of call. The waiters all get off and serve lunch and have the drinks they have on the ship.
"I heard RCL has better food and Carnival has bigger cabins." Completely agree. That's what I would say. The shows will not be Vegas style though so don't get your hopes up. They are enjoyable but remember if these people could be working in Vegas, they would be. As for private excursions, you've already discovered cruise critic. Look for private excursions and book them. You can go to the beaches that the cruise ships aren't going to so the crowds will be less. Key West doesn't have beaches. You'll have to find your shells on the other islands. Usually you have to go out in the water diving to find shells b/c the Caribbean doesn't really have "tides" so they won't be washed ashore.
As for your ports, Fort Lauderdale and Miami port is about a 20 minute cab so I wouldn't decide on that. I fly in to whichever port is cheaper and take a cab. Of course you said they are both free for you. Port Canaveral (Orlando) is a long way from Orlando so you couldn't just take a cab there. So if you are flying, I would consider that.
The pools are sea water and are closed and drained at night. Mostly they close at 10 or 11. There are multiple pools on the ship though and usually the back pool is deemed "adult only". You will probably feel a lot less self conscious when you get on the ship and see everyone else in their bathing suits.
All the ships do have casinos. Unfortunately they will be all overrun with kids. That is a problem with going in June as soon as all the school systems have let out. If you could go the last week of May instead it would help that a lot. Those are the most kid friendly lines. Often people go on more expensive lines to avoid the kids.
I have never seen a bug, ant, or spider in my cabin. I'm sure some get on with people's luggage but personally I've never seen one.
I think more than likely you would be more comfortable at an all inclusive but they are more expensive. You can go to an adult only all inclusive like Secrets. All inclusives are more for lounging on the beach. Cruising is nice though. It has the advantage of being inexpensive and each morning you are in a new island. I love it but if what you really want is to enjoy a beach and a tiki hut without children all around you'd probably prefer an all inclusive. Write me with any questions.
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It sounds like you might be better off just going to a resort, rather than going on a cruise. In June, most ships are overrun with children, and it's difficult finding a place to stand in the pool. I don't believe that you're allowed in the pool at night, but I'm not absolutely sure. As far as feeling self conscious in a bathing suit, there are many, many obese people on cruises. If you do go, I wouldn't be concerned about bugs. I have never yet seen one on a ship.
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I've been on the Carnival Imagination (first ) and the Carnival Triumph. Imagination was smaller and recently refurbished. It was our first cruise and we thought the ship was huge. The Triumph IS huge. I liked the Imagination better because there was way less people, and the pool area was all on one level. The Triumph had lounge chairs on tiers going up like a theater, and way too many chair hogs that made it hard to even get a chair. A chair hog is someone who puts a towel on a chair early in the morning or late at night and then sleeps in til noon or so keeping others from enjoying that chair. On the Imagination they stack them all up at night and put them back out a little at a time so nobody can hog them. I don't know how RCL's food could be any better cuz ours was wonderful. I try to stay out of the formal dinning rooms.
Key west and Cozumel is a good cruise. We did a western Caribbean cruise last year. I didn't care much for Nassau. You probably won't find a secluded beach anywhere but you will see all shapes and sizes on a cruise and you won't be selfconsious for long. Cozumel has Mr. Sancho's beach with a tiki hut. Good time, don't go on a snorkeling tour from there tho unless you like climbing up the side of a small boat to get back on.
All ships have casino's, and no ships have bugs. Your cabin gets cleaned and straightened up twice each day, and they leave little towel animals at dinner times. All ships put a net over the pools at night so no sneakin in. On Carnival you can smoke in your cabin, on your balconies or designated areas, usually the starboard side of the Lido deck. Just ask your cabin stewart for an ashtray if you want one. As for kids we didn't see many because they pretty much have there own area of the ship and it's hard to keep them out of there cuz they love it.
If you go on a cruise I'm sure you'll be hooked for life. I also like a hotel at Ft. Myers beach Florida called the lighthouse hotel. Rooms overlook a big pool right next to a big Tiki hut with good food and drinks and live music each night. A locals hangout and well worth going to. You can't miss it just as you get to the beach on the left. Or if you want to go to a secluded beach where you can rent condo's on the golf course, beach houses right on the beach, and you can go out on the beach and not see anyone else at all on a lot of the areas try Edisto Beach South Carolina. There's also a State Park Campground there. Sorry no Tiki huts tho. Dockside restaurant and bar is fun tho. Greatest seafood on the east coast. A great place to relax and unwind. Tell the town administrater I said " hi " she's my ex.lol There's a whole lot of southern history and plantations there too. But this place doesn't charge for all the bugs...
Whichever you choose have a great time. I'd cruise myself.
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cruise ships are just big cattle boats in my opinion,,,i would strongly recommend ixtapa mexico,,i have been to many places and on cruise ships and from what u want ixtapa is a good choice,also if u like your pina colados,all inclusive may be a good choice
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As to which ship to go on,you first need to decide where you want to cruise, ie Eastern, Western or Southern Caribbean. Then you can start looking at ships. As a first timer, I would recommend going on a newer built ship rather than one that is say 10 yrs old simply because the cruise lines in general have made significant improvements in the on ship amenities.
Coco Cay is an island off the coast of Dominican Republic that i believe Royal Caribbean purchased and now its ships make a stop there.
Finding a private beach like you describe will be extremely difficult. and avoiding crowds is somethign you really can't do on a cruise.
If you don't want to deal with kids that much you will need to plan on a time when most children will be in school and will need to pick a higher class of cruise line like Holland America.
