anyone been on a caribbean cruise before?

Question

do they stop off at different islands thoughout the stay and how many stops does it do for say a 2week hols. any sites recommened so i can check where they stop off.
how long is each stay or is it on the ship the whole time and just a short stop. i've never been before.

Answer 1

no 2 points

Answer 2

I've done a couple and the number of stops varies depending on the itinerary. For a one week cruise, you would normally expect to have at least 4 ports of call minimum. For a 2 week cruise you would expect about 9 or 10 but it depends on whereabouts in the caribbean you are cruising and the distance between one island and the next.

Most of the time the ship is docked at a port of call for the best part of a day so you get the chance to go and explore the island. There are some cruises that stay in port overnight so you get to experience the night life of the island.

The following are websites for booking cruise holidays but you'd need to look at specific cruises to see the itineraries and ports of call

www.vacationstogo.com
www.cruisedirect.co.uk
www.cruisedeals.co.uk

I really love cruising, it's a great way to see lots of places without having to worry about travelling in between.

Answer 3

I've been on lots of them. They stop at all different islands, depending on what cruise you take. Normal stop at each port is 6-8 hours. I find that Royal Caribbean is my favorite cruise line. I've also been on Princess, NCL and Disney.

Answer 4

6 and counting...I love the Caribbean! The itinerary differs from trip to trip...so find one that has the port calls you want. try searching my site and you can get a general idea of what the itineraries are like and what you want! Good Luck...if you have questions e-mail me!

Answer 5

I have been on many cruises and covered almost all of the islands in the Caribbean. Port stops are usually for the day, you arrive and can go ashore if you want by about 8:00 Am and you must be back on ship by 5:00 or 6:00 PM. There are some exceptions to this but you will be told what the time schedule is for each day by a newsletter type issuance in your cabin each night (covers the schedule of the next day). They will also announce this information each day on the P/A system. Most cruises in the Caribbean are for seven (7) days but there are some that go longer, like maybe 9 or 12 days.

If you have the money to spend for the very top and best cruise lines try Crystal, Radisson, Cunard, Windstar, and Silver Sea. These cruise lines are a cut above the others because they run smaller ships (about 500 to 700 passengers) and have a higher staff to passenger ratio so you get top of the line service. They also have more amenities included in the much higher price, like all veranda/balcony cabins, tubs and shower bathroom, larger cabins, daily wine and/or champaign with meals, etc. These ships generally go to a port or two on a seven day cruise which may be different from the normal. Prices for a 7 day cruise on these top of the line ships may start at $2500 to $3000 (vs about $1200 on the next tier of ships.). These ships tend to have a more sophisticated and older crowd and more formal dining.

Most cruises are done by the next tier of cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, and Disney. Most of the ships for these lines are now 1500 to 2500 passenger ships. The ships are big but things are so well managed that you really don't feel crowded on them. Prices on these ship can be as low as $800 for a 7 day inside cabin and about $1200 for a balcony cabin. Most of these lines go to the same places, they are just in port on different days. When you dock there may be one or two other ships there for the day and some days there may not be any where you go.

The first rule in getting less expensive cruises is book early. Another rule is to shop around for the best date that has the lowest price. A cruise with the same itinerary can be hundreds of dollars less on certain dates. So do not lock yourself in to going only on a certain date. The third rule is shop around for specials. Some lines will offer specials on a date that does not usually sell out, like Christmas or Thanksgiving week.

If you have not cruised before and don't know the ropes it may be beneficial for you to use an agent; the agent does not charge a fee but is paid by the cruise line. But, also, do some home work on cruise line, itineraries, and ships. Use the cruise line web sites to look at what's being offered. Try to have in mind some of what you want to do when you talk to an agent. If you feel comfortable doing it, you can do your own booking online, the price is the same and you can do everything you need right on the web sites. The sites usually have cruises listed for this year and next. I booked my last two cruises completely online, including making payments and booking port tours.

Carnival is the fun ship, has lower priced cruises, but their accommodations are not the best. Carnival is the party cruise line that most young folks and first time cruisers take (ages 20 to 35) who want to party, party, party. If that’s what you are looking for then Carnival is the one for you.
Disney has good ships but is primarily for kids, and families with kids. It does have adults only areas on ship, but the kids are still there on ship. They will have lots of kids’ activities on the ships, but they will still be all over the hallways, elevators and dining facilities. There will be lots of kids running around and looking for Micky, Donald, Minnie, Goofie, etc all over the ship.

Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity, and Norwegian tend to have people who have cruised many times and are in the 40 and over age group; a more reserved crowd. All of these cruise lines may also have some kids but not many. However, on these lines there are activities just for kids of different ages and staff persons assigned to supervise them most of the day.

The standard cabin that most people get (inside/outside/balcony) are generally between 175 and 200 Square feet, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom (balconies are about 45 to 55 sq ft). Suites and penthouses can be between 350 and 1300 square feet. Each cabin has a two beds which can be made into a queen, a bathroom with a shower stall, a closet and some drawer space, a TV and telephone, a safe for valuables, and a life jacket for each passenger. Some cabins that are built to accommodate 3 or 4 people will have a pull down bed and/or a sofa bed.

Below I have listed some cruise line web sites. On each site you can search for cruises specifically in the Caribbean and when you look at each cruise the islands that it stops at will be shown, and in many cases what time the ship arrives in port and when it departs. The times that they give are generally always adhered to... they keep on schedule.

Answer 6

OH YEA! its the best...im from the caribbean though but it was awesome! you'll have the best time! but some of the islands are sneaky & will try to get money out of you for everything like to watch your bag for 20 bucks! so be careful but have fun!

Answer 7

The best cite for cruisers is cruisecritic.com. Go to the Boards and your can get any imaginable info you need.