My friends and i are going on a carribean cruise what is the best cruise line to go with? thanks?

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travel guy

The first question is where and when do you want to cruise.

The choices are constantly growing: the Caribbean has three options:
- Eastern, (generally; San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Martin, Nassau - this is my wife's favorite for shopping)
- Western ports (generally; Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel - usually more adventurous shore excursions).
- Southern (generally some combination of: St. Thomas, St. Martin, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Aruba, and Curacao - this is my favorite), you'll need to fly to San Juan or the Dominican Republic.

The next question is how structured you want your cruise to be. Most ocean cruise lines have "assigned" dining times and various dress codes for dinner (formal nights, casual nights, etc.). Others have "Freestyle" or "Personal Choice" Dining. In other words, they have 4-8 restaurants for you to choose from, and you eat when, where, and with whom you want - and dress as casual as you please.

Your budget does come in to play in both departure city and cabin selection. A quick scale, from least expensive to most expensive cabin types is: Inside; Oceanview; Balcony; Suite. The best location for least motion is as close to mid-ship as possible - another factor that not too many people realize is that the higher decks have more motion than the lower decks.

As far as what's included and what's not included in your cruise price, here's a little guide:

- Included - Ship accommodations, ocean transportation, most meals, coffee/tea/juices, most entertainment, and port taxes.

- Not Included - Any item of a personal nature including but not limited to: alcoholic beverages, spa and salon treatments, specialty coffees, shore excursions, gratuities, air transportation, transfers, photographs, medical services,

Some final thoughts; 1) make sure you use a good travel agent; 2) ask your travel agent to price out "Celebrity Cruise Line" for you - absolutely the best (our personal favorite!); 3) no shots are required; 4) Passports are required for everyone, regardless of age; and 5) remember that August - October is hurricane season in the Caribbean.

Have fun - planning is a big part of the enjoyment!

birdbeach19

Ok...I went on a Caribbean cruise when i was 11 and went on the Grand Princess. It was amazing! There are clubs for children where they have uno competitions, scavenger hunts, etc. It has an arcade, 4 pools, a disco bar for the adults, they have AMAZING shows for the entire family.

As for lugage, you can take as much as you want, just know you have to find room for the luggage in your room and the average room is 8 feet by 6 feet and only holds 2 people. If you get a mini suit (like i did) it has a king bed, a couch that folds into a bed and a bunk bed that comes out of the ceiling. They will take your luggage to your room.

As for the Caribbean, you do need a passport (or birth certificartes for your children) and you will not need shots.

auburnc

Okay honey, I thank you for giving me the correct answer check - even though you mentioned it wasn't the best answer!:( (Hey! I gave you the correct answer - sorry the cruise lines don't give you much leeway)

Anyways, went on the Celebrity cruise line and once again -- the max amount of bags you can bring for each person is 2. 2 large suitcases PER PERSON from the plane to the ship. Plus, you can bring on by your hands up to 2 large totes per person. So you really are not going to have a problem if you bring extra totes and state they are for the kids! I had a blast on celebrity (family friendly) and yes - you really need a passport. No, there is no shots before hand that I know of. However, I do highly recommend getting some sort of health insurance on the cruise since the cruise doctor is EXPENSIVE (say $400 just to tell you you have the flu). I went on a cruise to Alaska and I needed a passport - it is almost required now! Good luck and have a great time on your cruise. Contact your travel agent for more specifics.

zoe

Have you tried MallMaggot.com? Look in their travel section. That's where my husband and I booked a cruise for this spring. They have lots of places to find the best cruise line.

Ann

Have to take Carnival. Not only is cheaper, but everyone has fun, no matter how old they are. Take the eastern caribbean destination and make sure it includes Half moon cay.. the place is paradise! I loved it so much I'm going back this year.
Umm.... you need to contact your travel agent and ask her about the requirements to travel. They might tell you you don't need passport for the kids, or they might say yes. I always check, you never know.
Since we are beach lovers, we made sure to take a cruise with beautiful beaches. We went to Half moon cay, Grand Turk, St. Thomas and San Juan. We had a blast. Half moon has even a little water park with floats and other things for kids. Go to carnival.com and check out the caribbean destinations and don't forget to take a look at Half moon cay pictures. I think people who have never seen this place are missing one of the best places in the whole world.

tashalynndimmitt

GO here it will help you decide which is better for the occasion!
http://www.travelbycity.com/tashadimmitt

babbles

With all those people...I'd go for Norweigian, because you won't have to bring so many "nice, nice" clothes for dinner.

Try iBtraveling.com for some great cruise deals. That's where I always find my deals.

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