Which cruise should I take of these 3?

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phantom_of_valkyrie

Tough one.

First off I knock NCL off. That was a one time never to be repeated mistake. If we went through every detail I'm not sure I can name one good thing about it.

RC- That's a great itinerary. I like that you get to see more ports. Plus that ship has just been remodeled. However it is Feb so the Bahamas are freezing then. No warmer than Florida. So you don't get to go anywhere in the Caribbean and no warm tropical spots. It might even be too cold to lay out.

Carnival-I'm a huge fan of Carnival b/c I'm in my 20s. I love the partying and the alcohol can't be beat. I'm also a huge fan of Cozumel. I've been there several times and it is always a favorite spot. Best snorkeling island I've been to plus you must eat at Pancho's Backyard. Amazing. If you have to bring back souvenirs, it's the best shopping port too. Plus this one has a fun day at sea which I'm always a fan of. No plans, just relax. Then it's on the Imagination which is my favorite class of Carnival ships.

So being Feb, I'm gonna say the Carnival one. If it were May, I'd probably go with the RC one but it would be close. But I think the itinerary, Carnival wins. More ports and better ship, RC probably wins that one. Overall though, a cruise to me is all about warmth and tropical and coming back with a tan. I don't think that can be done on the RC itinerary.

MomSezNo

Given those three choices, I'd probably do the Carnival cruise. Carnival is a good "first" cruise, but that is one of their older ships. However, it does go to Cozumel, which is fun. You probably won't be in Key West long enough to do much, but that's another fun port.

The other two include Nassau, which I didn't care much for, plus the private islands of the two lines. That basically means you stop for the day to enjoy beach activities but won't have any excursions.

I wouldn't do a four-day cruise, personally - too short!! The four-day cruises also tend to be more "party" atmosphere cruises, but that may be what you're looking for.

Since you've never cruised before, you really need to do some research. The library or bookstore will have books on cruising that can give you a general idea of what the different lines/ships are like. But there are lots of variables - age of ship, type/location of cabin, etc.

Go to CruiseCritic.com, click on "Cruise Styles" and read what they have to say about the different types of cruises. If you click on "Reviews", you can find professional reviews and - especially helpful - "Member Reviews" on these specific ships. If you click on "Boards", you'll find various topics - including the specific cruise lines and the ports of call - with comments from experienced cruisers. You can learn a lot just by "lurking" for a while.

Good luck deciding - you're sure to have fun, whichever cruise you choose!

Tyler

Carnival is a great first cruise line, I went on one over the summer and it was awesome, however you do have to buy a free drink card which cost 30 bucks, but the all the food is free and the staff treats you like a king for the time you are there, you will enjoy it.

Anja H

Carnival - for me the time in port is too short on this cruise. Carnival is party, action - the fun cruises.

NCL - for me an absolute no-no
If you decide to go there, take good insect repellant with you when you go to Strirrup Cay.

RCCL - This one looks the best to me. More time in port than on Carnival and I prefer RCCL

Cokey

I just got back from a Carnival cruise to Cozumel... WE LOOOOOOOOOVED IT!!! We departed New Orleans and spend the 3rd day of our cruise in Cozumel.... if you do choose this cruise, be sure to visit Carlos & Charlies! Your life will never be the same:)>

Naomi

Carnival. They have lots of activities, and the places they're going are better. Cozumel is VERY beautiful. It also has free food and tea, juice and water are free as well (all other drinks are charged).
But let me tell you, going on a cruise for less than 6 days is really a waste. You can go as long as you want, but I'm just saying.

tropics man

That depends on many differant things like, your age, and what you like, where your going. who your traveling with, etc. Some people like to dress up, and some don't. Some like to party and some don't. Some like to take there kids or at least don't mind being around kids, and some don't...You'll find some who would complain about a sunset, and others who just take things as they come..We enjoy Carnival!!

singstar

out of these cruises you should take the carnival cruise it is the most fun you get free drink passes and you get free ice cream also there are a lot of fun games anactivitieses and out of the cruises i went on the carnival was one of the best. if you are looking for a different cruise you can try the Norwegian it is almost the same as the carnival.

j d

My preference is for NCL. I've taken 3 cruises with them and each was fantastic. I will likely take a cruise with them again. I enjoy the free-style aspect of no fixed dining time, no fixed table assignment, and the ability to get a table for 2 every time in the main dining room. However, I'm not too crazy about the itinerary shown on the link.

Having said that, I would choose Royal Caribbean for its itinerary. I took 2 cruises with them based on the itineraries. They are good and I like sailing with them. They give you a fixed dining time for the dining room and the same table all the time with the same people (really hard to get a table for 2). It is luxurious, but it is not top of the line.

I took one cruise with Carnival and I enjoyed Cozumel, which would be my reason for choosing this cruise. At the time I sailed with them, they drew a young crowd and it was a party atmosphere all the time. I was not impressed by them and I will likely not go on another cruise with them. NCL and RCCL are much classier in my opinion; they are not the top of the scale, but they are very luxurious, again in my opinion.

megan

Royal Carribean!

I have been on all three of those lines and i would by far reccomend rc.

There is many more activities and better atmosphere/boat.

the staff are much better and the prices are well worth it.

Anonom

Royal Caribbean, go for it. Less sea days, better line.

Moxie

I don't care for Carnival. I don't usually like the people who travel on it. I'm not a coors lite shots of jack screaming children kind of person.

I don't know a ton about Norwegian, but I've also had run-ins with the people who travel on it. It's nice if you like casual travel, but remember, 'formal nights' and dressy events are NEVER required on the other lines.

RC, of the 3, seems the best. You get one more stop than the Carnival cruise and the RC cruise I took was quite nice.

Have a great trip!

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