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Thank you ... I will definitely look into those ...
I probably would opt for an inner stateroom anyhow so the higher cost of a balcony isn't worth it.
I would disagree that it's not worth it on a large ship. You need someplace to enjoy the fresh air without the hordes and noise around you. We never use the balcony on small ships (200-350 passengers), but use it for hours each day on the large ones.
There are plenty of 8+ days cruises as well. As for NYC/DC/FL - perhaps the OP prefers to cruise. If you haven't done so, it's an experience. We LOVE to cruise and do so at least once a year.
There are no cruiselines I know of that stop for a day or so at a port. Especially in the Caribbean. The islands are quite small and a day is plenty to see most of the important places.
The private islands are mostly hold little interest to my husband and me. Although it's a nice time to spend on the ship relaxing and not dealing with crowds.
This has been the best response and advice so far in this thread.
Having over 10 cruises under our belts, and been on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival, we prefer Carnival. We also would never cruise from the NY/NJ ports again. What a waste - it takes 2 days to reach warmer weather and there are no stops along the way. Why not start at Florida or Puerto Rico.
The southern Caribbean is reached mostly from cruises leaving from Puerto Rico. Our first time leaving from there, we arrived a day early and did some sightseeing, then around noon, we checked in to the ship and then had lots of time to do some sightseeing in the vicinity of the port. It was one of the more interesting itineraries we had in this hemisphere and one of the longer ones. It was Carnival and we had a great time (I am now 65 and was in my late 50s - hmmm, time to do it again!).
The 2nd best itineraries, IMO leave out of Miami, FL. While there are many 3 day cruises, there are quite a few longer ones. Even if you opt for Carnival, if you schedule 7+ night cruises, you will not encounter too many of the early 20s, party until 4am crowd because they cannot afford them.
However, you will be traveling during a high peak/tourist time when the "kids" are out of school. So be prepared for that. Also, if you opt to cruise out of the ports up north, namely Manhattan or Bayonne, the cruise lines offer free unlimited numbers of children - and they are most often the entitled NYers. Yes, I lived in NYC for 15 years and was horrified to find out that the two times we sailed out of the city, children sailed free. Their parents took that to mean they were free of children and the children ran all over and did whatever they wanted with no parental influence or control - and staff are not supposed to be nannies! NEVER again.
Once in a while, you can find a repositioning cruise - generally not in the middle of the summer, however. These allow for different itineraries as you can hop one ship in (for instance) Miami that ends in Puerto Rico - spend a day, then grab a different ship to somewhere else.
I suggest you contact a travel agent who can help you find the best way to see the most ports.
And no, there generally are no or few ports where there is an overnight stay.
Jamaica and Grand Cayman (short cruise) is generally very much a younger, party-minded cruise. No matter the time of year.
QUESTION: Can you feel the ship moving? It really depends on the weather. In truly bad weather - we did ride a hurricane into Miami once - yes, you can feel the ship rocking a bit. Take some meclizine - brand names: Bonine, Dramamine, or Sea Legs. During calm weather, you don't feel any movement. The most stable ships, IMO, in rough seas are on Carnival. Obviously, the larger the ship, the less motion you'll feel - exception was the Royal Caribbean, Oasis of the Seas. That was one of the roughest trips we ever experienced where every night was a storm and some nights so severe that the elevators were locked down and doors chained shut to the outside decks. And it was a hoot! I loved it.
Thats what I was thinking. Looking at the newark one it does take 2 days to reach Bermuda and then another 2 days to reach the carribean. I don't fancy being over the ocean for that long.
I would disagree that it's not worth it on a large ship. You need someplace to enjoy the fresh air without the hordes and noise around you. We never use the balcony on small ships (200-350 passengers), but use it for hours each day on the large ones.
That's your personal viewpoint. We prefer hanging with "the hordes" and making new friends, having interesting discussions with people from different countries, getting a big, wide open view rather than the limited view from a balcony, having wonderful bartenders serving us drinks, etc. We're happy to have the balcony for free when we are upgraded, but we'd never pay for one. Different strokes.
You should really re-evaluate if you would really want a 3 week (I don't think there are any) cruise of the carribean, or anything over 10 days. Why? The Carribean port stops are mass market, fake and plastic to the extreme, generic. It will be one stop after another of Americanized Tshirt shops, rum bars called "Margaretaville", and sunburned tourists. It's essentially foreign travel for Americans that hate foreign travel.
You live in England, there are much more fascinating cruises in Europe, be it the med, Scandanavia, or out to the Canaries or something. Frankly, after a few European cruises, I won't even touch the mind-numbing carribean cruises anymore.
If you want to spend that much time on a cruise, at least take one that swings down to South America, or through the Panama Canal.
By the way - there is a cruise forum here under a separate heading.
You should really re-evaluate if you would really want a 3 week (I don't think there are any) cruise of the carribean, or anything over 10 days. Why? The Carribean port stops are mass market, fake and plastic to the extreme, generic. It will be one stop after another of Americanized Tshirt shops, rum bars called "Margaretaville", and sunburned tourists. It's essentially foreign travel for Americans that hate foreign travel.
You live in England, there are much more fascinating cruises in Europe, be it the med, Scandanavia, or out to the Canaries or something. Frankly, after a few European cruises, I won't even touch the mind-numbing carribean cruises anymore.
If you want to spend that much time on a cruise, at least take one that swings down to South America, or through the Panama Canal.
By the way - there is a cruise forum here under a separate heading.
We just did our first cruise in September, in the Mediterranean, and immensely enjoyed the port days and seeing old cities, ruins, history, etc. I'm eager to do more Mediterranean ones, northern Europe, and even Alaska, but after this experience, i don't see the appeal of a cruise to see another beach or like you said, Americanized t-shirt shops, Margaritaville, zipline tours. YMMV.
We just did our first cruise in September, in the Mediterranean, and immensely enjoyed the port days and seeing old cities, ruins, history, etc. I'm eager to do more Mediterranean ones, northern Europe, and even Alaska, but after this experience, i don't see the appeal of a cruise to see another beach or like you said, Americanized t-shirt shops, Margaritaville, zipline tours. YMMV.
We have been on 10+ cruises to the Caribbean and, except for the Bahamas and Tortola, I would go back to each of them. So many more places to see. We have not spent any time on a beach or any bar and the tourist shops we visited have mostly been at the docks. There are a variety of excursions (ship approved/arranged tours) and there always seems to be at least one that is historic in nature. Our second trip to St. Thomas, we met in person one of CD's own posters who gave us a lovely private tour of the island replete with an extensive tour of a cemetery - so much history, seriously. Our only regret was that there wasn't enough time! I had only a few short minutes to grab some souvenirs when she returned us to the dock.
I was thinking on a cruise holiday this summer? I want the cruise to be in the Caribbean, and I want to fly from the UK. Is it possible to get a three week cruise that goes round all the islands???
What about stopovers? Are they paid?
I don't understand the system.
Why not ask Daddy? Might want to let him know you are planning on spending more of his dough, anyway.
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