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My boyfriend and I are planning a cruise with some friends. I went a few years ago on a 7 day Royal Caribbean Cruise to Costa Maya, Belize, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

I would like some suggestions on some more cruise destinations. And cruise lines. I loved the Royal Carribean boat!

I've never been on cruise but I know some people who went to Alaska and loved it. It may not be bikini weather, but it's beautiful with lots to do, so I hear.

if you can afford it, a european cruise would be amazing: the mediterranean or eastern europe.  holland america is a great line. 

there are also relocation cruises in the spring and fall, when the ships go to and from the northwest for the alaskan cruise season.  some of those go through the panama canal.

We just got back from a rinky-dink Carnival cruise to Progreso and Cozumel.  Last year we went on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Aruba, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Curacao, that went out of San Juan that was amazing. I highly recommend Royal Caribbean.

If it were me, I'd do the Mediterranean.

I am going to the Cayman Islands next year...

I've been on Royal Caribbean and Carnival----I'd recommend Royal Caribbean highly above Carnival, for service and food (but not room size). 

Here are some of my favorite ports to stop at:

Grand Turk--Turks and Caicos---this is THE clearest water I've ever seen.  It makes the Bahamas look murky!  I loved this place!

Catalina Island, CA---stopped here on a cruise out of LA.  It was this nice quaint little town on a really pretty island.  We rode tandem bicycles and felt so cute. :)

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands---beautiful beaches and scenery.  Go to Magen's Bay beach--it is lovely. 

I've been on 2 cruises - one Royal Caribbean and one Carnival.

I definitely liked RC better - to me, it was a better "Young adult" crowd. I thought that Carnival was either families or older people - not a lot of the younger crowd as far as I could tell (and this was over Spring break - both years).

On the RC cruise, we went to Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas.

On the Carnival Cruise we went to St. Kitts, St. Maarten, and St. Lucia.

I've also been on a weeklong trip to St. Croix as one last family get together after I graduated HS (I'm the oldest of the 3 kids).

Anyway, I love the Virgin Islands - they're just beautiful. St. Maarten is easily my favorite; half Dutch, half French, and full of culture!

Puerto Rico was a blast, but got a little shady in the city after dark - best to stick around the port then :)

The bahamas were absolutely goooooooorgeous. Just beautiful beaches everywhere... the shopping in the straw market was hot and stuffy, but the prices were great if you bartered well. :) I would happily take a 5 day cruise in the bahamas, as soon as I'd take a 5 day to the Virgin Islands. Its just gorgeous. I've never been to the Western Caribbean, but I've heard its a lot of fun - much more of a party destination, which could be a lot of fun! When I save up enough to go again, I'd love to try a Jamacia, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize type of cruise :) Sounds like a blast!!!

Original Post by schnooder:

My boyfriend and I are planning a cruise with some friends. I went a few years ago on a 7 day Royal Caribbean Cruise to Costa Maya, Belize, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

I would like some suggestions on some more cruise destinations. And cruise lines. I loved the Royal Carribean boat!

Definitely Holland America.

And definitely their 21-day South American Cruise ... we really loved it. (Penguins!)

MOLLY

 

I've been on 3 Disney cruises and I have loved them so much. No they are not just for kids. I could go on and on about why i love it so much but this respoinse would be pages and pages.

I have been to Naussa, St. Maarten (2 times) and St. Thomas (2 times). My favourite is St.Maarten (the Dutch side). It is so beautiful there and I felt so safe there too.  

i've had good experiences on royal carribean and princess.
absolutely fell in LOVE with st. martin-- i'd move there in a heartbeat!

Lets see...

2x with princess, one was ok, one was not so good.  I would not rec'd princess (it is in the same ownership family as carnival).

2 or 3x with celebrity: when I was a little younger (say 20?) I thought Celebrity was a bit stuffy.  I dont think so anymore... I loved it most recently, the food tends to be the best, and they take care of you like no one else.  The most expensive.

2 or 3x with royal Caribbean: same family as celebrity.  younger crowd, getting really strict about alcohol polices.  dont go during spring break!  other than that, good food, lots of fun, good ports.  expensive drinks and the crack down on bringing alcohol on board makes it difficult to sneak it on. 

Places:

- best: galapagos islands.  hands down amazing.  expensive.  GO if you have the cash. GO NOW! (excursions and drinks included in cost of cruise with celebrity)

- next best: 11 days in panama canal.  awesome. went over new years eve.  totally cool.

- always interesting: alaska MAKE SURE you have extra $$ to do the activities.  you really need to be able to do the excursions, to make it worth it.

- any of the Caribbean cruises: i love st. thomas, st marten, (i.e. the virgin islands)  Caymans got hit hard by the hurricanes, still not really back up to par.  Plus very expensive.  Venezuela awesome.  Costa Rica, awesome.  Puerto Rico, awesome (but very very expensive).  um.... lets where else..... Grenada was cool but we were there right before got hit by hurricane, first hurricane in 50 years to hit it.  Very nice, very poor people.  Cancun and Cozumel are always fun if a bit overdone.

- Hawaii: my parents have done it a few time and loved it

- Europe/Rome/Mediterranean: tres cher but apparently worth it.  again, parents have done, but not me.

There is my general impression for you.... have fun!  Oh, and I am swearing that the next big vacation for me would be an all inclusive in say the Dominican Republic.  Cheaper overall and none of that feeling like you really should get off the boat when you really just want to lay on the pool deck and drink.

I was on a cruize to panama canal and it was great on the ship licira and it also stopped in cozumel and then went south to central america. It was 10 days out of ft lauderdale reasonable priced but you had to get your own transportation to ft lauderdale but that wasnt a problem as I was in belize at the time where I live part time.  But the ship was great and very good staff, lots of food and lots to do and the evening shows were awesome. I highly recommend it. It was an italian line but they spoke in 5 languages. Happy cruizin: