The Top Ten Reasons To Take A Cruise.

As with everything in life, different people go on cruises for different reasons.  Some people will prefer the activities that are prevalent on some cruises, like rock climbing, scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, zip-lining over a tropical rain forest’s canopy or walking along a glacier’s edge.  Other people may prefer the camaraderie, the food, the gambling and nightclub scenes, the water, the ports of call, or just being on a huge ship with thousands of people they don’t know, but soon could.  And then there is also choosing what type of cruise to take, and what size of cruise liner to take that cruise on.

Whether taking a cruise on the QEII, The Freedom of the Seas, or The Oasis of the Seas, which are among the largest cruise ships on the high seas, or taking a cruise on a container ship bound for Hong Kong, there is plenty to do and see.  The major differences between cruises lay in the ship itself, the services provided, and the class of the people around you, as well as the comfort and services that the higher-class ships offer.  And, of course, the cost.

The top-ten reasons to cruise include, but in no way are limited to;

1)    Camaraderie.  Singles cruises have been on a constant incline in business and departures over the past couple of decades, and is still a very active genre of the cruise lines.  However, you do not need to go on a singles cruise to meet people, as all cruise ships have people of all stripes on board.  With a few thousand people on each cruise, the chances of finding someone that you can get along with great, and do things with (like seeing the ports of call, scuba diving, hiking, etc.) are very good.  If you are going on a cruise by yourself, there really is no reason to think that you will be alone for the entire cruise.

2)    Ports of Call.  A cruise ship is like a string of mini-vacations all jumbled into one vacation.  You can visit a bunch of Greek islands, tropical islands, glaciers or rain forests.  Again, if you are single or travelling alone, then you should either stick with a guided tour, or make a friend, or a few friends, to go ashore with.  It is never advised to go ashore alone, as many ports of call are also centres of major crime rings, as well as nefarious-minded people who prey on unsuspecting tourists and cruisers.  Remember, if you are visiting an impoverished country or city, then expect a certain element of crime ashore.  That being said, you get a different culture with each stop, and a different economy, wild life and night life.

3)    Water.  There is no shortage of water on a cruise ship, and the cruises that are in tropical, warm waters usually stop at different locales so people can enjoy the warm, tropical waters.  There is scuba diving, with swimming pool lessons before going into the ocean, for safety’s sake.  There are usually small boats and other watercraft for rent, or for general use (you have to sign up early for these) on most cruises, as well as shore fishing and beach walking.  Most newer, bigger cruise ships have Olympic-sized (or bigger) swimming pools, wave pools, water slides and rides, and surfing simulators.  What, you’re on a cruise, did you expect a desert?

4)    Food.  The better, and larger, cruise ships have internationally renowned chefs working day and night in the galleys (kitchens).  Most cruises have 2 or 3 seatings per meal, and range from buffet, pre-determined meal choices or menu choices.  On top of that, there are usually restaurants and bars, as well as room service to keep your tummy full of the most delicious and tempting foods.  Kraft dinner and hamburger helper can wait until you get back home.

5)    Entertainment.  From big-name singers and groups performing nightly, to piano men, bar bands and magicians, there is always something to do or see at sea.  For the cost of the cruise, you could argue that the number of plays, bands and entertainers that you see more than make up for the charge.  And now, casinos with poker tournament are all the rage with many cruise lines.  Casinos have always been popular, as the ships, when sailing in international waters, do not have to follow the laws of the land, which explains why some cruise ship’s casinos do not open until they are in international waters.

6)    Free Booze.  Some people can really pack it in over a 7-day and 7-night cruise.  If the drinks are free, then the cost can logically be deducted from the ticket price, making the cost of the cruise even more tantalizing (especially if the food is free, too).  However, if it is your first cruise, then maybe taking it easy until you get your sea legs would be a good bit of advice to heed.

7)    Variety.  No matter what type of cruise you take, the size of the ship or the type (container ship, classy cruise ship, gigantic cruise ship or small cruise ship, etc.), there will be a large variety of things to do, people to talk to, foods to eat and drinks to enjoy.  Variety is, after all, the spice of life.

8)    Romance.  When on a cruise ship, there is a bit more of that “free” feeling that people get when away from home, amongst a large group of good-looking people.  Whether it is a singles cruise or any other type, there will be people aboard who are looking for romance on the high seas.  Cruises are a great way to propose marriage as well.  Unless, of course, the answer is no.

9)    Different Cultures.  The different ports of call offer different cultures, different climates and different wildlife.  On a 7-night cruise, you can see 5 or 6 different islands, each offering a different culture, different ways of making a living and different styles of architecture.  Bring extra memory cards, or film if you still use an SLR camera, because you will be taking so many pictures, you may end up with carpel tunnel syndrome.

10)    Because You Won It!  Cruises are offered as prizes in many charity lotteries.  The only cost to the winner is the taxes and possibly the transportation to the cruise’s starting port of call, unless the food, booze and entertainment are not free on the cruise.  As well, the cruises that are offered as prizes are usually for two to eight people, and that means treating your friends and loved ones to the trip of a lifetime.

(Honorable Mention)    Pirates!  Aye, laddy.  And a barrel of rum!  Who didn’t dream of  being a pirate, or played pirates with friends or siblings, using fake swords and bed-covers for capes when they were young?  Live out your earliest dreams, and sail the Horn of Africa, or the Gulf of Aden.  Somalia’s coast may guarantee a good sighting or two, but these are not the romanticized pirates of days gone by, reflected by the distinguished and gentlemanly acting of Errol Flynn, Maureen O’Hara and Douglas Fairbanks.  Johnny Depp, not so much.

Ask a hundred people what the top-ten reasons to take a cruise are, and you will most likely end up with a hundred different lists.  The allure of the cruise, the exotic ports of call, the different cultures and climates will almost always be on the lists.  If you have not yet taken a cruise, yet love to travel, you really should try one, even on a small cruise ship, just to see if it is, as they say, your cup of tea.

Enjoy the high seas.  And try to avoid those nasty little pirates!

Celebrity Millennium, Spacious, luxurious accommodations consistently place Celebrity Millennium at the top of the rankings among large ships. Resplendent with glass and teak accents and sophisticated amenities, this ship is one of the most technologically advanced of the fleet and features environmentally responsible gas turbine engines. Expansive staterooms, specialty restaurants and the most luxurious spa facilities at sea.

Do you ever get off the ship during cruises?
I’ve never been on a cruise and am planning on one for next spring….

I was looking up the bahamas. So i was wondering if people ever get off the ship during cruises?

Because me and my friends wanted to swim with the dolphins and tour around the bahamas..?

How do cruises work?

Answer by peteandela
a 2 day cruise to nowhere is just a party ship for the weekend.

All other cruises stop so you can get off in ports to stimulate the economy.

Answer by MomSezNo
Always [except for one time in Samana, DR].

You can either use ship excursions or plan your own. The latter is only recommended if you are willing to do a lot of research beforehand, are comfortable being independent, and can be disciplined enough to allow sufficient time to get back to the ship on time [allowing for possible delays]. The ship will not wait for you if you’re late unless you are on one of their excursions.

“How cruises work” is too complicated to explain here. There are many, many choices that one must make in order to choose a cruise and it takes some research to figure out which cruise line/ship is best for you. Your library has books on cruising, as well as Caribbean ports of call [Bahamas is usually included in that, even though it isn't in the Caribbean].

There are also good websites for info on excursions and on cruising. Your question makes it sound as though you are a young person, so I hesitate to recommend the best website out there for cruisers: CruiseCritic.com. It has info about every aspect of cruising, but if you don’t know anything about the subject, it can be a bit overwhelming. If you click on “Boards”, you can browse questions/answers posted by experienced cruisers.

You’ll find that there is some controversy about swimming with the dolphins. Some people feel that it’s cruel to cage dolphins just so that humans can “play” with them.

Answer by luludoodie
On full blown cruises you tend to move to a new destination during the night and spend most of the day ashore. Obviously some days are spent travelling all day.

Answer by RoofingPrincess
How cruises work is: you get on in one city. The ship travels somewhere. If it’s a long trip, you have a full day at sea. Otherwise, you wake up the next morning in a new place. You get to spend part of the day in that new place. Then you get back on the ship, and it leaves to go somewhere else. A 7-night cruise generally has 3 or 4 port stops before returning to the port you started in.
Some people never leave the ship during the cruise, but most do.

Answer by worknlakeside
A good ship that I would suggest is NCL Sky it is one of their older ships and if you time it right the prices are really good and they have a lot of stops for the lenght of cruise. They also go to their private island and it is really nice. I also will suggest going to cruisecritic.com to check out all sorts of great information.

Life aboard a Celebrity Cruise.

What do you think about cruises donating wasted food?
So much food is wasted on cruises every year..
Maybe cruise companies can start donating wasted food at ports?
What’s wrong with donating the food at the port areas for human consumption?

Answer by Paul in San Diego
Just because food is not eaten does not make it fit for human consumption. I saw an episode of Dirty Jobs where they take the uneaten food from all of the casinos in Las Vegas and process it into pig slop. Because of the way the thrown out food is handled and mixed together, it would have to be cooked and processed into a slop for it to be fit for any kind of consumption. And, I doubt anyone would want to eat it.

How do people dance in clubs on cruises?
I was just wondering how people dance in the clubs on cruises, in the 18+ clubs, not the tween or teen clubs. Pretty much I just want to know if people dance really dirty in them. Thanks in advance for your answers!

Answer by Tamlyn S
from what ive seen it looks like how you would dance at a regular club.

Answer by Nancy A
Its just like a regular club except on the boat that is the only diffrerence

Answer by snowleopard
Well, sometimes it all just depends. It depends on the cruiseline/ship/time of year. That determines what kind of crowd you’ll get in the ship, and that basically sets the atmosphere. Also, it depends on when you go to the club. Like if you go during the day (if its open; sometimes it isn’t on some ships), you’ll tend not to have the more party-hardy crowds there than say at 2 am. I’ve never actually danced in one of those things, and I don’t plan on it. But this is just what I have observed. Obviously if it is an 18+ club, you would probably expect it to look that way as far as dancing.

Pretty scary actually, I pity the poor lady that face plants against the column in the center of the video.

Celebrate The New Year With a Cruise

New Years cruises are a great way to celebrate the holidays. You can bring your family and friends with you, or go off by yourself to discover a new part of the world. These cruises tend to fill up because most folks have these days off, so you need to book early as possible to get the best price and accommodations. Always buy travel insurance for your cruises, for a winter cruise can be affected by weather or other difficulties, and you will have fairly big investment in your cruise reservation. Cruise lines decorate for the holidays, offer unique holiday menus and provide the usual New Years parties. Most cruises offer extra special gifts for these sailings.

In general, a cruise line will allow you to book with 25% down, and let you pay the rest off over time. Of course, you must have the cost paid off before you sail. Since it is winter, some cruises are out, including those to Alaska and the northern parts of the world. Also, remember you must get to your sailing port on time to leave with your ship; usually this involves being there several hours before sailing. Your cruise price will include your room and food and many activities on the ship, but not all such as the casino area.

The price of traveling to your port is not included in the cost of your cruise. You will need to pay for and set up your travel separately. If you need to park a car, you can check with the port authority office to find out if parking is available at your port. Parking is not always available. Some local hotels have parking where you can leave your car during your cruise if you stay the night before at that location.

Your transportation will have to coordinate with your sailing; some people prefer to arrive the day before sailing and stay overnight. Others will fly at night and go to the ship from the airport. The more you have to coordinate to make your trip happen, the more benefit a travel agent will be to you. You can also book these things directly on your own, through the cruise lines, hotels and airlines. It is fine to shop around for a best price; I usually pick out a destination and let the cruise lines fight over me. You can negotiate your cruise price by comparing it to other cruise line offers. Cruise lines don’t like to lose customers. You can reach your cruise line on-line or by telephone to answer any questions you might have before sailing.

Here are some example of cruises you can book for New Years. Royal Caribbean is offering cruises leaving from San Diego, California to the Baja Peninsula for four days. You can also sail with them from Los Angeles and spend seven days touring Mexico. They have cruises leaving from Panama and Brazil for the New Years season. You can visit Australia and New Zealand. You can visit the South Pacific area by leaving from Singapore. From Galavston, Texas, or Miami or Fort Lauderdale, Florida you can explore the Caribbean islands for five to seven days. There are also sailings available from New York to the Bahamas. Some sailings are available leaving from Spain. These trips start at about 0 per person with double occupancy in your cabin for the four day cruises.

Disney Cruises has a sailing to the Caribbean to its Castaway Cay island, which is decorated for the season. This cruise starts at about 00 per person and leaves from Florida. Carnival cruises has many New Years opportunities from both coasts of the United States. You can sail to the Eastern Caribbean or to Mexico. Prices start at about 0 for these cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Lines offers cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, and a round trip cruise around the Hawaiian Island that leaves and returns to Honolulu. Prices here start at about 0 since these are usually seven night cruises. Carnival and Celebrity Cruises offer similar New Year’s cruises, leaving from United States ports and starting at around 0. If you want a longer, more sumptuous cruise, Cunard line is offering holiday cruises that last for 15 and 22 days. These cruises leave from Southampton and sail to the Caribbean area. These cruises start at 00 per double occupancy, but provide a higher level of personal service.

I do not recommend sailing on small cruise lines during the holidays; if there are problems, many support services are closed during this time. But as you can see, there are a variety of places and price options available to please any traveler. All aboard!

What is the difference between free style cruises and not free style?
And also are there any cruises where tips are only recommended and not automatically billed or charged?

Answer by missanglgrl
Free-style means you come and go to dinner when you like. non-freestyle you would have an assigned table and time. There are other restaurant on the ships that have non-freestlye where you can eat.

Holland America Line charges the tipping on your account, but it is removable whe you settle your bill at the end.

Answer by rick d
Free Style Cruises are great. They do not require you to get all dressed up just to sit down and eat. They offer many different styles of food plus an excellent buffet. Tips are required. They usually are $ 10.00 aday which is for the crew.

Answer by TINKERTOY ….. the one, the only, the original
There is actually not a big difference and it actually only refers to the dining arrangement for dinner. Before NCL started the Freestyle Cruising a few years ago all of the cruise lines gave you the option of having dinner at 6:00PM or 8:00PM and then they assigned you to a table. You got to know your waiter and all of the people at the table with you.

Freestyle Cruising means that you do not have to specify a dinner dining option when you book your cruise and thus don’t have a table and waiter assigned to you. “FREESTYLE” means you can go to dinner in the main dining room, or any other alternative restaurant, any time of the evening after 6:00 PM.. But you will have to reserve a time in the alternate restaurants. It also means that you don’t have to “dress up” for dinner, but just go “sports casual”. But it also means that you may be standing in line awaiting a table on some days (like we had to do a couple times); not what you want on a cruise. Since you go when you want, you rarely get the same waiter and so never really get to know your waiter and he/she never learns what you prefer as is done on “traditional” cruise lines.

I have been on many Norwegian ships and at one time NCL was my favorite cruise line. However, after NCL was bought by Star Cruises and they instituted the “Freestyle Cruising”, I do not care for their cruises and do not recommend them, especially for people who have been on a number of cruises and prefer traditional cruising.

The option to traditional dining being pushed on NCL is their optional dining restaurants. However, these dining options can cost $ 10 to $ 20 a person for dinner each night. The cost is called a gratuity or service charge. This is not what you want after paying for a cruise which is supposed to be all inclusive.

The optional restaurants are very nice, including French, Chinese/Sushi, Tex-Mex, Italian, and steak house restaurants. But who wants to go pay $ 20 to $ 40 each day to eat on a cruise ship where all the meals are supposed to be included. The last time wewere on an NCL ship we always skipped the optional restaurants and just got to the main dining early. That worked fine, except on “at sea” days when everyone wanted to go eat early. We later found that we could reserve a time in the main dining room, but we still got a different table and waiter for dinner each night.

NCL is just like all of the other cruise lines except on this one point. All cruise lines, including NCL, have an optional leisure dress dining option, usually a buffet area where you can go in shorts and “T” shirts. However, NCL and all of the others also have a requirement that you cannot go into public areas like show rooms, the casino, and the formal dining hall in shorts and swim wear after 6:00PM in the evenings.

Princess also has an optional dining format that they call “PERSONAL CHOICE” CRUISING. This means that you can select traditional dining or opt for unscheduled dining in any of their restaurants.

Cruise line tips are not really optional and most lines will automatically add them to your ship’s tab. You should not skip the tips because they are the majority of the salary for the people cleaning your room and waiting your table. The high end cruise lines may have tip included in the price of the cruise.

Answer by tbugs
The answer preceeding mine described the differences perfectly. I would never go on NCL with the Free-Style. I think there would be too many people in shorts, flipflops, and tshirts at dinner and this would take the elegance away.

You would not go to a nice restaurant in your city wearing shorts, would you?

As for tips, NCL and some others automatically charge you for tips on your bill that you will pay at the end of the cruise. Celebrity does not. However, most people do pay the recommended tips since this is the main salary of the service staff. Do not go on a cruise and say you are not going to tip any of the service staff. That is just plain cheap and is not right.

Can last minute cruises be purchased at the port on the day of departure for a heavy discount?
Has anyone had any experience going to the port the day of departure and trying to score a really cheap price on a cruise? I have heard of this through the rumor mill, but have not been able to get any details. How about any other ways to get super bargains on cruises?

Answer by snowmn13
i dont think you can just show up at the day of the cruise, but i’ve gone on ones where other people paid like half the price because they booked it like a week or two before it left. the day of would be cutting it though just find out which ones are about to leave and have open rooms left. some money is better to none to them. you can definately get them at least half off

Answer by TINKERTOY ….. the 1 & only
NO, you cannot do this any more. The cruise lines require passengers to complete their personal information days before the cruises sail, including information like passport number, mailing address, and name of an emergency contact person. Since 9/11 the cruise lines need this information to do their security checks. The do security checks but will not tell anyone what they are and the purpose of these is to make sure that they know who is getting on ships.

In addition, most cruises these days sell out, even in the fall and winter when you may expect that the ship would not be full.

If you want the exact story on this I suggest that you just call a few cruise lines and ask them. I did ask a Royal Caribbean representative about last minute tickets and was told they do not do that.

Answer by Get A Grip
We were told he cut off date is ten days prior to cruise.
This is due to security since 9/11.
It’s just a rumor aout showing up on sail date.
The best way to get a bargain cruise is by booking yourself with one of the planners. If you live near a port city then there is no airfare. We found we spend more money on the ship than he cruise costs.
But we wouldn’t enjoy ourselves if we didn’t. Most of the cost comes from excursions off of the ship. We tend to go for the scuba/para sailing and the like.

Answer by Dusie
In addition to the passenger manifest needing to be turned in at least 72 hour before sailing, the other problem will be that many cruises sail completely full. Go to vacationstogo.com for last minute sales on cruises. That means anything 90 out from the sailing date. The other problem happens if you need to fly to the port. Flights get very expensive the closer to the date you want to leave.

Answer by Southern Apostolic
I’ve never seen it. There is not booking agent outside, and they will not let you in the cruise terminal without a boarding pass. I do know people who have booked online the day before, and gotten a good deal, but not a stellar one.

Additionally, all of the cruises that i have gone on have been fully booked when we departed. The cruise lines offer all of their deals before the sail date.

Does anyone know when the booze cruises start?
Does anyone know when the booze cruises start to put in bay? (Sandusky, OH) My friends and I want to go for a bachelorette party at the end of April and are just wondering if they are running yet???
or Kelley’s Island?

Answer by TE
Just rent a boat with a Captain, Go out and get hammered, Have fun….

Answer by laura j
nope, but thanks for the points. where i live they don’t start up until may- june

Answer by truenorth675
In my neck of the woods the first booze cruise coincides with the day the ice breaks.

What is the legal drinking age policy for Princess Cruises ?
We will be going on a cruise to mexico through Princess Cruises soon and want to know if my wife can drink with us- she is only 19 right now. I realize i could probably just buy her drinks but would rather not do that.

Answer by shygurl20002004
Im pretty sure you have to be 21 to be able to drink.You would be better off not buying her alcohol,that way you don’t get in trouble.Have a great cruise.

Answer by TINKERTOY ….. the 1 & only
The legal drink age on all cruise ships is age 21 and it does not change when you are in international waters or docked in a foreign port. Its still age 21 and older while you are on the ship. And Princess and all of the other cruise lines DO enforce it. The only exception to this is if you cruise from a European port and your parents sign a waiver for you to have beer and wine. Otherwise always no.

BUT, when you get to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, Acapulco, and other ports in Mexico you can drink all you want in the clubs, bars and restaurants because the drinking age in Mexico is age 18 and older. BUT, you cannot bring alcohol back on board the ship either as it will be confiscated by the cruise line.

While on ship you will have to go to a bar and buy drinks and bring them back to your lounge chair, your seat in the show room, and/or your table in the disco. They control who buys drinks by your cruise card that’s issued to you when you first board the ship. Each of you will get one and it will have all of your personal information embedded in the magnetic strip on the back. If she tries to buy a drink her card will show that she is underage. So you buy her drinks and you both act like you are older. No one is going to come by and ask for an ID unless you act silly like you are underage.

Can you recommend the best Caribbean Cruises destination and how many days are just right?
There are different Caribbean Cruises destinations from 5 to 7 days of stay. Which destination and how many days of stay is the best for a family with two kids driving from Georgia or Alabama? Can you make a recommendation and why? Thanks.
The Western Caribbean is popular but seems not good. Can anyone compare the Eastern with Southern Caribbean Cruise? Which one is better?

Answer by TravelFan
The shorter cruises are cheaper and go fewer places – they also will often have a pretty rowdy crowd. The cruises that last longer tend to go deeper into the island chain and therefore are more “relax and enjoy” oriented. The more you can see of the southern Caribbean islands, the better. The cruise lines all make sure there are plenty of activities for kids so, either way, they’ll be fine.

Answer by justme
I think Royal Caribbean would be the best cruise line, since they have tons of activities on board, compared to the other cruise lines.

As far as length goes, the longer the better! 7 days would be good for the family though. 5 is just too short!

Where to go? All of the ports have lots of tours and activities you can do while there, so if you have never been to any of the places, then it doesnt matter too much where in the caribbean you go. It really depends on what you like to do though.

Answer by Rovian R
Any cruise ship that passes through Curacao or Aruba…

Answer by TINKERTOY ….. the 1 & only
Seems I answered this question a few weeks ago.

Western Caribbean cruises typically go to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Belize City, Belize; Roatan, Honduras; Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Falmouth, Jamaica; and a private cruise line island. If you go to Cozumel or Belize there is the opportunity to buy a tour to see Mayan ruins, if that’s your interest. Cozumel considered the best place to go for scuba and snorkeling. If you go to Jamaica the two main attractions are a river raft float trip (not rapids) and the Dunn’s River Falls climb. If you go to Grand Cayman you will likely want to go to 7-Mile Beach or do a swim with the dolphins/stingrays tour.

Cruises to the Eastern Caribbean typically go to St Thomas; St Maarten; Tortola British Virgin Island; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and maybe Grand Turks. The cruise ships will also have a private cruise line island stop. If you want to do a lot of shopping then pick a cruise with St Thomas and St Maarten as the port stops. In fact both are mainly a beach and shopping stop.

Most Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises have a private island stop where the ship takes food ashore for an all day beach party with games and entertainment. All of the cruise lines have what they call their private island, only ship’s people on them for the day. Royal Caribbean has THE best private island I have ever been to at Labadee, Haiti. Its a huge place that has multiple beaches and many activities. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity both use Labadee and another private islands called Cococay, Bahamas. Princess cruise line has Princess Cay, Carnival and Holland has Half Moon Cay, and NCL has Great Stirrup Cay.

If you have kids you need to consider the cruise line and ship for your cruise because the ship can make a big difference in how much you and the kids enjoy your cruise. Half the fun of a cruise is enjoying yourselves while you are on your way to port stops. You should select a ship that has lots of activities on board for yourself and the kids. My recommendation is a cruise on a Carnival Cruise Line ship or on a Royal Caribbean Cruise line ship. The newer ships on these two cruise lines will have things on board like a water slide, mini-golf, ice skating, roller skating, basketball, surfing, and pools for the kids as well as free kids’ programs. Royal Caribbean will have the most things to do on board its ships like the Freedom and Liberty of the Seas, leaving from Port Canaveral, and from Ft Lauderdale, FL.,or its Voyager of the Seas leaving from Galveston Texas and New Orleans LA. Take a look at the ships and their features: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/home.do;jsessionid=0000_oXRCcLCJEz75YJRkTc22an:12hbiocus?cS=NAVBAR

Now also take a look at the Carnival ships: http://www.carnival.com/FunShips.aspx

I have cruised to both the eastern and western Caribbean and I do enjoy the western Caribbean better than the eastern. But both are great. And I also recommend doing the 7 day cruise as the ships used for the longer cruises are generally newer and have better activities on board.