We are planning on going for the cruise vacation first time this January. We have narrowed it down to 3 routes in Carribean.

Not sure which route would be best for the 1st time cruisers? We’ve a reservation on hold till tonight so any help will be appreciated. Our focus is not to spend a lot of time on the ship and see some beautiful island carribean has to offer.


Cruise 1: Miami, FLà Nassau, Bahamasà Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomasà San Juan, Puerto Ricoà Labadee, Haitià Miami, Florida. We’ll be spending 2 & ½ day on the ship & will get app. 7 hrs in Putero Rico.

Cruise 2: Fort Lauderdale, Floridaà Casa De Campo, Dominican Repà San Juan, Puerto Ricoà Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomasà Nassau, Bahamasà Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We’ll be spending 2 days on the ship & will get app. 8 hrs in Putero Rico

Cruise 3: San Juan, Puerto Ricoà Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomasà Philipsburg, St. Maartenà St. Johns, Antiguaà Castries, St. Lucia à Bridgetown, Barbadosà San Juan, Puerto Rico. In this option we’ll get almost 2 days in Putero Rico & one full day on the ship.

I would definitely choose #3. It's a good mix of islands. I always avoid Nassau as a stop...not much to see there.

Definitely #3. Sounds like you may be looking at the Crown Princess?

Another vote for number 3.

# 3 definitely

Anytime you start out from San Juan you are ahead of the game. We always begin our tours here a few days early in San Juan as there is lots to see, you can "acclimatize" to the nonworking day, and you don't have to worry about planes and schedules. So... i agree with the rest it's definately #3.

Most definitly #3!!!!

Another vote for #3.

#3 is the only one I would choose out of those options. It has a nice variety of islands--some beachy, some mountainous, some good shopping, some history, some culture. I agree that it's good to start in San Juan. Let us know what you pick.

Thank you all. By popular demand, we have opted for cruise departing from San Juan, even though it was a bit expensive compared to the other two.

Looking forward to our trip. Any suggestion on excursion on any of the islands?

Once again, appreciate everyone's quick response. It helped us in making a quick decision. Thank-you all.

As to excursion, it would help if you tell us your interests. We love the beach and usually just take a taxi to a nice beach.
On St. Lucia, we took an excursion which included a tour of the island in the AM and a catamaran ride past the Pitons in the PM. It was a great way to spend the day and see the island from both land and sea.

I agree that on St. Lucia it would be a crime to miss the Pitons. But instead of a land-water combo, I'd recommend simply a catamaran cruise with snorkeling stops, lunch and full bar.

Barbados and Antigua would both be good choices for being beach bums.

St. Maarten I'd recommend heading over to the French side for some good people watching, fine dining, etc.

I'm doing this itinerary in February on RC and can't wait! It's my first cruise. I went to St. Lucia for a week last year and can't wait to return, even if just for a day, to do something I didn't get to do last year. I've been researching for months "what to do" on each island and trying to stay away from "cruise excurions" and do stuff on our own. Have a great time!

On St. Thomas you can take an historical walking tour downtown, kayak in a mangrove lagoon, go to the top of Paradise Point on a tram for a bushwacker or better yet, go to Mountain Top for a banana daiquiri, or to Coral World where it's easy to spend the day.

I highly recommend 2 private tours. In St. Lucia contact Fabian at http://www.fabiantoursstlucia.com and Carl in Antigua at http://www.antiguapremiertours.com They both will show you a good time, local snacks and beverages flowing through out the whole day!!!!