6 day RCL vs 7 day Princess
 

First time cruiser. This is for a 30 yr old Mom and 7 year old son. For basically the same price during Spring Break, I can either book a 6 day RCL Jewel of the Seas with Key West, 2 ports on mexico and the grand cayman OR a 7 night Princess with a super late Puerto Rico (probably won't leave ship or will have a cranky kid), US VI, British VI, and Princess cays on Star Princess. Here is the dilemna, I would rather do the 7 days (obviously), but the ports aren't that exciting. We live in Florida and from what I can determine, the princess cay port is just hanging out at the beach (correct me if I am wrong please!) so we would just be seeing the two different stops at the Virgin Islands.
Does anyone have an opinion or experience with either ship or cruiseline with kids? Any recommendations on the ports? On either we would be booking a balcony to relax away from the crowds. The ship amemities is almost as important as the ports. HELP!

RCI's Jewel is a brand new and beautiful! RCI has a great kids program and is very good line overall.

I found Princess stuffy and will not likely sail them again. I leave for my 45th RCI cruise on Saturday.

45th cruise?? I am so jealous. Any recommendations on what to do in Mexico?

I highly recommend RCCL for kids. A bunch of us went with our kids all round age 9. We did extensive research on which ship had the most "fun stuff" for kids and RCCL won.. Since then we have taken the kids on 4 cruises..now their 18 and are going again in June for graduation. It's a good family atomosphere..and if your kids are having fun then you will have fun.. The supervised kid programs really keep their interest (their not lame). You won't regret it...

Where in Mexico are you visiting?

It stops in Cozumel and Riveria Maya. It also stops in Grand Cayman but I have heard from more than a few people it may be a good time to stay on the ship.

I totally disagree that you should stay on the ship in GC. Seven mile beach is one of the Caribbean's finest and the small downtown are is clean and safe and welcoming.

Cozumel used to be a charming dive spot. Now, IMHO, it is overrun with tourists and cruise ship and has lost its appeal, at lease for me. I get in a cab and head for Paradise Beach or rent a jeep as get as far away from the masses as I can. It is truly a matter of personal taste. I am well travelled and prefer the islands and cities that have not been overrun with t shirt stands and the like.

I really appreciate your help kfusto. Is it difficult to find a place to rent a jeep? My son would love that. I have read a few posts from folks that were in GC post hurricanes, and that it was a huge traffic jam and didn't feel they should be taking on cruise ships just yet. Have you been since September?

People who went to GC before Hurricane Ivan really don't know what the reality is all around right now. Sorry, it's true.

Yes, Princess Cay is just hanging out on a nice beach with tons of other cruisers.

You just can't do what others say you can do at GC now. You just can't, unless you are really, really, really lucky and get a tender into that port at night or some other time privately. If you are on a 9 hour schedule in the early morning hours- you are up against a tender problem BIG TIME. I am writing to the people on my cruise at several levels about this.

The lady who owns the Butterfly Farm has camped out with no electricity for 5 weeks and then rebuilt for 4 months after that. Some camped for up to 3 months. NOTHING is like it was. The storm took away all 12,000 to 14,000 cars/ vechicles and the problems are getting more in any way they can. There are block sized sites of concrete and mess/ twisted metal every 1/2 mile or so. The roofs are still off or being replaced. The trees are snapped off about 3 feet from the ground. The reef is stripped of its plant life and some animal life. It's a flat stark strip of shops with everybody on the edge of their nerves. It is not relaxing.

My guy's daughter was married on GC and he took pictures of lots of areas. It isn't a good stop. It just isn't.

Forgot to add my main point. CG made me that sad. I wouldn't want to be caught on that pier with a child, if you catch a day with 14,000 tourists coming in at once like I did.

I'm sure RC is great. But because of the stops I would definitely do the Princess. They have great program for kids also.

Wow, I dod not know that GC was hit so badly! I am so sorry to hear that.

Why are the ships stopping there now instead of diverting? No, I have not been there since the hurricane adn I live in FL and we had a very bad season but I was lucky. We were only without power for 7 days.

Jeeps are not difficult to rent but they are really pricey. I just priced one for St. Martin next Tuesday and was quoted 71 Euro. that's 100 bucks!

They are stopping there because the people need money- BAD! They previously had docking laws/regulations that are now being superceded by need for inflow of cash. The result is HORRIBLE.

They are trying to take 350 person tenders into an area that used tenders 1/4 to 1/3 of that size. There is little transportation and most of it is in the wrong places. Most people are diverted by the fact that they are on vacation and don't notice/or want to be positive. And they should be- that's fine. But that doesn't make it right what they are doing. Our semi-sub guide told me she can hardly do more than a couple a day now, because looking at the reef the way it is gets to her too much. She told a little girl, "this reef will look like it did last year once again when you are a grandmother."