Does my ideal cruise exist?
 

Looking for a cruise to satisfy the following requirements:<BR><BR>Departure preferred from mid-atlantic states (New York to Virginia).<BR>7 to 10 day cruise - preferably Caribbean.<BR>Ship with balcony suites/mini-suites.<BR>NO formal/semi-formal attire. Resort casual/evening attire preferred.<BR>Good food, personal choice dining preferred.<BR><BR>Does anyone know if this exists?<BR>

<BR>Nope

You might want to check out Windstar Cruises. They might satisfy most of your requests. They are very elegant, good food, no formal/semi-formal attire. They are also small (300 people) so you don't feel like a cog in the wheel. They don't leave from your requested locations(not many do) , no balconies - but excellent rooms with vcrs, stereeos.

Sure it does. Try RCCL. They don't enforce any of their dress code requirements. I would say jeans and an open collar shirt is pretty informal at dinner. People showing up for lunch in cut off jeans and tank tops. Kids underage with their parents in the night clubs drinking. I don't think you can get much more informal than that. The rest of it, can't help you there. They leave from Florida, and I have had better food at the local sub shop. I guess one out of three isn't bad.

Windstar-specifically the Windsurf that hold 300 passengers- does NOT leave out of NY to Virginia--- It leaves out of Ft Laud--- and the rest of the line does the Carib out of St.Thomas or Barbadoes===it is very UPSCALE casual-- NOT A CARNIVAL hip/hop neon lights type of cruise-- and they also do NOT have any balconys-- Paul is VERY RIGHT on this matter- What you are looking for in the perameters given do not exist.

Excuse me Andy but Carnival DOES have balconies on their Destiny and Spirit Class ships and in the Suites and Mini Suites on Fantasy Class Ships.<BR>They also have the only NON SMOKING ship out there (it is a Fantasy Class ship-the Paradise.)<BR>Yes, the color schemes are bright, but have become much more elegant as the line evolves.<BR>There is something to do for everyone. I think the food is Better than RCCL, but you will never get truely Gormet food on a 2,000-3,000 Passenger Ship.<BR><BR>Princess has Balconies on some ships and have Departures from Northeast.<BR>They have personal choice dining.<BR>In the next year Celebrity is placing a ship out of Baltimore.<BR>NCL also has some northeast cruises in 7 and 10 day range in the summer and fall with Personal Choice Dining.

No one leaves regularly from NYC except to Burmuda.<BR><BR>The obvious problem with leaving from NYC is that you'll spend four days round trip to the Caribbean. I think it would be difficult to sell. It's less true of Virgina but basically the same problem.