RCCL Voyager vs Explorer ports of call in Western Caribbean
 

This may be a long shot, but I wanted to see if anyone had a preferance of one of these trips over the other. I am researching, and they both sound good, but hearing it from those who've been there, done that, is always so much more helpful. I am able to get the Voyager trip on 2/10/07 out of Miami for only about $1700 for a balcony (for two people), vs. the Explorer on 1/14/07, for between $2200-2400 for a balcony, so obviously the cheaper one sounds too good to pass up. The two cruises visit the following ports:

Voyager -
Labadee, Jamaica (Ocho Rios), Grand Cayman, Cozumel

Explorer -
Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel, George Town

Both are out of Miami. They're very similar, obviously. Can anyone recommend one over the other?

Thanks for all your help!

I don't think you'll regret one or the other.

I would surely go with Voyager: it is both cheaper and itinerary is better. Labadee and Ocho Rios are befinitely better than Belize and Costa Maya, to me. You may want to check for best price and service with my agent Alex at [email protected]. Tell him spur sent you.

What is it you enjoy doing on a cruise and on land? I don't consider cruising the best way to experience anything in the islands, really. You have limited time at a stop and should choose your activities accordingly. I'm not a shopper and could care less about jewelry and t-shirts, but enjoy swimming and snorkeling. Cayman and Cozumel are great for that. Labadee is basically a beach day- people rent waverunners, they serve a picnic lunch, there's beach volleyball, but the water's not that pretty blue and there are no reefs or fish. Ocho Rios you'll be pretty much confined to a private beach, Margaritaville or a trip to Dunn's Falls. If you do that, go with Peat Taylor, not a ship excursion. The Explorer and Voyager are nearly identical. (I've been on Voyager twice) Very nice, but I prefer the Navigator and the Mariner. They have Pacific rim food (Jade) a latin club( Boleros), and most important the wine bar, Vintages. I also like the way the Windjammer is designed on the two newer ships. All the ships have the fun Promenade and good workout facilities and ice shows. It IS fun to have a balcony- we enjoy having lunch there and hearing the waves at night. ((8))

I agree with Spur. I had the opportunity to sail both ships this year although to the Eastern Caribbean and I thought Voyager was the nicer ship. They are basically the same, I just thought the decorations were nicer and the crew seemed better. Labadee cant be missed, a truly laid back tropical experience.

Can anybody tell me more about Labadee, in particular, how safe it is? Isn't it a part Haiti where crime and unrest are high?

Labadee is at the tip of Haiti. It is well protected and security extremely tight. Only a few Haitians are allowed to work there to perform, sell crafts, etc. There is no begging, crime or anything like that. If you look up into the hills, you'll see fences. A few RCCL employees live and work there- we talked to them about it. There are fishing villages near the region and that has depleted the fish in the area, and there are no reefs close to the shore, so you won't enjoy snorkeling there. The water isn't the pretty aqua/clear that you see in St John eitheer. However, there are a few ruins, several beaches, beach sports (volleyball) shopping for Haitian art and crafts, buffet lunch, native music and dance, LOTS of bars and hammocks and floats for relaxing. You can rent wave runners for $100 and go out in a group (my husband loved it) and there's a children's area with water trampoline, etc as well.

I was wondering about that too. It should be safe as the cruise line could be liable for taking passengers to unsafe area where harm could occur.

yes...for instance, RCCL stopped going to St Croix because they couldn't control some things. I suspect Jamaica is a real hot spot for them as well after reading some stories. We've been there twice on cruises , but always stayed with our group (Peat Taylor) or just strolled to Margaritaville. Too bad, it would be nice to see the country...

Thank you, LLindaC, that was a good information.

Roswalt: Your reply to "Z" on that other thread about documentation was appropriate. You just can't talk sense with her. Oh well.
Linda: Wow! I didn't know things were so bad in St. Croix.

http://stcroixusvi.thebeach.vi/st-croix-cruise.html

I didn't state that quite properly...Carnival was the first, followed by HAL to pull out of St Croix. They cited safety concerns, but some locals thought the reason was that they weren't making enough money there (local vendors, kickbacks, docking fees, etc) Statistically, there is more crime in St Thomas than any other Virgin Island. I think some RCL ships are now returning there as well as MSC.I know it is a big economic boost to islands.

Labadee is very nice, however, if you would rather not be bothered by people bugging you to buy their stuff, I would stay away from the market area.

Thank you Linda.