Input Requested

[Zooms]

Our local NA casino gave us certificates for "free" Carnival cruise, mine is up to 14 days in a balcony cabin, hubs for up to 7 days inside cabin. His is good for Mexico, New England, Caribbean excluding Bermuda. Mine is good for all of those including Bermuda plus Alaska. We want to take my sister & her husband, so we're looking at Caribbean. So, any thoughts on port of departure & destinations? Ships to avoid? Any other tips on what to expect?

[CTslotters]

Our local NA casino gave us certificates for "free" Carnival cruise, mine is up to 14 days in a balcony cabin, hubs for up to 7 days inside cabin. His is good for Mexico, New England, Caribbean excluding Bermuda. Mine is good for all of those including Bermuda plus Alaska. We want to take my sister & her husband, so we're looking at Caribbean. So, any thoughts on port of departure & destinations? Ships to avoid? Any other tips on what to expect?
Can't comment on Carnival, we've only done Disney Cruise Line and Celebrity, but for Carribean island I recommend Grand Cayman, we loved our port excursion there, and we loved the cooking excursion in Cozumel (most cruise lines have the same excursions). Both are reviewed in my cruise trip report!
Happy planning and enjoy that balcony!

[Nhcris]

Depending on when you are planning to go, Eastern Caribbean is a mess and some islands will be for awhile. Western is nice, wth the exception of Jamaica imo. Southern is the best. It really depends on what you like to do. I haven't cruised Carnival for years, but I would choose one of their newer ships if you can.

[Zooms]

Thanks for the responses. My sis said her hubby doesn't want to do Caribbean, they'd prefer Alaska, & they're willing to pay for theirs, so we may get to do that, plus Caribbean. We may cruise out of Baltimore, so we'll be close-ish to Philly to visit son & his family. The Carnival Pride seems to be the only ship for that port, so I'll have to do some research on that. We'd probably go in late Feb or in March. Hubs is planning to (at least mostly) retire at the end of December, so we'll have time. Just not that much money!
The eastern Caribbean cruises out of Baltimore go to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, & Freeport. The 7 day Bahamas cruise goes to Princess Cay, Nassau, & Freeport.

I don't know about the balcony, I have a fear of heights, but the balcony would be on the Alaska cruise. The Caribbean one would be inside cabin.

[Nhcris]

Alaska is fabulous! One of our all time favorite cruises, although we were on a different cruise line. We have also sailed the Pride out of Baltimore and she s a nice ship. Half Moon Cay is one of the nicest private islands an Grand Turk is a neat port, so if the timing works for that itinerary that would be my choice.

[Zooms]

We haven't made a decision on the Caribbean cruise, but I made our reservations for Alaska today. One interesting thing I learned is that some of the rooms classified as "inside" actually have French doors & a "seating area" outside said French doors, but the view is mostly of the bottom of a lifeboat...unless you get one that is between two lifeboats & then you have a view of the lifeboat supports & the ocean/horizon. I got my sis one of those for $330 less than an ocean view cabin.

[Zooms]

The Pride is the same class (Spirit class) as the Legend, it might have the same type of room. Hubs' cruise is for an inside cabin.

[Zooms]

We're booked on the Pride in early March, but I think it's just Bahamas. Hubs had a question about the casino, specifically, do they comp beverages in the casino?