Mr KW and I are thinking about a 4 day cruise for our anniversary

[KitchenWitch]

Anyone done an early fall Caribbean cruise? What cruiseline? Was it fun?

[hfojvt]

1. stay away from the three hour cruises

you can be stuck on that island forever.

[KitchenWitch]

2. Good point!

[RebelOne]

3. I've been on three cruises in the Caribbean.

Go for it. You won't regret it. The food is fabulous. I gained 7 pounds on one cruise.

[KitchenWitch]

4. What cruise lines?

What ports of call did you go to?

[RebelOne]

7. It's been a long time ago.

But Royal Caribbean was one of them. One cruise was to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Another one was to Nassau. And then I took an overnight cruise to nowhere. That was just 7 miles offshore of Miami. They had to go 7 miles out so you could gamble legally.

[KitchenWitch]

8. What did you think of Royal Caribbean

That is one of the cruiselines we are thinking about!

[RebelOne]

11. Well, I know that they have been around for a long time.

And I don't think you have to worry about them going bankrupt. I believe that was the cruiseline for the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands trip. I think they are Swedish registered and had the best food of all.

And, of course, pay with a credit card in case something does happen. That way you can be guaranteed of receiving your money back.

[hfojvt]

5. I do not know if this will help

but I talked with several people, when I was in customer service, who had pre-paid for a cruise and the cruiseline went bankrupt. They were calling to complain that they still did not have their money back. So you might want to take a look at the cruiseline's finances.

[KitchenWitch]

6. Thank you for that

I think travel insurance may cover that (we planned on buying the travel insurance anyway, since our DD is prone to illness and we have had to cancel trips before due to hospitalization.

[hfojvt]

9. you have your own Daredevil?

that is so cool.
Or it could be a disabled daughter and that is kind of a bummer. But Daredevil was somewhat disabled himself, being blind and all.
Also I wondered why your SO is Mr. KW? Shouldn't he be a garagewarlock or something, basementwizard perhaps? Mr. KW makes it sound like he has no identity of his own, only glomming on to his celebrity spouse.

[KitchenWitch]

10. He doesnt post here!

No, our daughter is not a daredevil...(wish that were the case). She has severe asthma.

[Scooter24]

12. After 12 cruises...

With 3 more currently booked, and in my opinion, I would go with Royal Caribbean (http://www.rccl.com ) Back in 1996, my first cruise was on the RCCL ship "Sovereign of the Seas" out of Miami when it was still doing 7-day Eastern Caribbean sailings. Today though, the ship is doing 3 and 4-day sailings out of Port Canaveral, Florida (about an hour east of Orlando, FL). Another cruise line that I have sailed with is Carnival (http://www.carnival.com ). Carnival tends to attract a lot more college and teenage youth than most other mass-market cruise lines so that could be one deterrent. However, if you both are the non-stop, late-night party types, then no other ship in the Caribbean can match the "party" atmosphere you get on a Carnival cruise (think of it as a floating Las Vegas).

During the day, both lines are about the same as far as activities go. In the evenings, there are vast differences in atmosphere. Royal Caribbean tends to have a more elegant feel in their interior designs - More glass, gold, and marble with lighter carpets, structured lighting, and classical sculptures. RCCL still gets a fair amount of families onboard, but it is far less than what you will find onboard Carnival. The nightlife (meaning after 11pm) onboard RCCL is a bit subdued, with emphasis spent on activities that attract a more grown-up clientele like Latin bars, karaoke bars, and a panoramic jazz club. Both ships have a night club on board which usually goes until 4 am. No matter which ship you choose you will find so many things to do, you won't have time to do them all - Dance contests, scavenger hunts, a men's hairy leg/chest competition pool-side (hehe), belly flop contests, horse racing (no real horses though), food demos, wine tasting's, art auctions, ice carving demos, midnight buffets, galley tours, shops, a full-service spa and gym (with the hottest trainers, hehe, oh! and make sure to sign up for a spinning class), game shows, karaoke idol contests, full stage production shows (like in Vegas), comedians, acrobats, magicians, etc. etc. etc.

You will have to experience both lines to make a decision as they each have their own dedicated fan base. When I cruise, I tend to travel on Carnival over Spring Break, early summers and over the holidays and travel on RCCL in mid to late May and mid to late Summer. I usually avoid Fall cruises as I have so much going on during that time, it is hard for me to put aside a week.

If you are going to be taking an early fall cruise, I can't stress enough about how important getting travel insurance is. It costs about $40-$100/per person depending on length, the insurance you are offered to buy from the cruise line is important should you or your husband need to cancel your cruise at the last minute because of a medical or family emergency or in your case going a fall cruise, travel interruptions due to hurricanes or airline problems. Another tip, wherever you embark from, it would be best to spend the night before your cruise in a hotel. This would save any early departure morning headaches should your flight get delayed or canceled. You can save a TON of money using Priceline (http://www.priceline.com ) or Hotwire (http://www.hotwire.com ) to book your pre-cruise hotel. You can also consult with the Bidding For Travel site (http://www.biddingfortravel.com ) to explain how these sites work and lets you see other winning bids so you can get a feel for what you might be looking to pay.

A site that is priceless for cruise travelers is http://www.CruiseCritic.com . There you will find message boards, ship reviews, pictures, sample menus, tips on packing, etc. I use two online cruise agencies, both are highly recommended, for my cruise travel. Best Price Cruises (http://www.bestpricecruises.com ) and BuyCruises.com (http://www.buycruises.com ). You can also use both sites to get pricing and can also book your travel online.

Your question "Was it fun?" HELL YEAH! For the amount you spend on a cruise, you get all your meals, your transportation, entertainment, and lots of sun and blue water! Alcohol, gambling, shore tours, soft drinks, and tips are additional and vary depending on your consumption, tastes, and adventure level. By the way, I am 24 yo Male.

I will stop rambling now - I hope I didn't bore you to death. LOL
If you have other questions, feel free to message or email me and I will be happy to help.

My most recent cruise: