Which cruise sounds the best?

[WVBOBCATMOM]

I can't make up my mind. All 7 days.
1. Carb. Princess to St. Martin, St. Thomas, and Princ. Cay.
2. Carnival Valor to Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Martin.
3. Carnival Triumph to St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay.
4. Norw. Dawn to Samana, St. Thomas, Tortola, Great Stirrup Cay.

[WVBOBCATMOM]

I can't make up my mind. All 7 days.
1. Carb. Princess to St. Martin, St. Thomas, and Princ. Cay.
2. Carnival Valor to Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Martin.
3. Carnival Triumph to St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay.
4. Norw. Dawn to Samana, St. Thomas, Tortola, Great Stirrup Cay.

[f-mattox]

I would go with Princess, but only because I know nothing about the other three ships and have not been to any of the ports. They all sound great. I might even be tempted to just pick one out of a hat in the spirit of adventure and desire to try something new.

[Andrealovescruising]

Hi WV. Welcome. Fellow posters seem to all concur. Princess Lines does it best.
I've only cruised CCL and RCCL.
My husband and I are looking at Princess for our next trip just based on the great accolades that others on this site give it.
A'ndrea

[Lil' Lori]

I would ask myself- 1. Do I really care what cruise line I am on? 2. Do I want 4 ports with less sea days? 3. Do I want 3 ports with more sea days? 4. Do I really care what ports I go to? 5. Do I care if one cost less then another? I would answer these questions, if you haven't already. I have been on an older Princess ship, and an older Carnival ship. I would sail Princess again without any reservation. Carnival, I would only sail on a new ship. I have never been on Norweigian. Anyways, this is how I would go about my decision. If you still can't decide, and really don't care which ship or itinerary you go on. Then, I personally would go by cost, or as F-mattox suggested, to pick one out of the hat. That sounds like a fun idea. Good luck, Lil' Lori

[TrvlPro]

I like f-mattox idea as well, never picked one out of a hat but like the idea. That's what the cruiselines do with your cabin when you book a guarantee. I once booked a flight that way, there was a flight clearing house... one of those online services. I can't remember which one but they offer to fly you somewhere for a four day weekend for like $50. R/T. The only catch was, you didn't get to choose where and had to be ready to go when they called with your reservation. I ended up in Seattle and had a ball. Ate in the Space needle, visited the old Worlds Fair grounds and a clown taught me how to juggle. Learned what a Gooey Duck was and took a day ship to Vancouver. Bets $50. I ever spent.

Cheers, Neil

[f-mattox]

Thank you Lil' Lori and Neil;

I was kind of kidding, but kind of not. I think there is way too much hand-wringing over some of these decisions. You can't plan a cruise with a slide rule (boy, did I date myself with that one!); yes Virginia, at one time, engineers and scientists plumbed the secrets of the universe by sliding two pieces of wood together with a little clear plastic thingy with a line on it ....

When my friends ask where I'm going next, I usually say, "I don't know; I'll have to wait and see what pops up in my mailbox".

[tncruiseman]

WYN: The order that you posted the choices is actually the order that I would select. On an itinerary with more than 2 days-at-sea, go for the biggest and newest! F-mattox and others, I have an open reservation w/onboard credit with Princess that has to be booked before next March and definitely want to do a Meditteranean or similar itinerary of 10-12 days. Without digging trouble, do you have any immediate recommendation as to ship and departure port? Airfare is not an issue because I almost have enough points to get to the moon. THANKS!

[f-mattox]

Hello tncruiseman;

my Europe brochure only goes to December of this year; do you have until next March to book or do you have to travel by then?

No matter--I'll work with the book I have. If this is your first Mediterranean cruise, or if you just like the idea of the biggest and the newest, you couldn't go wrong with the 12 day Grand Mediterranean on the Emerald Princess.

But if you have been there before, or like me, you're dying to try one of the smaller R class ships (I don't know what else to call them) two 12 day sailings on Royal Princess jump off the page at me: one, the Connoisseur's Mediterranean has the usual Barcelona, Rome, Sorrento/Capri, Istanbul and Athens;
but then adds the stunning St.Tropez, Portofino, Santorini and my favorite in the Med., Valletta, Malta--an absolutely beautiful and facinating port/country. This itinerary sails between Barcelona and Athens, or the reverse.

The Mediterranean Collection looks nice also--12 days, Rome to Venice. But if I was going to book tomorrow, it would be the Mediterranean Mosaic; 12 days round trip from Rome. There is only one sailing--October 11--but it has the advantage of being in the Fall when the weather is more hospitable and the Europeans are back at work. And besides Malta, it visits another facinating little place--Gibraltar. I also like that it has three sea days; two together just past the half-way mark as a kind of nice "sea break".

Well sir, those would be my suggestions. But I'm sure you'll have a great cruise whichever one you decide on.

Have fun deciding!

Rick

[Christie]

Is there more of a younger or older crowd on the Princess ships?