Help Me Choose a Cruise

[Melly808]

Help me decide which cruise to choose. I just can't make a decision. This will be our first ever cruise. We will be traveling with 4yo and 8yo.

Option 1. 5-day Merrytime departing Miami 12/24 on Magic with stops at Cozumel and Castaway Cay.

Pros - on ship for Christmas.
Cons- only 2 stops.

Option 2. 5 day Bahamian departing Miami on Magic 12/29 with stops in Key West, Nassau, and Castaway Cay.

Pros - 3 stops.
Cons- not a Merrytime cruise.

Would you choose Christmas on ship with fewer stops or after Christmas with extra stop? My ideal would be the 3 stops and on ship for Christmas but that is not an option.

Help me decide!!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Help me decide which cruise to choose. I just can't make a decision. This will be our first ever cruise. We will be traveling with 4yo and 8yo.

Option 1. 5-day Merrytime departing Miami 12/24 on Magic with stops at Cozumel and Castaway Cay.

Pros - on ship for Christmas.
Cons- only 2 stops.

Option 2. 5 day Bahamian departing Miami on Magic 12/29 with stops in Key West, Nassau, and Castaway Cay.

Pros - 3 stops.
Cons- not a Merrytime cruise.

Would you choose Christmas on ship with fewer stops or after Christmas with extra stop? My ideal would be the 3 stops and on ship for Christmas but that is not an option.

Help me decide!!!

I chose option 1. Reason - while I don't particularly care for the themed cruises, the Christmas ones aren't as annoying to me. And, I don't care too much for either Key West, or Nassau. Much prefer sea days.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

I'd love to be on a cruise for Christmas, but my only concern would be the whole Santa thing. .. will you bring gifts? Will he have come to your house while you were away? I guess stockings would be easy enough. ..

 

[Melly808]

I chose option 1. Reason - while I don't particularly care for the themed cruises, the Christmas ones aren't as annoying to me. And, I don't care too much for either Key West, or Nassau. Much prefer sea days.

What is it about Key West and Nassau you don't like? I've never been to either.

 

[Shanti]

I'm voting for cruise 1 for you because you want to cruise over Christmas. For a first cruise, I wouldn't worry about one less port. You might end up enjoying the sea days even more than the ports on a Disney cruise.

If you take the Christmas cruise, be sure to sign up for gingerbread house making as soon as you board the ship (no online sign up available for this activity).

 

[Melly808]

I'm voting for cruise 1 for you because you want to cruise over Christmas. For a first cruise, I wouldn't worry about one less port. You might end up enjoying the sea days even more than the ports on a Disney cruise.

If you take the Christmas cruise, be sure to sign up for gingerbread house making as soon as you board the ship (no online sign up available for this activity).

Thank you for the gingerbread house tip!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What is it about Key West and Nassau you don't like? I've never been to either.

Key West, I've been there before. Back in the day before the clothing optional people moved in. OK, so I'm too straight-laced, but I don't think you should be able to walk down the street with just body paint as your clothes.

Nassau, we were there once, and, IMO, there's not a whole lot to see/do there.

 

[Marc D]

Nassau, we were there once, and, IMO, there's not a whole lot to see/do there.

There's not much to do, the vendors are pushy, Atlantis is too expensive for what it offers and, while you need to be careful about safety in every port, it is telling that the info about that port in the DCL app is about the crime rate instead of the city's history like in other ports. I was there last week and will not disembark the ship next time around.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Help me decide which cruise to choose. I just can't make a decision. This will be our first ever cruise. We will be traveling with 4yo and 8yo.

Option 1. 5-day Merrytime departing Miami 12/24 on Magic with stops at Cozumel and Castaway Cay.

Pros - on ship for Christmas.
Cons- only 2 stops.

Option 2. 5 day Bahamian departing Miami on Magic 12/29 with stops in Key West, Nassau, and Castaway Cay.

Pros - 3 stops.
Cons- not a Merrytime cruise.

Would you choose Christmas on ship with fewer stops or after Christmas with extra stop? My ideal would be the 3 stops and on ship for Christmas but that is not an option.

Help me decide!!!

Without a doubt option 1.

1 - Cozumel is much better than Nassau.

2 - I'd love to be on a cruise on Christmas Day, spent many at Disneyland and love it.

3 - Love, love, love sea days.

 

[Melly808]

There's not much to do, the vendors are pushy, Atlantis is too expensive for what it offers and, while you need to be careful about safety in every port, it is telling that the info about that port in the DCL app is about the crime rate instead of the city's history like in other ports. I was there last week and will not disembark the ship next time around.

Good to know. Thanks for the info.

 

[Laundress]

I would go with #1. The idea of Christmas on the ship sounds magical and the 2 stops would be ok.
Your sea day the ship is your destination, exploring the ship.

 

[tigerchic89]

I'd pick the cheaper cruise. If they are the same price, choose 1

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

My ideal would be the 3 stops and on ship for Christmas but that is not an option.

This quote makes me vote for option 1. If you like being on the ship for Christmas, then go for it! One less stop or different ports won't be such a big deal. There is so much to do on the ship, you'll be glad for the extra sea day. We did Cozemel and Castaway Cay. These are nice ports!

 

[Melly808]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! Looks like option 1 is the winner!

 

[o&smom]

If you are good with being on the ship for Christmas, I vote for option #1. You will have so much to do on your first cruise, that 2 port days is an advantage. Our first cruise was 10 days with 2 sea days. There was another option of the same cruise with 3 sea days and I could not figure out why you would choose that one until about four days into our cruise and we were all overwhelmed and WANTED that other sea day.