My husband and I (early 30s) have decided to take our first cruise. We want to do a 10/11 (or 7) day cruise in the Caribbean, but we can't decide where to go or which ship. The books make ALL of the ships look fantastic, and then reading the reviews clouds things even further -- one person raves, and another rants...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Where about in the Carribean do you want to hit? Do you like to party or are you quiet? Would you like to include the Panama Canal? Is flying a problem? What is your budget? Many things have to be taken into consideration. I would suggest going to a cruise only travel agent, and they can find your likes and dislikes, and recommend the best cruise for you. Make out a list before you go as to what you want and don't want. It will make it easier for all of you. Good luck!

We like a bit of everything. We've never been in the Caribbean before, so we're interested in anything. We'd like a round-trip departure -- the airfare costs for the ones that start in one place and end in the other are astronomical. The airfare prices from Vancouver, Canada (where we live) and Florida are reasonable (less than $1000 Canadian per person). We figure on spending about $6,000 Cdn -- $4000 US on the cruise ship room alone. We want to enjoy a bit of luxury (I've heard that getting a balcony is great), but not break the bank!
A local travel agent suggested we try the Tahitian Princess, and while we loved the itinerary, we thought we'd want a few more bells and whistles on the ship itself.

We definitely want a 10/11-day cruise.

Either the Golden or Sun Princess and the two large ship of the Royale line have all the bells and whistles. We just got off of the Golden and were very impressed. If $4000 is what you are planning for the room only you can get a nice suite. If this is the total amount then you need to keep some money in reserve for tips, drinks, excursions etc. It is worty having a balcony. It is nice to have room service in the morning and sit on the balcony drinking your coffee. Room service is included in the per diem tip that Princess puts on your bill.

Good luck

Hi!
I'm a little confused about your travel agent suggesting the Tahitian Princess. I thought that was doing just the Tahiti area, but then you never know with ships being shifted daily. I agree with Ridgid about Princess. Almost any of the Princess ships would qualify. We're doing a 10 day on the Dawn which leaves on the 30th. When you say $4,000, is that American or Canadian money, as that would make a difference. I personally wouldn't do a ship any longer that we didn't have a balcony on, yet I know people that insist on an outside cabin, center ship, and the lowest deck possible. Princess is excellent, although I've read complaints. This will be our 4th cruise with them, the 2nd on the Dawn. You have enough activity, and not the "party ship" like Carnival, nor the more dressy like Celebrity. You are also not going to have as many children on the ship, unless you do it during Spring break, which is pretty much most of March through Easter Sunday which is April 18th next year. The Dawn is 10 days round trip from Fort Lauderdale, easy to get to from the airport. Itinerary is their own island, St. Thomas, Dominica, Curacao, Barbados & Isle of Marguerita. They have an alternating itinerary, as do a lot of Princess. I think Princess is the way to go, as it is moderate in most respects. RCL/Celebrity, or Carnival could be a little to much for your in either direction. Think I saw that you were from Vancouver on one of your post. A couple that I've met here at cruise-chat are coming in from Vancouver, so maybe you can connect with her somehow when she returns. I'll print this out to give to her when we meet. She's got quite a group of us together that will be meeting for the first time on the cruise. Hope this helps.