New Year, New Cruises?

[Cruising Caribbean]

Happy New Year! I can't believe 2024 is officially here. I already have one cruise booked in February 2024, but my goal is to add one more to this year's vacation roster. Does anyone have some new and exciting 2024 cruise plans? In February, I will be cruising on a ship I have already enjoyed in the years past. The cruise I would like to book for Fall 2024 would ideally be something out of the ordinary for me. Any suggestions outside of the Carribean would be much appreciated! 

[3Sisters]

You could try Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship. If you want something new and exciting, that could be the ship. I had high hopes that the ship would leave the Caribbean at some point but in fact I was incorrect. Icon of the Seas will be cruising in the Caribbean into 2026! I wonder when the ship will move on to different itineraries. For now, we can expect this massive ship to stay put for a few years. 

[LukeJ]

Happy new year to you all. This is a good year for cruising I can feel it. I do have one cruise booked, and just like @Cruising Caribbean I'm looking to try and get another one booked in the calendar year. Maybe a river cruise or even a cruise around the Canadian waters would be a good bet.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I think so too! I have yet to book a Canadian cruise. Have you cruised there before? I would love to read your recommendations for disembarkation ports and cruise lines. I would prefer to disembark from the US if possible, but I know that will limit my itinerary options. This year I would love to cruise somewhere new! Most of my cruise history has been embarking from Florida, and exploring the Caribbean. In 2025, I have a big trip to Peru planned, but I want to expand my horizons for 2024!

[LukeJ]

No I haven't been to Canada as of yet, one for the bucket list maybe. It looks such a wonderful country, with the views and locations amazing. I've heard the people are so friendly, it exites me to go someday 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ Canada is so diverse! It seems like such a reasonable option for me because it borders my homeland. Technically it could be driveable, but it would be a long drive. Cruising around is definitely more my style! Which areas in Canada would you want to explore first?

[LukeJ]

How long would it take to drive around Canada do you think? As I stated, I've always wanted to visit the country and do the train ride through the Rockies. If that isn't possible, then yes cruise would be the ideal way to go around. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ It depends on where you would want to go! Canada is huge. I would love to do the Vancouver route, but I saw more options cruising out of the New England side. RCL has some great Canadian cruise options out of New York, New Jersey, and Boston. That entire region would be a new experience for me. Canada is about a 20-hour drive for me. It would be a trek. I would likely opt to fly at that point. It just takes too long to make it to the final destination. It would be too many days off of work.

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas yes the Vancouver route is what I looked into. The view from that train ride blew me away. So wherever that goes, and the cost wouldn't really stop me from doing that. 20 hours is a long good old drive, as we can to the entire UK less than that.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ It sounds like we have similar cruise interests. I'm also a train lover, and the one you are describing sounds like a must see. Since I travel with my family, it's even harder to imagine how many time I would hear "I have to pee" and "Are we there yet?" At least during this stage in my life, driving like that is out of the question. I would like to cruise north next instead of south, so a Canadian route is in my future, but I wouldn't drive to the port. Do you typically cruise out of the UK? 

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas it's a universal scenario with kids unfortunately. And spend more time stopping for breaks than travelling some times. Yes we always sail out of UK, mainly Portsmouth or Southampton. If there is an opportunity to fly to America to sail from one of the big ports, then it's something that we would consider.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ There are so many great cruises out of Southampton. Both are great ports, but I have yet to get there. It's something I will do in the future. The farther away the port is the more I will have to save to get there, but I most definitely want to explore there. I don't mind the extra stops as much as I mind the car atmosphere. To be fair, it's not fun to be int he car for more than a few hours. I also don't allow tablets in my car because one of my children gets car sick so that doesn't help. A tablet in the car could absolutely help with the "Are we there yet's?" Celebrity Cruises has some great Southampton options, but I will need to save up before I commit to an itinerary! Have you cruised with Celebrity Cruises before? 

[LukeJ]

No I do agree that the travel in the car is a bit of a chore. I would require to travel 5 hours to get to the port of Southampton or Portsmouth. If I have a rest stop, it will be even longer, so I do try to travel there in one long trip rather than break it up, but it's important to everyone to stretch their legs in between the journey. We always travel down the day before and stay in a hotel. But once onboard, it's always worth it I find. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ You can always try the night drive! My family seems to operate best at 4am. It sounds crazy but the early morning drive is usually the best way for us. It's dark and, oftentimes, the kids end up falling back asleep. You catch a great sunrise and can stop off at a drive through for some breakfast entertainment, including a coffee pick-me-up. Usually, I will leave the kids in pajamas and once we arrive at the first "stretch your legs stop" everyone gets dressed into real clothes. The hotel stop is a great option for longer drives, but 5 hours is pretty manageable with an early morning drive. My kids are basically zombies; the car is pretty quiet for the first half and I love it so much better. 

I'm right there with you! Everything is worth it once you make it on the cruise ship. Things can be a bit rocky waiting in line, but after that you grab a drink and things are dandy. 

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas that's not a bad idea to be fair, the issue is that you would arrive in Southampton for example first thing in the morning and unable to check in until midday and nowhere to park. But that's just the trivial thing. I always hate the travel home after the vacation. You step off the ship, and then the thought of driving that way home daunts you. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ This is a really good pointer. I have yet to travel there. Does Southampton lack parking? Is there a way to go to brunch and walk around somewhere before heading to the port midday? The drive home after an epic vacation is daunting for sure. It's just this moment of sadness that you must return to reality, without an unlimited food buffet at your home. The unlimited food buffet is something I long for. I prep breakfast, lunch, and dinner at my home about 28 days a month. Not having to do that on vacation is a break I couldn't appreciate more. I know why private chefs made the good bucks. Coming up with creative food to eat three times a day is not easy. I fall short and end up doing healthy cereal for breakfast more days than I would like to admit! 

[LukeJ]

It's just like a typical busy UK city, that parking is very limited and you could drive around and around just looking for anywhere to park, which as you can imagine can get very frustrating after you've been travelling for some time. Some hotels do have car parks underneath, but if you're over a certain height, you cannot get in there and you end up searching for places that you can park, and find yourself some distance away from your destination.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ Thanks for reinforcing that information! It's very reassuring to read this information from someone who has visited Southampton in the past. I will automatically assume that if I cruise out of Southampton I will choose to taxi instead of rent a vehicle. I would also plan to arrive the day prior. There really is no point to rent a car to have it sitting at the port anyhow. I wouldn't want to be frustrated about parking the whole visit. I can only imagine parking around there is so expensive anyhow! I feel this very way about New York City. I would not want to rent a car in New York City. I would travel at the speed of 2mph. Walking is always the faster option. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. As a newbie I probably would have rented a car and regretted it. 

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas I'm happy to pass on experiences. Southampton is a lovely city too, I do like the area, and yes I believe taxis are best to get around rather than hiring a vehicle anyhow. UK cities aren't as big obviously geographically than the US, so it doesn't take all that long to get around the area, meaning taxis are a better bet.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ You are a wealth of knowledge! I have heard lovely things about Southampton, so I can only imagine I would want time to explore the are before hopping aboard a cruise itinerary. The biggest issue for me and my family is that we need a very large taxi to get around. I currently have three in carseats and typically three suitcases to lug around as well (at least to and from the port/airport). Lining up the taxi service ahead of time is usually our best bet because of how much space we need. It would be a bonus not to have the liability of driving a vehicle in very unknown territory. I believe the cars steering wheel is on the opposite side of what I'm accustomed to in the US. I'm thinking taxi is the only way. 

[LukeJ]

You can book larger taxis than can hold all your family. Or pre-book something before arriving in the city in case you get stuck. Organisation is key. Driving on the opposite side is a strange experience ha ha. If your natural instinct is to drive a certain way, then going around the roundabout in the opposite direction is unnerving. I'm told that America do not have roundabouts, is this true?

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ Yes booking larger taxis is the way to go. They usually just take longer to arrive; so pre-booking them is the way to go. I think I would be so awful at figuring out the driving situation! I would prefer to avoid that if possible. It's very likely I automatically choose the wrong side and cause an accident. It must take time to re-train your brain. I'm a right dominant person and if you ask me to do anything with my left hand, it's has terrible outcome. I didn't even think about the roundabouts! The potential of renting a car is completely off the table now. That's not true at all! Americans drive on roundabouts and where I'm from, they are all over the place! If designed properly, roundabouts are a great solution for speed and traffic. Drivers need to follow roundabout rules though. There are rules! If those rules aren't followed, consider there is an accident in the making. 

[LukeJ]

I tend to agree and understand what you're saying, and I would be in the same position as you. There are some terrible roundabouts around, and there is always near accidents as nobody has a clue where to go on them. In Swindon, England, there is what's called the magic roundabout. It has a large roundabout and eight smaller roundabouts coming off it. Confusing is not the word. Done it once, never again 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ A river cruise could be great! I haven't taken one yet. The only thing I have heard about river cruises is that they are usually smaller ships filled with a majority of older people. Which regions are you considering for a river cruise? In terms of roundabouts, the United States has them all over. I think those in Europe are much more common and intensified. The one you described sounds like a death trap. You usually find roundabouts on side streets or roads that aren't that congested. Many neighborhoods have roundabouts, but it's mainly for aesthetic reasons.