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Best ship for ABC


41m33

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Like many of you, I'm anxiously awaiting the new 2018 itineraries while planning a Fall 2018 sailing to hopefully include the ABC islands. Right now it seems my ship choices are Navigator and Adventure. Can anyone advise me on which they'd choose? Any speculation on what ships might cover similar itineraries?

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Either would be a good choice as both have been recently enhanced. Adventure will give you more posts and fewer sea days, while Navigator will give you a slightly longer cruise and a stop at Labadee. Airfare is a bit more to San Juan, but it's also worth spending a couple of days there.

 

I'd probably look at pricing and go from there.

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I have to say, without doubt, and out of all the sailings I've had, the ABC sailing on NotS was my favorite by far.   Navigator was my first ship many, many moons ago, and I would probably argue gave me the cruise bug and moreover, made me 'loyal to royal'. 

 

With that said, and this is just my opinion, there are a lot of sea days which I too love, but the onboard activities at times felt a little thin in quantity and variety.  Obviously the Schooner Bar trivia hours are very entertaining, and the evening entertainment kept things fresh, but during the day, I found myself a few times, just retreating back to my stateroom and sitting on the balcony to read.  And that's not a good, or bad thing.  

 

I'd be interested to try Adventure, as she just exited her renovation, but moreover, I'll be interested to see if Royal changes which ships make the ABC itinerary.   The piers didn't strike me as particularly small in any of the three islands, so I would be curious to know what the maximum size vessel they can accommodate.  

 

In any event - if I had to choose between Navigator and Adventure, I'd choose Navigator for the soul purpose of being able to embark right from portMiami.  From where I live in the mid west, airfare to SJP to catch Adventure makes it virtually cost prohibitive. 

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Agree with above, I checked the airfare to San Juan even from New Orleans was a lot more than a cheapie R/T Southwest ticket to FLL with transfer $15PP to Miami. Even managed to find a cheapie A/A flight to Miami direct.

 

Have been to San Juan on another cruise, would not mind sailing out of there. I don't find the cruise prices much better though for sailings from SJ.  

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There is also another option to see the ABC islands.  We are on the Vision out of New Jersey on 10/23/17 bringing the ship to Galveston for  a 14 day cruise.  It stops at the ABC islands as well as Labadee, Georgetown, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Progresso.  Nice mixture of sea days and stops.

 

Assuming you live in NJ like me, I shudder to think what that one-way airfare to Newark from Galveston must cost.  :blink: 

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Bill, that seems like

 

There is also another option to see the ABC islands.  We are on the Vision out of New Jersey on 10/23/17 bringing the ship to Galveston for  a 14 day cruise.  It stops at the ABC islands as well as Labadee, Georgetown, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Progresso.  Nice mixture of sea days and stops.

Bill, that seems like a very nice itinerary. I checked and there are no suites left.  Boo....

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I live in Houston and the airfare is not that bad.  However we are flying to Orlando to get on the Oasis for a b2b first which ends on Sunday the 22nd, then catch flight to New Jersey for overnight stay and then get on the Vision Monday for the 14 day cruise.  Great itinerary.  The flight would have been about $400.00 total for the two of us from Houston to New Jersey and we will just drive home from Galveston when we get there.

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Assuming the choice is Navigator or Adventure, they both have their advantages.  For me, it might come down to considerations like time off (Navigator is 9 nights vs Adventure at 7), price, and how important the other port days are to you (Labadee vs other Caribbean ports).

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