Expert: Linda - 12/19/2002

Question
please give me as much information as you can about carnival cruises out of miami to east caribbean

Answer
OK, I'll start and if I miss anything you can let me know.  The ships leave out of the port of Miami, with the exception of one that leaves from Ft. Lauderdale.  The itinerary varies some by ship, also depends on the number of days you are sailing.  The 3-4 day ships leave Miami and go to Nassau, overnight in Nassau, then cruise home.  Freeport or other small island added for 4 day cruises.  For 7 days, all will sail to St. Thomas, great for water sports, snorkel and sightseeing as well as shopping.  You also may hit St. Maarten, also nice island, Martinique, Curacao or San Juan.  For ships with Carnival, I prefer the newer ships, they're glitzy, lots to do, good size cabins, good entertainment.  Carnival prices are fair for their product.  They do run a lot of specials depending on the time of year you are sailing.  There are less choices during the summer as a lot of ships move to Alaska for the May-Sept season.  Least expensive time to cruise is last week in November and first 2 weeks in December.  Have you gotten a brochure yet?  First you need to decide how long you want to sail, then where,and when then decide what you can pay, which will help you make some decisions regarding time to sail and type of cabin.  Carnival has a web site with information and there are lots of list serve groups out there where you can look at the questions that are asked and cruisers answers.  Carnival has lots and lots of "stuff" to do on shore, after you decide what you want to do, you can do it with the ship or on your own.  I hope this gets you started, if you have a specific question, just ask.

Linda