Considering a Southern Caribbean cruise? Well, you’ll have to sail out of Florida, right? Maybe not. For the better price and better quality, perhaps San Juan, Puerto Rico is you ideal port to embark from.
The following quick case study compares two similar Southern Caribbean itineraries offered by Carnival Cruises departing on January 18 and 19, 2014. The Carnival Breeze leaves Miami, Florida on January 18 for an eight night cruise while the Carnival Valor departs San Juan on January 19 for a nine night cruise.
Please note that all pricing and availability was accurate as of July 20, 2013 and is subject to change at any time. This information should be used as a reference only. Also, this case study simply compares the facts and is not a review of Carnival Cruises, the two ships or any of the ports. All pricing is in Canadian dollars and taken from Expedia.ca.
Carnival Breeze
Itinerary
Over the eight nights at sea, the Breeze has three full days at sea. After leaving Miami, the ship makes four port calls.
- Grand Turk Island, Turks & Caicos
- La Romana, Dominican Republic
- Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
- Oranjestad, Aruba
Click to enlarge.
Stateroom Pricing
- Interior $725
- Ocean View $963
- Balcony $1,233
- Suite $1,917
The Ship
The Carnival Breeze is a Dream Class ship that came in service in June, 2012. Like most of Carnival’s ships, the Breeze was built by Fincantieri in Italy.
The Breeze has a gross tonnage of 128,500 and is 305 metres, or 1002 feet, in length. She has 15 passenger decks and a capacity for 3,690 of those passengers, along with 1,386 crew members.
The Flight
A round trip from Toronto to Miami, leaving on January 18 and returning on January 26 currently can be had for as low as $416, taxes included. This particular flight would be direct via Air Canada. Of course, the dates are tight and anyone taking this cruise should think about staying in Miami a night before and a night after the cruise.
Carnival Valor
Itinerary
The Southern Caribbean cruise out of Puerto Rico is a night shorter than the one out of Miami, at seven. However, this cruise spends just one full day at sea and has five different port calls. Interestingly, the cruise out of Puerto Rico does not share any port calls with the cruise out of Miami.
- St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Bridgetown, Barbados
- Castries, Saint Lucia
- Basseterre, St. Kitts
- Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Click to enlarge.
Stateroom Pricing
- Interior $424
- Ocean View $445
- Balcony $756
- Suite $1,108
The Ship
The Carnival Valor has been in service since 2004 and was also built by Fincantieri. The Valor is a Conquest Class ship that is smaller than the Breeze. The gross tonnage is 111,000 with a length of 290 metres or 952 feet. On board, the capacity 2,974 passengers have access to 13 decks and are served by up to 1,180 crew members.
The Flight
Getting to San Juan, Puerto Rico from Toronto most always involves a connection in the United States. Typically, the connections are made in either New York City, Miami or Charlotte.
Currently, a flight leaving Toronto on January 19 and returning on January 26 can be had for as low as $518, including taxes. The best bet is on American Airlines.
