As a longtime traveler but first-time cruiser, I was excited about sailing to exotic destinations in luxury. So in 2007, I tried three cruises. Here is how they compared.

Ship: Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas
Departure: Port Canaveral, Fla.
Itinerary: Nassau, Bahamas; Coco Cay

Coco Cay was the highlight of this three-night cruise and my favorite destination from all of the cruises. The ship was launched in 1988 so don’t expect all the amenities of newer ships. But the cruise offers a lot of bang for the buck, as little as $199 for a four-night cruise. Better hurry, though. The ship will be transferred out of the fleet late next year.

Ship: Carnival Ecstasy
Departure: Galveston, Texas
Itinerary: Cozumel, Mexico

This ship was launched in 1991 and has too much neon for my taste. Although the cruise was four nights, I only had one hour on a beautiful Mexican beach. Still, the party aboard the excursion catamaran and the nice sitting areas on the deck made this a fun trip. Our voyage was smooth, but later in August, hurricanes tore through the Gulf of Mexico.

Ship: Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas
Departure: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Itinerary: George Town, Cayman Islands; Ocho Rios, Jamacia

Launched in 1997, the ship was recently split down the middle to add a new 73-foot midsection. It was the best of the three ships, but service was lacking. We were unable to take the tender at Grand Cayman due to high ocean swells, even though skies were clear. With no alternative destination and only half a day in Jamaica, the itinerary on this five-night cruise was disappointing.

Above photos by Charles Williams/P-D