Hi. I just wandered in from Hermes land. My DH and I have been cruising since our honeymoon in 1981. We've lost count. We have done some lovely Caribbean cruises and a few repositioning cruises. They (repositioning) are wonderful values if you don't mind lots of sea days; probably Atlantic crossing days. Since the airlines have become so restrictive and maddening, we have been cruising from NY. It's an easy drive for us and we are able to sail on the Queen Mary 2 every other year. This fall (Thanksgiving) we are giving Royal Caribbean another try. We got a lovely deal on an Owners Suite.
Using cruisecritic for reference is a very good idea. Also, there are some great books on cruising out there; Fodors and such.
If I can be of any help to any of you, as an experienced and savvy cruiser, feel free to PM me. I am familiar with the shopping. Oh, the shopping in the Caribbean. Just be careful to know what you are looking for and be familiar with prices.