Have you sailed other lines? Opinions please.

[Feelin' Nauti']

My rating:

Celebrity

Princess

RCCL

[bluesea4me]

Thank you everyone. You gave me alot to think about.

 

Now, I'll be honest. When we stepped off of our ship the first time on Carnival, I was NOT impressed. We were bored. I know..you make the most of it...but we are early to bed, early to rise. Heck, our kids came back later than us! They had a blast. Go figure! We weren't sure if we'd book another cruise on ANY ship. We went again in November for a Wedding. Again, not to impressed, and even more against cruising. The employees were great, the shows...so so, but the ports were fantastic! Which, probably is what draws us back to cruising. Plus....it's a way to travel without having to hear my DH complain about another driver. :D

 

Now, we do love the fact that you can see many places in a short period of time for a decent price. But we felt like we were on a time schedule the whole trip. Of course, being a first cruise, you wanted to see what everything was and what it was all about, so I did it to myself. :o

 

We had always wanted to cruise, but on RCCL. Well, with one income, the likelihood of an RCCL was slim to none, and still is. RCCL does appear to have alot of activities and I KNOW the kids would love it, myself included. I am hoping that the next cruise we book will be with them. As the kids get older, it's one less person going along so it'll be cheaper. ;) Perhaps it'd help if we booked one cruise a year or EOY. ;)

 

As for NCL, what is drawing me to them is the freestyle. NO dressing up. I'm not skinny like I used to be, so looking good isn't like before. I can skip that. :rolleyes: But, I was worried that there would be ALOT of extra charges for the food. It doesn't sound that way at all.

 

In the end, I know I want to try RCCL, NCL, and Princess (more nature talks I hear). Let's not forget to mention Celebrity and of course.....Paul Gaughin :D

 

Again, thank you everyone. I think our next one will be RCCL!

[NeuroQueen]

As others have stated it all depends on the size of the ship, age of the ship, time of year, port of embarkation, length of cruise, etc..

 

I've sailed at least ten times on NCL, CCL, RCI, and Princess, each, and they have more similarities than differences. A great ship can have lousy sailings and turn a few people off for a variety of reasons. The time of year and length of cruise can be the biggest variables in my opinion.

 

Food is such a subjective topic and I will only say every line can have an "off" week. As far as speciality restaurants go, believe it or not, The CCL steakhouses beat them all. We had dreadful steaks in Chops on the Oasis and I think it was just a bad batch of meat, as others rave about it. Our MDR meals over Thanksgiving on the CCL Dream were all top notch and beat Oasis MDR by a mile. NCL SR are for the most part good but their MDR is the weakest of the four lines. Princess is very consistent and their SR are top notch.

 

As far as layout of their ships, RCI wins by a large margin. All four lines are kept clean and up to date, for the most part. Older ships are always going to show some wear and tear.

 

Suites are treated most royally on NCL with Princess and RCI in the middle and CCL bringing up the rear.

 

I can't remember NCL policy regarding soda and wine, but princess wins here easily with CCL second. RCI treats passengers like alcoholics and confiscate routinely although there are some creative smugglers out there.

 

Entertainment varies greatly but you can't beat Oasis/Allure here, although NCL and CCL's newer ships are a close second. Princess is good just a little more laid back and refined.

 

I've received great service on all lines, sure a slow waiter or less than energetic cabin steward on occasions, but nothing consistent or noteworthy. These people work much harder than I ever intend to and for the most part are just as sweet as you are to them.

 

Sorry I got carried away but we are all so fortunate to cruise and lucky to have a site like this that keeps us entertained and informed. Just go with an informed mind and you really can't go too terribly wrong. All of the above are just my opinions and we all know what opinions are like. Happy cruising!!!

[vlynn]

 

Princess allows you to bring your own wine on board, and I've been able to resupply with the local wines as we stop in various ports.

 

 

Carnival allows you to bring on soda as well as wine. Does RCCL allow you to bring on soda?

[CRUIS4ME]

I think there has been a lot of good insight in the reflection folks have provided. Agree that the size / class of ship has to be considered - try not to compare apples to oranges. As for the food - it is so subjective. We prefer not to spend a lot of specialty restaurants nor do we like buffets. So we eat mostly in the main dining rooms and we are not "foodies" to the extreme. We also choose our cruises on price and itinerary mostly. With that said - we have sailed NCL many times and most recently three times on the Jade out of Europe. Again - the price and itinerary were the leading factors. The ship was very well appointed; the service excellent; the food quite good; and the customer service, getting on/off at ports, and so forth was superior. We have sailed RCI a couple times and are coming back to them because we want to experience the "big" ship - and will sail on the Allure. We sailed on the Liberty a few years ago and were very very impressed and satisfied with all the things one looks for in a vacation experience. Celebrity was a joy to sail with my mom who was 83 yrs old. Summit was the right size and activity was more in line with an older vs younger passenger (in my opinion on that cruise).

And then there is Carnival - no way, never again. Our last cruise was on the Inspiration after it was in N.Orleans for Katrina hotel service. The ship was not ready to go back into service; it was dirty; pools closed; bar stools missing and the posts they sit on had police tape around them....one of the main doors would not close and the Coast Guard refused to clear it for sea. Decks were a mess during Sea Days...ok I will stop going down memory lane.

 

 

Yes, RCI is a good line and given the right ship with right mix of activities - you'll have a very nice vacation...go for it!

My vote:

NCL and RCI (similar)

Celebrity and Princess (similar)

River Cruise

Barge

Rub a Dub Tub

Love Boat

Carnival

(Ok - one more jab at Carnival (smile) but I told them I would become their worst ambassador!)

[Artemis908]

I've been on Princess, Carnival, and Disney. Gone with RC three times because it is definitely my favorite. I love how the ships are designed and I like the mix of people. It's not over run by seniors, kids, or college students.

 

I think every cruise line I've been on had something to offer. Disney had some of that Disney magic and very nice island (it was also awesome adding on time in Disney World pre-cruise. It was like leaving vacation to go on another vacation). Carnival was cheap, a little flashy. Princess was nice, we had a wonderful wedding onboard but I did feel the crowd was a little old.

 

I guess different cruise lines fit different people.

[LittleMissMagic]

I would characterize Norwegian as the "freestyle" line... because that's what they call themselves, and Royal Caribbean as a "family" line.

 

We've been considering trying Princess or Celebrity, but what I've heard about these ships is that they shut down after the second dinner, and there isn't a lot of nightlife. That's a bit of a turn-off for me, but might be good for you?

[cdamion]

My rating:

1. RCCL

2. Celebrity

3. Princess

4. Carnival

 

Wife's Rating:

1. Celebrity

2. RCCL

3. Princess

4. Carnival

 

They're all very very close. The biggest difference between RCCL and Celebrity was activity and attentiveness of crew. Celebrity was slower on sea days but the staff just seemed interact more with the passengers. Princess was a lot similar to Celebrity but their staff seemed a little less attentive. Carnival was comparable to RCCL but their ship designs seemed to have issues of bottlenecks during high passenger movement more so than any other ships. While Carnival had more liquor tastings and seemed to promote it more, we never felt as thought the drinking was anymore excessive than RCCL. You cannot beat RCCL for ship design. They have something for everyone.

 

My rating:

 

1. Princess

2. RCI

3. Carnival

4. NCL

X. Celebrity/HAL - have not tried.

 

Girlfriend's rating:

 

1. RCI

2. Dentist

3. Sharp stick to the eye

4. Carnival

X. Princess/NCL/Celebrity has not tried.

 

My girlfriend will not go on Carnival again because of her experiences with a particularly drunk, crowded, Destiny cruise.

 

She went on Majesty for a weekend and liked it. I personally find that cruises are more similar than different, but to her there was nowhere to get away from the masses on Carnival. Sure there was a rowdy crowd on Majesty's weekend cruise, but they were pretty much in a single location on the ship and easily avoided with plenty of quiet areas.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

Food: I thought both were very comparable although I am not a picky eater so I thought food quality was great on both. I will say the wait staff on Carnival is no where close to RCCL. RCCL goes out of their way to entertain and make sure you are taken care of. Carnival...you will get your food eventually which will be good but the waitstaff doesn't have the wow factor.

 

I'm not so sure I'd agree with this. I actually think the wait staff is a tie. On my Carnival cruise, I had a great experience with the staff assigned to our table. On my Majesty (first one) with Royal, it was less than desirable. I felt bad for the main waiter because his help pretty much sucked. Service was slow, things just didn't flow but I could see that the main waiter was working his tail off. Sometimes it just happens.

 

I thought the food quality in the MDR was comparable. I much prefer RCL's WJ over the Carnival product offering.

 

Activities: I would say they are a tie. RCCL has a ton of physical activities as you know and Carnival also does a good job of keeping you active. In this aspect Iw ould say that RCCL wins as my only carnival cruise was a Christmas / NYE cruise so there was a lot going on simply due to that.

 

On this one, I completely disagree. Maybe it was just the ship I was on for Carnival but I got bored easily. The pools were small and the physical activities were limited. Great gym but I'm not spending all my time in the gym while at sea. I'd rather be outdoors doing physical activities.

 

On RCL, you have the rock wall, at least half-court basketball (Freedom class ships and higher have full court BB), table tennis, mini golf, FlowRider (Freedom class and higher), much larger pools and so on and so on. I don't find myself getting bored on sea days with RCL. And with the BB court, mini golf, table tennis, etc being open at night, if the club comes up less than desirable on any particular night, the guys/gals just make up our own fun with physical activities. This is the main reason why I choose to spend more with RCL. Well, that and the decor.

 

***Edit*** The one thing I will give to Carnival is I enjoyed their running track. On the Victory, it wasn't cluttered with pool chairs. If you go running during the day on RCL, get ready for a lot of stop and go around the pool area. Chairs are everywhere and then there are people trying to walk in between. Your lap times will drop. Sprint in other places to make up time.

 

Night Life: Carnival was definitely more active at night as RCCl tends to shut down earlier. I enjoyed both as after a full day or two of activities the only activity I am looking to do is sleep so I can be ready for the next day:D

 

They don't call Carnival the fun ship for nothing. I do have to state, however, that the club scene on the Majesty beat out anything I experienced on Freedom, Liberty or Carnival Victory. Maybe the shorter cruise theory holds some weight.

 

Again, if the club scene bombs, I generally find that the ships with more hot tubs, larger pools and more physical activities gives people options. Carnival Victory really only had the hot tubs. Freedom and Liberty were cool because we had impromptu pool parties, midnight basketball challenges, see how many people can actually fit in "this" hottub contests and the like. And pizza at 2-3 am before crashing is a must. "Remind me again why we booked that 8 am excursion?!?"

 

Layout of ship: I prefer the Voyager and up class for the Royal Promenade. I am spoiled by it and Carnival has nothing to match it. I enjoyed sitting outside Sorrentos and having a slice or some of their ridiculously delicious Crostini Bread. On top of that RCCL seems to have a way of dispursing people throughout the ship so it does not feel crowded. Carnival I always feel like part of a herd.

 

Agreed. The RP has fantastic value and is a great place to spend time getting to know someone over coffee, cocktails or food. People watching is great too. It kind of reminds me of SoBe on a much, much smaller scale.

 

Rooms: I say both are comparable. I don't spend a ton of time in the room so I usually go for an oceanview or a standard balcony room.

 

Agreed. Love all the things the balcony offers but we're not in our rooms much either. I think I'll try an oceanview/port at some point for the experience but I tend to stick with balconies.

 

Dress: Both Carnival and RCCL have formal nights so you will need some dress outfits unless you plan to dine in the Buffets those evenings. I have read that NCL does not have formal nights as they are more geared towards the freestyle experience. (Imagine that no one will toss you overboard for not wearing a suit to eat dinner..how civilized:D)

 

I tend to dress up every night. I'm either in a tux for formals or a suit for the other nights. I just prefer to dress up and feel just as comfortable as if I were in jeans and a tee. So why not? (...can't believe I just used that horrible tagline...)

 

If I ever sail NCL, I'll likely look out of place...and I'm ok with that. :D

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

I would characterize Norwegian as the "freestyle" line... because that's what they call themselves, and Royal Caribbean as a "family" line.

 

We've been considering trying Princess or Celebrity, but what I've heard about these ships is that they shut down after the second dinner, and there isn't a lot of nightlife. That's a bit of a turn-off for me, but might be good for you?

 

Thanks for the info. I was thinking of trying Princess but no nightlife would kill the deal. I can only star gaze for so long...

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

I didn't know there were other lines than RCI..

 

:D I have sailed NCL, Princess, Celebrity and of course RCI.

 

I didn't care for NCL or Princess

 

Celebrity was wonderful and I love RCI.

 

Looking forward to trying Crystal and some of the upscale lines next...

 

Research is a good thing!

 

Would you mind if I asked why you didn't enjoy Princess?

[Lindypops]

My list would be:-

1. RCCL

2. P & O

3. Princess

But there is not a lot in it to be fair

 

My only other experience was on COSTA a mainly Europen sailings , italian owned line There is not a number high enough on my list to add them.

 

I would not go on another Costa cruise even if it was free.

[adjburch]

We DH and I. He's 57 and I'm 54. We book for the ship and the ports. We don't have any little ones to take so I can't comment on what cruiseline offers for kids ...etc. I don't drink either but don't care if my other passengers drink as long as they don't spill it on me. I would have to say the food and service is by far better on HAL and Celebrity then Princess, then Carnival then last Royal Caribbean. We only booked this up coming cruise with Royal because the port is near us and we don't have time to fly to FL. Kinda a spur of the moment booking.

 

Each person has different taste so they will rank them different. I have read on here that Voyager food has really gone down lately. We leave this Saturday so I will see for myself. This cruise was not booked for the FOOD so even if it's not what it use to be I think it will be fine.

 

We have found the best cruises we have been on were the ones that some of our friends booked too. We would meet at the MDR and discuss our day and had someone to do stuff with. What we get out of a cruise is what we put into one.

[efields2]

This will be our first cruise on RCCL and so it was nice to see that so many of you put it first on your list. We leave in 10 days and are a little apprehensive about our first cruise with them. No drinks, etc. seems very mean to me - as someone said they seem to treat guests as criminals.

 

I'm curious why you would think RCCL treats it's guests like criminals?

[compman9]

To the OP...

 

Bear in mind you are posting this on the RCI board.

 

Carnival cruises are generally better (food, atmosphere, entertainment, less snobs), RCI ships are much better than any others at sea.

 

Celebrity is a more refined version of RCI - ships not as good, everything else is better.

[Jenna109]

I'm curious why you would think RCCL treats it's guests like criminals?

 

I actually quoted it from someone else and to be honest agree with them - from the reviews/reports I have read. It is not from first hand experience as our first cruise with RC is in 10 days time. However, I have read that in the port of New Orleans they will not allow any drinks to be taken on board and they really check luggage. Anyone who has brought forbidden items have to go to the 'naughty room' (again quoting) and luggage is not delivered until then.

I do accept that they have rules - which I have just read - stating that any type of drink is not allowed on board. Any taken on embarkation will have it confiscated and NOT returned. Any bought in port will be stored until the end of the cruise.

I have only cruised with Cunard, Princess and Celebrity and all of them allowed a moderate amount of wine to be taken (Cunard also spirits) on board. They treat their guests as adults and trust their integrity. I have taken a bottle of gin (Cunard), wine on both Princess and Celebrity - no problems at all. Why should RC taken such a stance?

Another niggle for me is that bathrobes are not supplied - I have been in contact with RC and they tell me that they will not be in a balcony cabin unless I pre-purchase them. We have been in balcony/inside cabins on our other cruises and they were always in the cupboard with slippers.

Oh just remembered another niggle - towels - surcharge if you do not return them. On our other cruises beautiful large beach towels were left in our cabin every night and the used ones taken away.

I must admit it is my own fault for booking with RC. We saw a cruise out of New Orleans (never been there) and assumed RC would be similar to Celebrity which is part of the same group - at least as far as rules/regulations. I do think they are rather mean but hope to have a good cruise regardless. I know that I can only blame myself for not doing enough research so we will make the best of it and adhere to the rules. We certainly wouldn't try to smuggle drinks on board and would be very embarrassed to be stopped at the port - I certainly would feel like a criminal then!!!:eek:

[efields2]

I actually quoted it from someone else and to be honest agree with them - from the reviews/reports I have read. It is not from first hand experience as our first cruise with RC is in 10 days time. However, I have read that in the port of New Orleans they will not allow any drinks to be taken on board and they really check luggage. Anyone who has brought forbidden items have to go to the 'naughty room' (again quoting) and luggage is not delivered until then.

I do accept that they have rules - which I have just read - stating that any type of drink is not allowed on board. Any taken on embarkation will have it confiscated and NOT returned. Any bought in port will be stored until the end of the cruise.

I have only cruised with Cunard, Princess and Celebrity and all of them allowed a moderate amount of wine to be taken (Cunard also spirits) on board. They treat their guests as adults and trust their integrity. I have taken a bottle of gin (Cunard), wine on both Princess and Celebrity - no problems at all. Why should RC taken such a stance?

Another niggle for me is that bathrobes are not supplied - I have been in contact with RC and they tell me that they will not be in a balcony cabin unless I pre-purchase them. We have been in balcony/inside cabins on our other cruises and they were always in the cupboard with slippers.

Oh just remembered another niggle - towels - surcharge if you do not return them. On our other cruises beautiful large beach towels were left in our cabin every night and the used ones taken away.

I must admit it is my own fault for booking with RC. We saw a cruise out of New Orleans (never been there) and assumed RC would be similar to Celebrity which is part of the same group - at least as far as rules/regulations. I do think they are rather mean but hope to have a good cruise regardless. I know that I can only blame myself for not doing enough research so we will make the best of it and adhere to the rules. We certainly wouldn't try to smuggle drinks on board and would be very embarrassed to be stopped at the port - I certainly would feel like a criminal then!!!:eek:

 

Every port is different. It is in the rules that RCL doesn't allow you to bring on your own drinks but if you read people's reviews, most at least get away with a case of water and some soda. Either stick them in their own suitcase, or put some luggage tags on them. That way, if they get taken, you don't need to worry about the rest of your luggage being held up.

 

I'm not a "rule breaker" but I did bring a 12 pack of soda with me on my cruise of NJ since RCL doesn't carry the kind I drink and a girl needs her caffeine at night! (Note: I don't drink coffee, otherwise I would have just drank that). I figured, if it makes it to the room then great, and if not, then there goes $3. Also, I've NEVER had any issues with bringing a bottle or two of soda/water back on board after a port stop. They scan your bags when you get back on the ship but I've never had anyone ask me to turn them over since they were still sealed.

 

They will only take back any alcohol you buy and even then, sometimes they don't care. I actually had to ask them on my last cruise if I could leave 3 bottles of rum I bought in St. Thomas because they were for family back home and I didn't want them taking up extra space in the room throughout the week.

 

In terms of alcohol, I've never tried to sneak any on board with me in my suitcases. I usually have enough on board credit from my RCL credit card to cover my bar bills for the trip, but I also find the prices to be similar to what I pay when I go out in Boston on the weekends so the prices don't bother me.

 

In terms of robes, ask your room attendant when you meet them - they will probably be able to find some for you. As a Diamond member, we get them in our room but there aren't anything special, TRUST ME. Think of the bathroom towels they give you, but in a bathroom form...I'm considering bringing mine from home next time since it's much better quality.

 

For the towels, RCL used to leave them in the room but I actually like being able to exchange them up on the pool deck when it's convenient for me. Before, you'd have to leave them wet in your room until the attendant came at night to make up you room. Now, if you are on deck, or come back from the port and want a clean towel, you just walk up and they switch it out for you. Takes maybe 15 seconds total. Very simple and very convenient.

 

I think that you will find RCL is going to be pretty similar to Celebrity - they are co-owned and my friends who travel frequently on both lines say they hardly notice the differences anymore.

[Jenna109]

Thank you for your reassurance regarding RC. We too will probably take a couple of bottles of water. I will take my own bathrobe but it is just extra weight - very limited with international flights.

I have just read an excellent report on the cruise and generally it sounds okay. We leave next week - and WE WILL enjoy our cruise:D

[adjburch]

I have to agree with you about the little things. I guess to cut back on water and laudry they stopped with the robes in all the rooms. But the added weight in your luggage is not a plus. It's not like you live in your robe but still~~it's the little things that add up on the list of "did I make the right choice."

[Kinkajou]

I'm not going to say it depends on you. I'll say it depends on the ship. RCI's ship classes are very different from one another and the cruises can be very different. For example, some of what ChevyCruiser mentioned in the last post, saying RCI doesn't do, actually does happen on Oasis Class.

 

It sounds like you are interested in the physical activites. What better way to go than Oasis Class? They have a zipline, 2 Flowriders, ice skating rink, 2 rock walls, a sports pool, an adults only pool, 2 cantilevered jacuzzis, comedy club, parades, etc, etc, etc....even a freakn' merry-go-round!

 

In other words, give Oasis or Allure a try. There's no equal.

 

It looks like stateroom 6000 might have au unobstructed view and therefore be a better choice than a room on Deck 9. All the balcony cabins are sold out for the date I am considering. Any experience with this? Thanks for the help.

[WeLove2CruiseRCI]

Our 1st cruise was Carnival Legend. Food was terrible staff was not friendly. 2nd cruise was RCI Mariner. Total of 4 on RCI now with 3 more booked. Everything on RCI has always been the best!! Food, staff, service!!

[Friend100]

I haven't cruised all the lines, but based on what I read here, based on the cruiselines' marketing material and talking to people, if I can only use one or two words to describe each of the major cruiseline, this is what I have (and you can totally disagree):

 

Carnival - fun, bang-for-the-buck

Celebrity - chic, stylish

Disney - magic, elegant

Holland America - refined, destination

Norwegian - freestyle

Princess - escape, destination

Royal Caribbean - WOW, BIG, revolutionary

 

Different ships within a cruiseline can have different characteristics too.

[Kinkajou]

Thank you for your reassurance regarding RC. We too will probably take a couple of bottles of water. I will take my own bathrobe but it is just extra weight - very limited with international flights.

I have just read an excellent report on the cruise and generally it sounds okay. We leave next week - and WE WILL enjoy our cruise:D

 

Either RCI or security tells people checking in to discard water; however, a few years ago (2010) they called a friend of mine to come to get her suitcase. She had 2 bottles of wine—which they kept. I think it was shortly after they announced the policy. She usually cruises on Princess, which allows one bottle per passenger per cabin to be brought on board. There were a number of angry people over this and it seemed hit and miss. Some people got one bottle on board and one bottle confiscated. The policy was the topic of many discussions throughout the cruise. She will never sail with them again. I can understand their policy, but they should have given the wine back at the end of the trip. This is really short-sighted. They sent her Crown & Anchor platinum pin after the cruise, which she promptly through out.

[Kinkajou]

I have cruised on Holland America, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. HAL—oldest crowd and RCI—the youngest. I think RCI's entertainment is the best, although Princess was pretty good. On HAL, we usually closed the piano bar (at 10:30!)

 

I thought the staff on Princess and RCI were better than HAL, for the most part.

Princess has the best uniforms—they just look more "quality".

 

Recent cruise on Voyager had the best food. Did a back-to-back cruise and enjoyed the balcony (1st week) just as much as the junior suite (2nd week). I sailed on the Navigator a few years ago, and thought the food was terrible. I hope it's improved, as I have a cruise booked on the Navigator in the fall.

 

It really depends on the individual ship, as to whether a junior suite is worth the money. The mini-suite on the Coral Princess was really mini and the junior suite on the Voyager was quite spacious. On the other hand, our balcony was on Deck 6 which was really convenient to the Seattle's Best coffee on Deck 5. Important—if a good cup of coffee is necessary in the morning.

[Kinkajou]

Either RCI or security tells people checking in to discard water; however, a few years ago (2010) they called a friend of mine to come to get her suitcase. She had 2 bottles of wine—which they kept. I think it was shortly after they announced the policy. She usually cruises on Princess, which allows one bottle per passenger per cabin to be brought on board. There were a number of angry people over this and it seemed hit and miss. Some people got one bottle on board and one bottle confiscated. The policy was the topic of many discussions throughout the cruise. She will never sail with them again. I can understand their policy, but they should have given the wine back at the end of the trip. This is really short-sighted. They sent her Crown & Anchor platinum pin after the cruise, which she promptly through out.

 

THREW out. Sorry, didn't proof read.