Which cruise line and why?

[isujim]

Funny you mention RCI. When we started cruising in the 60s our first cruise line was NCL. After a couple of cruises on their large ships (about 14,000 tons) we tried RCCL (now RCI) and loved it. We quickly got to Diamond status (our daughter was Diamond before age 17) and were pretty loyal to that company. But then, we noticed some major cut-backs in service and quality and started trying different lines. Now...out of the many lines we cruise RCI is far down the list of favorite lines (although we might return some day). Without trying other lines you never know what you are missing (some do not care). Now, having been in a position where we have tried many lines and ships we do have a good idea what each line offers and find that every line involves some compromise. Our next cruise in 62 days on a HA ship which is their old "rust bucket" with many physical faults not to mention a horrendous smoking policy (great for smokers). But, we think the pros out weigh the minuses so are looking forward to the long cruise. Our following cruise will probably be with Celebrity and then we are looking at Oceania. Variety is fun :)

 

We sometimes see posts here on CC where cruisers complain they are bored with cruising. Most of those folks are loyal to one or two lines so we are not surprised they get a bit bored.

 

Hank

 

Couldn't agree with you more...........

 

We also noticed the cutbacks on RCCL and we are Diamond Plus........but it got to the point the service and cutbacks were ridiculous. We went to Princess, and they have better service but they have their short comings as well.

 

One guy posted yesterday he had 20+ cruises on a particular cruiseline and saw no reason to change...........I used to be that way LOL!!

 

Now I know what I've been missing............

 

Good talking to you......maybe someday we'll hook up on a cruise.

[DebbieMacG]

I like Celebrity and particularly the Solstice class of ships. For us it's the right combination of luxury and price, the ship is generally not full of kids (nothing wrong with kids, we have four grown up ones!) and a nice age mix, we are mid 40's :)

 

We also like the boutique hotel feel and the service is fantastic :D

[Jana60]

Hi all...

I am curious which cruise line you prefer and why?:o

 

I have been on 16 prior cruises and am booked for #17, 18, &19 and I have learned that there is NO ideal Cruise line for all people. It seems to be a matter of personal preference. Some like the large grand ships with ice-skating rinks, rock climbing walls, and the downtown city street atmosphere of the promenade found on the largest RCCL ships. Also popular is the RCCL 130-180% single suppliment for solo cruisers However the older RCCL ships have very small cabins and there is not much variety of entertainment on the smaller ships. Some like the choice and variety of dining venues and the excellent quality of the production shows of Norwegian Cruise Line but the staff has been known to be rude. Princess Cruise line has nice shows, decor, and entertainment but can be pricey.

 

My personal favorite is Carnival Cruise line. The inner cabins are larger than other cruise lines. 165-185sq feet as opposed to 110-165sq feet. Better in room amenities such as free use of robes. Staff have usually been very friendly and helpful. Over the years CCL has added numerous signs that tell you where things are. For instance when walking down a hall you may see above a door "such and such lounge" which tells you your heading in the right direction for the show lounge. They also issue little cards with a map of the ship on them that are small enough to carry in your pocket. Carnival still has Lobster night in the main dinning room without additional charges where most of the others only offer lobster in their resturants with required "gratuities" as high as $30 per person. If I want to pay $30 for the Lobster, I can stay in Oklahoma! I love the Comedy club, the Karaoke, and the production shows and the way they schedule these so that it is possible to do it all. I have literally gone to dinner, then to a show, then to Karaoke, then to Comedy club show then to the Disco ALL IN ONE NIGHT!!! At times CCL dancers have been fat and unprofessional looking. Rarely their choice of Guest Entertainer is questionable (They once had a guy do finger shadows on the wall for 20 minutes of their evening show) but overall Carnival really does have "FUN SHIPS" with lots of entertainment. Overall Carnival offers superior value for the money.

[Westbank is bestbank]

I've been on NCL and Carnival....they both have pro's & con's.

 

We chose NCL for our first cruise because when leaving from New Orleans this ship went to 4 islands...and that was a huge plus for us. However, I always heard how good the food was on cruises. All food was awful (dining room & buffet). Even the deserts were awful....they taste like NCL forgot to pack sugar. The food was the only bad thing on NCL...the rest was wonderful. I would do NCL again for the extra island or if I needed to lose weight. :)

 

I loved everything about Carnival...I just wish they went to 4 islands too. I still can't figure out how both ships leave & return on the same day and somehow NCL has time to include an extra island. :confused:

[bigmohes]

We have cruised both Royal and Celebrity. We usually book after final payment which usually means pretty reasonable prices. Our first cruise with celebrity was actually because when we booked it was the most reasonable price on the week that we needed. This time we booked 12 months ahead because we wanted specific cabins on a new ship, so we probably paid a bit more. Love the Royal ships as well. Bottom Line I just want to cruise...............:D

[jocap]

We go for individual ships, not a line, which are going somewhere we want to go. We've been on 2 ships which were old and small, but took us either to 2 Greek islands a day, or round the Dead Sea in the coldest part of winter.

We have a favourite ship belonging to one line, and our most un-favourite ship also belongs to that line.

So many lines to try; so many ships in each.....we'll be trying our 6th line this spring, but it will be the ship not the line which will be important.;)

Jo.

[kenspidey]

Hi all...

 

I am curious which cruise line you prefer and why?

 

 

<--- new cruiser.

 

Thanks !

:o

This is simple....if you want to cruise a lot, and have limited means. Carnival is the way to go......for less than $100 a day you can one heck of a vacation. Is their food on Lido perfect.....no....but it is good. The food in the main dining room is great. Their crew are extremely friendly and provide professional service. I have been on Royal twice and I didn't see a major difference and the price was $20 to $30 more per day. If you have kids Carnival has activities all day.

 

I would prefer to do a cruise line I can afford and vacation more often.

[nursebob]

We are going on our first crusie April 2, We looked around at all the differant ships and we decided on the Celebrity Mellenium and there were several reasons.

1. We booked the penthouse, it is one of the largest rooms on all crusie ships, unless you have one with more than one bedroom 1500 sf

2. The size of the balcony which is 1,100 sf.

3. What we read is it caters to the 60 age group.

4. The destination.

This may not make sense to some but it does to use.:)

[meester_jamie]

I would prefer to do a cruise line I can afford and vacation more often.

Standing in a solo lift line, a very young kid asked if he could join,,, then quickly pointed out an outstanding lady ahead of us... very nice outfit, very nice $ki$, wearing a day pass... he pointed out the day pass.... hmm.. then had to explain to me! ... he has handme down gear,, but can afford to buy a season pass and ski every day after school!!! SHE put all he money into gear,, and can only afford a DAY PASS!! hahaha,, Have fun! Make people around you have fun! and I'd like to quote kenspidey "and vacation more often" !

[meester_jamie]

I really enjoyed Disney Wonder.. no kids with us,, the room we had on interior deck 7 rear was only steps away from a small Fantail deck! It became our [almost] private balcony! about 600sf! The entire ship was full of very well mannored kids, sort of like chip'n'dale ,, no, you go ahead sir,, no,, I insist,you first! ... really! Never a problem to get a deck chair,, adult swim pools hot tubs etc were almost boringly empty, food was awsome, entertainment shows very great... altho we didn't really do the destinations on land as we took all day excursions on small ships in cabo and valarta We've done a few of ea. RCCL, X, Carnival, and NCL,, and the only one that we didn't like was the NCL ,, we like to meet people,, the main dining room is a good place to meet folks... and the feeling of the freestyle dining wasn't for us.. i realize others have reason that it works well... Otherwise Dawn was a perfect ship.. we were treated very well!

[kenspidey]

I would like to try Disney, but no gambling. I love Disney music and shows. Maybe someday and we would probably save money.

[George C]

I have been on 54 cruises and most of major lines never stay too long with any one line

for entertainment I love RCCL they do many things well ( food in mdr is ok to good), Recently I have been cruising HAL good food and entertainment and they allow you to bing on inlimited amouts of wine, they do charge 18 corkage if you drink the wine in resturants or any public room. Princess is also good for MDR but there show rooms are very crowded and its hard to get a seat to see the shows. And believe it of not I like Costa love the Itilian food and the Atlantica is one of my favorite ships. Also loved Celeberity Solictice but disliked food and service in MDR, but they had great speicalty resturants and ship was beaultifull.

[Northshorecruisers]

We prefer HAL. My husband is 59 & I am 52. We enjoy the midsize ships - although we haven't tried the smaller and larger ships in the fleet. The size ships we sail never seem crowded, have wonderful public areas, and excellent staff. The Lido seems to flow well even at peak meal times, and the service and food in the main diningroom and Pinnacle grill are excellent. Cabin staff is very unobtrusive and friendly - they really cater to you. The ships are very traditional and we love that feel.

We tried Princess just once thinking it would have more activities for our son who was 16 at the time. Even he said he liked HAL better for the staff and food.

[CMHCruiseCouple]

Hi,

 

Welcome to cruising! It is fun, exciting and opens a world of new experiences.

 

As for which line, I have tried several of the main lines, but not NCL or RCI. Nothing wrong with them, but I am happy with Princess for the most part.

 

In my opinion, cruise lines (and ships) seem to develop their own personality. I have been cruising for about 12 years, starting in my mid 40s. For wife and I Princess fits us well. It is more formal/quite than our Carnival experience but not stuffy. We find a variety of ages with most being in their 40s and up,

 

If you desire a lot of night life Princess is a bit subdued IMHO. Sky Walkers is a great club, but not much happens there until at least 11 PM. There are several clubs/bars/venues that have a variety of evening performers.

 

All of that said, a cruise without an itinerary appropriate to you is just a ride on a ship. My suggestion is to find itinerary's that match your desire/curiosity, then find a line that matches your personality. Experiment with new ships and lines.

 

In closing, your first cruise will be great fun! Experience and adjust as you go.

 

Enjoy!

[Hlitner]

The prior poster talks about ships that "develop their own personality" which is something that many frequent cruisers understand. One such ship is Holland America's Prinsendam which is a very old ship (build as the Royal Viking Sun in 1988) by cruise ships standards. The ship is small, does not have many amenities, has many maintenance problems due to its age, and some might even call her a bit of a rust bucket. But she has the highest repeater rate of any ship in the HA fleet, and those of us who love this ship quickly forgive all its many design faults. Walking onto that ship is, for many of us, like returning to our old home. It is a difficult ship for the crew because they get even fewer crew amenties (some HA staff call her quietly the "Prisondam") but yet some crew will return year after year because like many of the passengers they love the atmosphere. In nearly forty years of cruising (more then 60 different ships) the only other ship we have cruised with that kind of atmosphere was RCCL's old Sun Viking (now long gone). Ironically, both of those ships are relatively small (less then 800 passengers).

 

Hank

[cruiselover57]

Hi all...

 

I am curious which cruise line you prefer and why?

 

 

<--- new cruiser.

 

Thanks !

:o

 

For this year, we have 3 Princess cruises booked - we are Elite and enjoy the great perks that come with it like free laundry, free internet, free wine tasting and free mini-bar set-up plus a few other items. We are not always loyal to Princess (we bounce back and forth mainly with Carnival and RCI for the most part). It's hard going to another cruise line knowing we won't get the same free amenities (especially the laundry - for me, that's the best one) but at times, other cruise lines offer such great itineraries. So, for now, we tend to stay with Princess!

[jmcruisers0630]

We just returned (Dec) from a 15 day Hawaii cruise on Carnival. We, and most people we talked with on the cruise, were very disappointed with Carnival. Too many problems to cover them all, but our dishes literally vibrated off the dining room table, the food was barely tolerable, many of the ship's amenities were closed, and Carnival's customer relations is non-existent. Our group of 12 usually cruise RCCL and this last Carnival cruise has made us loyal RCCL cruisers.

 

I agree with you. Our first cruise was on RCCL, & we LOVED it. However, for our second cruise, we wanted to try something different, so we went with Carnival, mainly for the price. Boy, oh boy do you get what you paid for! The service was not up to par, the food was only ok, & the ship had too many problems as well. After that, we decided that we would gladly pay more for RCCL's top notch service, shows, etc. In the future, we would like to try X, NCL, & Princess.

[Jana60]

I agree with you. Our first cruise was on RCCL, & we LOVED it. However, for our second cruise, we wanted to try something different, so we went with Carnival, mainly for the price. Boy, oh boy do you get what you paid for! The service was not up to par, the food was only ok, & the ship had too many problems as well. After that, we decided that we would gladly pay more for RCCL's top notch service, shows, etc. In the future, we would like to try X, NCL, & Princess.

 

I'm really surprised you experienced poor service as we have always had great service on Carnival ships but I would encourage you not to exclude all Carnival Cruises based on 1 experience. I almost did that after my first cruise with Carnival in 1999. On that cruise the service was poor, there were young people getting drunk and barfing in the halls...:eek: The fact that I did not cruise with them again until 2007 can show you what a poor first impression I had. But I have cruised with Carnival 7 more times since then and have had great service, (and no barfing kids even during spring break!) and a great cruise every time. I even managed to enjoy a cruise on Carnival when my luggage was lost by the airline and I had only 1 pair of capri pants, and 1 pair of jeans and 2 shirts to wear the entire week. I purchased some shorts and T's and the crew gave me T-shirts that they usually give to people as prizes in the Casino. :) Just goes to show a cruise is what you make of it. :D

[Chasey]

I want everyone who is considering booking with carnival to know that this company is not customer focused at all!!!!! I booked in october for a cruise in february. I put a credit card on file to hold the reservation and then called back a couple weeks later to confirm and to authorize final payment. Originally I was to to let them know by 11/28 if I didnt plan on needing the reservation, but this wasnt a concern of mine. I called and CHANGED my credit card on file and to ATHORIZE final payment. I DID THIS. I had received confirmation via emai saying that my reservation was set and final payment was needed my 11/28. Again, I called and gave final payment at the end of october. I ASSUMED i was good to go.

Not so much. The WEEK of my cruise I went to register on line. When my confirmation number didnt work, I decided to call. When I called, the representative explained to me that my reservation had been cancelled back in december for LACK OF PAYMENT. She then told me I should have rerceived an email letting me know. I NEVER got the EMAIL. It was thrown in my face by everyone I spoke with that there should have been an email I got, and I kept saying I didnt get it. The worst part was now the ship was full. I had 3 family members expecting to go on vacation and now I am being told there's no room for 4 in one cabin. AND the worst part is that they had kept my $1000 deposit due to LACK of PAYMENT. I have cruised with this company multiple times and for all the reps they have working, no one took the time to contact me. NO ONE. NO EMAIL was sent. NO PROOF of email was available,. NO PHONE RECORDS were available. CArnival managed to cover themselves and have NO REGARD for me, but damn if they didnt keep my money....

I finally got on the ship, not because someone thru carnival found a solution or cabin for four, but because I SAT on the internet waiting for a spot to open. My room for 4 costing $2600 now became a room for 4 for $4770. REDICULOUS. And once I agreed to the new booking, an agent FINALLY appologized for all the trouble.

I am disgusted with the way all of this was handled, and will make sure to let anyone I encounter know what happened to my family's vacation.

One last thing, once I did book the vacation the 2nd time, I requested email confirmation. I was told no problem. I Called 4 more times requesting an email confirmation, and NEVER got it. Carnival, you need to check your practices.....I deserve compensation for the difference of the initial cost versus what I paid.

Word of mouth is everything and I would hope someone would care enough to help fix my situation.

Did you happen to show Carnival your credit card statement with the first charges?

[paul929207]

I'm really surprised you experienced poor service as we have always had great service on Carnival ships but I would encourage you not to exclude all Carnival Cruises based on 1 experience. I almost did that after my first cruise with Carnival in 1999. On that cruise the service was poor, there were young people getting drunk and barfing in the halls...:eek: The fact that I did not cruise with them again until 2007 can show you what a poor first impression I had. But I have cruised with Carnival 7 more times since then and have had great service, (and no barfing kids even during spring break!) and a great cruise every time. I even managed to enjoy a cruise on Carnival when my luggage was lost by the airline and I had only 1 pair of capri pants, and 1 pair of jeans and 2 shirts to wear the entire week. I purchased some shorts and T's and the crew gave me T-shirts that they usually give to people as prizes in the Casino. :) Just goes to show a cruise is what you make of it. :D

We cruise mostly with Princess, but took a Carnival cruise last summer as a family vacation. We were disappointed with the service too. We had a suite. Since we like to have a drink each evening before dinner, we asked our cabin steward to bring fresh ice when he came on duty about 5pm. He said no problem. Every evening I had to track him down to get the ice.

 

We were a group of 12. Every dinner came sporaticly. The waiter would bring 5 appetisers, wait a few minutes bring some more, a few more minutes to finally get the rest. This happened with every course.

[klgreen803]

I want everyone who is considering booking with carnival to know that this company is not customer focused at all!!!!! I booked in october for a cruise in february. I put a credit card on file to hold the reservation and then called back a couple weeks later to confirm and to authorize final payment. Originally I was to to let them know by 11/28 if I didnt plan on needing the reservation, but this wasnt a concern of mine. I called and CHANGED my credit card on file and to ATHORIZE final payment. I DID THIS. I had received confirmation via emai saying that my reservation was set and final payment was needed my 11/28. Again, I called and gave final payment at the end of october. I ASSUMED i was good to go.

Not so much. The WEEK of my cruise I went to register on line. When my confirmation number didnt work, I decided to call. When I called, the representative explained to me that my reservation had been cancelled back in december for LACK OF PAYMENT. She then told me I should have rerceived an email letting me know. I NEVER got the EMAIL. It was thrown in my face by everyone I spoke with that there should have been an email I got, and I kept saying I didnt get it. The worst part was now the ship was full. I had 3 family members expecting to go on vacation and now I am being told there's no room for 4 in one cabin. AND the worst part is that they had kept my $1000 deposit due to LACK of PAYMENT. I have cruised with this company multiple times and for all the reps they have working, no one took the time to contact me. NO ONE. NO EMAIL was sent. NO PROOF of email was available,. NO PHONE RECORDS were available. CArnival managed to cover themselves and have NO REGARD for me, but damn if they didnt keep my money....

I finally got on the ship, not because someone thru carnival found a solution or cabin for four, but because I SAT on the internet waiting for a spot to open. My room for 4 costing $2600 now became a room for 4 for $4770. REDICULOUS. And once I agreed to the new booking, an agent FINALLY appologized for all the trouble.

I am disgusted with the way all of this was handled, and will make sure to let anyone I encounter know what happened to my family's vacation.

One last thing, once I did book the vacation the 2nd time, I requested email confirmation. I was told no problem. I Called 4 more times requesting an email confirmation, and NEVER got it. Carnival, you need to check your practices.....I deserve compensation for the difference of the initial cost versus what I paid.

Word of mouth is everything and I would hope someone would care enough to help fix my situation.

 

Didn't you wonder why the final payment charge never showed on your credit card statement?

[Cruisin' Along]

I'm glad you asked this question! I am trying to decide between Princess and NCL for my first cruise......to Alaska!

[Jana60]

I'm glad you asked this question! I am trying to decide between Princess and NCL for my first cruise......to Alaska!

 

We are going to Alaska in June 2012 for the first time. Of all the people I know who have been to Alaska, about half told me to be sure to book a cruise that goes to Hubbard Glacier. The other half told me to be sure to book a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay. I discovered that Princess Cruise line has the only Itinerary that goes to both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier bay so for this trip at least its all about LOCATION,LOCATION,LOCATION!! It was a no brainer we had to go with Princess. Booked a balcony and because the price went down, got upgraded to a guaranteed AC mini-suite or better. Since its not assigned yet, I'm praying that they run out of mini-suites and only have full Suites left. :p Upgrade to a full suite would sure be sweet!!! :D Please feel free to pick off one of those minisuites for the Island Princess June 13th sailing! LOL... Just kidding. I'm not really that self serving. At current prices a Balcony is probably the most bang for the buck.

[isujim]

Anybody can have a bad experience.............ONCE:)

 

We tried the Caribbean Princess as we were trying Princess for the first time........to this date the worst cruise we have ever had........but we came back, sailed on the Pacific Princess, Star Princess and leave in April on the Golden Princess.........and have booked the Emerald

 

We now are a muti company cruise loyalist:D

 

We are glad we now branch out and try different lines........mix up the itineraries, and truly enjoy seeing how cruise lines do certain things differently..........

 

Bottom line is they are all closer to being the same than different.........each do some things better than the others.

[SunSeeker27]

I prefer Princess and Royal Caribbean for their higher end quality. Sailed with Carnival once and will never go back (dirty staterooms, low quality of service, horrible customer base on the ship we were on). Trying Norwegian this fall so we shale see on that one. Hope it's good because I'm in love with the itinerary and already booked a Panama one with them!