Cruise Line Comparison Chart

[Hanzo]

Is there something out there that does a basic side by side comparison of the major cruise lines in the US? Not looking for anything super complex, just something where I can see the basic pros and cons of each company's features and benefits.

 

Thanks!

[RSLeesburg]

I do not believe that any such table exists, and if it did, you would need to have multiple ones based on class of ship - even within a single cruise line, the options/activities/features can vary.

 

First, I would look at where you want to go, where you want to leave from, when you want to sail, and for how long.

 

Second, I would see which specific ships are sailing from those ports to those destinations at those times, and then research those specific ships on their respective boards. Many of the hard-core cruisers have been on most of the ships, and can offer specific advice/guidance on the differences between two ships sailing the same routes.

 

Third, if you are completely up in the air, I would just go to the various boards and start reading reviews. That is what I did - I spent almost two weeks on this forum trying to decide whether or not I wanted to take my family on a cruise. I ended up booking about 2 weeks ago :D

 

Good luck

[kitty9]

Get any one of a number of books that review and place "stars" for the various cruise lines. At Barnes and Noble, in their travel section, there are a number of books that critique all the cruise lines and individual ships. But of course, even something like this is very subjective.

 

 

As RSL has said, it's very difficult to compare cruise lines because they all have different ships, of varying size, that offer different things. So again, it's really difficult to do a pro/con thing even within one cruise line.

 

And if you find something just online, the comparisons will be very subjective, as you'll find those who love the behemoths, those who love small ships, some who are happy with a quiet place to sit and read and others who want to be inundated with all kinds of activities 24/7.

 

If you're trying to figure out what ship to go with, I suggest going to a local travel agency and discussing what you want from your cruise. They can then lead you to what ships might meet those needs. Another place to start is to figure out what itinerary you desire and then match ships up to that itinerary and go from there.

[Xina143]

With the other two posters.

 

The pros and cons for each line are based on someone's opinion.

 

For instance, we have done three Carnival cruises in less than two years. We love the value for the money, and the party atmosphere is a big draw for us.

 

On the other hand, I have read that many don't like that feeling, and want a more relaxing feel to the ship.

 

What's your biggest issue? Money? departure point? Ports? Figure out what you can spend, and where you are willing to travel to and go from there.

[Friend100]

I would suggest go to the main cruisecritic page http://www.cruisecritic.com/ and read the description of each of the cruiseline there (and each of their cruiseship too if you want to). It gives you a fairly good idea about their characteristics ... as a start.

 

This is how it describes Princess (I just pick it randomly)

 

Onboard

More than any other mainstream cruise line, Princess Cruises successfully balances cruise traditions with cruise innovations to offer an experience that suits a variety of travel styles. It offers set-seating dining and more flexible Anytime Dining. Princess' Movies Under the Stars (MUTS) is one of the most popular innovations in cruise entertainment, yet its traditional production shows typically play to standing-room-only crowds.

 

Another tremendously popular innovation, which first debuted on Crown Princess, is the Piazza. It was retrofitted onto several older ships, and it's being vastly expanded on Royal Princess (2013) and Regal Princess (2014). Loosely modeled after the custom of Italian towns as a place to gather, Princess' version, spanning three decks, offers a variety of temptations that include spontaneous performances, a wine bar, shops, and casual eateries like Alfredo's pizza and the 24-hour International Cafe for sandwiches, pastries and snacks.

 

Princess ships also feature expansive spas and fitness facilities, kids clubs that serve ages 3 to 17, and entertainment venues like casinos, discos and nightclubs. Beyond the main restaurants, the ships offer a mix of culinary themes from the New Orleans-inspired Bayou Cafe on Island and Coral Princess to the popular Sabatini's, serving Italian fare. (Restaurants vary by ship class.)

 

Princess Cruises is one of the only lines to feature a "ye olde" tradition: cruise travelers can invite friends and relatives to visit them onboard before sailaway and see them off on their grand voyage. Via the program, called the "Bon Voyage Experience," passengers' guests can join them onboard for approximately four hours, including lunch (with wine) and a tour. The line charges $39 per person, banking on the fact that you will get enough of a taste that you'll come back for a real cruise (with or without grandma). If you bite, Princess is willing to apply the $39 toward a future cruise booking.

 

About Princess Cruises

What began as "the little cruise line that could" has evolved into a cruise industry giant. Beginning with a 6,000-ton converted ferry chartered from the Canadian Pacific Railway, Princess operated the small luxury liner between Los Angeles and the Mexican Riviera in 1965. The line now has 16 ships sailing the globe offering approximately 100 itineraries that range from one to 100+ days and visit more than 300 ports.

 

The cruise line will add two more ships to the fleet soon. Royal Princess, currently in the final stages of construction at Italy's Fincantieri shipyard, will launch in June 2013. Its sister ship, Regal Princess, will debut in spring 2014.

 

Princess is part of the industry's giant Carnival Corporation, a merger that occurred in 2003 when Carnival acquired Princess' parent company, U.K.-based P&O Cruises, in a hostile takeover tug of war with Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. From what we've seen, the operation of the line has, by and large, remained the same, although some repeaters say they are starting to notice the Carnival influence.

 

Princess Cruises Fleet

Princess' fleet basically falls into four categories. Its Explorer Class consists of Ocean Princess and Tahitian Princess, a pair of identical 680-passenger ships that offer both a cozier onboard ambience -- and, due to their small size, exotic itineraries.

 

Its Sun Class ships, which include Sun Princess, Dawn Princess, Sea Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess, carry 1,950 to 1,970 passengers. These days, they're considered medium-sized ships, with some of Princess' contemporary innovations, such as a high percentage of balcony cabins, a handful of alternative eateries and expanded kids clubs.

 

When Grand Princess, the cruise line's first Grand Class ship, was launched in 1998, it heralded a new era for Princess. Successors, ranging from Caribbean Princess and Crown Princess to Sapphire Princess and Ruby Princess hold between 2,594 and 3,080 passengers. Innovations that debuted with this class of ships (and that were later expanded to others) include MUTS, the Sanctuary adults-only sun deck, and the controversial jutting-out balconies of its mini-suites.

 

Princess' newest series of ships, the Royal Class, debuts in mid-June 2013 with 3,600-passenger Royal Princess. A nearly identical sibling, Regal Princess, will launch in spring 2014. Signature features of this newest ship evolution include an expanded Piazza; the first-ever SeaWalk, a cantilevered, glass-enclosed walkway; and an interactive television studio called Princess Live!.

 

Fellow Passengers

Princess Cruises attracts a widespread passenger base, but as its ships vary so widely in style and services, choosing carefully is a good idea. The large and mid-range ships attract broad, multigenerational demographics -- everyone from solo travelers to family groups will find something they like.

 

Because they're more exotically minded, the line's pair of smaller ships -- Pacific Princess and Ocean Princess -- cater more to mature travelers who want longer itineraries, more offbeat ports of call and fewer family-friendly elements.

[CC Help Jenn]

You might find this helpful. It is a list of the more popular ships right now with a chart-like comparison.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1421&src=tocc

[donaldsc]

Except for things such as ship size, average costs and a few other things, all comparisons are totally subjective. Any such chart would be of limited utility.

 

DON

[Arusha]

This may be more info than you want, but I found book this to be very useful when I started researching cruise lines and ships:

 

"Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2013" by Douglas Ward.

 

It's available on Amazon.com for less than $20. It provides details on every ship in every line, and is updated yearly.

 

[betterthanvegas?]

Although I haven't read all that book, it appeared to be v critical of the mass market ships and didn't take comparative cost or value into account. I'd read this book with a punch of salt.

[scapel]

This may be more info than you want, but I found book this to be very useful when I started researching cruise lines and ships:

 

"Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2013" by Douglas Ward.

 

It's available on Amazon.com for less than $20. It provides details on every ship in every line, and is updated yearly.

 

 

I actually met Mr. Ward on a cruse, so he does have a good idea about what he is talking about.

[scapel]

PAST CRUISES: 1.Stella Oceanis 1975 South America, 2. Stella Oceanus

1977 Black Sea and Crimean Peninsula. 3. Mermoz 1979 Med. Rome,Sicily,and Nice,Malta. 4. SS Freeport to Gulf Mexico. 5.Vistafjord to Caribbean 1981. 6. Sagafjord to Alaska 1983. 7. Stella Solaris to Aegean, Israel and Egypt 1984. 8. Mississippi Queen out of New Orleans. 9. Nantucket Clipper out of Boston 10. Fairsky to Caribbean 1987. 11. Royal Odyssey Med.& Dubrovnik 9/1988. 12. Carnivalle to Bahamas 1990. 13. Crown Odyssey to Eastern South America 1991. 14.Monarch of the Seas Eastern Caribbean 1995. 15 Royal Odyssey (Old Royal Viking Sea) Panama Canal 1995. 16 Egypt-Nile River Cruise 1996.

17. Splendour of the Seas- Fjords of Norway 1997. 18 Sun Viking –Orient Cruise 1997.

19. Renaissance R-4 Barcelona-Lisbon 1999. 20. Paradise- Caribbean 1999.

21. Millennium to Baltic Capitals 2000. 22. Summit to Caribbean 2001.

23. Constellation –Fjords of Norway 2002. 24.Horizon –Mexico 2003. 25. Infinity to Alaska 2003. 26. Holiday to Mexico 2003. 27. Infinity -South America Cape Horn 2004. 28. Constellation- Transatlantic 2004. 29.Legend of Seas- Western Caribbean 2005 out of L.A.

30. Millennium- Panama Canal 2006. 31. Rhapsody of Seas- Western Caribbean 2006 out of Galveston. 32. Constellation- New England/Canada 2006. 33.Millennium-Caribbean 2007. 34.Voyager of the Seas- Caribbean out of Galveston Jan 2008 35.Mercury- South Pacific 2007. 36. Mariner of Seas-Mexican Riviera 2/09. 37. Summit to Southern Caribbean. 4/09. 38. Amadeus Symphony- Rhine River Basel-Amsterdam 6/09 combined with Switzerland Trip.

39.Antarctica on Prof. Multanovskiy 2009 40.Voyager of the Seas out of Galveston Jan 2010

41. Silver Whisper New York to Bermuda October 2010. 42.Silver Shadow Seoul Korea to Anchorage,AK May 2011

43. Silver Cloud Fort Lauderdale to San Juan Jan 2012

44. Millennium Gems of Southeast Asia January 2013

 

These are my previous cruises and I think I prefer the smaller ships. One has to decide if they want a larger or smaller ship. 93,000 GRT is the largest I like to be on. Use of tenders can put a strain on larger ships, but they usually dock at ports. It depends where you want to go. I must say that the Carnival ships I have been on were fine. The food we had was as good or better than one of the Celebrity ships we were on, but I'm not sure if that is the rule. Depends on the head chef.

I think smaller ships are able to better concentrate on passenger personal service and larger ships can produce better quality entertainment at shows. That is just a general statement and varies according to ship. The larger ships are being built because of better profit/passenger.

These cruises can be purchased at a cheaper price many times, than the same ports on a smaller ship. We jumped ship only once. #3 was a poor ship and #4 is where we jumped ship.

[Steviewonder1]

We choose cruises by where we want to go see, when we want to go see, and then who can get us there. We are Princess, Holland America and Celebrity cruisers and have taken our last Carnival cruise. That said we have taken 7 day cruises and 10 day cruises and find the preference for longer is better. Next is 12 days in the Eastern Med. This also gives us an opportunity to arrive a day or two early and sight see at our speed the departure port and then stay an extra day or two in the end port city. These two issues do away with stress getting there and getting off the ship back to the airport in time for the flight back home. We were spoiled rotten on our first cruise with a Penthouse Suite and have continued that spoiling to this day. We do lots of planning to get the maximum use of time and trips on the cruise. We tend to do half day excursions rather than get off the ship as early as possible and arrive back as the ship is about to depart.

[navybankerteacher]

After havin cruised certain areas a few times we have become more interested in the "feel" of the ship and a bit less in the itinerary. You can learn a lot about lines and particular ships by participating in threads discussing those lines/ships. Feel free to ask questions concerning quality of food, entertainment, demographic, general activity level, service, even decor. We think Norwegian is strong on entertainment, but weaker on food and general ambience. Carnival is good on cost, but tends to attract more of a party crowd. Royal Caribbean has a good mix, but has over-large ships. Holland America, has great service and good food, the right size, but weak on entertainment. Celebrity is uniformly good, but the ships are simply ugly (small point, but many small points contribute to the overall experience). Cunard has excellent service, but so-so food, with great enrichment programs. Princess seemed to fall in the middle.

[scapel]

After havin cruised certain areas a few times we have become more interested in the "feel" of the ship and a bit less in the itinerary. You can learn a lot about lines and particular ships by participating in threads discussing those lines/ships. Feel free to ask questions concerning quality of food, entertainment, demographic, general activity level, service, even decor. We think Norwegian is strong on entertainment, but weaker on food and general ambience. Carnival is good on cost, but tends to attract more of a party crowd. Royal Caribbean has a good mix, but has over-large ships. Holland America, has great service and good food, the right size, but weak on entertainment. Celebrity is uniformly good, but the ships are simply ugly (small point, but many small points contribute to the overall experience). Cunard has excellent service, but so-so food, with great enrichment programs. Princess seemed to fall in the middle.

 

Navy,

I will have to disagree with you on Celebrity being ugly. I guess it depends on where you are when looking at it. Look at this cabin on the Millennium.

No other ship I have been on has one like it.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f6fe23a6e5a9ec3f#cid=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F&id=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F%211868

My experience is limited to 45 cruises. I have been on with some that have done 75 and 100. One lady lived on the ship because it was cheaper than a nursing home.

[navybankerteacher]

Navy,

I will have to disagree with you on Celebrity being ugly. I guess it depends on where you are when looking at it. Look at this cabin on the Millennium.

No other ship I have been on has one like it.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f6fe23a6e5a9ec3f#cid=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F&id=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F%211868

My experience is limited to 45 cruises. I have been on with some that have done 75 and 100. One lady lived on the ship because it was cheaper than a nursing home.

 

I was referring to the ship, not individual cabins. The promenade decks usually look like bare-bones aircraft hangars, and the hull paint job makes Norwegian just look eccentric, and not garish. But, as I said, appearance is a small point, but enough of those small points add up. If you have sailed Cunard or HAL, try to recall how their promenade decks compare with Celebrity's.

[scapel]

I was referring to the ship, not individual cabins. The promenade decks usually look like bare-bones aircraft hangars, and the hull paint job makes Norwegian just look eccentric, and not garish. But, as I said, appearance is a small point, but enough of those small points add up. If you have sailed Cunard or HAL, try to recall how their promenade decks compare with Celebrity's.

 

I guess I don't notice the decks. On the Statendam last June I was really impressed with the way the veranda doors closed. They were not sliders, but had a hydraulic closure mechanism. Very nice. No accidental getting locked on balcony.