Which cruise line is for us?

[dfriise48]

My wife and I just returned from our 4th cruise and first with Princess. We've previously done a Carnival and 2 RCLs. So far we've found the cabin attendant and wait staff was best on the Carnival, the ships and entertainment were nicest on RCL and our cabin was great on Princess. Looking for a line that puts it ALL together, is reasonably priced and has excellent food. I polled fellow cruisers on the Island Princess and consistently Celebrity was mentioned. Crystal, Oceania and Silversea are a bit above our target price point. Thoughts?

[Keith1010]

I would give Celebrity a try.

 

They would be the next step up from there Cruise Lines you have sailed.

 

Keith

[Aquahound]

Celebrity. Specifically, Celebrity Solstice Class ships.

[dorisis]

Oceania would be my choice. It offers a small ship cruise very different from mainstream lines.

[nhsails]

Another vote for Celebrity here. However, we do pop in an Oceania whenever we get a great deal. Have tried nearly all the other lines and have found these two meet our needs the best. Happy Sailing

[Cruise Junky]

Celebrity Solstice Class definitely! Solstice was the most stunning ship we've been on.

[SuiteTraveler]

NCL has some of the most beautiful and unique suites as sea at a great price point. They have Freestyle dining and pioneered the multiple restaurant concept. The way I look at it, the cost of the dining package (eat at any restaurant you want to every night for one price) is part of the price of the cruise. I would put the food in Le Bistro up against anything Celebrity produces - even in Murano. Actually, I think Le Bistro might be a bit better. We love NCL, particularly Gem class and the newer ships. They have the entertainment of RCCL (which we also love) and the specialty restaurants. RCCL also has spa rooms and suites that provide you access to their amazing spa with a thermal suite and a thalisotherapy pool. The other advantage of the suite life on NCL is that you are in a special area called The Haven. You have a butler and concierge and a special restaurant for breakfast and lunch - and dinner on the newer ships.

 

Celebrity is very nice. We've been on Celebrity 3 times. The food is excellent. What Celebrity seems to lack the most is great entertainment and also depending on the cruise, the ages of the passengers can skew older. My husband and I got a lot of special attention on one cruise because we were among the youngest onboard at ages 51 and 53. That particular cruise, we happened to go to the pool deck one day and saw not even one person there remotely close to our age or younger - who knew people in there 70's and 80's like to sunbathe so much? I like the Coffee and Tea shop - Cafe il Bacio. I think the MDR is really great as far as food and service, but the activities left a lot to be desired. Watching a glass blowing demonstration? Not for me. And at night the ship seemed almost vacant by about 10pm. I also was not a huge fan of the decor of our cabin - mauve and beige. On Caribbean cruises Celebrity has more mixed ages. Just wanted to clue you in on what to expect as I am not certain if this would be your cup of tea or not. We like Celebrity for a quiet cruise. If we want entertainment and fun, we go on RCCL or NCL or Carnival. Right now, I feel like NCL has a slight edge over RCCL due to the spa suites and rooms and their amazing spa - but that might not be important to you.

[geekybiker]

Oceania would be my choice. It offers a small ship cruise very different from mainstream lines.

The cruise is nice, but the entertainment is pretty terrible. Lounge act type stuff. If you're used to big ship shows its a disappointment.

 

Another vote for Celebrity here. However, we do pop in an Oceania whenever we get a great deal. Have tried nearly all the other lines and have found these two meet our needs the best. Happy Sailing

 

Celebrity if my favorite mass market line. The closest of putting it all together for me. Always my first choice when deciding between similar cruises. Oceania is fantastic if you get a deal. The good is great and they get to some really unusual place. The itineraries are the main reason though. Mass market lines don't do that stuff.

[OCruisers]

My wife and I just returned from our 4th cruise and first with Princess. We've previously done a Carnival and 2 RCLs. So far we've found the cabin attendant and wait staff was best on the Carnival, the ships and entertainment were nicest on RCL and our cabin was great on Princess. Looking for a line that puts it ALL together, is reasonably priced and has excellent food. I polled fellow cruisers on the Island Princess and consistently Celebrity was mentioned. Crystal, Oceania and Silversea are a bit above our target price point. Thoughts?

 

Noticed this is your first post. Welcome to Cruise Critic. :)

You might want to give Celebrity a try next.

LuLu

[Flatbush Flyer]

The cruise is nice, but the entertainment is pretty terrible. Lounge act type stuff. If you're used to big ship shows its a disappointment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrity if my favorite mass market line. The closest of putting it all together for me. Always my first choice when deciding between similar cruises. Oceania is fantastic if you get a deal. The good is great and they get to some really unusual place. The itineraries are the main reason though. Mass market lines don't do that stuff.

 

 

Even w/o a deal, O is fantastic. But deals are there.

 

 

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[geekybiker]

Even w/o a deal, O is fantastic. But deals are there.

 

 

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Well I would never pay their 'rack' rates. However they seem to have a perpetual 2 for 1 deal running on every cruise I've looked at. All the luxury lines seem to do that though. Some absurd MSRP that nobody ever pays.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Well I would never pay their 'rack' rates. However they seem to have a perpetual 2 for 1 deal running on every cruise I've looked at. All the luxury lines seem to do that though. Some absurd MSRP that nobody ever pays.

 

 

The 2 for 1 is pretty much every cruise. Look for the other perks like free gratuities and internet and pre cruise hotel, air credit etc. plus OBC from O and the TA as well as other "specials" offered by O in partnership with their top producers.

 

You need to look at the total cost of the trip "door out-to-door back" and reduce it to a daily rate. All things considered (both qualitative and quantitative), O is a great ROI.

 

Also, what I find very amusing on CC is the contention of some posters that top quality can be had for bargain basement rates. You really do get what you pay for.

 

 

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[Husky61]

Why not pick the cruise line that interests you the most. What others on this forum may like, you may not. I have read a ton of comments on this forum about what cruise line to choose and I always pick what I want, not what someone else may like.:)

[cruising46]

Celebrity is a great choice. We have taken our last 3 cruises with them and are booked for 2 more. Acqa is a nice treat. Small dining room with great service. The showers in the rooms are also great.

HAL is also a good cruise line never had a problem with them.

Azamara is is great choice for a smaller ship, approx. 640 passengers.

Never been on a "high end" cruise ie. Crystal, Symphony, etc. very expensive and also been told a little more formal, just heard.

[geoherb]

We like Princess and Holland America the best and then Celebrity a close third. The thing that gets us on more of the former two is our ability to use my shareholder credit--onboard credit for owning Carnival Corp. stock. My brother and his wife own Royal Caribbean stock, which gets them credit on Celebrity and Azamara. The big difference is that a lot of times Royal Caribbean won't allow you to combine onboard credit offers. For instance, they got a great deal on their recent trans-Atlantic cruise that included some onboard credit--but they could not get shareholder credit in addition to the other credit.

[hubofhockey]

My wife and I just returned from our 4th cruise and first with Princess. We've previously done a Carnival and 2 RCLs. So far we've found the cabin attendant and wait staff was best on the Carnival, the ships and entertainment were nicest on RCL and our cabin was great on Princess. Looking for a line that puts it ALL together, is reasonably priced and has excellent food. I polled fellow cruisers on the Island Princess and consistently Celebrity was mentioned. Crystal, Oceania and Silversea are a bit above our target price point. Thoughts?

 

 

Disney? I've heard positive things about their food, entertainment, and ships. I can't say the attributes that you're looking for are the same as mine, but Disney's entertainment might be a step up from Celebrity's, based on reputation.