Cruise Comparisons

[MomSwag]

I am interested in knowing everyone's opinion on the different cruise lines.

 

I've only sailed with Carnival so far (only been on one cruise). I keep hearing that they are declining in their service, etc...

 

If you have been on several of the different cruise lines, how do they compare? Why should I consider a cruise line other than Carnival?

 

Thank you!

[paul929207]

First of all, the right line for me isn't necessarily the right one for you.

 

When we started cruising, we tried several lines and decided that for us the best is Princess. We like to go new places and they sail all over the world. Their service is great.

[swedish weave]

OP -- You would get a better idea of the cruise business if you compare ships rather than cruise lines. You will find that each ship does things a little different, and you could get a broad view by comparing ships.

 

Also, all the cruise lines make changes that may or may not suit your tastes.

[Warm Breezes]

I like Carnival and haven't noticed much of a decline. In fact our last cruise on the CCL Dream a couple of weeks ago was one of the best Carnival cruises we have had. Having said that I am not loyal to Carnival. Every vacation we take, including cruise vacations, I do research based on what we want out of that particular vacation.

 

It starts with when do have time available and off to take a vacation. With that in mind we look at the cruises that will fit our schedule. We start a list and start narrowing down based on what the ships have to offer, the itineraries, the embarkation port, if we can fly or drive to the port, and cost. I don't rule out any ships due to cruise line unless we have a FCC that needs to be used. However there is some bias when comparing ships from different cruise lines. For example, due to the cost we probably won't sail Disney again until we have grand children to give the Disney experience too and make it worth the cost. We probably won't sail Princess again for at least another 10-15 years because our experience was the demographics and activities geared more to an older age group than us...that is unless we find a great deal that makes up for that. DH prefers the layout of the Carnival ships. I prefer the entertainment on the NCL ships.

 

It takes research to narrow down your scope to what you and your family likes and can afford and after you have taken a few cruises on the different lines you can start throwing in your experience and adding in your own preferences. I don't put much weight on other peoples opinion of the various cruise lines. Our best friends are loyal Royals and absolutely hate Carnival and refuse to sail on them. We have yet to sail Royal because I haven't found one that meets our wants/needs at a price I am willing to pay when compared to the other ships available at that time. I'm not ruling them out but they just haven't made the final cut yet. If I were to listen to our friends we would have missed out on some great cruises on Carnival. You have to keep in mind what you and your family like....some of those issues that others insists are down grades, may be things that aren't issues to your family at all. In fact you might even find you like the changes made and think of them as improvements. That is what I have found.

 

The cruise lines can't please everyone. We are all too different. You just need to do your research and find the ships that will give you most of what you want for the price you are willing to pay.

[cruiseapril]

Hi- We have sailed on Carnival, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, and Royal Caribbean- have enjoyed all cruises- each unique.

 

As was said, the size of the ship matters, as does the age of the ship. We prefer the 2,000 passenger and smaller ships. We read ship reviews here quite often.

 

If we were trying a new cruise line, we would choose a short cruise to see how we liked it.

[CruzieSue]

We are not very seasoned cruisers (only 3 so far), and have only sailed with Royal Caribbean so I can only relate our experiences with them. The first two cruises were on Voyager class ships (the Voyager and the Mariner) and we absolutely loved those ships - so easy to find your way around, good food choices, decent entertainment for our likes. Always easy to find a quiet place outside to sit and relax or read away from the noise and chaos of the pool areas, etc. The last cruise was on the Serenade (a step down or two from the Voyager class in size) and we did not care for that ship at all. It was updated and clean enough, just a much different layout, seemed VERY crowded, not near as many activities, entertainment or food choices that appealed to our family. But on ALL of the cruises we could not have asked for better service from anywhere we were on the ship. We now just know to go with Voyager class or larger if we sail with RC. And like one of the other posters stated, what appeals to us may not appeal to you.

 

We are considering going with Carnival next year, mainly because RC has left New Orleans, which has been our preference and closest port to where we live. But also considering RC Oasis out of Port Canaveral, too. You just have to make decisions based on your likes, your choice of ports, destinations, prices, etc. and have a great time whatever you do !!! :)

[Hlitner]

Paul hit the nail on the head. What's good for you may not be good for me and vice versa. We have spent years cruising on 14 different lines (including Carnival) and each line has their pros and cons. So without knowing the OP and their personal likes/dislikes preferences, budget, etc. there is no way we could recommend any cruise line.

 

Hank

[Flatbush Flyer]

OP -- You would get a better idea of the cruise business if you compare ships rather than cruise lines. You will find that each ship does things a little different, and you could get a broad view by comparing ships.

 

 

 

Also, all the cruise lines make changes that may or may not suit your tastes.

 

 

IMO, the comparative focus should be on the cruise lines and their distinct overall cultures rather than on the idiosyncrasies of individual ships.

 

OP should take some time to read the recent threads associated with different lines' forums. S/he will quickly get a taste of the pluses and minuses of each line as they relate to his/her preferences and needs.

[MomSwag]

As a newbie, thank you for all the replies. I appreciate your honesty and I understand what you are saying.

 

I will take a look around at what the different ships have to offer and go from there!

[Keith1010]

MomSwag, I remember booking cruises early on and knowing almost nothing about most of the cruise lines. I stumbled on a wonderful book which is updated annually and is a wealth of information and every few years I get a new copy.

 

It covers all of the major cruise lines and more and has a two to three writeup on each of the ships as well. To me it is a wonderful source and I highly recommend it.

 

It is called Cruising and Cruise Ships and is written by Douglas Ward and published by Berlitz. I get mine on Amazon.Com This is the 2016 Edition.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Berlitz-Cruising-Cruise-Ships-Guide-ebook/dp/B0161T9KAO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464851084&sr=8-1&keywords=Ocean+Cruising+Douglas+Ward

 

2017 Edition if you want to wait will be available this November.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Berlitz-Cruising-Cruise-Ships-Guide/dp/1780049099/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464851084&sr=8-2&keywords=Ocean+Cruising+Douglas+Ward

 

If you go the route I would get a hard copy and not one on Kindle.

 

Keith

[MicCanberra]

IMO,

Celebrity followed by

Princess and Cunard, then by

Royal and then

NCL with

P&O Australia last.

 

But any cruise is a good cruise.:D

[GUT2407]

For us...

 

Princess

Followed by

Celebrity

[iancal]

IMHO the ship is equally as important as the cruise line.

 

There are several cruise lines that have ships that we pass on. Not all ships in the cruise are the same. Those differences can be significant.

Edited June 2, 2016 by iancal

[Warm Breezes]

IMHO the ship is equally as important as the cruise line.

 

There are several cruise lines that have ships that we pass on. Not all ships in the cruise are the same. Those differences can be significant.

 

I agree. Inspiration is not the experience as Vista. Dawn is not the same experience as Escape. Majesty of the Seas is not the same experience as Allure of the Seas. I am willing to bet that Vista, Escape, and Allure are more similar to each other than they are the other ships I mentioned in their own cruise line family. When I do my research it is by ship. When I say by ship, that includes the brand specific items of their specific cruise line....that is part of what that ship has to offer when making comparisons.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Warm Breezes

[zoncom]

Was going to suggest this annual compilation of just about every cruise ship out there. But will second it. Also, Frommers and Fodors books.All probably in your library. Read the reader reviews here along with cruise line sections. You can do alot better than CCL.

[MicCanberra]

Was going to suggest this annual compilation of just about every cruise ship out there. But will second it. Also, Frommers and Fodors books.All probably in your library. Read the reader reviews here along with cruise line sections. You can do alot better than CCL.

 

Good advice, research what you want out of a cruise line and a cruise ship.

[GUT2407]

Sometimes there is more difference between two ships from one line than between two ships from different lines.

 

In the end it comes down to what you want in a cruise.

 

We prefer smaller more sedate ships, we also like wood and brass better than chrome and glass.

 

But I know many like the mega ships with all the glass and chrome.

 

Whatever floats your boat.

[iancal]

We cruise on any cruise line. There are 2 NCL ships that we would not consider. On HAL we are happy to go on their newer ships but would never consider a cruise on their older ones...most especially the ones that have been sold or are for sale. Same on RCI...some we like, the newer huge ones do not appeal to us. There are some Carnival ships that we would pass on as well. All for different reasons based on our personal preferences. We don't avoid a cruise line simply because of our aversion to a particular ship(s) in their fleet.

Edited June 3, 2016 by iancal

[pris993]

I am interested in knowing everyone's opinion on the different cruise lines.

 

I've only sailed with Carnival so far (only been on one cruise). I keep hearing that they are declining in their service, etc...

 

If you have been on several of the different cruise lines, how do they compare? Why should I consider a cruise line other than Carnival?

 

Thank you!

 

 

To make an informed decision on what lines is best for you.

 

We have cruised on 9 different lines over the past 30 years well over 50 cruises. With this experience we have narrow the lines we like the best for us, to be Princess, Holland America and Cunard. We occassionally find a cruise on Celebrity or NCL but they are not our first choice.

 

What is good for us may not be good for you. Many say they like Celebrity best, we don't. There are folks who like Cyrstal, we cruised it once, did not see the value in paying more for it.

 

So if you are totally satisfied with Carnival... stick with it. If you want to compare check out some other lines. Variety is the spice of life. Enjoy cruising.

[cruiseapril]

We also read the books which rate and compare ships. Really has helped with our choices.

[SuiteTraveler]

I am interested in knowing everyone's opinion on the different cruise lines.

 

I've only sailed with Carnival so far (only been on one cruise). I keep hearing that they are declining in their service, etc...

 

If you have been on several of the different cruise lines, how do they compare? Why should I consider a cruise line other than Carnival?

 

Thank you!

 

Carnival - lower end cruises until you get to Magic, Sunshine, Vista and Breeze which are the nicest of the Carnival ships.

 

A step up are:

NCL and RCCL which are direct competitors with their newest ships - NCL Epic, Getaway, Breakaway and Escape VS RCCL Oasis and Quantum Class.

 

I would rank Disney somewhere between NCL and RCCL and the rest of the pack.

 

MSC: This is an Italian Cruiseline that has just entered the Caribbean market. The ship (Divina) is gorgeous, the food is Neapolitan - really great! Best of all is the Yacht Club Experience which blows the NCL The Haven experience out of the water because the MSC Yacht Club is all-inclusive. MSC has absolutely great highly polished shows - better than I've seen on other cruise lines. Definitely a step up from Carnival, NCL and RCCL.

 

In terms of being more sophisticated and having somewhat better food:

Princess, Celebrity and HAL - for us HAL tends to have a lot of elderly passengers so we don't tend to sail that line. Celebrity probably has the best MDR food of the 3 companies with Princess a close second and HAL third.

 

There are some small fancier lines such as:

Paul Gauguin

Crystal

Seabourn

Regent Seven Seas

Azamara

Viking

Silversea

 

Some of these are more all-inclusive, some are not. For the increase in price, I would probably choose one of these more expensive lines based on what was included.

 

Also very upscale and more all-inclusive are the river cruises on lines such as Uniworld (we went on SS Antoinette - it was incredible!), AmaWaterways, Viking, Avalon, Abercrombie and Kent, Tauck etc. River cruises typically include not only wine with lunch and dinner but most shore excursions. They are really great experiences!

[tbmrt]

We are 2 very active seniors.

 

When we research upcoming cruises we do so in most cases either for the ports or the ship itself, keeping costs in mind.

 

Thoughts that quickly come to mind

Celebrity - great service, a step above, good for adults, great free indoor pool. Entertainment lacking.

 

RC - Wonderful entertainment, draws more children. We cruise when kids are in school

 

MSC - Great food and entertainment; European ambiance.

 

NCL - Fun...didn't care for food

 

Princess - Good ports, food; don't think it best for cruising with children.

 

Carnival - cruised once years ago and didn't care for food and crowds. However, we are looking forward to trying Carnival again on a larger ship.

 

This year we are cruising on the Oasis (6,000 passenger) and the Windsurf (300 passengers). Will surely get a feel for largest and smallest ships!

[marco]

I've been on well over 125 cruises or TA's thus far. Started back in the early 60's as a kid with my parents. I've seen the industry morph into something quiet different from when I first sailed. Some of the lines no longer exist, some of the ships are long gone. I think I've sailed at least once on almost every line that is or was. Let alone each line, every ship kind of has it's own personality, and strong(er) points, weak(er) points. We've sailed on some ships repeatedly and a particular sailing might have been outstanding, while another just "OK". Save for a very few specific lines, the industry has homogenized itself into most being more similar than different and most offer pretty much the same product. A couple of times we thought that if you removed all the identifying logos and emblems the from the ship and staff we'd be hard pressed to tell which line we were on. Also, sometimes fellow passengers can make a particular cruise particularly outstanding and memorable. Another thing I've noticed as well, is that even within a line, we much prefer one ship over another and one ship or line might be someone's favorite, while someone else might say "never again". While we do have our favorites, I don't think there's any line or ship that I wouldn't go on again and the reasons I love sailing on a ship and being on the ocean pretty much make a particular ship or line less important.

Edited June 6, 2016 by marco

[Warm Breezes]

I've been on well over 125 cruises or TA's thus far. Started back in the early 60's as a kid with my parents. I've seen the industry morph into something quiet different from when I first sailed. Some of the lines no longer exist, some of the ships are long gone. I think I've sailed at least once on almost every line that is or was. Let alone each line, every ship kind of has it's own personality, and strong(er) points, weak(er) points. We've sailed on some ships repeatedly and a particular sailing might have been outstanding, while another just "OK". Save for a very few specific lines, the industry has homogenized itself into most being more similar than different and most offer pretty much the same product. A couple of times we thought that if you removed all the identifying logos and emblems the from the ship and staff we'd be hard pressed to tell which line we were on. Also, sometimes fellow passengers can make a particular cruise particularly outstanding and memorable. Another thing I've noticed as well, is that even within a line, we much prefer one ship over another and one ship or line might be someone's favorite, while someone else might say "never again". While we do have our favorites, I don't think there's any line or ship that I wouldn't go on again and the reasons I love sailing on a ship and being on the ocean pretty much make a particular ship or line less important.

 

Loved this. I haven't sailed nearly as much as you nor as many lines (maybe someday) but you have summed up my feelings pretty good. Being on the ocean gives me 80% of the reason I love cruising. The other 20% comes from a mix of things that all the cruise lines give, like food, service, entertainment, ports of call, etc. Some ships have better food, some better entertainment, etc. Even ships in the same line can have differences in quality when it comes to this. But over all my main reason for sailing for me is the relaxation I get from being on the ocean. If I'm not completely wowed with something else on a cruise it is not that big of a deal and we don't let it impact the enjoyment we get from the cruise itself. We don't expect to have our wants met 100%. That is impossible. We do search for the ships that offer the majority of our wants for that vacation though. It is up to us to make sure we choose wisely based on our needs and wants.

[iancal]

Celebrity: currently tops our list for ship design, ambiance, MDR, dining options. It hits all the marks for us. Like both the Solstice and the Millennium ships

 

Princess: Close second. Just fine for us

 

RCI: We like it, we pick our ships. Prefer the smaller ones. Avoid school vacations. We are elite and they have a very good reward program at this level.

 

HAL: Not so much any more. MDR has gone downhill-food very bland, few alternate dining options, absolutely avoid the older ships (mtce issues), and will not pick the longer voyages (aka rest homes). Entertainment poor, for our taste. If you want to sit around in a library at sea this one may be for you.

 

Carnival: Pick our ship carefully based on our preferences ,avoid school vacation. I

 

NCL: We avoid the older ships, Star, Sun, etc. Like the concept. Food OK, optional dining venues very good.

 

We usually book inside the final payment window. We look at Celebrity or Princess first, then see what RCI and HAL has.

Edited June 6, 2016 by iancal