Confused want-to-be first time cruiser

[MissingTurtle]

We are a family of experienced travelers, but have never cruised before. We thought that might be a nice family trip in the last 2019 time window. Since then, I've been trying to do research and I have ended up kind of flummoxed by ship reviews. It seems that every ship I look at on the major mainstream cruise lines -- new or old, big or little -- has a reasonable number of reviews that report that the ship is awful in some way.

 

I completely understand experiences can vary and folks are looking for different things on any given cruise. But the breadth of these kinds of feedback leave me really confused. And they seem out of alignment with the Cruise Critic editor's scores. Is this a huge problems in the cruise industry? Unrealistic expectations? Something else?

 

More to the point: I'm not sure what the right path is for a new cruiser. Is it safe to assume a modern ship on a major line will be a decent experience and discount the strongly negative reviews?

 

For what it's worth, we're pretty low maintenance -- we want a clean, comfortable room and to have a nice time, but we don't need anything really fancy. At the same time, it doesn't need to be a super-low rate. We're looking to cruise in the Caribbean somewhere in the week range.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Many of the reviews I would take with a grain of salt.

 

You need to talk to a TA in your area.  Ask friends and family -- even co-workers -- who they use as a travel agent.

 

Explain how many there are of you, what type of cabin you want, ports you want to visit, activities you like, etc.  A good TA will give you several brochures for all of you to look over and possibly get an idea of the ship and itinerary you want.  Then go back to the TA and discuss more details.

 

It takes a while to get things the way you want it.

 

Don't worry about what others have written here.

[SuiteTraveler]

If you are talking about a family cruise where there are kids ages 6 mos. through teens, then the absolute best ships in the world are the RCCL Oasis class ships - they are so amazing and offer some of the best entertainment at sea.  Although they are also the largest ships in the world they never feel crowded.  I would recommend and outward facing balcony cabins preferably on 8. Here are the ships:

Oasis

Allure

Harmony

Symphony

 

Any of these ships would be absolutely awesome.  You do need to make reservations in advance on the RCCL website for shows and specialty dining.  These ships were designed to BE the destination and there is so much to do onboard you cannot do it all in a week. The shows overall are outstanding and well worth your time, food it good to great, these ships are awesome!

 

The direct competitor to these ships are NCL's Mega ships:

Epic

Getaway

Breakaway

Escape

 

These ships feature a full scale waterpark and ropes course.  They remind me of staying in a Las Vegas casino hotel with the casino at the heart of the ship and the restaurants scattered around this area. These ships can feel crowded around the main pool.  What NCL has that RCCL does not is The Haven - an enclave of luxury suites which have exclusive access to The Haven Restaurant, lounge, private pool and spa area.  With these suites you get butler service and a lot of perks.  They have a 2 bedroom suite which is ideal for family vacations.  Entertainment onboard is a dance show, either a broadway show or a Cirque du Soleil  show, some random singers and movies - nowhere near what is offered on RCCL.

 

There is also the MSC Seaside and forthcoming Seaview which are designed to be competitors to these RCCL and NCL ships.  They have an area called the Yacht Club which is equivalent to NCL's The Haven, but even more all-inclusive.  

 

Beyond these ships, Carnival's newest ships: Magic, Breeze, Vista and Horizon, aspire to be what NCL's Mega Ships and RCCL's Oasis class ships are, but they are smaller ships and cannot contain as many amenities as the NCL or RCCL ships have.  

 

IMO, RCCL is best for entertainment and a broad range of activities onboard.  NCL is second best and Carnival's newest ships are a distant third.  

Edited November 4, 2018 by SuiteTraveler

[jocap]

The more lines I try, the more I realise that there's similarities in all of them- then there are the extras, such as water parks and slides, or extra special dining rooms or amazing suites...but basically, all ships seem to provide decent cabins, food and entertainment. 

Some lines will have exciting features for children; some will just have interesting kid's clubs; some will have amazing entertainment and others will have the ship's own troupe of dancers.

We've not been disappointed with the basics on any ship of any line, and have ignored the things we don't want to do (water slides! 😮  ).

Other than that, they've all been clean, comfortable and taken us to new places- which suits us.

Enjoy choosing.  🙂

[Essiesmom]

Since you haven't detailed the ages in your family, so it is hard to recommend a particular ship or line.  But although the Oasis class ships of Royal Caribbean are the largest at sea, and have plenty to keep you occupied, I would not start out on the biggest and busiest.  I believe there is so much to do and see that you would not be able to see/do it all in one week, especially as you will be expected to go ashore at least four of the seven days.  And I don't believe in having to make a reservation to see a show.  The more complications there are, the more confused you might be.  I would look at the Dream class of Carnival, the Voyager or Freedom class of Royal, NCL Breakaway class or Breakaway-plus class.  

   

But ship/cruise line is not always most important.  You first need to decide where you want to go, and what port you wish to depart from.  Do you want to be able to drive to the port, or are you going to be flying?  Cost of plane fare and availability of flights might be important.  

 

     I suggest you go to www.cruisetimetables.com and  select some places you would like to visit from the Ports of Call list.  Some places are only visited part of the year.  If you choose the Caribbean in summer, your ship choices will be fewer because many of the ships depart for Alaska and Europe.  You have a lot of research to do before you make a decision.  EM

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, MissingTurtle said:

We are a family of experienced travelers.....

 

I completely understand experiences can vary and folks are looking for different things on any given cruise......

"Experienced" means different things to different people.   

What constitues your travel experiences, preferences (including food and service quality and passenger demographics) and means is what will help in determining the best cruise experience for you.

Realize that many "experienced" travelers/cruisers wouldn't set foot on the amusement park behemoths some CC posters will recommend while others love them.

Your best course of action is to focus your initial research on identifying a reliable, well respected TA who is a cruise specialist (there's many threads on CC regarding how to do that (including some I've posted myself). That TA will interview you and help you develop a "short list" of lines, ships and itineraries.

That said, one thing is for sure: Cruising is one arena where "you get what you pay for." And, while choice of itinerary is a very important major factor in choosing a trip, know that the choice of cruise line/ship is extremely important since that will be where you eat and sleep- your true "home away from home."

Edited November 4, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer

[wassup4565]

There is a certain category of cruiser who loves to complain and find fault with anything and everything.  My theory is they think it makes them feel like they are discerning. Ignore these people.  They think complaining makes them seem sophisticated, when it actually reveals they are cranks.  Unless you are determined to whine and nag, you will be delighted by any cruise on any mainstream line.  Just pick something and go, you will love it.

 

Ten years ago my daughter was working herself to the bone and I made the decision with three weeks notice to book the two of us on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise on the RCCL ship Radiance of the Seas.  How did I choose this cruise?  I picked it because it was the exact number of days she had available, at exactly the right time.  I had no clue about anything else.  The short story was we loved every minutes of it and we have cruised again and again, in many places and on many ships.  And by the way, we'd have loved it if it was any other line travelling in any other place.  And we still love every trip, on every ship, to every place.

 

Book something that appeals to you and suits your timeframe.  Join your roll call and read the many, many wonderful threads on CC to learn everything you want to know.  Someone here will always help you. You will have a great time if you go with a good attitude and avoid the gripers you sometimes encounter.  And remember what someone in my very first roll call on our first cruise told me when I was stressing about what to pack.  "All you really need is your passport, your seapass, your credit card,  and your bathing suit.  Take it from there." 

[cb at sea]

Listen, a cruise is merely a vacation...think of the ship as your "resort hotel" (albeit, with smaller rooms!)... 

Folks who complain ALWAYS do so more loudly and publicly than the "satisfied" traveler.  Stop reading reviews, and just book what feels right to you.  

 

Research your ports, so you have some idea of what is in each port....with a large family, ship's excursions get pricey...so anything you can DIY will save a bundle!  The Caribbean is a very easy DIY itinerary!

[Kartgv]

Reviews for cruises are no different from reviews for restaurants, hotels, tours, etc.   There will always be a distribution of people who love/hate/somewhere in-between.    As someone else mentioned, someone who had what they perceive as a truly terrible experience are much more likely to post a review than the vast majority who had an enjoyable experience.   Think about how many reviews you yourself have posted - what circumstances cause you to post an online review?   

 

If you do read reviews, think about what things are really important to you and focus on that aspect of each review.   I tend to rely more on reviews in the mid-range, as they seem to be more honest about addressing both good and bad points.    As you suggest, any mainstream cruise line will provide a good vacation experience for a large majority of their passengers every trip - if it didn't, they wouldn't be 'mainstream' for long.    Yes, things do happen occasionally, just as they do in any other aspect of life.    

Edited November 5, 2018 by Kartgv

[Leejanste]

I have just booked our 1st cruise ever to Alaska

We are booked on to the Ovation of the seas

Why that ship....

simply it looks great, bars, restaurants, music...well everything to be honest

Will we enjoy it, no idea as simply our first cruise so a journey into the unknown 

My advice is simply book what you know you like, then let the rest fall into place

😊😊

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 11/4/2018 at 1:24 PM, MissingTurtle said:

We are a family of experienced travelers, but have never cruised before. We thought that might be a nice family trip in the last 2019 time window. Since then, I've been trying to do research and I have ended up kind of flummoxed by ship reviews. It seems that every ship I look at on the major mainstream cruise lines -- new or old, big or little -- has a reasonable number of reviews that report that the ship is awful in some way.

 

I completely understand experiences can vary and folks are looking for different things on any given cruise. But the breadth of these kinds of feedback leave me really confused. And they seem out of alignment with the Cruise Critic editor's scores. Is this a huge problems in the cruise industry? Unrealistic expectations? Something else?

 

More to the point: I'm not sure what the right path is for a new cruiser. Is it safe to assume a modern ship on a major line will be a decent experience and discount the strongly negative reviews?

 

For what it's worth, we're pretty low maintenance -- we want a clean, comfortable room and to have a nice time, but we don't need anything really fancy. At the same time, it doesn't need to be a super-low rate. We're looking to cruise in the Caribbean somewhere in the week range.

Yes, cruising is horrible.  It is a mystery why millions of people do it every year.

Give up the control freakery, stop reading reviews, go on a cruise, and have the great time you assuredly will.  

[MissingTurtle]

All:

 

Thank you for all of the helpful feedback. I appreciate the encouragement to move beyond "analysis paralysis" of the reviews. 

 

I'm now off to do more reading and research. I'm finding that is a big part of the fun. 🙂

[GUT2407]

I’d need way more information about you and your group

ages

likes

dislikes

etc

 

before I’d even hazard a suggestion.

 

but my worst cruise was better than a day at work (and I’ve got a job I enjoy immensely)

[MicCanberra]

Most ship reviews are like any other review, mainly provided by people with an axe to grind.

As a family group, I would look at a Royal or a Carnival cruise.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Over indulging on reviews is a real problem--I do it too sometimes--but just remember all the millions of people who cruise each year and most go back again.  People are more likely to complain than praise.

 

We've been on 35 or so cruises (small potatoes compared to some people) and have never had a bad cruise.  Sure, sometimes small problems pop us and everything isn't 'perfect', but we always have fun and you will too, if you go with an open mind.

 

I'd say stop reading reviews, choose a cruise based on what your family likes, the itinerary and your budget and enjoy.  The mainstream cruise lines are all good to great and will provide a good experience.

 

 

[CruiseGal999]

On 11/4/2018 at 1:24 PM, MissingTurtle said:

We are a family of experienced travelers, but have never cruised before. We thought that might be a nice family trip in the last 2019 time window. Since then, I've been trying to do research and I have ended up kind of flummoxed by ship reviews. It seems that every ship I look at on the major mainstream cruise lines -- new or old, big or little -- has a reasonable number of reviews that report that the ship is awful in some way.

 

I completely understand experiences can vary and folks are looking for different things on any given cruise. But the breadth of these kinds of feedback leave me really confused. And they seem out of alignment with the Cruise Critic editor's scores. Is this a huge problems in the cruise industry? Unrealistic expectations? Something else?

 

More to the point: I'm not sure what the right path is for a new cruiser. Is it safe to assume a modern ship on a major line will be a decent experience and discount the strongly negative reviews?

 

For what it's worth, we're pretty low maintenance -- we want a clean, comfortable room and to have a nice time, but we don't need anything really fancy. At the same time, it doesn't need to be a super-low rate. We're looking to cruise in the Caribbean somewhere in the week range.

 

I read reviews on everything I'm looking into.  Vacations ... things I want to buy, etc.  And when I read those reviews I look to see which ones are all personal negative comments ... comments on things the people personally did not like.  I pay attention to fair, impartial reviews.  

 

I've only been on 10 cruises ... and on CC ... I'm still a newbie cruiser.  I have recently been on my first Princess cruise and discovered exactly why I LOVE NCL.  There are a lot of people who really do NOT care for NCL.  It's personal preference much of the time. 

 

This first Princess cruise ... I was in my cabin taking a nap and I was not entirely clothed ... I was not entirely completely unclothed either ... and a steward (NOT my steward) came in to my cabin and we both got a HUGE shock.  He didn't knock.  He didn't say what he wanted in my cabin when NO ONE should have been in the cabins.  I had the deadbolt on and that should have prevented him from getting in.  But it clearly did not.  Plus other things that I did not care for ... but it's part of cruising some lines. 

 

 

[SoberJulie]

I too am I first time cruiser. We’ve always booked all inclusive resorts, so when I began looking for a cruise, I was seriously overwhelmed with the vast amount of choices!

A travel agent helped tremendously! 

With just a few questions (budget/length of cruise/potential destinations/things that are important to us) she was able to narrow it down to 2 cruise lines. 

From there, I was able to compare the 2 and decide. 

 

I pilled the trigger on a 9 day Southern Caribbean on Celebrity Silhouette, on Jan 2. 

[SPacificbound]

I have never looked up a review on any ship we have been on. We decide where we are going, I find the itinerary we want, and I book. 

 

Disregard the super high reviews and the super low, reality will be somewhere in between.

[OCruisers]

Strongly suggest you talk with a travel agent who specializes in cruising.

You are well-traveled but cruising is a bit differnt so making sure you get exactly what you want is worth your time to talk to a good travel agent.  

[CruiseGal999]

48 minutes ago, Betty Gale said:

I'm about to book my first cruise. I will go with my daughters, they are twins 13 y. o. I dream to see Europe, not sure which part of it. But for sure it should be Europe. Could you suggest a cruise line? I don't need anything too fancy but I certainly want a clean and comfortable room for three of us. Any suggestions?

 

Liz

 

I loved my Norwegian Cruise Line Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Venice.  It was the NCL Spirit.  The ports were great ... although the itinerary was very aggressive.  The service on NCL has always been great ... the food on the Spirit was terrific.  It was a wonderful trip overall. 

[LuckyStar]

On 11/4/2018 at 1:24 PM, MissingTurtle said:

We are a family of experienced travelers, but have never cruised before. We thought that might be a nice family trip in the last 2019 time window. Since then, I've been trying to do research and I have ended up kind of flummoxed by ship reviews. It seems that every ship I look at on the major mainstream cruise lines -- new or old, big or little -- has a reasonable number of reviews that report that the ship is awful in some way.

 

I completely understand experiences can vary and folks are looking for different things on any given cruise. But the breadth of these kinds of feedback leave me really confused. And they seem out of alignment with the Cruise Critic editor's scores. Is this a huge problems in the cruise industry? Unrealistic expectations? Something else?

 

More to the point: I'm not sure what the right path is for a new cruiser. Is it safe to assume a modern ship on a major line will be a decent experience and discount the strongly negative reviews?

 

For what it's worth, we're pretty low maintenance -- we want a clean, comfortable room and to have a nice time, but we don't need anything really fancy. At the same time, it doesn't need to be a super-low rate. We're looking to cruise in the Caribbean somewhere in the week range.

 

We're really low maintenance too.  I have been on mostly older ships but have never been disappointed in the ships.  Most crews work very hard to keep things clean and sparkling.  I'm a relatively new cruiser too.  I have never sailed on a NEW ship, most have been a bit on the seasoned side.  We have our first big, new boat booked and I'm worried.  I choose cruises for the price, at this point, so I always feel I'm getting a great deal. I would tell you to find an itinerary that you like and dive in. I would choose a smaller ship so that you can get the lay of the land so you don't continually feel frustrated that you are lost.  JMHO.  Good luck!

[CruiseGal999]

7 minutes ago, Betty Gale said:

 

It seems the itinerary is changed and they don't visit Venice now :

CRUISE PORTS Embark Barcelona (Spain); Naples (Italy); Rome (Civitavecchia) (Italy); Florence/Pisa (Livorno) (Italy); Cannes (France); Palma, Majorca (Spain); Disembark Barcelona (Spain)

Do you think that Cannes and Palma are worth to visit taking in consideration it will be my first cruise?

 

Cheers, Liz

 

 

https://www.ncl.com/cruises/12-day-italy-and-greek-isles-from-barcelona-DAWN12BCNCEQLIVCIVNAPJTRPIRJMKARMBARSPUVCE?cruiseTour=1&autoPopulate=f&cruiseHotel=1&numberOfGuests=4294953449&pageSize=10&Ntt=BCN&cruise=1&sortBy=Featured&from=resultPage&state=undefined&currentPage=2&cruiseHotelAir=1&&itineraryCode=DAWN12BCNCEQLIVCIVNAPJTRPIRJMKARMBARSPUVCE

 

This is an itinerary that ends in Venice ... like the cruise I took ended in Venice.  We spent 3 days after the cruise in Venice.  It was wonderful.  GREAT place to explore. 

[SPacificbound]

I suggest start looking up Mediterranean cruises on any cruise line you are interested in. Study itineraries and you will find what you are looking for. The itinerary has to be what I want before I book a cruise. Spend the time to get familiar with them. It will not be time wasted.

[Rala]

On November 4, 2018 at 8:13 PM, wassup4565 said:

There is a certain category of cruiser who loves to complain and find fault with anything and everything.  My theory is they think it makes them feel like they are discerning. Ignore these people.  They think complaining makes them seem sophisticated, when it actually reveals they are cranks.  Unless you are determined to whine and nag, you will be delighted by any cruise on any mainstream line.  Just pick something and go, you will love it.

 

Ten years ago my daughter was working herself to the bone and I made the decision with three weeks notice to book the two of us on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise on the RCCL ship Radiance of the Seas.  How did I choose this cruise?  I picked it because it was the exact number of days she had available, at exactly the right time.  I had no clue about anything else.  The short story was we loved every minutes of it and we have cruised again and again, in many places and on many ships.  And by the way, we'd have loved it if it was any other line travelling in any other place.  And we still love every trip, on every ship, to every place.

 

Book something that appeals to you and suits your timeframe.  Join your roll call and read the many, many wonderful threads on CC to learn everything you want to know.  Someone here will always help you. You will have a great time if you go with a good attitude and avoid the gripers you sometimes encounter.  And remember what someone in my very first roll call on our first cruise told me when I was stressing about what to pack.  "All you really need is your passport, your seapass, your credit card,  and your bathing suit.  Take it from there." 

I have to agree with pretty much everything said in the above post.  We have been on over 40 cruises mostly on RCCL, but a few other lines as well, and NONE have been even close to being awful.  Some have been better than others for various reasons like weather, people we met and befriended, food choices, etc, but we have enjoyed them all.  As Wassup says, just pick something that works for your criteria and go and have a great time!  

[SRF]

I always like reading the bad reviews.  But find most of them are actually about minor things that people got worked up over.

 

And things DO go wrong.  It is unfortunate, but with over 16 million people cruising every year, some will have not so great experiences.

 

But I do find many of the bad reviews are due to the reviewer having unreasonable expectations.  There is a thread here on CC about a Facebook post about a "horrible experience" with a cruise.  It seems the writer returned to the ship over an hour after sail away time, and the ship had left.  And how the cruise line was at fault.  REALLY??
 

Or I have seen bad reviews of restaurants, that the reviewer admits they never ate all.  They either could not get reservations, or showed up without reservations on a busy night.  How DARE the restaurant not seat them no matter what.

 

But I do look at the ratio.  If 90+% are average or higher.  Or a large percentage are above average or higher, this is good.