Which Cruise Line Do I Pick??????

[momrek06]

TO ALL THE CRUISE CRITIC POSTERS...

DH & I just finished our FIRST cruise ever. We simply LOVED everything about it! We selected the Disney 7 day land and sea and although I have been to WDW many many times we had never cruised. We were thrilled by the whole experience. We had a Cat 5 (7556) balcony midship on the WONDER! We re-booked for Feb 2007 (WHILE STILL ON THE WONDER)!!!

 

My question is...are there better cruises with far better service than Disney's? I know this is a packed question BUT I will be spending $3500.00 for this 7 day Eastern Caribbean and was wondering if I should change things up and try another cruise line. After-all, as much as I love MICKEY, we are going alone without the kids. (Disney cruise we went alone as well)! Disney does have quite abit offered for Adults only (lounges, cafes, pools and even BEACH)!!!

 

I will still want the Cat 5 (top deck, motion issues) and Balcony. Does anyone out there think we can get just as good cruise (food was FABULOUS, the staff was OUTSTANDING, the events were AWESOME)!!!

 

ADVICE PLEASE FROM ALL YOU SEASONED CRUISERS FROM THIS NOVICE!!!:D

[catmand]

I would suggest you take a look at Celebrity. There is nothing wrong with Princess, but we do think Celebrity service goes that extra mile!

[TexasMom2]

Do branch out and try the eastern or southern Caribbean!

[HomeLover]

There is no easy answer.

The real question that needs answering first is - what do you want from a cruise? Do you want to be pampered, good food, lots of activities, small ship atmosphere, large ship, etc.

Also, is $3500 per person or total for 2?

Personally, I love Radisson because I want to be pampered, but then I dislike the Caribbean.

[melika091900]

IMO disney cruiselines are way overpriced...

ive never been on disney,, but especially since you arent taking the kids, i would try another line,, you will save a lot of money ,,

and a lot more choices ...

weve sailed on carnival, NCL and celebrity..

celebrity was the best service,, good food,, older crowd

carnival - our favorite , big rooms,, great price, great food and entertainment a+++

NCL - our 2nd favorite,, good choices. freestyle dining and great iteneraries...

 

it depends on what you want from the cruiseline, I myself would try another line,, NCL and celebrity really gives you a bang for your $$$ with their concerige service and stuff...

if thats what you are looking for ,,

happy cruising

melissa

melissaofoia@sbcglobal.net

[janetz]

Yes, yes...Try a different line...Cruising without the kids, skip Disney. Disney is very pricey. Try Celebrity, Princess, there are many choices. :p

[Happy ks]

I know what you mean about the Disney cruise experience, our first cruise together was on Disney Magic. Since then we've been on 7 more cruises, with 3 more planned for this year.

 

The Disney ship was probably the most beautiful ship we've been on to date. I find it interesting how people presume it's like going to a Disney park and geared only towards children. My husband and I would go back on their ship any time, even without kids, although we would probably try to choose a time when kids are in school! The ships are elegant and well appointed, with plenty of adult only areas. The only thing it lacks in comparison to other ships is a casino. The entertainment, while geared towards Disney, is actually more professional and the entertainers better than most ships.

 

That said, you really should branch out and try other lines. We have also enjoyed cruises on RCI, Celebrity and NCL. We have tried the other "C" line and did not care for that line at all, but they won't miss us, plenty of satisfied customers cruise with them. Our next cruise is a short one, on QM2, as seen in my signature. We're planning on cruising many different lines over the years and not limiting ourselves to one line.

 

Truly, only you can be the judge of whether or not a different cruise line will be as good for you. Most of them have similarities, such as games, entertainment, shopping. The difference can be seen in the service staff, decor and to some extent, food. All of that can be subjective, one person will see glamour and glitter, the next person will see garish neon on cheap plastic. One person will taste a delectable cut of meat, the next will only taste the salt in the sauce.

 

As far as the actual ship experience, we have found Celebrity to be the most enjoyable. The ships are quieter than other lines, which we like. We don't enjoy being hawked at, we prefer a nice piano bar or ensemble to a disco, we enjoy seeing different types of art, rather than the same decor throughout the ship. RCI is a good standard line with attractive ships. We enjoyed our one NCL cruise more than we thought we would, the Freestyle dining concept was nice and we opted for the specialty dining rooms several nights.

 

So, plan to cruise a few different lines to compare!

[Nliedel]

I agree with the poster that suggested Celebrity. You will love it and no Mouse. I love the Mouse but have my limits :)

[silentbob007]

I'd give another cruiseline a try if it fits into your itinerary desires and budget... which is my recommendation to anyone, who has only cruised one line, no matter what line that is. Other experiences will either give you good alternatives to Disney, or you may decide Disney is the only thing that will make you happy. The important thing to do, however, is not to compare different lines while ON the cruise ... this is usually the path to nit-picking and dissatisfaction.

[The Grumpus]

I sail mostly with RCI. RCI is fun, there are many things to do on all they're ships and overall the service is excellent. That being said, my favorite cruise ever was on Celebrity Galaxy. It was the best vacation I ever had on a ship and they had a lot to do with it. The quality of service on that ship is hard to match with a cruise line in that price range. There wasn't as much to do as with RCI ships but I felt I was on vacation and relaxed the moment I got on board till the end of the 10 day cruise. So IMHO you won't go wrong with those two.

[ortiz34]

I have sailed HAL, Carnival and RCCL. Based on my experience you really can't go wrong with RCCL, they're just good all around, a little bit of everything for all ages.

 

How many kids are usually on a Disney cruise? :eek: Don't get me wrong, I love children but when I am on vacation I need to relax.

[madelinerose]

I've never cruised on Disney, and most likely will not, but our price for a 9 night Princess cruise in a mini-suite to the Eastern Caribbean on a brand new ship is much less than your 7-nighter in a balcony cabin on Disney.;)

 

Disney's? I know this is a packed question BUT I will be spending $3500.00 for this 7 day Eastern Caribbean and was wondering if I should change things up and try another cruise line. :D

[mtaylor04]

I LOVE PRINCESS! You ought to be able to get a better price for a 7 day cruise.

[Hoyaheel]

We have tried the other "C" line and did not care for that line at all, but they won't miss us, plenty of satisfied customers cruise with them

 

Crystal? Costa? :p ;)

[Richard/Traci]

I may be new to cruising,but I'm not new to life. I know a good value and rccl.com is the way to go.

[nparmelee]

There are a lot of options out there. You don't say what's most important to you....food, service, shows, activities, itinerary, formal nights, no formal nights, price, cabin amenities.... Some lines have a reputation for being more laid back, others for non-stop activity, some for being more formal and some for being very informal. What are you looking for in your cruise experience? This is when a good travel agent can help find something that will suit you and what you are looking for. We seem to like trying the different lines so far, for us it's the itinerary that's most imporatant.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do and have fun!

[momcruiser2]

I have sailed Carnival twice and Disney once. I did take teenagers on Carnival and no kids on Disney. I would do Carnival again in a heartbeat. Disney ok but I missed the entertainment and I enjoyed Carnival food more. I will be going Norwegian this summer and looking forward to a new adventure. I think you should try several to find what you like the best, after all its your vacation and your money!

[ScubaJim]

I used Princess for Eastern and Caribbean cruises. I was not dissappointed. Nothing Mickey Mouse or Goofy about Princess.