What cruise lines have you sailed in?

[sverigecruiser]

35 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

 More recently (last month) we took several ferries in the Greek Islands.  These were large ships (they hold over 1000 passengers) but we consider them ferries, not cruise lines.  

 

 

Silja Lines biggest ship told over 3000 passengers but it's still a ferry.

[Hlitner]

59 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Silja Lines biggest ship told over 3000 passengers but it's still a ferry.

We are familiar with that line and agree they are still ferries.  

 

Hank

[beaming90]

Only Carnival and Holland America but looking forward to the next one in only 510 days!

[navybankerteacher]

16 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We are familiar with that line and agree they are still ferries.  

 

Hank

Right - size not the determinant (those ferries from Harwich to Hook of Holland are massive and have cabins and serve food).  Itinerary and purpose really count.  Ferries generally make short crossings for the primary purpose of getting people from here to there (meaning that the liners of an earlier century shuttling between New York and European ports  were as much ferries as cruise ships - and were only fairly recently re-purposed to provide recreational travel - where the trip, rather than  getting to the destination, was the raison d’etre.

 

I would say that most of my sailings on QM2 could count as ferry rides - a comfortable way of getting back from visits to England, while just one was a cruise - escaping New England winter for a dozen day  round trip to the Caribbean.

Edited September 15, 2021 by navybankerteacher

[clo]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

this lady

Do you remember if her name was Dolly? Our first cruise 20 years ago was on HAL and there was a lady who basically lived on HAL. Had one niece (IIRC) who she had told when she got that call that Dolly had died to hang up the phone and the cruise line would have to pay to transport her remains 🙂 When they were giving out frequent traveler awards she got some kinda stuffed shipped that they or she called the Dolly-Dam. Funny the things one remembers. BTW, "widow lady" is something I've only heard once from a Southern cousin of mine.

[Reina del Mar]

Union Castle-                    Reina del Mar (4)

P&O-                                   Canberra (8)

Norwegian American-     Vistafjord (1)

Princess-                           Emerald, (3) Island, (1) Royal, (1) Majestic, (1)Caribbean(2)

Royal Caribbean-             Serenade, (1) Liberty, (2) Navigator.(1) Oasis (1)

Marella-                             Discovery II (1)

[travelnap]

Carnival (2)

Princess (1)

Norwegian (12)

Celebration (1)

Royal Caribbean (1)

Holland America (8)

Celebrity (1)

[Tudorcruisers]

RCCL

NCL

P&O

Celebrity

Silversea

Crystal 

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Do you remember if her name was Dolly? Our first cruise 20 years ago was on HAL and there was a lady who basically lived on HAL. Had one niece (IIRC) who she had told when she got that call that Dolly had died to hang up the phone and the cruise line would have to pay to transport her remains 🙂 When they were giving out frequent traveler awards she got some kinda stuffed shipped that they or she called the Dolly-Dam. Funny the things one remembers. BTW, "widow lady" is something I've only heard once from a Southern cousin of mine.

I do not recall the name of the lady we met.  But we have met several widows and one couple who practically live on cruise ships (this was a few years ago).  One happy couple told us they would cruise on Princess for nearly 11 months a year (they would go visit their Grandchildren for the Xmas/New Years season.  We have also met a couple of widows one of whom convinced us that living on a cruise ship (most of the year) was less costly then living in a decent assisted living center :).  

 

I am sure you are aware that there are quite a few folks who routinely spend over 250 days a year on cruise ships.  I think that DW and I could get into that lifestyle (we have never cruised more then 120 days in a single year) but the logistics are difficult and we still are addicted to our winter living in Puerto Vallarta.  Every time we embark on a ship we both share a mutual feeling of "being home."  But unlike many others, we are not addicted to a single cruise line and still like variety.  

 

Hank

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, clo said:

Do you remember if her name was Dolly? Our first cruise 20 years ago was on HAL and there was a lady who basically lived on HAL.

 

Dolly was a memorable fellow guest.  Another one of those on HAL was a woman who was known as "Kissing Annie."  Anyone remember her?  

[rkacruiser]

18 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I have learned to expect fairly little from NCL and Carnival.

 

My first Carnival cruise was a 6 day Caribbean on Carnival Freedom during Spring Break time.  (My travel agent had refused to book me on Carnival because she was sure I would not like it.  She retired and the agent who inherited my Account booked the cruise.  My friends thought "I had lost my marbles." when I told them what I had done.)  I boarded the ship with low expectations.  Even booked a veranda cabin just in case I needed to get away from whatever mayhem I might experience.  That cruise exceeded my expectations in every way:  food was good; service was good; entertainment was certainly better than HAL; drinks were well made; fellow guests were of all ages and demographics and were friendly to the point that my DR table of 4 was next to a table of 4 composed of 4 female Seniors on Spring Break.  One evening, none of my tablemates arrived and 1 of the young ladies did not come for dinner.  They invited me to join them for dinner.  A 70 something with three 21 year olds?  How's this going to work?  Well, it was one of the most delightful dinners and conversations I have had at sea!  I observed nothing on that cruise that was "out of place" by the young guests.  I have observed behavior by much more mature guests on HAL ships that I never saw on any of my Carnival cruises.

 

Carnival gets a bad rep from some as far as I am concerned!  

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, Downdie said:

can anyone name the ships I sailed on and where they are now?

 

I will try regarding your MSC ship.  Is it MSC Monterey?  If so, she is now razor blades, etc.  

[Downdie]

13 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I will try regarding your MSC ship.  Is it MSC Monterey?  If so, she is now razor blades, etc.  

Sorry for misleading you a little. The ship was younger than that. It was the Opera, sailing from Genoa on it’s first voyage after it’s maiden voyage in 2004. The Lirica arrived a little earlier. Both had the current logo on their funnels but were peddling souvenir items with the MSC logo that you see on all their freight containers. And of course the Opera is still sailing.

[jocap]

I too think of a ferry as transport, usually including vehicles.

But some lines, such as P&O Ferries (not P&O Cruise Line); Brittany Ferries etc advertise mini cruises... . for instance, sailing from Hull UK to Amsterdam overnight; an option for an excursion in Holland and then return to the ship in time for dinner and the sail out. Food is included, as is the cabin. I think many people would count these as cruising.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

My first Carnival cruise was a 6 day Caribbean on Carnival Freedom during Spring Break time.  (My travel agent had refused to book me on Carnival because she was sure I would not like it.  She retired and the agent who inherited my Account booked the cruise.  My friends thought "I had lost my marbles." when I told them what I had done.)  I boarded the ship with low expectations.  Even booked a veranda cabin just in case I needed to get away from whatever mayhem I might experience.  That cruise exceeded my expectations in every way:  food was good; service was good; entertainment was certainly better than HAL; drinks were well made; fellow guests were of all ages and demographics and were friendly to the point that my DR table of 4 was next to a table of 4 composed of 4 female Seniors on Spring Break.  One evening, none of my tablemates arrived and 1 of the young ladies did not come for dinner.  They invited me to join them for dinner.  A 70 something with three 21 year olds?  How's this going to work?  Well, it was one of the most delightful dinners and conversations I have had at sea!  I observed nothing on that cruise that was "out of place" by the young guests.  I have observed behavior by much more mature guests on HAL ships that I never saw on any of my Carnival cruises.

 

Carnival gets a bad rep from some as far as I am concerned!  

On this subject I'll bite :).  We have been on many lines over more then 45 years of extensive cruising and that includes only 3 cruises on Carnival (when we were somewhat younger).  A fellow cruiser once said to me that she found it interesting that most critics of Carnival had either never been on that cruise line or had not been on the line for many years.  When we have been around others that bashed Carnival I always ask them when was the last time they had been on Carnival (and which ship) and almost always have been told something like "we would never cruise on that line."

 

Our own experience on Carnival was that the line was fine, fun, and a decent value.  Even now (in our 70s) given the right situation we would have no problem going on Carnival for a relatively short cruise (i,e less then 10 days).  I still remember going on the Carnival Destiny for a Christmas holiday cruise (we promised our then young DD a cruise) and meeting two families who told us they normally cruise on Seabourn but prefer Carnival for family holiday cruises.  I mention this because Carnival does what they do well and this is why they have been very successful.  The line's management understands their target group, no what to do to appeal to that market, and deliver a decent product.   MSC is another line that also appeals to that similar target group (at least with their Caribbean cruises) although they do have their Yacht Club which is still one of the great values in all of cruising and offers lots of appeal to an older clientele seeking a higher class experience.

 

Hank

[George C]

1 hour ago, jocap said:

I too think of a ferry as transport, usually including vehicles.

But some lines, such as P&O Ferries (not P&O Cruise Line); Brittany Ferries etc advertise mini cruises... . for instance, sailing from Hull UK to Amsterdam overnight; an option for an excursion in Holland and then return to the ship in time for dinner and the sail out. Food is included, as is the cabin. I think many people would count these as cruising.

Since I counted my cruises to nowhere, I would count any overnight ferry . I have heard some of them had excellent food. 

[Heidi13]

On 9/14/2021 at 9:30 AM, sverigecruiser said:

 

I know that. Does that necessary mean that they can be called a cruiseline? I don't know the definition, that's why I asked.

 

Generally, vessels that carry people are cruise ships, while vessels that carry commercial vehicles and/or cars and pax are considered Ro/Pax (aka ferry).

 

Many of the Ro/Pax have overnight accommodation and have pax accommodation and lounges comparable with cruise ships, but they are still a Ro/Pax.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Cunard

NCL

Carnival

Royal Caribbean

Celebrity

MSC

HAL

Queen Nabila (Nile River Cruise)

Victoria Princess (Yangtse River Cruise)

Rickmers Jakarta (Freighter Cruise)

Edited September 15, 2021 by Oak Hill Cruisers

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Our own experience on Carnival was that the line was fine, fun, and a decent value.  Even now (in our 70s) given the right situation we would have no problem going on Carnival for a relatively short cruise (i,e less then 10 days

 

I appreciate your comments; thank you.  Your comments support my thinking.  

[rkacruiser]

On 9/15/2021 at 4:22 PM, Downdie said:

Both had the current logo on their funnels but were peddling souvenir items with the MSC logo that you see on all their freight containers.

 

 Is my memory correct?  These two ships were owned by a company called First Festival Cruises?  If so, the logo on their funnels were of First Festival's?  

 

First Festival went bankrupt and MSC probably got these two ships at fire sale prices.  I remember seeing one of the two looking forlorn, docked at Civitivecchia, as the original Royal Princess passed her on the way to our dock.  That would have been the Spring of 2004, I recall.  

[iancal]

We have only done two cruises on Carnival.  

 

We very much enjoyed both.  Service, food, cabin were all comparable to what we have had on some other mass market lines.  

 

Both were late booking cruises.  One Mexican Riviera, the other Caribbean.  Both during the March break season.

 

We did take time to select our ship carefully and the date.  As recall our Mexican Riv. trip started on a Tuesday and Wednesday and was 8 days.  Sorry...do drunks in the halls, at the pools, or anywhere that we saw contrary to what some report.

 

Both cruises were very good.  Bottom line...we would definitely select Carnival again if the ship and the price were right.  No different than we would select the other mass market lines....Princess, HAL, etc.  Pre covid they all of these mass market lines  seemed to have one or two ships in their respective fleets that we would never consider..

 

  And let's face it, consistency is hardly one of the attributes of any mass market cruise line these days.

Edited September 17, 2021 by iancal

[evandbob]

On 9/15/2021 at 3:50 PM, rkacruiser said:

Carnival gets a bad rep from some as far as I am concerned!  

So true.  But to anyone who has disparaged Carnival, I suggest they try the Mardi Gras or Celebration (once that ship starts sailing) and you'll never know you were on Carnival at all.  They broke their mold with this class ship.

 

We sailed MG 9/4 -9/11 and it was our best Carnival ship experience ever - bright colors and decor, plenty of dining venues, a roller coaster, and absolutely no plastic palm trees or Farkus inspired creations on this liquid natural gas fueled ship

 

We've sailed over a year's worth of days on Carnival, NCL, RCCL, Celebrity, Princess, MSC and Disney.

Edited September 17, 2021 by evandbob

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, evandbob said:

They broke their mold with this class ship.

 

We sailed MG 9/4 -9/11 and it was our best Carnival ship experience ever - bright colors and decor, plenty of dining venues, a roller coaster, and absolutely no plastic palm trees or Farkus inspired creations on this liquid natural gas fueled ship

 

I appreciate reading your post.  Thank you.  I look forward to cruising on Mardi Gras.  

 

I am one who enjoyed Mr Farcus' work on the ships on which I have sailed.  Some of his creations seem better suited to some areas of the ship than others, I think.  The murals and decor in all of the Atrium Bars seemed to be quite appropriate for a "Fun Ship" and added to the atmosphere that those Bars always seemed to have.  

 

I believe that all of the introduction of the Officers on the first gala night took place in the Atrium Bar area.  What I consider to be a somewhat formal occasion, the aura of the Atrium Bar always seemed a bit "off" for such a program.  But, then, on the other hand, where else would be any better?   

[Aquahound]

9 hours ago, evandbob said:

So true.  But to anyone who has disparaged Carnival, I suggest they try the Mardi Gras or Celebration (once that ship starts sailing) and you'll never know you were on Carnival at all.  They broke their mold with this class ship.

 

I really hope that's true because my one and only Carnival experience on Liberty wasn't so great.  Has Mardi Gras sailed full yet?  It's the alarmingly low space/passenger ratio that concerns me.  

[evandbob]

When we asked some crew, we got answers ranging from 70 to 80% capacity.