How to pick a cruise line

[pxydst]

Trying to decide if we should  go on a cruise next Feb or not.  How do I find out what cruise line is safe for my family. Is there any place that ranks the different cruise lines?  Not trying to have a heated discussion on the whole COVID thing, just want to do my own research.  thank you for your help

[CruiserBruce]

Covid doesn't favor or dislike one cruise line over another. Most of the cruise lines operating the US have the same, or very similar policies and procedures for operation during Covid times, because they derived from CDC polices, procedures and recommendations.

 

NO cruise line desires a repeat of the March 2020 issues of widespread sickness, blocked access to ports and deaths. Cruise lines are just getting back on their feet after that horrible time. I would be expecting cruise lines to be doing everything they can to prevent anything resembling those events...their survival as business requires it.

[mom says]

As Cruiser Bruce said, no one cruise line is "safer" than another, especially when looking at cruises out of the US. So base your choice on the line that suits your other requirements, like price, itinerary, and ship amenities. This is where a travel agent who  has experience with cruising can be of great help. If you don't know of one, try asking amongst friends or colleagues for recommendations. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

Many cruise lines now have a website section with FAQs regarding their “Sail Safe” (or similarly worded) policies and procedures.

Read them carefully and include your findings in the list of considerations that inform your decision.

FWIW: Any cruise line that does not require 100% vaccination of ALL passengers and crew should be eliminated from your list. Required pre-cruise Covid testing with negative results should also be required. The list goes on......

[Hlitner]

As a long time frequent cruiser, we do not even consider "safety" an issue when we book a cruise.  If you (the OP) are concerned about COVID my only advice is to just stay home.  Once you enter the travel/cruise world your COVID risk is going to increase because you will find yourself in some crowded environments.  Social distancing is not really much of an option in the cruise world, especially if you are a mass market cruise ship.  Even the ultra luxury lines (not good for families with younger folks) where the space ratios allow for more distancing have had plenty of problems with COVID.

 

As to vaccination, while that certainly helps keep us out of the hospital the science seems to show that even fully vaccinated folks are very susceptible to the Omicron variants.  In March-April we cruised on a luxury 600 passenger ship (with fewer than 500 cruisers) where everyone was vaccinated and also tested within two days of the cruise.   During a long Atlantic crossing (with no ports) we still had a significant number of folks test positive for COVID (they were immediately quarantined).  I would assume that there were also other COVID cases (aboard) that were never diagnosed since those folks did not complain, had few or no symptoms, and simply went on with their lives   The truth is that many of us do not run to get tested every time we feel a little under the weather so nobody really knows how many folks have had COVID.  

 

 If you are going to allow COVID to rule your travel/cruise decisions than there are not any great options.  You also might want to consider that February is generally the height of the flu season and URIs are also very common in the winter.  While DW and I have never caught COVID on a cruise (at least not of which we are aware) we have had more than our share of URIs and most probably the flu.

 

If safety is the big issue you might want to consider renting a nice beach house somewhere in the Caribbean or Mexico, booking a private aircraft to whisk you to that property, avoiding any activities with other folks, and cooking all your own meals at the rented property.  That would certainly minimize (not eliminate) the risk of getting COVID or other communicable diseases.

 

Hank

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, pxydst said:

Trying to decide if we should  go on a cruise next Feb or not.  How do I find out what cruise line is safe for my family. Is there any place that ranks the different cruise lines?  Not trying to have a heated discussion on the whole COVID thing, just want to do my own research.  thank you for your help

Find a reputable Travel Agent and let her or him do the initial research.

[Aquahound]

5 hours ago, pxydst said:

Trying to decide if we should go on a cruise next Feb or not.  How do I find out what cruise line is safe for my family. Is there any place that ranks the different cruise lines?  Not trying to have a heated discussion on the whole COVID thing, just want to do my own research.  thank you for your help

 

We do not know what the situation is going to be in Feb so it is very hard to point you in a direction regarding safe from COVID.  For example, advice such as requiring 100% vax is extremely premature to say now for a cruise that is 8 months away.  Heck, it's beginning to look like that doesn't even matter now considering how many vaxxed are returning sick from cruises.  

 

This may seem miniscule, but I recommend looking for a line that does not provide self-serve tongs in the buffet.  It's hard to say at this point how many lines will make that a permanent practice.

[Host Kat]

Howdy @pxydst 

 

I suggest you find a cruise specialist travel agent to help you. Especially one that has cruised often. They know more of the ins & outs of cruising than someone that is just an order taker and never cruised! Perhaps something in the following "oldie but goodie" Cruise Critic articles will be helpful! 🤞

 

Finding a Cruise Travel Agent last updated August 31, 2021

What to Look For in a Travel Agent In The COVID-19 Era last updated July 7, 2021

 

And if you prefer booking direct with a cruise line...

What to Expect on a Cruise: Booking With a Cruise Line last updated January 8, 2020

 

Hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

[Joebucks]

I think what the OP means to ask is which cruise line is going to enforce masks, testing, and vaccines on everyone

[ldubs]

15 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

 

This may seem miniscule, but I recommend looking for a line that does not provide self-serve tongs in the buffet.  It's hard to say at this point how many lines will make that a permanent practice.

 

BYOT = Bring Your Own Tongs!  😃

[Heidi13]

On 6/3/2022 at 1:05 PM, pxydst said:

Trying to decide if we should  go on a cruise next Feb or not.  How do I find out what cruise line is safe for my family. Is there any place that ranks the different cruise lines?  Not trying to have a heated discussion on the whole COVID thing, just want to do my own research.  thank you for your help

 

Viking Ocean is clearly the cruise line that really walks the talk, when it comes to crew & pax health & safety.

 

In addition to pre-boarding testing, they still require a non-invasive PCR daily spit test, which is processed within a few hours in the onboard lab.

 

However, they have a minimum pax age of 18, so not best for families.

[iancal]

Not all ships within the same cruise line are equal.  
 

We pay attention to the ship.  A number of cruise lines that we prefer have one or two ships in their respective fleet that we would not consider.

[pxydst]

On 6/5/2022 at 10:54 AM, iancal said:

Not all ships within the same cruise line are equal.  
 

We pay attention to the ship.  A number of cruise lines that we prefer have one or two ships in their respective fleet that we would not consider.

So how do I find that out?? which cruise ships i should and should not consider! this is what i am looking for

[pxydst]

thank you all for your info you shared, I understand COVID and how things work just not sure how to find out which ships have a good track record on all types of safety issues.  Which cruise line has more complaints against them, how do their food rank.... sorry for this misinformation at first I know years ago there was a web site that had all of this info and a lot more but not sure if it still exists

[iancal]

There are scads of very subjective opinions on everything from food to entertainment.

 

There is no best.  Just one that ticks most or all of your personal preferences.

 

Every sailing  on each ship can be a little different based upon crew and on board management team.

 

You really need to sift through the complaints.  Some are legitimate, some could be minor issues of a few entitled cruisers.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, pxydst said:

thank you all for your info you shared, I understand COVID and how things work just not sure how to find out which ships have a good track record on all types of safety issues.  Which cruise line has more complaints against them, how do their food rank.... sorry for this misinformation at first I know years ago there was a web site that had all of this info and a lot more but not sure if it still exists

 

Even if you found a website providing this type of information, I question the relevance and more especially how they ensured it was current.

 

A ship is simply an asset. The cruise line can set standards through the policy manuals, but the best Masters, Senior Officers and crews can significantly enhance a poor cruise line's standards. Conversely, a poor crew can fail to attain the exceptional standards of a quality cruise line.

 

This is all based on the ship's leadership team, starting with the Master. Having sailed on numerous longer cruises, once the Master/Senior Officers change, I have noted changes to the standards on the same ship, some positive, others negative.

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, pxydst said:

thank you all for your info you shared, I understand COVID and how things work just not sure how to find out which ships have a good track record on all types of safety issues.  Which cruise line has more complaints against them, how do their food rank.... sorry for this misinformation at first I know years ago there was a web site that had all of this info and a lot more but not sure if it still exists

 

There's a big difference between safety concerns and determining which ship is best according to more objective measures such as best food or entertainment.

 

CDC keeps records on ships sailing out of the US with regard to their regular inspections of things like food safety (Google CDC Vessel Sanitation Program). They also track COVID infection numbers but in a way that is somewhat difficult to interpret.

 

The truth is that modern ships are ALL fairly safe as they must abide by many regulations from those governing ship muster drills and placement of lifeboats (SOLAS) and many others. 

 

Food is highly subjective. The best you can do is understand that cruise lines that routinely charge higher fares generally track higher with regard to how much they spend on food -- e.g., better quality, better cuts of meat, etc.  Does that matter to you?  It may not if the food is prepared and flavored well by talented chefs or if you prefer pizza and hamburgers to foie gras and caviar. If a good steak is the be all and end all for you, understand that you'll probably have to go to s specialty restaurant (at least on a mainstream line) to get a truly good one.

 

For these more subjective areas, there is really no better way to get an idea than to read reviews here on CC (or somewhere else). Read lots of reviews, not just a few and don't give too much credibility to one isolated complaint -- but if a specific complaint comes up over and over, then ask yourself if that would be a deal-breaker for you.

[Flatbush Flyer]

On 6/4/2022 at 4:06 AM, Aquahound said:

This may seem miniscule, but I recommend looking for a line that does not provide self-serve tongs in the buffet.  It's hard to say at this point how many lines will make that a permanent practice.

Not minuscule at all. Just watch how many folks cough and sneeze into their hands and then touch everything in sight.

Self-served food? That would be a deal breaker for us.

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 hours ago, pxydst said:

thank you all for your info you shared, I understand COVID and how things work just not sure how to find out which ships have a good track record on all types of safety issues.  Which cruise line has more complaints against them, how do their food rank.... sorry for this misinformation at first I know years ago there was a web site that had all of this info and a lot more but not sure if it still exists

Google is your friend (sometimes). 

And a true “cruise specialist” travel agent can help you rule out lines that will not meet your expectations.