Help in Choosing a Cruise line

[Jenner10]

Hello everyone who has been on a cruise. I am looking to seek some info on those who have been on a few different cruises before and would like to share some info with me. I have only been on the Disney Magic and WOnder and would like to know what others would suggest is a good ship to go on if you are going without children and just with a group of adults? I am really having a hard time trying to decide since there is so many to choose from.

Also we are looking at a 5 day cruise to the Caribbean.

 

Thank you

Jenner

[mrdood]

I think you will find for adults RCI, Carnival, NCL provide similar products, you have to just decide what you are willing to pay, Carnival tends to be less expensive, but not in all cases.

 

Don't do Disney if you are not going with kids, it is not worth the extra cost that is geared for kids.

 

If you like gambling, drinking, dancing, hanging out and watching the water go by - you will be happy on any one of them. Just pick the most convenient port and the itinerary that interests you, some of the big web sites have some fun search features that help you narrow down which cruise will work then it is easier to evaluate.

 

Good luck!

[tomdnh]

Not to hijack this thread but what are good cruise lines if you are taking kids?

[silentbob007]

Not to hijack this thread but what are good cruise lines if you are taking kids?

 

Disney is an obvious answer if you can afford it and/or like their products. All major cruiselines (mass market) have child programs, and from experience, Carnival and Royal Caribbean both offer good ones.

[Bruin Steve]

Hello everyone who has been on a cruise. I am looking to seek some info on those who have been on a few different cruises before and would like to share some info with me. I have only been on the Disney Magic and Wonder and would like to know what others would suggest is a good ship to go on if you are going without children and just with a group of adults? I am really having a hard time trying to decide since there is so many to choose from.

Also we are looking at a 5 day cruise to the Caribbean.

Jennifer,

I have cruised on seven different cruise lines (Premier--the predecessor to Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity and Oceania) and continue to cruise on multiple lines... so maybe I can give some balanced and experienced insight here...

 

Here is my take on each line:

 

Carnival: A lot of activities and great entertainment, food and service not the best but food has improved drastically over the years, ships are nice (newer ones nicer) with large cabin size but decor a bit "loud"...A great cruise for the "everyman" on a budget...Younger crowd, lots of kids...

 

Royal Caribbean: Actually the best cruise for kids, IMHO, due to the onboard amenities (Rock Climbing Walls, Ice Skating, Roller Blading, Surfing, Golf, etc.)...a little more upscale than Carnival but fairly similar...a lot of kids onboard as well...

 

Norwegian: Sort of an alternative for non-traditional cruisers--open seating, lack of dress code...IMHO, the service is fairly poor and nothing really distinguishes the line...

 

Princess: Avoid the older ships...excellent service, good food, sort of "average" in terms of most criteria...Newer ships are nice and elegant...

 

Celebrity: My favorite line...Best food and service of the large ship lines, clearly an "adult" experience though they do have kids programs...They have devoted more of their ample space to bars, lounges and more adult activities...Best Passenger-to-space and crew-to-space ratios of the large ship lines...fewest disruptive announcements, least amount of nickling-and-diming...Overall, just a more elegant and relaxing cruise...Of course, everyone's own criteria for why they cruise is different...some folks don't want elegant and relaxing...some would rather have nonstop rowdiness and fun...So, though this may be my favorite cruise line, yours may be different...

 

Oceania: Smaller ships, excellent food, entertainment not as good...NO kids programs...open seating, no formal dress code...but a little more expensive...

 

One problem you are going to find is that a lot of the cruise lines other than Carnival and Royal Caribbean don't do a lot of five-night cruises...

 

You really ought to aim for at least a seven-night cruise anyway...

For one, the lines that do short cruises, usually put their older and less desirable ships on those routes...second, the ports usually aren't as exciting...and third, longer cruises are just more relaxing and more fulfilling...It also gives you a greater choice of itineraries, cruise lines and ships...

 

Hope this helps...

[hdawson]

In general, I completely agree with Bruin Steve's analysis of the various mainstream cruiselines. I too sail different lines (19 total cruises). They're all good and some very, very good.

 

My absolute favorite line, like Steve, is Celebrity. The service is bestest, most refined and professional and the cuisine is fantastic. All the breads, ice cream, salad dressings, etc., are made onboard. The croissants and bread sticks at dinner deserved special praise.

 

I still enjoy the other lines. I just sailed with Carnival a month ago and had a great time. And the price was about as cheap as staying home, even sailing solo.

 

I encourage all repeat cruisers to try several lines to determine which one actually matches your taste and style best. If you don't experience others you will never know.