Top ranked cruise lines for 2014

Walmart = Carnival

 

Target = RCCL / NCL.

 

Huge difference between the shoppers in both stores.

I go to both. Just left Target today after work. Was in Walmart Saturday. :eek:

There should be a category for cruiseline obsessed over the most by those who claim not to like it. Carnival would win hands down. :p

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All cruise lines have lots to offer.

 

Have realized that we should be playing the field and not limiting ourselves to any one of them.

 

Married to my wife not Carnival or any other cruise lines.

 

Will we still cruise on Carnival? Of course but we will be looking around more and want to start on our bucket list of places around the world we would like to get to.

Good point.

i think I can hear the sobbing all the way from Miami. Wait that was laughing because surveys count for diddly. Enjoy the gloating.

 

 

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WalMart laughs all the way to the bank as well. But it is WalMart. Known the world over for cheap and crappy products. WalMart was once known for carrying merchandise made in America but, much like Carnival, they only care about the bottom dollar and appealing the cheapest consumers.

WalMart laughs all the way to the bank as well. But it is WalMart. Known the world over for cheap and crappy products. WalMart was once known for carrying merchandise made in America but, much like Carnival, they only care about the bottom dollar and appealing the cheapest consumers.

And Target sells only made in America quality products?

Give me a break!:confused:

Wondering if Disney paid them off ;) Just kidding

I dont put anything past Disney!! :cool:

Im sure DCL does a wonderful job and they MAKE SURE you pay for it.

Bottom line is, when I can go on 3 CCL cruise's or 1 DCL cruise for the same price...

Im going with CCL!!:p

Plenty if categories they left out, so whateverrrr. Plus who did they poll? Not me or anyone I know who cruises.

 

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If they polled you how could you have voted if you have only been on one cruise line?

Bill

If they polled you how could you have voted if you have only been on one cruise line?

 

Bill

Honestly based on my onboard experience. Like for example if it was asked how would you rate the romance experience on your past cruises, of course I could answer. And wouldn't have given it a high rating since none of my past cruises screamed romance. Not even when it was just the two of us. Lol. But the notion that your experiences aren't valid just because you've only sailed one line is unfair IMO. And again as I alwsys say, I'm all for trying a different line. When the price and timing works. Not a loyalist. Just a loyalist thus far. I have plenty of time. I hope.;)

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Hey and Disney lets you smuggle booze onboard. Oh, guess it's not smuggling if they allow you to bring it.

I cruise often and on various lines. All I can say is that after my last Carnival cruise June 2012 aboard the Dream, I am so done with Carnival.

Hey and Disney lets you smuggle booze onboard. Oh, guess it's not smuggling if they allow you to bring it.

 

I cruise often and on various lines. All I can say is that after my last Carnival cruise June 2012 aboard the Dream, I am so done with Carnival.

Well that's to bad, I'm guessing you won't be on the Dream then in April when I am.

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

We have enjoyed Carnival for the most part. The cost was always very inexpensive but then we consider cabins as places to sleep. We spend very little time there so inside cabins are fine with us. We research for the best rates, are flexible on cruise dates and typically sail out of a port that we can easily drive to. However, since we live at a nice beach we are bored with Carribean ports that are mainly beaches and trinket shopping stops. The novelty wore off long ago and we are more interested in international port intensive cruises.

Only one cruise with them was overseas on a new ship. It was a great experience but it seems that Carnival is moving out of those venues and for that reason it looks like we will need to consider other cruise lines. Fortunately there are many other cruise lines from which to choose - Celebrity with better dining selections, better entertainment, and a more desired atmosphere along with a more restrictive smoking policy is one that can fill the void. When comparing our Carnival Med cruise costs with our Celebrity Greek Island cruise costs we have found them to be fairly competitive with Celebrity's value better.

We have 2 more cruises scheduled soon to use a couple of vouchers on the Dream that were extremely inexpensive (almost to the point that we couldn't stay at home that cheap) and were specifically for the use of the spa package. In our experience dining, entertainment, and over all atmosphere has declined over the past few years and since they are moving the Dream and replacing it with a ship that has a limited spa package those will sadly be our last Carnival cruises.

We are sorry to see what we consider declines in the Carnival experience over the years. For us it has become like a McDonalds hamburger - popular with some, good for filling a void, but cheap and bland.

Cheers!

Price is still the number one factor when searching for a cruise.

On what are you basing that assertion? It is certainly not for me and not for a lot of folks I know. I would agree price is number one for a lot of folks and Carnival is there for them and what will continue to keep them going. It certainly is not their food, service or ships.

Plenty if categories they left out, so whateverrrr. Plus who did they poll? Not me or anyone I know who cruises.

 

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There is the big problem they don't ussally poll everyday people. They poll so call cruise experts. Then look at the nubmer of bad remarks about each line. Same is cruise critic does, and they have copped in the past to only looking at the number recived each week. So if Carnival recives an avg. of 10 a week per ship. And Disney gets 20 a week per ship. Since Carnival with their 27 ships would get 270 and Diansey with their 2 ships would get 40. Carnival would appear at lot lower in the rankings. Not saying that those are the exact numbers, just that that is how eassly these polls are twisted to get the result the pollest wants.

There is the big problem they don't ussally poll everyday people. They poll so call cruise experts. Then look at the nubmer of bad remarks about each line. Same is cruise critic does, and they have copped in the past to only looking at the number recived each week. So if Carnival recives an avg. of 10 a week per ship. And Disney gets 20 a week per ship. Since Carnival with their 27 ships would get 270 and Diansey with their 2 ships would get 40. Carnival would appear at lot lower in the rankings. Not saying that those are the exact numbers, just that that is how eassly these polls are twisted to get the result the pollest wants.

Hopefully you're not even saying that's the way the numbers were actually acquired.

.

Fyi, my first DC was this year on the newer Dream and it totally blew us away, 5 weeks after getting off Carnival Dream. Its been about 10 yrs since you went, and a lot can change in that amount of time. I get what you are saying though. But Disney really keeps up with what family style vacations (even adults who don't like smokey casinos, I consider that family style) and there is a reason they get the rates they do. I mean, I don't pay them (yikes!) I shop around, but evidently other people do. I book offseason, early, or sale and use my rewards to bring down the cost. (Half the cruise so far...)

 

All cruise lines change in 10 yrs. Some for the better, some not so much...

Don't get me wrong....I absolutely loved our Disney Cruises. They were my favorite to date....I'm just not willing to pay the extra to sail them now that my kids are teens. As a family off-season just does not work for us and I'm not willing to pay in-season prices when I can sail other lines for so much less. The difference in price can pay for a lot of nice excursions that would interest my kids a whole bunch more than a Disney Princess would at their current ages.

Walmart = Carnival

 

Target = RCCL / NCL.

 

Huge difference between the shoppers in both stores.

I disagree that there is a huge difference between the shoppers. I happen to shop at both and I am not a different person when I enter one store vs the other. I know many other people that also shop at both. I also sail both CCL and NCL....I'm the same person sailing both lines, I don't magically turn into someone else.

Walmart = Carnival

 

Target = RCCL / NCL.

 

Huge difference between the shoppers in both stores.

Yes. The Walmart shoppers know they get the same or better merchandise, cheaper. Who cares what the shopper space ratio of aisle 6 is? :p:D:p

Price is still the number one factor when searching for a cruise.

That is subjective. While price is a factor for us and for most that I know, it is not the number one factor. For us it is usually a matter of when we can go, where we want to go, and then price comes into play. Sometimes there is a certain ship or type of ship and then price plays even less of a factor....but I have to say for a fact that price was never our number one factor. It was usually a deciding factor AFTER we had our choices narrowed down to a few choices that met our wants.

That is subjective. While price is a factor for us and for most that I know, it is not the number one factor. For us it is usually a matter of when we can go, where we want to go, and then price comes into play. Sometimes there is a certain ship or type of ship and then price plays even less of a factor....but I have to say for a fact that price was never our number one factor. It was usually a deciding factor AFTER we had our choices narrowed down to a few choices that met our wants.

Statistically it is the number one factor. It doesn't mean it is the number one factor for everyone.

I disagree that there is a huge difference between the shoppers. I happen to shop at both and I am not a different person when I enter one store vs the other. I know many other people that also shop at both. I also sail both CCL and NCL....I'm the same person sailing both lines, I don't magically turn into someone else.

Just wanted to expand on this. Where I shop depends on who has what I want at the best price. The same goes for which ship I sail.

I shop with a shopping list and I review the ads before I do any shopping for the week. If there is something specific I am looking for I make sure to search the ads for it. I can hit just about any store while I am at work or on my way home from work without going to much out of my way (if at all). There are some places that I know have the best prices for certains things that we use...ie Walmart always has the best price for printer ink and the coffee we use so unless I see an ad for less somewhere else, I will plan to get those there. But I will hit just about any store if the price is right for what I am looking for.

When planning a vacation, I come up with a list of what the family wants out of our next vacation. I come up with a couple suggestions that would meet the majority of those wants and price them out. We choose the best vacation (not necessarily all cruises) that meets our wants at the best price. I'm willing to do any ship or hotel if the price is right for what I am looking for.

You have so much more flexibility to get what you want at a great price when you are not locked in to a certain store or a certain cruise line. I really don't get the brand loyalty thing...Timing usually limits us a lot as it is, I don't need anything else putting limits on my choices.

Statistically it is the number one factor. It doesn't mean it is the number one factor for everyone.

And you got this statistic from?

But RCI which has about 22 ships doesn't seem to have trouble selling out their ships at a higher price.:confused:

 

Bill

Some folks are willing to pay more for ice rinks and bowling alleys I guess.

Nothing like a Disney cruise. And it's NOT the characters.

No and nothing like a sky high DCL price either!! :rolleyes:

And you got this statistic from?

One of the blatantly anti-Carnival polls some also like to quote.

http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/BNsKy1W/2013-cruise-line-satisfaction-report.htm

"Price (53%) and past experience with brand (39%) are the two primary reasons for selecting a cruise line."

Price is still the number one factor when searching for a cruise.

Same for motels. Just take a look at some of the cheapest ones out there.

Not to me. If I want an amusement park I will go to one (I won't by the way). Point is what I consider features you might not and the opposite is true as well. I don't want pay for those things or for you to enjoy them either.

 

 

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First off, Royal definatly is not an amusement park, it is a cruise line with lots of features to enhance the cruising experience! I could make reference to carnival being a water park, one that I'm not interested in paying for , or for you to enjoy either. However, I don'y live under a rock and I'm aware that different people like different things. If you want to sail only carnival and not experience other lines out there, do so, but don't speak to that of which you know nothing.