What makes a ship or cruise your favorite?

[msw1023]

I read lots of posts where folks refer to a ship as their favorite.

What determines that? Is it the visual surroundings? A special event or occasion? The itinerary? The company? an awesome cruise critic group that makes lots of plans? A crew member who goes above and beyond?

I'm just curious. I'm one of those people who just thinks whatever cruise I'm on RIGHT NOW is the best one.

Would love to hear your thoughts:)

Marsha

[SeagoingMom]

I read lots of posts where folks refer to a ship as their favorite.

What determines that? Is it the visual surroundings? A special event or occasion? The itinerary? The company? an awesome cruise critic group that makes lots of plans? A crew member who goes above and beyond?

I'm just curious. I'm one of those people who just thinks whatever cruise I'm on RIGHT NOW is the best one.

Would love to hear your thoughts:)

Marsha

I am kind of like you that the current cruise is the best, but I still have my favorites. Are you asking this question specifically about RCCL? If so, I have no responses, as I have not yet sailed with them. But if you are interested in answers regarding other cruise lines, I can contribute.

[OCruisers]

The passenger base is always of special importance to us ... on RCCL or any other cruise line.

 

LuLu

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[SECdawg]

Totally depends. Jewel Southern caribbean was probably our favorite due to great ports and excursions. Mix that in with a beautiful ship and great friends travelling with us it will be hard to beat. As far as ships go, Freedom is probably still my favorite. Of course I am always keeping an open mind and willing to let another ship win me over!

[xxoocruiser]

Which ever ship I'm on at that moment in time is always my favorite.

 

Now when it comes to itineraries that's a whole other ball game. In no particular order my favorites have been New England/Canada Alaska , Mediterranean and Baltic Sea

[Tapi]

Honestly, I don't know until I get there. :)

 

One of the BEST cruises I've EVER taken was a last minute 4 night cruise in the (small, old and retired) Holiday from Carnival out of Mobile, AL

 

We went with the absolute lowest expectations anybody could have when going on a cruise, but we were desperate to get away for a few days.

 

We found one of the most relaxing cruises we've ever taken, among some of the absolutely best fellow cruisers, and the most exceptional service we've ever had on a cruise. :D

 

So fast forwarding to the present. my most recent sailings aboard the Allure of the Seas and the Westerdam to Alaska also rank as some of my best cruises ever, BUT for obviously different reasons than our little cruise aboard the Holiday. There's no rhyme or reason to the madness. :)

[goouchjac]

Have to say,,,mine was the Summitt,,10 day to the southern carib..(Celebrity ship),,,we had a great time with our ccbuddies who we got friendly with even before we met for the first time..

Our waiter Juan was the best bar none,,before or since that cruise,,we were total of 12 at the table,,after the first day he remembered all our names and we had the best service,,plus alot of laughs with him..:D

 

That was back in 2003 and still remember the good time we had..

[Langley Cruisers]

OP, many of the above you listed help contribute, IMO. I quite loved all of our RCI cruises (HAL, not so much) for different reasons, but I think I will say my favorite was the last one, Jewel of the Seas during Hurricane Sandy and then B2B with a quick 5 day out of Tampa. I would never make light of the tragedy of course, but it absolutely was something different that we had never experienced before, both doing a B2B and everything that went along with riding out this Hurricane in port for 2 days. I loved the ship, the itinerary, the service, the food, and the relaxed atmosphere that we had to adopt - sort of an "Oh well, what can you do?!" kind of mentality. Of course some passengers were choked and complained loudly, others just drank for 3 straight days...

 

We are blessed to cruise, this I know. My illness (cancer) has sidelined us temporarily but being able to travel is a blessing. Good health is a blessing. It's a beautiful thing to be able to cruise, and thus, I appreciate each and every one. :)

.

[lovelife]

Liberty with my late son will always be the one I hold dearest. Love to Above.

[Hobbsey]

For me the best cruises are the ones that offers an experience that matches the anticipation I build once I book. So many factors go into "experience" that it is hard to point at just one or two things.

 

1. Other guests and their attitudes and actions

2. The friendliness and execution of the service staff.

3. Are the officers visible and approachable

4. The size and condition of the ship

5. is there an adult only pool / solarium / quiet space in the spa.

6. Where are we going?

7. Ease of access to tenders, gang ways, and passage ways.

8. Condition of cabin and suite.

 

On and on....LOL

 

Oh yeah, are the wife and I enjoying each other's company, or am I driving her crazy.

[mjldvlks]

My top 10:

 

1. Where we are going [tie].

1. Who we are with [tie].

 

Haven't sorted out 3-10 yet

[RumpunchGirl]

For me it's the people your with or the people you meet on a cruise.

[SeagoingMom]

The passenger base is always of special importance to us ... on RCCL or any other cruise line.

 

LuLu

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Hmmm..."passenger base?" Exactly what do you mean by this, and how do you find out the specifics?

[iriemon]

In one word Service. I am not saying that I should be waited on hand and foot, but that plesant smile, willingness to do something for you, etc. This type of service makes you feel appreciated. Let's face it we all go away to get away from reality and anything they can do to help that is appreciated! I don't let other passengers or little incidents ruin my vacation. BTW, I also show my appreciation in extra tips to those that have made my journey rememberable.

[Langley Cruisers]

Liberty with my late son will always be the one I hold dearest. Love to Above.

 

Thank you, and returned. So sorry for your loss.

[SeagoingMom]

Favorite ship or favorite cruise? I think for a lot of people, these turn out to be the same. It's hard not to love a ship when you have had a great time on her!

 

One aspect of ship design I value is a wraparound promenade deck near the water line (deck 4,5 or 6) -- can anyone familiar with RCCL tell me which ships in the fleet have this? I have trouble interpreting the deck plans -- it's not always clear whether pax have access to parts of the decks shown on the plans. (We don't prefer the "jogging tracks" high upon the ship overlooking the pool deck.)

[Cat54]

My favorite cruise was the a 12 Med cruise on Brilliance in June 2010. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in Venice. The ship was docked overnight. Venice is just beautiful in the evening when the lights all come on in St. Marks Square.:)

[ryano]

Honestly, I don't know until I get there. :)

 

One of the BEST cruises I've EVER taken was a last minute 4 night cruise in the (small, old and retired) Holiday from Carnival out of Mobile, AL

 

 

That old gal was a lot of fun and what hoooked me on cruising! She really cleaned up nice when they transferred her to Iberocruceros!

 

i did the 5 night itinerary to Cozumel and Calica out of Mobile AL.

[mjldvlks]

Favorite ship or favorite cruise? I think for a lot of people, these turn out to be the same. It's hard not to love a ship when you have had a great time on her!

 

One aspect of ship design I value is a wraparound promenade deck near the water line (deck 4,5 or 6) -- can anyone familiar with RCCL tell me which ships in the fleet have this? I have trouble interpreting the deck plans -- it's not always clear whether pax have access to parts of the decks shown on the plans. (We don't prefer the "jogging tracks" high upon the ship overlooking the pool deck.)

 

 

All of the ones we have been on have something along those lines. However, some of them don't do the full circuit and you have to go inside to get to the other side at the bow or stern or both. The Radiance class and the Freedom [and I presume Voayger] class, I think you can make a full circuit by going up on the helipad at the bow.

 

These areas are one of my favorite places on any ship. On the Freedoms, there is a place on the exterior Promenade that bows out around the glass windows of the MDR -- takes you right out in the wind and sometimes the spray. One of my very favorite places on any RCI ship.

[ragen]

To make Me Happy, Simple, Days away from Home, Good Food, Fresh Sea Air, at a good Price,.....simple as that,.....(Ship, Cruise Line, Ports, don't really matter as much as a good deal for a getaway for me.) even if it's on a 20 year old Carnival Ship,....any cruise at a good price is Great deal if you ask me.:)

 

all that being said, So far Grandeur of the Seas Was my favorite so far, It had it all when I was on her, Good Price, Beautiful Ship, Good Food, Friendly Crew, Nice Ocean Views, etc.etc.etc. (liked her even beter than Allure of The Seas, or Even Disney Dream.)

[hazeleyez3]

That's an easy one. The ports.

 

It doesn't matter how the staff is, what others' attitudes are, or the activities on the ship.

[Bookish Angel]

I don't like worn or oudated furniture or any design scheme that relies on dark wod, carpets, linens, etc. However, I can live with less-than-desirable cruise ship surroundings and have done so.

 

I don't want or need fawning service. As long as the crew does their job and is civil, that suits me. I want to cruise with passengers who are respectful of others regarding noise, personal space, etc., but I could not care less what other people wear or do provided they are not hurting someone else.

 

I prefer dedicted walking/jogging tracks near the top of the ship as I power-walk every day and like the upper-level views.

 

I have enjoyed all but one cruise out of about 15 so I am not too hard to please.

[Desert Cruizers]

There are several factors making a cruise our favorite, the people we meet on board whether CC member or others we meet, crew, ports visited, tours, & entertainment. We find the food on all our cruises pretty equal. The ships we have sailed on, mainly the Radiance Class and one Freedom Class for RCCL, we find the Radiance class at the moment is our favorite because of the layout and views. We did find the entertainment the best we had seen on our LOS TA sailing in 2011. We have yet to sail on a Voyager Class or Oasis Class. We don't let a passenger or crew member affect our overall cruise, we judge our trip on all the wonderful things we experienced.