Top ranked cruise lines for 2014

[Phlybice]

Carnival will be around long after the others capsize.

 

I can only think of one ship that has sank in recently history. Largest one ever, at that.

 

Sister to the Carnival Splendor

[nitro2448]

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.

 

What's wrong with their food,service, or ships ?

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

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.

 

Me too (from Mar 2013)! Seriously, what is it about the Dream? Its like a floating proverbial 'black cloud'. I call it the Unhappy Ship... :mad: Even strangers I have met when talking about cruises mentioned how much they disliked the Dream the most...

 

**Overheard in line at gift shop, another endless line btw** "I canNOT WAIT to get off of this Godforsaken boat." Never met the woman before. And not the same stranger I was referring to above, either. Actually, I haven't personally met ANYONE who loved the Dream. Everyone in our group loved the ports, but no one liked the Dream...

Edited December 12, 2013 by TwinPrincessMermaids

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

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."

 

Interestingly, As you show 'Price at 53%' of that survey...but DCL (high priced) STILL came through at the top and CCL (lowest price) at the bottom of the survey...

 

A weird conundrum huh... :)

[ruezim2]

Me too (from Mar 2013)! Seriously, what is it about the Dream? Its like a floating proverbial 'black cloud'. I call it the Unhappy Ship... :mad: Even strangers I have met when talking about cruises mentioned how much they disliked the Dream the most...

 

**Overheard in line at gift shop, another endless line btw** "I canNOT WAIT to get off of this Godforsaken boat." Never met the woman before. And not the same stranger I was referring to above, either. Actually, I haven't personally met ANYONE who loved the Dream. Everyone in our group loved the ports, but no one liked the Dream...

 

What's wrong with the ship? I've been on the dream and loved it, met several people who loved it. Seen several threads and posts of people who loved it. The only difference is they are not Carnival haters who say " they will never step foot on another Carnival ship ". ;)

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

What's wrong with the ship? I've been on the dream and loved it, met several people who loved it. Seen several threads and posts of people who loved it. The only difference is they are not Carnival haters who say " they will never step foot on another Carnival ship ". ;)

 

Well, all I can say, is up to that point, I had booked with them ever year. The Dream was what ended it for me.

 

Rude service, wrong service, we sometimes got things we didn't ask for and didn't get things we did, MDR I poured my own coffee off beverage stand since no one was around, no coffee cups in buffet (than no coffee when they did come), fights between the staff, lines for even self service icecream?! and a lot of lines for the grill and pizza and hot dogs, and omelets had a double line, the only time we ever saw our room attendant, he asked for tips (we always leave prepaid on the account), the only pluses for it were the entertainment staff who was really funny. Oh yeah, on the Conquest they gave us 25+ age adults a volleyball and net. On Dream, they made us wait until the Hurricane sea day to play when it was on the schedule and even then we had to beg them to bring a ball down and it had to be supervised by a CM from entertainment? Why, I don't know, we were all adults and we saw plenty of kids playing basketball all week by themselves. Not a very fun ship, great ports, funny entertainment staff, no one came to the deck parties, and we were pestered by in your face buy bingo cards and drink sales and 'let me take your photo' the whole time. On that note, they did have really fun Old Wild West photos, that was fun! So I don't hate everything about it, but I wish I wouldn't have spent a dime with Carnival on it. In the end, I was just glad to be home.

Edited December 12, 2013 by TwinPrincessMermaids

[ruezim2]

Well, all I can say, is up to that point, I had booked with them ever year. The Dream was what ended it for me.

 

Rude service, wrong service, we sometimes got things we didn't ask for and didn't get things we did, MDR I poured my own coffee off beverage stand since no one was around, no coffee cups in buffet (than no coffee when they did come), fights between the staff, lines for even self service icecream?! and a lot of lines for the grill and pizza and hot dogs, and omelets had a double line, the only time we ever saw our room attendant, he asked for tips (we always leave prepaid on the account), the only pluses for it were the entertainment staff who was really funny. Oh yeah, on the Conquest they gave us 25+ age adults a volleyball and net. On Dream, they made us wait until the Hurricane sea day to play when it was on the schedule and even then we had to beg them to bring a ball down and it had to be supervised by a CM from entertainment? Why, I don't know, we were all adults and we saw plenty of kids playing basketball all week by themselves. Not a very fun ship, great ports, funny entertainment staff, no one came to the deck parties, and we were pestered by in your face buy bingo cards and drink sales and 'let me take your photo' the whole time. On that note, they did have really fun Old Wild West photos, that was fun! So I don't hate everything about it, but I wish I wouldn't have spent a dime with Carnival on it. In the end, I was just glad to be home.

 

Ok, even if all that did happen, not saying it didn't, that had nothing to do with the ship it's self, that had to do with the people, which is ever changing. You said you don't like the ship. I never had any of the problems you described, so if you had one bad cruise with the service, and you will never go back, sounds childish. Have you never had bad services anywhere else, but still went back ?

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I get what you are saying. But its my money. I prefer to use it on a line that spoils me, not one I have to make excuses for. I'm not the only one that didn't care for the Dream. It is the ship's staff, not necessarily the passengers. I have seen positive reviews for it, just never from someone face to face. I gave it positives where there were reasons to. But it wasn't up to CCLs standards.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Forums mobile app

[cruzfitter]

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 may be the #1 reason for selecting a cruise but the JD Power survey deals with satisfaction with a cruise AFTER it's over. Not the same thing.

[ruezim2]

I get what you are saying. But its my money. I prefer to use it on a line that spoils me, not one I have to make excuses for. I'm not the only one that didn't care for the Dream. It is the ship's staff, not necessarily the passengers. I have seen positive reviews for it, just never from someone face to face. I gave it positives where there were reasons to. But it wasn't up to CCLs standards.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Forums mobile app

 

I not trying to change your mind, you found a company like so stay with them. But the staff is who I am talking about, they change regularly, so your next cruise might be better, most likely will be.

[jimbo5544]

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.

 

How would you know whether I know anything or not? Actually I am sailing on Oasis in March, I guess that addresses that line. Whether we agree on what it can be called, I will give you my rationale. Lets take quantum as example. Zip line, Rock wall, ice rink, flow rider, sky diving simulation thingy, cantilever ejection pod, carousel. I grow tired of typing on my phone, but I think I made my point. Lastly, I made my comments to a Carnival trasher on a Carnival board.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app from my IPhone

[cruzeluver]

What's wrong with their food,service, or ships ?

 

You Asked.

 

Menus are dull and have been dumbed-down to the point of being laughable (meatloaf? fried chicken? and anything even remotely interesting gets that awful "didja ever" tag attached to it :rolleyes:).

 

Service, while friendly enough is not very polished and training is severely lacking.

 

Ships are dark, tacky, poorly laid out, have poor passenger-to-space ratios and just plain ugly.

[nitro2448]

You Asked.

 

Menus are dull and have been dumbed-down to the point of being laughable (meatloaf? fried chicken? and anything even remotely interesting gets that awful "didja ever" tag attached to it :rolleyes:).

 

Service, while friendly enough is not very polished and training is severely lacking.

 

Ships are dark, tacky, poorly laid out, have poor passenger-to-space ratios and just plain ugly.

 

I don't see anything wrong with anything you just mentioned. To each his/her own

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

[fin]

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

 

When you make blanket statements like this, you instantly destroy your cred.

 

It may be for some.

 

It may be for many.

 

It may be for you.

 

But it is certainly NOT for me, nor for most of my cruising friends.

[undertheradar]

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."

 

#2 reason for choosing a cruise line "past experience with brand". That must be why Carnival comes in last.

 

Sorry, couldn't pass this up. I've got no problem with Carnival but can't resist the chance to use Sarges words against him. Even better when it looks like he on a posting vacation.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

I think the Suess at Sea thing will help compete with Disney. Character breakfast etc..

[arush5268d]

I think the Suess at Sea thing will help compete with Disney. Character breakfast etc..

 

It can't touch Disney

[evandbob]

I think the Suess at Sea thing will help compete with Disney. Character breakfast etc..

 

Maybe, but probably not.

 

I have done many Carnival cruises, almost exclusively, from 2003 to 2010. I decided to branch out to other lines and have tried Disney (the best), Princess, and NCL, and the only two factors where Carnival, in my opinion, beats these other lines is in price and cabin size. The entertainment on NCL and Disney is many notches above Carnival; Princess service and ship décor puts CCL to shame.

 

I am cruising CCL this weekend based on price alone, since I booked solo without having to pay for a second passenger. In the future, I may book CCL for price reasons again, but I can't delude myself into thinking that they offer a better overall product than these other lines. Overall, Carnival rates at the bottom with MSC. The survey is quite accurate.

[nitro2448]

It can't touch Disney

 

No it won't be Disney, and thank god it won't. But here they are trying to make an effort to improve, and you still criticize. :rolleyes:

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

[jimbo5544]

It can't touch Disney

 

I was disappointed when I was on the Disney magic.

[arush5268d]

No it won't be Disney, and thank god it won't. But here they are trying to make an effort to improve, and you still criticize. :rolleyes:

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

 

CCL is in a panic. They are having trouble filling rooms. They have slashed costs all over the ship. Room stewards. Wait staff. Entertainment staff. Bands. Loyalty programs. Maintenance seems to be slipping. Slash the quality of the meats. Slash dining room features. Slash table cloths. The list goes on and on. They are shedding the very thinks that make them what they are. Send 1 then 2 ships to Austrailia. Cut back on dry dock upgrades. Why? Because they are scared. They slash prices on cruise fares in an effort to fill rooms. My cruise on the Magic had tons of rooms still available the last time I looked before I left. Inside and balconies galore. Heck - even the quality of the PVPs has gone down. Do you know how much they spend per person on a 7 day cruise for food? Around $52 a person for the entire week. That is dirt cheap for the amount of food that people inhale on a cruise.

 

They are trying to ride on the coat tails of celebrities - Guy's Burger Joint, George Lopez and now this Dr. Seuss business. They rather pay untold millions in royalties for those brand names than to worry about their own.

 

They see the writing on the wall and are struggling to stay afloat (pun intended, but no reference to the Concordia intended). It's a bad time to be a CCL exec.

[arush5268d]

CCL is in a panic. They are having trouble filling rooms. They have slashed costs all over the ship. Room stewards. Wait staff. Entertainment staff. Bands. Loyalty programs. Maintenance seems to be slipping. Slash the quality of the meats. Slash dining room features. Slash table cloths. The list goes on and on. They are shedding the very thinks that make them what they are. Send 1 then 2 ships to Austrailia. Cut back on dry dock upgrades. Why? Because they are scared. They slash prices on cruise fares in an effort to fill rooms. My cruise on the Magic had tons of rooms still available the last time I looked before I left. Inside and balconies galore. Heck - even the quality of the PVPs has gone down. Do you know how much they spend per person on a 7 day cruise for food? Around $52 a person for the entire week. That is dirt cheap for the amount of food that people inhale on a cruise.

 

They are trying to ride on the coat tails of celebrities - Guy's Burger Joint, George Lopez and now this Dr. Seuss business. They rather pay untold millions in royalties for those brand names than to worry about their own.

 

They see the writing on the wall and are struggling to stay afloat (pun intended, but no reference to the Concordia intended). It's a bad time to be a CCL exec.

 

Oh I left out one of the recent acts of desperation - the Cheers! program. At a close glance it looks like a great thing but once you look at it you realize it is far behind the rest of the cruise lines and they still try to pump you for extra money when you have Cheers. Ex: giving me a glass of wine in the MDR that costs $10.25. I get the discount on the full price - and that is dirty.

[nitro2448]

CCL is in a panic. They are having trouble filling rooms. They have slashed costs all over the ship. Room stewards. Wait staff. Entertainment staff. Bands. Loyalty programs. Maintenance seems to be slipping. Slash the quality of the meats. Slash dining room features. Slash table cloths. The list goes on and on. They are shedding the very thinks that make them what they are. Send 1 then 2 ships to Austrailia. Cut back on dry dock upgrades. Why? Because they are scared. They slash prices on cruise fares in an effort to fill rooms. My cruise on the Magic had tons of rooms still available the last time I looked before I left. Inside and balconies galore. Heck - even the quality of the PVPs has gone down. Do you know how much they spend per person on a 7 day cruise for food? Around $52 a person for the entire week. That is dirt cheap for the amount of food that people inhale on a cruise.

 

They are trying to ride on the coat tails of celebrities - Guy's Burger Joint, George Lopez and now this Dr. Seuss business. They rather pay untold millions in royalties for those brand names than to worry about their own.

 

They see the writing on the wall and are struggling to stay afloat (pun intended, but no reference to the Concordia intended). It's a bad time to be a CCL exec.

 

That's odd, I just got off of a B2B and both cruises were full. Carnival Corp. has over 100 ships, I don't see them struggling, but what do I know.

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

[nitro2448]

CCL is in a panic. They are having trouble filling rooms. They have slashed costs all over the ship. Room stewards. Wait staff. Entertainment staff. Bands. Loyalty programs. Maintenance seems to be slipping. Slash the quality of the meats. Slash dining room features. Slash table cloths. The list goes on and on. They are shedding the very thinks that make them what they are. Send 1 then 2 ships to Austrailia. Cut back on dry dock upgrades. Why? Because they are scared. They slash prices on cruise fares in an effort to fill rooms. My cruise on the Magic had tons of rooms still available the last time I looked before I left. Inside and balconies galore. Heck - even the quality of the PVPs has gone down. Do you know how much they spend per person on a 7 day cruise for food? Around $52 a person for the entire week. That is dirt cheap for the amount of food that people inhale on a cruise.

 

They are trying to ride on the coat tails of celebrities - Guy's Burger Joint, George Lopez and now this Dr. Seuss business. They rather pay untold millions in royalties for those brand names than to worry about their own.

 

They see the writing on the wall and are struggling to stay afloat (pun intended, but no reference to the Concordia intended). It's a bad time to be a CCL exec.

 

http://www.cruisemarketwatch.com/market-share/

 

Show me the " struggle part "

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

[arush5268d]

That's odd, I just got off of a B2B and both cruises were full. Carnival Corp. has over 100 ships, I don't see them struggling, but what do I know.

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

 

I specified "CCL" for a reason, not Carnival Corporation & plc. That is not the topic of discussion.

 

Carnival Cruise Line is having issues. Keep in mind that CCL does more short haul 3,4 and 5 day cruises than the other mass market lines. I suspect that RCCL has more passengers at sea at any given time than Carnival but I don't care enough to count the numbers.