Which line(s) wouldn't you cruise with?

[dancerbelle]

There's only one line I wouldn't cruise with -- NCL. I had a horrible experience on my first (and only) cruise with them. It wasn't only the issues we had (which were major, but not something that would be likely to happen all the time) but the way those issues were addressed -- or not addressed -- which pointed to a more systemic problem.

 

My vacation days are too precious, and my experience too bad, to give them a second chance.

 

While there are no other cruise lines I would completely avoid, I also avoid the very large ships.

 

One other thing I keep in mind are port times. Some lines have very limited time in port, and I cruise mostly for the ports. MSC, for example, has cruises that routinely offer 6 or 7 hours in ports like Naples or Athen, whereas other lines may have 10 or 12 hour stays in port.

 

 

Same feelins here. Would not do NCL again. Am having an issue currently with a refund (paid onboard account with cash) that is due to me from a recent sailing. I have been getting the run around and hope that it is resolved soon.

[bus man]

My desires for a cruise experience could best be described as "casual elegance." I enjoy being on classy-looking, asthetically appealing ships, yet I do not wish to have to dress in formal attire all the time (or even for every dinner). Royal Caribbean hits the spot just right, which is why I keep on cruising with them. My one experience with Disney was also very nice -- except that the food was too high-brow for my tastes, go figure -- and I would sail with them again.

 

As for lines I would avoid . . . by reputation, Carnival is not entirely a "no-go zone," but it would have to be a great ship and good rate and really interesting itinerary for me to consider them. Also, I managed to wrangle a tour of the Carnival Pride one time, and I came away seriously unimpressed.

 

I have no desire to cruise on any of the premium lines that require you to dress up all the time, as that's simply not something I'm looking for on vacation. Yet I also don't want cheap or tacky, which is why Carnival and Norwegian (again, by reputation and friends' comments only) are far down on my list. (The ship itself is a big draw for me, and I consider the Epic to be horribly ugly; so I will not sail on her.) I suspect I would probably enjoy Holland America and Princess when I'm older (I'm currently in my late 40s), so they're on my "someday" list.

 

For now, I've found a line whose product I enjoy, so I really don't feel a pressing need to try anyone else. I realize that I don't know what I'm missing by not branching out . . . but I also know what I'm getting on RCI, and I'm happy with that. I can only afford to cruise on average of once every two years, so I'm not willing to risk possibly having a bad time on a line that, by reputation, would not be to my liking.

[calliopecruiser]

Not defensive and definately not trying to invalidate fortinwebs experience or trying to convince fortinweb to try CCL again. But fortinwebs posts do portray CCL as a party boat boozefest and for someone who is seeking information on what cruise to choose I feel it is only fair to post my different point of view based on my experiences as well.

 

You did that. Your opinion is not more or less valid that anyone else's, and neither of you is "correct". Move on; you're still defending things. If someone is seeking information on what cruise to choose, they should realize here that everything is an opinion, not fact.

[calliopecruiser]

I have no desire to cruise on any of the premium lines that require you to dress up all the time, as that's simply not something I'm looking for on vacation.

 

I've read this (or something very similar) several times, yet I have not yet seen or heard of a line that has that requirement. (My last cruise with Crystal certainly did not have people "dressed up" all the time -- many wore shorts, t-shirts, thong sandals, and ball caps for most of the day.)

[fortinweb]

I've read this (or something very similar) several times, yet I have not yet seen or heard of a line that has that requirement. (My last cruise with Crystal certainly did not have people "dressed up" all the time -- many wore shorts, t-shirts, thong sandals, and ball caps for most of the day.)

 

Agree. The one mass market cruise line busman did not mention is Celebrity. On Celebrity during the day you will see shorts, T's, swim suits, jogging attire, etc. All very casual and appropriate for outside areas, just like any other mass market cruise line. Lounge, casino and theater attire is smart casual, however

 

Celebrity still has formal nights in the MDR, a tradition that many Celebrity fans enjoy. The dress code is jacket, tie and slacks at a minimum for men, nice evening wear for ladies. Many claim they ignore the dress code and get away with it, some even bragging that they wore jeans and T-shirt. It's a shame that these people are so self centered that they brag about being disrespectful of the cruise line's dress code policies and to those people who adhere to it. :(

 

On non-formal nights diners are asked to wear "smart casual", which most take to mean pressed slacks and a polo type shirt or better. Slacks and dresses for ladies.

 

On formal nights, the buffet is still open and shorts and T's are fine there. Specialty restaurants never require formal wear, so they are also an option for dining on formal nights. Or, order room service for free, which in the evening is identical to the MDR menu. You can even dine in your underwear - or less - with room service. ;)

 

Celebrity is my favorite line. It meets all my expectations, and gives me the opportunity to dress nicer than I typically do at home if I want to (I'm an old worn pair sweat pants and T-shirt guy around the house, and upgrade to jeans and T's when out and about). Disney and Princess are the next at the top of my list. I can only cruise a maximum of once per year, but usually once every two. I have limited opportunities to cruise, and will not even consider a cruise line that from most of what I have read will not provide the experience I prefer. There may be a chance that it may, but I am not willing to risk my hard earned money and vacation time on a cruise line that appears to be a bad match. I can't afford the time and money to be disappointed when I can cruise on lines that I know will provide exactly what I am looking for every time. Cost consideration is not paramount - having the perfect experience is. And I am willing to pay a bit extra for that perfect experience if necessary, rather than trying to cruise as cheaply as possible, even if I have to wait longer to be able to save enough to do so. I strongly believe in the "you get what you pay for" sentiment. Put another way, "quality over quantity".

Edited April 23, 2014 by fortinweb

[Velvetwater]

I think there are several parts to a cruise that determine what kind of experience you will find: length, destination, activities, decor, season, advertising.

 

A 3-4 day cruise out of Florida (or L.A.) to the Bahamas (or Ensenada) will yield just about the same clientele/atmosphere regardless, of cruise line - mainly a drunken party. A 10-day cruise out of Rome (or Barcelona) for the Med will yield a totally different clientele/atmosphere, regardless of cruise line.

 

Some cruise lines advertise the "party" atmosphere - the ads that Carnival put out there just turn me off the product (especially the ones they had with that stupid guy a few years ago).

 

Oh - another reason I've been totally turned off of Carnival (outside of the reviews with all the poolside contests which I abhor anywhere) is 3 little words: Joe Farcus Interiors… Talk about an instant migraine!!!!

 

I will have to disagree on the slightly longer Med voyages. There is a P and O ship called Ventura which does the long Med route every summer and 2 sets of friends have sailed on her summer itinerary and both said the ship was of chavs (drunken,swearing, tracksuit/scantily clad wearing trouble makers in a nutshell..they are Britain's rednecks). I have heard similar things about Thompson cruises round the Med. Heck knows how these people afford it since they are usually on Benefits.

 

Since it is quite cheap to fly to the Med from the UK you will get chavs on cruises aimed at the British market. The Med is our Caribbean when it comes to distance/price and holiday making.

 

Thankfully though those are the only 2 Med cruise lines I have heard bad things about and most resorts around the Med are stunning.

 

 

Carnival Decor is madness, it just makes me giggle and its easy to ignore when I sail with them. Thank goodness Joe Farcus and Carnival no longer work together. :D

Edited April 24, 2014 by Velvetwater

[cruisemom42]

I've read this (or something very similar) several times, yet I have not yet seen or heard of a line that has that requirement. (My last cruise with Crystal certainly did not have people "dressed up" all the time -- many wore shorts, t-shirts, thong sandals, and ball caps for most of the day.)

 

Also, I don't know about all the premium lines, but I know that the so-called "deluxe" lines like Azamara and Oceania have a resort casual/smart casual dress code with no formal nights.

[ducklite]

Also, I don't know about all the premium lines, but I know that the so-called "deluxe" lines like Azamara and Oceania have a resort casual/smart casual dress code with no formal nights.

 

 

Same with Regent, Windstar, Paul Gauguin. I think more of the "luxury" lines have a resort casual dress code than not these days.

[slidergirl]

I will have to disagree on the slightly longer Med voyages. There is a P and O ship called Ventura which does the long Med route every summer and 2 sets of friends have sailed on her summer itinerary and both said the ship was of chavs (drunken,swearing, tracksuit/scantily clad wearing trouble makers in a nutshell..they are Britain's rednecks). I have heard similar things about Thompson cruises round the Med. Heck knows how these people afford it since they are usually on Benefits.

 

Since it is quite cheap to fly to the Med from the UK you will get chavs on cruises aimed at the British market. The Med is our Caribbean when it comes to distance/price and holiday making.

 

Thankfully though those are the only 2 Med cruise lines I have heard bad things about and most resorts around the Med are stunning.

 

 

Carnival Decor is madness, it just makes me giggle and its easy to ignore when I sail with them. Thank goodness Joe Farcus and Carnival no longer work together. :D

 

I was being a little xenophobic, I guess. I totally forgot about the UK-oriented lines like P&O. I was thinking more of the US-centric lines (Carnival, NCL, RCCL, Celeb, Princess). For those of us traveling across the pond to Europe, our cruises tend to be "seeing things" intensive, not plopping down at a local taverna or beach and getting drunk.

[vnyislesv]

i get that some people like somethings and others like others but the bashing of carnival seems a little extreme here.

 

if you go to the supermarket to get food and one of the employees are rude, are you going to avoid all the stores from then on? sounds pretty dumb to me.

 

ive been on 3 cruises, HAL and 2 carnival. HAL was brutal because of how old everyone was. (i was 15 and im 30 now) 1 carnival was amazing (breeze) and 1 was alright (glory) but it was the ship not the people on the ship.

 

all the staff were fun, happy, upbeat, helpful, smiling ect ect. food was good... it came down to the ship. the glory was NOTHING like the breeze but it wouldnt stop me from going on carnival again...

 

im going on royal in 2 weeks so ill have something to compare them with. i just dont like when people say they have horror stories on a certain line but it was something basic like a rude employee or other rude guests. :confused:

[boogs]

i get that some people like somethings and others like others but the bashing of carnival seems a little extreme here.

 

if you go to the supermarket to get food and one of the employees are rude, are you going to avoid all the stores from then on? sounds pretty dumb to me.

 

So, you would still shop at a chain of supermarkets if they didn't have the products you liked? How about if you didn't like the way the store was laid out, making it awkward to find what you needed? Or how about if the employees were loud, pushy, in-your-face? You would still shop there? Or would you consider it "smart" to continue to shop somewhere you didn't enjoy shopping at?

 

For some of us, we much prefer doing business with a company that provides the products that we want, treats us the way we prefer to be treated, and best matches our needs. At least for me, not spending my money at places I don't enjoy is not "dumb" at all, but is the SMARTEST thing I can do with my limited money and time.

[vnyislesv]

So, you would still shop at a chain of supermarkets if they didn't have the products you liked? How about if you didn't like the way the store was laid out, making it awkward to find what you needed? Or how about if the employees were loud, pushy, in-your-face? You would still shop there? Or would you consider it "smart" to continue to shop somewhere you didn't enjoy shopping at?

 

For some of us, we much prefer doing business with a company that provides the products that we want, treats us the way we prefer to be treated, and best matches our needs. At least for me, not spending my money at places I don't enjoy is not "dumb" at all, but is the SMARTEST thing I can do with my limited money and time.

 

i understand what youre saying. its the same thing i said you just twisted it to start an arguement.

 

if someone has a problem with carnival because their room steward was rude, thats ridic.

 

example. i wont sail on HAL. they dont provide a product i want. but im not NOT sailing with them because 1 person out of the 1500 on the ship was rude. a bunch of people here are saying stuff like that, which is why i brought it up.

[bobbisailsolo]

Does anyone else find it obnoxious when all people talk about is how many cruises they've been on? I try to stay away from that kind of crowd as best I can. I was considering booking a cruise, and when I looked at the comments in the role call, where everyone defined themselves by how many cruises they've taken, I decided NO WAY! I never discuss that when I travel. I took my 90 year old mother on a cruise, and that's all that was discussed at dinner. She apparently felt so out of place (it was "only" her 3rd) she started fabricating stories. I would rather be with first time cruisers who are in awe of everything! That's why I like mainstream...

 

 

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[vnyislesv]

Does anyone else find it obnoxious when all people talk about is how many cruises they've been on? I try to stay away from that kind of crowd as best I can. I was considering booking a cruise, and when I looked at the comments in the role call, where everyone defined themselves by how many cruises they've taken, I decided NO WAY! I never discuss that when I travel. I took my 90 year old mother on a cruise, and that's all that was discussed at dinner. She apparently felt so out of place (it was "only" her 3rd) she started fabricating stories. I would rather be with first time cruisers who are in awe of everything! That's why I like mainstream...

haha every time i walk by a room on the ship all decorated i think 'old people' and 'i bet they talk about all the cruises theyve been on'.

[jocap]

I will have to disagree on the slightly longer Med voyages. There is a P and O ship called Ventura which does the long Med route every summer and 2 sets of friends have sailed on her summer itinerary and both said the ship was of chavs (drunken,swearing, tracksuit/scantily clad wearing trouble makers in a nutshell..they are Britain's rednecks). I have heard similar things about Thompson cruises round the Med.

I'm afraid that some ships which sail in the height of summer do have the reputation for chavs and drunkenness; however on three cruises with Ventura, including one of around three weeks, in the Med, we have never seen any sign of this. Perhaps this is because we travel slightly out of season?

No problems with Thomson, either, but their ships are ancient and beset with minor problems; the itineraries are what make their line popular, as well as the no tipping policy.

We enjoy trying different lines- RCI next- and have yet to experience a poor cruise.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Off topic, sort of:

 

Why do some people refuse to use capitals at the start of their sentences, and never use a capital "I" when referring to themselves. This has got to be a major pet peeve of mine. I guess it's being a teacher in my younger days that makes this avoidance of a simple punctuation rule rub me the wrong way. It's like fingernails on a chalk board. :(

 

Sorry for the rant. :o

 

Back to our regularly scheduled arguments about whether Carnival is worth it or not. :D

 

I have weak pinky fingers so sometimes I don't always press hard enough on the shift key. Sometimes I'll try to go back and correct the mistake -- just depends on my mood.

 

My pet peeves are more when the text is hard to read because someone doesn't break up their post into paragraphs. It also drives me crazy when someone ignores a question (on that same page) asking for clarification.

 

One similar peeve: on Facebook, if someone posts a photo on a group page, but they haven't changed the privacy setting, the photo may be replaced by "attachment unavailable." Someone did that a few weeks ago of a local landmark. Someone else's comment didn't give me any context so I stated that I can't see the photo and the poster needs to check his privacy settings. He just ignored that and just kept talking about the place along with someone else who was able to see his photo (undoubtedly on his friend's list). When I went by the place, I realized the building had been razed so I grabbed my cell phone and took a photo and posted it on this thread, and stated, "If anyone gets the 'attachment unavailable message,' please let me know and I'll check my setting, adding that I wanted to be considerate." Another person who had the same problem as me thanked me.

 

So if you post a comment or question, and then you see a request for clarification, please do so. Again, not talking about a post pages later, but often a post that's within a few posts of the original one.

 

Some of my other pet peeves involved spelling ("dinning room" -- nope), but we're not supposed to criticize someone's spelling or grammar. But it doesn't mean I won't show it to my teen so she'll have a good laugh about something she learned in elementary school.

[JamesThurstonIII]

Carnival,never again will i sail with a bunch of savages looking to over stuff themselves and drink till they drop.

[bobbisailsolo]

Off topic, sort of:

 

Why do some people refuse to use capitals at the start of their sentences, and never use a capital "I" when referring to themselves. This has got to be a major pet peeve of mine. I guess it's being a teacher in my younger days that makes this avoidance of a simple punctuation rule rub me the wrong way. It's like fingernails on a chalk board. :(

 

Sorry for the rant. :o

 

Back to our regularly scheduled arguments about whether Carnival is worth it or not. :D

 

 

If it weren't for auto correct, you'd see a lot more of that. I, also a former teacher, don't bother to punctuate when using an iPhone...,but it does it for me.... Sometimes... Lol

 

 

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[bobbisailsolo]

I have friends (professional people) that only go on carnival! They love it! I've never been because it's marketed as the "fun ship", which doesn't appeal to my low keyed lifestyle. But everyone I know who's been has gone again!

 

 

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[wangeling gal]

I don't think I could cruise on a ship that -

 

DIDN'T have:

 

a smart/casual dress code

pre paid gratuities

anytime dining

longer or overnight stays in port

great itineries

a fabulous crew and officers

 

or

 

DID have:

 

more than 700 passengers

formal nights

hot drinks (when they should be cold)

loud blaring announcements all day everyday

rude, snobby or elitist passengers

 

But I'm always willing to break my own rules too!!:eek:

[tinykygal]

We sailed Carnival for our first and last time. The food was terrible that week and we weren't the only ones complaining. However, we have made lifelong friends from that trip and it was worth it.

 

We have been choosing My Time or Anytime dining. Maybe herein lies the problem. Prepaid tips. However, we chose that same dining on a recent RCCL and had the best wait staff ever. They were the most efficient, caring and polite crew. Our older couple friends thought the coffee was too strong, the young man was ready for a hot pot of water and poured the perfect amount to satisfy our friend. In other words, he listened .If we sail RCCL Legend again, we will ask for the staff by name.

 

Our DD and husband have taken one Celebrity cruise and highly recommended them over RCCL. We tried. Again, food and dining service were less than mediocre. It was nice having the room amenities on X, but I suppose we will stick to Royal where beef was so tender that we were able to slice, not saw.

[OCruisers]

Wouldn't care to sail on any cruise line where the announcements were not made in English.

LuLu

[jaynedough26]

I just find this thread funny. I want to hang out with the partiers, or the so called rednecks. I am shy, but i like down to earth people. I am going to get hammered. So what? If i have snobby people around me, even though I am shy I will say something.

 

 

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[calliopecruiser]

I just find this thread funny. I want to hang out with the partiers, or the so called rednecks. I am shy, but i like down to earth people. I am going to get hammered. So what? If i have snobby people around me, even though I am shy I will say something.

 

 

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So what, you ask? Only that you're not the kind of person I want to be around on vacation.....but there's nothing wrong with that. To each his/her own. It's not a value judgement, it's personal preference. Like prefering different types of movies, or different flavours of ice cream (or even no ice cream).

[ssawjo]

Three lines are on my no-go list: Azamara (all casual all the time), Carnival (WallMart of cruise lines), and NCL (don't care for "free style" dining.) To each his/her own.

 

We took the Carnival Fantasy from Charleston, SC recently and I told my wife Carnival is the WalMart of cruising. Oddly, enough, had a good time.