We're going on a cruise, but can't decide which line

[WandaKruze]

I'm totally new to cruising and am trying to decide which cruise line to book our cruise with. I don't want the TA BS ... I want the straight info from someone who's been there. We may never take another cruise, so I don't mind paying. I don't like a lot of the fru fru formal stuff. Is this the best line for me?

[signman]

Wanda, see my comments on the Cunard board.

[brandylaw]

You'll hear this a lot, but what are your priorities? Ive only done 1 carnival, but it is geared for the younger crowd i believe, more of the partier line. I had a blast with my best friend. Who are you going with? I am taking my bf (who is 14 yrs older) and my folks, so I wanted to do something more comfortable for them. EVERYONE I have talked to regarding Carnival vs. RCCL, say RCCL is more enjoyable for people who want a little more pampering. But of course there are the higher end cruise lines (Celebrity) that you may enjoy more and pay a little more for. Check each line online for excursions, rooms, ementities, etc.. That is what I did, as my crew left it up to me to make the decisions:rolleyes: :( . It took a couple of months, but then we wanted to save up the $ anyway.

[thatbloominplace]

i have cruised 17 times on a total of 8 different lines. if $ is not a stumbling block, i would recommend either windstar or oceania. both lines have a casual elegant dress style; both are small; both have great food and presentation. for a special once in a lifetime cruise, you can't miss with either, although i would give the nod to oceania. if however, money is a concern, then i would definitely recommend royal caribbean. i have sailed on all the other cruise lines in this group and still feel that rccl is the best value for the dollar. whatever you choose, i'm sure you will enjoy it. nothing like cruising!

[steve20832]

Shopping for that perfect cruise is a lot of work. Every cruise ship and cruise line is different. There are budget cruise lines and luxery cruise lines. It really comes down to when, where, and your budget. Some of the most popular cruise lines are RCCL, NCL, and Carnival that gear thier ships to the 20's - 40's age group. Disney cruise lines caters towards families with small kids. Celebrity, Princess, Holland, Crystal, and Windstar are geared towards 40's age group and older. Do your research and read the cruise reviews here and other websites (epinions.com has cruise reviews site also.) If you provided us with some more info like what cruise lines you are interested in, where and when you want to travel to, I'm sure the people here would be more than happy to give some tips to help you.

[sandbag7]

If you don't like the frou frou formal stuff (and I agree), try: Sea Dream, Clipper Cruise Line, Oceania or Windstar, which are all informal. The big lines (RCCL, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival and Costa) all have about the same routines when it comes to the dress up codes. I've only been on RCCL, Princess, Carnival and Costa amnong the big 6, but based on that and my research I would recommend- Celebrity. That is, if you don't do one of the informal lines. Windjammer is also very informal, but the cabins are smaller than jail cells, and I'm pretty sure the food is worse too. No locks on the doors, and the shower and toilet virtually occupy the same space. Total absence of frou frou tho.

[sandbag7]

Forgot Holland American Line (HAL from 2001); you could probly go informal there; most of the passengers are too old to see or remember what you're wearing. Costa is fun and more European, but the ships tend to be older and the food is plain old Italian-I liked it.

[daveky]

Has anyone done Radisson? My TA has been after me to try something different. His favorite is Celebrity, but thought after cruising so much, thought I might like to try Radisson. I know it's considered a "luxury" cruise line as compared to RCI which is considered an "economy" cruise line by the industry standards. Know the ships are smaller, but wanted to hear comments from some who have sailed both.

 

Dave

[estj]

Sandbag7...be careful about sarcastic comments...we cruise HAL frequently and are active, financially secure professionals who enjoy the customer focus of HAL...and trust me...we are both very active and enjoy life...and we both remember what we did today and yesterday! Perhaps you were not taught to respect others...so perhaps it's time for you to learn the lesson.

Cass

[CatsnVegas]

Sandbag7...be careful about sarcastic comments...we cruise HAL frequently and are active, financially secure professionals who enjoy the customer focus of HAL...and trust me...we are both very active and enjoy life...and we both remember what we did today and yesterday! Perhaps you were not taught to respect others...so perhaps it's time for you to learn the lesson.

Cass

 

Excuse me Cass, but isnt that a bit like the pot calling the kettle black? You tell Sandbag7 to learn a lesson about sarcastic comments, yet you as an admittedly loyal patron of HAL come to the RCCL board and tell us to retire a thread that you've never posted on before saying "enough already"????? Perhaps it is YOU who needs a lesson in respecting others.

[gagirl7143]

By far the best is rccl. We are diamond there amd have done Princess and Celebrity. P is toooo old and cx is not as fun. try rccl first!;)

[rubrrick]

I hope the OP has posted this on all of the different boards. My DW and I have cruised on many different lines, but hang out on RCCL because dollar for dollar, we get the "best bang for the buck!" We could cruise on 5 star lines, but we prefer a 500 plus square foot cabin for the same price as a 200 square foot cabin on Crystal, Radisson or Seabourn. We know the service may be better, and the food a little tastier (maybe). We have cruised on the old Renaissance, now Oceana, and really enjoyed the smaller ship, and very casual atmosphere.

 

If you notice our future cruises, most are RCCL or X. We enjoy entertaining in our cabin, and we can do that on RCCL. Try the same size cabin on HAL, their 500 plus square foot "S" Veranda suite, trying to entertain there is like trying to entertain a group of people in your bedroom. It just doesn't work for us. And that's not the only reason that HAL is not our main cruise line. I don't want to use this post to put other lines down, they all have their good points and many followers and supporters. We just prefer RCCL.

 

Rick

[mrskmirolla]

Forgot Holland American Line (HAL from 2001); you could probly go informal there; most of the passengers are too old to see or remember what you're wearing. Costa is fun and more European, but the ships tend to be older and the food is plain old Italian-I liked it.

 

Hey you are WRONG PAL! Holland America has passengers of all ages! We just got off the MS Zuiderdam in September and there was the very young to the old yes but let me tell you HAL is not for only the old!! They have great service, great food and drink and their cabins are roomy.

 

Kathy

[Garycruz]

I would like to suggest a book which was recommended to me by other posters on Cruise Critic. It does a very good job of summing up every cruise line and port.

 

The book is called "Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call." The paperback version retails for $16.99 in the U.S. Although the book is a great recource for Caribbean ports of call (as you can tell by the name), it gives a good description of each cruise line, its pros and cons, and passenger profiles. It explains what you can expect from each line.

 

I'm sure there are many other books out there which will do the same, but this is the one I bought and I'm glad I did. :)

[NnJ2010]

I can only give you recommendations from what I have used obviously. We have cruised DCL, Princess, RCCL (2x) and Celebrity (2x). Out of those, our favorite is Celebrity. Its food and service are just a notch above RC, in my opinion. It does seem to be much more laid back, a tad bit older crowd (we are usually some of the youngest on board...and we're in our 30's) but we really enjoy that atmosphere. They do seem to be a bit more dressy in the evenings. People really follow the dress guidelines. RC tends to be more fun, younger, more families and a bit more casual. However, their food isn't quite as good and service while good isn't quite as upscale as Celebrity. However, keep in mind Celebrity is still a mass market line. If you want real upscale you will need to pay for it. I would not hesitate to recommend either RC or Celebrity to anyone. If someone has done a lot of cruises, has cruised some higher end lines or has been on Celebrity, I think that RC might not be quite up to some expectations. But we just got back from our last cruise...with RC...and had a great vacation so.... it just depends on what you are looking for and what preconceived notions you might have. Not to mention, I firmly believe your vacation is what you make of it. We haven't had a bad cruise yet..some were better than others obviously, however, we've managed to have a good time on each one. Have a great vacation!

[dizzy205]

I would have to say RCCL, for your first trip, try one of the Voyager class ships. They are large, so it may cut down on the sea sickness for the first time cruisers.

 

My first,and several more was on the Carnival Sensation, that was when I was in my twenties, it was fun. Really a great time with my girly friends :D Real wacky colors, pinks and purples, more of a fun go, go,go vacation.

 

Now, for me it's a relaxing vacation with my husband, mixed with some cocktails, maybe dancing...defiinitly hot tubbing. We just got back from a Carnival trip in may, on the Legend, I realized that I didn't like the layout of the ship as much as I have come to love the layout of the RCCL ships. I guess I just like it better on Royal. Not that Carnival was bad, it was a great trip, we were with friends, we had a blast, but for us, we will stick with RCCL.

[alw1977]

Hey WandaCruze (or however you spelled it). I noticed that you and I are around the same age. I'm a 28 year old married female, and went on my first cruise with my husband in August. I've been to the Caribbean 6+ times on land-based vacations. I'm a little odd in that I didn't really like cruising all that much. I think your age, ability to tolerate others, and what YOU want to do on vacation should dictate which cruise. First, cruise ships can be crowded. VERY. I was on the Mariner of the Seas in late August and found it too crowded for my taste. We had three seas days - too many for me. Specifically the pool area drove me crazy.

 

There were very cool things about cruising, but I like to be IN the water. So, are you a beach person? If so, pick a port-intensive itinerary... like one that leaves out of San Juan. If not, then do one with only 3-4 stops. Also, time of year is important. If you want to avoid a ton of children, do a cruise when school is in session. I think the itinerary is often more important than the cruise line, to be honest. RCL was nice, I can't fault them. I've heard Celebrity is awesome - at least the newer, larger ships.

 

Also, I recommend spending the extra cash for a balcony. We didn't, and rushed to get up to the main deck to see our ship come into port.

 

So, consider what it is that you really want. I've heard Carnival is a "party" cruise line. I know it wouldn't be for me. Not because I don't like to party. I do. Mainly, because I know many people who have cruised on Carnival, and it DOES attract a certain element of people that I don't want to deal with on vacation. I'm from Georgia, for God's sake. I LIVE with these people: Mostly loud folks. Mostly drunk folks. Some rednecks. Not my crowd.

 

This is my opinion. Take it or leave it. Good luck whatever you decide. But do trust me: picking the right itinerary is more important than picking the right ship.

[negc]

I'm totally new to cruising and am trying to decide which cruise line to book our cruise with. I don't want the TA BS ... I want the straight info from someone who's been there. We may never take another cruise, so I don't mind paying. I don't like a lot of the fru fru formal stuff. Is this the best line for me?

 

Other than saying that you don't like a "lot of the fru fru formal stuff" - I'm not exactly sure what that is - you don't give us much to go on. Most of the people on this board are going to tell you that RCI is the line for you because they have determined that it is the line for them. I have sailed on several different lines and prefer RCI, but I hesitate to tell you that it is the best one for you because I don't know enough about your likes, dislikes, expectations, and previous vacation experiences. There are good TAs out there that won't give you BS, but by talking with you they may be able to make a good recommendation. I recommend that you take the time to seek them out or else read the boards of the various lines and see which ones seem to best fit your needs. When you have narrowed it down to a manageable number, post some more specific questions on those boards and see if you can't answer your own question. I suspect that you will want to pick a line that caters to people similar to yourself and that offers the type of cruise experience that you are looking for. To go with the popular choice is probably, in your case at least, the road to an unsatisfactory experience.

Good luck and come back after you have made your choice, taken your cruise, and let us know what happened.:)

[Linda/Ohio]

I would suggest doing as much research as possible--go to the library oor bookstore and look in cruise travel section. "Crusing for Dummies, Idiots Guide to Cruising, Frommers, Berlitz Guide"-all have great info to lead you in the right direction. We don't like crowds-so we always book at least a JS and that gives us plenty of time/room to hang out away from the crowds.

[signman]

The OP posted this same question on 6 boards on September 24th and hasn't been back to comment on any of the replies.

 

Stop wasting your time trying to be helpful.

[caviargal]

Has anyone done Radisson? My TA has been after me to try something different. His favorite is Celebrity, but thought after cruising so much, thought I might like to try Radisson. I know it's considered a "luxury" cruise line as compared to RCI which is considered an "economy" cruise line by the industry standards. Know the ships are smaller, but wanted to hear comments from some who have sailed both.

 

Dave

 

 

Yes, I have done Radisson and enjoyed it in the Med but not in the Caribbean as there was very minimal nightlife. There are concessions due to the size of the ships. Cabins are wonderful, food and service top notch.

 

RCI is a mass market line, not an economy line. Those would be Carnival and NCL for the most part.

[Newcastle]

Hey WandaCruze (or however you spelled it). I noticed that you and I are around the same age. I'm a 28 year old married female, and went on my first cruise with my husband in August. I've been to the Caribbean 6+ times on land-based vacations. I'm a little odd in that I didn't really like cruising all that much. I think your age, ability to tolerate others, and what YOU want to do on vacation should dictate which cruise. First, cruise ships can be crowded. VERY. I was on the Mariner of the Seas in late August and found it too crowded for my taste. We had three seas days - too many for me. Specifically the pool area drove me crazy.

 

There were very cool things about cruising, but I like to be IN the water. So, are you a beach person? If so, pick a port-intensive itinerary... like one that leaves out of San Juan. If not, then do one with only 3-4 stops. Also, time of year is important. If you want to avoid a ton of children, do a cruise when school is in session. I think the itinerary is often more important than the cruise line, to be honest. RCL was nice, I can't fault them. I've heard Celebrity is awesome - at least the newer, larger ships.

 

Also, I recommend spending the extra cash for a balcony. We didn't, and rushed to get up to the main deck to see our ship come into port.

 

So, consider what it is that you really want. I've heard Carnival is a "party" cruise line. I know it wouldn't be for me. Not because I don't like to party. I do. Mainly, because I know many people who have cruised on Carnival, and it DOES attract a certain element of people that I don't want to deal with on vacation. I'm from Georgia, for God's sake. I LIVE with these people: Mostly loud folks. Mostly drunk folks. Some rednecks. Not my crowd.

 

This is my opinion. Take it or leave it. Good luck whatever you decide. But do trust me: picking the right itinerary is more important than picking the right ship.

 

WOW, for someone so stuck up your grammar is horrible.

[logan1_2000]

I would like to suggest a book which was recommended to me by other posters on Cruise Critic. It does a very good job of summing up every cruise line and port.

 

The book is called "Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call." The paperback version retails for $16.99 in the U.S. Although the book is a great recource for Caribbean ports of call (as you can tell by the name), it gives a good description of each cruise line, its pros and cons, and passenger profiles. It explains what you can expect from each line.

 

I'm sure there are many other books out there which will do the same, but this is the one I bought and I'm glad I did. :)

I really do use this book like a bible for cruising. I've been just DCL (love it--me even more so than my 9 yr old) and RCCL, but have looked into Princess and Celebrity and might do them in the future for a three generation cruise w/ my DM (who is a HAL addict but will do her first Celebrity--is that "X" on here?--in February). Get the Frommer's book and compare its objective commentary to who you are and what you seek. And a TA can book you on any cruise line if they are a good, cruise specialist--why is their experience and feedback from clients BS?

[logan1_2000]

Hey WandaCruze (or however you spelled it). I noticed that you and I are around the same age. I'm a 28 year old married female, and went on my first cruise with my husband in August. I've been to the Caribbean 6+ times on land-based vacations. I'm a little odd in that I didn't really like cruising all that much. I think your age, ability to tolerate others, and what YOU want to do on vacation should dictate which cruise. First, cruise ships can be crowded. VERY. I was on the Mariner of the Seas in late August and found it too crowded for my taste. We had three seas days - too many for me. Specifically the pool area drove me crazy.

 

There were very cool things about cruising, but I like to be IN the water. So, are you a beach person? If so, pick a port-intensive itinerary... like one that leaves out of San Juan. If not, then do one with only 3-4 stops. Also, time of year is important. If you want to avoid a ton of children, do a cruise when school is in session. I think the itinerary is often more important than the cruise line, to be honest. RCL was nice, I can't fault them. I've heard Celebrity is awesome - at least the newer, larger ships.

 

Also, I recommend spending the extra cash for a balcony. We didn't, and rushed to get up to the main deck to see our ship come into port.

 

So, consider what it is that you really want. I've heard Carnival is a "party" cruise line. I know it wouldn't be for me. Not because I don't like to party. I do. Mainly, because I know many people who have cruised on Carnival, and it DOES attract a certain element of people that I don't want to deal with on vacation. I'm from Georgia, for God's sake. I LIVE with these people: Mostly loud folks. Mostly drunk folks. Some rednecks. Not my crowd.

 

This is my opinion. Take it or leave it. Good luck whatever you decide. But do trust me: picking the right itinerary is more important than picking the right ship.

I live in Georgia, too, though I grew up in Connecticut. DW is from Alabama. I read and re-read her posting that was attacked. The commentary about the element she described on Carnival might have been blunt, impolitic, and it was second hand, but I have received some of the very same 2nd hand descriptions from colleagues who went on the Conquest, said the ship was lovely and the food and service enjoyable, but that the ship was populated with folks from a different environment, it seemed, than the community in which we live. Oh--my colleague is from Louisiana, with maybe some Mississippi in her background, too. I didn't think the posting I've quoted here was stuck up, just an honest assessment of what sort of crowd the poster prefers to vacation with. I'll bet she doesn't go to Panama City Beach, either, but more likely Destin, or Hilton Head if she vacations on the Atlantic. That's okay--I like my summer beach trips to PCB, but it is much of the same crowd as Carnival. And sometimes I like to go to the Ritz at Amelia--I'm thinking many of those folks cruise Crystal or Radisson. The cruise lines do differentiate themselves in market segments to a certain degree. And for any typos I apologize for fast typing, and for poor grammar, I apologize to my professors at Cornell.

[JanLam]

Hi, My husband and I first cruised on NCL in 1999 and then in 2000 we cruised Celebrity. Both trips to Bermuda.

Then we cruised NCL Majesty to Bermuda again in 2001;

NCL Sun to Western Carib. in 2002; NCL Sea in 2003 that was suppose to go to Bermuda but did not due to Hurricane. We went to Nova Scotia, etc., instead. This was the only cruise we were disappointed in to date, but mostly because of the ship itself. We actually expected to get diverted, and the excursions were fine. The ship was old and in our opinion ugly, and "tired". Food not up to the standards of our other cruises. In 2004 we did the Eastern Caribbean on RCCL Mariner. What a ship!! Great time on board; no complaints whatsoever. However, we were not crazy about the islands. Not terrible, but just not what we were looking for after having been to Bermuda, and the Western Caribb. islands we had done. This year we are going with 5 couples total on RCCL NOS to Western Caribb. Cannot wait. In summay, NCL was great, especially for the money with the exception of the Sea. Nice to have no set dinner time, and though they state no shorts or jeans in dining rooms after 6pm, we did not see them enforce this. I wish they would, because they do not really expect you to be "formal" except for the formal night. And even then you can eat in an alternative dining room, room service in your own room, buffet, etc. if you really do not wish to get "dressed up" at all. On Celebrity I found them to be more formal. Very good cruise, good food and entertainment, etc. but still, more formal. On RCCL we found that the set dining times worked for us, and the food was fine to very good. Really fun time with what we thought to be exceptional entertainment. I guess the main thing in my opinion to look for is #1 the islands you wish to visit, then the type of ship you think will suit you best. The NCL Sun had the best, biggest room we have ever had, and that was an inside room. Very nice. RCCL 2nd best room, again inside room. You don't spend much time in the room, or at least we don't. We like the pool deck and the entertainment that goes on daily there. This is something else I would check into. On RCCL the adult pool/rule is enforced. We had staff tell parents they had to go to the other pool with their children, and enforced this. On NCL, there was an adult pool and hot tubs, but they did not enforce this rule.

So, check the islands, then the boat and what you think you most want out of the ship layout, etc. good luck!