Looking for different cruise line suggestions

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

It's not classes.  Classes is when you can't get the better stuff because of who your father was.  People are paying for these extra benefits, not just getting them because of the class they belong to.  Is it classism when one pax sails in an interior and another sails in a suite?  Is it classism when one person orders and gets a hamburger while another orders and gets a ribeye?  Is it classism when one person sails in a Carnival interior while another sails in the owner's suite on Regent Seven Seas?

Of course it is classes. You’re confusing two different things. What many are lamenting is the return of classes on cruise ships, as experienced in the days of the old ocean liners (e.g. Titanic). You either traveled in First class, Tourist class, or Steerage. It wasn’t a matter of your parentage but your wallet. Plenty of self-made rags to riches millionaires sailed in First class.

 

The old “class” system virtually disappeared with the advent of modern cruising in the 1970s. People thought it was stuffy and snobbish. Instead, the model became one where anyone could pay more for a larger cabin, but once you stepped out the cabin door, all were equal. No special spaces (dining rooms, pool area) for higher categories— which was a hallmark of the old “class system” on Cunard and the like.

 

Personally I still agree. Perhaps because I’ve been sailing since the 1970s. When I read forums here on CC of lines that have introduced these class concepts (now cleverly branded as “ship within a ship”) it seems like a majority of discussions revolve around perks and benefits of relative areas, not the ship or personnel or itinerary as a whole. 
 

[Aquahound]

On 10/13/2023 at 7:51 AM, The Sunset Glow said:

 

BTW To me, you still hold the award for "Best thread on Cruise Critic"  with your tale about the lost camera. Especially loved the part about the turtle😂 Great detective work on your part👍

 

Wow, you remember that, huh?  Thanks!  🙂

 

To answer your other question, I've sailed relatively recently on HAL.  Their entertainment cannot touch RCI's, so I don't recommend for you anything older than Koningsdam.  It's been longer since I sailed Celebrity but I have a cruise booked on Edge next year based on recommendations from a good friend of mine who cruised that ship and was blown away.  I've always thought Celebrity and HAL had better food.  Celebrity is my favorite for specialty restaurants.  

 

FWIW, that same friend also recommends Viking Ocean if you decide to go premium+.  She's got me almost talked into a cruise with them.