Rare Essiesmom Posted July 24 #26 Share Posted July 24 3 hours ago, Canuker said: If you've enjoyed Carnival, twice, why not stick with what you like? Perhaps Carnival, but to different locations? The problem with sailing the same line all the time is that you think that is the way it is done. If an itinerary on another line catches your eye, you sail and it isn’t quite the same, you think it is wrong. Do you wear the same outfit every day, go to the same restaurant when you go out? Horrors! You might find out you actually like the differences/variety. New cruisers should try several lines before they decide on a favorite…if ever. EM 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjkacmom Posted July 24 #27 Share Posted July 24 We’ve only sailed NCL and DCL but can drive 20 minutes to RCL and Carnival when they sail out of NYC, would love to try them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeza_K Posted July 24 Author #28 Share Posted July 24 4 hours ago, ontheweb said: That does make some sense. Definitely nothing wrong with sticking with what you like.... but we want to explore and try out something new. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ontheweb Posted July 24 #29 Share Posted July 24 1 hour ago, Leeza_K said: Definitely nothing wrong with sticking with what you like.... but we want to explore and try out something new. No problem with that. We have been on 5 different Ocean cruise lines and 1 river cruise line. it was just in the original post it seemed to be emphasized how much Carnival was liked. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George C Posted July 24 #30 Share Posted July 24 I would look at MSc yacht club , fare includes WiFi and premium drink package, it’s a ship within a ship concept, great lounge with live music , good suite restaurant, outdoor area with pool , bar and restaurant , butler , they also offer inside cabins with same perks , pool area is never crowded, also lots of chairs etc. I prefer this over rccl, celebrity and Hal suites 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoppyVelvet Posted July 26 #31 Share Posted July 26 Something that hasn’t been discussed is what entertainment/night life the OP is interested in. If they like Carnival they may not be interested in, say, Oceania. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenquixote66 Posted July 27 #32 Share Posted July 27 We have been on 7 cruise lines.Americanism,Cunard,Carnival,HAL,NCL,Celebrity and RCL. We enjoyed all except Carnival. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeza_K Posted July 27 Author #33 Share Posted July 27 On 7/26/2024 at 9:01 AM, PoppyVelvet said: Something that hasn’t been discussed is what entertainment/night life the OP is interested in. If they like Carnival they may not be interested in, say, Oceania. We're not party animals. 😂 That said, the live music singers on the Carnival ships we sailed on were one of the most awesome parts of the cruise. They were wonderful entertainers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeza_K Posted July 27 Author #34 Share Posted July 27 4 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said: We have been on 7 cruise lines.Americanism,Cunard,Carnival,HAL,NCL,Celebrity and RCL. We enjoyed all except Carnival. LOL!!! Fair enough. We didn't have anything to compare it to when we sailed on Carnival so it was a starting point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ontheweb Posted July 27 #35 Share Posted July 27 13 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said: We have been on 7 cruise lines.Americanism,Cunard,Carnival,HAL,NCL,Celebrity and RCL. We enjoyed all except Carnival. We have been on 5 plus one river cruise. I did not enjoy our first Carnival cruise, but that probably had more to do with my attitude towards it was probably not good. I enjoyed out second immensely because we took a Bob Marley bus tour. We had one more Carnival cruise and that was also enjoyable. It was out of San Juan with a lot of music and dancing. DW especially likes there to be dancing on cruises. And the locals sided with me when I said that I like the music to move me while DW cared more for getting the steps perfect. 😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquahound Posted July 28 #36 Share Posted July 28 On 7/24/2024 at 9:05 AM, Leeza_K said: Definitely nothing wrong with sticking with what you like.... but we want to explore and try out something new. If a lively ship and awesome live entertainment is something you enjoy, try Royal Caribbean, especially their newer Oasis, Quantum, or Icon Class ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airbear232 Posted August 15 #37 Share Posted August 15 A lot of people say there is no such thing as a bad cruise. If you go by that as your starting point, then maybe choose using other criteria. Where do you want to cruise from? When do you want to go? What itinerary do you like? What type of entertainment do you want on board? What amenities and venues would you like? What quality of food do you want? If you answer those questions, then you’ll either have your answer or only have to choose from a couple. Whatever your choice, have a great time! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clo Posted August 16 #38 Share Posted August 16 On 7/24/2024 at 10:09 AM, mjkacmom said: We’ve only sailed NCL and DCL but can drive 20 minutes to RCL and Carnival when they sail out of NYC, would love to try them That would make a huge difference. Our cruises, except for an Alaskan, have been European and South American/Antarctica so always flying to make connections. Tiring...and it adds to the cost...except after covid (no flying but accumulating points) when we'll hopefully be flying 'free' for quite a while. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George C Posted August 16 #39 Share Posted August 16 On 7/28/2024 at 2:29 PM, Aquahound said: If a lively ship and awesome live entertainment is something you enjoy, try Royal Caribbean, especially their newer Oasis, Quantum, or Icon Class ships. I Disagree I looked at prices for a grand suite on newer Oasis class ships and booked harmony which has most of the same features and was about. 2k per person less than the new oasis class . I always book suites but look for bargains . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseaholic777 Posted August 19 #40 Share Posted August 19 I would look at Royal Caribbean or Princess. Princess is more laid back but the food and entertainment are both really good. Royal has everything but the comedy club. But Royal will have more things to do around the ship (ice skating, central park and many other options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecs66 Posted August 23 #41 Share Posted August 23 We typically sail out of Ft. Lauderdale / Port Everglades, and prefer Princess although I notice you didn't list Princess in your post. Have done Celebrity, and were not impressed. Have friends and family who've done Norwegian and say, "Never again", and they have different reasons. Cruised on Carnival in the mid-'80s and it was dreadful, but my nephew says it's much better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecs66 Posted August 23 #42 Share Posted August 23 On 7/20/2024 at 2:53 PM, Leeza_K said: We don't mind dining in the large, main dining rooms. We just want to be seated at our own table. That is how we feel. We travel with my sister and BIL, and get a table for four, same time each day (Princess). When it was just the two of us we had no problem being seated with strangers, but with the current political environment, we don't want to take a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingleanne Posted August 25 #43 Share Posted August 25 (edited) In my opinion, Oceania has slipped in food quality post Covid. I know a lot of cruise lines have had hiccups post Covid as well but Oceania is not worth the $$$. I'm a Holland America fan and the food is good with a lot of variety. I recently sailed on a NCL Baltic cruise and while the entertainment options are the best of the three mentioned, the food was a letdown. The buffet and O'Sheehan's were monotonous and meh. What I found incredulous on NCL was no dining menus on their app or TV options. You had to go to each restaurant or Dining room to see what was being served that day!! I thought it must be me and I just couldn't find that daily info but after asking at the customer service desk I found that they don't offer any daily menus. Being a foodie, reading all the daily menus and planning where to eat is a great joy! I can't salivate over the pho at the buffet? I can't plan to get three appetizers, dessert and a post dinner cordial at the main dining room?? I will stay with my beloved HAL for now. Going in 41 days round trip to Hawaii from Vancouver and sailing from Miami to San Diego via the Panama Canal in March and with all those sea days I look forward to planning my daily adventures! Edited August 25 by Bingleanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted August 25 #44 Share Posted August 25 1 hour ago, Bingleanne said: In my opinion, Oceania has slipped in food quality post Covid. I know a lot of cruise lines have had hiccups post Covid as well but Oceania is not worth the $$$. I'm a Holland America fan and the food is good with a lot of variety. I recently sailed on a NCL Baltic cruise and while the entertainment options are the best of the three mentioned, the food was a letdown. The buffet and O'Sheehan's were monotonous and meh. What I found incredulous on NCL was no dining menus on their app or TV options. You had to go to each restaurant or Dining room to see what was being served that day!! I thought it must be me and I just couldn't find that daily info but after asking at the customer service desk I found that they don't offer any daily menus. Being a foodie, reading all the daily menus and planning where to eat is a great joy! I can't salivate over the pho at the buffet? I can't plan to get three appetizers, dessert and a post dinner cordial at the main dining room?? I will stay with my beloved HAL for now. Going in 41 days round trip to Hawaii from Vancouver and sailing from Miami to San Diego via the Panama Canal in March and with all those sea days I look forward to planning my daily adventures! If, despite your probably quite limited Oceania experience, you honestly think that O’s food is not far superior to HAL in every conceivable way, you definitely should stick with HAL (even though you may erroneously believe that HAL is “less”(?) expensive than O.* *if you’re comparing cruise cost, don’t just look at cabin fares. Instead, consider the “net daily rate” which considers ALL required and optionally desired expenditures (e.g., air fare/air credit, beverages, certain booze and tours, specialty restaurants, internet, etc) divided by the number of trip days. You may be very surprised by THAT comparison which is just one of the reasons why so many former HAL cruisers now call Oceania home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingleanne Posted August 25 #45 Share Posted August 25 6 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said: If, despite your probably quite limited Oceania experience, you honestly think that O’s food is not far superior to HAL in every conceivable way, you definitely should stick with HAL (even though you may erroneously believe that HAL is “less”(?) expensive than O.* *if you’re comparing cruise cost, don’t just look at cabin fares. Instead, consider the “net daily rate” which considers ALL required and optionally desired expenditures (e.g., air fare/air credit, beverages, certain booze and tours, specialty restaurants, internet, etc) divided by the number of trip days. You may be very surprised by THAT comparison which is just one of the reasons why so many former HAL cruisers now call Oceania home. I have cruised Oceania only four times and it was my absolute favorite for dining in the past. IMHO the food experience has declined including the afternoon tea which was my mother's favorite. I would never say that HAL's food is superior to Oceania, rather that for me, with my experiences-post covid-Oceania has declined as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayfairers Posted September 1 #46 Share Posted September 1 The only way you truly know if you like a cruise line or not is to take a cruise on them and really, one cruise line will probably differ on some things from one cruise to the next or between ships. Instead of trying to pick a cruise line, consider picking an itinerary (dates or length of the cruise or time spent in ports or which ports or where you embark/disembark, etc) or a cruise line with itineraries you aren't taking this time but want to cruise in the future. That way the days on this cruise count toward repeat customer perks. The food/entertainment/staff info are all opinions and one person's opinion won't match another since it is based upon their personal experiences and likes/dislikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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