What's your favorite cruise line and why?

Question

Please include your least favorite and the reason. I am an advid cruiser, however year after year... after year it's always a Disney Cruise. My mother and my 7 yr old enjoy it tremendously. Because of this I have been hesitant to book another cruise line. I would hate to disappointment them.

Answer 1

I really like Disney, I think it is one of the best lines available and I don't think you will find better for your 7 year old. The great thing about Disney is that they are good for every age, your child can have a blast while the adults can relax and do their own thing as well. The thing I've noticed over the years is that Disney just does everything one step above the other lines, service, food, cleanliness, shows, etc. are all so much better, in my opinion.

They say once you have cruise Disney, you are spoiled because of the great service and treatment you get from them. I have found this to be true. I recently took some friends on a Royal Caribbean cruise. They had sailed with Disney many times in the past and loved it, but Disney doesn't offer as many changes from cruise to cruise as some of the other lines, i.e. their shows remain the same, they are amazing, but I'm sure you know they can become a little boring after sailing many times with Disney. They were wanting something that would be good for families but a little more affordable so they could make several trips a year. Even though Royal Caribbean is not one of my favorite lines, this is what we decided to go with. We were on one of the nicer, and newer, ships, they just didn't enjoy it. They were constantly dissapointed with the quality of the service, the cleanliness of the public areas, the quality of the food, how well thing were kept up, etc. They didn't like the dining, we ate in the signature restuarants every night after the first and they enjoyed them much better, but still preferred Disney. As far as the shows, they basically laughed at them because of the quality compared to Disney. After their experience they have returned to Disney and I don't think they will be sailing on any other line in the near future. Since they have kids some of the nicer lines don't appeal to them as much, they want everyone to have constant entertainment and not all of the nicer lines provide the nicer children's clubs.

Out of all my cruises, I've only been on a few that I really disliked. In general, the only line I don't like and don't really plan to sail with is Carnival. I used to sail with them on and off, with friends or for a change, but they have changed a lot recently in their service and everything. They are the least expensive line, so they appeal more to a younger crowd. While they have improved somewhat on their party atmosphere, things can still get out of hand. I just feel a lot of things are lacking and I try to avoid the line. The only reason I take a Carnival Cruise now is to try their newer ships. Royal Caribbean is a little better, and in my opinion better for families, but it is still not one of my favorite lines. I sail on and off with Royal Caribbean, but for the most part just sail on their new ships and when I do sail with them, I always go on the newer ships, I'm not a big fan of the older ships.

I think that there are many lines that are comparable to Disney and a few that are better. However, since you are traveling with both adults and a child, it is a little harder to find a line that is going to compare. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL are the best lines, aside from Disney, for families, but I just don't think they are as good as Disney, in my opinion.

Here is my answer to a question about the best line, this should provide a little info on each line for you:

If you have done quite a bit of traveling I would suggest doing something a little out of the ordinary, the Caribbean cruises, etc are all quite common. I would suggest something that goes to the Mediterranean, or through the Panama Canal, Alaska, the Mexican Riviera, etc. These are all wonderful cruises to take, but they tend to run a little more than cruises that go to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, etc. but are well worth the extra money. These are also destinations that are a little more special, perfect for a special ocassion. But really, just about any destination you choose will be awesome.

As for lines, there are many out there. The two biggest things to consider are your age and how much you want to spend. Carnival is the lowest cost cruise, but being lower in cost means that it is also more appealing to younger travelers. You will see more college aged kids, young families, young couples, etc. then you will see on other lines. Because of the younger age range you will notice that partying, drinking, gambling, etc. are also more popular. The biggest thing to remember though that just because Carnival is the least expensive initially, once you factor in the things that Carnival doesn't include, it can end up being more than some of the other, nicer, lines. Carnival tends to be an Ala carte cruise meaning the very basics are included in your price and most everything else is extra. Personally, Carnival is my least favorite line, not quite as clean as the others, not quite the service, food, etc. but some people really like it, so it very much depends on the traveler. In my experience, Carnival has really declined in the past 10 years or so with their service and many other areas.

Royal Caribbean is a little more expensive and the average age will be closer to 30s or 40s (also remember the average age depends a lot of the cruise in general, for example older couples tend to travel to Alaska than do young couples and families) Here you are getting a slightly nicer line, with still many onboard activities, good ports, etc. This is still not one of my favorite lines, but I feel the extra money is worth it over Carnival. But, the food (on most of the ships, especially the ones without the signature restaurants) doesn't compare to some of the nicer lines, service could use some improvement, not quite as clean as some of the lines, etc.

Princess is a really wonderful line as well. This line is a little more popular with a slightly older crowd, I believe the average age tends to be 40s, 50s and 60s and up. The food is always great, the atmosphere is elegant, service is almost unbeatable. A few other lines I would put at this category, or possibly a little higher would be something like Cunard or Celebrity, both great lines, but a little more expensive. Just remember, that when you get into some of the more expensive/elegent lines, you are also looking at a slightly older onboard age, which means that the ship may not be as "party" oriented as some of the lines that appeal more to families and younger travelers. Be sure to look at some of the past activities that the ship has offered to see if it will be of interest to you. A lot of people go on Princess and don't like it because it is a quite, more laid back ship, if you want to really have fun, go dancing, party all night, etc. this may not be the best line. For example, you will find that on a lot of Princess cruises, the majority of passengers are in bed by 11 at night, so that means the ship is quite and you can have the whole ship, virtually, to yourself. Some people like to have the quite time to relax and enjoy the ship, others would prefer to be out and about.

Believe it or not, Disney is also a wonderful line. Even though most people think they are more for families and children, it is still a great line. You don't pay quite as much as some of the more expensive lines, but you still get really great service and some of the perks of the other lines. Disney is great because they have a kids friendly atmosphere, i.e. no smoking, gambling, etc. if you aren't into that type of thing. I remember going on my first Disney cruise after having been on some of the other lines for families, it just blows them away. The only problem is going on Disney as your first cruise, it can really spoil you for future cruises. Disney just goes over the top for everything they do, the shows are amazing, food is great, service is unbeatable, etc. After you have gone on Disney, if you go to some of the other lines, it can be dissapointing. You will be paying more, but the money is well spent, in my opinion.

So age is something to really consider. However, if you enjoy a more energetic atmosphere, go with the younger crowds, or vice versa, you like a more laid back relaxing atmosphere, go with the lines like Princess.

Also, keep in mind that the itinerary has a lot to do with which line. For example, Princess offers some of the best cruises to Alaska, while NCl offers some of the best for Hawaii.

Cruising really is a great vacation, one of the most relaxing you will ever have. So my suggestion, if you are just looking to get a taste of cruising, go with the lower cost cruises, just to see if you like it. Shorter cruises are less expensive, but the longer the cruise, the more the average per day cost is, so that is also something to keep in mind. Finally, if you are flexible, check with your travel agent for specials. Many companies will offer agents exclusive deals for last minute trips, and/or group rates for really great rates.

Also, remember, this is just a very basic beginning for the best lines. There are so many lines and cruise options, it is really hard to go into all the details in a semi-short answer. The lines I listed are just the more common cruises that are more for the every day traveler than someone wanting something different or unique from ordinary cruising.

Hopefully this answers your question and doesn't just all run together and make no sense. If you have any questions or I need to clarify something, please e-mail me, I'm glad to help!

I've also included a link to Cruise Critic, this is one of the most informative sites for each cruise line.

Answer 2

Disney!! Something for everyone.... but especially for parents of young kids a Disney Cruise is the most relaxing vacation you can take. We loved doing family activities and teh taking some time alone for us to go the spa and get a massage while the kids enjoyed the kids club. Then we could meet back up with the kids (although they would beg us to let them stay in the kids club!!) energized and refreshed and enjoy more family fun. We might branch out to Royal Caribbean in a few years when the kids are older, but for now its Disney all the way.

Answer 3

We have been on several cruises as well, and we LOVE Disney Cruise and think its the best out of all our trips. Of course, we may be biased because of the 4 little ones, but having been on some of the other ships, I just found Disney to always surpass the other companies in every category. One thing I did not like about Carnival was the amount of obvious drunk people we would see everywhere. I find it interesting as well that most stories in the news about people falling overboard, missing, etc.. happen to be on Carnival. I think they promote drinking WAY too much. For us, it is not what we like for a family vacation. I would say, if you love Disney, stick with it!

Answer 4

Well I live them all. I think that the best would be Celebrity or Royal Caribbean as they are the best and they ahve tons of things to do and the rooms are great. If you even become a member of Celebrity that can help you get free upgrades and its amazing. Those are the best lines. Carnival is good as well and its good for families as its the fun ship with lots of partying and gambling and its fun for everyone and excellent kids programs. NCL would probably be my least favorite but it was still a good cruise lines. Their prices are a little high but overall their good. If you have any more questions just ask.

Answer 5

I have been on many Royal Caribbean and NCL ships, and also Celebrity and Princess ships. Among these four my favorite is Royal CAribbean and my favorite of their ships are the Jewel of the Seas and the Brilliance of the Seas. These two ships are identical, except for color scheme. I love the cabins, activities and layouts of these ships and I have found RC to have great staff, food and service.

Nest to RC I like Princess because of their great ships. I don't like their personal choice cruising as much as the traditional type on RC. But the food, staff and entertainment is great.

My least favorite line is now NCL because I just do not like their "freestyle cruising".
Freestyle Cruising means that you do not have to specify a dining option when you book your cruise and thus don't have a table and waiter assigned to you. "FREESTYLE" means you can go to dinner in the main dining room, or any other alternative restaurant, any time of the evening after 6:00 PM.. But you will have to reserve a time in the alternate restaurants. It also means that you don't have to "dress up" for dinner, but just go "sports casual". But it also means that you may be standing in line awaiting a table on some days (like we had to do a couple times); not what you want on a cruise. Since you go when you want, you rarely get the same waiter and so never really get to know your waiter and he/she never learns what you prefer as is done on “traditional” cruise lines.
The option to traditional dining being pushed on NCL is their optional dining restaurants. However, these dining options can cost $10 to $20 a person for dinner each night. This is not what you want after paying for a cruise which is supposed to be all inclusive. The optional restaurants are very nice, including French, Chinese/Sushi, Tex-Mex, Italian, and steak house restaurants. But who wants to go pay to eat on a cruise ship where all the meals are supposed to be included. We always skipped the optional restaurants and just got to the main dining early. That worked fine, except on "at sea" days when everyone wanted to go eat early.

One thing you should know since you have a 7 yr old is that all of the cruise lines have programs for kids of all ages and staff persons assigned to supervise them in special areas on the ship. Check out some of the web sites and click on "kid's programs". The new Freedom of the Seas would be perfect for you and your kid because they have a special pool area, called the H2O Zone which is like a mini water park just for kids. The ship also has an ice skating rink, mini-golf, a rock climbing wall, basketball court, and a Johnny Rockets restaurant. The Freedom also has a private island stop that is second to non, including Disney's private island

You really should look at options other than just Disney.

Answer 6

Carnival, great food, great service. I didn't get seasick and lots of activities in which to participate. The only part I did not like were, the small rooms and the saltwater pool, Its a good family cruise. I went to the Bahamas

Answer 7

I never been on a cruise before. My son's friends have. They go with their parents every year since they were little. What do these kids have to look forward to in the future?

Answer 8

ooooooo, disney, disney, disney......i must admit, its the best......however, carnival is lots of fun too......and they have loads of programs for the kids.....young and teens......and lots for the adults........royal carribean is cool too.......however, its really for more laid back. travelers......but carnival is great for everyone.......have fun!!!!!!