Which cruise line is best?

Question

I've been trying to plan a cruise. I've found good prices in Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean. Can anyone give me helpfull information from thier past experiences?

Answer 1

Cruises are a great way to experience a destination without being stuck there for your whole vacation. You may find you love one port, but don't really enjoy the next. But, no worries, you will only be there a few hours. The best part is for the ones you really enjoy you can always make a return visit. I think it makes for a really special honeymoon as well, even if it comes a little late. What better place to spend time with your loved ones, it's romantic, there is nothing but you and your husband on a beautiful cruise with ocean just passing by. I think cruises make an ideal honeymoon, for so many reasons.

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

The absolute best is Crystal. It's 6-star and the service, food, attention to detail is wonderful. If you're looking for something less expensive, and a great value for your money, then I would choose Celebrity. Cabins are larger than Royal Caribbean and Princess. I think their food & service are better too. But I still cruise all of them. Some have a better itinerary for the time I'm available. That has alot to do with my final decision. If it's a special celebration, check them all with a travel agent that specializes in cruises and you can make an informed decision. I've sailed on each of these lines, and never had a bad cruise.

Answer 3

This is a good question. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are owned by the same company, I personally like Celebrity as its nicer and you get more one on one attention and its not really for families but it does have alot of things to do for kids. Princess caters to an older crowd so I would doubt that if your traveling wiht children I wouldn't pick them. Royal Caribbean has numerous things to offer and its a nice ship. Depending on price Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are your best bet. Also on cruise critic.com their are two artcles about what ships to cruise with if you are traveling with teens and about what type of teens like what type of ships and what younger kids would have fun on what ships. The links are at the bottom. If you ahve any more questiosn let me know.
They also have reviews of certain cruise lines and particular ships so check it out.

Answer 4

My wife and I are both Travel Consultants, and cruise about 2-3 times a year - we have sailed on every major cruise line.

You will absolutely enjoy your cruise experience on either cruise line, however, having sailed on RCCL and Celebrity so many times I can tell you some of the "touches" that we found missing on Royal Caribbean, and to some extent, Princess.

- When first getting on-board a Celebrity ship, you are greeted by an officer, offered champagne, and escorted to your cabin by a white-gloved crew member who assists you with your carry-on luggage. Upon arrival in your cabin, you are given a quick orientation briefing. When boarding a Royal Caribbean ship, you're kind of on your own! Princess is kind of hit and miss in this area.

- We find the room service menu on RCCL and Princess to be extremely limited. No shrimp cocktails or cheese platters as on Celebrity.

- No shushi bar on RCCL. Celebrity has a shushi cafe every night.

- When returning to the ship from a shore excursion on Celebrity, you are greeted with cold towels, water or fruit juice. Not on RCCL or Princess

- On Celebrity, shrimp cocktail and escargot are on the menu every night as a dinner appetizer - shrimp only available once during our last RCCL cruise, even when asked for!

- Of the three cruise lines, I think that the quality and variety of food would have to be rated #1 Celebrity; #2 RCCL; #3 Princess.

RCCL tends to attract a younger and family oriented crowd, while Celebrity and Princess generally cater to a slightly older group of clients. It also appears to me that more people follow the dress codes on Celebrity than on RCCL (formal nights, semi-formal nights).

If you'll step back and take an overall look at Celebrity Cruise Line, you notice that they've won some pretty impressive awards. We just came off the Celebrity Constellation last week, from a 12-day Caribbean cruise, so I happen to have some info right here;
- they won 6 of the top 10 positions in the Best Large Ship category
- won highest rated Premium Cruise Line
- took top 3 spots for Best Crew/Service
- won all 4 Best Food/Dining rankings
- top spot Best Cabins

You don't get to this position by offering a less than first-class product. I'm confident that once you experience Celebrity, you'll be spoiled. Other cruise lines just don't match-up to the levels of service, attention to detail, quality of food and overall cruise experience.

Enjoy your cruise - Bon voyage!

Answer 5

I'd say from personal experience that Princess cruises is very nice, but not really for families. They don't offer as much for children onboard and they definately cater toward the more adult crowd. Royal Carribean I LOVED as well (I totally recommend the Mariner of the Seas ) and I'd say this is family friendly as well as having things for just adults. I loved the Royal's ship more than my Princess ship...but the service was better on Princess.

Answer 6

Hard question--it depends what you are looking for. Do you have a family, going as a couple, want more formal, want casual, want economy?
I've traveled Carnival and have always had good experiences. I've found their prices very reasonable and yet service, ports of call, food,entertainment, activities are extremely well planned for great enjoyment. Actually, no matter what cruise line you pick, you will enjoy yourself. If you have children, I would pick a Disney cruise.
If you want an elegant cruise, I would pick Holland America.

Answer 7

I've been on Norwegian, Royal Carribean, and Princess. The best for Service was Royal Carribean, but the best Ship was the Norwegian Dawn. Princess was OK, but paled in comparison to Royal Carribean.

Personally, I'd go on any of them again, but try to find a cruise on a new ship. When we went on the Norwegian Dawn, it was brand new. Everything was crisp and very very nice.

Answer 8

My personal experience has been: Princess gave us the Norovirus, quarantined us in our cabins and we spent seven days locked up -- never again. They refused a refund, insurance refused to give us trip cancellation, etc. I would never use them again. I go four times a year and I love Celebrity or Royal Caribbean. I've been on Norwegian and would go again. However, was on Holland America in January (average age was 79) and food was horrible.

Answer 9

go with princess. great ships, great itineraries, great services on board, great food, great entertainment. went to caribbean and it was a great experience. don't forget to book your excursion while on land. we truly enjoyed our stay and want to do more cruises in the future with princess. enjoy your cruise!

Answer 10

Celebrity the only one.