Choosing The Right Cruise For YOU!
PART TWO: PICKING THE RIGHT CRUISE LINE
{for first time cruisers and seasoned cruisers}
passport por favor - a travel blog by callie riesling
Okay, for our final piece in our 'Choosing the Right Cruise For You' series... we are going to talk about cruise lines. First of all, these are my personal opinions and they are opinions that I have formed over personal experience and extensive research. Choosing a cruise line is a difficult thing to do because there are SO MANY different choices and for the most part, they all claim to be the best in the industry.
There is not a single line that is THE 'Best In the Cruise Industry'.
There are cruise lines that are the best when it comes to cruising with kids. One line might have the best new ships. One might have the best service or the best itineraries.
When it comes down to it, there isn't some amazing number one pick in the cruise industry that applies to everyone. And often times, just looking at a cruise line's website, a few reviews, getting a recommendation from your uncle Bob or just picking the first thing you find isn't going to send you on a cruise that is the best fit for you.
We are all very different. So it makes perfect sense that all cruise lines are different. Sure, there are some similarities. You might play the same game at the pool, the layout of the ship might seem the same, you might even be going on the exact same itinerary as another cruise. Cruise lines appeal to such a wide variety of travelers, each line caters to a different kind of vacationer. So that is why we created this blog post. We want to give you the tools to pick the cruise line that fits YOU and YOUR family best. Not just the cruise lines that you see in the commercials on TV. We want you to give you an idea of the people you will be traveling with, if the food is good and some of the best and worst attributes of the line. I wanted to make sure I didn't just say, I give this like 2 stars because I didn't enjoy it. Or I love this cruise line! Because that really doesn't answer your questions... because I am pretty sure, you and I might disagree on a few things. You need to be able to form your own opinion on each line based on a few simple things.
Carnival Cruise Line:
Overview: Carnival is a high energy style of cruising with a lot of pizzazz and more of a party
atmosphere. You are encouraged to mingle with other guests, play games and get
up out of your seat!
Fellow Cruisers: A lot of different travelers ranging in all age groups. There
are honeymooners, young families, singles, retired couples, adult families,
large groups and family reunions.
Carnival is really a melting pot of people of all ages, walks of life
and groups.
Budget: Caters to just about any budget with very affordable 3 day cruises
starting at $199 pp ($66 per night) and 7 day cruises starting at $499 per
person.
Food: More quantity than quality.
Dress: Very casual even at ‘formal’ dinners. You will still see a few guests
who take the dress code seriously. The
line is VERY flexible with the dress code, and rarely enforces it.
With kids: Great. There is a lot of entertainment for kids of all ages from
waterslides to ‘Camp Carnival’. Usually a pretty large group of kids for them
to befriend!
Go if you…. Love a high energy, Vegas atmosphere and love to
participate in games and activities!
Skip it if you… want some peace and quiet, don’t like in
your face entertainment or want a more formal and traditional cruise experience!
Best attributes: Family friendly, budget friendly and high energy
entertainment! (You won’t get bored)
Celebrity
Cruises:
Overview: Celebrity is my personal favorite and my husband’s favorite as well.
Wonderful charm and amazing service generally at a great price! Fabulous
itineraries, great food, fantastic staff and a true premium cruise line.
Fellow Cruisers: Are of all ages, but are mainly 35 years or older. Most
passengers are middle class or upper middle class with some wealthy guests
wanting the ‘bigger cruise ship’ experience.
Budget: Is actually very affordable, often comparable to or lower priced than Royal
Caribbean, although they are owned by the same company (since 1997) and
Celebrity is now the ‘premium version’ of Royal Caribbean.
Food: Fantastic cuisine and incredible dining service. Usually the food is made
from good quality ingredients… for instance the croissants are made fresh
daily. The wine sommeliers actually have a good knowledge of the wine and have been
well trained in that department.
Dress: Celebrity has formal and ‘smart casual’ dining dress codes and they do
enforce them. You will see a few men wearing tuxedos on formal nights, but
generally a jacket and tie is acceptable. You may also see a few women wearing
gorgeous evening gowns, but mostly you will see cocktail dresses or pantsuits.
On smart casual nights, most men wear khaki pants and a nice button down
shirt and women wear a summery dress or a nice blouse with slacks or dressy jeans.
You won’t see any tshirts or ball caps or flip flops in the dining room!
With kids: My family has been cruising with Celebrity for such a long time, I
can actually speak from a kid’s point of view. My brother and I had a great
time in the kids program, although we spent most of our time with our parents
as a family. From what I have heard since I was a kid in their program, the
quality and service has continued to be great and Celebrity continues to be a
wonderful option for families traveling with kids at any age.
Go if you…. Love
a bigger ship experience with the service and quality of a small ship. If you
love classic charm and understated elegance instead of flashy décor… if you
prefer quality and service over the bells and whistles of some of the newer
ships.
Skip it if
you… Want a ship with more innovative features, more of a loud, jazzy décor, or
want more of a party atmosphere.
Best attributes: Service, suite perks, staff members, food and class!
Overview: The Italian party cruise line. High energy just like Carnival…. Which
isn’t surprising since Costa is owned by the Carnival Corporation. Very
European and not much English is spoken on board especially on the Euro itineraries. They also offer a lot of unique Caribbean itineraries!
Fellow Cruisers: 80-85% of your fellow passengers are European in Europe, but
that ratio is generally switched in the Caribbean. A lot of family groups
cruise with Costa, but there also a wide range of age groups.
Budget: Very affordable European cruises including the Mediterranean. The
Caribbean sailings are a bit pricier than the European ones, (but do visit
a wider variety of ports than many of the other lines).
Food: There is an emphasis on Italian food like pastas, but the food is said to be
mediocre and a bit bland.
Dress: Generally, Europeans seem to dress up a little bit more for daytime
activities with a little bit more fashion flair by the pool. On formal nights,
about half of the men wear tuxes and the women tend to go all in. They have a
‘Toga’ night where everyone wears their sheets (a chance for some fun
accessories) and an Italian night where it is suggested that you don Italian
colors – Red, Green and White.
With kids: Up to two kids (17 and under) sail free on select 2014 sailings when
sailing with two adults in one cabin (not including port fees or government
taxes)
Go if you…
aren’t afraid of some language barriers, like a party and an exuberant
vacation!
Skip it if
you… want some peace and quiet, don’t like in your face entertainment
and want English to be the primary language! The party style isn’t for
everyone!
Best attributes: Very affordable European cruises, great itineraries and a fun,
light hearted style.
Cunard:
Overview: For my Colorado followers (and possibly some others), the Cunard Line
is like the Broadmoor of cruise lines… sure there are cheaper options and more
‘family friendly’ options and it might be too stuffy for you, but to me, it is
enchanting. This line is the essence of traditional English elegance… meaning
that your dinners are even served on Wedgewood china. This is really the one cruise line that takes
you back in time to the traditional ocean liner’s glory days.
Fellow Cruisers: Cunard is the only line that still uses a class system. Your
dining room depends on the type of room that you purchase…. Those with suites
will mingle with other suite occupants in the ‘Black Tie Class’ in their own
private bar, dining area and deck area that are restricted to suite occupants
only. There are 3-4 different classes that designate your dining room. Even
though this ship will take you back to older times, you won’t be in steerage
with Leonardo DiCaprio and there are enough life boats. With the higher elegance, the crowd will be a
bit older. There still will be families, couples and people of all ages, but
mostly upper class and many will be retirees.
Budget: Obviously with a higher grade of elegance and class, there is a higher
price tag.
Food: Keeping with the theme of European elegance, most of the cuisine is
British and French.
Dress: Very formal. On formal nights – Black tie and evening gowns, Semi formal
nights – jacket and tie and cocktail dress or pantsuit, Casual nights – jacket
required and women should wear a nice dress, or skirt/trousers with a blouse.
With kids: Your kids are legitimately watched by real English nannies! There
may not be many other children on board for them to play with though.
Go if you…
Love the classic charm, elegance, upper class, of old school cruising.
Skip it if
you… Want more of a flashy, experience or may be sensitive to ‘stuffy’
environments.
Best attributes: Class and elegance. Over the top quality and service.
Disney
Cruise Line:
Overview: Disney has been expected to incorporate cutting edge technology in a
classic, elegant way for at least the past 50 years. And of course their cruise
line is no exception. The cruise line embodies the typical Disney ambiance of wonder
and excitement… not to be cheesy, but really the magical feel that it gives
you. If you have been to a Disney Park, you understand the feeling that I am
talking about. Disney’s attention to detail and every single passenger, no
matter how young or old, really makes their experience one of a kind.
Fellow Cruisers: Obviously Disney’s main demographic is families with children.
But the cruise line works hard to cater to everyone. You will see families with
young kids and fully grown kids. You will see couples who are just married and
some who have been married for 30 years. Although it may seem like Disney is
just for kids, it is really for anyone with an imagination.
Budget: Disney cruises are a little pricier obviously because you are paying for the name and the Disney experience.
Food: Many different dining options. You will be rotated through the different
restaurants with the same wait staff in each. There are many options for formal
dinners, casual dining or even room service if the kiddos are too tired to go
out that are all included!
Dress: There are Formal, Semi Formal, Casual and ‘Dress-Up’ (theme) nights!
With kids: Obviously Disney was made for kids. Disney does everything they can
to make your child comfortable and make it easier on the parents traveling with
kids, providing complementary diaper genies, cribs, strollers, playpens and
bottle sterilizers. They have an amazing and innovative kids club. And unless
noted otherwise, entertainment is appropriate for kids!
Go if you…. Love
the typical Disney experience, have kids or are a kid at heart!
Skip it if
you… are annoyed by kids, don’t like Disney and want a ‘grown up’ cruise.
Best attributes: Kid friendly, attention to detail, incredible imagination and
wonderful service.
Holland America Cruise Line:
Overview: A quieter, less ritzy cruise line with attractive itineraries. Great
décor with fresh flowers and museum quality art and great service!
Fellow Cruisers: Typically older although Holland America is working hard to
attract younger guests and honeymooners.
Budget: Great value!
Food: Decent, not memorable… but good service.
Dress: Formal and casual nights… usually enforced dress codes.
With kids: Not as kid friendly just because there aren’t as many kids on their
cruises. Many kids that are traveling are traveling with multiple generations.
There are still great kids facilities and kids’ counselors!
Go if you…. Want
to try an itinerary off the beaten track and don’t mind an older crowd.
Skip it if
you… Want an innovative ship with younger guests. Holland America is trying to
cater to more families and young couples, but generally if you want a younger
crowd…. Holland probably isn’t your top pick.
Best attributes: Great service…. Holland America is the only line that still actually has a land based
training facility! Awesome itineraries – usually very different than the other
mainstream lines!
MSC:
Overview: A MSC cruise will give you a wonderful cultural experience. It is the
youngest fleet in the mega-ship industry. It is also said to be the most
hygienic and well kept ships! Many different languages are used on the ship!
MSC is supposed to be the Royal Caribbean of Europe.
Fellow Cruisers: A lot of different
cultures are present on the ship! There are couples, seniors, families with
young children and older children. Generally the age range is mid 40’s and up,
but there are also a lot of families with kids due to their kids cruise free
policy!
Budget: Really depends on the itinerary, but it is typically a little bit more
expensive than the other mainstream lines. However, kids (up to 3) cruise free
between the ages of 2 and 17 with two adults in the cabin (port fees are
required).
Food: Wonderful Italian cuisine. Generally 6 course lunches and dinners and MSC
still has the midnight buffets which is becoming increasingly rare in the
cruise world!
Dress: A bit more formal. Resort casual wear and formal wear on formal nights.
After 6pm – jeans, tshirts and shorts are not permitted in public rooms.
With kids: There are a lot of kids on the MSC cruises because of the kids sail
free policy. On European cruises the kid’s program may be in other languages,
so your kids might feel a little left out if they don’t understand.
Go if you…. Want a cultural, classy European style
cruise. Great exotic ports of call –
like the United Arab Emirates or South Africa!
Skip it if
you… want everyone to speak English, want amazing service or like a lot of
passenger interaction. (It’s hard to make friends when you don’t speak the same
language).
Best attributes: Kids cruise free (2-17) other than port fees. Great cuisine
and a wonderful cultural immersion! Excellent ports of call!
Norwegian Cruise Line:
Overview: Norwegian’s motto and brand is ‘Freestyle Cruising’. NCL is trying to
keep up with the cutting edge super ships at Royal Caribbean. Over the past few
years they have been focusing on their new ships and keeping their brand true
to form. Everything on their ship is about having your own choice. You choose
when to dine, you choose if you want to do this event or that event, you choose
if you want to participate in formal night or not…. What most people don’t
realize is that although Norwegian was the first to be flexible in their dining
and activities… it is actually pretty common on every line now.
Fellow Cruisers: Mostly between the ages of 25-60 unless you are on a 7 night
plus cruise… then 90% of the cruisers are retired. A lot of young families and honeymooners!
Budget: Depends on the itinerary, but pretty affordable
Food: In the main dining rooms, I personally was not impressed. Probably
because the cruise line also is heavily pushing their specialty (extra-cost)
restaurants. In the main dining rooms, the food is a bit bland and the
atmosphere is very casual. There are vegetarian options and light options as
well as a kids menu with standards like mac n’ cheese and hot dogs. We did
enjoy their sports bar that served comfort foods from 5pm to 2am like hot
wings! (They were the best thing we ate the entire trip!) Our ship also
featured a tapas restaurant that had wonderful drink specials on mojitos,
sangria and margaritas each night! (Make sure you check your daily schedule!)
Dress: Very informal. No one seems to know when formal nights are, so many
people have no idea when to dress up because NCL pushes the ‘freestyle’ you
don’t have to dress up if you don’t want to policy so much.
With kids: NCL is said to have a wonderful kids program. I actually cruised on
NCL a very long time ago when I was a kid and had a great time! NCL tries to
cater towards a lot of young families, so they do have a good kids program!
Go if you…. Want exotic itineraries and new ports! Or if you are
going on one of their new ships!
Skip it if
you… Want a traditional experience, formal nights, good service or are looking
at an older ship. (It seems that the line has forgotten about the older ships
and are only concerned with their brand new ones!
Best attributes: Itineraries and new ships.
---- As you can see, my husband and I were disappointed with
NCL. It may be the right cruise line for you, but it wasn't for us. The
‘freestyle’ cruising is pushed so hard and they make everything about having the freedom to do what you want, there doesn't seem to be any
structure at all. We are the type of people that enjoy dressing up for formal
night… we went to the dining room only to have the maitre d tell us to go to the other main dining room
because we weren't dressed for the ‘formal dining room’…. We had no knowledge
of it being formal night or that there was a formal dining room and a casual
one! There is a HUGE lack of communication between the cruise line and cruisers
and between staff! No one seemed to know who was where or who was in charge or
anything. But the itineraries are usually unique to NCL, so if you really want
to visit certain places…. Go for it! ----
Oceania
Cruises:
Overview: Oceania is an upper premium line that travels to lavish destinations
that many cruise lines cannot or do not visit. The line is designed to be the
perfect medium in-between a large resort ship and the very small luxe lines
like Crystal and Seabourn. It is a low key and relaxing experience with very
comfortable cabins and smaller scale entertainment.
Fellow Cruisers: Since most of Oceania’s itineraries are longer and more
expensive, they attract older, retired passengers and a few young couples here
or there…. But you won’t see many kids.
Budget: Because it is an upper premium line with long itineraries, it is more
expensive.
Food: Dining is one of Oceania’s strongest attributes! They have four
restaurants that are all included in your fare including two specialty
restaurants (Italian and a steakhouse)! The menus were created by renowned chef
Jacques Pepin.
Dress: Country club casual…. No formal nights where a jacket and tie are
required. Jeans, shorts, tshirts and tennis shoes are discouraged in public
spaces after 6pm.
With kids: There are NO kids facilities… and not many activities to entertain
them other than shuffleboard, ping pong or board games and few other kids to
play with.
Go if you…. Want
an upscale experience cruising to smaller and more exotic ports and want more
of a quiet, relaxing atmosphere.
Skip it if
you… Want a ritzy atmosphere, don’t like the country club lifestyle, don’t want
to spend a bundle or have younger children that need more to be entertained.
Best attributes: Classic, refined style, wonderful food and fantastic service.
Comfortable cabins and amazing itineraries! (Great world cruise options too!)
Princess
Cruises:
Overview: Princess is an upscale line that incorporates a laid back,
Californian feel with classic English maritime touches. The famous ‘Love Boat’
TV show was actually set and shot on a Princess Cruise ship. Don’t worry. Your
ship will be newer than the ones used in the TV show, but the Princess line has
still managed to keep the charm. Princess isn't a ‘party’ line, but it isn't lackluster either.
Fellow Cruisers: The majority of guests are in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, but
there are more and more young couples and young families sailing with Princess
these days.
Budget: Though Princess is marketed as an upscale cruise line, you can still
find great deals on sailings. It is pretty comparable to Celebrity.
Food: Princess has a personal choice
program where you choose if you want to do ‘traditional’ cruise dining where
you dine at a set time each night with a group of people set by the cruise line
(good for making friends)…. Or you can choose more of a free style dining where
you can show up at any time during dinner hours and you are sat by the maitre
d’ like a restaurant at home. If you had a good experience with a certain wait
staff, you can request them! Either way, you will have the same excellent menu
choices. There are always healthy and vegetarian options available, as well as
the expected surf and turf or prime rib or salmon among many other options. Kids’ menus are available.
Dress: Princess still holds two formal nights (per week) and the other nights
are designated as smart casual. Men, make sure you have a jacket for dinner on
the formal nights! Smart casual nights generally mean slacks and a nice button
up for men and a nice pantsuit or dress/skirt with blouse for women.
With kids: Princess has wonderful facilities for kids, but it isn't like a
Carnival or RC cruise where you will see children constantly. They cater to
kids from 6 months to 17 years. They
even have two ‘date nights’ for parents when kids can go dine in a separate
restaurant with the Princess kid’s counselors.
Go if you…. Love a bigger ship experience with classic
charm and appeal and if you prefer quality and service over the bells and
whistles of some of the newer ships.
Skip it if
you… Want more of a party or over the top entertainment.
Best attributes: Service, quality and the laid back atmosphere.
Royal
Caribbean:
Overview: Royal Caribbean is almost ALWAYS the first to try something new at
sea…. Seriously, who would have thought that you could ice skate, walk in a
park, body board (although they call it surfing… which it is not), zipline, slide
down a waterslide in the aqua park, rock climb, or jump in the boxing ring in
the MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN ON A BOAT!? RC was the first to introduce ALL of those
things! And hey, did I mention that the line’s fleet includes 10 of the largest
cruise ships ever created!? Royal Caribbean figures out a way to continuously
be the most innovative cruise line with ALL of the bells and whistles while
still delivering on the most basic cruise necessities like comfort and service
even though they are dealing with an incredible volume of cruisers!
Fellow Cruisers: Royal Caribbean is literally a big mash up of every kind of
person you could think of… because they cater to just about everyone! You will
see couples in their 20’s, singles traveling with some good friends, retirees,
multigenerational family groups, families with young children or grown children
or teens in between, people who come for themed cruises like ‘crafting
cruises’, Americans and many foreigners.
Budget: RC’s budget is very affordable as their target market is the average
American family.
Food: I have heard that the food is hit or miss and it kind of depends on what
you order. Some things are excellent, but some things are mediocre. Remember,
Royal Caribbean is catering to thousands of passengers…. So it’s not always
perfection. Traditional dining seating with set dining times and tables is
available as well as the flexible ‘my time’ dining where you choose when you
eat each night instead of having a standing reservation.
Dress: There are two ‘Formal’ nights a week and the rest of the nights are
‘Smart Casual’, however I have heard that RC employees do not care too much to
enforce the dress code, so you may see some people that do not adhere to the
dress code in the main dining room.
With kids: Royal Caribbean is a wonderful option to cruise with kids. Their
kids programs include movies, entertainment, talent shows, scavenger hunts,
game shows, sporty activities, face painting and so much more. Royal Caribbean
has also partnered with DreamWorks (the creators of Shrek, Madagascar and Kung
Fu Panda) to bring even more fun and excitement to kids aboard RC cruises! On
certain itineraries, the characters are available for photos and fun in the
kids program!
Go if you…. Are worried about getting bored…. Because you
won’t on a Royal Caribbean Cruise! Activities are available around every
corner, they have fantastic
entertainment, and plenty of different
kinds of passengers to make friends with!
Skip it if
you… Don’t like to be around people, don’t want to hear many announcements over
the loud speaker, don’t want to do a bunch of activities or deal with in your
face entertainment or like the charm of older ships and want an upper class
cruise like Celebrity (Royal Caribbean’s premium cruise line).
Best attributes: Entertainment, Innovation, Activities, Mix of Passengers and
Options!
✈
Did you find this helpful? Let us know!
Have you decided to take a cruise because of this blog segment? Let us know!
Have additional questions about cruising? Feel free to ask us!✈
Happy Travels!
Callie
