Taking a cruise in dec. 2008. need help?

Question

Hello, im thinking about taking a cruise to the bahamas. i was wondering if any seasoned cruise takers can let me know what cruise line are the best for me. im 23 and single if that helps. i hear carnival cruise is a good one, but im looking more into Royal Caribbean. i want to be on a cruise where it's not a lot of young people and where i can relax and be pampered (massages, etc.). i hear RC has a lot of fun ships and great activities. So can anyone help me out?

Answer 1

It depends on what you're looking for. I've cruised both lines, and I'll have to say, for quality, go for Royal Caribbean. Their ships, food, and activities are all better. I found plenty of young people to connect with on that cruise. Carnival is a cheaper option, so if price is an issue, you can go that route. Still makes for a nice cruise though.

Answer 2

I have been on about 20 cruises and here's what I suggest.  Carnival is the budget cruise line that most young people and families go on.  Its a good cruise line but not as good as Royal Caribbean.  In my opinion RC had better ships, food, and accommodation.  It for sure has the best on board activities.

Since you said you are single I want to make sure that you know that all cabins on all cruise lines are sold based on double occupancy, that is two people per cabin.  So you need to think about who will go with you.  In addition, Carnival requires that at least one person in each cabin be at least 25 years of age or older.  On the other hand, RC and all of the other lines like NCL, Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, etc, require that one person in each cabin be at least 21 years of age.  So unless your travel partner is 25 or olderr you can rule out Carnival.

In my opinion RC has the best on board activities because they have such things as the rock climbing wall, a full sized basketball/tennis court, a mini-golf course, on some ships a roller blade track and an ice skating rink, (on the Freedom and Liberty ships the RC exclusive flowrider that allows you to body surf right on the back of the ship);  the ships have some of THE best gyms that I have seen on any ships.  They have a Solarium that is a covered pool and hot tub area that is for adults only.  Then they have areas of the ship called Adventure Ocean that are for kids only and so kids tend to be there and not all over the ship.

I have been on 20 cruises on 4 different cruise lines (Princess, Celebrity, and NCL) and I prefer RC over the rest.

We just did a cruise this past December on the RC's Mariner of the Seas out of Port Canaveral, Florida to the Western Caribbean.  I highly recommend it.

Answer 3

The answer that Carnival requires someone be 25 is untrue. I have been on 12 Carnival cruises. My daughter was 18 and had her own cabin. As long as you are 18 and over it isn't a problem.

There is a reason why they call Carnival "The Fun Ship". It is. If you want to be active. Carnival is cheaper and more fun.

I have also been on a cruise with RC. RC has a more mature crowd. The newer RC ships are fabulous as far as amenties. I found the rooms to be really small.

Answer 4

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cruiseaddi...

All your answers are here...

Both lines are good... You may want to look at a singles cruise, unless your looking for alone time.

Both lines have about the same demographic, depending on the cruise. Shorter cruise tend to have more young people (because of the price) Longer cruises tend to have more adults..

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