What's the best cruise line for a non-hoity-toity world-cruise?

Question

I want to take a world cruise, but I don't want to be around a bunch of snobs nor have a restrictive dress code. Would Princess or Holland America fit this bill? Which line is better? Are there any other options?

Answer 1

Never been on Princess, but have been on one Holland cruise - it was not "hoity-toity", but it was classy, in that people dressed appropriately for dinner [i.e. followed the suggested dress code], the service was excellent, and there weren't a bunch of rowdies seeing how much they could drink before they passed out.

To get a good overall idea of what the two lines are like, go to CruiseCritic.com, blick on "Boards", then browse the Princess and Holland boards.

Be aware that on an extended cruise like a world cruise, the passengers are likely to be older than the typical 7-10 day cruise.  They're the ones who have the time to indulge in such a long trip.

Answer 2

Cunard began the concept of World Cruises back in 1922 and since then, the tradition has continued with cruise lines that are either premium (such as Princess and Holland America) or Luxury (Cunard, Crystal).

All of the lines mentioned above have formal dinners -- where you're assigned a table and a seating (early or late) which doesn't change for the length of the cruise.  The dress code, in the evenings, will be "business casual" to formal.

If you're interested in going on a world cruise, you might want to consider SilverSea (considered to be in a category between premium and luxury) -- their cruises are "all-inclusive" so there will not be additional charges for beverages, gratuities, etc., the ships are smaller, and the dining is somewhat more flexible.  Business casual is the standard for a dress code.

Enjoy!

Answer 3

Between those two it would be Princess.  Holland is definately more "hoity-toity".