What are the best cruise lines? there are tons of different ones, and i've heard good and bad about a few ?

Question

but can't remember which liens so which ones are best which are horrible got any experiences either way ??

Answer 1

Well it really depends on what you're looking for.  Certain cruise lines cater to different types of people and what they're looking for. It also depends big time on what type of budget you're on.

Royal Caribbean International is a cruise line which caters to families, and more such adventure seeking cruisers. Onboard their ships are rockwalls, ice skating, mini golf, inline skating, and so much more. They tend to have the biggest itinerary and travels to the most places around the world. They're not that expensive, although are a bit more pricey than some of the other cruise lines. On a cruise the saying "you get what you pay for" is definitely true, and on Royal Caribbean it's true as well. You get exceptional service. The food on the ships are very high class which lots to choose from. The activites they have for children run from ages 2 all the way to 17. there are babysitters available for little ones, and play areas for little kids and kid clubs, and teen clubs as well. There are plenty of adult only areas including bars, pool, etc. There is a casino onboard, and the shows after the dinner seatings are phenominal and definitely worth going to. The excursions available through the cruise line are endless and the itineraries are endless as well. There is a specialty restaurant with a $20 surcharge which is very much worth it, although the dining rooms have excellent foods and a large menu with no extra charge. There are formal nights on the cruise as well as simple casual and semi formal.  They also have a private island in Labadee, Haiti which is gorgeous and very much worth going to.  Royal Caribbean is my personal favorite cruise line and I very much reccomend it.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/home.do

Carnival cruise line is the budget cruise line which attracts families although is more attention seeking to the "partiers" or young adult type crowd.  I don't reccomend this cruise line if you're looking for luxury. If you're going for a very laid back, not getting such great service and just go with flo, then this is the cruise line for you. You do get what you pay for on carnival- not such great menu selection, not such a great kids & teens program, such excpetional service, and the itineraries aren't so big.  there are a few adult only areas, lots of nightclubs, the show after dinner are okay, nothing special, and there are formal nights as well. The thing that carnival does have that most of the other cruise lines do not is slides that go into the pools for kids. they do have very nice slides, but thats about all they have that the other lines do not have. There are casinos onboard as well. I don't really reccomend this cruise line unless you're looking to have an okay time and dont really care whats going on around you

http://carnival.com/

Disney cruise line is the newest line and probably the most expensive of the moderate lines.  They have a very limited itinerary but the  places that they do go to are worth it.  they do have their own private island which they try to make all cruises go to. The island is called Castaway Cay and is located in/near the Bahamas.  Don't be fooled if you think that Disney only caters to young kids because it does not. There are many adult only areas and things for them to do, they have awesome activites for teens, as well as the other age groups.  there are three pools, kids, family, and adult only.  Disney is known for it's "rotational dining" which means that you don't eat at the same restaurant every night. There are three, and they are spectacular. They do not have the same menus and have an endless amount of things to choose from.  Each one is very different and are just amazing. The shows they have after dinner are the best out of any cruise line I've been on. They have one or two "broadway style" which means that they basically have a play for one or two of the disney movies.  They do not have a casino onboard.  Although Disney is an excellent cruise line, it does get quite pricey, but is definitely worth every penny. They also have a land & sea package which means that you can spend either 3 or 4 days at disney world, and then spend 4 or 3 days on the disney wonder, making a total of 7 days.  The two ships they have are the Magic and the Wonder. the Wonder does the shorter cruises, 3,& 4 day cruises for the msot part, and the Magic normally does the longer cruises, 5+ days.  I definitely do reccomend this line whether you're with kids or not, it is fantastic for everybody.

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en...

Norwegian cruise line is known for it's "freestyle" cruising. It is a lot different than the other lines in that is way more laid back. You do get the same servie and cruising experience as the other lines, just in a different way.  On the other cruise lines there are formal nights where you are requested to dress up, where norwegian there is no such thing. other cruise lines have dinner seatings around 6:15 and 8:15. Those are the only times you can eat dinner at the dining rooms. On norwegian, you can come whenever you'd like between 5:15 and 8:30ish to eat your dinner. The shows are okay, nothing that great but still are worth going to.  There is a casino, and also many fun things for every age group to do.  There are many itineraries to choose from that sail all throughout the year, and norwegian is definitely not an expensive cruise line, but in my opinion you get what you pay for; an excellent cruise experience.

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/home.html

Now the last cruise line that I've been on is Celebrity.  Celebrity is a fantastic cruise line, and the name says it all- you are treated like a celebrity. Certain cruises can get a little expensive, but they're not bad at all.  The service is amazing and the food that they serve onboard is the best out of any cruise line I've been on.  the shows after dinner are not allowed to be miss, they're also the best out of any i've been on. There are certain ships in Celebrity's fleet that do certain destinations, Alaska and such.  they have many fantastic itineraries to choose from and the excursions that the cruise line offers are well worth it. the service is incredible onboard, and i've had my favorite cruises on this line. They have countless things to do onboard for every age and lots to do onboard as well.  You get more than hat you pay for on this line and I reccomend it to families, couples, singles, every type of cruisers out there.

http://www.celebritycruises.com/home.do;...

Some of the other main cruise lines out there

Cunard

http://cunard.com/

Princess

http://www.princess.com/

Holland America

http://www.hollandamerica.com/main/Main....

Silversea

http://www.silversea.com/default.aspx

If you go to cruisecritic.com you can read a lot about certain cruise lines, ships, destinations, and also read several different boards that people post on about their cruise experiences and such.

Hope this answers your question!

Answer 2

I've been on Royal Caribbean twice, and it was a blast both times, I would definitely recommend it.  The ship we went on was Radiance of the Sea and it had a rock wall, the food was delicious, the facilities were great, the staff was awesome.

Answer 3

The very best is Crystal, but it is also one of the most expensive. Also near the top is Cunard cruise lines, also expensive. For the rest of us, Princess, Royal Caribbean, celebrity, Holland America, and Carnival are all quality cruise companies. I have cruised with Princess 8 times so far and never had any bad experiences what so ever. Even when I needed to use medical, everything was handled perfectly.

Answer 4

Go to your library or bookstore and get a book on cruising [there's even a "Dummies" version, if that's your style].  This will give you a good general overview of the different lines and destinations.  There are MANY variables involved in cruising - type and location of cabin, time of year, destination, size of ship, different passenger demographics, etc, etc - and a book like this will help you sort through that.

For very specific, up-to-date info on different cruise lines and different ships, as well as answers to questions on every aspect of cruising, there's a great website:  CruiseCritic.com.  Click on "Reviews" and read the pro and "Member Reviews" on ships you're interested in.  Click on "Cruise Styles" to get an idea of the overall "style" of the different lines/ships and the demographic they appeal to.  Click on "Boards" and go to your choice of topics to get specific info on cruising from experienced cruisers.

In general, Carnival or Royal Caribbean are good lines for a first cruise.  They each have their die-hard fans and detractors, but Carnival is usually less-expensive, has better food and service and cabins; RCCL has a wider range of activities [climbing walls, etc].  Norwegian is about the same price and people seem to either love it or hate it, but the food and service quality are not as good as CCL or RCCL, from what I've read at Cruise Critic.   A bit of a step up in quality is Princess.  A bit more of a step up are Celebrity and Holland America, although these are both "quieter" lines and more upscale without costing much more than the other "mass-market" lines.  Then there are the "luxury" lines, which cost thousands more but are very classy and usually truly all-inclusive, with a demographic of upscale passengers and smaller ships.

Once you're ready to book a cruise, a travel agent - especially one who specializes in cruises - can be very helpful.

Good luck in your research [that's half the fun!] - hope you find something just right for you.

Answer 5

my favorite is: That's right, Ice-Man. I am dangerous-Top Gun