Let's create our own best ships survey.

[Lisa63]

I'll add a few more to the list:

Best Dining Options -- Princess

Best kids program -- Norwegian (my son's favorite)

Best all around service -- Holland America

Best Cabins -- Holland America

Best Entertaiment -- toss-up between Princess and NCL

Best-Looking Ship -- HAL's Statendam class (Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam, Veendam)

While I haven't been on the following lines, here are some of the more obscure ones: Oceania and MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Cruises). Then there are the sailing ships of Clipper, Windjammer, and Windstar.

Also, I haven't seen Costa or Disney mentioned in any of the responses so far.

[TheSkipper]

Based on our 44 cruises to date, I would submit the following:

Best Cruise Line without regard to price - Silver Seas

Best Popular Price Cruise Line - Celebrity and Princess (a tie)

Best Food - Celebrity

Best Frequent Sailers (Captain's Club) Program - Princess

Best "Bang for the Buck" - Carnival

Best Ship - Diamond Princess

[KeithnRita]

Based on twelve total cruises on four cruise lines, (Carnival, HAL, Celebrity, & RCI) the following is our favorites:

Best food

Best cabin space

Best overall service

Best entertainment

Best pool

Best common space

Best nightlife

Best casino

Best band

Best sports deck

Overall favorite ship

Favorite cruises

Favorite cruise line

[Mebert]

Thanks Shari2, Lisa63, The Skipper, and Keith and Rita.

I edited the last post to include your contributions to the survey. I will be slowly adding the polls for the major lines and add the individual ship categories as soon as more members add their nominations.

This is really very interesting and a lot of fun for me. It's helping me to make some decisions on future cruise choices.

[divey259]

I've only sailed on three different lines but based on those three I preferred the food on Celebrity Galaxy, and the overall service on Royal Caribbean. I was left somewhat disappointed with Carnival. It didn't quite live up to the hype I expected.

Debra

[jtutak]

I would like to wait until I finish my upcoming Alaska Cruise (June 26) to entir my views. Is this OK? :grin:

[Mebert]

jtutak,

You know everything is fine on this board. :grin:

[Tamara]

I think that for any cruise line, not overstating services would be good. I want them to live up to their promises.

I went to Alaska on HAL last year and had envisioned from the brochures (and I should know better, but still) pea soup and real hot chocolate available on deck every day, all day. I could live on good pea soup and real hot chocolate. The reality was, there was crappy hot chocolate from a machine every day and one pea soup and good hot chocolate day and you'd better get in the soup line real quick or it's gone.

A small issue, perhaps, as I certainly didn't go hungry on the cruise.