Cruise Line Favorites??

charlotter1415 · June 2, 2020

Hey everyone!

I am new to the CruiseCrazies community and am so excited to explore it some more. I am currently planning a trip but want some other opinions to ensure a great trip. I have been on many cruises, mostly when I was younger. The cruises I do remember are the Norwegian Epic, Carnival Dream, and Carnival Sunshine. I therefore only have knowledge of Carnival and NCL for the most part. I would love to get some opinions on which cruise lines everyone prefers and why. I would love to know the value in everyone's favorite and what you look at when booking a cruise. Thanks in advance everyone! I know this will make the decision much easier.

Jan115 · June 3, 2020

Hi Charlotte, and welcome to CruiseCrazies. You've come to the right place, as we all love cruising!

There's no one right cruise and really depends on your travel style, personal preferences and what you're specifically looking for in a cruise. I have done most of the major cruise lines - Carnival, Royal, NCL, Princess and HAL. They all have their plusses and minuses.

Some people find that a premium line, like Azamara or Viking Ocean, is a great value because they include many of the amenities you pay extra for on a mainstream line, or simply because they prefer smaller ships.

I, too, like Norwegian for the freestyle cruising and find their mid-size ships, like the Gem and the Pearl, to be more manageable and prettier than the larger ones. I've been on the Epic twice, but not fond of the cabin design or the ship layout. Plus, the pools on their large ships are ridiculously small for the number of passengers on board. Princess, though, is my favorite because I consider them to be a step up in service. I love their mid-size ships, especially the Coral Princess, but find their larger ones, like the Regal and the Royal to be the best of all the large ships. In fact, a few of us here are cruising on the Sky Princess on November 5th to the Caribbean from NY (hopefully, if the health crisis allows), and you are more than welcome to come along. Check the Roll Call Board for the specifics.

We cruised on Carnival when the kids were younger, and it was fine then, but we prefer a different kind of cruise now. Royal Caribbean's gargantuan cruises are popular with groups and families, but I'm not fond of the resort-at-sea concept.

That's the beauty of cruising. There is a ship for everyone!