Are you asking yourself, What is the Best Cruise Line? After having tried most of the mainstream cruise lines I think I can shine in this controversial topic. To be quite honest I can say that there is no such thing as a perfect cruise line. It is now that I realize that each cruise line that I have tried to this date specializes in something in particular.
Carnival Cruise Line
As much as Carnival gets criticized by many, my personal experience with them was great. I truly enjoyed the energy level that the Carnival Breeze had, it was like nothing I had experienced on other cruise line. I think one of the main factors for this is the younger age bracket that they have placed themselves on. There is also always something to do, and most of the daily activities are ones that I particularly enjoyed. Carnival also excels with their lunch options, I have never seen so many great venues to try out for lunch without an additional fee. From amazing burgers, to incredible spicy Indian delicacies. Sure Carnival has its low points, like the food in the main dining room at night. This is one area that they really should reconsider, there is much improvement to be done there. But overall they have a great product that many of you should consider trying.
Royal Caribbean International
RCCL is a great cruise line, and one that I can describe as a well balanced family cruise line. The product is solid with good food across the board, Broadway quality shows, and efficient service throughout the cruise. You will see plenty of families on board their cruises, but do not worry, RCCL has possibly the best adult only areas. The solarium is by far one of my favorite areas out of all cruise lines, it is so spacious and peaceful in there. I would say it is a step above Carnival, with slightly better shows and main dining room food.
Celebrity Cruise line
Celebrity is a cruise line that sets itself apart from the competition by calling itself the modern luxury of cruise lines. Their ships are certainly gorgeous, and the cuisine is among the best at sea. Personally, I did not care much for their shows, but that does not mean they are bad. Their service was also impeccable throughout the cruise. I do think that the age bracket is a little older and you do not see as many young families as you see in RCCL or Carnival. I have always said that I would love to sail aboard a Celebrity vessel while in Alaska or the Mediterranean. It just seems to me like the perfect cruise line for those itineraries.
Norwegian Cruise Line
NCL is a bit harder to classify, it is my believe that they are in the process of re-branding themselves. Norwegian calls themselves the freestyle cruise line, that basically means there are no schedules for dinning. They also offer a lot dinning options, although most of them carry a price tag. Their newer vessels also have great Broadway style shows, tons of activities (water slides, rope course, mini golf, bowling, cirque style show and more). One thing is for sure, it is very hard to get bored aboard one of their newer vessels. While service has been called to have gotten better, in our particular sailings it was rather inconstant.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney definitely sets themselves apart from everyone else, they just have that special way of doing everything. The service is unrivaled, simply put, its impeccable, there are a lot of little touches that will never encounter in any other cruise line. The food is excellent all over the ship, the food in the main dining room is the absolute best that I had out of all MDRs. The shows are also Disney quality, so as you can imagine they go all out. The cruise line also caters to adults, with their adults only section and other activities. Even with an adult only section, I think that the cruise line is still mainly geared towards families with young children. I said this once and will say it again and again, if you have children, this is the ultimate vacation you could give them. It would go in their memories to last a lifetime!
So, What is the Best Cruise Line?
I can only say that the answer really depends on who is asking the question. We have truly enjoyed every cruise we have ever taken. Do I have a favorite cruise line? Kind of, well, maybe, no wait, I am not sure. If I had to choose I would probably say Carnival and Royal Caribbean. I think that only you know which line suits you best, since they all target and specialize in different areas and age groups. If you are new to cruising you should consider what each line best attributes are and go from there, maybe even try a few lines and then build your loyalty points with your favorite company.
