Cruise?

Creyo

What are people's experiences on cruises? Disney.vs regular? Any cruise line reccomendations?

lacey3eb

I've been on 3 cruiselines...Royal, NCL (twice), Disney.  I liked Disney the best for food and service, but enjoyed NCL's entertainment and bars more.  Food was great on all.  It's a great value, but I do not enjoy feeling rushed at the ports.

GreenEire

We used Royal Caribbean and liked them overall, although there were a few snags.  We had plenty of time at each of our stops to see the sights.  If you use RC though, do NOT sign up for an excursion that takes place the last day after the ship docks.  Our excursion was cancelled that morning and we were essentially left stranded.  Thankfully there were a bunch of taxis sitting around or we would have been S.O.L.  Our favorite part was RC's private island Coco Cay.  It was beautiful.

susanv85

I love cruising, it's my favorite vacation. But be warned, on any of the mass market lines, there is going to be a lot of waiting on lines, and crowds, especially if you go during the peak season. I have been on about 20 cruises, mostly with Carnival, but I have also been on Princess, Celebrity, NCL. IMO, if you're on the younger side, I would stay away from Celebrity and Princess, they tend to appeal to a more older clientele, they have fewer activities, and tend to be calmer cruises, which is great if that's what you want, but don't expect to come across many 20 somethings on those lines. That said, the food is much better than on the other lines.

Carnival, NCL, and Royal Carib are all pretty much the same thing. I have been on all 3 and don't notice much difference between any of them. We usually do Carnival cruises for no reason other than I am Platinum on Carnival, which means I get VIP check in and don't need to wait on line to check in. Food wise, I do prefer Carnival to the other lines, I feel like NCL is trying to nickel and dime you constantly. If you want decent food on NCL, you pay for it in the restuarants, whereas on Carnival, you can go to the steakhouse for $30 pp, and get an amazing 5 course meal, but if not, hte dining room food is pretty good too. 

I personally avoid Disney because I don't want to cruise with Mickey, and the prices are insane just because its Disney. They also don't have a casino on board, and I like to play a few hands of blackjack in the evenings. 

My favorite thing about cruising? You really are shut off from the outside world. Internet prices are expensive and the internet is slow, phone calls are costly, so you avoid interacting back home unless you really have to. For me, that's perfect. I don't want to hear about the bad weather or who's got a runny nose when I'm on vacation, I want to unwind, relax, and ignore the real world for a week, and it's a lot easier to do that on a cruise than any other vacation. Which is probably why despite the fact that we have done so many cruises that we will probably cruise for the honeymoon as well.

Wiscisbliss

I have been on 3 Carnival cruises.  We like that we get to see several different locations and get a little taste of the locations.  Probably someday we will pick some of our favorites to revisit for a longer vacation. 

Cruises are also pretty reasonable.  All food and entertainment is included.  DH and I are not big drinkers, so we don't have any additional costs (aside from any fancy excursions we take). 

adktd2boots

Cruises are a great way to vacation.  Honeymooning will depend on the kind of couple you are, and what you expect in a honeymoon.  One of my dear friends thought she would be able to take a cruise to Ensenada and swim with the dolphins.  Your toilet is cleaner than that water.  She also thought they would get to lounge on the beaches and have their own secluded places.  A cruiseship has thousands of people on it, so you won't likely have much of your own space, unless you're just sitting in your room. Take some time and do research.  See where the ship stops, and what excursions are available when you stop. 

TiffannieF

We went on a NCL cruise and thought it was amazing, we didn't want to vacation any other way other than cruising.  That was until we went to an all inclusive resort in Puerta Vallerta.  We went to Dreams and it was AMAZING!!!  All inclusive...but more than all inclusive than what the cruise said...on the cruise they said it was all inclusive but sodas and alcohol were added prices as well as the restaurants.  At Dreams EVERYTHING was free: soda, alcohol, entertainment, all restaurants, etc.  It was amazing.  Plus on the last day of the cruise the boat was very rocky and I got very sick, laid in bed all day and couldn't enjoy our last day. 

So while I say you can't go wrong with a cruise I say invest your money into an all inclusive resort.

dalm0m

We love cruising. 

Check out cruisecritic.com

To me Disney w all those kids would make a lousey HM.