Cruise Line Suggestions??

NewYearsBride7 · August 2010

Hi gals...

Getting married NYE, so just getting to the time when I have to get my January HM booked. We're definetly planning a cruise, Eastern Carribean I think. From peoples suggestions I was planning to go Carnival... However, I've been a few mentions on her regarding Royal Carribean.

Just wondering if anyone has experience or suggestions on which cruise line would be best?

Thanks in advance.

ehathewa · August 2010

I haven't been on ours yet so I cannot comment on quality personally... but Carnival was the cheapest and several of my friends went on a Carnival Cruise for their honeymoons and loved it. They have some really nice itineraries to choose from.

bellebride116 · August 2010

We choose cruise line's based on itinerary. We went on the Carnival Victory in the southern carib. for our honeymoon. We had a fantastic time! We LIKE Carnival, but we don't LOVE it. There are def. much nicer lines out there, but it was still fun!

jonchrissy · August 2010

I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise with my family and none of us really enjoyed it. I forgot which ship it was, but it was 8 or so days and it stopped in San Juan, Nassau, St. Martin, etc. I'm not sure if it played into it, but we had never been on a cruise before and decided it wasn't really our thing. We really wish we had more time to spend on the islands. But the food was horrible, to the point where we just ate off the boat and everyone lost about 5 lbs. Things were served cold or still frozen or if they were supposed to be cold, they were warm. The quality was also pretty poor. I felt like I was eating in a dorm all over again. The rooms were tiny as expected, the shows were tacky, there was never any room near the pool or in it. It was constantly crowded and you couldn't really get in.

GreenPepperBurger · August 2010

I'm going on a cruise in May--never been before--and I have been doing tons of research. To me, the nicest moderately priced lines seem to be Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.

Heather822 · August 2010

We love & only sail Royal Caribbean.... have done 4 all together.
We even got engaged on an RC cruise!
I am surprised to read someone had a bad experience with them!
Carnival and Celebrity are a little cheaper, but tend to be more either more *party* or *family* sailings ~ depending on the itinerary. We found Royal Caribbean to be a little classier and cleaner.
And any port we are in, RC always towers over other ships ~ its just so big! There's tons to do, and I have never felt like I was moving. I do get sick on little boats, but have never had a problem cruising.
Like I said, we wouldn't cruise with any other line!

GreenPepperBurger · August 2010

RC owns Celebrity - Celebrity is actually more expensive and said to be a bit more "refined."

jessienjeremy · August 2010

We are going on a cruise for our HM and we are going on Carnival. I have never been on a cruise but we have some friends that have the exact cruise we are doing and said they loved it.

king26 · August 2010

I've been on Carnival and Royal Carribean. Hands down my family likes Carnival SOO much more. The rooms are bigger and there's more to do.

nda_roxybabe · August 2010

I've done Royal Caribbean once and Carnival twice. Royal Caribbean was far superior.
It was nicer, cleaner and had better food (by a long shot) and amenities.

impslave · August 2010

Been on two cruises so far - one on Carnival and one on Royal Caribbean. The Carnival one was fun, but would be way to "party" for me now. I liked RC because it was more grown-up and the service was very good. RC also has a very wide selection of itineraries throughout the Caribbean.

strlzfan11 · August 2010

I recommend Norwegian, but would suggest that you check out cruisecritic.com to review each of the major cruise lines so that you can see which one best suits your personality.

Heather822 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_cruise-line-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:89001e57-f187-4b14-887d-cabd7148652cPost:e6549940-266b-4068-bff4-a5fcdbac1d60">Re: Cruise Line Suggestions??</a>:
[QUOTE]RC owns Celebrity - Celebrity is actually more expensive and said to be a bit more "refined."
Posted by GreenPepperBurger[/QUOTE]

<font color="#003366">Hmmm... I wouldn't call the people throwing up over the side of the Celebrity ship docked next to us in Belize "refined"......</font>

bellebride116 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_cruise-line-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:89001e57-f187-4b14-887d-cabd7148652cPost:985a39aa-21a0-4561-ab37-3b56d01d5e52">Re: Cruise Line Suggestions??</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cruise Line Suggestions?? : Hmmm... I wouldn't call the people throwing up over the side of the Celebrity ship docked next to us in Belize "refined"......
Posted by Heather822[/QUOTE]

<div>WOW that really shocks me!!! Celebrity is def supposed to be a higher class than RC! We are looking into a Med. Cruise on Celebrity... it's very pricey too!!! I hope it's worth it :(</div>

GreenPepperBurger · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_cruise-line-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:89001e57-f187-4b14-887d-cabd7148652cPost:985a39aa-21a0-4561-ab37-3b56d01d5e52">Re: Cruise Line Suggestions??</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cruise Line Suggestions?? : Hmmm... I wouldn't call the people throwing up over the side of the Celebrity ship docked next to us in Belize "refined"......
Posted by Heather822[/QUOTE]

That's so gross.

BelleBride, most all cruise lines sail the Med. What about that Celebrity cruise attracts you?

bellebride116 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_cruise-line-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:89001e57-f187-4b14-887d-cabd7148652cPost:cbad5b5b-aec5-4472-b8c2-05f7a226a659">Re: Cruise Line Suggestions??</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cruise Line Suggestions?? : That's so gross. BelleBride, most all cruise lines sail the Med. What about that Celebrity cruise attracts you?
Posted by GreenPepperBurger[/QUOTE]

<div>The itinerary... we haven't seen ANY other line with an itinerary like this one... it hits EVERY place we want to go.... </div><div>Rome, Capri, Santorini, Athens, Alexandria {overnight}, and two ports in Israel. </div><div>
</div><div>I've searched a ton of other lines and most do hit these ports, but not all in one cruise! </div>

GreenPepperBurger · August 2010

That sounds really amazing!

bellebride116 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_cruise-line-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:89001e57-f187-4b14-887d-cabd7148652cPost:c47762cc-9067-40e8-94d1-8ce549f2cbb1">Re: Cruise Line Suggestions??</a>:
[QUOTE]That sounds really amazing!
Posted by GreenPepperBurger[/QUOTE]

<div>I knoooo.... it's so pricey tho, we are still trying to convince ourselves it's going to be worth it. LOL. </div>

GreenPepperBurger · August 2010

Yeah, Celebrity can get very pricy. It took us SO long to decide which line we were going to go on I finally decided and said, THAT'S IT. I can't research it anymore!

Heather822 · August 2010

Its def true you should big your cruise based on the itinerary ~ no necessarily the fleet. The best thing about a cruise is you really can customize what your onboard experience is like.... who you hang near, where/when you eat, activities, etc. You could have a horrible time on a high end ship, or a fantastic time on a cheaper ship ~ most of it is really up to you. The only thing you can't control is where the ship GOES. So look into that first before narrowing your options. I have heard Med Cruises are phenomenal! Taking one is on my bucket list!

knj92107 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_cruise-line-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:89001e57-f187-4b14-887d-cabd7148652cPost:985a39aa-21a0-4561-ab37-3b56d01d5e52">Re: Cruise Line Suggestions??</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Cruise Line Suggestions?? : Hmmm... I wouldn't call the people throwing up over the side of the Celebrity ship docked next to us in Belize "refined"......
Posted by Heather822[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Just because some people were acting irresponsibly (which could happen on any line) doesn't change the fact that even RC advertises Celebrity as its higher end line. Perhaps they were seasick? Celebrity is generally more expensive than RC. Sure, people act likeassholes everywhere but that isn't the fault of the cruise line. Have you been on Celebrity?</div><div>
</div><div>I've been on RC and Celebrity MANY times and Celebrity is just about the farthest thing from a party line. If anything, they usually attract an older crowd with lots of seniors. RC has much more in the way of activities geared toward children. I think when someone mentioned Celebrity being more "refined," it is because Celebrity's food and service consistently rank higher than RC. 100% of the time I've cruised, Celebrity's service has been better than RC. The type of service is definitely more upscale on Celebrity. </div><div>
</div><div>That said, both lines are great. They are my two favorites. OP, check out <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.cruisecritic.com">www.cruisecritic.com</a> for reviews of all the ships. I'd choose based on the itinerary and ship reviews, personally.</div><div>
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alithebride · August 2010

i've been on Cunard (far FAR superior to celebrity and the regular lines) and people did get sick over the side on that too-and not from partying-from sea sickness.
don't let that sway you-it happens at sea.
if oyu like the celebrity one (which sounds like a great itinerary) GO!

nawhite3 · August 2010

I loved my first cruise on Royal Carribean. The food was awesome and you can do as much or as little as you want. People I talked to on the cruise swear by them being the best cruise line and many did not sway from them for other companies.

pizzanfries4me · August 2010

I've always been on Holland America - which is mostly old old old people. But thats ok cuz they go to bed at around 8 pm, and the food on Holland America is DELICIOUS

Beverly8 · August 2010

I have been on a few cruises, all of which have been with royal caribbean. i would highly highly recommend royal caribbean to anyone! Great service, great food/drinks, extremely clean ship, cheerful staff, everyone is extremely helpful and willing to do anything they can to make your cruise experience a great one. The most recent cruise I went on we cruised on the Oasis of the seas, I highly recommend sailing on that ship. it is amazing...its sister ship, the allure of the seas will be out this december. Hope this Helps

Frozenpenguin · August 2010

I haven't read the responses but whatever you do, don't book Celebrity. We had such a horrible experience with them. RC is their parent company and it is much better. Celebrity is not worth the extra money.

GreenPepperBurger · August 2010

We just booked our first cruise on Norwegian, which is known for its "freestyle" concept - do what you what when you want to. There are no set dining times, and you don't even have to dress up on their so called "formal" nights.

I recommend reading reviews and board posts on Cruise Critic. You can learn a lot!

Beachy730 · August 2010

I've been on 5 cruises. 2 were Disney with people I used to babysit for, 2 were Royal Carribean, and 1 was Carnival. The Carnival one is the one H and I went on together. I personally liked the Carnival one best. There were way less kids around, and the rooms were really nice. We got a balcony room for the price of a regular stateroom on other lines, and we had no problems on it. The food, service, and entertainment was great. We are planning on another cruise hopefully soon, and will probably go with Carnival again hands down. Our ship was the Carnival Valor if that makes a difference. It was 7 days and went to Cozumel, Belize, Honduras, and Grand Caymen. We both said we would do that same cruise again easily.

sunnysarahinNC · August 2010

Royal Caribbean all the way! I'm a frequent cruiser!

jessNlane52804 · August 2010

Here's my 2 cents:

DH and I are going on a Celebrity eastern Caribbean cruise in Jan. 2011 as a belated HM. DH's aunt is our TA and she is a very experienced cruiser (we are not). Yesterday, we got an awesome deal on an upgrade to aqua class. They have really great deals on aqua class right now, which seems pretty great for a HM atmosphere. Full body shower, afternoon canapes, expanded 24 hour room service menu, priority check-in, free access to sauna, etc. We are really excited.

I read a quote on cruise critic (great source btw) from the RC CEO and he says the goal of celebrity is to make you say "ahhhh" and the goal of RC is to make you say "wow". I have been told that Celebrity is supposed to me a more relaxed atmosphere and Norwegein, RC, and Carnival are more energetic. Personally, we didn't care about having 1000 activities to choose from at any given time. We just wanted to relax and take it easy, so we picked Celebrity. All of that being said, there are oddballs everywhere you go. Carnival has a reputation for being the college party cruise, but I'm sure there are dozens of sophisticated, refined cruisers on every ship. Same goes for all cruise lines. GL!

Coco706 · August 2010

I have cruised on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Although Royal Caribbean has the reputation for having nicer ships, we had so much more fun on Carnival. Carnival had more activities. Food is great on cruise, on bad experiences there. You may want to check to see how long you will be at each port so you can plan accordingly. I agree that sometime you dont get enough time at the ports.

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