Favorite cruise lines?

Having a favorite cruise line is like having a favorite restaurant; some like to be waited on hand me foot with amazing food quality no service. Some would rather wear flip flops and eat at a buffet. Having sailed numerous cruise lines, I liken Carnival to a younger crowd, lots of fun things to do onboard, lots of screaming kids, and the food is barely edible. NCL is one step up in food quality but pretty much the same atmosphere. Royal Caribbean has a better quality food offering, has lots to do onboard and the larger ships hold 5,000+ passengers although the “Main Street” design keeps the ship feeling spacious. Princess I was totally disappointed. The ship’s layout was cramped, the entertainments was just okay. The food was somewhere between NCL and Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean seems to give more bang for the buck in those categories. Celebrity gives passengers a little more room, a little better food quality, and the entertainment is hit or miss. The passenger list seems to be a bit more professional, but still young with a party driven attitude. Regent, although owned by NCL, is a world apart. With a guest to crew ratio of roughly 1 to 1, the service is incredible. The quality of food is nothing short of spectacular with all the beef served being Prime, not Choice. Shrimp as big as your fist, a chef that will prepare anything you desire even if not on the menu, wait staff that remembers your name and your favorite cocktail. Each pool lounger is carefully wrapped with towels and changed frequently. Super large guest suites with a walk in closet, amazing artwork and a stocked bar. There are no “formal nights” as everyone onboard is pretty laid back and appreciates quality without being pretentious. Yes, you pay a lot more but, I say splurge for an unforgettable vacation.

NCL

Agree. Cruising is my happy place as well.

I mostly have been loyal to carnival with the exception of one Royal Caribbean ship. There are still so many carnival ships to try and the perks are wonderful!! Soon I will be a diamond member and looking forward to getting even more ship board perks. I could have a great time on any cruise it’s my happy place!!!

Princess followed by Carnival.

We have sailed several, as a CCL stock holder (good perks) we are sticking with Carnival and now Princess.

I would have to say Carnival but booked the next 3 on Princess. My opinion would have to say it may truly depend on the ship. I have found a true dislike for Vista class ships on Carnival but like others. NCL was interesting though. A person might like a cruise line but then jump on a real beater of a ship and hate it. I tell folks who are just starting to experiment cruising to please do not judge if they like to cruise or not on the first ship they jump on. Be open minded. Ships can be like cars, you might not like the one but love another.

We've only Sailed Royal Caribbean so far, and as of Now, we dont really have any interest in branching out to a different line(aside from Celebrity, since same owners, loyalty programs and whatnot) but that may change...Currently have our next 3 scheduled...18 days out, 117 days out, and 502 Days out on Symphony, Oasis and Grandeur, in that order. Next after that will be Alaska in 2024...

Having sailed Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian, and Regent, I would say Regent is in a class all by itself. The staterooms, service, food quality and ratio of passengers to crew is outstanding. We are booked for the Regent Explorer in May from Barcelona to Istanbul. Excited to be cruising again.

We've cruised on 17 different lines so far, and we've found things to love about every one of them! We want to sail every line again and plan to try several more, but if we have to pick, today would probably be:

Celebrity for big ships

Silversea for small ships

Avalon Waterways for river ships

But this could easily change depending on itinerary, special promotions, season or any number of other things.

Bottom line, as someone said above, our favorite cruise line is the one we're on right now!