What is the BIGGEST difference in the cruise lines?

I don't know about that...we cruise NCL a lot. they've been running an all inclusive pkg for years, depending on the size cabin you pick. beverage pkgs, dining pkgs, internet pkgs.. If you choose to you can pay the gratuities up front too..picking excursions in the comfort of your own home and reading reviews is certainly better than doing it on board from pamphlets with a 1000 of your closest new friends helping you. (if you do that you do have to pay for them then.) All told, you can do all that and get off the ship owing them "almost" nothing. we've done it, more than once. But we always get a balcony, sometimes better. If you really want to do "a la carte" you get the cheapest inside cabin, reserve nothing, and pay for each drink or specialty dining as you go. The real debate is who has more fun, or has a "better" cruise. Obviously, that's impossible to answer. what works for one, won't work for another.

The point is, once you "get used to" the way a specific cruise line works its so-called extras and billing, you can literally custom design your own cruise accordingly. Its tough to do when you don't understand what the "system" is, or whats even available.

And that even applies to the premium lines. Every one of them has its own system. All the key pounding in the world wont help. You need to access a TA who will spend the time to get you everything you think you need, and even then, once you're on board, and IF you pay attention, you learn even more. Because YOU don't know what you need, or want to pay for until you're on board and learning., and that turns you into an experienced cruiser..I think, looking back on it, we probably could've used a TA in the very beginning..we did it all ourselves, and probably missed out on a lot. Now we do it ourselves, but we've got a grip on the process.

The biggest difference to me is when and how much you want to pay.

Mainstream (CCL, RCI, NCL) little up front then pay as you go (if you want, drinks, excursions, etc.). I call this a la carte cruising

Premire (HOLLAND, X) pay more upfront but more things are included (drinks maybe specialty dining)

Luxury (Seaborn, Silver Seas, Regent) pay a lot upfront, but most things are included. This type of cruising may even be cheaper than a la carte cruising if you purchase all that’s included (according to Regents ads)

You can't even trust the Beer menus. :)

What it comes down to is that the "differences THIS year are different than the "differences" from LAST year. and JB is exactly right about the differences from ship to ship WITHIN a cruise line. Any response in here is totally subjective, sometimes based upon experiences that took place long ago, good or bad. "INCREASING KNOWLEDGE IS INCREASINGLY EXPENSIVE."

Your best friend could make a recommendation about a given ship, and you take the same cruise later, and wonder what ship THEY were on.

That is good to know, We sailed Glory several years ago and the service was terrible. The calzones were good, though. :)

I agree! We sailed on the Glory in November and the again in February and found our dining experience very different. February our food in the main dinning room was excellent and the wait staff the best we've had in 10 years. That's just one ship and a three month delta.

There are not only big differences between cruise lines, but within ships of the same line as well. Also sailings. Someone sailing on the same ship 1 year apart could have a totally different experience.

Being a bit older, we like the Princess line. We have been on NCL and we are looking forward to doing that again. Family members also like Princess, even if they are younger---something about a more polite crowd. Some have been on Carnival--a few times. All admit they were there to party, and they did,,,.

So, please meet with a very experienced travel consultant. Explain your budget, expectations, travel time frames and what you want to have as an experience. Cruising can be and will be a great experience, if you are informed and know what you expect. Enjoy--you will become hooked.

Take this for what its worth. Quizzes for choosing a cruise line.

googled: best cruise line for me quiz

so many quizzes, here are a few.

https://www.cruzely.com/quiz-which-cruise-line-is-the-best-for-you/

https://cruiseline.com/advice/how-to-book/pick-a-line/quiz-what-cruise-line-is-right-for-you

https://www.cruise1st.co.uk/blog/cruise-lines/which-cruise-line-is-best-for-me/

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=66

When you look at cruise lines they all offer about the same things in their price. It's an all-inclusive experience Food, cabin, and entertainment. I've been on RCL, Norwegian, Princess and Carnival.

When deciding what cruise line to go on, think about what you want to do during your cruise and where you want to go. Then find a price that fits in your budget. People get disappointed when they have high expectations for cruises. Your experience is what you make them. I can be on the worst cruise ship and still find amazing things about it.