I was recently asked to rank all of the different cruise lines. The problem with that is how do you really measure which is best? If we are talking about best food, cabins and itineraries, it’d be one of the luxury ships but at around $10,000 per person for a lot of sailings, that would be out of reach for 99% of people. What good would that list be then? If we were to cut out some of the higher priced lines, how do you decide what that highest price is especially since prices can vary from one sailing to another. If you just focus on mass market lines, how do you account for the ships that are over 20 years old? Thus, I don’t think it’s possible to really rank cruise lines but instead, it is better to categorize them and discuss what them individually. From there, you can decide what is best for you.
The Resort Lines
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC and NCL
Whether you call them mass-market or mainstream cruise lines, these are the cruises most people think about when they consider cruising. These are the ones in almost all of the commercials. Despite all of the other cruise lines out there, these four alone carry the majority of cruise passengers. While there are some smaller ships among these lines, most of them are big and getting consistently bigger. These cruises focus on the North American market and attempt to appeal to as wide of a demographic as possible. Entertainment is a major focus with Broadway style shows, numerous musical acts, fun games at the pool, lots of partying and all sorts of bells and whistles such as go karts, rock climbing walls and surfing simulators.
Carnival
Carnival is thought of as a party cruise but I think that’s a little unfair. I’m sure the 3 and 4 day cruises out of Florida can get a little rowdy especially during Spring Break, but for the most part, Carnival is focused on family fun. In fact, Carnival’s tagline is “choose fun” and fun is a common theme around the entire ship. The vast majority of their sailings are out of North America and you’ll find a lot of children on just about any cruise. They have a wide variety of ships from brand new to over 25 years old. Despite this, they’ve done a pretty good job of refurbishing their ships so that even the smaller and older ships have some of the newer features. For example, Guys Burgers can be found on the Carnival Pride which is over 20 years old.
While you’ll find things like water slides, a ropes course and the sky ride and several ships, Carnival has stayed away from the gigantic ships packed with amenities like Royal Caribbean has been doing for over a decade. As a result, you’ll often find Carnival’s prices lower. They also have a big casino program. So while I wouldn’t call Carnival a cheap cruise line, they are definitely focused on providing value. Entertainment and food is pretty good but the buffet has been cut down to almost nothing.
Royal Caribbean
RC’s focus is one mega ships packed with things to do for families. The ship itself is the destination and the actual ports are kind of an afterthought. The line has more of a global footprint than Carnival. While they still have some smaller ships that have great itineraries, the focus is obviously on the mega ships going to the same handful of ports. These massive ships are very popular since they are packed with so many amazing features. As a result, the fares are usually higher than Carnival.
With so many thousands of people on the same ship with you, there’s a lot of planning ahead of time that is necessary if you want to see everything there is to see. You also have to be cool with sharing the space with so many people although RC has been pretty good as spacing people out so that the ships don’t feel crowded. Keep in mind that some features are free while others cost extra. While plenty of adults enjoy RC, the focus is definitely on families.
Although the mega ships get all the attention, RC actually has some ships that are mid-size that are great for first time cruisers such as the Voyager Class and Freedom Class ships. These ships have a number of features like the rock wall and surfing simulator but you won’t be on a ship with 7,000 other people. It’s a great way to get introduced to the brand to see if you want to go bigger.
MSC
This is a newer cruise line that is part of an Italian shipping conglomerate. They consistently have the lowest fares but those fares come with a number of restrictions and a ton of upselling throughout the cruise. As a result, MSC has been branded the worst cruise line by many people. In fact, many travel agents won’t even sell MSC because they don’t want to be on the receiving end of a phone call from an angry client when they get done with the cruise.
Of course, some people will tell you that MSC is great with beautiful, new ships and incredible pizza. I don’t recommend them for new cruisers. I think they are better for more experienced cruisers that know what to expect. I would encourage anyone considering an MSC cruise to do an absolute ton of research. I’ve been told several times that a lot also depends on the ship. Some are great, some are horrible. It also seems to depend on the crew on the ship. In other words, consistently seems to be a huge problem. You could go on one ship and have a horrible time and go on another one and have a great time.
While they have a big presence in North America, they also sail a lot in Europe. It’s a great way to see Europe one a budget.
NCL
Norwegian Cruise Line is the smallest cruise line out of these four. While Carnival and RC has premium brands, NCL does not. As a result, it seems like NCL tries to cram too much into their ships with their Haven aspect of the ship. While other lines have premium areas of the ship for certain cabins, it seems like NCL has made Haven a lot bigger which has upset some people. Just read reviews of the NCL Viva to see what I mean. Hopefully this trend gets scaled back with their newer ships.
That being said, most of NCL’s ships don’t have this issue. NCL is trying to compete less with Carnival and MSC and more with Holland America as they focus on great itineraries instead of just the same handful of Caribbean ports. While not as expensive as Holland America, they are usually not as cheap as Carnival and MSC. However, they do have a really great Free at Sea package that offers Wifi, specialty dining and a drink package at a price that is cheaper than most other lines.
Premium Lines
Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Virgin Voyages
These lines are a little more expensive but than the resort lines but the goal is to offer an overall experience that is a step up. Think affordable luxury. How well these lines actually pull this off is open to interpretation and opinion. The ships are going to be more mid-sized and as a result, you won’t find go karts, surfing simulators and some of the fancy features that you see in the commercials. While there are still plenty of Caribbean itineraries, these lines tend to focus on more exotic itineraries around the world.
Celebrity
Celebrity is all about have an upper scale experience without being stuffy or costing a fortune. The Caribbean cruises will attract families and others looking for a cruise with better food, drinks and cabins. The older ships will attract people that want a great cruise for a great price. Despite being a premium cruise line, their older ships have some incredibly cheap deals. Outside of the North American market, cruisers are usually 50 plus.
Celebrity is one of my personal favorites as they think they do a good job of offering that upscale experience at a good price. You also just cannot beat the value of their older ships.
Cunard
This is a British line that focuses on transatlantic crossings and cruises around the world with a more traditional feel. This is not the cruise line for most people. The demographic is considerably older and British but if you want a throwback to what cruising uses to be like decades ago, this is the line for you. Expect to see a lot of people in tuxedos for formal nights. Instead of belly flop contests, they’re will be lectures on history or art. It’s very classy and elegant. While they have some very expensive cabins with butlers, there are plenty of regular cabins at a surprisingly affordable price.
Disney
This should be pretty easy. Disney is all about families with wall to wall Disney stuff going on throughout the cruise. However, all of this Disney stuff comes at a premium price so it’s better for families that are more upscale. I do not suggest these cruises for people without kids unless you’re obsessed with all things Disney.
Holland America Line
Otherwise known a HAL, the primary focus of this line is on amazing itineraries. A lot of ships do the same cruise week after week for months at a time. A lot of HAL’s ships have a different itinerary from one cruise to the next which allows people to book several cruises together to see even more of the world. On my last HAL cruise, I met dozens of people that were on the ship for several months. The food is definitely more upscale which wasn’t really to my taste. The demographics are definitely older so there’s less of a party atmosphere.
I personally didn’t find the cabin to be upscale. In fact, I think the bedding on Carnival is better than HAL which is odd since they are part of the same parent company. HAL is a line with Dutch roots and as a result, they even have a Dutch cafe.
Princess
At first, Princess seems more like an American version of HAL. Although the itineraries are not as exotic, they’re still all over the world with a big focus on Asia and Alaska. The demographic has traditionally been older but the focus seems to have shifted more to families over the last few years. Although a little more upscale than lines like Carnival, Princess actually has some good deals especially out of Galveston. If you want a nice cruise experience without all the fancy bells and whistles, Princess may be a good option for you. If you’re under 50, you might in the minority on the more exotic sailings on the smaller ships
Virgin Voyages
Virgin took the book on how to design a cruise line and threw it out the window. They changed just about everything and then made it an adults only cruise. This non-traditional experience is going to either be loved or hated depending on how much you love traditional cruising. In fact, I’d even go far to say that this is cruising for people that don’t like cruising or least want a very different experience. There’s no cruise director and no main dining room. Everything is upscale but fun with a bit of a wild side. I think these are the only ships at sea with a tattoo parlor.
I’ll have more information on Virgin in about a month when we are back from our cruise. Virgin also includes gratuities in the price which is a nice touch. There’s also no specialty restaurants as everything is included.
Luxury Cruise lines
Azamara, Oceania, Viking Ocean, Windstar
I’m going to go through these a little quicker since they’ll be of interest to only a few people. These lines provide a big step up from the premium lines but they usually aren’t insanely expensive. Expect a very sophisticated experience with high end cuisine, very nice cabins, amazing itineraries without being stuffy. Although more expensive, a lot of these lines include a number of extras with the base price so be sure to factor than in when you want to do an apples-to-apples comparison. When you do that, you may find that you’re going to get a lot more for just a little more money. Unfortunately, not everyone does that math so they write off some of these lines as they’d rather pay for their cruise and then pay another bill at the end of it instead of spending slightly more up front.
Azamara
There’s only four ships with this line and they carry less than 700 passengers. The itineraries are going to be more exotic with some fantastic shore excursions. You’ll find older passengers that are upscale and well traveled. While most are from North America, there will be passengers from all over the world on most cruises. Although there are 7 nights cruises, you’ll also find plenty of longer cruises.
Oceania
This is one of my favorite luxury cruise lines as you can find some relatively affordable cruises for upscale travelers. So while not cheap, you can get some incredible value. There are numerous specialty restaurants that are included with your fare. The cabins are great and there are some fantastic itineraries. If you’re looking for an upscale experience without breaking the bank, this is my first recommendation.
Viking Ocean
Much like Virgin Voyages, Viking created an entirely different cruise experience. All of their ocean cruise ships are exactly the same. They pretty much cater to cruisers 55 and older to expect and older crowd. A shore excursion is included at every port. Wifi and all restaurants are also included. The primary goal of most passengers is on exploring the unique ports that Viking visits. However, I’ve seen some of these tours and at least some are the big bus tours where you follow someone with a flag. Not really my thing. These cruises seem to be rather expensive so they aren’t the first cruise I recommend to my clients.
Windstar
This is a small cruise line with two types of ships – several with giant mechanical sails and more traditional cruise ships that are small and intimate. Regardless, the itineraries are usually exotic and tropical although there’s some others like Iceland. These small ships allow you to get to some really out of the way ports. Not as upscale however as some of the other lines.
Ultra luxury lines
Explora Journey, Regent Seven Seas, Ritz-Carlton Yacht, Seabourn, Silverseas
I’m going to discuss all of these together as they are rather similar. Expect the highest of the high end with the prices to match. Everything is going to be as good as it’s going to get. The vast majority of the passengers are going to be retired and well-traveled. You’ll likely have a butler and most will be included. While there are some 7 night itineraries, there are plenty that stretch over 3 weeks as these people have plenty of free time. Although expensive, if you actually break it down to a per night charge, some of the longer sailings provide a ton of value.
Regent Seven Seas is often viewed as the highest of the high end but Ritz-Carlton Yacht is very new and my try to challenge them for that title. No matter which one you go with, you’ll likely have an amazing time if you’re looking for an incredibly high-end experience with the best food, cabins and service at sea. Of course, they also have some of the best itineraries around the world.
Foreign cruise lines
There are plenty of other cruise lines not discussed here such as Costa, P&O, Ponant and many others that cater to passengers from a certain country such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, etc. Americans can certainly go on these lines but you’d be in the minority. English may be spoken and understood but it certainly won’t be the primary language except for British lines. There may be a lot of food and other things that will be very different for Americans. I would not suggest Americans consider these lines unless you are an adventurous and very experienced cruiser.
Conclusion
I hope you can see now why it’s impossible to rank the different cruise lines. There are a few more I didn’t cover but they’re so small I didn’t think they were worth mentioning. Different lines will appeal to different people for different reasons. Even different ships within the same line will be offer completely different experiences. Compare RC’s Grandeur of the Seas to Icon of the Seas. The experience couldn’t be any different so it’s hard to make a broad characterization of that line while considering both of those ships. They have almost nothing in common with each other.
I suggest you try out the lines that you can afford for yourself and get a feel for the the overall feel for the line. Do you like the food, entertainment, cabins and everything else that the line provides for the price? You’ll also find different classes of ships have pros and cons. Some of the best itineraries have the oldest ships. Some of the cheapest cruises are on older ships. I don’t think any cruise is perfect. You have to determine what you really want and realize that you may not be able to get everything you want. Everyone cruises for different reasons. Some people want to party while others want to use the ship as a hotel that transports you to different places to explore.
Regardless of why you cruise, I’ll do my best to get you the best possible price. Just let me know what I can do for you.