4 Cruise Lines Running Rings Around Their Competitors!
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2024
- I look at the best cruise lines in each of the 4 main cruising categories and why they are the best choice right now, and why smart cruisers are choosing them over the other options.
ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 90 cruises I have done to date.
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00:00 Start
00:28 Best Mass Resort Cruise Line
05:24 Best Premium Cruise Line
08:45 Best Small Luxury Line
12:06 Best Ultra-Luxury Line
I have never wanted to go on a cruise - yet I find myself compulsively watching your channel - and every now and again I see something and in my head a little message appears ‘you know what…’
Yes! I had zero interest in cruising, but after a few months of watching Gary, I booked a cruise. Now I really wanted to cruise Alaska.
Go once, you'll go a lot. It's cheaper than a hotel at the beach, and it INCLUDES food, great service, and entertainment. You cannot beat the value. Or the service.
I never wanted to, but eventually went on one… and didn’t like it much. But I like watching these videos. Go figure 🤷♂️
Cruising is not for everyone, but once I did it, I got hooked, I have gone places that I would have never been or heard of before, and the service and experiences have been wonderful. I find my self always looking for the next cruise trip, happy traveling @Charles Moss.
@@JulieWallis1963 You forgot not having to pack and unpack over and over!
Hi Gary, I hope you're well. I have been a bus driver for nearly 26 year and between 2008 and 2019 during the Spring and Summer season I worked as a coach driver touring UK, Ireland and Europe. I also did the excursions from the cruise ships coming into Belfast, usually up the Antrim coast to the Giant's Causeway. A good tip is to talk to your coach driver if you get a chance, they may be able to add bits into the itinerary if the tour guide agrees. For instance usually before heading back to the ship, if we had time we would do a quick tour of Belfast city. On one occasion a couple had planned to go hiking up Cavehill ( a mountain walk with scenic views over Belfast), they then decided to book an excursion to the Giant's Causeway instead. I got chatting with them and on my way back to the ship I took a detour over the back of Cavehill giving them a great view over Belfast and their cruise ship followed by a quick tour of Belfast. I always looked at the cruise ships in awe as my coach looked minute beside them. I started cruising in 2018 and eventually got to see what it was all about. As always your advice is spot on, thank you.
You sound like a very nice coach driver. not many coach drivers would take you on a detour to see something you missed only in Ireland I would say good on you such a nice thing to do and Belfast is definitely worth a tour
we'll stick with regent. It's very expensive but when you leave, no matter where you ate, how much you drank, you owe them nothing. 600-750 passengers, large luxury cabins, huge balconies, huge baths,walk in closets, impeccable service. Our May 2023 10 day cruise from London south is $29,000, at least double of all the rest but it's worth it. And it includes business class air, one nite in departure city at luxury hotel, all transfers, most excursions. Older crowd, no one under 21 or maybe 18, almost all couples, no loud drunks or partiers.
Norwegian (Royal Caribbean), Holland America (Celebrity), Oceania (Viking), Seabourn
Wife and I have done mass market cruises. We are now hooked on Viking. No kids, wonderful staff, outstanding food (Manfredi's has one of the best steaks I've even had anywhere in the world). Not crowded, laid back, some of the best service anywhere, ever, land or sea.
Our no 1 cruise line too.
@Alan Colon - encouraged to hear you and your wife are hooked on Viking. We’ve generally cruised HAL and a friend HIGHLY recommended Viking Cruise (Alaska), so we’re booked for ‘23. I was a bit concerned that Viking might be an expensive “bore” - glad to hear you both love Viking. Looking forward to our experience!
Agree with you about Viking, down side and only happened this year excursions bookable in advance but times based on the status of your cabin and by the time we were allowed to book a good number of the excursions we chose were already fully booked this was to Alaska so we ended up cancelling and loosing £1,500. After 3 river and 3 ocean cruises in the past we found this disappointing and should this setup continue we will never get to go on a Viking cruise to Alaska as will never book higher than a deluxe balcony.
Thanks, Gary! We always appreciate your production values - well done!
Great information Gary! Thank you for providing us with so many choices!
Thanks Gary. You always have great information for us cruisers.
I love the large ships with tons of activities. Thanks so much for this very detailed video. On Carnival, my absolute favorite activity is the Chefs Table Dinner. It’s absolutely superb! I was a Chef for years and this dinner is super impressive.
Excellent video Gary, and after many trips with many lines, you are spot on in your choices.
This is very helpful, thanks! My wife and I are doing a Mediterranean cruise on NCL in early November from Rome to Israel. It's our fifth cruise together as a couple. We had some other cruises planned during the height of COVID but put them off until later this year.
Gary, you do such a great job sharing your thinking in your video series. You have a great talent for understanding the cruise customer and helping us all navigate our current want and needs. I always look forward to videos from you.
Gary, you presented an excellent descriptive summary of these categories. I agree with you, Seabourn has the unique combination of elegance and casual style. For those who want, the crew becomes a family - especially for solo travelers. If I’d sailed the other categories, I could do multiple cruises a year but with Seabourn I only cruise once a year. But what an extraordinary experience!
The ranking and reasons why is really useful, thanks Gary.
Totally agree with you regarding Seabourn.
I have over 200 days with them , but since 2019 have not been able to travel.
Now have finally booked my Seabourn cruise for June this year- really looking forward to it, so am very pleased to hear you recommend them too now.
Thank you
You definitely have the best best cruise review channel! Your delivery is refined and your information is conclusive. I agree with your recommendations; my wife and I started cruising in Oceania when we were 55 and it seemed we were the youngest on board. We didn’t mind as it was the best cruise we have ever taken. We have been on Oceania every year since and love it each time. Thanks, again, for your channel and your reviews.
As always, tons of useful information. Thanks
You are The Best !! Always efficient and complete in a review. Everything we want to know in a pleasant, entertaining, well edited video. You have helped so many people! Thank You Sir !!
Excellent summary of the best experience you can get in each category
Introduced lines we will consider in future cruising
I'm so glad that you're highlighting Holland America! I have had incredible experiences with this line.
Agree with your choices. have sailed on HAL, Princess and RCL. HAL is our favorite. Great food and terrific choice of music. The crew always seems happy too.
Great and detailed overview!! Helpful in making choices.
Gary! You are the pinnacle in your field. And this video is one of your best. So accurately presented, with such clarity, detailing all levels and standards of ships. Concise and yet pleasant to view.
was just thinking the same
Agreed! Due to terrible seasickness I would never risk a cruise yet I find his videos so excellent and informative that I want to take a cruise even though I know it would not work for me.
Hi Gary. I’m glad you mentioned Saga, but you didn’t say much about it. We’ve travelled several times with Saga and love the line. The fare paid includes everything from gratuities, dining and drinks as well as bus travel from the port into town if you don’t go on an excursion and also includes transport from your home to the port. The entertainment and food is excellent and Saga’s greatest asset is its crew - they are amazing! So friendly and welcoming, nothing is too much trouble. They are amazing. That’s why we keep going back. They are a small cruise line, but they are great!
Went on my first cruise called the MSC Merviglia with my wife. Booked it immediately again for next year. Fantastic time! Highly recommend.
If you want a traditional experience (which I do) HAL is the way to go.
Holland no longer has ANY classical music ( such as 3x day Lincoln Center Stage, no classical piano playing, etc. after reaching the 4 star level🙈
@@silviaeastonborges5204 How very sad - classical is the only music I'd go out of my way to listen to. Not that I don't enjoy other kinds of music (in fact, I enjoy or tolerate almost all kinds,) but I truly love classical music of all kinds, and its availability would be a factor in my choice of cruise.
Always pragmatic, and down to what it matters the most. Well done Garry. 👍
Wow! Just a fantastic breakdown of cruise lines.
Very informative. Thank you.
Thanks, Gary. You are far and away the best when it comes to cruising. After trying Princess and Windstar, we are totally hooked on Regent. We have been on all of their ships multiple times and are never, never disappointed. Great service, great food, pretty good tours, and everything is included. Our favorite ships are the Splendor and the Explorer.
I totally agree, about to go from Miami to Lisbon next spring. The food is varied and high quality. All inclusion is a great positive. Great services, we are upgrading to the Penthouse.
You are a wealth of information Gary! Thank you so much and so glad you are making the very most of your retirement years! Cheers😊
Great insight and info about all the different options.
Great video, Gary. I very much enjoyed your thorough review of the various options for cruising. Very good information. Thanks, my friend.
Glad it was helpful!
Just back from our first cruise for 31 months on Seabourn. Wow, they were outstanding and certainly improved on our 2019 cruise on Quest.
What a treat . Your video is so informative. I m planning my partner birthday next year and now i know what to look out for
Very informative. Thank You
So much work went into this video. Great job, very informative.
You’re so informative!!! Thank you 😊
Ty for a wonderful review. Im starting to cruise again after COVID. Ive learned so much from your presentations. I hate doing research but it is invaluable and really teaches me so much.
Very useful, great video
Thank you Gary
This video is so helpful! Thank you!
Love this man so much. He explains things in detail and it helps a first timer, solo person…
Hi how are you doing?
Thank you very much for this video. I've only cruised once (for a wedding). This video helps me decide which cruise line to consider next.
I’m so glad you recommended Holland America. I went a 7 day cruise. The absolute best service.
I'm a travel agent and had a fellow agent suggest listening to your videos in a Facebook group. The responses were mostly people who already follow you. I'm glad I got to here as this is great information for travelers and their agents. Thank you for your informative video.
I see a lot of misleading info, pointless generalizations here. Poor are the cruisers if they base their choices solely on this collection of banalities. As a travel agent, you must be the first person to explain your clients that the right measurement tool for cruising experience is the ship, never a cruise line.
We went on Holland American in April, loved it. We're doing a Christmas cruise with them! We bought the laundry package & will do it again!
I had my first ever cruise last week on the new disney wish. I am addicted to cruises now. The entertainment, the staff, the cleanliness, the FOOD! It was all so overwhelming and plus i got the verandah room which was gorgeous. I had access to food anytime of day and it was all day. The couples who were at our dining table ate with us every night and we were so alike that we kicked it off right away and made great friends. I don’t know what cruise to go on next
A very helpful overview of the different classes of cruise lines and possible choices within those classes.
I really like the way you ranked the ship lines. This was a question I’ve had for some time. I would rank the lines as you did.
My husband and I are avid cruisers ( 50 + ) and agree with you for the most part. The only thing that brings NCL down a notch for us is the shallow, small swimming pools. Not big enough for the ship size. Perfect example is the Epic. This is a big factor for us and keeps us going back to Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess. We also like to do Celebrity when we want a quieter experience. Thank you for your excellent videos!
We just got off an 18 day Hawaii cruise on Holland America. Loved everything about our ship, the Koningsdam and all of the crew was fantastic
A brilliant critique Gary. Will help with choices this year. Hope to see you at IMM!
Very informative, enjoyed!
Hi how are you doing?
We’ve done 2 Oceania cruises and are so glad we discovered them! Wonderful service and great dining. I like to be able to chill. I don’t know if I could handle a huge mega ship.
What a truly comprehensive video, done in your articulate and informative style.
Thank you kindly!
100% with you about NCL. Love them.
Hi Mr. Gary. We love NCL. We had cruised Carnival (Triumph) in 1999, we were in our 40s, had a son in 2001. We then cruised with NCL Feb. 2020 (just before Covid got crazy) on the NCL Dawn and loved her. We then did an Alaska cruise on the NCL Encore in Sep. 2022 and are now booked on the NCL Joy through Panama in Jan. 2023. We are now in our 60s and really love NCLs Freestyle Dining and Free at Sea programs. We were lucky enough to get the Haven on the Encore and Joy.
Having sailed Koningsdam in 2019, I can attest that it's a fantastic ship. I loved music walk, and I thought their approach to entertainment was top notch. However, Celebrity will always be #1 for me!
A very comprehensive video, thank you
You are such a wealth of information! Thank you.
I love that your most recommended cruise lines all come from Norwegian Cruises. They are amazing!
He only recommends them in their lowest of ship classes.
NCL is my favorite so far. We will be sailing on the Norwegian Joy this summer, and I we can't wait!! Sailing out of New York to Norfolk, then 3 days in Bermuda , and then back to New York.
We absolutely love and enjoy Holland America! It meets our needs and such a lovely ambiance.
Always so informative Gary👍🥰❤️
Glad you think so! Thanks
We just got off an NCL ship one week ago. They offered us a last minute upgrade to a Haven suite at a great price and we jumped at it. The Haven dining and bar are outstanding. The one place they fell off IMO is the flights. Two two hour flights took an entire day going down and dropping us off at the airport eight hours before the flight was the first of many problems we encountered coming back. Additionally, I am going on a solo HAL cruise to Alaska in three weeks. Glad to know that all my research seems to be in agreement with Gary.
how can flight problems be the fault of a cruise line.
Regents is absolutely my favorite! They were quick to respond during the pandemic and gave us options regarding future cruise credit vs refund. We did both because we had several cruises booked.
I have been on 8 cruises with them so far and loved every one. I love destination cruising and not the party boats. Having a butler and all the attention to detail makes us feel pampered and well cared for. We have become friends with a couple of our regular butlers and request them when they are on board.
We prefer to take fewer cruises that cost more and have fewer passengers than the mega cruises ships that are “cheaper”. (No we are not rich - we just plan and save!). Our next 2 cruises have already been booked.
many of us would like them if we could afford them. Of course they would be the most popular, but at 4 times the price.
Excellent video as usual Mr. Bembridge. However, having done 14 cruises my worst experiences were on Celebrity and Seabourn. Imagine the latter offered sandwiches on embarkation in Barbados, while Silversea ushered us to a lovely buffet. My personal choices in your categories are Royal Caribbean, Azamara, Oceania ( excellent food! ) and Silversea, 3 cruises with impeccable service.
I sailed as crew as a young man, stewards department. I sailed the SS United States (the Big U) , the SS Independence (the Indy), and the SS Constitution(the Connie). I grew up in a maritime family and my father finished his career running a fleet of universe class tankers for DK Ludwick based out of Bantry Bay and London. I still love traveling by sea and I agree with your assessments, especially on your high end. I have spent time on NCL, Holland, Princess, Silversea, and Seabourn. By far, by a wide margin, my go-to line is Seabourn. Depending on the cruise, the people can be the variable but the crew never is. They have always been upbeat, personable, helpful, and simply nice kids. I have traveled with them to the middle east, the far east, India, Greece, Croatia, the Maldives, Italy, Australia, and NZ. Love this line.
Seabourn rocks
I and several other members of my family went on our first cruise on NCL to Alaska in 2019, and absolutely fell in love with the experience, and NCL as a cruise line. We immediately booked a Caribbean cruise for early last year which was (obviously) unfortunately cancelled. We had already planned the next one beyond that for the Mediterranean in October of this year, and we used our budget for the missed cruise to splurge on the Haven. We're really looking forward to the experience!
We have a Mediterranean cruise (Greece and Italy) in September on NCL Epic in the Haven. Talked about it for 35 years and finally pulled the trigger. Can’t wait!
Very good information. Thank you.
Great video comparing the different class of ships. I think I will have to look at NCL after hearing about their music choices. We mostly cruise with Celebrity and RCC and a few with Princess. We are doing 2 river cruises this summer and fall for the first time, one in Europe and the other a Mississippi.
I'm going on my first cruise at the end of June. Your channel has been immensely helpful.
Great to hear!
MSC is stepping up. I love NCL and HA, but for a more dynamic Medi cruise, I really loved the Orchestra. Not the newest ship, not the best food, but a great experience overall and an amazing itinerary. Cheers!
Great work Gazza!!
I am so impressed with your content! Thank you so much for all the work and effort you put into those videos.
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching
Hi Gary, you're a wealth of information. Thank you for all your tips.
Thanks for watching !!
Hubby and I just returned from a Viking all inclusive expedition ship to Antarctica. It was absolutely amazing. It was all about enrichment and education. Nothing more. Saw whales, seals, penguins, oh my! Got to go onshore. No partying, all adults. It was the best trip I’ve been on in a long time. Best food selections including sushi.
I just returned from a Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Star which is an older ship thus smaller and loved it. It didn’t have the flashy Broadway shows which I would love to see, but it was lovely to have the smaller ship experience. The service was excellent and as a solo cruiser the staff went out of their way to be attentive, and as I also walk with a cane they were absolutely fabulous at ensuring that I had everything that I needed. This was my first ocean cruise as I usually river cruise, NCL’s free style cruising won me over right away and I will definitely be cruising with them again when my destination makes ocean cruising the thing to do.
Hi how are you doing?
Exceptionally good presentation and good tips thank you for sharing
Glad it was helpful!
Love your posts Gary.
I LOVE HAL. Always had great food and great service. The new music walk has been a game changer.
Excelentisimo video, 💯 gracias 🙋🏽♀️
I have gone on a few cruises on Holland America. One to Alaska and one from Hawaii to Sydney. Loved it.
That tease at the end got me. I now need to know what cruise lines to avoid.
Thank you so much for this video. I’ve never been on a cruise. Well, I’ve never really been on vacation other than visiting family, so this is a big deal for me. 😊
I've watched many cruise reviews but you are the best
It may look so if you don’t realize how misleading some info is.
Tried Viking Octantis trip to Antarctica... highly recommend. Excursions, service, food, ... all beyond excellent. Was like having my own personal yacht and crew.
Sounds great!
Recently switched from Carnival to NCL. I’m very excited for our Thanksgiving cruise.
Thank you Gary. We love Windstar small ship cruises with 125-250 passengers.
Sailing to Alaska on Holland America this summer - can’t wait!
Me too.
We sailed Norwegian on a our last cruise and booked a Haven Penthouse Suite. We absolutely loved it. Probably our best cruising experience. NCL is our go to line for service and value. Going to try Oceania next based on your recommendation. Cheers
My Favorite HAL. Music and food, tea a plus.
Just completed a Seabourn cruise. 7 days of cold, miserable rain and the staff made it wonderful.
I just started cruising and chose Norwegian because because of what's mentioned here - the studio stateroom really was great. But also they have been heavy on promos which pushes them further ahead - open bar for only $20/pp/pn service fee, a # of prem. dining meals included, and 50% off airfare on some itins.
Great video!
Great info. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Your insight is always appreciated. We’ve done nearly every line in the two lower tiers. Thay all seem to be about the same with the exception of Carnival. I’m not a big fan but for an inexpensive family trip, they suffice. We did a Viking Rhine cruise last Dec and really enjoyed it. Our Viking ocean comes in Nov. Oceania is next in our list. I wish cruise lines would make it easier to navigate their sites. Something Viking does exceptionally well. Lastly, is there a video for researching and selecting a TA? We’ve always booked our own but based on another of your videos, we may get better service and less headaches through a top notch TA.
I'd love that too. "How to choose the right travel agent for you."
Tell us what we should expect them to be able to do, what to look for as red flags or dealbreakers. How to tell if someone's worth her weight in gold, too.
I found your channel yesterday and it is so strange how cruises have changed since the last time I went. My last cruise was to Alaska in 1994 on the Royal Caribbean 'Nordic Prince', which only carried around 700 passengers. At the time, the 2000 passenger ships were new and looked enormous in port.
To hear a 2000 passenger ship described as the 'premium classic' feel, and not the 'biggest boat in the harbor' is strange.
I’m with you on Seabourn!!!!!
Wonderful!
I’ve been watching your channel for a long time and I’ve never hear you mention Fred Olsen, the first and best cruise line I’ve been on. Small ships, reasonable prices and a wonderful experience.