I am a loyal NCL cruiser and have been on 32 cruises with them. I prefer the free style cruising and to pick when and where I want to eat. Also enjoy the fact there is no formal dress on the ship because I am on vacation!
I’m with you! NCL has been awesome! I’ve been on all the major cruise lines, but NCL reigns supreme with us! We’re sailing on The Prima in December! Keep cruising and enjoy the open seas!
I really wanted to do another NCL cruise but the itineraries just didn't work for us. The newer ships weren't stationed in the US (Viva and Breakaway class) and they were going to ports we already have been to (Bermuda and the Bahamas). Hopefully, when we decided to cruise again maybe NCL will have something for us.
I won a cruise on Royal Caribbean, from the company I worked for! It was definitely top drawer cruising! The food was great, the entertainment was awesome! Rooms were lovely! Roomed with my friend as I did not win two trips one for me and one for my husband, oh well! He stayed home to babysit our young toddler son!
Having 2 Princess Cruises completed I can honestly say the Food was fantastic, the Service Excellent and the Cabin stewards went above and beyond every day.
I have to agree with Ben. Royal Caribbean’s “Oasis of the Seas” was my very first cruise as a single cruiser, and I found it to be an absolutely perfect beginner cruise experience. I’m a little surprised to hear that many people find their included food to be mediocre. I remember being blown away at how good the included food was. Gained 8 lbs that week. Princess’s food was horrifying on an Alaska voyage I took with them, but they redeemed themselves when I sailed on the Discovery Princess to Mexico last November. The food was phenomenal. As a solo cruiser, NCL is probably my most favorite. The solo cabins cost less, and are clustered into their own neighborhood within the ship - even having their own private lounge and activities director. I found the “Free at Sea” program to be an exceptional value, as it afforded me two specialty dining restaurants included in my fare.
I have only cruised with RC and MSC. I took Mariner of the Seas with RC and have cruised 3 times on Meraviglia with MSC. Just by the number of cruises, alone, you could figure that I enjoy MSC much more. I think the primary reason would be that I only travel solo. Even Mariner, being a smaller class ship, I felt like I got swallowed up behind all the crowds of people. Plus, when I cruised, it was much more of a party-like atmosphere which isn't my scene at all. Also, I suppose it could be said for most cruise lines, but it felt like they just nickel and dime-d me to death. So, the cons I found on RC, for me, are turned into pros with MSC. Much more relaxed atmosphere, older crowd, purchasing packages are made much simpler, much more relaxed private island and I actually enjoy the food offerings. Plus, if you are a solo traveler, they don't add as much of a supplemental charge like other cruise lines. I apologize for getting too long-winded. However, I have to disagree about the level of service on MSC. I have had nothing but top-notch service every time I've cruised with them.
I've been on the Mariner too, to be fair to RC it was the worst vessel I've been on with them. Small ship, lots of people but almost nothing to do compared to the rest of the RC ship line-up!! And I've been on about 5 RC cruises. So, might be worth a try on a bigger boat in the future. Thanks for the feedback, David!
I’ve done over 25 cruises on Royal, Carnival and Norwegian. I find Royal to be the best for me and my family. I agree that longer cruises on Royal feel very different then weekend cruises. Norwegian has to much additional charges on board that I didn’t not like that.
Excellent video, Ben, and nicely produced. A "Part 2" would be great for Cunard, Disney, and Celebrity. As a seasoned cruiser, I would like to see and hear about these and other cruise lines.
Add in Viking, Oceania, and Azamara perhaps. Probably not the really luxury lines like Regent or Silver Seas, but some of the differences between the more upscale lines would be of interest to people. One of your captains, Maria S
I only went on MSC out of Miami last August, 2023. Had a nice time. Went in pool with steps early in , not too crowded. Buffet had people just going in front of you to get food - it needs lines. We ate in specialty restaurants 4 nites - they were fine . There should be at least 1 area to get food besides dining room or buffet & may help. I'm not getting in lines on a cruise. Hoping Brooklyn getting on/off ship is OK later this year & not like what is on internet. MSC ships are beautiful. I want to like them because Miami ship was a positive thing mostly.
Great tips - I think choosing the ‘right line’ is SO important for cruisers - so many people I meet take one cruise then decide they don’t like cruises, but the reality is they just chose the wrong company to cruise with 🤦🏻♂️
Meet many who travel on 1 cruise line mostly from Florida. It’s all about building their perks and getting to higher Club. Drinking is biggest draw on Norwegian and Carnival , many don’t care where ship goes and sail to similar ports over and over. If there is a airfare they never sail from any ports that requires a plane
As a single (in a small balcony room) I've been on 3 NCL cruises. I highly recommend the Hawaii cruise, not just for the scenery, but the entertainment and other activities on board were excellent. Great onshore trips as well.
Princess is my favorite cruise line by far, BUT I wish they had a big glassed-in solarium like royal Carribean. On an RC cruise we passed thru a BIG nor’easter and we were in the solarium with pool, hot tubs, restaurant and bar, ignoring the big storm outside, in spite of the heaving and rolling which didn’t bother me. I was playing a dice game with 7 other passengers. 😊
If you take Royal Caribbean, take an empty water bottle with you…they don’t provide drinking water in your cabin anymore or you’ll buy the drink package.
The best ship is the one I'm on! It's all about what you want. People hate on Carnival but I find their new ships to be amazing! I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Celebrity 😊
Ben, you are soooo good at this. I appreciate so much your organization and professionalism. Great information. I would love to see you cover Holland America as well. ❤
This is the video I needed! Thank you!! I’ve been on two cruises, both on Royal Caribbean. And for my upcoming honeymoon we’ve decided to go on Princess Cruises because of the itinerary. I’ve been trying to compare them and this is amazing!
We LOVE Princess and have sailed 18 times on them. One thing we find different from Ben and David is that Princess is very relaxed. We used to dress up on formal night but as we aged we don't anymore and it is perfectly acceptable. Enjoy the experience. We have never had a bad one!
We always loved Princess, but we seriously want to try Virgin. We are childfree and that sounds so appealing and we are both foodies! Thank you for all your videos on VV because we heard mixed opinions but your latest reviews on them has really pushed me to try them in 2024. This year we are doing RCL but that is due to being with a group. Im just not impressed with RCL maybe because I started with Princess 20 years ago lol
Taking a cruise is my ultimate vacation, unpack once, no worrying about food, clean room and visiting places, day and nightly entertainments..need I say more?
We have been on about 50 cruises. Our favorite is NCL. We like the entertainment, freestyle dining, no formal wear (we’re on vacation, not at work), and price. Our least favorite was Royal (you had nowhere to eat between 3 and 5:30pm, cabin was so horrible, pressure by staff to give them a “10”, ship was dirty, never again. Princess was nice, no complaints except I got food poisoning from the food. Carnival was fine, a bit more of a drinking crowd than we like, but otherwise good. Fun activities. Holland America was good, but passengers were a bit too old for us and the entertainment was so bad that we ended up either in our cabin or doing jigsaw puzzles in the library as we were so bored, but staff was fine and food. We like the NCL itineraries. Celebrity prices seem to be too high for us. We get a good deal on NCL so we can afford more cruises
We are also loyal NCL cruisers and have been on 32 voyages with them. Going on the NCL Pearl at the end of August to New England and Canada! We prefer the free style cruising and to pick when we want to eat and no formal clothing. Generally, my husband will wear pants and polo shirt, and I will wear a dress or nice pants for dinner but NO SUITS or LONG DRESSES!
I've never been on NCL, Only Carnival and Royal. But from what I've heard it's base prices are very expensive, but you get more stuff with the package deals so it's supposed round out to be cheaper than a Royal Caribbean, as Royal offers cheaper packages, with overall less perks in them. I'm looking at going cruising on a 14 day transatlantic NCL Encore ship, so any info would be much appreciated.
@@j.a.hernandez9742 I don’t find it’s base prices to be too expensive. If you get their deals on cruises within 6 months, it can be very inexpensive. We went on 2 cruises with them under $200 for a week cruise. We get the inside cabin. They tend to be port intensive. And their gratuities have gone up a lot. But they do a nice job with their cruises
First cruise was to Alaka with Royal Caribbean. Too many people, too many art auctions, too many unsupervised children and the stops were mainly for passengers to buy jewelry at cruise line owned jewelry stores. It just wasn't for me. Next was a Christmas market cruise down the Danube with Viking. Loved everything about it, but of course I am older and childfree so it worked for me. There is something for everyone in the cruise arena...you just have to find it.
I've never been on a cruise. I've been wanting to try one of the Viking River cruises and didn't know they had a Christmas market cruise..that sounds totally up my alley. I love European Christmas markets.. Thanks for the idea I'm going to look into it!
Very concisely put, unbiased and accurate. I have done 3 cruises of which PRINCESS was the best of the Trio, the service, quality, exactly as described.....I love the large Cinema screen which is now a must for me....Virgin, I need to try, I am loving the food quality as a constant .....Well done, great summary!
I do appreciate this review video. I had a terrible experience on my first and last cruise. I did Carnival 10 years ago and never went on another cruise, but after watching this, I see greater options. It's Princess, Virgin or Norwegian. I'm leaning toward Virgin as a solo cruiser.
We took our first cruise ever on Virgin in August. We enjoyed it thoroughly. Everyone we spoke with on the cruise that had taken other cruises said that the Virgin cruise was the best. Food, the service, no kids...I strongly recommend you take the Virgin cruise. Our next one will be with Norwegian. They were recommended by a friend.
Wow!! This packed so much fabulous information into a well-condensed video! Perfect length so no apologies necessary. I really did find this quite helpful so thank you for the time and effort you put into the production.
First off - WOW what a nice review. Even that my wife and I have done +30 cruises with or without kids, you really hit a homerun here. So much good and solid info. Always being objectiv and sincere. We have mostly done RCCL, but I'm setting and thinking that there is plenty of options out there. Just needed a reminder of all the good stuff every cruise line actually have, if you like to have fun 🙂
MSc is my favorite cruise the staff is very helpful towards everyone needs the music and the food is very good would definitely recommend to everyone 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
I have cruised MSC four times and have another booked in a month. Obviously I disagree with your view but all folks have different experiences. One thing we all should remember as we watch reviews. I don’t know how long ago you sailed with them but the entertainment and dining have really been focused on in the last year. All staff I have encountered are friendly but I do feel they are understaffed. The worst thing about MSC is their on land operations and dealing with customer service. Very hit and miss and easier just to get an agent to handle all. Bonus: very reasonable.
With RCL, you can ask for two appetizers , two entrees, more desserts as long as your stomach can hold them during dinners. And their buffet..you will be bufFAT once your cruise is over.
I recently returned from a week-long cruise in RC and have cruised with them for many years. I absolutely think that they have the whole package as a cruise line (lots of activities for multi-generational families, entertainment, service, excursions, activities, wide selection of cabins, etc). I agree with you, however, that the only down side was the food which did not 'wow' me this me. I did feel it was mediocre (and I expected more) but hopefully they can improve on that. Great video and very informative by the way.
❤ I have cruised on Carnival, Princess and Celebrity. We really love Princess cruise ships and I just ordered a t-shirt. I have enjoyed cruising on different ships. I love all of your videos 💕 ( Princess cruise ships are our choice)
Excellent video. I’d like to say, though, that on Princess, although they do have their formal nights, we have never encountered a problem for not dressing up. We’ve cruised our longer cruises exclusively on Princess, and there has never been any pressure to dress up :) Also, during school holidays, if they coincide with university Spring Break, even Princess ships can seem like a Carnival party ship (without the waterpark and rollercoaster). Thanks for all the great content you give us.
We are on three Virgin Voyages cruises Feb/March, 5 Celebrity over new years break. And tons of Royal prior to that. I think Celebrity is similar to princess but beats it in all categories, especially the Edge Class shows and food. Virgin is fun and trendy delicious but the shows are wonky, app stinks and its hard to get your bearings if you are 40+. Agree guys that royal oasis class or quantum class are the must try cruises for newbies to see what cruising can be. Great video as always. We have been in the carribean crusing so long and still haven't bumped into you!
We've cruised on NCL, Carnival, RCCL and Holland America. We had a good time on every one of them. We would love to go on Princess sometime, as well as a transatlantic cruise. I enjoyed your video.
Loyal to Royal Caribbean! The food , the buffet , the specialty restaurants , entertainment, my privacy in our bedroom . The activities are fantastic for all ages even my shore excursions and activities on and outside the cruise ship, etc. we Pure Love traveling as a couple and also with the family. Very relaxing for vacations.
Cruise newbie here and just wanted to say that this was an incredibly filmed, edited, and informative video. It helped me narrow down which cruise line I wanted to go with between 2 different cruise lines I was considering.
I’ve got 2 cruises this year! Celebrity Beyond for 11 nights and then MSC Seascape for 7 nights over Christmas! I’m so excited I really do love cruises the easiest most value filled holiday and no packing and unpacking a billion times haha 😊
I cruise on RCCL back in 2000 it was my first cruise on Royal and I did not like it. The food was ok but the atmosphere was dead. I have not cruise with them since. I am thinking of giving them another chance since that was a good twenty years ago it may have improved but I don't know with all the talk about them nickel and diming you and surveying to see how people feel about paying for a slice of pizza, (no way on that). I will wait to see how that goes.
I just booked Maraviglia for April of this year. We have booked the Yacht Club. So we are looking forward to see the difference in area's and service compared to NCL Haven.
We like Viking that sails on the ocean for their nightly shows..not their river sails which kind of boring after dinner, no shows, but overall, we like the ships and the service.
I found your channel through these types of videos during 2020. Not going to lie, I’ve missed them. Vlogs are great but I really appreciated how you presented these more informative videos and broke everything down. I’m happy to see there’s a channel dedicated to them!
My wife and I love Princess Cruise Lines the most They have a lot of specialty restaurants which are free to all passengers on the ship! They offer some of best routes and the service is the highest as we have been on Carnival, Holland America, NCL, and Princess Cruise Lines many times as a few of the smaller lines too. We recommend Princess to everyone we meet!
Princess cruise gave us a free dinner to their specialty restaurant..which is marvelous. Unlike Royal Caribbean , they don’t give appreciation gifts to their loyal customers.
Loved the video! Missed a few others (Disney, Celebrity, etc). Would be very interesting to see a comparison of cruise fare vs what costs extra to see what REALLY is a good "value"...
I watched a J&J video yesterday that addressed this. But even within a given line, you can often find some great deals if you keep shopping around. For instance, we did the WBTA on Valiant Lady in a "Sea Terrace" (balcony" for under $100 pp per night! That included wifi, sodas, and gratuities and almost all food on board, including what would be "specialty" dining on other ships. Most of their cruise run about twice that amount. My opinion on Disney (30 cruises with them) Nicest cabins we've had based on size, storage, and construction. The big beds do not split (they did years ago but were replaced with the current model). Best entertainment overall (adult oriented after 9pm), although the Fantasy had a couple of shows that were basically ads for Disney parks and were rather duds. The food quality has gone up and down several times thru the years. Different ships have different themes and shows. Older ships are in great condition but don't have the IT of the newer ones. Negative--expect it to be over-run with kids (and we try to sail when school is in session!) and the 10% of parents who think their responsibility ends when they set foot on the ship will be a problem. Another negative--cost. Those kid programs are expensive to run and if you are cruising as 2 adults, you are underwriting those programs! Celebrity--good food, classy line. Entertainment good (we've seen some of the same variety acts on Disney and Celebrity!) I haven't been on their newest ships, but I was happy with the older ones. You can get good bargains with Celebrity if you keep looking.
Your intro nailed it--there is no perfect cruise line, but there is a "right cruise line/ship for you." 50 cruises, 6 lines experience...and the right line for us has varied based on lots of factors--age in family, activity level, ports, time frame, length, etc. We find Princess to be "beige." Totally OK, but nothing special, and the color scheme is all beige. Great itineraries. We were in a 3 person suite on 3 trips and the third bed was awful! The cruise perks were nice. Almost every line now has some version of the "medallion" and "app," regardless of what they call it. Virgin is our "new favorite" line--great food, great pricing concept, NO KIDS, and very casual. Dress up for dinner if you want, or go in jeans and t-shirt. If you want formal night, this isn't it. The passengers are not what we originally thought--average age is 47 and 50% were married couples during the first year. It is a great line if you don't want to be told what to do or when to do it. There is a lot of "tongue in cheek" references, but very little is "too much," even for this elderly, somewhat conservative person. Super friendly crew--they get lots of perks that crew don't get on other lines and they are very happy!
So much information. Thanks for putting this out. To be honest, I hadn't looked at Virgin cruises as an option just because there are so many other cruise lines out there, and I didn't know if they would be for me. After your video, I've been looking through their site, and am going to be keeping my eye on them as well. Any chance you will make another to compare Holland America, Celebrity, Silversea, and Azamara? Thanks for doing what you do! Happy Travels!
I went on a lot of carnival cruises, well in my opinion the food was far more delicious than on MSC, the crew more friendly and a far better atmosphere. Always something to do, no reservations needed, Ok the ships are older but I don't mind, I prefer to be on a ship instead of the modern big cities on water with way to many people 😅
Maybe me and my family are too insensitive, but we certainly love GOOD food…both my parents cook fabulously, I cook very decently as well. My parents don’t even go to restaurants that often, because they’re mostly annoyed by the lack of quality and taste. We NEVER found the food on MSC bad, not even close… there are some dishes, that were a bit bland, but those were mostly vegetarian options or appetizers…the entrées and deserts were always FABULOUS….yet not in an American way, that’s for sure… the food is very southern european, and by that I don’t mean the cuisine, but the seasoning, the portion sizes and the sweetness and stuff like that…I think the food is always seasoned very well…for instance there os an orange duck meal, or a veal dish with some kind of brown sauce, and if you eat it, you understand it…it just harmonizes perfectly…I think they do a really good job in the kitchen at MSC…sometimes the presentation is poor….the Buffet is a different story, and they could definitely do much better…but MSC is a main dining room cruise line…at least in my opinion…and I‘m also the type of person, who likes to dress up every night, at least decently (nice shirt, long pants and nice shoes, maybe a jacket), sit down and get served, after all I‘m on vacation on an absolutely beautiful vessel…I don’t want fight people in the buffet and wrestle for a free table at the overcrowded buffet. I also NEVER experienced bad service from the staff…Sometimes them being stressed out and having a lot to do, and maybe forgetting to smile, or to come every 5 minutes back to ask if everything is okay? Yes for sure, but NEVER rude or unfriendly, on the contrary…they are almost always super nice even to people, who are very rude…. I love MSC and honestly, they are so much cheaper most of the time, and I‘m always having such a good time, that I always find it hard to even consider a different cruise line…Buuuuuut this is just me😂 Everybody is different😊 I just had to say this, because I love MSC so much
We prefer. Celebrity but Royal C. an is our second choice. Love your very fair video. Some critics other than you seem to be afraid to say anything negative so you really can’t judge which is best for you. Kudos!
Really enjoyed this and found it very informative. I haven't cruised in 30 years, and am getting ready to start again. You covered so many of the lines I have been researching, and your take on Virgin Cruises was so informative and different from others I have heard. I am sorry, though, you didn't throw Celebrity into the mix. My upcoming cruises, only one finalized, are Celebrity, NCL and MSC. I am probably going to drop MSC based on the fact you confirmed some of my concerns. I would love to hear from you and others, though, about how they feel Celebrity (especially the Beyond) fall into this mix. Thanks.
@@idontwanttoparticipateplea212 It was awesome! We have been on another (Celebrity Edge) since and have booked again on Quantum Feb 2025 and Voyager Feb 2026! 🙂
I have never been on a cruise before but I am looking for my first cruise next year. Looking around I think NCL ticks my boxes. A blend between cost and activities/destinations seems really good plus I am looking at a Euro cruise for our first go out. I don't fancy going all the way to the US and not enjoy it.
Good choice ,just came back from the Bermuda 7 days ,had so much fun ,great restaurants fantastic shows and the fir is to die for .You will not regret NCL cruises ,everyone was respectful and kind to each others !!
Love both your channels! Would love to see a comparison specific to what’s best for Alaska! We’ve only cruised Disney & the Caribbean and I’m overwhelmed in which line to pick for Alaska.
Only cruised once so far, obviously Marella are super budget because not many mention them at all, we found them great perhaps we are easy to please plus we appreciated the all inclusive package!! Looking forward to our next one, will see who with later in the year. Thank you for your information 😁👍
Recently took Wonder of The Seas. Problem ? It doesn’t have the nightly broadway shows RCL was known for. Just some repetitive exhibitions. But we like the Central Park..it felt like we were not on the ocean.
We recently returned from our first cruise with Fred Olsen. There were positive experiences during our time on board the Balmorral on the Fjords holiday, including the onshore excursions to the stunning Norwegian scenery, the good choice of on board food and dining, and the high standard of housekeeping in our room by our cabin stewardess. Unfortunately there were many negative experiences for us including; waiting 2 hours for our luggage to be delivered to our room, waiting up to 25 minutes for a drink in various bar areas around the ship, the overall amateur standard of entertainment (namely the live music and shows), dull on-board activities and talks, a charge for drinks room service (we took our own drinks to our room), and a feeling that despite paying a premium for our cruise package (deck 10 suite with balcony), we did not have a premium holiday experience.
Great recommendations. We just did our first cruise on royal Caribbean. Your insights on family cruising are spot on. We enjoyed it and it was a good environment for our daughter.
As a NCL cruiser i can confirm that some stuff can be canceled but its not really worth taking it into to matter when your booking a show or activity ect.
This was informative. I still don't know which to choose as a single person who has traveled the world. I'm currently considering Oceania, Silversea, Norwegian and Viking.
A very useful video. Whilst echoing some other comments about the range of cruise lines covered, you got MSC spot on IMHO. Having just done MSC Virtuosa (pretty good) and MSC World Europa (Not so much). My next cruise is with Princess, and from what you say, we have chosen wisely for our particular needs.
My favorite cruise line is one you didn't mention. Celebrity. They are like RC that went to finishing school. Superb service, amazing food, turn down service, and great drinks.
I know someone who booked a Virgin Cruise and went all on their own. A paramedic who had a bad time during the pandemic booked this and was worried going alone would be so, so awkward. It wasn't! He had a great time, just relaxing, jogging and exercising, taking the fresh air, enjoying the Bahamas and Cozumel. I honestly, was surprised. It seems like these Virgin cruises would be okay if you just want to go on your own to relax.
hi Ben, i was really suprised to find this channel, but this video came up in my suggested videos. is this a new channel for you? or an old one? sorry im really confused. I have of course subscribed to this channel though :)
Ben awesome video I primarily sail Carnival but am a bit intrigued with MSC especially that they offer a loyalty match. Not planning on doing them til we hit Platinum with CCL so maybe sometime next year might try them out especially since they are opening up a port in Galveston which is our primary cruise port. Also hopefully by then they will adjust their dinning menu to a more western friendly one. I mean I'm all for the Mediterranean type foods and such but a mix of American/ Western entree's and more hot not cold foods would make it more appealing to me.
I have to disagree with you regarding some of your remarks regarding MSC. I was on the MSC Virtuosa back in November and absolutely loved it. All the staff were so pleasant. The entertainment was brilliant - the paid shows I would strongly recommend. Food was fab - you might find that they do a lot of Italian food as it’s an Italian company. Bearing in mind that on our cruise not only did we have people embark and disembark in the UK, but in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France. So it is important and fair that announcements are made in several languages
Thank you for your information, it was very informative! I have cruised on carnival, which I did not care for, and I have cruised on Norwegian in the Haven section, which I absolutely loved! You are away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the ship unless you want to do that, and I really appreciated having a personal Butler who would bring trays of sweets cakes in the afternoon. I would recommend that anyone. With the personal dining area and bar. So I appreciate all of your information about all the cruises! Thank you. 26:04
New subscriber here and I truly enjoyed this video. I was a bit surprised Disney was not an option as it is loved by family’s and adults too. Thank you for sharing. This was a tremendous help to me moving forward
You guys need to try Holland America, especially for an Alaska cruise. Go on one of the pinnacle class ships. You’ll love the entertainment focusing on music. Food was very good and the service was impeccable.
Went on Carnival Celebration by myself on its inaugural cruise from South Hampton, UK in November 2022 and I love it . Looking forward to another cruise.😊
The one to AVOID is Norwegian cruise line. They keep deposits and have over 1000 complaints against them! I currently have the BBB and states attorney general after them for refusing to return my 250 deposit!
Thank you for this video! It wasn't long at all, I loved the dissection of pros and cons, plus the recommendations for what demographic would most enjoy each cruise line. I will definitely heed your suggestion to start my cruising journey on a royal carribean. Once again thanks, you earned yourself a new subscriber :)
One con of RC is customer service. They treat you like should be grateful for sailing with them. We went on the Adventure of the Seas and each time we asked for help, whether it was an issue with our room(missing blankets for sofabed) or billing issues (guest services) we were treated like we were bothering them. The food quality is so so and if you sail an older ship, you have a totally different experience than anyone who sails their oasis or quantum class ships. None of the extra restaurants exist on the older ships, little or no water slides, and less amenities. We had a problem with my daughter's suitcase with the handle missing when we disembarked and when we brought it up to the port representative, we were literally interrogated about whether or not it was broken after we left the ship, how do we know they did it, and why didn't we report it before we went through customs. Once we asked for a manager we were asked to fill out a claim form and we were called back, we were again interrogated about the suitcase and had to prove that royal damaged it. So after 3 months, royal finally sent us a check for $50 to get a new suitcase for our daughter. This was a July 2019 sailing. So, we decided to try again and again we treated like they are doing us a favor for letting us contact them about planning a group cruise. We called and got information about setting up a group and the available cabins only to call back when were ready to pay, to have another rep complain about the prior rep not knowing what they were doing. No other line we have used(carnival, Disney or NCL) has ever treated us like this. So, we decided to go with carnival just because of the customer service problems alone. Maybe coco key or the oasis or quantum class ships are worth this treatment but we'll likely never know because they are terrible with how they treat customers.
We did a taster cruise on Royal Caribbean. We had missed out on a Christmas cruise to France due to heavy snow on the day we were due to travel and we found a two day cruise to France on the Independence a couple of months later. It was great and we would love to sail with them again. We did have a cruise booked with Princess but it was cancelled during the pandemic. We are sailing with MSC for the third time in the Spring but our favourite lines are Cunard and P&O. As older cruisers Virgin does not hold any appeal for us.
suprisingly as a very mature traveller I, loved Virgin Voyages. The food option was mindboggling. Cabins , loved the option to split the beds and enjoy space created,
I would love to see a mini series that you guys do where you rate a cruise line each episode and then the you have a running scoreboard that you show at the end.
Thank you very much for such an informative narration of all the different cruise lines. I learned so much from your video, and I have watched hundreds of cruise line videos and yours is by far the best. Great job!!!
Thank you for your always excellent content. I love your videos. I would never have thought of taking a Virgin cruise, now I can't wait to book one! This comparison was very helpful.
My family cruised twice in Celebrity and we really love it! We felt like being treated like celebrity, they offered champagne to greet passengers, iced cold towers to people who danced Zumba....
I am a loyal NCL cruiser and have been on 32 cruises with them. I prefer the free style cruising and to pick when and where I want to eat. Also enjoy the fact there is no formal dress on the ship because I am on vacation!
I love NCL so much I’m having my wedding there :)
32!!!! What! Omg I’m beyond jealous lol 😂 always wanted to do a cruise one day
I like NCL but what I don't lke is the stupid reservation system with the shows. If you happen to board late you will be stand by
I’m with you! NCL has been awesome! I’ve been on all the major cruise lines, but NCL reigns supreme with us! We’re sailing on The Prima in December! Keep cruising and enjoy the open seas!
I really wanted to do another NCL cruise but the itineraries just didn't work for us. The newer ships weren't stationed in the US (Viva and Breakaway class) and they were going to ports we already have been to (Bermuda and the Bahamas). Hopefully, when we decided to cruise again maybe NCL will have something for us.
I won a cruise on Royal Caribbean, from the company I worked for! It was definitely top drawer cruising! The food was great, the entertainment was awesome! Rooms were lovely! Roomed with my friend as I did not win two trips one for me and one for my husband, oh well! He stayed home to babysit our young toddler son!
Having 2 Princess Cruises completed I can honestly say the Food was fantastic, the Service Excellent and the Cabin stewards went above and beyond every day.
I went on one a month ago and the medallions were cool and the food was good.
I have to agree with Ben. Royal Caribbean’s “Oasis of the Seas” was my very first cruise as a single cruiser, and I found it to be an absolutely perfect beginner cruise experience. I’m a little surprised to hear that many people find their included food to be mediocre. I remember being blown away at how good the included food was. Gained 8 lbs that week.
Princess’s food was horrifying on an Alaska voyage I took with them, but they redeemed themselves when I sailed on the Discovery Princess to Mexico last November. The food was phenomenal. As a solo cruiser, NCL is probably my most favorite. The solo cabins cost less, and are clustered into their own neighborhood within the ship - even having their own private lounge and activities director. I found the “Free at Sea” program to be an exceptional value, as it afforded me two specialty dining restaurants included in my fare.
Helpful Dustin. How old are you? Do you like big entertainment shows?
@@noname-JS I’m in my late 40’s. Big shows are certainly exciting. I’m just not into packing in with hundreds of other people to sit and watch a show.
Our family went on our very first cruise oasis of the sea last 2015 and had a blast. We had so much fun and we kept cruising yearly only Royal.
i love NORWEGIAN ✅✅✅✅
Yes, love the studio cabins..
Celebrity is great for couples! Apex was luxury hotel at sea!
Could not agree more, just did a 12 day cruise on this amazing ship.
One of the best Cruise Line
I have only cruised with RC and MSC. I took Mariner of the Seas with RC and have cruised 3 times on Meraviglia with MSC. Just by the number of cruises, alone, you could figure that I enjoy MSC much more. I think the primary reason would be that I only travel solo. Even Mariner, being a smaller class ship, I felt like I got swallowed up behind all the crowds of people. Plus, when I cruised, it was much more of a party-like atmosphere which isn't my scene at all. Also, I suppose it could be said for most cruise lines, but it felt like they just nickel and dime-d me to death. So, the cons I found on RC, for me, are turned into pros with MSC. Much more relaxed atmosphere, older crowd, purchasing packages are made much simpler, much more relaxed private island and I actually enjoy the food offerings. Plus, if you are a solo traveler, they don't add as much of a supplemental charge like other cruise lines. I apologize for getting too long-winded. However, I have to disagree about the level of service on MSC. I have had nothing but top-notch service every time I've cruised with them.
First time cruising on MSC I’m excited thanks
I've been on the Mariner too, to be fair to RC it was the worst vessel I've been on with them. Small ship, lots of people but almost nothing to do compared to the rest of the RC ship line-up!! And I've been on about 5 RC cruises. So, might be worth a try on a bigger boat in the future. Thanks for the feedback, David!
How was the food, I was looking at MSC but kept reading mixed reviews on service and food?
I’ve done over 25 cruises on Royal, Carnival and Norwegian. I find Royal to be the best for me and my family. I agree that longer cruises on Royal feel very different then weekend cruises. Norwegian has to much additional charges on board that I didn’t not like that.
Excellent video, Ben, and nicely produced. A "Part 2" would be great for Cunard, Disney, and Celebrity. As a seasoned cruiser, I would like to see and hear about these and other cruise lines.
Add in Viking, Oceania, and Azamara perhaps. Probably not the really luxury lines like Regent or Silver Seas, but some of the differences between the more upscale lines would be of interest to people.
One of your captains, Maria S
Yeah, cunard is great and celebrity was missing. 🙂
Yes.P&O, Marella, Costa, Fred Olsen and several others would sit nicely in a pt 2 or 3?
Holland America!
@@pinesseniorlivingcommunity5883, You're Right! Forgot them. We're taking our first HAL cruise in April 2024. (DCL CC Platinum)
I only went on MSC out of Miami last August, 2023. Had a nice time. Went in pool with steps early in , not too crowded. Buffet had people just going in front of you to get food - it needs lines. We ate in specialty restaurants 4 nites - they were fine . There should be at least 1 area to get food besides dining room or buffet & may help. I'm not getting in lines on a cruise. Hoping Brooklyn getting on/off ship is OK later this year & not like what is on internet. MSC ships are beautiful. I want to like them because Miami ship was a positive thing mostly.
Great tips - I think choosing the ‘right line’ is SO important for cruisers - so many people I meet take one cruise then decide they don’t like cruises, but the reality is they just chose the wrong company to cruise with 🤦🏻♂️
Not necessarily the wrong company, though, maybe the wrong ship or wrong time of year.
Meet many who travel on 1 cruise line mostly from Florida. It’s all about building their perks and getting to higher Club. Drinking is biggest draw on Norwegian and Carnival , many don’t care where ship goes and sail to similar ports over and over. If there is a airfare they never sail from any ports that requires a plane
As a single (in a small balcony room) I've been on 3 NCL cruises. I highly recommend the Hawaii cruise, not just for the scenery, but the entertainment and other activities on board were excellent. Great onshore trips as well.
Princess is my favorite cruise line by far, BUT I wish they had a big glassed-in solarium like royal Carribean. On an RC cruise we passed thru a BIG nor’easter and we were in the solarium with pool, hot tubs, restaurant and bar, ignoring the big storm outside, in spite of the heaving and rolling which didn’t bother me. I was playing a dice game with 7 other passengers. 😊
If you take Royal Caribbean, take an empty water bottle with you…they don’t provide drinking water in your cabin anymore or you’ll buy the drink package.
does royal Caribbean have night clubs?
The best ship is the one I'm on! It's all about what you want. People hate on Carnival but I find their new ships to be amazing! I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Celebrity 😊
Best big ship cruise line hands down
Ben, you are soooo good at this. I appreciate so much your organization and professionalism. Great information. I would love to see you cover Holland America as well. ❤
This is the video I needed! Thank you!! I’ve been on two cruises, both on Royal Caribbean. And for my upcoming honeymoon we’ve decided to go on Princess Cruises because of the itinerary. I’ve been trying to compare them and this is amazing!
Happy it is helpful Courtney!
We LOVE Princess and have sailed 18 times on them. One thing we find different from Ben and David is that Princess is very relaxed. We used to dress up on formal night but as we aged we don't anymore and it is perfectly acceptable. Enjoy the experience. We have never had a bad one!
We always loved Princess, but we seriously want to try Virgin. We are childfree and that sounds so appealing and we are both foodies! Thank you for all your videos on VV because we heard mixed opinions but your latest reviews on them has really pushed me to try them in 2024. This year we are doing RCL but that is due to being with a group. Im just not impressed with RCL maybe because I started with Princess 20 years ago lol
Tried royal for the first time this year on navigator of the seas. Fucking loved it -coming from a 25 year old
Taking a cruise is my ultimate vacation, unpack once, no worrying about food, clean room and visiting places, day and nightly entertainments..need I say more?
We have been on about 50 cruises. Our favorite is NCL. We like the entertainment, freestyle dining, no formal wear (we’re on vacation, not at work), and price. Our least favorite was Royal (you had nowhere to eat between 3 and 5:30pm, cabin was so horrible, pressure by staff to give them a “10”, ship was dirty, never again. Princess was nice, no complaints except I got food poisoning from the food. Carnival was fine, a bit more of a drinking crowd than we like, but otherwise good. Fun activities. Holland America was good, but passengers were a bit too old for us and the entertainment was so bad that we ended up either in our cabin or doing jigsaw puzzles in the library as we were so bored, but staff was fine and food. We like the NCL itineraries. Celebrity prices seem to be too high for us. We get a good deal on NCL so we can afford more cruises
We are also loyal NCL cruisers and have been on 32 voyages with them. Going on the NCL Pearl at the end of August to New England and Canada! We prefer the free style cruising and to pick when we want to eat and no formal clothing. Generally, my husband will wear pants and polo shirt, and I will wear a dress or nice pants for dinner but NO SUITS or LONG DRESSES!
I've never been on NCL, Only Carnival and Royal. But from what I've heard it's base prices are very expensive, but you get more stuff with the package deals so it's supposed round out to be cheaper than a Royal Caribbean, as Royal offers cheaper packages, with overall less perks in them. I'm looking at going cruising on a 14 day transatlantic NCL Encore ship, so any info would be much appreciated.
@@j.a.hernandez9742 I don’t find it’s base prices to be too expensive. If you get their deals on cruises within 6 months, it can be very inexpensive. We went on 2 cruises with them under $200 for a week cruise. We get the inside cabin. They tend to be port intensive. And their gratuities have gone up a lot. But they do a nice job with their cruises
I’ve heard that Crystal cruise was excellent..booked for 2021.. pandemic came.. so sailing was cancelled , and the company went bankrupt.
First cruise was to Alaka with Royal Caribbean. Too many people, too many art auctions, too many unsupervised children and the stops were mainly for passengers to buy jewelry at cruise line owned jewelry stores. It just wasn't for me. Next was a Christmas market cruise down the Danube with Viking. Loved everything about it, but of course I am older and childfree so it worked for me. There is something for everyone in the cruise arena...you just have to find it.
I've never been on a cruise. I've been wanting to try one of the Viking River cruises and didn't know they had a Christmas market cruise..that sounds totally up my alley. I love European Christmas markets.. Thanks for the idea I'm going to look into it!
Very concisely put, unbiased and accurate. I have done 3 cruises of which PRINCESS was the best of the Trio, the service, quality, exactly as described.....I love the large Cinema screen which is now a must for me....Virgin, I need to try, I am loving the food quality as a constant .....Well done, great summary!
I do appreciate this review video. I had a terrible experience on my first and last cruise. I did Carnival 10 years ago and never went on another cruise, but after watching this, I see greater options. It's Princess, Virgin or Norwegian. I'm leaning toward Virgin as a solo cruiser.
We took our first cruise ever on Virgin in August. We enjoyed it thoroughly. Everyone we spoke with on the cruise that had taken other cruises said that the Virgin cruise was the best. Food, the service, no kids...I strongly recommend you take the Virgin cruise. Our next one will be with Norwegian. They were recommended by a friend.
Wow!! This packed so much fabulous information into a well-condensed video! Perfect length so no apologies necessary. I really did find this quite helpful so thank you for the time and effort you put into the production.
How much fare?
I’ve been on Norwegian Cruise Ship shorter name: NCL
I like that Norwegian you get to pick your own food and sit where you want
First off - WOW what a nice review. Even that my wife and I have done +30 cruises with or without kids, you really hit a homerun here. So much good and solid info. Always being objectiv and sincere. We have mostly done RCCL, but I'm setting and thinking that there is plenty of options out there. Just needed a reminder of all the good stuff every cruise line actually have, if you like to have fun 🙂
MSc is my favorite cruise the staff is very helpful towards everyone needs the music and the food is very good would definitely recommend to everyone 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
I have cruised MSC four times and have another booked in a month.
Obviously I disagree with your view but all folks have different experiences. One thing we all should remember as we watch reviews.
I don’t know how long ago you sailed with them but the entertainment and dining have really been focused on in the last year. All staff I have encountered are friendly but I do feel they are understaffed.
The worst thing about MSC is their on land operations and dealing with customer service.
Very hit and miss and easier just to get an agent to handle all. Bonus: very reasonable.
With RCL, you can ask for two appetizers , two entrees, more desserts as long as your stomach can hold them during dinners. And their buffet..you will be bufFAT once your cruise is over.
Royal Caribbean is good so far
i truly apprecate your non-bias opinions on the different cruise lines you do a great job.
I recently returned from a week-long cruise in RC and have cruised with them for many years. I absolutely think that they have the whole package as a cruise line (lots of activities for multi-generational families, entertainment, service, excursions, activities, wide selection of cabins, etc). I agree with you, however, that the only down side was the food which did not 'wow' me this me. I did feel it was mediocre (and I expected more) but hopefully they can improve on that. Great video and very informative by the way.
Recently been with Wonder of the Seas..I like the faucets on the entrance to the dining rooms to wash your hands.
❤ I have cruised on Carnival, Princess and Celebrity. We really love Princess cruise ships and I just ordered a t-shirt. I have enjoyed cruising on different ships. I love all of your videos 💕 ( Princess cruise ships are our choice)
Excellent video. I’d like to say, though, that on Princess, although they do have their formal nights, we have never encountered a problem for not dressing up. We’ve cruised our longer cruises exclusively on Princess, and there has never been any pressure to dress up :)
Also, during school holidays, if they coincide with university Spring Break, even Princess ships can seem like a Carnival party ship (without the waterpark and rollercoaster).
Thanks for all the great content you give us.
Have you ever been on Carnival when it is not during spring break? Not that crazy, either. Lots of stuff to do, but pretty tame, mostly.
I will never cruise again on Carnival. Horrible experience. It’s called Carnival for a reason. The name is quite appropriate.
Salam kenal dari Indonesia
We are on three Virgin Voyages cruises Feb/March, 5 Celebrity over new years break. And tons of Royal prior to that. I think Celebrity is similar to princess but beats it in all categories, especially the Edge Class shows and food. Virgin is fun and trendy delicious but the shows are wonky, app stinks and its hard to get your bearings if you are 40+. Agree guys that royal oasis class or quantum class are the must try cruises for newbies to see what cruising can be. Great video as always. We have been in the carribean crusing so long and still haven't bumped into you!
I’m so glad you made this comparison video. Great info and also very fair and balanced. 😊
We've cruised on NCL, Carnival, RCCL and Holland America. We had a good time on every one of them. We would love to go on Princess sometime, as well as a transatlantic cruise. I enjoyed your video.
Loyal to Royal Caribbean! The food , the buffet , the specialty restaurants , entertainment, my privacy in our bedroom . The activities are fantastic for all ages even my shore excursions and activities on and outside the cruise ship, etc. we Pure Love traveling as a couple and also with the family. Very relaxing for vacations.
Cruise newbie here and just wanted to say that this was an incredibly filmed, edited, and informative video. It helped me narrow down which cruise line I wanted to go with between 2 different cruise lines I was considering.
I’ve got 2 cruises this year! Celebrity Beyond for 11 nights and then MSC Seascape for 7 nights over Christmas! I’m so excited I really do love cruises the easiest most value filled holiday and no packing and unpacking a billion times haha 😊
I cruise on RCCL back in 2000 it was my first cruise on Royal and I did not like it. The food was ok but the atmosphere was dead. I have not cruise with them since. I am thinking of giving them another chance since that was a good twenty years ago it may have improved but I don't know with all the talk about them nickel and diming you and surveying to see how people feel about paying for a slice of pizza, (no way on that). I will wait to see how that goes.
I just booked Maraviglia for April of this year. We have booked the Yacht Club. So we are looking forward to see the difference in area's and service compared to NCL Haven.
We like Viking that sails on the ocean for their nightly shows..not their river sails which kind of boring after dinner, no shows, but overall, we like the ships and the service.
I found your channel through these types of videos during 2020. Not going to lie, I’ve missed them. Vlogs are great but I really appreciated how you presented these more informative videos and broke everything down. I’m happy to see there’s a channel dedicated to them!
My wife and I love Princess Cruise Lines the most They have a lot of specialty restaurants which are free to all passengers on the ship! They offer some of best routes and the service is the highest as we have been on Carnival, Holland America, NCL, and Princess Cruise Lines many times as a few of the smaller lines too. We recommend Princess to everyone we meet!
Princess cruise gave us a free dinner to their specialty restaurant..which is marvelous. Unlike Royal Caribbean , they don’t give appreciation gifts to their loyal customers.
Loved the video! Missed a few others (Disney, Celebrity, etc). Would be very interesting to see a comparison of cruise fare vs what costs extra to see what REALLY is a good "value"...
Part 2 coming!
I watched a J&J video yesterday that addressed this. But even within a given line, you can often find some great deals if you keep shopping around. For instance, we did the WBTA on Valiant Lady in a "Sea Terrace" (balcony" for under $100 pp per night! That included wifi, sodas, and gratuities and almost all food on board, including what would be "specialty" dining on other ships. Most of their cruise run about twice that amount.
My opinion on Disney (30 cruises with them) Nicest cabins we've had based on size, storage, and construction. The big beds do not split (they did years ago but were replaced with the current model). Best entertainment overall (adult oriented after 9pm), although the Fantasy had a couple of shows that were basically ads for Disney parks and were rather duds. The food quality has gone up and down several times thru the years. Different ships have different themes and shows. Older ships are in great condition but don't have the IT of the newer ones. Negative--expect it to be over-run with kids (and we try to sail when school is in session!) and the 10% of parents who think their responsibility ends when they set foot on the ship will be a problem. Another negative--cost. Those kid programs are expensive to run and if you are cruising as 2 adults, you are underwriting those programs! Celebrity--good food, classy line. Entertainment good (we've seen some of the same variety acts on Disney and Celebrity!) I haven't been on their newest ships, but I was happy with the older ones. You can get good bargains with Celebrity if you keep looking.
Was disappointed in not seeing DCL listed
Your intro nailed it--there is no perfect cruise line, but there is a "right cruise line/ship for you." 50 cruises, 6 lines experience...and the right line for us has varied based on lots of factors--age in family, activity level, ports, time frame, length, etc.
We find Princess to be "beige." Totally OK, but nothing special, and the color scheme is all beige. Great itineraries. We were in a 3 person suite on 3 trips and the third bed was awful! The cruise perks were nice. Almost every line now has some version of the "medallion" and "app," regardless of what they call it.
Virgin is our "new favorite" line--great food, great pricing concept, NO KIDS, and very casual. Dress up for dinner if you want, or go in jeans and t-shirt. If you want formal night, this isn't it. The passengers are not what we originally thought--average age is 47 and 50% were married couples during the first year. It is a great line if you don't want to be told what to do or when to do it. There is a lot of "tongue in cheek" references, but very little is "too much," even for this elderly, somewhat conservative person. Super friendly crew--they get lots of perks that crew don't get on other lines and they are very happy!
I agree minimum 5 day cruise for newbies
So much information. Thanks for putting this out. To be honest, I hadn't looked at Virgin cruises as an option just because there are so many other cruise lines out there, and I didn't know if they would be for me. After your video, I've been looking through their site, and am going to be keeping my eye on them as well.
Any chance you will make another to compare Holland America, Celebrity, Silversea, and Azamara?
Thanks for doing what you do! Happy Travels!
I went on a lot of carnival cruises, well in my opinion the food was far more delicious than on MSC, the crew more friendly and a far better atmosphere. Always something to do, no reservations needed, Ok the ships are older but I don't mind, I prefer to be on a ship instead of the modern big cities on water with way to many people 😅
Maybe me and my family are too insensitive, but we certainly love GOOD food…both my parents cook fabulously, I cook very decently as well. My parents don’t even go to restaurants that often, because they’re mostly annoyed by the lack of quality and taste. We NEVER found the food on MSC bad, not even close… there are some dishes, that were a bit bland, but those were mostly vegetarian options or appetizers…the entrées and deserts were always FABULOUS….yet not in an American way, that’s for sure… the food is very southern european, and by that I don’t mean the cuisine, but the seasoning, the portion sizes and the sweetness and stuff like that…I think the food is always seasoned very well…for instance there os an orange duck meal, or a veal dish with some kind of brown sauce, and if you eat it, you understand it…it just harmonizes perfectly…I think they do a really good job in the kitchen at MSC…sometimes the presentation is poor….the Buffet is a different story, and they could definitely do much better…but MSC is a main dining room cruise line…at least in my opinion…and I‘m also the type of person, who likes to dress up every night, at least decently (nice shirt, long pants and nice shoes, maybe a jacket), sit down and get served, after all I‘m on vacation on an absolutely beautiful vessel…I don’t want fight people in the buffet and wrestle for a free table at the overcrowded buffet.
I also NEVER experienced bad service from the staff…Sometimes them being stressed out and having a lot to do, and maybe forgetting to smile, or to come every 5 minutes back to ask if everything is okay? Yes for sure, but NEVER rude or unfriendly, on the contrary…they are almost always super nice even to people, who are very rude….
I love MSC and honestly, they are so much cheaper most of the time, and I‘m always having such a good time, that I always find it hard to even consider a different cruise line…Buuuuuut this is just me😂 Everybody is different😊 I just had to say this, because I love MSC so much
We prefer. Celebrity but Royal C. an is our second choice. Love your very fair video. Some critics other than you seem to be afraid to say anything negative so you really can’t judge which is best for you. Kudos!
Thank you so much Ben, this video is so helpful! I agree we need to see a second video with Cunard, Viking etc. Love you guys!
Really enjoyed this and found it very informative. I haven't cruised in 30 years, and am getting ready to start again. You covered so many of the lines I have been researching, and your take on Virgin Cruises was so informative and different from others I have heard. I am sorry, though, you didn't throw Celebrity into the mix. My upcoming cruises, only one finalized, are Celebrity, NCL and MSC. I am probably going to drop MSC based on the fact you confirmed some of my concerns. I would love to hear from you and others, though, about how they feel Celebrity (especially the Beyond) fall into this mix. Thanks.
Our first cruise (nov 2023) is with Royal Caribbean - Australia - 6 nights - glad you agree our choice for our first! *hugs* from a patreon.
How was it?
@@idontwanttoparticipateplea212 It was awesome! We have been on another (Celebrity Edge) since and have booked again on Quantum Feb 2025 and Voyager Feb 2026! 🙂
I have never been on a cruise before but I am looking for my first cruise next year. Looking around I think NCL ticks my boxes. A blend between cost and activities/destinations seems really good plus I am looking at a Euro cruise for our first go out. I don't fancy going all the way to the US and not enjoy it.
Good choice ,just came back from the Bermuda 7 days ,had so much fun ,great restaurants fantastic shows and the fir is to die for .You will not regret NCL cruises ,everyone was respectful and kind to each others !!
Love both your channels! Would love to see a comparison specific to what’s best for Alaska! We’ve only cruised Disney & the Caribbean and I’m overwhelmed in which line to pick for Alaska.
Only cruised once so far, obviously Marella are super budget because not many mention them at all, we found them great perhaps we are easy to please plus we appreciated the all inclusive package!! Looking forward to our next one, will see who with later in the year. Thank you for your information 😁👍
Recently took Wonder of The Seas. Problem ? It doesn’t have the nightly broadway shows RCL was known for. Just some repetitive exhibitions. But we like the Central Park..it felt like we were not on the ocean.
We recently returned from our first cruise with Fred Olsen. There were positive experiences during our time on board the Balmorral on the Fjords holiday, including the onshore excursions to the stunning Norwegian scenery, the good choice of on board food and dining, and the high standard of housekeeping in our room by our cabin stewardess. Unfortunately there were many negative experiences for us including; waiting 2 hours for our luggage to be delivered to our room, waiting up to 25 minutes for a drink in various bar areas around the ship, the overall amateur standard of entertainment (namely the live music and shows), dull on-board activities and talks, a charge for drinks room service (we took our own drinks to our room), and a feeling that despite paying a premium for our cruise package (deck 10 suite with balcony), we did not have a premium holiday experience.
Wow! What a fantastic video! Our fav lines are Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. We love the Solarium areas ofcRC ships.
It's overwhelming trying to pick out a cruise line - thank you for helping me drop 1 line, MSC!
Great recommendations. We just did our first cruise on royal Caribbean. Your insights on family cruising are spot on. We enjoyed it and it was a good environment for our daughter.
Thanks for sharing your feedback in royal. Great to hear you had a good time
As a NCL cruiser i can confirm that some stuff can be canceled but its not really worth taking it into to matter when your booking a show or activity ect.
Icon of the seas. Already book for August 2024 voyage. I am extremely excited. My twin will be 7 years, by then. They're going to have a lot of fun
This was informative. I still don't know which to choose as a single person who has traveled the world. I'm currently considering Oceania, Silversea, Norwegian and Viking.
Excellent content, very useful and seems non-biased.. great job !!
Love this new channel. Thanks for all your hard work.
Thanks so much!
A very useful video. Whilst echoing some other comments about the range of cruise lines covered, you got MSC spot on IMHO. Having just done MSC Virtuosa (pretty good) and MSC World Europa (Not so much). My next cruise is with Princess, and from what you say, we have chosen wisely for our particular needs.
My favorite cruise line is one you didn't mention. Celebrity. They are like RC that went to finishing school. Superb service, amazing food, turn down service, and great drinks.
I know someone who booked a Virgin Cruise and went all on their own. A paramedic who had a bad time during the pandemic booked this and was worried going alone would be so, so awkward. It wasn't! He had a great time, just relaxing, jogging and exercising, taking the fresh air, enjoying the Bahamas and Cozumel. I honestly, was surprised. It seems like these Virgin cruises would be okay if you just want to go on your own to relax.
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hi Ben, i was really suprised to find this channel, but this video came up in my suggested videos. is this a new channel for you? or an old one? sorry im really confused. I have of course subscribed to this channel though :)
@@travelwithdebandnick Welcome. Yes a new channel focusing on sorter videos with tips and hacks.
Gonna need a part 2, since there's other lines you didn't mention like Disney and Holland America, etc. :)
Ben awesome video I primarily sail Carnival but am a bit intrigued with MSC especially that they offer a loyalty match. Not planning on doing them til we hit Platinum with CCL so maybe sometime next year might try them out especially since they are opening up a port in Galveston which is our primary cruise port. Also hopefully by then they will adjust their dinning menu to a more western friendly one. I mean I'm all for the Mediterranean type foods and such but a mix of American/ Western entree's and more hot not cold foods would make it more appealing to me.
I absolutely loved my MSC cruise to; Canada, Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. I also thought the food was amazing. 🎉
I have to disagree with you regarding some of your remarks regarding MSC. I was on the MSC Virtuosa back in November and absolutely loved it. All the staff were so pleasant. The entertainment was brilliant - the paid shows I would strongly recommend. Food was fab - you might find that they do a lot of Italian food as it’s an Italian company. Bearing in mind that on our cruise not only did we have people embark and disembark in the UK, but in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France. So it is important and fair that announcements are made in several languages
Bro, this was super well done.
Structured, concise, personal. Thanks!
This was SO helpful to watch!! Planning a cruise honeymoon for my husband and I. We are first time cruisers. Thank you so much!
Thank you for your information, it was very informative! I have cruised on carnival, which I did not care for, and I have cruised on Norwegian in the Haven section, which I absolutely loved! You are away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the ship unless you want to do that, and I really appreciated having a personal Butler who would bring trays of sweets cakes in the afternoon. I would recommend that anyone. With the personal dining area and bar. So I appreciate all of your information about all the cruises! Thank you. 26:04
Imagine going on a cruise line called Carnival and not expecting a Carnival. Lights and colors is like the point. LOL
New subscriber here and I truly enjoyed this video. I was a bit surprised Disney was not an option as it is loved by family’s and adults too. Thank you for sharing. This was a tremendous help to me moving forward
You guys need to try Holland America, especially for an Alaska cruise. Go on one of the pinnacle class ships. You’ll love the entertainment focusing on music. Food was very good and the service was impeccable.
That was our first cruise, Alaska on the Westerdam.
Very informative. I'm looking for a cruise to give my parents as a present for their golden anniversary. This was really helpfull, thanks!
Went on Carnival Celebration by myself on its inaugural cruise from South Hampton, UK in November 2022 and I love it . Looking forward to another cruise.😊
The one to AVOID is Norwegian cruise line. They keep deposits and have over 1000 complaints against them! I currently have the BBB and states attorney general after them for refusing to return my 250 deposit!
We love the smaller Norweigian Star and Spirit!
Thank you! I’ve been waiting for someone to come out with a video like this!
Thank you for this video! It wasn't long at all, I loved the dissection of pros and cons, plus the recommendations for what demographic would most enjoy each cruise line. I will definitely heed your suggestion to start my cruising journey on a royal carribean. Once again thanks, you earned yourself a new subscriber :)
Carnival is the Spirit Airlines of the sea
Our favorite ship was Holland America. We did a Virgin Islanad, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bahama cruise and really enjoyed it.
I’ve been on 30+ cruises now. And the Virtuoso is the best ship I’ve been on! Service was amazing!
What line is that ?
One con of RC is customer service. They treat you like should be grateful for sailing with them. We went on the Adventure of the Seas and each time we asked for help, whether it was an issue with our room(missing blankets for sofabed) or billing issues (guest services) we were treated like we were bothering them. The food quality is so so and if you sail an older ship, you have a totally different experience than anyone who sails their oasis or quantum class ships. None of the extra restaurants exist on the older ships, little or no water slides, and less amenities. We had a problem with my daughter's suitcase with the handle missing when we disembarked and when we brought it up to the port representative, we were literally interrogated about whether or not it was broken after we left the ship, how do we know they did it, and why didn't we report it before we went through customs. Once we asked for a manager we were asked to fill out a claim form and we were called back, we were again interrogated about the suitcase and had to prove that royal damaged it. So after 3 months, royal finally sent us a check for $50 to get a new suitcase for our daughter. This was a July 2019 sailing.
So, we decided to try again and again we treated like they are doing us a favor for letting us contact them about planning a group cruise. We called and got information about setting up a group and the available cabins only to call back when were ready to pay, to have another rep complain about the prior rep not knowing what they were doing.
No other line we have used(carnival, Disney or NCL) has ever treated us like this. So, we decided to go with carnival just because of the customer service problems alone. Maybe coco key or the oasis or quantum class ships are worth this treatment but we'll likely never know because they are terrible with how they treat customers.
We did a taster cruise on Royal Caribbean. We had missed out on a Christmas cruise to France due to heavy snow on the day we were due to travel and we found a two day cruise to France on the Independence a couple of months later. It was great and we would love to sail with them again. We did have a cruise booked with Princess but it was cancelled during the pandemic. We are sailing with MSC for the third time in the Spring but our favourite lines are Cunard and P&O. As older cruisers Virgin does not hold any appeal for us.
suprisingly as a very mature traveller I, loved Virgin Voyages. The food option was mindboggling. Cabins , loved the option to split the beds and enjoy space created,
I would love to see a mini series that you guys do where you rate a cruise line each episode and then the you have a running scoreboard that you show at the end.
Thank you very much for such an informative narration of all the different cruise lines. I learned so much from your video, and I have watched hundreds of cruise line videos and yours is by far the best. Great job!!!
A second channel you’re really busy. So glad to see you offering information for novice cruisers
The only video I found that made sense straight and Direct no extras thanks for this video can't wait to see more
Oh Great!!! With such wonderful descriptions of all the different ships now I have to try and make a decision of which one I'll need to book 😱😱😱 😂😂😂
Thank you for your always excellent content. I love your videos. I would never have thought of taking a Virgin cruise, now I can't wait to book one! This comparison was very helpful.
Celebrity cruises would have been nice to include. They are comparable in price and offer very different experiences on their new vs old fleet
We cruise them for the first time next week - part 2 coming soon!
My family cruised twice in Celebrity and we really love it! We felt like being treated like celebrity, they offered champagne to greet passengers, iced cold towers to people who danced Zumba....
Carnival is my favorite cruise line