Evan, while I always enjoy your content. This was truly a home run. It was great for people like myself that have only been on a few cruise lines. Without counting you must have reviewed seven different cruise lines. While everybody experience differs from time of year to ship crowds. It gave an overall perspective of your likes and dislikes. It was extremely helpful for the cruiser that might be considering the extra cost of a Disney cruise or someone who has never been on MSC. Really appreciate this video, thanks.
@@jonlipow8584 I appreciate the friendly feedback, thank you! The time of year definitely matters for sure. We just got back yesterday from a cruise on the Seascape and it was amazing how much less crowded it was in January than during our Spring Break cruise last year... Completely different experience (though we loved both).
We were on that same cruise in the Med on the Equinox. It is our very favorite ship - we actually just got off her yesterday after a 14 day B2B. Thanks for your insightful thoughts, this was very helpful! Happy cruising!
@@jackierzumba We saw you guys (the ship, not you personally) in Puerto Plata and San Juan last week as we were aboard the Seascape! Hope you guys had a great cruise... Hope to be back on the Equinox soon!
Evan. Loved your honest reviews. The key remark hopefully everybody, including people new to Cruising, heard was that even the worst of your 10 cruises was still better than not being on a cruise. Although I have not been on any of the 10 ships you mentioned and “only” did 4 cruises in 2024, MSC Fantasia, Resilient Lady, Celebrity Silhouette and Norwegian Pearl, 36 nights in total, I can related to the remarks. Each of these different lines had some good points and some less good. However good enough to go again in 2025 with 3 planned already, MSC World Europa, Celebrity Infinity and Crown Princess, and who knows another 1 or 2 more. For us Cruising, being a bit older, is about relaxation so the thrill rides are not that relevant and we do not Cruise less than 7 nights, we enjoy the older ships. Less crowds as well.
@@robbroere1384 I appreciate the friendly feedback and couldn't agree more with what you said! We're hoping to go on our first Virgin cruise this summer... The grandparents agreed to take the kids so I'm pretty sure we will! We obviously have to balance fun for the kids with relaxation for us, but fortunately there are a lot of ships that offer both. I hope you enjoy your cruises this year! Thank you for watching and engaging!
@@FamilyAtSea thank you. I have six booked, I am really looking forward to Star Princess and World America! I tried MAS Islander 3 weeks ago, and I really had a good time!
I have yet to sail on the wish. But the dream and the fantasy felt so open and not busy. I want to try the wish just to see. You are not the first person to say it feels crowded.
@@patrickbeach3070 We've sailed on the Fantasy and fortunately that did not feel as busy as the Wish did. We still enjoyed ourselves but it wasn't what we hoped for. With that said, we'll be on the Treasure in March which is mostly the same ship but I've heard it is better, so we're hopeful!
I gotta admit I've been waiting for this video! You fill a much needed demographic, families. Of the top 10 vloggers 8 are either solo cruisers or couples. 1 only does Royal Caribbean, one might as well be the spokesman for Princess. So your review of kids areas and experiences is badly needed.
@@Dave17101 I appreciate that Dave, thank you! We're in a fortunate position to be able to do what we do with young kids and we're doing our best to make the most of every moment. I appreciate you being one of our very early subscribers... Thank you.
Completely agree! We cruise with two kids and it seems most content creators are couples or solo travelers. I appreciate the more detailed information on kids’ areas and family activities on the ships. Keep up the great work!
@@2101ailed We've gone back and forth on whether we want to book a Carnival cruise or not. I'm sure we would have loved it in our 20s but now that I'm an old man, I'm not sure I can keep up 🤪
Canceling without notice would honestly really annoy me 😅 I remember the Alaska cruise as a viewer when it came out, and I completely understand all of your points (both positive and negative) about that particular cruise. It does seem like over-crowding is the biggest turn off in regards to being able to fully enjoy a cruise. That dinner on the simulated train on Utopia of The Seas was my favorite dinner to watch as a viewer 😁 Jeremy from the Apex cruise has to be the best guest thus far! I LOVE the little bits from movies and such that you added in this video! I think you should keep doing those if you find that others like them as well ;) If you do keep doing them I do have one minor critique...and that's just to consider making the audio levels more even with your speech so it's not like a loud burst of audio 🤣 As always, I look forward to the next video!
@@guiltysparkmusicofficial Appreciate the feedback, thank you! Audio is so tough to get right as different devices playback the same exact audio differently than others. I'll keep an eye (ear?) out for the volume levels on the movie inserts as that's something we've started doing in the cruise tips videos that you'll see more often in the future. The Royal Railway dinner on the Utopia would definitely win our favorite dinner experience on a cruise ship! The food was mid but the entertainment was top notch! And completely agree about Jeremy and Selina. We've kept in touch and they're only 90 minutes from us so we're looking forward to hanging out again sometime soon!
Well, as a big Princess cruiser I have to actually agree with your opinion of Sun Princess. We were in Sanctuary too and I was so very disappointed. I’m not sure I will ever sail that ship again. The Royal class ships are so much better.
I appreciate the open mind to things with the Sun Princess. What I will say is that every Princess cruiser we talked to onboard told us over and over to NOT judge Princess based on our experience on the Sun. We will be booking a cruise on a different Princess ship soon to get a better feel for what we should expect with them. Any specific ship recommendations?
@@familyocean Thank you, I will look into their itineraries to see what looks good and fits our schedule! I suspect the way that ship has gone is the reason the CEO is stepping down. The problem is, I don't know how they fix the issues on future Sphere-class ships since they'll be mostly the same. I'll be curious to see how things go with the new Star Princess.
@@familyocean If they reduced capacity and repurposed rooms to expand some areas that would help, but it's hard to imagine a cruise line doing that these days.
Found the NCL Encore one a little bit funny considering I just got off that ship about a week ago and everyone was complaining how it wasn't suited for a Caribbean cruise because of the small pool area and the standing bus station style smoking section plus the other tiny uncomfortable smoking section. Everyone kept saying it was built for Alaska that's why lol so hearing someone say it wasn't suited for Alaska just goes to show how picky and how different cruisers can be.
I was perhaps giving it more credit than it deserved in that case as it was definitely one of the most crowded cruise ships we've ever been on. Perhaps the reality is the ship is simply too small for the number of passengers.
I wanted to a cruise but from all videos I have seen these seems like a coin toss on quality no matter the price tag so I really hesitate. What is the hands down best consistently cruise you have been on recently?
@N34R4T0M4T It really depends on what you're looking for in a cruise experience. If you aren't cruising with kids though, Celebrity would be your best bet in my opinion. We've yet to go on a Celebrity cruise that we didn't love. We love the Yacht Club on MSC as well and you can find really amazing prices both inside and outside the Yacht Club with MSC.
I'm so poor I've never been on a crusie but when you tell me of your crematorium experience on the Scum Princess, I feel like maybe I'm not missing anything! Perhaps it matters not that I may never ever get to go!
@@johndefalque5061 The smoke was tough on the Sun Princess but it still had some redeeming moments! If you don't like smoke on cruise ships, fortunately many cruise ships do a much better job of keeping the smoke out of the main areas of the ship (but the Sun Princess definitely did not as I've seen many people mention... So it's not just us).
@@FamilyAtSea Those shitty smoking casinos should be behind always closed double doors and post signs on those door, don't get my nose bent out of shape! Have super ventillation.
You said you didn't include Yacht Club in your ranking of MSC, yet you pointed out the Retreat and Coastal Kitchen as positives. Both Yacht Club equivalents. Not a fair comparison.
@@michaelarkin6839 The Suite experiences may have been mentioned, but I can promise they were not a factor in the rankings. The Retreat experience on the Equinox was very underwhelming and I have a separate video that compares the Yacht Club to the Retreat where the YC comes out on top. Had I factored that in, it wouldn't have been our 2nd favorite ship last year. We actually just got back yesterday from the YC on the Seascape and had another great cruise. I standby the rankings as I put them together but recognize perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned those areas since they weren't considered!
WOW-I'm shocked, Sun Princess was like a floating ashtray at sea-Gros AF! Slum Princess! They are also quite pricey-way too smoker friendly like Costa. There should be an exclusively smoking cruise line call it Tropic of Cancer. Have it cruise all the pot and tobacoo plantations-get them off of other cruise lines FFS! Nothing angers me more!
I'm glad I stumbled upon your site . Great video ! Thanks Steven 🇬🇧
@@stevenhowe-bull Thank you!!
Evan, while I always enjoy your content. This was truly a home run. It was great for people like myself that have only been on a few cruise lines. Without counting you must have reviewed seven different cruise lines. While everybody experience differs from time of year to ship crowds. It gave an overall perspective of your likes and dislikes. It was extremely helpful for the cruiser that might be considering the extra cost of a Disney cruise or someone who has never been on MSC. Really appreciate this video, thanks.
@@jonlipow8584 I appreciate the friendly feedback, thank you!
The time of year definitely matters for sure. We just got back yesterday from a cruise on the Seascape and it was amazing how much less crowded it was in January than during our Spring Break cruise last year... Completely different experience (though we loved both).
Yes I can imagine, that is seeing a ship from both ends of the spectrum. I am glad it was good experience both times.
What great reviews! In March I will be going on the Equinox. I’m happy to hear it was your #2, considering all the newer fancier ships you reviewed.
@@judithmiddleton8996 Sometimes it's just hard to beat a classic cruise experience!
You will love the Equinox...happy sails!
Great Job Evan!! I really enjoyed hearing your perspective!
@@ShannonSchwartz-r3c Thank you friend...happy sails!!
We did a steak class in the lawn grill, which replaced the glass blowing, and it was phenomenal.
That sounds amazing... That's going on the list of things to try next time we're onboard!
Great video, Evan. We hope to see you in November.
@@ibprepguy I won't know until late summer but hoping it works out!
Hope things are starting to warm up out there!
We were on that same cruise in the Med on the Equinox. It is our very favorite ship - we actually just got off her yesterday after a 14 day B2B. Thanks for your insightful thoughts, this was very helpful! Happy cruising!
@@jackierzumba We saw you guys (the ship, not you personally) in Puerto Plata and San Juan last week as we were aboard the Seascape!
Hope you guys had a great cruise... Hope to be back on the Equinox soon!
Great video! Very helpful!
@@fernburns4848 Thank you!
Very.informative!!
@@hollyfoxworth5946 Thank you!!
What kind of camera are you using? Not looking to be a vlogger but seems like a great way to film family vacations.
@@thinkle6244 For anything not near water I use the DJI Osmo Pocket 3.
It's a great camera and super easy to use once you've gotten used to it!
Evan. Loved your honest reviews. The key remark hopefully everybody, including people new to Cruising, heard was that even the worst of your 10 cruises was still better than not being on a cruise. Although I have not been on any of the 10 ships you mentioned and “only” did 4 cruises in 2024, MSC Fantasia, Resilient Lady, Celebrity Silhouette and Norwegian Pearl, 36 nights in total, I can related to the remarks. Each of these different lines had some good points and some less good. However good enough to go again in 2025 with 3 planned already, MSC World Europa, Celebrity Infinity and Crown Princess, and who knows another 1 or 2 more. For us Cruising, being a bit older, is about relaxation so the thrill rides are not that relevant and we do not Cruise less than 7 nights, we enjoy the older ships. Less crowds as well.
@@robbroere1384 I appreciate the friendly feedback and couldn't agree more with what you said!
We're hoping to go on our first Virgin cruise this summer... The grandparents agreed to take the kids so I'm pretty sure we will!
We obviously have to balance fun for the kids with relaxation for us, but fortunately there are a lot of ships that offer both.
I hope you enjoy your cruises this year!
Thank you for watching and engaging!
I agree, the icon was my favorite cruise ship last year out of 5!
@@QueenKayKay47 Such an amazing ship!
Here's to great cruises for you in 2025!
@@FamilyAtSea thank you. I have six booked, I am really looking forward to Star Princess and World America! I tried MAS Islander 3 weeks ago, and I really had a good time!
@QueenKayKay47 We may see you on the World America... We'll be on there in May and possibly a second time!
Sailing in March.
@@craigpaige7065 Awesome... You'll be one of the very first!
how about some Holland America cruises?
@@glenncamp733 We will be on the HAL Koningsdam in Alaska this July so we will have all sorts of good stuff following that!
Exceptional video.
@@jeffreykyle8587 Thank you!
I have yet to sail on the wish. But the dream and the fantasy felt so open and not busy. I want to try the wish just to see. You are not the first person to say it feels crowded.
@@patrickbeach3070 We've sailed on the Fantasy and fortunately that did not feel as busy as the Wish did.
We still enjoyed ourselves but it wasn't what we hoped for.
With that said, we'll be on the Treasure in March which is mostly the same ship but I've heard it is better, so we're hopeful!
I love MSC
Sailed the reflection in September and thought the main dining room service was way better than blu which we were surprised about.
We had an amazing dinner in the MDR as well which I definitely should have mentioned in this video.
It's really hard to go wrong on Celebrity.
I gotta admit I've been waiting for this video! You fill a much needed demographic, families. Of the top 10 vloggers 8 are either solo cruisers or couples. 1 only does Royal Caribbean, one might as well be the spokesman for Princess. So your review of kids areas and experiences is badly needed.
@@Dave17101 I appreciate that Dave, thank you!
We're in a fortunate position to be able to do what we do with young kids and we're doing our best to make the most of every moment.
I appreciate you being one of our very early subscribers... Thank you.
Completely agree! We cruise with two kids and it seems most content creators are couples or solo travelers. I appreciate the more detailed information on kids’ areas and family activities on the ships. Keep up the great work!
@eminthevalley I truly appreciate that, thank you!
You should try Carnival's Mardi Gra, it has been our favorite ship so far!!
@@2101ailed We've gone back and forth on whether we want to book a Carnival cruise or not. I'm sure we would have loved it in our 20s but now that I'm an old man, I'm not sure I can keep up 🤪
Canceling without notice would honestly really annoy me 😅
I remember the Alaska cruise as a viewer when it came out, and I completely understand all of your points (both positive and negative) about that particular cruise.
It does seem like over-crowding is the biggest turn off in regards to being able to fully enjoy a cruise.
That dinner on the simulated train on Utopia of The Seas was my favorite dinner to watch as a viewer 😁
Jeremy from the Apex cruise has to be the best guest thus far!
I LOVE the little bits from movies and such that you added in this video!
I think you should keep doing those if you find that others like them as well ;)
If you do keep doing them I do have one minor critique...and that's just to consider making the audio levels more even with your speech so it's not like a loud burst of audio 🤣
As always, I look forward to the next video!
@@guiltysparkmusicofficial Appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Audio is so tough to get right as different devices playback the same exact audio differently than others. I'll keep an eye (ear?) out for the volume levels on the movie inserts as that's something we've started doing in the cruise tips videos that you'll see more often in the future.
The Royal Railway dinner on the Utopia would definitely win our favorite dinner experience on a cruise ship! The food was mid but the entertainment was top notch!
And completely agree about Jeremy and Selina. We've kept in touch and they're only 90 minutes from us so we're looking forward to hanging out again sometime soon!
Well, as a big Princess cruiser I have to actually agree with your opinion of Sun Princess. We were in Sanctuary too and I was so very disappointed. I’m not sure I will ever sail that ship again. The Royal class ships are so much better.
I appreciate the open mind to things with the Sun Princess.
What I will say is that every Princess cruiser we talked to onboard told us over and over to NOT judge Princess based on our experience on the Sun.
We will be booking a cruise on a different Princess ship soon to get a better feel for what we should expect with them.
Any specific ship recommendations?
@ yes. Our favorites are Regal Princess and Enchanted Princess. Both of those ships are fantastic. We have actually sailed Regal 15 times lol.
@@familyocean Thank you, I will look into their itineraries to see what looks good and fits our schedule!
I suspect the way that ship has gone is the reason the CEO is stepping down.
The problem is, I don't know how they fix the issues on future Sphere-class ships since they'll be mostly the same.
I'll be curious to see how things go with the new Star Princess.
@ that’s what has kept us from booking it. I just can’t afford the time off of work for the same experience we had last time.
@@familyocean If they reduced capacity and repurposed rooms to expand some areas that would help, but it's hard to imagine a cruise line doing that these days.
Found the NCL Encore one a little bit funny considering I just got off that ship about a week ago and everyone was complaining how it wasn't suited for a Caribbean cruise because of the small pool area and the standing bus station style smoking section plus the other tiny uncomfortable smoking section. Everyone kept saying it was built for Alaska that's why lol so hearing someone say it wasn't suited for Alaska just goes to show how picky and how different cruisers can be.
I was perhaps giving it more credit than it deserved in that case as it was definitely one of the most crowded cruise ships we've ever been on.
Perhaps the reality is the ship is simply too small for the number of passengers.
Would've been nice if you stated the dates that you were on each ship. Sometimes that can make a difference.
@@MareeBerry Noted for the next one... Thanks for watching!
I wanted to a cruise but from all videos I have seen these seems like a coin toss on quality no matter the price tag so I really hesitate. What is the hands down best consistently cruise you have been on recently?
@N34R4T0M4T It really depends on what you're looking for in a cruise experience.
If you aren't cruising with kids though, Celebrity would be your best bet in my opinion. We've yet to go on a Celebrity cruise that we didn't love.
We love the Yacht Club on MSC as well and you can find really amazing prices both inside and outside the Yacht Club with MSC.
I'm so poor I've never been on a crusie but when you tell me of your crematorium experience on the Scum Princess, I feel like maybe I'm not missing anything! Perhaps it matters not that I may never ever get to go!
@@johndefalque5061 The smoke was tough on the Sun Princess but it still had some redeeming moments!
If you don't like smoke on cruise ships, fortunately many cruise ships do a much better job of keeping the smoke out of the main areas of the ship (but the Sun Princess definitely did not as I've seen many people mention... So it's not just us).
@@FamilyAtSea Those shitty smoking casinos should be behind always closed double doors and post signs on those door, don't get my nose bent out of shape! Have super ventillation.
You should try MSC which is a little cheaper than the rest and the service is remarkable. They have payment plans and all
You said you didn't include Yacht Club in your ranking of MSC, yet you pointed out the Retreat and Coastal Kitchen as positives. Both Yacht Club equivalents. Not a fair comparison.
@@michaelarkin6839 The Suite experiences may have been mentioned, but I can promise they were not a factor in the rankings.
The Retreat experience on the Equinox was very underwhelming and I have a separate video that compares the Yacht Club to the Retreat where the YC comes out on top.
Had I factored that in, it wouldn't have been our 2nd favorite ship last year.
We actually just got back yesterday from the YC on the Seascape and had another great cruise.
I standby the rankings as I put them together but recognize perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned those areas since they weren't considered!
I noticed your WVU emblem. Are you a hillbilly or did you just go to WVU? Thank you for all the great information!
@@davidhoffman8122 I'm an alum, but I've got some hillbilly in my blood!
We live in Virginia now, but in the mountains near WV, not a big city.
WOW-I'm shocked, Sun Princess was like a floating ashtray at sea-Gros AF! Slum Princess! They are also quite pricey-way too smoker friendly like Costa. There should be an exclusively smoking cruise line call it Tropic of Cancer. Have it cruise all the pot and tobacoo plantations-get them off of other cruise lines FFS! Nothing angers me more!
Second hand smoke is an absolute no no will never go there after watching this
@N34R4T0M4T Put smoke zone at the ass end of a ship so when it's moving, the smoke can't carry forward!