Cruise recommendation?
- Thread starter EPThorn
- Start date
Not that Bob
500+ Posts
In general, Carnival is more "family oriented," there will be more children. Royal is middle of the road, Holland America is more "high end," with more old folks who can afford it.
If I am going to the expense of a cruise, I prefer Holland America. Food is better, ship is nicer, service is better. If you are on the honeymoon you don't want a bunch of ankle biters around anyway, so rule out the Carnival. That leaves Royal and Holland. Compare points of destination, but I still prefer Holland. Here's a "fer instance." Carnival has an "all you can eat" soft serve machine...Holland has an "all you can eat" Hagan Das bar. See the diff?
Differences aside, you will enjoy any of them. Take time to look around the ship. If there is an engine room tour and/or bridge tour take it. Find a bar that you like with a view of the ocean. Sit there, knock back a Scotch or two, and just watch the ocean.
Go out on the deck late at night, or early in the morning, the stars at sea are beyond compare. Go up as close to the bow as possible, there are fish that glow in the dark sometimes. There will likely be flying fish in the daytime that are fun to watch. Maybe dolphins cruising the bow. Go to the stern and see the wake kicked up by the ship.
Talk to your doctor ahead of time. Most ships are calm these days, but you don't want to mess with sea sickness, and the dramamine that they offer on board just puts you to sleep. Talk to your doc about some other antinausea med. You will probably not need it, but be on the safe side.
Take a couple of rolls of film just for the memorys, but don't waste your time trying to capture the event on film. I have taken trips "through the lense of a camera", and it is a waste of time, especially a cruise.
You will have a wonderful time.
If I am going to the expense of a cruise, I prefer Holland America. Food is better, ship is nicer, service is better. If you are on the honeymoon you don't want a bunch of ankle biters around anyway, so rule out the Carnival. That leaves Royal and Holland. Compare points of destination, but I still prefer Holland. Here's a "fer instance." Carnival has an "all you can eat" soft serve machine...Holland has an "all you can eat" Hagan Das bar. See the diff?
Differences aside, you will enjoy any of them. Take time to look around the ship. If there is an engine room tour and/or bridge tour take it. Find a bar that you like with a view of the ocean. Sit there, knock back a Scotch or two, and just watch the ocean.
Go out on the deck late at night, or early in the morning, the stars at sea are beyond compare. Go up as close to the bow as possible, there are fish that glow in the dark sometimes. There will likely be flying fish in the daytime that are fun to watch. Maybe dolphins cruising the bow. Go to the stern and see the wake kicked up by the ship.
Talk to your doctor ahead of time. Most ships are calm these days, but you don't want to mess with sea sickness, and the dramamine that they offer on board just puts you to sleep. Talk to your doc about some other antinausea med. You will probably not need it, but be on the safe side.
Take a couple of rolls of film just for the memorys, but don't waste your time trying to capture the event on film. I have taken trips "through the lense of a camera", and it is a waste of time, especially a cruise.
You will have a wonderful time.
txlonghorn4x4
25+ Posts
I went on the Royal Carribean Voyager of the Seas a few years back. Great time, and as the previous poster stated, probably the midlevel experience of the two. My folks are avid cruisers, and they prefer the overall experience of Holland America. Ditto on exploring the ship, and finding a watering hole you enjoy. While not in port, it's shame if you do not explore all that the ship has to offer, if not just to see what these ships really entail. They are literally floating cities.
Monkey_Horn
25+ Posts
My grandparents and parents have both been on Royal Caribbean for their 50th & 25th anniversaries respectivel and absolutely loved it.
I went on Norwegian back in February.... and while I had a good time I'd never do it again... it's like being stuck in the hotel for an entire vacation with the exception of 5 hrs on the days in port... I got bored quickly and found myself wanting to gamble to pass the time...
If you can afford it - Crystal or Seabourn are the best.
Royal Caribbean/Carnival/Norwegian are all different flavors of the same product - which is mass market cruising. All will provide good, consistent products, but don't expect 4 or 5 star service. I have been on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean and have never had a bad experience on either (3 times on Royal Caribbean and twice on Carnival).
For a honeymoon, you cannot go wrong with Norwegian's Hawaiian cruises. Try to get on the new American-flagged ships that don't have to go to Fanning Island.
Holland America is for old fogies. It's a floating nursing home.
Celebrity is the higher end of Royal Caribbean. Kind of llike a Westin is to a Sheraton, but the difference isn't that great.
Go here for some good general information on all cruise lines and their ships:The Link
Royal Caribbean/Carnival/Norwegian are all different flavors of the same product - which is mass market cruising. All will provide good, consistent products, but don't expect 4 or 5 star service. I have been on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean and have never had a bad experience on either (3 times on Royal Caribbean and twice on Carnival).
For a honeymoon, you cannot go wrong with Norwegian's Hawaiian cruises. Try to get on the new American-flagged ships that don't have to go to Fanning Island.
Holland America is for old fogies. It's a floating nursing home.
Celebrity is the higher end of Royal Caribbean. Kind of llike a Westin is to a Sheraton, but the difference isn't that great.
Go here for some good general information on all cruise lines and their ships:The Link
MrPhlegm
250+ Posts
EPT not to worry about ankle biters on Carnival they have lots of things for them to do away from the adults, on the two Carnival cruises we were on they are hardly noticable.
Honeymoon? Carnival's cabins are bigger than RCL's.
If you go on Carnival go on one of their newer balcony ships, balconies are great for certain things
just don't fall overboard
. Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend & Carnival Miracle are all 88,000 ton smaller balcony ships they are all very new. Carnival Conquest and Carnival Glory are bigger 110,000 ton balcony ships both of these ships are brand new. All of them have a private supper club which is nice for an intimate dinner. The Conquest sails out of New Orleans and the Glory sails out of Port Canaveral. If you want to go out of Miami on a brand new ship the Carnival Valor takes her first cruise 7 days from Miami to Nassau, St Thomas, and St Maarten with Christmas at sea on 12/19/2004 and on 12/26/2004 leaves Miami and calls at Belize, Isla Roatan, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.
If you want something really intimate go with Seabourn, they advertise themselves as "The Yachts of Seabourn" and there will be no more than a few hundered guests on board.
If you want to go on the biggest passenger liner in the world? try Cunard's Queen Mary 2 she's 148,000 tons, in December she will be doing the Carribean sailing out of Ft Lauderdale which is very convienient as the Ft Lauderdale airport is only a mile from Port Everglades where she docks.
Want to try something different, try Windstar, they are like Seabourn except they are motor sailer ships.
Whatever you chose you will have a good time.
As far as the seasickness goes get some generic drammamine at Wal-mart. My wife gets seasick and she takes one before we get on board and stays on deck once we get underway and once she has the pill and a Funship Special she is fine. The ships have stabilizers to cut down on the motion. The funny thing was that our kids (young adults) were fine until we got home and they tried to lay down and sleep and the room spun around them.
If you are looking for more info there are lots of cruise sites just google, for example -The Link
Honeymoon? Carnival's cabins are bigger than RCL's.
If you go on Carnival go on one of their newer balcony ships, balconies are great for certain things
If you want something really intimate go with Seabourn, they advertise themselves as "The Yachts of Seabourn" and there will be no more than a few hundered guests on board.
If you want to go on the biggest passenger liner in the world? try Cunard's Queen Mary 2 she's 148,000 tons, in December she will be doing the Carribean sailing out of Ft Lauderdale which is very convienient as the Ft Lauderdale airport is only a mile from Port Everglades where she docks.
Want to try something different, try Windstar, they are like Seabourn except they are motor sailer ships.
Whatever you chose you will have a good time.
As far as the seasickness goes get some generic drammamine at Wal-mart. My wife gets seasick and she takes one before we get on board and stays on deck once we get underway and once she has the pill and a Funship Special she is fine. The ships have stabilizers to cut down on the motion. The funny thing was that our kids (young adults) were fine until we got home and they tried to lay down and sleep and the room spun around them.
If you are looking for more info there are lots of cruise sites just google, for example -The Link
As TXHookem stated, I just got back from the Carnival Glory on Saturday--Eastern Caribbean. It sucked. Carnival is second rate. Make sure you take your cruise while school is in session. There were way too many teenage punks on our cruise. The people were definitely of a lesser class onboard the Glory and I would assume the same is true for all Carnival cruises. Also research your cabin location closely. We were right above the disco and heard the bass nightly until 3am. I got a voucher for 15% discount on my next cruise with Carnival. Yeah right...I sent that ***** back today and asked them to credit my credit card. The service on the boat sucked and our towelhead waiter (actually he was from India but they're all the same to me) had BO nightly. The food was terrible...you'd get better scrambled eggs in prison. It was so bad I was forced to drop $6600 on a Rolex in St. Thomas just to salvage the trip!! Anyway, you get the picture. We went on the Royal Caribbean Explorer two years ago and it was nice...a totally different experience altogether. Good luck.
Not that Bob
500+ Posts
Don't be hatin' on us "old fogies."
accuratehorn
10,000+ Posts
Gilligan has a nice three hour cruise.
thanks for all the info/recommendations. i honestly took into account a lot of what was posted to make a decision. I ended going with Holland America 5 day from ft. lauderdale. I didnt like the idea of being with a bunch of kids for a honeymoon. i also liked the destinations better-its also not too far out so if me or my fiance get sea sick we dock the next morning. and it was only about a $200 more than carnival for the same type of cabin (but HAL is 60 sq ft bigger). Royal Carr. didnt have a comparable cabin w/ balcony available, i would had to get a deluxe suite at total cost of $1200 more ( which is a semester worth of Texas football roads trips to a student).
I know many of your were saying HAL is an older crowd, but i really dont mind. Also we are sailing on one of HALs newest BIG ship which offers activities and prices that will attract a younger crowd. Looking forward to my first cruise.
thanks again all
I know many of your were saying HAL is an older crowd, but i really dont mind. Also we are sailing on one of HALs newest BIG ship which offers activities and prices that will attract a younger crowd. Looking forward to my first cruise.
thanks again all
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