Saturday, April 13, 2024

Cruise Lines Compared: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian in 10 Different Areas

cruise lines compared

Celebrity also offers an “Always Included” deal that includes a drink package, and wi-fi with your cruise fare. Many NCL ships offer studios that don’t have a double occupancy charge. While you have a lot of choices, overall cruise lines are remarkably similar. There are noticeable differences, but the experiences is largely similar. That means you won’t have to worry about picking the wrong line; the worst “fit” cruise line is still likely to be a lot of fun for you. Virgin Voyages' first three ships (Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady) have suites by acclaimed designer Tom Dixon.

Passengers

The Garden Café is a comprehensive buffet with traditional buffet selections for breakfast and lunch, as well as pizza, deli, and grilled items. On ships such as Bliss, Getaway, Escape, and Breakaway, it is the only pool deck dining location with complimentary food and can get quite crowded during prime breakfast and lunch hours. Nightly menus feature a changing selection of starters, soups, salads, and 8-11 entrees, including a selection of dishes representing local ports of call. Both traditional set dining times and Your Time dining are available in the main dining room. Royal Caribbean continues to lead the way in shipboard activities as well.

Seabourn

A storied line with roots that go back to the 1800s, this three-ship brand is perhaps best known for its 2,695-passenger flagship, Queen Mary 2. The ship lives up to its billing as a true ocean liner with semiregular, transatlantic service between Southampton, England, and New York. Designed to be a cut above mainstream options such as Carnival while remaining relatively affordable, this Miami-based "premium" line is known for some of the most stylish big ships at sea. Below, you'll find our quick guide to some of the most popular cruise brands.

Pros of Celebrity Cruises

Enrichment programs include authors, journalists, musicians, designers, and scientists who conduct sessions and speaking performances on intriguing topics. Another selling point of Celebrity is having a nearly all-inclusive option for their bookings. In 2020, fares were introduced that included unlimited drinks, Wi-Fi, and daily gratuities (as of mid-2023, gratuities are no longer included in the All Included fares). There are also options for a “cruise only” rate for those who don’t need the perks of the all-inclusive rate. Norwegian Cruises is also known for its vast selection of specialty restaurants on its ships and is generally regarded by cruisers as some of the best food of all cruise lines.

Celebrity Cruises – A-List Luxury

Expect longer itineraries on average without a lot of homeporting and repeat ports. Because cabins are limited, these ships can sell out quickly, especially on sought-after sailings, so the best prices and perks packages are usually offered early. Both cruise lines offer thrilling activities (just not the same kind), and each has its own approach to entertainment, kids clubs and dining. Comparing crew-to-passenger ratios on ships can offer a rough guide to their service levels, though there are caveats to this approach.

6 Cruise Ships With Cruise Lines Like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Compared: Review - Business Insider

6 Cruise Ships With Cruise Lines Like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Compared: Review.

Posted: Sun, 05 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Carnival calls its ships Fun Ships and they really do live up to the name. Whether out of the pool deck or somewhere below, there are always fun and lively activities going on. However, if dance contests and mixology competitions aren’t your thing, the adult only Serenity area is perfect for relaxing. If money is no object, families may choose to splurge on Royals Caribbean’s Ultimate Family Suites. This two-deck, fully tricked out suite is more than 1,300 sq ft of fun and games, complete with slide, because taking the stairs isn’t fun for kids or kids at heart.

MSC Virtuosa, which is another member of the Meraviglia-Plus class, first set sail in May 2021. It is easily one of the largest in MSC's fleet (along with sister ship Grandiosa), having 2,421 cabins on 15 passenger-accessible decks (18 decks total). MSC Grandiosa is a part of the Meraviglia Plus-class, which currently has five sailing ships. Onboard, there are 18 decks (15 of which are passenger-accessible) and 2,405 staterooms onboard. As with small-mid ships, passengers tend to be well off and well-traveled, with higher percentages of seniors and retirees. Ships are not designed to be kid-friendly, with no dedicated facilities and only some sparse programming during school breaks.

cruise lines compared

It also recently jumped into more adventurous, expedition-style cruising with two new 264-passenger vessels designed to operate in polar regions such as Antarctica and the Arctic. This Miami-based luxury line operates some of the most opulent vessels at sea, including three recently unveiled Explorer-class ships billed as the most expensive luxury vessels ever built on a cost-per-berth basis. With more than 12 ships in its fleet, Celebrity Cruises has plenty of options to offer passengers interested in a trendy, modern cruise experience with upscale options. Norwegian offers a range of inclusive packages for travelers to pick the best deal that suits their interests, but some passengers may also find the extra surcharges and a-la-carte approach confusing. Still, the diversity on board appeals to many types of cruisers, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s more than 15 ships are often crowded and may be home to a variety of groups and gatherings.

I'm a global nomad at heart, and the dedicated editor behind CruiseGear. For the past two decades, I've experienced exciting voyages across the world, discovering countless ports from the decks of dozens of ships, visiting 40+ countries (and living in some of them for years). I want to share everything I've learned and hope to make your next cruise vacation as enjoyable as possible. What makes Cunard unique, aside from being the only cruise line with regularly scheduled transatlantic crossings, is the enrichment and entertainment programs offered on the ships. Being a transportation method for many decades, Cunard has nailed down how to keep people entertained for 7 days at sea with unique programs that focus on different topics, guest speakers, performances, etc.

Just like the difference between a casual hotel and a fancy hotel, different atmospheres appeal to different passengers. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. This fast-growing line has dominated the world of river cruising for North Americans for years, and in the last few years, it's become a significant player in upscale ocean cruising as well. Viking's 80 river ships operate on just about every major river in the world, and its 10 ocean ships (up from just one in 2015) can be found in a growing number of destinations, too.

Whether seeking a basic bargain of a cabin or desiring all the trappings of luxury, each of these lines offers something a bit different. If there’s anything consistent about cruise fares is that they are inconsistent. An incredible amount of variability exists when it comes to cruise pricing. It may vary depending on itinerary, season, age of the cruise ship, cabin category, etc.  Therefore, it can be a challenge when trying to compare apples to apples.

Celebrity Cruises offers a sophisticated cruise experience with world-class dining, exceptional on-board service and unique worldwide itineraries. The Celebrity ships are chic and modern and consistently rank among the best in the world. Select your cruise line and find everything you need to plan your cruise including deck plans, ship details, features and highlights as well as cabin images and descriptions. When you are ready, search the internet's largest cruise database to find the perfect cruise line for your next cruise vacation. That said, the ships, once on board, are generally very nice and friendly to all types of cruisers from first-timers to experienced cruisers and people who enjoy traveling with family. Our experience with MSC definitely pointed out that the European origination of the cruise line has seen nearly the entire ship full of multi-generational family groups taking large group vacations together.

The cruise line has a partnership with Lego, so creative kids who love to build will be thrilled. Activities for Young Club and Teen Club attendees include sports tournaments, video gaming, dance competitions and karaoke. As for bars and lounges, both offer a wide selection, including pool bars, piano and karaoke bars and sophisticated lounges. MSC's World Europa and Euribia have more than 20 places to imbibe, while Royal Caribbean's 10 largest ships each have a dozen or more — and Icon of the Seas will feature 15, including a few new concepts. The closest MSC comes to matching Royal Caribbean's stateroom and suite offerings is aboard MSC World Europa, which debuted in late 2022 and features 19 stateroom categories, including seven new designs. The most impressive non-MSC-Yacht-Club accommodation on World Europa is the 377-square-foot Grand Suite Aurea with Terrace and Whirlpool.

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