Am looking to take some family and friends for a cruise. They all like great foods, wines, shows and dancing--therefore I thought a smaller ship would not qualify. Do you have any special experience and recommendations. Cruise with emphasis on special chefs/food and wines would be probably the best.

I have been on 27 cruises on most every line. Since I am a wine judge, I too care about the food/vino. Here is my cruise line recommendation as to a couple that are superior to Crystal: 1) Seabourn
2) Silversea. Both are small to med size ships and offer excellent food/wine/service.

For ships carrying more than 500 passengers. Crystal.

Try Celebrity for a cruise with great food. That line is consistently praised for its chef. Look up cruises in www.cruisereview.com (http://www.cruisereview.com) Its ships are definitely larger than 500. The rooms are a generous size also. How old and how rich are your friends? The smaller ships tend to cater to the rich retirees.