Originally Posted by
SkaterJasp
Of the mainstream cruise lines, I've been on Royal Caribbean, Disney, Princess, Carnival, and Norwegian. If you read my last post, you'll pretty much know I think Norwegian is garbage, and they are. With that said... I really like everyone else.
Disney Cruise Line is great for the family and the food is amazing. The rooms are huge by cruise line standards, after all they are designed for families. Also the service on the ship is amazing! The staff cater to everyones individual needs. Also the adults only areas and dining venue is amazing. When I say the food is great, I mean it is on par or better than the specialty dining venues that other cruise lines charge for. Also Castaway Cay, Disney's Private Island, is one of the best private island I've been too.
Princess is more traditional of them all. The rooms are a bit small but it's great for a nice relaxing cruise. Also they are the best to take if Alaska is your destination. Princess pretty much have Alaska on lock down. They own lodges throughout Alaska that they use for their land base tour packages. In addition, they have guides that give narration during the tour and special lectures.
Carnival has a bad reputation but I don't really see anything wrong with them. They offer the bare basic of what people expect out of a cruise. They're catering to the masses. They have good food, nothing fancy, but theres nothing wrong with classic comfort food in the dining room. The shows are amazing. The rooms are decent size and functional.
Of all the cruises I've taken, over half, 36 to be exact as of today, were on Royal Caribbean. To me they are by far the BEST of the BEST when it comes to cruises. What I like about Royal Caribbean is they have ships of all sizes that do different set of itinerary. Like the small ships aren't really the best when compared to their midsize or larger ships, but they go to places like Cuba. In addition, the onboard amenities are amazing, especially on larger ships. They are also the best of Disney, Carnival, and Princess combined. They have the traditional element of Princess with similar venues and vibes if that's what you're looking for. They have the party atmosphere of Carnival, especially on 7 nights or shorter cruises. In addition, with their extensive kids and teen program plus their partnership with Dreamwork, they also got the family friendliness of Disney. If I have to classified the type of service found on Royal Caribbean, I have to say it's friendly and family. I say that because everyone I've encounter and interacted with at Royal Caribbean treats me as a friend or part of their family. They don't have the "I have to smile because I'm being paid to". It's laid back, yet professional. Think Alaska Airline / Virgin America when it comes to service. They have something for everyone. If you want luxury, you got it! With their Suite program on Quantum and Oasis Class ships, you'll have access to benefits and amenities that aren't found on other cruise lines. Depending on the suite you get on the ship, you may have access to the onboard "Genie" that can reserve the seats you want at the theater or get you a reservation at restaurants that are full.
Royal Caribbean is also the most innovative cruise line of them all, using the latest cutting edge technology to enhance the cruising experience. Where else can you find robotic bartenders, sky diving simulators, or ice skating rinks with projection mapping technology.
If you want luxury, Royal Caribbean offer wide arrangement of suites such as multilevel Loft Suites, insanely huge suites, and multilevel family suites that comes with a slide connecting the kids room to the living area.
There are a lot of ships to pick from at Royal Caribbean. They're all divided into classes and if you want luxury, I'd go with a Quantum Class ship. Specifically Anthem of the Seas out of Cape Liberty / Bayonne, NJ (Near EWR / Newark, NJ). The reason why is the ship is super modern. When you walk in, it looks like you walk into an modern art gallery. The ship features robotic bartenders, 270 lounge, bumper cars, trapeze school, iFly Sky Diving Simulators, FlowRider surf simulator, Wonderland (the best restaurant at sea), and some of the best production show at sea. The shows in the main theater is "We Will Rock You" and "The Gift", both amazing shows that rival those on broadway. If you want something more Vegas ish, they have that too with Spectra Cabaret and it features aerialist. Think Cirque mixed with Vegas. The ship is huge but not as big as their Oasis Class ship and it doesn't feel big at all. The ship is divided into several area and the elevators are placed such that it's never too far of walk from one venue to another. It's basically a big mega ship with a small ship feel.