Originally Posted by First_Class_Flyer
I was looking at Celebrity for a sailing to Bermuda. I checked out the ship on Cruise Critic and was not impressed. I like the idea of a cruise, but I'm really looking for something small and intimate. That is something that that a larger line cannot deliver.
If you are looking at luxury lines, then Celebrity Horizon or Zenith will disappoint, I think. They are both older ships and whilst having a loyal following, they could never compete with Silversea, Seabourn and the like. Horizon is off to pastures new soon to be changed and refitted for Island Cruises. Rumours are Zenith will follow, although nothing has been confirmed.
As far as HAL and Princess, these are still not luxury. They are mainstream and Zuiderdam is definitely not small and intimate. If you want smaller and intimate then sticking to the lines mentioned in the first post would be the way to go, I feel.
Trouble is the cruise market is full of ships in the Caribbean in summer and the issue with hurricanes last year has, as an example, encouraged another of Celebrity's to go to Europe in the summer, where filling them is easier and revenues are stronger. This is probably in the minds of those luxury lines who have less ships to play with.