We always have a good time almost every place we go.

As long as we can have a balcony that allows us to lay in bed and watch the world go by for as late as we desire, plenty of good fresh fruits, veggies and grilled fish or chicken and decent wine whenever we want it, dance lessons in the day time, and good bands, that play good dance music, and a not-too-crowded dance floor at night, we are happy.

Of course, free computer access and good dance friends on board, just sweeten the pot. :)

Agree on Oceania. Mrs. Cornroaster and I just completed our second Oceania cruise (GIG to EZE) on Insignia and enjoyed the ship just as much as we enjoyed IST to ATH in Fall 2006 on Nautica. I was looking at this thread trying to figure where to place Oceania and I think you have it just about right.

Regent is also all-inclusive (beverages including most alcoholic beverages with wine at dinner except for "ultra-premium" stuff, tips, in-suite setup of either 2 standard or 1 premium bottle) - so the only extras that most people would have are shore excursions and spa charges and for "new" passengers internet access. We've been on Regent/Radisson on 9 cruises now and always have a pleasant experience. Although we don't have much to compare since we've only been on Regent except for a Danube River cruise

It's worth noting that the free internet access on Princess only comes if you have a suite (all internet is free) or a $75 (or more, depending on length) credit if you are Platinum or above (six or more completed cruises). A huge benefit of Platinum, by the way, is the free upgrade on the travel insurance.

The good dance friends, however, come completely free of charge. :D

We were visiting my parents last night and the discussion of cruise lines came up. They did a 35-day repositioning cruise on Oceania and loved it. I'd put it in the JW Marriott "tweener" category. We all noted, though, that the big subject of discussion on cruises is how the line that you are currently on is never as good as the one that you just took! :)

Mike

Just came off Insignia.did not like it as much as Azamara Journey.

Things have changed a bit. Don't go on Sea Dream today and expect single malt without extra charge. Sail on Crystal and drink all you want without extra charge.

Category makes a distinction
 

Have you been in NCL's Haven (private locked area with dedicated restaurant, pool, courtyard)? Its comparable to the concierge level in a Westin hotel. The Haven is a hip environment from a design, furnishings, atmosphere.

The Haven cabins are on higher decks: click
http://shop.cruisedeals.com/cs/forms...=3147499&sno=1

celebrity is moving up....by next year they will have dedicated restaurant / dining for Suite pax only. Quite nice, away from all the crowds and noises.

Yeah it's silly to have Celebrity and RCCL at the same level, since RCCL is explicit that Celebrity is its (semi-)upscale line. Azamara, of course, is actually upscale, a bit.

Putting Cunard in the highest level just because of how its Queens Grill pax are treated is also silly. Most lines have special treatment for their highest-paying pax, it doesn't make the lines upscale. The vast majority of Cunard is horrifically mass-market. And it's owned by Carnival.

So is Seabourne. ;)

Sorry, but you need to move Disney up and drop Carnival to the yet to be created tier of Motel 6, America's Best Value Inn, and EconoLodge.

I would move Princess up to being with RCI as well. Carnival and NCL work for being lowest, entry level. I would move Cunard down to the mid category of that list, but further split it to being Hilton - Cunard, Celeb, and Hilton Homewood Suites - Princess, Disney, HAL and RCI.

Of course you can rate many industries on a scale of 1-star to 3-stars (or whatever), but that doesn't mean the experiences are directly comparable.

To be more concrete, I find that the quality of lodging and food service on Carnival (an entry-level, low-end cruise line) to be more on par with Marriott (Marriott, Spring Hill Suites, Residence Inn, and Courtyard brands, specifically) and Sheraton (Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, and some Westins, specifically). Low end hotel chains (Motel 6, Red Roof, etc) simply do not provide the overall experience, dining opportunities, room service, swimming pools) that Carnival does. Really, Carnival is more like a floating resort-grade hotel, since multiple swimming pools, gambling, bars, shopping, multiple dining options, multiple entertainment options, and so forth are available. And the entertainment, swimming, dining, and optional room service are entirely included in the "room rate". AND you get to experience multiple cities/venues/countries at the same time, as a rule. You'll never get that at even a 5-star resort, which as a rule charge extra for every little thing for a rack-rate room.

So I strongly disagree. To classify Carnival, RCCL, and NCL as "motel grade" is a great disservice to the industry as a whole, and those lines in particular. Given the overall experience, the low-end cruise lines begin to compare to the middle-high-end hotel chains, and surpass even the best, in some ways. If you must compare apples to oranges, at least consider the entire experience. That's my opinion, anyway.

Okay, I'm a cruiseaholic. Boarding my 6th this year in less than two weeks. Over the years, I've rotated from Carnival (party time) to NCL (anytime dining and the entertainment) to Princess (ports, laundry and liquor) to Celebrity (food, serenity and libations) to RCCL (value and perks). Maybe someday I will be doing Holland America, but I am not there yet.

Who's better? Depends what you are looking for. Dance space, food, cabin size, entertainment, attitude of personnel, how old is the ship (I laugh when comparing the Majesty to the Oasis), demographic of clientele, and dozens of other factors.

What is important is to reach an 'elite level' status with whomever you choose. The 'perks' can be significant and are almost always quite pleasant. Quite frankly, it is by far the best vacation value if you like cruising, and if you are willing to spend the time looking, the prices can be extraordinary.

moved