I KNOW I WILL HATE THAT CRUISE LINE. People have a cruise line they love. They also have a cruise line they just know they will hate sailing on. Even though they have never gone on one of their ships.
After 8 cruises i found without a shadow of a doubt that the older crowd is FAR and AWAY the best thing about cruises....they are so fun to be around and can fit in better than the younger...who knew...and I love them for it.
I've never had an issue with the crew on a cruise ship However, I'm now 43 however when I was cruising in my 20s and '30s and you get in with the older crowd they tend to be entitled and think that the cruise ship staff should bend over backwards for them and take care of them before they take care of any other passengers especially younger ones. There have been a couple of cruises that I've been on where the older cruisers seem to think that we should still be dressing up to the nines every night for dinner in the main dining room!!(If you want to dress up to the nines by all means go for it that's up to you and if you don't want (dress down Fridays) eating amongst you feel free to go ahead and go to a upcharge restaurant! I cruise in March usually. I think it was 2019 I actually cruised the end of March into the very beginning of April. But most of the time it is either March or the first week in April.
Cruising costs too much to try something new if you are loyal to a brand that you already enjoy. For those of us who do not live near a cruise port and prefer cruises of longer duration, there is a major cost associated with planning a trip. Not going to risk it trying a different brand. Stick with what works for you. If you are new to cruising, do your homework before you book. Different cruise lines appeal to different demographics. I love HAL. It works for me. I don’t like mega ships, don’t need roller coasters or rock climbing walls. The itinerary and comfort of the cruise are more important than a huge crowd or party atmosphere. Therefore, certain cruise lines just do not appeal to me. Find the right match.
I don't have money growing on trees. We can only go every few years, so we can't spend money on an unknown. We only go on Royal Caribbean, but we do change ships. We've been on Mariner, Oasis, Freedom, Harmony, and Wonder. Taking the Serenade next year to Alaska.
With TH-cam we now have "insider " info on the ships from you, Tony, and others that can help us make more informed decisions on cruise lines and ships that we have not previously experienced. That info helps break the stereotypes that some folks have about cruise lines. Thanks, Don!
That's the beauty of competition. It's fun to chase and climb loyalty status, but if you want to save money... it's always best to be a free agent. Plus, every cruise line has its own culture similar to McDonalds and Burger King.
We will the on the HAL Volendam to Iceland, Greenland and Canada in July. Looking forward to a ship with only 1400 guests. It can go to smaller ports too.
Virgin Voyages changed my views about cruising, I was very impressed by its status match program, the awesome service onboard and how it was different from the usual cruising. I didn’t expect I would fall in love with VV, until I went on it. Thanks to Resilient Lady. I had sailed on many ships, NCL, Princess, RC, Crystal etc. I still love them, but VV will be a cruise line which I will continue to sail.
They lost two of my luggage on the night before disembarkation and our reports went nowhere. Not a single call back even though the staff at the port assured us that we will get a call update on that day. Just an automated email that says luggage has not been found yet.
I only avoid Carnival because of all the drunken fights you hear about on them. There are so many other cruise lines where I can enjoy the cruising experience and rarely encounter drunken behavior.
Don, my husband and I had been to few Cruises on different vessel, and we like them all. It really depends on where we want to go, and the fares, they’re all great.
I agree with you Don. We enjoyed our cruise on Carnival and on RCL. We have sailed mostly on NCL, and since they came out with the Free at Sea Promotion, have stayed with them exclusively. We now have loyalty status and get some perks. We will never be able to sail often enough to build loyalty on the other lines, so we tend to focus on Norwegian.
Been on almost 20 cruises recently...have to honestly say, I've enjoyed ALL of them! Celebrity, Princess, Carnival and Holland! They all have pros and cons. Try to have fun wherever you are!!
All my cruises are on Holland America. Mostly because they have fewer kids, longer itineraries, and usually stay in port longer. I've been on all their ships but the Rotterdam. They are all different. I was sad to see the Amsterdam go to Fred Olsen and lose that gorgeous clock. I also only cruised once a year, now with prices the way they are, I can only afford every other year now.
To be fair to Fred, they've done a good job rebranding the ex Holland America ship. I've been on the Borealis (ex HAL Rotterdam) and it was lovely. Also been on the new HAL Rotterdam, also lovely!!
Agreed - Celebrity will not get my business because not everyone can or want to cruise as double occupancy and it is unfair to charge extra a solo cruiser for potential spending a non-existing person may have spent
You're absolutely right. Don't knock it until you've tried it. I tried Carnival, NCL, Princess and Holland America. Each Line has it's uniqueness. It really depends on what you're looking for and want. Thanks for input on cruising. Keep up the good work.
DON!! Princess cruise from San Francisco to Hawaii! Set up a group cruise and count us in!! 😎 Loved the Alaskan cruise, Robin and Stan Christopher. I'm a Princess cruise line convert from NCL. IT WAS AN AWESOME CRUISE!
I've been on multiple lines. Princess, Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian. We plan to try MSC next year. They each have a different vibe. We plan to go on Virgin at some point, to try it out. We plan to continue with a couple of these lines in the future, a couple not so much. It's nice to have a choice. 😊
You got it so right Don, each ship and each cruise company has its own vibe. I've been on Holland America, Princess, Carnival, and Viking and each has its pluses and minuses. Now that I'm older I enjoy Viking because of itinerary and it's just more sedated and less crowded.
Great analogy Don about someone who sails a few times a year versus someone who only cruises once every several years. I never looked at it from that perspective before. I used to say I would never sail Virgin Voyages until after my first sailing with Princess on a transatlantic. After that sailing I said I love the luxury of Princess but hate the older crowd and outdated entertainment. So I tried Virgin Voyages because they were marketing more to people my age (under 50, no kids, not families). Well, turns out on Virgin Voyages transatlantic that I just got off of the median age was 55!!! A lot of older passengers were on the ship! But the entertainment, activities and food are better than Princess! Virgin Voyages is now my favorite line and I swore I would never sail with them! The caveat here is that I’m a SOLO cruiser. As you know that makes all the difference as to what lines are going to appeal to me. If I was sailing as a part of a couple with a romantic partner I would definitely book Princess HAL, or Oceania but right now those lines do not allure a solo cruiser under 50.
Solo cruising = $$$$$, at least for Holland America. They actually charged me more than double the rate for a couple, saying there was not that extra person to spend money on shore excursions, extra-pay restaurants, the shops, and the casino.
@@birbluv9595 this is 1 of 2 reasons I won’t sail HAL. I’m too young and I can sail other lines cheaper, even with the solo supplement. HAL is smoking crack 🤣
@@loungelizard1975 yeah, I’m 67, and so my priorities are a little different - like i loved the B.B. King Blues club. I would have to look for a cheaper cruise line to get around the single supplement b.s. But I think I would be slotted into more expensive luxury cruise lines.
I’ve only been on 3 cruises with the same cruise line. I have those pre conceived ideas about the other lines. I will be more opened minded in the future. Thanks Don for the eye opener.
Hi Don, we are in Australia our fav cruise line is Princess but if I want an Australian feel to my cruise we sail with P & O Australia I don’t know what it is the ships have that layback ausi feel. But this not going to be this time next year I know they are part of Carnival corp. so I think Australians will miss these ships. But it will be interesting if any ships are down here year round like P & O were. Love your youtube channel.
Cruising is expensive for most people and I think that is why a lot of cruisers stick with what they know. I love Princess and will mostly travel with them, but hope to try some others but really not sure I will.
It’s easy to say “Try this.” That’s a hunk of retirement money gone that i will never get back to use for something I’m more sure I’ll enjoy. My investments are very conservative and my retirement account is not raking in enough money for me to spend on expensive mistakes.
Took a Princess cruise on Majestic last year in Australia and I was really surprised. It was already school holidays here but hardly any kids on board. Delighted and relieved that the other cruisers were mostly older, which I wasn't expecting at all. So yes, you can be surprised to have your preconceptions turfed, and sometimes it is a pleasant shock.
Good point about different ships. My first two cruises were on Enchantment of the Seas. Then I cruised on Liberty of the seas. The difference was like night and day. I learned very quickly that I like smaller, more traditional ships.
I think it's always a good idea to truly try something out fully yourself before hastening to make a conclusion/judgement, but at the same time it's also a good idea to do a bit of research so you have some inkling of what you're getting into so you don't have a totally different/unrealistic set of expectations and so disappointed/overwhelmed by that. A balance of some preparation together with keeping an open mind can be a good combination.
Yes sir!! I agree I think it depends on what you are looking for and what you like on a cruise. myself I like NCL cause it seems like as a solo cruiser I get better deals with them and since they added the solo balcony deals it suits me. I have tried others like Holland and Carnival and enjoy them too.
I have been on Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines. I have had a bad experience on a particular ship but that did not stop me from sailing with the cruise line again. The second time on the same cruise line on a different ship was wonderful.
Princess is my favorite. I love the vibe and service and food. Have never had a bad experience with Princess. Celebrity is my 2nd. Have had bad experiences on RCL, Norwegian, and Holland.
Our 1st Princess cruise was on the Ruby Princess. It was much different than what we are used to. Several pros, some cons. We will still try their other ships!
I believe different entertainment directors of different ships in the same cruise line will affect the experiences on the ships. The 1st time I cruised on the Ruby Princess, I didn't have a great time. I cruised on her a few years later with a different cruise director staff and had a great time.
so Don - the wife and I are not drinkers (ok, once in a great while) and we are certainly not parrotheads - but we decided we wanted to see what the Margaritaville Cruise line is going to be like so we are booked for Cozumel in December. I much prefer the princess experience but this worked schedule wise - and we could have gone carnival the previous day on basically the same cruise (and we like Carnival too). I think variety is the spice of life and trying one of these short cruises is going to be different.
Thanks Don! We have been on 10 Virgin cruises and love them. We get tired of people judging Virgin when they have never been onboard a Virgin ship. Try it. You might be pleasantly surprised!
@@JC-sf2qm I hope that you will try VV! So much included in the rate (WiFi, gratuities, ALL restaurants, sodas & water, specialty exercise classes, and more). Did I mention no kids! Best food I have ever had at sea. Hammocks on the balconies. Diverse and happy crew who are allowed to show their personality (visible tattoos, comfortable uniforms, and staff in all ages, shapes, colors, sizes, and sexual orientations). We are 64 years old, so don’t believe the rumors that it is just a sexy party ship. There are fun parties to be found, for sure, but also relaxation and easy going fun as well. Shows are unique and energetic and they think outside the box. Don’t listen to people who have never tried it; check it out for yourself. I believe that you will be very glad that you did! My tip would be to arrive with an open mind and an open heart and the staff and the fellow Sailors will welcome you with open arms! ❤️
@mebourquin I judge companies based on how they treat customers when mistakes happen. Norwegian has a clear history of screwing customers that should have received refunds for dishonest corporate practices .
@@electrictroy2010 Yup... NCL is one to fear. I got a quote from the Oceania website for an itinerary, and then was proceeded to be called and emailed every day, sometimes twice, about giving Oceania my credit card to secure the reservation. I didn't have the hear to tell the agent that I've seen Viking and HAL bend over backwards to sometimes help guests that didn't precisely follow the rules or made a mistake.... whereas NCL would have told said guests to "screw off" because you agreed to this in the NCL/Oceania/RSSC Passage Contract.
Solo cruiser here. My focus on cruising is all about the ports/excursions. After doing a number of Caribbean cruises on various branded ships, i have been focusing on northern Europe (my ancestry.) So that means i have been using NCL. Two weeks ago i got back from an NCL circle tour of Ireland (my primaty ancestry.) There were more excursion options than i could do in one trip so am considering doing the same cruise again--to experience different excursions. I had lots of fun meal-excursions with Brits and even Irish who found it was cheaper to cruise than to pay for petrol/car rental/hotels/meals in order to do this circle tour!
We love Princess and have done a lot of cruises on them. We tried another cruise line and had lots if problems. However we are trying Regent Seven Seas later this year because of the itinerary.
Our first ever cruise was on the Serenade OTS out of NOLA, because we had heard that Carnival had a "party ship" reputation. Our next cruise was with family on the Carnival Dream, and we enjoyed it. Guess "reputation" is not always true...
I have only traveled on NCL and RC so far. I think that I would try Princess when I go to Alaska though because I heard that they have a lot of experience and have a preferential status at the ports and they supposedly do a land package. Yes, I have heard that Carnival has a party ship reputation so that does have me put off a bit. I guess if the price was right I would try it out.
I've traveled on Celebrity, Holland American, Costa, Carnival, Princess (a long, long time ago) and NCL. Our charter group had massive problems with Holland America and will not be using it again. Celebrity was ok, but we never saw our cabin steward, yet the first part of the back to back was great. I've enjoyed cruising for a long time, and now that I am a single cruiser, the cost is getting prohibitive. My experience on Costa was so bad, the only way I will set foot on it again is during an evac.
I've been on many different cruise lines without issues. I was hesitant about Carnival because of stories and rumors. But I've not had any problems or seen any issues while being on several of their ships. Now that we keep getting free deals, it's hard going with anyone else.
I lost my Mom 3 years ago, a month after her last cruise on Princess to Alaska. My Mom was 85 and loved Carnival Cruise Line!!! She was always looked after by cabin attendant s and paxs always would talk with her and take pictures with her! She loved Carnival!❤️
One never knows until they sail. I was on a Carnival Canada New England cruise that had an older crowd. A five year college reunion could book 100 cabins on a line that skews older
I’ve always said I’d never sail Carnival even if it was free due to all the stuff Carnival passengers have said when in port with them, the media stories, and pics of the rooms furniture wise don’t look as modern. I’ve sailed approx 34 times since March 2003 and NEVER Carnival.
We had such an awful experience with the Golden Princess back in 2013 to Alaska- cabin was dirty and customer service was horrible. The steak restaurant burned my steak and took too long to redo- the place was empty! We’d try it again with you!! Let’s do the new one- Sun!! We want to try the Britto experience because we are fans of his; also, the magical experience sounds amazing!
It really is more about the specific ship than the brand. One of my favorite cruises was on the same line of my least favorite. Two different ships-same line- two very different vibes.
Been on numerous cruises and differance lines. I agree they all have something different about them. However, Princess which we both enjoy, need to up the music variance. We are in our late 60's to mid 70's. You never get the bands playing the music of the 60,70 and 80. Considering our age group makes up a fair proportion of of the passengers especially on the long haul cruises 20, 30 plus day voyages.
We are willing to try different cruise lines, but since we spend so much time in the casino, we get really great offers from Princess, so we tend to take advantage of those offers. We are fine sticking with Princess. We did a short cruise on Royal Carribean recently and it just wasn't the same.
I was a Princess only, but am sad to see how they are going downhill. I just returned from Sapphire Princess Alaska. The food court food was awful. It is not just me. I was part of a group of 16. All are experienced cruisers. All were disappointed. The MDR quality was fine, but they have reduced their selections too far. People with dairy allergies had very few choices. Yes, Princess accommodated them, but basically, they ate only one or two entrees, and fruit was only sweet option available to them. Wait staff was minimal in number. Cabin steward was running all the time he had so many cabins to take care of. It is good the scenery is so gorgeous because the ship was pitiful.
True what you stated in post. I am loyal to Celebrity maybe RC. The reward status is the biggy. I am too high on the loyalty to give it up to try another cruise line. I did go on Cunard because the cruise was less than the business class airfare. It was ok, but not up to the standards of Celebrity.
It's funny that you mention the Summit and the Beyond. I've sailed on the Summit four times - more times than any other ship. I haven't sailed on the Beyond. I suspect I might like the latter, but am I willing to plunk down $2000+ on a ship/line that I might not like? That's a tough sell, and I understand anyone's reluctance to try a cruise line or ship that's personally unfamiliar to them.
Well I'm Gluten-Free and not by choice. I have Celiac. So how a cruiseline treats me and my diet dictates everything for me. Carnival was an awful experience for me, I pretty much starved all week. When I did eat their meager GF food offerings I became very sick. So either they either mislabeled or mislead. Plus whenever I mentioned my allergy I was treated poorly treated like I was a nuisance. I will never sail with them again. On the flip-side NCL has always treated me well and never made me feel like a nuisance. My last Princess was a mix of both depending on where I was on the ship. But I'm giving Princess another try in January and I hope it's improved.
One of the ladies in my group cruise with Holland America had celiacs. HAL did a great job. She was able to choose her dinner the night before. They have a dedicated group of chefs who work on special dietary requirements. I didn’t each breakfast or lunch with her so I don’t know how those meals were handled for her but she was very pleased. They even surprised her with a cake for her birthday.
I did the 3 and 4 day Ensenada cruise. The 3 day was a party cruise the 4 day was like any other 7 day cruise real mellow crowd. The 7 day Royal Caribbean out of Galveston was a more lively crowd.
Don we to love Princess Cruise Line and have traveled with them over 30 times, and have done NCL, a few times and Carnival many times but for us we look at itineraries first the cruise ship second we personally like smaller ships
Fun you said the Celebrity Summit we are going on our First cruise with Celebrity in October on the summit southern Caribbean. We are excited about it. We going to try MSC at the end of June but we had things come up that would have made it hard. We will try it once or twice then done with it. We are more NCL fans but if price is better we will try it.
Carnival seems to have the greatest disparity between ships. Their newer ships seem closer to the Princess/Celebrity/Holland America lines. Their older ships like the Glory are a motel 6 on water attracting Neanderthals.
Yep never. I've not been with them (or any yet) but they have too much negative press. That many people can't be wrong. Seen too much footage of nice people being treated horribly
Agree. We gave MSC a try 3 times. We will NEVER sail them again. If you ever have a problem with the bill, you can forget a proper resolution. Their back-in customer service and knowledge of the crew is horrible
We are looking forward to our first Cruise with Princess. We are on the Enchanted Princess in February. I know it will be a different experience than our Holland America cruise. 👍
Don, if you plan another group cruise, can you do one for 2026 leaving out of Fort Lauderdale? It’s just easier and cheaper going to Fort Lauderdale than going out of the country. We’d like to celebrate for our 40th wedding anniversary with a cruise that we can do like real ahead of time so we can make payments, so 14 or 21 would be awesome if you could get a good deal we love Holland America but we also love Princess too so it’s just a question. I missed Cruises lately. I’m glad your health is good. Take care. Hope to see you in the future.❤
We love Celebrity but have been on Royal and Carnival. We have always had a nice time. Just to go on a cruise, is what we look forward to. We keep going on Celebrity, because of the Captain's Club Program.
Good job but your Canadian sense is starting to shine through. Expecting or even hoping that people will not make a judgment until they try it out is very un American. It’s very American to have opinions based on what people tell you what you read about them many different other things that have nothing to do with the personal experience. This is pretty much a bread and butter thing in America. as having lived since birth till about age 35 in Canada, Ottawa, Ontario Ontario in Barhaven lol. I do understand where you coming from and I do understand that is very Canadian.. wish it was American. for us our favorite cruise line is Disney head shoulders above everybody else but the next one after three Disney cruises is worth thinking to try virgin cruise line
Yes I can add cruise for us is every 3 years as I live within driving distance to nothing like Florida where you can take fast cheap weekend three day trips pretty much as far away as you can be by the Vancouver border
I told my cruising friends to avoid Carnival. Don't cruise Carnival. Well, a friend cruised Carnival Inspiration to Catalina Island and Ensenada. She loved it. So, I tried her sister ship Imagination on the same itinerary. We had a blast. We will definitely cruise Carnival again. Now for NCL: I'm on the fence. A friend cruised the NCL Gem to Europe last year, and in her opinion, the ship was meh. But... I still remember my opinion of Carnival. So, I think I'm thawing in relation to NCL and will try the line.
Believe me, we try before we judge, we had the worse experience onboard NCL, our cabin was dirty, the balcony was filthy, food always came out cool. The only place we ate hot food was on the specialty restaurants. It was on the Breakaway, and you were there. We are used to clean ships and good food in the main Dining Room. We always do, Celebrity, Royal and Princess!
Some of those reputations were well earned over an extended amount of time, and it will take years to repair them. There are cruise lines I avoid, not because I hate them, but they aren't my style. If there is a dress code for after 6pm, you won't find me on it. Did that years ago, and once was enough. More importantly I avoid mega ships, if I wanted to go to a resort full of kids, I would go to Disneyland.
I will pick the ship that has the best fit for my destination. I'm intrigued by Holland America which has Canadian port stops. Thete's an older ship with 1400 capacity which is right up my alley.
It's good to try a different cruise line sometimes. You never know till you try it. The ports may be different and the experience may be what you wanted for that vacation. It never hurts to try something new.
The travel agent my mom's Alaskan cruise was with was bashing Carnival big-time. She didn't even mention them when people were looking for cruises. I had to question her how many Carnival cruises she went on. Naturally her answer WAS NONE. she went by "they're the party animal cruise" type answer. I then tod her, that it was ironic because I was going to be leaving in less than two weeks for my SIXTH cruise on Carnival and said that it was fabulous food, entertainment, activities, ports (Half Moon Cay).....I think I knocked her down a peg. I would not cruise on RCI because the ships nickel and dining. The ship is also geared for sports like features. Sorry, not for me. A person said that the newer ships have ice skating rinks, which I promptly said I live in Canada and, if conditions are right, I can unwittingly ice skate in the parking lot of my condo on black ice, so, ya, not into ice skating on a ship. Or rock climbing, or zip lining, or bumper cars..... I cruise Carnival for cost, ports, and just plain fun vibe. I do as much or as little as I want.....heck, they have Guy Burgers and Blue Iguana cantina, oooh and now Shaq 's big chicken, or Pig & Anchor...
I get what you say about the same company and two different feels. Celebrity Edge class vs non-Edge class ships are so different. I have sailed both and LOVE both but they are different.
After 8 cruises i found without a shadow of a doubt that the older crowd is FAR and AWAY the best thing about cruises....they are so fun to be around and can fit in better than the younger...who knew...and I love them for it.
Sure, 😂
I've never had an issue with the crew on a cruise ship However, I'm now 43 however when I was cruising in my 20s and '30s and you get in with the older crowd they tend to be entitled and think that the cruise ship staff should bend over backwards for them and take care of them before they take care of any other passengers especially younger ones.
There have been a couple of cruises that I've been on where the older cruisers seem to think that we should still be dressing up to the nines every night for dinner in the main dining room!!(If you want to dress up to the nines by all means go for it that's up to you and if you don't want (dress down Fridays) eating amongst you feel free to go ahead and go to a upcharge restaurant!
I cruise in March usually. I think it was 2019 I actually cruised the end of March into the very beginning of April. But most of the time it is either March or the first week in April.
Cruising costs too much to try something new if you are loyal to a brand that you already enjoy. For those of us who do not live near a cruise port and prefer cruises of longer duration, there is a major cost associated with planning a trip. Not going to risk it trying a different brand. Stick with what works for you. If you are new to cruising, do your homework before you book. Different cruise lines appeal to different demographics. I love HAL. It works for me. I don’t like mega ships, don’t need roller coasters or rock climbing walls. The itinerary and comfort of the cruise are more important than a huge crowd or party atmosphere. Therefore, certain cruise lines just do not appeal to me. Find the right match.
I like that Princess has refundable deposits. Things happen and not being able to get that money back is terrible .
It's okay, Don. You can admit to loving Princess. It won't upset us.
Princess is my favourite also. I have over 120 Princess cruises.
@@cruisecrazy7066 😲Wow!
Princess entertainment was extremely poor! I did like everything else. @@cruisecrazy7066
I’ll admit I love the princess
Don receives considerable r enumeration by Princess for his influencer status. Make no mistake about where his positivity comes from.
I don't have money growing on trees. We can only go every few years, so we can't spend money on an unknown. We only go on Royal Caribbean, but we do change ships. We've been on Mariner, Oasis, Freedom, Harmony, and Wonder. Taking the Serenade next year to Alaska.
With TH-cam we now have "insider " info on the ships from you, Tony, and others that can help us make more informed decisions on cruise lines and ships that we have not previously experienced. That info helps break the stereotypes that some folks have about cruise lines. Thanks, Don!
Ive been on multiple lines and they all have pros and cons. I try to find the best deal!
That's the beauty of competition. It's fun to chase and climb loyalty status, but if you want to save money... it's always best to be a free agent. Plus, every cruise line has its own culture similar to McDonalds and Burger King.
Lov the older smaller ships, Brands only come into play when I choose destination, I would pick smaller ship over any mega ship.
Yes, me too
Absolutely!
We will the on the HAL Volendam to Iceland, Greenland and Canada in July. Looking forward to a ship with only 1400 guests. It can go to smaller ports too.
Me to love Azamara
@@leslieoconnell2051 I'm doing that same trip. Love the smaller ships. And the destinations.
Virgin Voyages changed my views about cruising, I was very impressed by its status match program, the awesome service onboard and how it was different from the usual cruising. I didn’t expect I would fall in love with VV, until I went on it. Thanks to Resilient Lady. I had sailed on many ships, NCL, Princess, RC, Crystal etc. I still love them, but VV will be a cruise line which I will continue to sail.
They lost two of my luggage on the night before disembarkation and our reports went nowhere. Not a single call back even though the staff at the port assured us that we will get a call update on that day. Just an automated email that says luggage has not been found yet.
I only avoid Carnival because of all the drunken fights you hear about on them. There are so many other cruise lines where I can enjoy the cruising experience and rarely encounter drunken behavior.
Don, my husband and I had been to few Cruises on different vessel, and we like them all. It really depends on where we want to go, and the fares, they’re all great.
I agree with you Don. We enjoyed our cruise on Carnival and on RCL. We have sailed mostly on NCL, and since they came out with the Free at Sea Promotion, have stayed with them exclusively. We now have loyalty status and get some perks. We will never be able to sail often enough to build loyalty on the other lines, so we tend to focus on Norwegian.
My husband and I really liked Virgin Voyages and we are both over 65. We loved it We saw people from 21 to 80 +
Been on almost 20 cruises recently...have to honestly say, I've enjoyed ALL of them! Celebrity, Princess, Carnival and Holland! They all have pros and cons. Try to have fun wherever you are!!
All my cruises are on Holland America. Mostly because they have fewer kids, longer itineraries, and usually stay in port longer.
I've been on all their ships but the Rotterdam. They are all different. I was sad to see the Amsterdam go to Fred Olsen and lose that gorgeous clock.
I also only cruised once a year, now with prices the way they are, I can only afford every other year now.
To be fair to Fred, they've done a good job rebranding the ex Holland America ship. I've been on the Borealis (ex HAL Rotterdam) and it was lovely. Also been on the new HAL Rotterdam, also lovely!!
We love the smaller ships. We look at the destinations to determine what ship to take.
Princess is awesome! Holland is great too. Celebrity is great until they choose to charge singles an extra charge.
Agreed - Celebrity will not get my business because not everyone can or want to cruise as double occupancy and it is unfair to charge extra a solo cruiser for potential spending a non-existing person may have spent
You're absolutely right. Don't knock it until you've tried it. I tried Carnival, NCL, Princess and Holland America. Each Line has it's uniqueness. It really depends on what you're looking for and want. Thanks for input on cruising. Keep up the good work.
DON!! Princess cruise from San Francisco to Hawaii! Set up a group cruise and count us in!! 😎 Loved the Alaskan cruise, Robin and Stan Christopher. I'm a Princess cruise line convert from NCL. IT WAS AN AWESOME CRUISE!
I've been on multiple lines. Princess, Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian. We plan to try MSC next year. They each have a different vibe. We plan to go on Virgin at some point, to try it out. We plan to continue with a couple of these lines in the future, a couple not so much. It's nice to have a choice. 😊
Been on many cruises lines but have only had one bad experience-MCS DIVINA. Never again will I do any MSC.
I hope you like music blasting everywhere all the time.
You got it so right Don, each ship and each cruise company has its own vibe. I've been on Holland America, Princess, Carnival, and Viking and each has its pluses and minuses. Now that I'm older I enjoy Viking because of itinerary and it's just more sedated and less crowded.
My mom took her first cruise ever on Virgin for her 80th birthday and absolutely loved it
Great analogy Don about someone who sails a few times a year versus someone who only cruises once every several years. I never looked at it from that perspective before. I used to say I would never sail Virgin Voyages until after my first sailing with Princess on a transatlantic. After that sailing I said I love the luxury of Princess but hate the older crowd and outdated entertainment. So I tried Virgin Voyages because they were marketing more to people my age (under 50, no kids, not families). Well, turns out on Virgin Voyages transatlantic that I just got off of the median age was 55!!! A lot of older passengers were on the ship! But the entertainment, activities and food are better than Princess! Virgin Voyages is now my favorite line and I swore I would never sail with them! The caveat here is that I’m a SOLO cruiser. As you know that makes all the difference as to what lines are going to appeal to me. If I was sailing as a part of a couple with a romantic partner I would definitely book Princess HAL, or Oceania but right now those lines do not allure a solo cruiser under 50.
Solo cruising = $$$$$, at least for Holland America. They actually charged me more than double the rate for a couple, saying there was not that extra person to spend money on shore excursions, extra-pay restaurants, the shops, and the casino.
@@birbluv9595 this is 1 of 2 reasons I won’t sail HAL. I’m too young and I can sail other lines cheaper, even with the solo supplement. HAL is smoking crack 🤣
@@loungelizard1975 yeah, I’m 67, and so my priorities are a little different - like i loved the B.B. King Blues club. I would have to look for a cheaper cruise line to get around the single supplement b.s. But I think I would be slotted into more expensive luxury cruise lines.
For us, having a self-serve laundromat is a cruise requirement.
I’ve only been on 3 cruises with the same cruise line. I have those pre conceived ideas about the other lines. I will be more opened minded in the future. Thanks Don for the eye opener.
Hi Don, we are in Australia our fav cruise line is Princess but if I want an Australian feel to my cruise we sail with P & O Australia I don’t know what it is the ships have that layback ausi feel. But this not going to be this time next year I know they are part of Carnival corp. so I think Australians will miss these ships. But it will be interesting if any ships are down here year round like P & O were. Love your youtube channel.
Cruising is expensive for most people and I think that is why a lot of cruisers stick with what they know. I love Princess and will mostly travel with them, but hope to try some others but really not sure I will.
It’s easy to say “Try this.” That’s a hunk of retirement money gone that i will never get back to use for something I’m more sure I’ll enjoy. My investments are very conservative and my retirement account is not raking in enough money for me to spend on expensive mistakes.
@@birbluv9595 My thoughts exactly. I want to get maximum satisfaction from my retirement.
Took a Princess cruise on Majestic last year in Australia and I was really surprised. It was already school holidays here but hardly any kids on board. Delighted and relieved that the other cruisers were mostly older, which I wasn't expecting at all. So yes, you can be surprised to have your preconceptions turfed, and sometimes it is a pleasant shock.
I am spoiled because I do love the big ships. Although, any cruise is better than being on land
Princess is lovely. We love celebrity too a lot
Good point about different ships. My first two cruises were on Enchantment of the Seas. Then I cruised on Liberty of the seas. The difference was like night and day. I learned very quickly that I like smaller, more traditional ships.
I think it's always a good idea to truly try something out fully yourself before hastening to make a conclusion/judgement, but at the same time it's also a good idea to do a bit of research so you have some inkling of what you're getting into so you don't have a totally different/unrealistic set of expectations and so disappointed/overwhelmed by that. A balance of some preparation together with keeping an open mind can be a good combination.
You are so right. Each ship is different. We only look at the itinerary
Just sucks because itineraries can and do change!
Yes sir!! I agree I think it depends on what you are looking for and what you like on a cruise. myself I like NCL cause it seems like as a solo cruiser I get better deals with them and since they added the solo balcony deals it suits me. I have tried others like Holland and Carnival and enjoy them too.
I have been on Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines. I have had a bad experience on a particular ship but that did not stop me from sailing with the cruise line again. The second time on the same cruise line on a different ship was wonderful.
Princess is my favorite. I love the vibe and service and food. Have never had a bad experience with Princess. Celebrity is my 2nd. Have had bad experiences on RCL, Norwegian, and Holland.
Our 1st Princess cruise was on the Ruby Princess. It was much different than what we are used to. Several pros, some cons. We will still try their other ships!
I believe different entertainment directors of different ships in the same cruise line will affect the experiences on the ships. The 1st time I cruised on the Ruby Princess, I didn't have a great time. I cruised on her a few years later with a different cruise director staff and had a great time.
Did Princess, Holland America, and then found Oceania. All were good but Oceania is our favorite so far.
I wish more lines would loyally match. Would be willing to try more lines
So many ships! Variety is the spice of life.
I can relate to what you said. I do love Princess but I only went on carnival and Royal one time each.
I was on the Virgin Voyages. I liked the hammock on the balcony.
I liked the track and gym...and that was it.
i enjoyed getting off.
so Don - the wife and I are not drinkers (ok, once in a great while) and we are certainly not parrotheads - but we decided we wanted to see what the Margaritaville Cruise line is going to be like so we are booked for Cozumel in December. I much prefer the princess experience but this worked schedule wise - and we could have gone carnival the previous day on basically the same cruise (and we like Carnival too). I think variety is the spice of life and trying one of these short cruises is going to be different.
Thanks Don! We have been on 10 Virgin cruises and love them. We get tired of people judging Virgin when they have never been onboard a Virgin ship. Try it. You might be pleasantly surprised!
Thanks for mentioning this .... I saw an itinerary that I liked for Ireland & Scotland and I wasn't too sure!
@@JC-sf2qm
I hope that you will try VV! So much included in the rate (WiFi, gratuities, ALL restaurants, sodas & water, specialty exercise classes, and more). Did I mention no kids! Best food I have ever had at sea. Hammocks on the balconies. Diverse and happy crew who are allowed to show their personality (visible tattoos, comfortable uniforms, and staff in all ages, shapes, colors, sizes, and sexual orientations). We are 64 years old, so don’t believe the rumors that it is just a sexy party ship. There are fun parties to be found, for sure, but also relaxation and easy going fun as well. Shows are unique and energetic and they think outside the box. Don’t listen to people who have never tried it; check it out for yourself. I believe that you will be very glad that you did!
My tip would be to arrive with an open mind and an open heart and the staff and the fellow Sailors will welcome you with open arms! ❤️
‘reputations’ aren’t imagined, they’re earned over time by many experiences
So true!
@mebourquin I judge companies based on how they treat customers when mistakes happen. Norwegian has a clear history of screwing customers that should have received refunds for dishonest corporate practices
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@@electrictroy2010I totally agree! I now refuse to give NCL one single penny!
@@electrictroy2010 Yup... NCL is one to fear. I got a quote from the Oceania website for an itinerary, and then was proceeded to be called and emailed every day, sometimes twice, about giving Oceania my credit card to secure the reservation. I didn't have the hear to tell the agent that I've seen Viking and HAL bend over backwards to sometimes help guests that didn't precisely follow the rules or made a mistake.... whereas NCL would have told said guests to "screw off" because you agreed to this in the NCL/Oceania/RSSC Passage Contract.
Solo cruiser here. My focus on cruising is all about the ports/excursions. After doing a number of Caribbean cruises on various branded ships, i have been focusing on northern Europe (my ancestry.) So that means i have been using NCL. Two weeks ago i got back from an NCL circle tour of Ireland (my primaty ancestry.) There were more excursion options than i could do in one trip so am considering doing the same cruise again--to experience different excursions. I had lots of fun meal-excursions with Brits and even Irish who found it was cheaper to cruise than to pay for petrol/car rental/hotels/meals in order to do this circle tour!
Thanks for mentioning this Ireland itinerary! I will check out NCL😊
I agree with you Don!
We love Princess and have done a lot of cruises on them. We tried another cruise line and had lots if problems. However we are trying Regent Seven Seas later this year because of the itinerary.
Our first ever cruise was on the Serenade OTS out of NOLA, because we had heard that Carnival had a "party ship" reputation. Our next cruise was with family on the Carnival Dream, and we enjoyed it. Guess "reputation" is not always true...
I'm not opposed to any except Margaritaville at Sea😅
I have only traveled on NCL and RC so far. I think that I would try Princess when I go to Alaska though because I heard that they have a lot of experience and have a preferential status at the ports and they supposedly do a land package. Yes, I have heard that Carnival has a party ship reputation so that does have me put off a bit. I guess if the price was right I would try it out.
I've traveled on Celebrity, Holland American, Costa, Carnival, Princess (a long, long time ago) and NCL. Our charter group had massive problems with Holland America and will not be using it again. Celebrity was ok, but we never saw our cabin steward, yet the first part of the back to back was great. I've enjoyed cruising for a long time, and now that I am a single cruiser, the cost is getting prohibitive. My experience on Costa was so bad, the only way I will set foot on it again is during an evac.
Just got off Costa, nightmare on every level!!!!
I've been on many different cruise lines without issues. I was hesitant about Carnival because of stories and rumors. But I've not had any problems or seen any issues while being on several of their ships. Now that we keep getting free deals, it's hard going with anyone else.
I lost my Mom 3 years ago, a month after her last cruise on Princess to Alaska.
My Mom was 85 and loved Carnival Cruise Line!!!
She was always looked after by cabin attendant s and paxs always would talk with her and take pictures with her!
She loved Carnival!❤️
One never knows until they sail.
I was on a Carnival Canada New England cruise that had an older crowd. A five year college reunion could book 100 cabins on a line that skews older
Yes believe you need to try it to see if you really like it.
Thanks for being a voice of reason ❤
Love that pink adrenal gland on your shelf!!
Thanks for pointing it out! How perfect!
I’ve always said I’d never sail Carnival even if it was free due to all the stuff Carnival passengers have said when in port with them, the media stories, and pics of the rooms furniture wise don’t look as modern. I’ve sailed approx 34 times since March 2003 and NEVER Carnival.
We had such an awful experience with the Golden Princess back in 2013 to Alaska- cabin was dirty and customer service was horrible. The steak restaurant burned my steak and took too long to redo- the place was empty! We’d try it again with you!! Let’s do the new one- Sun!! We want to try the Britto experience because we are fans of his; also, the magical experience sounds amazing!
Wish I could cruise more than once a year. Willing to try new lines,but we've mostly just sailed Princess and NCL.
Just did 2 Explora Journeys. Fantastic ship, crew and food
It really is more about the specific ship than the brand. One of my favorite cruises was on the same line of my least favorite. Two different ships-same line- two very different vibes.
Been on numerous cruises and differance lines. I agree they all have something different about them. However, Princess which we both enjoy, need to up the music variance. We are in our late 60's to mid 70's. You never get the bands playing the music of the 60,70 and 80. Considering our age group makes up a fair proportion of of the passengers especially on the long haul cruises 20, 30 plus day voyages.
We are willing to try different cruise lines, but since we spend so much time in the casino, we get really great offers from Princess, so we tend to take advantage of those offers. We are fine sticking with Princess. We did a short cruise on Royal Carribean recently and it just wasn't the same.
I am elite on princess but have noted a decline so have gone over to celebrity. Their loyalty perks are better as well- different feel and clientele 😊
I was a Princess only, but am sad to see how they are going downhill. I just returned from Sapphire Princess Alaska. The food court food was awful. It is not just me. I was part of a group of 16. All are experienced cruisers. All were disappointed. The MDR quality was fine, but they have reduced their selections too far. People with dairy allergies had very few choices. Yes, Princess accommodated them, but basically, they ate only one or two entrees, and fruit was only sweet option available to them. Wait staff was minimal in number. Cabin steward was running all the time he had so many cabins to take care of. It is good the scenery is so gorgeous because the ship was pitiful.
True what you stated in post. I am loyal to Celebrity maybe RC. The reward status is the biggy. I am too high on the loyalty to give it up to try another cruise line. I did go on Cunard because the cruise was less than the business class airfare. It was ok, but not up to the standards of Celebrity.
Totally agree I always say try before saying an opinion. After trying then you have a true opinion.
It's funny that you mention the Summit and the Beyond. I've sailed on the Summit four times - more times than any other ship. I haven't sailed on the Beyond. I suspect I might like the latter, but am I willing to plunk down $2000+ on a ship/line that I might not like? That's a tough sell, and I understand anyone's reluctance to try a cruise line or ship that's personally unfamiliar to them.
Well I'm Gluten-Free and not by choice. I have Celiac. So how a cruiseline treats me and my diet dictates everything for me. Carnival was an awful experience for me, I pretty much starved all week. When I did eat their meager GF food offerings I became very sick. So either they either mislabeled or mislead. Plus whenever I mentioned my allergy I was treated poorly treated like I was a nuisance. I will never sail with them again.
On the flip-side NCL has always treated me well and never made me feel like a nuisance. My last Princess was a mix of both depending on where I was on the ship. But I'm giving Princess another try in January and I hope it's improved.
One of the ladies in my group cruise with Holland America had celiacs. HAL did a great job. She was able to choose her dinner the night before. They have a dedicated group of chefs who work on special dietary requirements. I didn’t each breakfast or lunch with her so I don’t know how those meals were handled for her but she was very pleased. They even surprised her with a cake for her birthday.
I did the 3 and 4 day Ensenada cruise. The 3 day was a party cruise the 4 day was like any other 7 day cruise real mellow crowd. The 7 day Royal Caribbean out of Galveston was a more lively crowd.
Don we to love Princess Cruise Line and have traveled with them over 30 times, and have done NCL, a few times and Carnival many times but for us we look at itineraries first the cruise ship second we personally like smaller ships
Waiting for Carnival to update their loyalty program like RCCL did recently. We will go on any ….almost any…group cruise. 7-10 days are our favs.
Fun you said the Celebrity Summit we are going on our First cruise with Celebrity in October on the summit southern Caribbean. We are excited about it. We going to try MSC at the end of June but we had things come up that would have made it hard. We will try it once or twice then done with it. We are more NCL fans but if price is better we will try it.
Going on the Summit beginning of Sept to Alaska this year, looking forward to experiencing it!
Carnival seems to have the greatest disparity between ships. Their newer ships seem closer to the Princess/Celebrity/Holland America lines. Their older ships like the Glory are a motel 6 on water attracting Neanderthals.
MSC customer service is the worst. I'll never consider them again.
Agreed msc is terrible
Yep never. I've not been with them (or any yet) but they have too much negative press. That many people can't be wrong. Seen too much footage of nice people being treated horribly
I will agree with you and add Costa too that list.
Agree. We gave MSC a try 3 times. We will NEVER sail them again. If you ever have a problem with the bill, you can forget a proper resolution. Their back-in customer service and knowledge of the crew is horrible
@@Cruisebetty once was enough for me
We are looking forward to our first Cruise with Princess. We are on the Enchanted Princess in February. I know it will be a different experience than our Holland America cruise. 👍
Don, if you plan another group cruise, can you do one for 2026 leaving out of Fort Lauderdale? It’s just easier and cheaper going to Fort Lauderdale than going out of the country. We’d like to celebrate for our 40th wedding anniversary with a cruise that we can do like real ahead of time so we can make payments, so 14 or 21 would be awesome if you could get a good deal we love Holland America but we also love Princess too so it’s just a question. I missed Cruises lately. I’m glad your health is good. Take care. Hope to see you in the future.❤
Agree with this….after only cruising Royal for the last 20 years our next 3 cruises are on Celebrity, Disney and Oceania.
Can't wait to get on Discovery August 31st. Our 1st. Then again next June. Then switching up and trying Carnival Panorama April 2026. Happy sailing!!
I do prefer ships with a lower capacity of guests. The island princess is the smallest I’ve bean on; the royal princess is the largest. Thanks Don🎉
We love Celebrity but have been on Royal and Carnival. We have always had a nice time. Just to go on a cruise, is what we look forward to. We keep going on Celebrity, because of the Captain's Club Program.
Good job but your Canadian sense is starting to shine through. Expecting or even hoping that people will not make a judgment until they try it out is very un American. It’s very American to have opinions based on what people tell you what you read about them many different other things that have nothing to do with the personal experience. This is pretty much a bread and butter thing in America. as having lived since birth till about age 35 in Canada, Ottawa, Ontario Ontario in Barhaven lol. I do understand where you coming from and I do understand that is very Canadian.. wish it was American. for us our favorite cruise line is Disney head shoulders above everybody else but the next one after three Disney cruises is worth thinking to try virgin cruise line
Yes I can add cruise for us is every 3 years as I live within driving distance to nothing like Florida where you can take fast cheap weekend three day trips pretty much as far away as you can be by the Vancouver border
I told my cruising friends to avoid Carnival. Don't cruise Carnival. Well, a friend cruised Carnival Inspiration to Catalina Island and Ensenada. She loved it. So, I tried her sister ship Imagination on the same itinerary. We had a blast. We will definitely cruise Carnival again. Now for NCL: I'm on the fence. A friend cruised the NCL Gem to Europe last year, and in her opinion, the ship was meh. But... I still remember my opinion of Carnival. So, I think I'm thawing in relation to NCL and will try the line.
Believe me, we try before we judge, we had the worse experience onboard NCL, our cabin was dirty, the balcony was filthy, food always came out cool. The only place we ate hot food was on the specialty restaurants. It was on the Breakaway, and you were there. We are used to clean ships and good food in the main Dining Room. We always do, Celebrity, Royal and Princess!
One of my first cruises was on a Chandris cruise line. It was little known at the time and it was fantastic
I feel every ship has a different feel. I also believe pros and cons to every line. I’m always in to cruise and have a goal to try more cruise lines.
Some of those reputations were well earned over an extended amount of time, and it will take years to repair them. There are cruise lines I avoid, not because I hate them, but they aren't my style. If there is a dress code for after 6pm, you won't find me on it. Did that years ago, and once was enough. More importantly I avoid mega ships, if I wanted to go to a resort full of kids, I would go to Disneyland.
I will pick the ship that has the best fit for my destination. I'm intrigued by Holland America which has Canadian port stops. Thete's an older ship with 1400 capacity which is right up my alley.
It's good to try a different cruise line sometimes. You never know till you try it. The ports may be different and the experience may be what you wanted for that vacation. It never hurts to try something new.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines seems to have a nice mixture of amenities that we like. But you have me thinking about trying a Princess cruise.
Love trying new things as far as different ships, but when one doesn’t live up to expectations it’s easy to dismiss the whole line. For me it was NCL.
Good Afternoon Don
The travel agent my mom's Alaskan cruise was with was bashing Carnival big-time. She didn't even mention them when people were looking for cruises. I had to question her how many Carnival cruises she went on. Naturally her answer WAS NONE. she went by "they're the party animal cruise" type answer. I then tod her, that it was ironic because I was going to be leaving in less than two weeks for my SIXTH cruise on Carnival and said that it was fabulous food, entertainment, activities, ports (Half Moon Cay).....I think I knocked her down a peg.
I would not cruise on RCI because the ships nickel and dining. The ship is also geared for sports like features. Sorry, not for me. A person said that the newer ships have ice skating rinks, which I promptly said I live in Canada and, if conditions are right, I can unwittingly ice skate in the parking lot of my condo on black ice, so, ya, not into ice skating on a ship. Or rock climbing, or zip lining, or bumper cars.....
I cruise Carnival for cost, ports, and just plain fun vibe. I do as much or as little as I want.....heck, they have Guy Burgers and Blue Iguana cantina, oooh and now Shaq 's big chicken, or Pig & Anchor...
I've avoided carnival for that reason; need to give them a try
Didn't know Carnival own Princess Cruise Line, Thanks for letting me know.
I've even read a positive review about Margaritaville!
I get what you say about the same company and two different feels. Celebrity Edge class vs non-Edge class ships are so different. I have sailed both and LOVE both but they are different.
I have only been on small ship like pride , legend. And i love it. We try to go once a year on a cruise