I have never wanted to go on a cruise - yet I find myself compulsively watching your channel - and every now and again I see something and in my head a little message appears ‘you know what…’
Go once, you'll go a lot. It's cheaper than a hotel at the beach, and it INCLUDES food, great service, and entertainment. You cannot beat the value. Or the service.
Cruising is not for everyone, but once I did it, I got hooked, I have gone places that I would have never been or heard of before, and the service and experiences have been wonderful. I find my self always looking for the next cruise trip, happy traveling @Charles Moss.
Hi Gary, I hope you're well. I have been a bus driver for nearly 26 year and between 2008 and 2019 during the Spring and Summer season I worked as a coach driver touring UK, Ireland and Europe. I also did the excursions from the cruise ships coming into Belfast, usually up the Antrim coast to the Giant's Causeway. A good tip is to talk to your coach driver if you get a chance, they may be able to add bits into the itinerary if the tour guide agrees. For instance usually before heading back to the ship, if we had time we would do a quick tour of Belfast city. On one occasion a couple had planned to go hiking up Cavehill ( a mountain walk with scenic views over Belfast), they then decided to book an excursion to the Giant's Causeway instead. I got chatting with them and on my way back to the ship I took a detour over the back of Cavehill giving them a great view over Belfast and their cruise ship followed by a quick tour of Belfast. I always looked at the cruise ships in awe as my coach looked minute beside them. I started cruising in 2018 and eventually got to see what it was all about. As always your advice is spot on, thank you.
You sound like a very nice coach driver. not many coach drivers would take you on a detour to see something you missed only in Ireland I would say good on you such a nice thing to do and Belfast is definitely worth a tour
Wife and I have done mass market cruises. We are now hooked on Viking. No kids, wonderful staff, outstanding food (Manfredi's has one of the best steaks I've even had anywhere in the world). Not crowded, laid back, some of the best service anywhere, ever, land or sea.
@Alan Colon - encouraged to hear you and your wife are hooked on Viking. We’ve generally cruised HAL and a friend HIGHLY recommended Viking Cruise (Alaska), so we’re booked for ‘23. I was a bit concerned that Viking might be an expensive “bore” - glad to hear you both love Viking. Looking forward to our experience!
Agree with you about Viking, down side and only happened this year excursions bookable in advance but times based on the status of your cabin and by the time we were allowed to book a good number of the excursions we chose were already fully booked this was to Alaska so we ended up cancelling and loosing £1,500. After 3 river and 3 ocean cruises in the past we found this disappointing and should this setup continue we will never get to go on a Viking cruise to Alaska as will never book higher than a deluxe balcony.
@@silviaeastonborges5204 How very sad - classical is the only music I'd go out of my way to listen to. Not that I don't enjoy other kinds of music (in fact, I enjoy or tolerate almost all kinds,) but I truly love classical music of all kinds, and its availability would be a factor in my choice of cruise.
Gary! You are the pinnacle in your field. And this video is one of your best. So accurately presented, with such clarity, detailing all levels and standards of ships. Concise and yet pleasant to view.
Agreed! Due to terrible seasickness I would never risk a cruise yet I find his videos so excellent and informative that I want to take a cruise even though I know it would not work for me.
Agree with your choices. have sailed on HAL, Princess and RCL. HAL is our favorite. Great food and terrific choice of music. The crew always seems happy too.
I and several other members of my family went on our first cruise on NCL to Alaska in 2019, and absolutely fell in love with the experience, and NCL as a cruise line. We immediately booked a Caribbean cruise for early last year which was (obviously) unfortunately cancelled. We had already planned the next one beyond that for the Mediterranean in October of this year, and we used our budget for the missed cruise to splurge on the Haven. We're really looking forward to the experience!
We have a Mediterranean cruise (Greece and Italy) in September on NCL Epic in the Haven. Talked about it for 35 years and finally pulled the trigger. Can’t wait!
we'll stick with regent. It's very expensive but when you leave, no matter where you ate, how much you drank, you owe them nothing. 600-750 passengers, large luxury cabins, huge balconies, huge baths,walk in closets, impeccable service. Our May 2023 10 day cruise from London south is $29,000, at least double of all the rest but it's worth it. And it includes business class air, one nite in departure city at luxury hotel, all transfers, most excursions. Older crowd, no one under 21 or maybe 18, almost all couples, no loud drunks or partiers.
I sailed as crew as a young man, stewards department. I sailed the SS United States (the Big U) , the SS Independence (the Indy), and the SS Constitution(the Connie). I grew up in a maritime family and my father finished his career running a fleet of universe class tankers for DK Ludwick based out of Bantry Bay and London. I still love traveling by sea and I agree with your assessments, especially on your high end. I have spent time on NCL, Holland, Princess, Silversea, and Seabourn. By far, by a wide margin, my go-to line is Seabourn. Depending on the cruise, the people can be the variable but the crew never is. They have always been upbeat, personable, helpful, and simply nice kids. I have traveled with them to the middle east, the far east, India, Greece, Croatia, the Maldives, Italy, Australia, and NZ. Love this line.
Hi Gary. I’m glad you mentioned Saga, but you didn’t say much about it. We’ve travelled several times with Saga and love the line. The fare paid includes everything from gratuities, dining and drinks as well as bus travel from the port into town if you don’t go on an excursion and also includes transport from your home to the port. The entertainment and food is excellent and Saga’s greatest asset is its crew - they are amazing! So friendly and welcoming, nothing is too much trouble. They are amazing. That’s why we keep going back. They are a small cruise line, but they are great!
Hubby and I just returned from a Viking all inclusive expedition ship to Antarctica. It was absolutely amazing. It was all about enrichment and education. Nothing more. Saw whales, seals, penguins, oh my! Got to go onshore. No partying, all adults. It was the best trip I’ve been on in a long time. Best food selections including sushi.
Regents is absolutely my favorite! They were quick to respond during the pandemic and gave us options regarding future cruise credit vs refund. We did both because we had several cruises booked. I have been on 8 cruises with them so far and loved every one. I love destination cruising and not the party boats. Having a butler and all the attention to detail makes us feel pampered and well cared for. We have become friends with a couple of our regular butlers and request them when they are on board. We prefer to take fewer cruises that cost more and have fewer passengers than the mega cruises ships that are “cheaper”. (No we are not rich - we just plan and save!). Our next 2 cruises have already been booked.
We are platinum with NCL, we have enjoyed their entertainment offerings. The recent announcement that they are eliminating the "Broadway" type shows and reducing overall entertainment offerings are having us rethink booking future cruises on Norwegian.
My grandmother's favorite was the American Queen riverboat. My parents took it a couple years ago and found it very affordable with many tours included. Additional note is that dad was reluctant due to being terribly susceptible to seasickness, but even though the Mississippi River was at flood stage the deck - according to dad - was as stable as a parking lot.
@Chris Williams motion sickness, sea sickness, same ducking difference. When the Mississippi is roiling at flood levels, it can most certainly make some sick. The steamboat was so stable that it wasn't a problem, even for someone as sensitive as my dad.
My stepfather was one of the pilots who drove the American Queen, back before he passed in 2002. He was originally offered the captainship/captaincy? of that boat when it was first launched, but preferred being a pilot, as it was more actual driving of the boat, whereas the captain does a lot more passenger contact/pr stuff. He met many Celebrities like Helen Hayes, Tanya Tucker, Patricia Neal and others. (He was popular with passengers, but once told me "I've done that enough....I just want to drive the dang boat!", lol.)
@Deb according to my folks, a lot of the crew really love the boat, their coworkers and the life, to the point of having to be ordered to take their vacations. When the original company went out of business they took other jobs, but as soon as the new company picked up the boat they quit and were all-in.
@B Forman I can believe that many employees were that loyal. He (and my mom) made many good friends on both the American and Delta Queens. My mom (who had a great voice) even got to sit in and sing frequently with one of the regular bands, and once even with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, who still toured then and were booked as a special attraction on that trip.
Hi Mr. Gary. We love NCL. We had cruised Carnival (Triumph) in 1999, we were in our 40s, had a son in 2001. We then cruised with NCL Feb. 2020 (just before Covid got crazy) on the NCL Dawn and loved her. We then did an Alaska cruise on the NCL Encore in Sep. 2022 and are now booked on the NCL Joy through Panama in Jan. 2023. We are now in our 60s and really love NCLs Freestyle Dining and Free at Sea programs. We were lucky enough to get the Haven on the Encore and Joy.
I had my first ever cruise last week on the new disney wish. I am addicted to cruises now. The entertainment, the staff, the cleanliness, the FOOD! It was all so overwhelming and plus i got the verandah room which was gorgeous. I had access to food anytime of day and it was all day. The couples who were at our dining table ate with us every night and we were so alike that we kicked it off right away and made great friends. I don’t know what cruise to go on next
Gary, you do such a great job sharing your thinking in your video series. You have a great talent for understanding the cruise customer and helping us all navigate our current want and needs. I always look forward to videos from you.
I just returned from a Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Star which is an older ship thus smaller and loved it. It didn’t have the flashy Broadway shows which I would love to see, but it was lovely to have the smaller ship experience. The service was excellent and as a solo cruiser the staff went out of their way to be attentive, and as I also walk with a cane they were absolutely fabulous at ensuring that I had everything that I needed. This was my first ocean cruise as I usually river cruise, NCL’s free style cruising won me over right away and I will definitely be cruising with them again when my destination makes ocean cruising the thing to do.
Tried Viking Octantis trip to Antarctica... highly recommend. Excursions, service, food, ... all beyond excellent. Was like having my own personal yacht and crew.
Gary, you presented an excellent descriptive summary of these categories. I agree with you, Seabourn has the unique combination of elegance and casual style. For those who want, the crew becomes a family - especially for solo travelers. If I’d sailed the other categories, I could do multiple cruises a year but with Seabourn I only cruise once a year. But what an extraordinary experience!
We just got off an NCL ship one week ago. They offered us a last minute upgrade to a Haven suite at a great price and we jumped at it. The Haven dining and bar are outstanding. The one place they fell off IMO is the flights. Two two hour flights took an entire day going down and dropping us off at the airport eight hours before the flight was the first of many problems we encountered coming back. Additionally, I am going on a solo HAL cruise to Alaska in three weeks. Glad to know that all my research seems to be in agreement with Gary.
I agree, I place NCL above RCCL simply because of freestyle dining and cruising concept. As a solo traveler, I want to dine when and where I feel like it without rigid seating times. To me, only one cruise line does this better than anyone else. I booked a Haven cabin on my last TA crossing and the ship within a ship concept is really appealing to me, allowing quiet and peace, or a great people interaction when I felt more inclusive. I hear lots of people put down the mass market ships without fully understanding how good they are at catering to lots of us individualist.
I'm a travel agent and had a fellow agent suggest listening to your videos in a Facebook group. The responses were mostly people who already follow you. I'm glad I got to here as this is great information for travelers and their agents. Thank you for your informative video.
I see a lot of misleading info, pointless generalizations here. Poor are the cruisers if they base their choices solely on this collection of banalities. As a travel agent, you must be the first person to explain your clients that the right measurement tool for cruising experience is the ship, never a cruise line.
The one thing that Norwegian has that the others do not is their Hawaiian cruise on the Pride of America. It's the only line, as far as I know, that doesn't make you sail from the US west coast and waste 4 - 5 days at sea. You fly into Honolulu, pick up the ship there, cruise around the islands for 6 days and return to Honolulu for your flight home. We added 2 days before the ship departed to visit local sights such as Pearl Harbor, Waikiki and Diamond Head.
To me, the days at sea are the most enjoyable, so time spent getting to your destination is not a “waste”. A great way to relax and enjoy all these fabulous ships have to offer.
_Pride of America_ is the *only* US-flagged cruise ship. Having an American ship is what makes it possible to cruise Hawaii round trip without needing to stop in a foreign port. I highly recommend NCL’s Hawaii cruise.
Hi Gary - please consider a post centered around children; that is which ships are best if you have kids with you, and which ships are best for folks who would rather travel with few children around. Thanks!
What I'd like is a 50+ cruise, with plenty of swimming pools, hot tubs that are HOT, plenty of NO rabbit food (vegetables) or non-vegan options for dining, no loud late night parties/events, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg for a balcony suite.
I found your channel yesterday and it is so strange how cruises have changed since the last time I went. My last cruise was to Alaska in 1994 on the Royal Caribbean 'Nordic Prince', which only carried around 700 passengers. At the time, the 2000 passenger ships were new and looked enormous in port. To hear a 2000 passenger ship described as the 'premium classic' feel, and not the 'biggest boat in the harbor' is strange.
Totally agree with you regarding Seabourn. I have over 200 days with them , but since 2019 have not been able to travel. Now have finally booked my Seabourn cruise for June this year- really looking forward to it, so am very pleased to hear you recommend them too now. Thank you
We’ve done 2 Oceania cruises and are so glad we discovered them! Wonderful service and great dining. I like to be able to chill. I don’t know if I could handle a huge mega ship.
NCL is my favorite so far. We will be sailing on the Norwegian Joy this summer, and I we can't wait!! Sailing out of New York to Norfolk, then 3 days in Bermuda , and then back to New York.
Having sailed Koningsdam in 2019, I can attest that it's a fantastic ship. I loved music walk, and I thought their approach to entertainment was top notch. However, Celebrity will always be #1 for me!
My husband and I are avid cruisers ( 50 + ) and agree with you for the most part. The only thing that brings NCL down a notch for us is the shallow, small swimming pools. Not big enough for the ship size. Perfect example is the Epic. This is a big factor for us and keeps us going back to Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess. We also like to do Celebrity when we want a quieter experience. Thank you for your excellent videos!
I'm a big cruiser. Cruised since 1988. I agree with you take on HAL and Celebrity and Oceania. You are spot on. Oceania food and experience is worth every penny. Stunning cruise line. However; disembarkation. It can be your lasting memory of your trip if done badly. One line I have given four chances to and because of their disembarkation process; never again. It is Cunard. Mary, Victoria and Elizabeth. Every time there have been altercations, verbal and physical as we leave, not involving me I might add. I have never experienced this with any other line.
Seabourn is the Cruise Line of choice for my wife and my self. It is the most luxurious, excellent service, food is outstanding and their itineraries are the best. The Passengers also tend to be more worldly travelers and classy.
I'm in agreement with you. We love to cruise on Regent and Oceania because of their extensive and varied itineraries, friendly service and outstanding food. Both lines are at the top of their game. I've also noticed that these lines often switch staff with each other from Captains to Cruise Directors to Butlers. So if you like the service on Oceania you'll love the service on Regent.
We did a Regent Caribbean Cruise in February and we were just blown away. Such great staff and the food is out of this world. I could probably eat at Prime 7 every day.
My problem with NCL is that they tend to nickel-and-dime you a lot, especially for specialty dining. For my money -- and for the myriad of good, free/included dining options onboard -- I've found that Carnival's newer Excellence-class, Vista-class, and Dream-class ships are the best option. While they are not as "freestyle" as NCL, they are quite casual on board and I like the relaxed, fun vibe onboard.
I'm so happy to see you choose NCL as your first go-to line. And, of course, their premium lines Oceania and Regent were your luxury lines. They seem to have everything figured out! I'm looking forward to cruising Oceania and Regent.
For the larger lines… I love Royal Caribbean. To me it is the best for our interests in this category. For a classic line, my absolute favorite is Cunard. So wonderful.
You definitely have the best best cruise review channel! Your delivery is refined and your information is conclusive. I agree with your recommendations; my wife and I started cruising in Oceania when we were 55 and it seemed we were the youngest on board. We didn’t mind as it was the best cruise we have ever taken. We have been on Oceania every year since and love it each time. Thanks, again, for your channel and your reviews.
Gary - LOVE your videos! You pack more truly useful info into every video, it's amazing! You are WAAY ABOVE other cruising channels. But DUDE... you need some ORANGE T-shirts in your merch shop! Every T-shirt I own is ORANGE! And I mean BRIGHT ORANGE! You can do better. 😂
As a solo traveler under 50, I see Virgin competing with NCL and RCL for my money. I’ve cruised with Virgin twice for less than $200 a night and it included everything, which is very competitive with the solo cabins on the others once fees are included.
The only thing stopping me from booking with them is I wish they had longer caribbean sailings in the summer. I cannot wait to see what they do next and they are more affordable than some may think.
Thanks, Gary. You are far and away the best when it comes to cruising. After trying Princess and Windstar, we are totally hooked on Regent. We have been on all of their ships multiple times and are never, never disappointed. Great service, great food, pretty good tours, and everything is included. Our favorite ships are the Splendor and the Explorer.
I totally agree, about to go from Miami to Lisbon next spring. The food is varied and high quality. All inclusion is a great positive. Great services, we are upgrading to the Penthouse.
Hi Gary. You’ve included Saga in your comments, but you didn’t go into detail about them. We love Saga - it’s great that everything is included in your fare - all dining, including specialty dining, gratuities, drinks and transfers from the ship to the local town if you don’t go on a tour. We also love that they pick us up from home, so our holiday starts then! It really feels like ‘how the other half live’! But their best asset are their fantastic crew, who are so welcoming, friendly and can never do enough to please. Incredible! I know they don’t have casinos, but we don’t mind. They have everything we want in a cruise - and no kids! We love them!
The nice things about mega ships right now is most are sailing way below capacity. I did an MSC cruise recently (loved it!) and it wasn't crowded at all. My mom just got back from a NCL cruise, I think her ship was sailing at something like 40% capacity. So if you're like me and you don't like crowds, it turns out a good time for cruising!
Hi Gary. My wife and I fit the Celebrity (mainly Millennium and Soltice classes) and all of Princess classes. Both for relatively middle of the road prices and a more mature laid back type of cruising. We don't like overly stuffy and don't care for amusement parks on ships. We love the all inclusive type perk packages offered, especially Princess Plus. We are anxious to try HAL, especially for that music scene! Be well sir and happy cruising! 👍🌞
We are Celebrity people (and also like Azamara). I liked HAL for service (similar to Princess service) but food was just OK on our ship. But we won't do HAL again as it was WAY too old for us. Seemed like over half of the people on our cruise were in mobile scooters and 75+. Just wasn't our scene.
We just got back from a Seabourn cruise for 10 days the rough the Med. Absolutley off the charts. Monte Carlo. Capri. Taormina. Valletta, Malta. Ajaccio, Corsica. St. Tropez. Las Palmos, Spain. Barcelona. Worth every penny. Fantastic food. High end drinks / wine. Impeccable service. It was like having a five star hotel with four amazing restaurants in the best ports in the world. I cannot recommend it enough. We are already planning next year’s trip. By the way, we are not cruise people. It wa so convenient, though. It was never crowded. In fact, we often found ourselves asking where all the other guests were.
Being high status with RCL, I respect you decision putting them as a number 2. Your explanation goes very well with the comments regarding NCL. Having sailed both, I will say the food on NCL was a bit better than RCL, especially in the main dining room. It was amazing; however, RCL's specialty restaurants were unmatched in my opinion.
I love the large ships with tons of activities. Thanks so much for this very detailed video. On Carnival, my absolute favorite activity is the Chefs Table Dinner. It’s absolutely superb! I was a Chef for years and this dinner is super impressive.
My vote would be Viking for overall value, food quality, focus on excursions, and experience for adults only. They are typically voted the most popular cruise line for a reason.
I love them, too! We went on our first cruise with them (Rhine River) in 2019. We finally went on our twice delayed Mediterannean cruise with them in March and it was amazing! I really feel no reason to change and we have another booked with them for next March!
So nice to hear. We are doing the Viking Grand European River Cruise the end of August with a 3 day extension in Prague and can't wait. We love doing excursions, and the only surprise is how much the cost can add up by adding excursions. But Viking is more our style compared to other cruise lines and believe they're worth the cost. Best wishes!
My wife and I love regent after our first cruise with them in 2018. Prior to that fun adventure we swore we would never be "cruisers". But wow did they win us over. We have a trip booked for June with regent and two more I. 2023. That said we may try seaborne based on your recommendation. For those of you on the fence here is what we love about cruising on regent. 1. Over the top service without being stuffy. Perfect service if that makes sense. 2. Great guests. We have met some of the most wonderful people on regent. Both service staff and guests 3. Awesome excursions (included). Regent has a knack for finding really fun and interesting things to do in the ports they dock at. 4. Smaller ships. 600 to 700 passengers feels like the goldilocks number on board. 5. Cool itineraries. You get a taste of places you may never have considered before. Yes, it's only a taste but you can always travel back if you really fall in love.
We are back with Oceania after forays into Viking and others. For the money, it can't be beat. Planning two back to backs - Sydney - Bali - Tokyo. Food, service, professionalism, destinations - hard to beat. Oceania will still provide a ride to a nearby city and their staff (unlike recent Viking cruises) are familiar with off-ship locations and transportation.
Great video. We just completed an Oceania Mediterranean Cruise and it was AMAZING. We booked another cruise while on board and we can’t wait to return to Oceania. Likes: incredible food, great tours and OUTSTANDING service. Dislikes: NONE.
So far I have been on a couple dozen cruises over the past 30 years sailing all over the Western, Eastern & Southern Caribbean with family & friends, and sometimes I actually cruise ALL BY MYSELF!!!... (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Magic, Celebrity Cruise)... They are "ALL" so fun, exciting & relaxing and the food is fabulous, so ZERO complaints on any of them,,,, Yes, I also really enjoy all the many Islands too.... My next cruises will be to Alaska, Hawaii & the Mediterranean, and a 6 month AROUND-THE-WORLD cruise... Any ladies want to go with me?
MSC is stepping up. I love NCL and HA, but for a more dynamic Medi cruise, I really loved the Orchestra. Not the newest ship, not the best food, but a great experience overall and an amazing itinerary. Cheers!
I have just booked my next cruise. I didn't really know if I would go with Viking or Saga, but you made it clear to me... I have been on one river cruise, but didn't like it. The food was great, but you really NEEDED to go on a excursion every day, because NOTHING happened on the boat if you did not. You made a point that Viking ocean was a bit like a river cruise on the seas... exactly what I did not want, so I booked Saga. Thank you for your help... again!
Larger line - Royal Caribbean is your choice. My mom (in her 70s) has done NCL solo cabin w/ a group and prefers RCCL. I (in my 40s) prefer RCCL. My friend & husband (in their 50s) have done NCL suites and are currently on an RCCL ship (again) in the owner's suite because they prefer it. Just my thoughts.
Wife and I just got back from a cruise to Alaska using the Celebrity Cruise line. I can't imagine not using them for every cruise from here on out. The staff and customer service was well above every other cruise lines. Glad you included them but I would still pick them over Holland simply for the customer service.
I did Celebrity to Alaska but then I booked a Viking cruise. Viking is my favorite for many reasons.. Smoking highly restricted, no casino, no kids, beautiful ships.
Eric, I agree 100% Did Princess once and then Celebrity and the difference was astounding. Have sailed Celebrity twice since then. Like you, can't imagine sailing anyone else.
Just got off my second Oceania cruise and we’ve sailed with both their larger (Riviera) and smaller (Nautica) ships. Have also sailed with Azamara. Absolutely recommend Oceania- their service is superb and they even make embarkation and disembarkation so easy. In Santorini we saw massive lines waiting for the Norwegian and Virgin tenders while we just hopped right on our tender. But with Oceania being a smaller cruise and well organized, there’s rarely much waiting in line. My only negative is the nautica has a small pool, and fewer on board activities than the Riviera. But the crew is so friendly and there’s a wonderful sense of community on these smaller cruises.
I've always liked the mid-sized Celebrity rather than the huge resort. I think it's also because they usually have a lot less children which for me , on a resort ship, would be a deal breaker (sorry I'm at an age that just didn't want hundreds of children or teens tearing round). Sometimes on my Celeb cruises there's be less than 20 children.
Your insight is always appreciated. We’ve done nearly every line in the two lower tiers. Thay all seem to be about the same with the exception of Carnival. I’m not a big fan but for an inexpensive family trip, they suffice. We did a Viking Rhine cruise last Dec and really enjoyed it. Our Viking ocean comes in Nov. Oceania is next in our list. I wish cruise lines would make it easier to navigate their sites. Something Viking does exceptionally well. Lastly, is there a video for researching and selecting a TA? We’ve always booked our own but based on another of your videos, we may get better service and less headaches through a top notch TA.
I'd love that too. "How to choose the right travel agent for you." Tell us what we should expect them to be able to do, what to look for as red flags or dealbreakers. How to tell if someone's worth her weight in gold, too.
Excellent video as usual Mr. Bembridge. However, having done 14 cruises my worst experiences were on Celebrity and Seabourn. Imagine the latter offered sandwiches on embarkation in Barbados, while Silversea ushered us to a lovely buffet. My personal choices in your categories are Royal Caribbean, Azamara, Oceania ( excellent food! ) and Silversea, 3 cruises with impeccable service.
Talking about the Caribbean, Mega ships have fewer destinations during their cruises so its more about the ship! Mid size ships will port more often so its more about the ports you visit, while still offering a decent amount of attractions on ship! Small ships also port more often and can fit in different ports cause of their size, but the sacrifice what is available on ship to do! All have their pluses and minuses, We stick to the midsize, cause the mega ships are like a crowded mall to us, and the small ships don't have enough entertainment/food options, etc. on the ship, especially on a sea day, or missed port day!
This is very helpful, thanks! My wife and I are doing a Mediterranean cruise on NCL in early November from Rome to Israel. It's our fifth cruise together as a couple. We had some other cruises planned during the height of COVID but put them off until later this year.
My husband and I have done a number of cruises over the years and are dismayed with the move to mega ships. We prefer the smaller ships that Norwegian and Royal Caribbean still have running. The smaller ships are being slowly retired and harder Tom find. We have done two HAL cruises and enjoyed them but like a broader age group span than you generally find on HAL.
I like Viking as they have all kinds Ships on the sea cruise plus river cruise expedition cruise plus everything is included I like that it is 18 plus too it be quieter ship
HAl is our go-to for luxurious travel. Just returned from an Alaskan inner passage trip on Westerdam. Next year - three weeks on Eurodam cruising from Florida to Seattle via the Panama Canal…Neptune Club all the way!
I’ve only watched two similar videos, but surprised no mention of Fred Olsen. We love those ships; great food, friendly, inexpensive drinks. Quite wonderful.
Hi Gary, me and my wife are booked on the Celebrity Edge cruising from New Zealand to Fiji return, inside cabin cost us $2800nzd each for 12 nights. Our very first cruise.
We’ve booked 5 Viking ocean cruises, and 6 of their river cruises. Our experiences on the ocean ships have been outstanding. No children, no casinos, lots of spaces to be alone besides their beautiful staterooms, staff second to none. The waitstaff in the lounges and restaurants know our names and our preferences by the second day, sometimes sooner. Friends who have cruised Oceania tell us they found Viking food to be better.
Hello Gary, I just watched your video about what cruise lines are the best. I enjoyed very much your categorization of the cruise line field. I have sailed 28 times. My last cruise was on Holland America. It was around South America. The cruise was thoroughly disappointing. The Lincoln Center ensemble was gone (The front desk said the contract expired.) There was very little entertainment on board unless you wanted to go to knitting class. They had mahjong but no one was in the room to lead or instruct. The same with bridge. The food was marginal. The highlight was the drinks were wonderful as well as the excursions. I was glad to learn about the different categories of cruise lines. Thank you.
Just cruised Norwegian Bliss to Alaska-lots to do but long lines and reservations required and not guaranteed-absolutely loved Six and Jersey Boys -all 8 of us ended up with COVID.
It really interests me to hear a couple of cruise lines are catering for the single passenger, I have recently lost my husband , I still wish to cruise , but not to share, you still have to pay for a cabin for two people, I feel there are thousands of cruisers that feel as I do but stop at paying almost double, just want to enjoy a cruise to socialise and meet new friends without sharing and without the double fare.
I went on many Royal Caribbean cruises ten to be exact and I loved them all there are so many things to do on the ship and the spaces are so large and they have so much open spaces it really makes you feel like you are not even on a ship. The customer experience is also very good the crew is very friendly.
I just started cruising and chose Norwegian because because of what's mentioned here - the studio stateroom really was great. But also they have been heavy on promos which pushes them further ahead - open bar for only $20/pp/pn service fee, a # of prem. dining meals included, and 50% off airfare on some itins.
We sailed Norwegian on a our last cruise and booked a Haven Penthouse Suite. We absolutely loved it. Probably our best cruising experience. NCL is our go to line for service and value. Going to try Oceania next based on your recommendation. Cheers
As Australians, we agree with you concerning Costa. Although we have many Italians in Oz it was a bit much being on such an Italian ship! Asia cruise Jan 2020.
Just got off the MSC SEASHORE yesterday. Worst service and customer service ever. Booked a Mediterranean cruise with them in September and will be canceling ASAP after this disaster.
I’ve been watching your channel for a long time and I’ve never hear you mention Fred Olsen, the first and best cruise line I’ve been on. Small ships, reasonable prices and a wonderful experience.
If I ever go on a cruise, it will have to be on a smaller ship. I would not enjoy one of these behemoths! Thank you for the video! Wonderful information!
I can not recommend Ponant cruises enough!! Especially the Paul Guaguin, in French Polynesia. This I would consider and luxury line. The service, food and experience were just above and beyond.
I have never wanted to go on a cruise - yet I find myself compulsively watching your channel - and every now and again I see something and in my head a little message appears ‘you know what…’
Yes! I had zero interest in cruising, but after a few months of watching Gary, I booked a cruise. Now I really wanted to cruise Alaska.
Go once, you'll go a lot. It's cheaper than a hotel at the beach, and it INCLUDES food, great service, and entertainment. You cannot beat the value. Or the service.
I never wanted to, but eventually went on one… and didn’t like it much. But I like watching these videos. Go figure 🤷♂️
Cruising is not for everyone, but once I did it, I got hooked, I have gone places that I would have never been or heard of before, and the service and experiences have been wonderful. I find my self always looking for the next cruise trip, happy traveling @Charles Moss.
@@JulieWallis1963 You forgot not having to pack and unpack over and over!
Hi Gary, I hope you're well. I have been a bus driver for nearly 26 year and between 2008 and 2019 during the Spring and Summer season I worked as a coach driver touring UK, Ireland and Europe. I also did the excursions from the cruise ships coming into Belfast, usually up the Antrim coast to the Giant's Causeway. A good tip is to talk to your coach driver if you get a chance, they may be able to add bits into the itinerary if the tour guide agrees. For instance usually before heading back to the ship, if we had time we would do a quick tour of Belfast city. On one occasion a couple had planned to go hiking up Cavehill ( a mountain walk with scenic views over Belfast), they then decided to book an excursion to the Giant's Causeway instead. I got chatting with them and on my way back to the ship I took a detour over the back of Cavehill giving them a great view over Belfast and their cruise ship followed by a quick tour of Belfast. I always looked at the cruise ships in awe as my coach looked minute beside them. I started cruising in 2018 and eventually got to see what it was all about. As always your advice is spot on, thank you.
You sound like a very nice coach driver. not many coach drivers would take you on a detour to see something you missed only in Ireland I would say good on you such a nice thing to do and Belfast is definitely worth a tour
Wife and I have done mass market cruises. We are now hooked on Viking. No kids, wonderful staff, outstanding food (Manfredi's has one of the best steaks I've even had anywhere in the world). Not crowded, laid back, some of the best service anywhere, ever, land or sea.
Our no 1 cruise line too.
@Alan Colon - encouraged to hear you and your wife are hooked on Viking. We’ve generally cruised HAL and a friend HIGHLY recommended Viking Cruise (Alaska), so we’re booked for ‘23. I was a bit concerned that Viking might be an expensive “bore” - glad to hear you both love Viking. Looking forward to our experience!
Agree with you about Viking, down side and only happened this year excursions bookable in advance but times based on the status of your cabin and by the time we were allowed to book a good number of the excursions we chose were already fully booked this was to Alaska so we ended up cancelling and loosing £1,500. After 3 river and 3 ocean cruises in the past we found this disappointing and should this setup continue we will never get to go on a Viking cruise to Alaska as will never book higher than a deluxe balcony.
If you want a traditional experience (which I do) HAL is the way to go.
Holland no longer has ANY classical music ( such as 3x day Lincoln Center Stage, no classical piano playing, etc. after reaching the 4 star level🙈
@@silviaeastonborges5204 How very sad - classical is the only music I'd go out of my way to listen to. Not that I don't enjoy other kinds of music (in fact, I enjoy or tolerate almost all kinds,) but I truly love classical music of all kinds, and its availability would be a factor in my choice of cruise.
Gary! You are the pinnacle in your field. And this video is one of your best. So accurately presented, with such clarity, detailing all levels and standards of ships. Concise and yet pleasant to view.
was just thinking the same
Agreed! Due to terrible seasickness I would never risk a cruise yet I find his videos so excellent and informative that I want to take a cruise even though I know it would not work for me.
Agree with your choices. have sailed on HAL, Princess and RCL. HAL is our favorite. Great food and terrific choice of music. The crew always seems happy too.
I and several other members of my family went on our first cruise on NCL to Alaska in 2019, and absolutely fell in love with the experience, and NCL as a cruise line. We immediately booked a Caribbean cruise for early last year which was (obviously) unfortunately cancelled. We had already planned the next one beyond that for the Mediterranean in October of this year, and we used our budget for the missed cruise to splurge on the Haven. We're really looking forward to the experience!
We have a Mediterranean cruise (Greece and Italy) in September on NCL Epic in the Haven. Talked about it for 35 years and finally pulled the trigger. Can’t wait!
we'll stick with regent. It's very expensive but when you leave, no matter where you ate, how much you drank, you owe them nothing. 600-750 passengers, large luxury cabins, huge balconies, huge baths,walk in closets, impeccable service. Our May 2023 10 day cruise from London south is $29,000, at least double of all the rest but it's worth it. And it includes business class air, one nite in departure city at luxury hotel, all transfers, most excursions. Older crowd, no one under 21 or maybe 18, almost all couples, no loud drunks or partiers.
@@michaelalan1270 I agree same with Seabourn. My wife and I will probably be trying Regent after our Seabourn Cruise to Japan in the Fall of 2025
Love this man so much. He explains things in detail and it helps a first timer, solo person…
Hi how are you doing?
I sailed as crew as a young man, stewards department. I sailed the SS United States (the Big U) , the SS Independence (the Indy), and the SS Constitution(the Connie). I grew up in a maritime family and my father finished his career running a fleet of universe class tankers for DK Ludwick based out of Bantry Bay and London. I still love traveling by sea and I agree with your assessments, especially on your high end. I have spent time on NCL, Holland, Princess, Silversea, and Seabourn. By far, by a wide margin, my go-to line is Seabourn. Depending on the cruise, the people can be the variable but the crew never is. They have always been upbeat, personable, helpful, and simply nice kids. I have traveled with them to the middle east, the far east, India, Greece, Croatia, the Maldives, Italy, Australia, and NZ. Love this line.
Seabourn rocks
Hi Gary. I’m glad you mentioned Saga, but you didn’t say much about it. We’ve travelled several times with Saga and love the line. The fare paid includes everything from gratuities, dining and drinks as well as bus travel from the port into town if you don’t go on an excursion and also includes transport from your home to the port. The entertainment and food is excellent and Saga’s greatest asset is its crew - they are amazing! So friendly and welcoming, nothing is too much trouble. They are amazing. That’s why we keep going back. They are a small cruise line, but they are great!
Hubby and I just returned from a Viking all inclusive expedition ship to Antarctica. It was absolutely amazing. It was all about enrichment and education. Nothing more. Saw whales, seals, penguins, oh my! Got to go onshore. No partying, all adults. It was the best trip I’ve been on in a long time. Best food selections including sushi.
Regents is absolutely my favorite! They were quick to respond during the pandemic and gave us options regarding future cruise credit vs refund. We did both because we had several cruises booked.
I have been on 8 cruises with them so far and loved every one. I love destination cruising and not the party boats. Having a butler and all the attention to detail makes us feel pampered and well cared for. We have become friends with a couple of our regular butlers and request them when they are on board.
We prefer to take fewer cruises that cost more and have fewer passengers than the mega cruises ships that are “cheaper”. (No we are not rich - we just plan and save!). Our next 2 cruises have already been booked.
many of us would like them if we could afford them. Of course they would be the most popular, but at 4 times the price.
We are platinum with NCL, we have enjoyed their entertainment offerings. The recent announcement that they are eliminating the "Broadway" type shows and reducing overall entertainment offerings are having us rethink booking future cruises on Norwegian.
Went on my first cruise called the MSC Merviglia with my wife. Booked it immediately again for next year. Fantastic time! Highly recommend.
My grandmother's favorite was the American Queen riverboat. My parents took it a couple years ago and found it very affordable with many tours included. Additional note is that dad was reluctant due to being terribly susceptible to seasickness, but even though the Mississippi River was at flood stage the deck - according to dad - was as stable as a parking lot.
No one gets seasick on a river. It is not the sea. Glad he liked it. I would rather visit other countries. Take care.
@Chris Williams motion sickness, sea sickness, same ducking difference. When the Mississippi is roiling at flood levels, it can most certainly make some sick. The steamboat was so stable that it wasn't a problem, even for someone as sensitive as my dad.
My stepfather was one of the pilots who drove the American Queen, back before he passed in 2002. He was originally offered the captainship/captaincy? of that boat when it was first launched, but preferred being a pilot, as it was more actual driving of the boat, whereas the captain does a lot more passenger contact/pr stuff. He met many Celebrities like Helen Hayes, Tanya Tucker, Patricia Neal and others. (He was popular with passengers, but once told me "I've done that enough....I just want to drive the dang boat!", lol.)
@Deb according to my folks, a lot of the crew really love the boat, their coworkers and the life, to the point of having to be ordered to take their vacations.
When the original company went out of business they took other jobs, but as soon as the new company picked up the boat they quit and were all-in.
@B Forman I can believe that many employees were that loyal. He (and my mom) made many good friends on both the American and Delta Queens. My mom (who had a great voice) even got to sit in and sing frequently with one of the regular bands, and once even with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, who still toured then and were booked as a special attraction on that trip.
Hi Mr. Gary. We love NCL. We had cruised Carnival (Triumph) in 1999, we were in our 40s, had a son in 2001. We then cruised with NCL Feb. 2020 (just before Covid got crazy) on the NCL Dawn and loved her. We then did an Alaska cruise on the NCL Encore in Sep. 2022 and are now booked on the NCL Joy through Panama in Jan. 2023. We are now in our 60s and really love NCLs Freestyle Dining and Free at Sea programs. We were lucky enough to get the Haven on the Encore and Joy.
I'm so glad that you're highlighting Holland America! I have had incredible experiences with this line.
I had my first ever cruise last week on the new disney wish. I am addicted to cruises now. The entertainment, the staff, the cleanliness, the FOOD! It was all so overwhelming and plus i got the verandah room which was gorgeous. I had access to food anytime of day and it was all day. The couples who were at our dining table ate with us every night and we were so alike that we kicked it off right away and made great friends. I don’t know what cruise to go on next
Gary, you do such a great job sharing your thinking in your video series. You have a great talent for understanding the cruise customer and helping us all navigate our current want and needs. I always look forward to videos from you.
I just returned from a Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Star which is an older ship thus smaller and loved it. It didn’t have the flashy Broadway shows which I would love to see, but it was lovely to have the smaller ship experience. The service was excellent and as a solo cruiser the staff went out of their way to be attentive, and as I also walk with a cane they were absolutely fabulous at ensuring that I had everything that I needed. This was my first ocean cruise as I usually river cruise, NCL’s free style cruising won me over right away and I will definitely be cruising with them again when my destination makes ocean cruising the thing to do.
Hi how are you doing?
Tried Viking Octantis trip to Antarctica... highly recommend. Excursions, service, food, ... all beyond excellent. Was like having my own personal yacht and crew.
Sounds great!
Gary, you presented an excellent descriptive summary of these categories. I agree with you, Seabourn has the unique combination of elegance and casual style. For those who want, the crew becomes a family - especially for solo travelers. If I’d sailed the other categories, I could do multiple cruises a year but with Seabourn I only cruise once a year. But what an extraordinary experience!
We just got off an NCL ship one week ago. They offered us a last minute upgrade to a Haven suite at a great price and we jumped at it. The Haven dining and bar are outstanding. The one place they fell off IMO is the flights. Two two hour flights took an entire day going down and dropping us off at the airport eight hours before the flight was the first of many problems we encountered coming back. Additionally, I am going on a solo HAL cruise to Alaska in three weeks. Glad to know that all my research seems to be in agreement with Gary.
how can flight problems be the fault of a cruise line.
I agree, I place NCL above RCCL simply because of freestyle dining and cruising concept. As a solo traveler, I want to dine when and where I feel like it without rigid seating times. To me, only one cruise line does this better than anyone else. I booked a Haven cabin on my last TA crossing and the ship within a ship concept is really appealing to me, allowing quiet and peace, or a great people interaction when I felt more inclusive. I hear lots of people put down the mass market ships without fully understanding how good they are at catering to lots of us individualist.
Dennis, you are so right….for me, it’s NCL, then RCCL, then Celebrity.
@@maddybee4523 yes, exactly!
Thanx- Im a solo-er as well. Good info
NCL is a great company
Totally agree after sailing NCL I've never sailed on another cruise line again.
I'm a travel agent and had a fellow agent suggest listening to your videos in a Facebook group. The responses were mostly people who already follow you. I'm glad I got to here as this is great information for travelers and their agents. Thank you for your informative video.
I see a lot of misleading info, pointless generalizations here. Poor are the cruisers if they base their choices solely on this collection of banalities. As a travel agent, you must be the first person to explain your clients that the right measurement tool for cruising experience is the ship, never a cruise line.
The one thing that Norwegian has that the others do not is their Hawaiian cruise on the Pride of America. It's the only line, as far as I know, that doesn't make you sail from the US west coast and waste 4 - 5 days at sea. You fly into Honolulu, pick up the ship there, cruise around the islands for 6 days and return to Honolulu for your flight home. We added 2 days before the ship departed to visit local sights such as Pearl Harbor, Waikiki and Diamond Head.
Great point!!!
To me, the days at sea are the most enjoyable, so time spent getting to your destination is not a “waste”. A great way to relax and enjoy all these fabulous ships have to offer.
_Pride of America_ is the *only* US-flagged cruise ship. Having an American ship is what makes it possible to cruise Hawaii round trip without needing to stop in a foreign port. I highly recommend NCL’s Hawaii cruise.
Agreed I liked that the Pride of America overnighted in Maui and Kawaii so got to spend two days in those ports.
One of our best cruises! Great itinerary makes it possible to get out into the islands visited without any stress
Hi Gary - please consider a post centered around children; that is which ships are best if you have kids with you, and which ships are best for folks who would rather travel with few children around. Thanks!
What I'd like is a 50+ cruise, with plenty of swimming pools, hot tubs that are HOT, plenty of NO rabbit food (vegetables) or non-vegan options for dining, no loud late night parties/events, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg for a balcony suite.
I love that your most recommended cruise lines all come from Norwegian Cruises. They are amazing!
He only recommends them in their lowest of ship classes.
I found your channel yesterday and it is so strange how cruises have changed since the last time I went. My last cruise was to Alaska in 1994 on the Royal Caribbean 'Nordic Prince', which only carried around 700 passengers. At the time, the 2000 passenger ships were new and looked enormous in port.
To hear a 2000 passenger ship described as the 'premium classic' feel, and not the 'biggest boat in the harbor' is strange.
Totally agree with you regarding Seabourn.
I have over 200 days with them , but since 2019 have not been able to travel.
Now have finally booked my Seabourn cruise for June this year- really looking forward to it, so am very pleased to hear you recommend them too now.
Thank you
We’ve done 2 Oceania cruises and are so glad we discovered them! Wonderful service and great dining. I like to be able to chill. I don’t know if I could handle a huge mega ship.
NCL is my favorite so far. We will be sailing on the Norwegian Joy this summer, and I we can't wait!! Sailing out of New York to Norfolk, then 3 days in Bermuda , and then back to New York.
Having sailed Koningsdam in 2019, I can attest that it's a fantastic ship. I loved music walk, and I thought their approach to entertainment was top notch. However, Celebrity will always be #1 for me!
My husband and I are avid cruisers ( 50 + ) and agree with you for the most part. The only thing that brings NCL down a notch for us is the shallow, small swimming pools. Not big enough for the ship size. Perfect example is the Epic. This is a big factor for us and keeps us going back to Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess. We also like to do Celebrity when we want a quieter experience. Thank you for your excellent videos!
I'm a big cruiser. Cruised since 1988.
I agree with you take on HAL and Celebrity and Oceania. You are spot on. Oceania food and experience is worth every penny. Stunning cruise line.
However; disembarkation. It can be your lasting memory of your trip if done badly. One line I have given four chances to and because of their disembarkation process; never again. It is Cunard. Mary, Victoria and Elizabeth. Every time there have been altercations, verbal and physical as we leave, not involving me I might add. I have never experienced this with any other line.
Good point as it’s things and detail like this that also show how much a line cares / focuses on the full experience
Seabourn is the Cruise Line of choice for my wife and my self. It is the most luxurious, excellent service, food is outstanding and their itineraries are the best. The Passengers also tend to be more worldly travelers and classy.
We went on Holland American in April, loved it. We're doing a Christmas cruise with them! We bought the laundry package & will do it again!
That tease at the end got me. I now need to know what cruise lines to avoid.
I'm in agreement with you. We love to cruise on Regent and Oceania because of their extensive and varied itineraries, friendly service and outstanding food. Both lines are at the top of their game. I've also noticed that these lines often switch staff with each other from Captains to Cruise Directors to Butlers. So if you like the service on Oceania you'll love the service on Regent.
We did a Regent Caribbean Cruise in February and we were just blown away. Such great staff and the food is out of this world. I could probably eat at Prime 7 every day.
@@KateandBree We did it in March on the Explorer, I agree about the food, though my favorite was Pacific Rim.
You are SO right! Both are great.
My problem with NCL is that they tend to nickel-and-dime you a lot, especially for specialty dining. For my money -- and for the myriad of good, free/included dining options onboard -- I've found that Carnival's newer Excellence-class, Vista-class, and Dream-class ships are the best option. While they are not as "freestyle" as NCL, they are quite casual on board and I like the relaxed, fun vibe onboard.
I'm so happy to see you choose NCL as your first go-to line. And, of course, their premium lines Oceania and Regent were your luxury lines. They seem to have everything figured out! I'm looking forward to cruising Oceania and Regent.
You will love Regent and Oceania!
For the larger lines… I love Royal Caribbean. To me it is the best for our interests in this category.
For a classic line, my absolute favorite is Cunard. So wonderful.
You definitely have the best best cruise review channel! Your delivery is refined and your information is conclusive. I agree with your recommendations; my wife and I started cruising in Oceania when we were 55 and it seemed we were the youngest on board. We didn’t mind as it was the best cruise we have ever taken. We have been on Oceania every year since and love it each time. Thanks, again, for your channel and your reviews.
Gary - LOVE your videos! You pack more truly useful info into every video, it's amazing! You are WAAY ABOVE other cruising channels.
But DUDE... you need some ORANGE T-shirts in your merch shop! Every T-shirt I own is ORANGE! And I mean BRIGHT ORANGE! You can do better. 😂
As a solo traveler under 50, I see Virgin competing with NCL and RCL for my money. I’ve cruised with Virgin twice for less than $200 a night and it included everything, which is very competitive with the solo cabins on the others once fees are included.
The only thing stopping me from booking with them is I wish they had longer caribbean sailings in the summer. I cannot wait to see what they do next and they are more affordable than some may think.
@@ND-nt6yw You could do a 4-day and a 5-day cruise back to back. That would actually give you enough time to try all the restaurants.
@@ND-nt6yw I agree. Looking at some of their Mediterranean cruises for next year.
But those solo cabins are SO small!
Thank you Gary. We love Windstar small ship cruises with 125-250 passengers.
We absolutely love and enjoy Holland America! It meets our needs and such a lovely ambiance.
Thanks, Gary. You are far and away the best when it comes to cruising. After trying Princess and Windstar, we are totally hooked on Regent. We have been on all of their ships multiple times and are never, never disappointed. Great service, great food, pretty good tours, and everything is included. Our favorite ships are the Splendor and the Explorer.
I totally agree, about to go from Miami to Lisbon next spring. The food is varied and high quality. All inclusion is a great positive. Great services, we are upgrading to the Penthouse.
Hi Gary. You’ve included Saga in your comments, but you didn’t go into detail about them. We love Saga - it’s great that everything is included in your fare - all dining, including specialty dining, gratuities, drinks and transfers from the ship to the local town if you don’t go on a tour. We also love that they pick us up from home, so our holiday starts then! It really feels like ‘how the other half live’! But their best asset are their fantastic crew, who are so welcoming, friendly and can never do enough to please. Incredible! I know they don’t have casinos, but we don’t mind. They have everything we want in a cruise - and no kids! We love them!
The nice things about mega ships right now is most are sailing way below capacity.
I did an MSC cruise recently (loved it!) and it wasn't crowded at all.
My mom just got back from a NCL cruise, I think her ship was sailing at something like 40% capacity.
So if you're like me and you don't like crowds, it turns out a good time for cruising!
Hi how are you doing?
Hi Gary. My wife and I fit the Celebrity (mainly Millennium and Soltice classes) and all of Princess classes. Both for relatively middle of the road prices and a more mature laid back type of cruising. We don't like overly stuffy and don't care for amusement parks on ships. We love the all inclusive type perk packages offered, especially Princess Plus. We are anxious to try HAL, especially for that music scene! Be well sir and happy cruising! 👍🌞
We are Celebrity people (and also like Azamara). I liked HAL for service (similar to Princess service) but food was just OK on our ship. But we won't do HAL again as it was WAY too old for us. Seemed like over half of the people on our cruise were in mobile scooters and 75+. Just wasn't our scene.
Sailing to Alaska on Holland America this summer - can’t wait!
Me too.
We just got back from a Seabourn cruise for 10 days the rough the Med. Absolutley off the charts. Monte Carlo. Capri. Taormina. Valletta, Malta. Ajaccio, Corsica. St. Tropez. Las Palmos, Spain. Barcelona. Worth every penny. Fantastic food. High end drinks / wine. Impeccable service. It was like having a five star hotel with four amazing restaurants in the best ports in the world. I cannot recommend it enough. We are already planning next year’s trip. By the way, we are not cruise people. It wa so convenient, though. It was never crowded. In fact, we often found ourselves asking where all the other guests were.
Being high status with RCL, I respect you decision putting them as a number 2. Your explanation goes very well with the comments regarding NCL. Having sailed both, I will say the food on NCL was a bit better than RCL, especially in the main dining room. It was amazing; however, RCL's specialty restaurants were unmatched in my opinion.
We just got off an 18 day Hawaii cruise on Holland America. Loved everything about our ship, the Koningsdam and all of the crew was fantastic
I love the large ships with tons of activities. Thanks so much for this very detailed video. On Carnival, my absolute favorite activity is the Chefs Table Dinner. It’s absolutely superb! I was a Chef for years and this dinner is super impressive.
My vote would be Viking for overall value, food quality, focus on excursions, and experience for adults only. They are typically voted the most popular cruise line for a reason.
I love them, too! We went on our first cruise with them (Rhine River) in 2019. We finally went on our twice delayed Mediterannean cruise with them in March and it was amazing! I really feel no reason to change and we have another booked with them for next March!
So nice to hear. We are doing the Viking Grand European River Cruise the end of August with a 3 day extension in Prague and can't wait. We love doing excursions, and the only surprise is how much the cost can add up by adding excursions. But Viking is more our style compared to other cruise lines and believe they're worth the cost. Best wishes!
@@patriotp4714 Oh, and a Mediterranean cruise is the highest priority on our list for future cruises.
My wife and I love regent after our first cruise with them in 2018. Prior to that fun adventure we swore we would never be "cruisers". But wow did they win us over. We have a trip booked for June with regent and two more I. 2023. That said we may try seaborne based on your recommendation.
For those of you on the fence here is what we love about cruising on regent.
1. Over the top service without being stuffy. Perfect service if that makes sense.
2. Great guests. We have met some of the most wonderful people on regent. Both service staff and guests
3. Awesome excursions (included). Regent has a knack for finding really fun and interesting things to do in the ports they dock at.
4. Smaller ships. 600 to 700 passengers feels like the goldilocks number on board.
5. Cool itineraries. You get a taste of places you may never have considered before. Yes, it's only a taste but you can always travel back if you really fall in love.
Regent is fabulous! Can’t wait for a Gary to try them!
We are back with Oceania after forays into Viking and others. For the money, it can't be beat. Planning two back to backs - Sydney - Bali - Tokyo. Food, service, professionalism, destinations - hard to beat. Oceania will still provide a ride to a nearby city and their staff (unlike recent Viking cruises) are familiar with off-ship locations and transportation.
Great video. We just completed an Oceania Mediterranean Cruise and it was AMAZING. We booked another cruise while on board and we can’t wait to return to Oceania. Likes: incredible food, great tours and OUTSTANDING service. Dislikes: NONE.
I also love them!
So far I have been on a couple dozen cruises over the past 30 years sailing all over the Western, Eastern & Southern Caribbean with family & friends, and sometimes I actually cruise ALL BY MYSELF!!!... (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Magic, Celebrity Cruise)... They are "ALL" so fun, exciting & relaxing and the food is fabulous, so ZERO complaints on any of them,,,, Yes, I also really enjoy all the many Islands too.... My next cruises will be to Alaska, Hawaii & the Mediterranean, and a 6 month AROUND-THE-WORLD cruise... Any ladies want to go with me?
Always pragmatic, and down to what it matters the most. Well done Garry. 👍
MSC is stepping up. I love NCL and HA, but for a more dynamic Medi cruise, I really loved the Orchestra. Not the newest ship, not the best food, but a great experience overall and an amazing itinerary. Cheers!
I have just booked my next cruise. I didn't really know if I would go with Viking or Saga, but you made it clear to me... I have been on one river cruise, but didn't like it. The food was great, but you really NEEDED to go on a excursion every day, because NOTHING happened on the boat if you did not. You made a point that Viking ocean was a bit like a river cruise on the seas... exactly what I did not want, so I booked Saga. Thank you for your help... again!
I would agree. We found Viking Oceans top notch in service & food but activities were very limited.
The ranking and reasons why is really useful, thanks Gary.
Larger line - Royal Caribbean is your choice. My mom (in her 70s) has done NCL solo cabin w/ a group and prefers RCCL. I (in my 40s) prefer RCCL. My friend & husband (in their 50s) have done NCL suites and are currently on an RCCL ship (again) in the owner's suite because they prefer it. Just my thoughts.
Just completed a Seabourn cruise. 7 days of cold, miserable rain and the staff made it wonderful.
Wife and I just got back from a cruise to Alaska using the Celebrity Cruise line. I can't imagine not using them for every cruise from here on out. The staff and customer service was well above every other cruise lines. Glad you included them but I would still pick them over Holland simply for the customer service.
I did Celebrity to Alaska but then I booked a Viking cruise. Viking is my favorite for many reasons.. Smoking highly restricted, no casino, no kids, beautiful ships.
Eric, I agree 100% Did Princess once and then Celebrity and the difference was astounding. Have sailed Celebrity twice since then. Like you, can't imagine sailing anyone else.
Which ship Eric? Wife and I are sailing on Millennium in Alaska later this year.
@@robwhite698 the Eclipse
I really like the way you ranked the ship lines. This was a question I’ve had for some time. I would rank the lines as you did.
Just got off my second Oceania cruise and we’ve sailed with both their larger (Riviera) and smaller (Nautica) ships. Have also sailed with Azamara. Absolutely recommend Oceania- their service is superb and they even make embarkation and disembarkation so easy. In Santorini we saw massive lines waiting for the Norwegian and Virgin tenders while we just hopped right on our tender. But with Oceania being a smaller cruise and well organized, there’s rarely much waiting in line. My only negative is the nautica has a small pool, and fewer on board activities than the Riviera. But the crew is so friendly and there’s a wonderful sense of community on these smaller cruises.
I LOVE HAL. Always had great food and great service. The new music walk has been a game changer.
I've always liked the mid-sized Celebrity rather than the huge resort. I think it's also because they usually have a lot less children which for me , on a resort ship, would be a deal breaker (sorry I'm at an age that just didn't want hundreds of children or teens tearing round). Sometimes on my Celeb cruises there's be less than 20 children.
We were on the Edge Easter week and there were only 67 children on the ship! I'm sure the vaccine rules had a lot to do with it.
i agree w u ...
Agreed. Celebrity all the time for us…
which Celebrity 😀
Your insight is always appreciated. We’ve done nearly every line in the two lower tiers. Thay all seem to be about the same with the exception of Carnival. I’m not a big fan but for an inexpensive family trip, they suffice. We did a Viking Rhine cruise last Dec and really enjoyed it. Our Viking ocean comes in Nov. Oceania is next in our list. I wish cruise lines would make it easier to navigate their sites. Something Viking does exceptionally well. Lastly, is there a video for researching and selecting a TA? We’ve always booked our own but based on another of your videos, we may get better service and less headaches through a top notch TA.
I'd love that too. "How to choose the right travel agent for you."
Tell us what we should expect them to be able to do, what to look for as red flags or dealbreakers. How to tell if someone's worth her weight in gold, too.
Excellent video as usual Mr. Bembridge. However, having done 14 cruises my worst experiences were on Celebrity and Seabourn. Imagine the latter offered sandwiches on embarkation in Barbados, while Silversea ushered us to a lovely buffet. My personal choices in your categories are Royal Caribbean, Azamara, Oceania ( excellent food! ) and Silversea, 3 cruises with impeccable service.
Brilliant breakdown of the different category of cruise liners. Thank you so much. ☺️
Talking about the Caribbean, Mega ships have fewer destinations during their cruises so its more about the ship!
Mid size ships will port more often so its more about the ports you visit, while still offering a decent amount of attractions on ship!
Small ships also port more often and can fit in different ports cause of their size, but the sacrifice what is available on ship to do!
All have their pluses and minuses, We stick to the midsize, cause the mega ships are like a crowded mall to us, and the small ships don't have enough entertainment/food options, etc. on the ship, especially on a sea day, or missed port day!
This is very helpful, thanks! My wife and I are doing a Mediterranean cruise on NCL in early November from Rome to Israel. It's our fifth cruise together as a couple. We had some other cruises planned during the height of COVID but put them off until later this year.
My husband and I have done a number of cruises over the years and are dismayed with the move to mega ships. We prefer the smaller ships that Norwegian and Royal Caribbean still have running. The smaller ships are being slowly retired and harder Tom find. We have done two HAL cruises and enjoyed them but like a broader age group span than you generally find on HAL.
I like Viking as they have all kinds Ships on the sea cruise plus river cruise expedition cruise plus everything is included I like that it is 18 plus too it be quieter ship
HAl is our go-to for luxurious travel. Just returned from an Alaskan inner passage trip on Westerdam. Next year - three weeks on Eurodam cruising from Florida to Seattle via the Panama Canal…Neptune Club all the way!
I’ve only watched two similar videos, but surprised no mention of Fred Olsen. We love those ships; great food, friendly, inexpensive drinks. Quite wonderful.
Hi Gary, me and my wife are booked on the Celebrity Edge cruising from New Zealand to Fiji return, inside cabin cost us $2800nzd each for 12 nights. Our very first cruise.
We’ve booked 5 Viking ocean cruises, and 6 of their river cruises. Our experiences on the ocean ships have been outstanding. No children, no casinos, lots of spaces to be alone besides their beautiful staterooms, staff second to none. The waitstaff in the lounges and restaurants know our names and our preferences by the second day, sometimes sooner. Friends who have cruised Oceania tell us they found Viking food to be better.
Recently switched from Carnival to NCL. I’m very excited for our Thanksgiving cruise.
Hello Gary,
I just watched your video about what cruise lines are the best. I enjoyed very much your categorization of the cruise line field. I have sailed 28 times. My last cruise was on Holland America. It was around South America. The cruise was thoroughly disappointing. The Lincoln Center ensemble was gone (The front desk said the contract expired.) There was very little entertainment on board unless you wanted to go to knitting class. They had mahjong but no one was in the room to lead or instruct. The same with bridge. The food was marginal. The highlight was the drinks were wonderful as well as the excursions. I was glad to learn about the different categories of cruise lines. Thank you.
Just cruised Norwegian Bliss to Alaska-lots to do but long lines and reservations required and not guaranteed-absolutely loved Six and Jersey Boys -all 8 of us ended up with COVID.
Sorry to hear. Hope you all doing ok and recovering from Covid? I also got it ok my Alaska cruise last month
It really interests me to hear a couple of cruise lines are catering for the single passenger, I have recently lost my husband , I still wish to cruise , but not to share, you still have to pay for a cabin for two people, I feel there are thousands of cruisers that feel as I do but stop at paying almost double, just want to enjoy a cruise to socialise and meet new friends without sharing and without the double fare.
I agree and also lost my husband. Get a good TA, and ask them to look for cerises offering a single supplement.
I went on many Royal Caribbean cruises ten to be exact and I loved them all there are so many things to do on the ship and the spaces are so large and they have so much open spaces it really makes you feel like you are not even on a ship. The customer experience is also very good the crew is very friendly.
Its none of that. Your text is crazy. Watch your grammar, punctuation and spelling.
@@808bigisland which cruises did you go on?
@@Add50326 Where did you get homeschooled?
@@808bigisland I went to school at a school. You?
@@808bigisland what cruises did you go on?
I just started cruising and chose Norwegian because because of what's mentioned here - the studio stateroom really was great. But also they have been heavy on promos which pushes them further ahead - open bar for only $20/pp/pn service fee, a # of prem. dining meals included, and 50% off airfare on some itins.
We sailed Norwegian on a our last cruise and booked a Haven Penthouse Suite. We absolutely loved it. Probably our best cruising experience. NCL is our go to line for service and value. Going to try Oceania next based on your recommendation. Cheers
As Australians, we agree with you concerning Costa. Although we have many Italians in Oz it was a bit much being on such an Italian ship! Asia cruise Jan 2020.
The enjoy your feedback
My view point is msc is cruise line to watch
They are growing and working new locations
The ship are beautiful
Just got off the MSC SEASHORE yesterday. Worst service and customer service ever. Booked a Mediterranean cruise with them in September and will be canceling ASAP after this disaster.
I got off the MSC Seashore a month ago and had a great experience. Just goes to show how variable individuals experiences can be!
What a treat . Your video is so informative. I m planning my partner birthday next year and now i know what to look out for
Excellent summary of the best experience you can get in each category
Introduced lines we will consider in future cruising
I’ve been watching your channel for a long time and I’ve never hear you mention Fred Olsen, the first and best cruise line I’ve been on. Small ships, reasonable prices and a wonderful experience.
Excellent video Gary, and after many trips with many lines, you are spot on in your choices.
If I ever go on a cruise, it will have to be on a smaller ship. I would not enjoy one of these behemoths! Thank you for the video! Wonderful information!
I can not recommend Ponant cruises enough!! Especially the Paul Guaguin, in French Polynesia. This I would consider and luxury line. The service, food and experience were just above and beyond.