Welcome back to Byte Size Cruises! We are so glad you're here. We are a travel agency out of Philadelphia, PA and we specialize in ALL things cruises! If you enjoy cruise vacations, or if you're interested in learning more about cruising, you're in the right place! Our goal here is to give you the best and most accurate information so you can plan and go on an amazing vacation. If you'd like to check out this post on our YouTube channel, click here. This post is part three in a four part series designed for brand new cruisers. We've covered pricing and itineraries and in this post we will review the best cruise lines and ships for new cruisers. Let's get into it!
Recently we were on a cruise with a cruise line we've had wonderful experiences with before, but this time left us with a sour taste in our mouths. We had a bad experience what we won't soon forget. We spoke to some first time cruisers on that ship and they said that they would never go on another cruise, which was so sad for us! We cruise all the time and we definitely want everyone (especially first time cruisers) to have an amazing experience.
When you're looking to book a cruise, you have about four different categories of cruise lines to choose from:
MASS MARKET: These cruises are designed to appeal to a wide audience. This is gong to include Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival, and MSC. These cruises are really great for families and people looking for a lively atmosphere. There's lots of things to do on these ships and they'll travel to all the typical hot spots in cruising.
PREMIUM: These cruises have a bit more to them and are more expensive. This includes Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, and Cunard. These cruises are really good for people who want a bit more luxury and more refined service without totally breaking the bank.
SMALL: These cruise lines all have smaller ships and are more specialized. They often travel to more localized or unique locations and might feature a special guest or lecture series on board. This includes Oceania, Azamara and Viking. These cruises are great for travelers who are looking for a very traditional cruising experience in an intimate setting.
LUXURY: This includes Seabourn, Silversea, and Regent and these cruises are all about the extras. Here you are going to find personalized service, refined settings, and often an older, less party crowd. At this level you're most likely only going to find suites and only a few hundred people on board.
Mass market is the largest category here and you're going to find a lot of variety among the cruise lines and ships available. Some ships are smaller, some are huge. Some ships are newer and more expensive, some are older and more traditional.
Lets go through each cruise line to see which might be the best one for you.
Royal Caribbean: Very family friendly cruise line. Great kids clubs and great amenities on board the ship, so there's going to be lots of dining options, lots of activities, and lots of entertainment to go see. You're going to find aqua theaters, ice rinks, water slides, multiple pools, a solarium for adults, and much much more.
Carnival: If you're looking for a party, this is the place to be! Carnival is the ultimate party cruise line and designed for people who want to eat, drink, and dance on the high seas. Carnival also has a great kids club and can be really good for families. You're going to find lots of entertainment and dining options on Carnival, especially great food options that are included in your cruise fare. You're also going to find lots of fun things to do on board the ship like pools, mini golf, ropes courses, arcades, etc.
Norwegian Cruise Line: NCL tends to cater to an adult crowd and is is really great for couples or older adults. You will still see families here and they do have a robust kids club program, but overall the crowd tends to be more adults and less of the party scene. Here you're going to find lots of specialty dining, Broadway style shows, Go-Karts, multiple pools, and they even are building an aqua coaster on one of their newer ships. There's lots of great things to do on these ships where everyone has a ton of fun.
MSC: MSC is family oriented and making waves in North America. MSC is more internationally based as a cruise line so you'll find a wider variety of people on board the ship (which we think is pretty cool.) They too have a great kids program and lots of dining and activities on board.
The crowd on board the ship will vary depending on the location you are traveling to and how long your cruise is. Short cruises tend to have more families and more of a party scene whereas longer cruises tend to have more adults and less partying. If you're going to a more exotic location like the Mediterranean, Iceland or Alaska you're going to find a more adult crowd whereas the Bahamas and Caribbean are going to be more families.
Make sure you are researching the different ships before you book. Find out how large the ship is and what is offered on board to make sure you are booking the cruise line and ship that is going to meet your needs for the type of vacation you want. We highly recommend speaking with a travel agent! Remember, booking a cruise with an agent will never be more expensive than it is online AND that agent can give you insider advice on what cruise line and ship will be best for you.
At the Premium level we can say across the board that it is going to be an adult crowd. Virgin is adults only (21+) and Holland America and Cunard have a very upscale, traditional cruising atmosphere. Princess and Celebrity you might see a few families, but they are the minority and the ships really aren't set up with fun things for kids to do. These ships are really focused on dining, quality entertainment and an adult vacation experience.
In the Small category you're going to find people who love adventuring and exploring in new places and experiencing different cultures. Again, not many kids on these cruises. These itineraries are all about immersing in the culture of the port of call and the experiences you will have there. Due to the smaller ship sizes, there isn't a lot of fun and exciting things to do on board. These cruises are all about rest and relaxation on board and adventures and culture at port.
Luxury is going to be very similar to the Small category in as far as there's few to no kids and this cruising experience is designed for a refined adult atmosphere. Here you'll find lots of upscale dining experiences, amazing spa treatments, and specialized service.
That is our rundown for new cruisers on the different cruise lines and cruise types!! Are you looking to go on your first cruise? What type of cruise experience are you interested in? We would love to hear from you! Comment below. :)