The Cruise Ship and Cruise Line Discussion Thread!

[EmirooA zonkey is a cross between a zebra and a donkey.]

I can offer this advice:

First time cruisers will usually pick Carnival or Royal Caribbean for their cruise line. Having been on both (Carnival Paradise & R.C. Explorer of the Seas), I can say that you will not have a bad time or experience on either, but the Royal Caribbean ships are so much more opulent and luxurious even when compared against Carnival's magnificent ships that I do not ever see myself cruising on any line but R.C. again.

Thankfully, we took a Carnival cruise before we took a Royal Caribbean. Had it been the other way around, we probably would have been mildly disappointed with the ship.

So if you are on the fence about cruise line, do yourself a favor and go with Royal Caribbean.

[FeelTheFORCEWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

I've only been on 2 cruises. I was on the Disney Magic in 1998, and the Golden Princess in 2001. I am well overdue for another one. I like Princess cruises. That cruise in 2001 was a blast.

Disney Magic:


Golden Princess:

^ We did the Grand Princess which is a sister ship to the Golden. I liked Princess and the ship, but I felt that "sky walk" thing on the back of the ship was probably one of the biggest wastes of money.

Out of the four cruise lines I've been on, I'd rank Princess 2nd over RCCL.

[FeelTheFORCEWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Ha, if anything it looks like a spoiler on a top fuel dragster. Yeah, I remember going up there before we set sail and thinking to myself that it was a lot less than I had expected. I was only 12 at the time, so I wasn't allowed up there once we set sail and operations began, but I'm sure I wasn't really missing anything.

I remember having to cut through the casino to get to the movie theatre, and being only 12, I thought I was so cool walking through there.

[nursemelis374Donkeys are my way of life!]

I have been thinking so much about cruises lately! A few years ago I went on Freedom of the Seas and it was one of the best vacations I have ever been on! We did a Western Caribbean itinerary and I loved the ports and the activities. I was just talking with my friends last night about how much fun that cruise was and for 2 people sharing an inside cabin in April the cost was 1100 per person, not too bad!

I completely agree about the freestyle dining. Dinner is one of the best parts of the cruise! I love that my waiter knows me and has a Diet Coke and a giant basket of bread waiting for me each night. I also think it is fun getting to know the other people at your table.

I have done 3+ of each Carnival and Royal Caribbean out of LA and I liked them both. I know Carnival has a reputation for being "trashy" but I have always had just as good a time on that line and felt it was still high caliber.

I am totally down with trying out Oasis in the next couple of years.

[disneyfan1313Can you see the donkey in my toast?]

While I agree that Freestyle dining on NCL has its downsides (lower level of service, they don't remember preferences, etc) having the greater selection of locations to choose from *almost* makes up for it. We have been talking about giving NCL another try - perhaps on the Epic. As long as you go in with slightly lower expectations you will be fine. The things they do well - branding, club/vegas-like atmosphere, choices of activities - they have down to a science.

I am a little worried about the sustainability of their business though - there are 7 days on Epic this fall going for $599pp which is UNHEARD of for a newbuild ship.

My ranking on lines we have been on...
1) DCL
2) Cunard
3) Princess
4) Azamara / Celeberty
4) RCCL
5) NCL
6) Carnival

[chemical_echoI just swallowed a whole donkey!]

I went with Carnival last year (Sensation) and had a great time. Granted, it was my first cruise and I didn't know what to expect, but it was a lot of fun. I think the worst part was that the hot tubs were always filled with pre teens and my girlfriend and I never got a chance to use them. (We could have used the adult area ones, but being in our early 20s (older than 21 still), we felt young and out of place there).

They offered the best value at the time we booked, and we got pretty much got more than we expected with the value.

Next time we want to try a Royal Caribbean, or even that Epic looks pretty sweet.

[Swiminn6Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Donkey.]

^If you had the money, would you live on The World? It sounds like they would have sufficient facilities for you to still run TPR while living on the ship.

I would never. Here is why, 1. You have to buy the room which is your own house so you would basically never go on any other ship. 2. It seems a little boring to me as there's no real appeal to it besides the places it goes to. 3. I love the cruising atmosphere and all the activities you can do aboard a real cruise ship. 4. They even say it's a ghost town sometimes and I would hate that!

I also think this is a great thread as I absolutely love cruises! I am a huge RCCL fanatic and I only want to go on their ships although I might give the Epic a try in the future when I'm on my own. So far I have been on the Disney Wonder, Navigator of the Seas, & Freedom of the Seas and we LOVED all of them although the RCCL one's were our favorite. Here's my experiences.

Disney Wonder:
A great ship and at the time I was quite young, about 9 or 10 and I thought it was awesome! There private island was really nice as far as I can remember and had the characters walking around in special costumes. I have a picture of Mickey and myself with the ship in the background! I think my absolute two favorite things on the ship were the slide and the dining room that changed colors throughout the night.

Navigator of the Seas:
A spectacular ship. I was about 10 at the time and we were on the ship when it was new. When I stepped on board I couldn't believe my eyes and at that time I think I began to realize I was a cruise ship lover. I can't explain in words how I felt all week long on the ship and I honestly did not want to get off in the end. RCCL also runs an awesome program for kids. I went every day and it was so much fun! I got to meet new friends and one night I remember we won a "challenge" and we got to push one of the "teachers" in the pool late a night :-p I loved everything and I don't have anything negative to say about the ship.

Freedom of the Seas:
Now I was older when we went on this ship back in 2006 when it was brand new. I knew a lot about this ship as I had been following the ship forever! This ship was probably the best you could go on before Oasis was introduced. I had a blast on this one and I was never board. The flowriders were great and I loved the Aqua Zone! I am still not an "adult" but I got to see the adult only whirlpools "hanging" over the ship and I wanted to go in so bad as they looked awesome! Great service overall and was very clean.

I defiantly recommend going on a larger ship though. If you have the money to even go on a ship I would save up even more to go on a larger one because 1. You will feel the ship rocking way less. 2. There are more activities ex. RCCL's larger ships have the flowriders, Aqua Zone, etc... I also disagree to all the people out there who say they don't want to go on large ships because there are too many people. Here is the simple thing to understand, they have more rooms yeah, and they ALSO have more space! I never had a problem on Freedom of the Seas with it being "crowded."

I truly love cruising and if the fear of sinking or something is stopping you from making a reservation then do not let it! Trust me you will NOT sink! I am a nervous wreck a lot of the time but since I have been on one I have no fear of them. If you go on Oasis of the Seas you will most likely not feel the waves at all as there has been reports that when it was coming to North America through a winter storm with 30 foot swells (that only happens in the winter in the North Atlantic ocean) workers could barely feel a thing!

Also if anyone is lucky enough to go on Oasis tell us all about it! My mom also loves cruises and RCCL and is saving up to go on it for next year!

[GriffonluvHarry Potter is a sick donkey.]

Cruises are one of the best things you can do in a lifetime imo. Although they can be quite pricey, they are definitely worth it.

I'm just wondering how long it'll be until there's a coaster on one of these floating hotels.

[SharkTumsSite Admin]

Have any of you been on one of the NCL ships with the bowling alleys? Just wondering how reserving it works, or if it's a free for all, etc.

I think your post has changed my mind a bit Reed, I may reconsider and try NCL, I suppose if we could get a few of us together and try to get one of their insane suites they seem to have the best 'suite perks' of all the major lines it could be a lot of fun!

And the new ship is going for $599!!??! That's insane. Oasis doesn't get to what I consider 'normal' prices till Summer 2011!!!!