Picking a cruise line that fits my needs

I just got off ncl and disliked almost everything except our room. So i need to find the cruise line that works for me. Here is what i liked about ncl and what i wished they offered.

Likes

Inside cabin was bigger then most people are used too

Dinners for 2 ( im not scared of sitting with people it was just a nice bonus)

Private island

The size of the breakaway was great for a walk with 2 levels to walk outside on

Dislikes

No steak or lobsters in mdr only pay reataurants

no ice coffee only Lavazza fancy frozen drinks (dont mind paying if its what i want.)

Mdr food was not good at all

Pool darts bowling all expensive

Never having the same waiter bar staff or maitre d the whole trip (most people told me about great meals they had on other cruises because the staff got to know you personally before they traveled ncl freestyle)

I liked cruising just not my particular cruise any suggestions

All our recent cruises were on Princess.

Likes - All lines have tables for two. However, many don't have enough.

Most of the major lines have private islands. I don't know if every cruise stops at one.

Dislikes

On Princess, steak is on the "always available" menu and other steaks are often available.

We find the food in the included restaurants very good on Princess

If you are going with an open seating option on any line, the staff can vary.

Do you have the taken advantage of feel on a rainy day in port or at sea on princess. We had 2 days of rain no big deal big ship but to entertain people they offered extra things that cost money bingo deal or no deal beer and wine tastings etc nothing for kids (we didnt travel with any but it was noticeable ) and nothing free that wasnt already scheduled karaoke dancing common area games .

The best think is to make a list of what are expecting on a cruise .

Then people can answer or recommend something that is suitable.

I hate to say it, but it sounds like the mainstream cruise lines are not entirely for you.

However, I do recommend stepping up to a nicer line to see if you like it. My suggestion is Celebrity, specifically Solstice Class ships.

Princess is also a good suggestion, but so far, I've found their ships to be a lot more crowded than Celebrity.

All trip i heared great things about celebrity i also heared complaints about disney cruises that would make me happy go figure

No steak or lobsters in mdr only pay reataurants

Is not striploin steak one of the always available items in the MDR on NCL?:confused:

(granted that 'lobster' is not on the new MDR menu)

No lol you would think but we had an executive chef from nyc yelling at the executive chef on ncl for serving london broil and calling it a striploin and it got removed day 1. Same thing with filet in mdr being pot roast meat the chef appologized and said he can only cook what is giving to him but i dont want to get off topic

Carnival's standard cabins are larger than most other lines...

All of the cruise lines will offer 2 tops....if you want!

Most cruise lines have "private island/beaches"....it's just that not every route will go to them every time! You have to check your itinerary.

RCI's ships have lots of outdoor spaces...jogging/walking tracks...and other strollable places! And, their ships designs are very easy to navigate...very straightforward.

Dunno, maybe should try Celebrity, Royal Carbibean, Princess or Holland. I sure one of those lines will resolve whatever dislikes you have with NCL.

Not defending NCL or anything, but some of things you don't like about them wouldn't bother others. I don't care about steak since I'm not big beef like that and I live about 45 minutes away from City Islands plus work in Manhattan, so I've seen what good-size lobsters looks, not the prawns that cruises lines are passing off as lobsters. Any coffee is better than that shrill Starbucks passes off for coffee, so that's that. $5 for a game of duck bowling or darts is not expensive, to me anyway. MDR food is always subjective, so who knows. Finally, don't know about anyone else but I'm frickle, just because I had coffee with no sugar for dinner yesterday does not mean I want coffee every night. In other words, I prefer that waitstaff don't make bad assumptions since I'm not creature of habit when it comes to eating.

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I agree that you should try one of the other mainstream cruise lines like Celebrity, Princess or Royal Caribbean. Pick newer, larger ships for the most options and activities. They all have private islands (but check the itinerary to make sure that any particular cruise goes there). Request a table for 2, and upon arrival, go to the main dining room and check your table - if it's not to your satisfaction, ask the maître-d to switch. They all offer steak, and lobster tails on the 2nd formal night. (Yes, Royal offers a premium cut of steak and a whole lobster for an upcharge, but you can still get steak and lobster tails for free in the main dining room). If you select traditional dining, you will have the same wait team every night. If you select Anytime Dining, you can request the same waiters and table each night.

Dunno, maybe should try Celebrity, Royal Carbibean, Princess or Holland. I sure one of those lines will resolve whatever dislikes you have with NCL.

 

 

Not defending NCL or anything, but some of things you don't like about them wouldn't bother others. I don't care about steak since I'm not big beef like that and I live about 45 minutes away from City Islands plus work in Manhattan, so I've seen what good-size lobsters looks, not the prawns that cruises lines are passing off as lobsters. Any coffee is better than that shrill Starbucks passes off for coffee, so that's that. $5 for a game of duck bowling or darts is not expensive, to me anyway. MDR food is always subjective, so who knows. Finally, don't know about anyone else but I'm frickle, just because I had coffee with no sugar for dinner yesterday does not mean I want coffee every night. In other words, I prefer that waitstaff don't make bad assumptions since I'm not creature of habit when it comes to eating.

 

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Thanks maywell and i totally get what your saying about ncl. im sure alot of people are loyal to them because they enjoy some stuff i dont. i could careless about it but i met 20-30 people who would only go on a ship with a cigar bar i could only imagine how hard that could make things.

Thanks maywell and i totally get what your saying about ncl. im sure alot of people are loyal to them because they enjoy some stuff i dont. i could careless about it but i met 20-30 people who would only go on a ship with a cigar bar i could only imagine how hard that could make things.

Considering that the cigar bar is probably the only public place where the smoke smells good - I don't blame them.lol.

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Let me ask this if im not sure what cl to take does anyone suggest 2 or 3 day cruises just to test the cruise line or do you not experience enough on the short trips

Do you have the taken advantage of feel on a rainy day in port or at sea on princess. We had 2 days of rain no big deal big ship but to entertain people they offered extra things that cost money bingo deal or no deal beer and wine tastings etc nothing for kids (we didnt travel with any but it was noticeable ) and nothing free that wasnt already scheduled karaoke dancing common area games .

We mostly take longer Princess cruises to far away places. With 32 cruises on Princess, none were considered Caribbean. Most have been on the small Princess ships that hold about 680 passenger, so almost no kids.

Since we are going to once in a life time places, rain is ignored. We are off the ship most of the day on tour.

Since this type cruise attracts an older passenger set, activities are less pool oriented. No hairy chest contest, etc.

It depends on the person(s) like and dislikes - 2 or 3 days cruises works for some people but others prefer 5 day or more to figure out a cruise line is for them. For me it was couple of incidents during a 8 day trip that convince me, if had to choose between NCL and

Carnival for last-minute trip, I would prefer NCL 1st before Carnival but I wouldn't completely rule out the latter. Carnival as a line is not bad, it actually pretty good but a small percentage of their cliente have no manners when comes to others who don't fit in their views and unfortunately, I encountered alot on that trip. Some things that NCL has in spades like different dining options and no set dining times would had alleviated the problems that I had encountered on Carnival.

I think before choosing any cruise line to sail on, research a more their what their plus and minuses and think if this will affect you or not. And bw honest with yourself what exactly do you on you trip and what will or will not bother you. Also, take into consideration who is going with you because that will also effect how things will turn out - and for the record regarding Carnival, that cruise line is a hit or miss with solo travelers due to some passengers behaviors and no real solo meet or place compare to NCL. So yes, some inner soul searching regarding your likes and dislikes will help with your search. Lol.

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Thats crazy because i wore the wrong hat (from boston) on a cruise from nyc i got hassled everyday

I just got off ncl and disliked almost everything except our room. So i need to find the cruise line that works for me. Here is what i liked about ncl and what i wished they offered.

 

Likes

Inside cabin was bigger then most people are used too

Dinners for 2 ( im not scared of sitting with people it was just a nice bonus)

Private island

The size of the breakaway was great for a walk with 2 levels to walk outside on

 

Dislikes

No steak or lobsters in mdr only pay reataurants

no ice coffee only Lavazza fancy frozen drinks (dont mind paying if its what i want.)

Mdr food was not good at all

Pool darts bowling all expensive

Never having the same waiter bar staff or maitre d the whole trip (most people told me about great meals they had on other cruises because the staff got to know you personally before they traveled ncl freestyle)

 

I liked cruising just not my particular cruise any suggestions

Carnival's inside cabins are even bigger than NCL's inside cabins.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have tables for two.

Some of Carnival's cruises go to Half Moon Cay, HAL's private island.

Royal Caribbean has two private islands, Cocoa Cay and Labadee.

Carnival's biggest ship is about 10% smaller than the Breakaway.

Royal Caribbean has five ships (Voyager class) that are a little smaller than the Breakaway, three ships (Freedom class) that are about 10% bigger than the Breakaway and two ships (Oasis class) that are about 50% bigger than the Breakaway.

On one night per cruise both Carnival and Royal Caribbean will have lobster. Otherwise it is also available in the extra cost restaurants. Both will have steak every night, but it will not be as good as the steak you get in the extra cost restaurants.

In my opinion, Carnival's food is slightly better than Royal Caribbean's food. Both are better (in my opinion) than the food in NCL's free restaurants.

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean (except on the Quantum) have traditional dining (set time and place for the entire cruise).

I've only been on Princess twice and I don't recall as much about Princess. But Princess is another option.

Let me ask this if im not sure what cl to take does anyone suggest 2 or 3 day cruises just to test the cruise line or do you not experience enough on the short trips

I would never suggest a short 3 or 4 day cruise to test a line because they *generally* use their oldest ships on those routes, and shorter cruises tend to attract different kinds of people than longer cruises do. (Those cruises *tend* to be party cruises). While there are a few exceptions, I think you need at least 5 days, but preferably a week, to test a cruiseline. Remember that the ship matters, so make sure you pick a newer, larger ship to find what you outlined in your first post.

Thats crazy because i wore the wrong hat (from boston) on a cruise from nyc i got hassled everyday

Pfft, that's nothing - I had to hear off-the -wall comments about me eating 'light' everytime I went to the buffet (didn't know a cup of coffee and 2 croissants was eating light for breakfast, lunch time was just as bad). How did I pay for my trip (yes, you're reading that correctly, not 'how much'- security had to step in, I stop going to buffet for lunch after that). Sitting at a late dining time for 10 people and only 3 people show up most of the time(I was one of the 3). Waitstaff asking me if I wanted more food (their excuse was since other fat black women my age eat alot, I too must eat alot as well - Yeah, I don't get that logic either, maitre apologize but I stop going for last 2 nights...). On the innocuous front, I had way too many people telling me to smile on the 1st 2 days ( kinda hard to smile when your suffering from menstrual cramps /bloating /mirgaines the very day of embarkment and the meds arent kicking in, winded up working later on the evening of the 2nd day)

If the worst said to you was about your hat, then you got off whole lot luckier than me. Lol.

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Let me ask this if im not sure what cl to take does anyone suggest 2 or 3 day cruises just to test the cruise line or do you not experience enough on the short trips

Most 2 or 3 day cruises are "Party" cruises. Expect lots of younger people, lots of drinking and usually these are on the older ships, so the ships are more worn out. I don't think these are very representative of what a week long cruise would be like.

The only other shorter cruises that might work out for you would be a Disney Cruise combined with a visit to Disneyworld.

What I'm not certain about is exactly what you are looking for from a cruise? You seem to like to walk, tables for 2 and eating steak and lobster and the private island for a beach day, but what else do you want to do on a cruise? I love the NCL ships, but then, we are always in a Penthouse or above, and preferably in a Spa Suite. Since I have access to The Haven, I have a lot of privacy and there are places where I can be on a huge deck with hardly anyone else. The food in the dining room for suite guests is always fantastic and steak is always offered and you have the same waitstaff for breakfast, lunch and dinner and these folks get transferred around NCL ships, so sometimes we recognize crew members from other cruises we've been on. On our last NCL cruise (Epic), we had one of the butler's we'd had on the Jade. The butler will happily get us lobster from the buffet on the night it is served if we ask and it is free for suite guests to get anything as room service from the MDR or buffet or any of the other free restaurants onboard.

IMO, of the mass market lines, Celebrity has the best MDR food followed closely by Princess. RCCL has the best entertainment and I like all the specialty restaurants on RCCL and NCL. I have also sailed on Carnival and I liked their MDR food. I was in a spa balcony on the Splendour - and it was great. Their MDR was typical hotel banquet food, but the staff was enthusiastic and Carnival waiters get up on platforms and dance on some nights which is fun. We went to the steakhouse one night and I thought the steak was mediocre. Still, it was a fun experience.

I like the cabins on HAL, especially the signature suite with separate tub and walk in shower. Unfortunately, the cruise we were on(Alaska), the ages of those onboard skewed to much, much older than us and I don't think they ever played any music past the 1940's. We hit rough water and the shows were cancelled on several nights. In fact the second night out, we were about the only people in the dining room because the seas were so rough and all the shows had to be cancelled. The ship felt almost abandoned at times because so many guests had retired to their staterooms. But that is not HAL's fault. I also thought the food on HAL was rather bland although the service was excellent.

I've also cruised on the Celebrity Eclipse. Food in the MDR was excellent, service was excellent. I did not particularly like the bathroom in our cabin - we had a Family Verandah stateroom - 2 bedrooms, living room, dining room and 1 bathroom. I thought the bathroom felt smaller than it needed to be considering the size of our cabin - the second largest on the ship. I was also disappointed that there was only 1 TV in our cabin. However having all the extra space was great. On Celebrity, they have a coffee and tea shop (costs extra) called Cafe al Bacio, which I spent a ton of time hanging out at when we were onboard during the day. The spa did not have a thermal suite or thalisotherapy pool, which was disappointing. I could care less about glass blowing or playing bacci balls up on the top deck.

I've been on several Princess ships and always enjoyed those.

If you want a more all-inclusive experience, you might try river cruising in Europe - food is outstanding on the river cruises! And one thing that is really cool about river cruises is the food is matched to where you are cruising! I love that! We cruised on Uniworld, but heard Viking was equally good - just different styles of ships. On these cruises EVERYTHING is included. All the food, all the tours, wine with dinner...it's GREAT!

For ocean cruises, there are several lines that are all-inclusive such as Silversea, Seabourn, SeaDream, Regent Seven Seas and Crystal.

I think that what you are looking for is still out there, but that you may have to pay a bit more to get it.

Let me ask this if im not sure what cl to take does anyone suggest 2 or 3 day cruises just to test the cruise line or do you not experience enough on the short trips

The atmosphere on a short cruise (3 - 4 nights) is very different from the atmosphere on a one week cruise. Also, the oldest and smallest ships usually get assigned to the short cruise detail. With that in mind, as far as testing the waters, a three or four night cruise is a good way to go. Try to find one with at least one sea day so you can get a better feel for the ship.

Do you have the taken advantage of feel on a rainy day in port or at sea on princess. We had 2 days of rain no big deal big ship but to entertain people they offered extra things that cost money bingo deal or no deal beer and wine tastings etc nothing for kids (we didnt travel with any but it was noticeable ) and nothing free that wasnt already scheduled karaoke dancing common area games .

If I am getting your question correctly, are you asking if there's a full slate of free activities on Princess?

On sea days, there's plenty of activities -- trivia matches, movies, Zumba classes. Some seminars and talks have no extra cost (some computer classes and maybe photography classes have a cost). You would have to pay for bingo if that's your thing (or if you're betting on a horse at the horseracing, if that's on your ship). My last three cruises were the RT LA to Hawaii on Princess...and there's a ton of Hawaiian oriented activities such as hula classes, ukelele classes, lei making (if you go to the orchid or ribbon lei making classes, there's no charge for even materials, but you do need to score a ticket at the shore excursions desk -- the classes are very popular).

Let's put it this way, I haven't been bored on any of my cruises on Princess.

There are a few activities on port days, no matter the weather, during the time in port. More like a movie or trivia. There are spa specials. And the gym will be open.

And we don't go to the specialty restaurants. The one time we did was when we were gifted with a complimentary dinner at Sabatinis, but it's not a must for us. There are plenty of places to get a decent meal without getting a charge. I'm not a foodie but the MDR food is fine for us. We didn't care for anytime dining, so I don't think I would care for freestyle.

I know that Princess has an island in the Caribbean, but all of our Princess cruises were out of LA or Seattle (and when we used to go on Carnival, that was before they had a private island).

To truly find the ship for you, you willl need to try them all. That is my "Bucket List". I haven't found the best fit yet, so I will keep working on it.

After my first cruise - NCL, NYC to Bermuda - I swore off cruising. Too many drunks on board, food soso.

I got back into it on Oceania, Azamara, Holland America and Princess. We go by itinerary. Each of these lines has its advantages and price point! Oceania is my favorite (for me: fresh berries for breakfast, real French baguette, sushi at dinner).