Choosing a Cruise Line - are They Really That Different?
May 6, 2009 by Cruise Tips
Filed under Cruise Lines
by Roy Witman
Casinos. Formal dining rooms. Day spas and fitness centers. All cruise lines offer the same things, right? That may have been true decades ago, but no longer! Today, there is a great deal of variety in the cruise lines with regard to onboard activities, amenities, destinations and more. Since “how do I choose a cruise line” is probably the most frequently asked question I get, allow me to give you a quick overview of the most popular cruise lines and what each offers. You’ll want to bookmark this article so you can find it quickly in the future when you’re ready to book your next cruise.
Carnival Cruise Lines
Known as the Fun Ships®, Carnival made a bold move years ago by breaking the stereotype of cruise vacations. Carnival opened the door to Ordinary Joe to experience vacations at sea just as the rich and famous did. Thanks to Carnival, everybody can take a cruise at an affordable rate. These are fun, basic cruises that offer comfortable accommodations and all the amenities you would expect. Casinos, Broadway-style shows, spa treatments and fitness centers are all onboard, as well as extensive kids activities. With destinations to the most popular locations including the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and the Bahamas, Carnival offers quickie three- and four-day cruises as well as lengthy 16-day tours.
Norwegian Cruise Line
With several new ships launched over the last few years, Norwegian has a relatively new fleet. Known for “Freestyle Cruising,” NCL gives you the freedom to do what you want to do, when you want to do it. Traveling to the four corners of the world, NCL offers an extensive lineup of destinations in addition to the typical ones listed above. Book passage to Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Madrid, Amsterdam, Athens, or Paris, as well as numerous cities in Egypt, Norway and Belgium. Exclusive Courtyard Villas with exceptional amenities make accommodating large groups or families a breeze. The large array of kid’s activities means the children will also have a great time!
Royal Caribbean Cruises
The slogan “Get Out There!” should tell you something about Royal Caribbean. These fast-paced ships are new, innovative and large! With many firsts at sea, Royal Caribbean has the newest fleet at sea loaded with unusual things to do including a rock wall, FlowRider® onboard surfing machine, ice skating rink, boxing ring and bowling alley. All this in addition to the expected casinos, spas, fitness centers and restaurants. Extremely kid-friendly, Royal delivers a diverse selection of baby, toddler, child, pre-teen and teen activities. Sailing to the four corners of the world, Royal can take you to six of the seven continents for some amazing adventures.
Princess Cruises
The original “Love Boat,” Princess Cruises has been a recognized leader in the industry since the early 70’s when the television series put them in front of the public eye. Today, Princess continues to offer casual yet refined cruises to typical destinations as well as Asia, Australia, South America and Europe. With art auctions and ScholarShip® programs there’s plenty to do onboard, including taking lessons in painting and digital photography plus listening to guest lecturers and more. Multiple youth and teen activities mean every member of the family can have a great time while vacationing on these smaller, but well-appointed ships.
Celebrity Cruises
More sophisticated and a little slower paced than the others, Celebrity’s hallmark is exceptional service. With an eye toward anticipating the passenger’s need and delivering before you even ask, Celebrity delivers award-winning service with every cruise. While they do offer a good selection of activities for children through teens, Celebrity offers more to adults. Enrichment programs and art auctions are included along with the typical casinos, shows and dining options. Offering signature destinations rarely found elsewhere, Celebrity can show you wonders of the world including the Galapagos Islands, Panama Canal and more around the globe.
Holland America Line
Signature white-glove service and premium accommodations set Holland America apart. With high levels of staffing, Holland sails with about one crewmember for every two guests, ensuring you get everything you want. A Culinary Arts Center offers hands-on as well as demonstration cooking lessons in a theater setting equipped with plasma TVs. Extensive programs for children and youth make this luxurious line family-friendly as well. Sailing to six of the seven continents, Holland calls on ports in lesser know, but fascinating destinations. Iceland, Norway, Greenland and Denmark as well as the ever-popular Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico can be visited when sailing with Holland.
Windstar Cruise Line
Intimate. Peaceful. Personal. Not massive ocean liners: Windstar offers cruises onboard motor-sail yachts with sails furling! Small ships accommodating just over 300 passengers offer a truly unique way to see the most popular destinations in the world including the Caribbean, Europe and the Greek Isles. Take part in water sports right off the back of the ship! Relish in the gourmet meals and enjoy the pampering of well-appointed cabins. Geared specifically to adults, no children’s activities are offered. Two of the three ships have casinos; all have a delightfully different way to enjoy a cruise.
Cunard
The best of the best. Cunard says, “Excellence is to be expected” and they mean it! With three of the most recognized ships in the world, the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria, Cunard offers five-star service and accommodations at every turn. Regal in every detail, these world-famous ships frequently play host to royalty, heads of state, the wealthy and celebrities. Reminiscent of grand ocean liners of past eras, Cunard is home to Canyon Ranch Spa, offers cultural enrichment programs and also an onboard planetarium. Partake in authentic English afternoon tea, stroll the deck, try your luck at the casino or drop the children off in The Zone while you relax on deck. Sailing to the four corners of the world, Cunard can take you anywhere you want to go.
Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, use the guide above to direct you to the right cruise line for you at the right price. You’ll quickly be able to decide the best vacation for you and your family with just a glance.
Thanks to Roy Witman for contributing this article to our Cruises blog:
Casinos. Formal dining rooms. Day spas and fitness centers. All cruise lines offer the same things, right? That may have been true decades ago, but no longer! Today, there is a great deal of variety in the cruise lines with regard to onboard activities, amenities, destinations and more. Since “how do I choose a cruise line” is probably the most frequently asked question I get, allow me to give you a quick overview of the most popular cruise lines and what each offers. You’ll want to bookmark this article so you can find it quickly in the future when you’re ready to book your next cruise.
Carnival Cruise Lines
Known as the Fun Ships®, Carnival made a bold move years ago by breaking the stereotype of cruise vacations. Carnival opened the door to Ordinary Joe to experience vacations at sea just as the rich and famous did. Thanks to Carnival, everybody can take a cruise at an affordable rate. These are fun, basic cruises that offer comfortable accommodations and all the amenities you would expect. Casinos, Broadway-style shows, spa treatments and fitness centers are all onboard, as well as extensive kids activities. With destinations to the most popular locations including the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and the Bahamas, Carnival offers quickie three- and four-day cruises as well as lengthy 16-day tours.
Norwegian Cruise Line
With several new ships launched over the last few years, Norwegian has a relatively new fleet. Known for “Freestyle Cruising,” NCL gives you the freedom to do what you want to do, when you want to do it. Traveling to the four corners of the world, NCL offers an extensive lineup of destinations in addition to the typical ones listed above. Book passage to Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Madrid, Amsterdam, Athens, or Paris, as well as numerous cities in Egypt, Norway and Belgium. Exclusive Courtyard Villas with exceptional amenities make accommodating large groups or families a breeze. The large array of kid’s activities means the children will also have a great time!
Royal Caribbean Cruises
The slogan “Get Out There!” should tell you something about Royal Caribbean. These fast-paced ships are new, innovative and large! With many firsts at sea, Royal Caribbean has the newest fleet at sea loaded with unusual things to do including a rock wall, FlowRider® onboard surfing machine, ice skating rink, boxing ring and bowling alley. All this in addition to the expected casinos, spas, fitness centers and restaurants. Extremely kid-friendly, Royal delivers a diverse selection of baby, toddler, child, pre-teen and teen activities. Sailing to the four corners of the world, Royal can take you to six of the seven continents for some amazing adventures.
Princess Cruises
The original “Love Boat,” Princess Cruises has been a recognized leader in the industry since the early 70’s when the television series put them in front of the public eye. Today, Princess continues to offer casual yet refined cruises to typical destinations as well as Asia, Australia, South America and Europe. With art auctions and ScholarShip® programs there’s plenty to do onboard, including taking lessons in painting and digital photography plus listening to guest lecturers and more. Multiple youth and teen activities mean every member of the family can have a great time while vacationing on these smaller, but well-appointed ships.
Celebrity Cruises
More sophisticated and a little slower paced than the others, Celebrity’s hallmark is exceptional service. With an eye toward anticipating the passenger’s need and delivering before you even ask, Celebrity delivers award-winning service with every cruise. While they do offer a good selection of activities for children through teens, Celebrity offers more to adults. Enrichment programs and art auctions are included along with the typical casinos, shows and dining options. Offering signature destinations rarely found elsewhere, Celebrity can show you wonders of the world including the Galapagos Islands, Panama Canal and more around the globe.
Holland America Line
Signature white-glove service and premium accommodations set Holland America apart. With high levels of staffing, Holland sails with about one crewmember for every two guests, ensuring you get everything you want. A Culinary Arts Center offers hands-on as well as demonstration cooking lessons in a theater setting equipped with plasma TVs. Extensive programs for children and youth make this luxurious line family-friendly as well. Sailing to six of the seven continents, Holland calls on ports in lesser know, but fascinating destinations. Iceland, Norway, Greenland and Denmark as well as the ever-popular Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico can be visited when sailing with Holland.
Windstar Cruise Line
Intimate. Peaceful. Personal. Not massive ocean liners: Windstar offers cruises onboard motor-sail yachts with sails furling! Small ships accommodating just over 300 passengers offer a truly unique way to see the most popular destinations in the world including the Caribbean, Europe and the Greek Isles. Take part in water sports right off the back of the ship! Relish in the gourmet meals and enjoy the pampering of well-appointed cabins. Geared specifically to adults, no children’s activities are offered. Two of the three ships have casinos; all have a delightfully different way to enjoy a cruise.
Cunard
The best of the best. Cunard says, “Excellence is to be expected” and they mean it! With three of the most recognized ships in the world, the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria, Cunard offers five-star service and accommodations at every turn. Regal in every detail, these world-famous ships frequently play host to royalty, heads of state, the wealthy and celebrities. Reminiscent of grand ocean liners of past eras, Cunard is home to Canyon Ranch Spa, offers cultural enrichment programs and also an onboard planetarium. Partake in authentic English afternoon tea, stroll the deck, try your luck at the casino or drop the children off in The Zone while you relax on deck. Sailing to the four corners of the world, Cunard can take you anywhere you want to go.
Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, use the guide above to direct you to the right cruise line for you at the right price. You’ll quickly be able to decide the best vacation for you and your family with just a glance.
Thanks to Roy Witman for contributing this article to our Cruises blog:
Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center at http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com offering the best deals on
cruises from New York. © 2007, All Rights Reserved
Cruise Trends: Cruise Lines Highlighting Less Crowded Caribbean Islands
May 5, 2009 by Cruise Tips
Filed under Cruise Lines
Expect to see a new trend in Caribbean cruises over the next few years as cruise lines develop new ports of call. After years following the same itineraries, cruise lines are seeking out newer, less crowded destinations.
“Most Caribbean cruises follow one of two routes,” says Paul Motter, editor of CruiseMates, “The typical Western Caribbean itinerary goes to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel; the standard Eastern Caribbean sojourn stops in St Thomas, St Martin and a Bahamian island.”
These itineraries lead to a hoard of travelers descending on the same islands.
“Bigger and bigger ships frequently arrive in the same ports on the same day as they service the same itineraries,” says Motter.
For major stops like Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, it is not unusual to have five ships arriving each day during high season, each dropping up to 3,000 passengers on the town.
“Does this make sense?” asks Motter, “Absolutely not.”
To avoid the crowds some cruise lines are seeking out quieter ports of call.
Carnival Cruise Lines recently announced a new itinerary for its ship Carnival Destiny featuring stops at less-visited ports in the Southern Caribbean, including St. Kitts and St. Lucia.
In the Western Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Holland American feature stops at the Guatemalan port of Santo Tomas, which began receiving cruise ships only four years ago.
But travel experts predict that the next major cruise destination will be the Honduran island of Roatan.
“Roatan is beautiful and unspoiled,” says local travel agent Gary Miller of TropicalRez, “It’s what the rest of the Caribbean was like 20 or 30 years ago.”
In many ways Roatan is an ideal destination for American travelers. The island features tropical scenery, sugar white beaches without the crowds and first rate scuba diving.
Already over a third of visitors to Roatan come via cruise ship. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland American and Norwegian Cruises currently stop at the island as part of their Western Caribbean cruise routes.
But ship traffic is still light by Caribbean standards. Only nineteen cruise ships stopped at the island during January 2008. That may change in the next few years.
Royal Caribbean has just signed a deal to build a $30 million extension to the island’s cruise terminal.
Carnival Cruise Lines is spending $50 million on its own port of call. To be called Mahogany Bay, the new port will feature shops, restaurants and bars and have the capacity to handle up to 7,000 visitors per day.
All of which begs the question, as the cruise lines seek to get away from the crowds, will they spoil paradise?
“I’m not too worried about that,” says Miller, “Right now we’re so much less developed than the better-known Caribbean islands, it will take a long time for us to get where they are today.”
Thanks to John Anton for contributing this article to our Cruises blog:
“Most Caribbean cruises follow one of two routes,” says Paul Motter, editor of CruiseMates, “The typical Western Caribbean itinerary goes to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel; the standard Eastern Caribbean sojourn stops in St Thomas, St Martin and a Bahamian island.”
These itineraries lead to a hoard of travelers descending on the same islands.
“Bigger and bigger ships frequently arrive in the same ports on the same day as they service the same itineraries,” says Motter.
For major stops like Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, it is not unusual to have five ships arriving each day during high season, each dropping up to 3,000 passengers on the town.
“Does this make sense?” asks Motter, “Absolutely not.”
To avoid the crowds some cruise lines are seeking out quieter ports of call.
Carnival Cruise Lines recently announced a new itinerary for its ship Carnival Destiny featuring stops at less-visited ports in the Southern Caribbean, including St. Kitts and St. Lucia.
In the Western Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Holland American feature stops at the Guatemalan port of Santo Tomas, which began receiving cruise ships only four years ago.
But travel experts predict that the next major cruise destination will be the Honduran island of Roatan.
“Roatan is beautiful and unspoiled,” says local travel agent Gary Miller of TropicalRez, “It’s what the rest of the Caribbean was like 20 or 30 years ago.”
In many ways Roatan is an ideal destination for American travelers. The island features tropical scenery, sugar white beaches without the crowds and first rate scuba diving.
Already over a third of visitors to Roatan come via cruise ship. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland American and Norwegian Cruises currently stop at the island as part of their Western Caribbean cruise routes.
But ship traffic is still light by Caribbean standards. Only nineteen cruise ships stopped at the island during January 2008. That may change in the next few years.
Royal Caribbean has just signed a deal to build a $30 million extension to the island’s cruise terminal.
Carnival Cruise Lines is spending $50 million on its own port of call. To be called Mahogany Bay, the new port will feature shops, restaurants and bars and have the capacity to handle up to 7,000 visitors per day.
All of which begs the question, as the cruise lines seek to get away from the crowds, will they spoil paradise?
“I’m not too worried about that,” says Miller, “Right now we’re so much less developed than the better-known Caribbean islands, it will take a long time for us to get where they are today.”
Thanks to John Anton for contributing this article to our Cruises blog:
John Anton is a freelance writer specializing in the travel industry.
Which cruise line would be the best to go to Mexican Rievra?
April 27, 2009 by Cruise Tips
Filed under Cruise Lines
Can you answer chrissy b’s question about Cruises?:
My main concern is with the staterooms… I have looked at many of the pictures of the staterooms and they look old and not really nice; except for Holland America. I also have heard that allot of people who like to “party” (get drunk and are very rude [not all people who go on carnival]) like to go on the Carnival Cruise Lines - which is not what I am looking for.
My main concern is with the staterooms… I have looked at many of the pictures of the staterooms and they look old and not really nice; except for Holland America. I also have heard that allot of people who like to “party” (get drunk and are very rude [not all people who go on carnival]) like to go on the Carnival Cruise Lines - which is not what I am looking for.
So if you have traveled to more than just one cruise line what do you think. Thanks!
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