Cruising has changed dramatically since COVID. Companies are trying to recover lost profits after 2 dismal years by trying to cash in on the growing and very lucrative baby boomer market. This group, between 60-80 are the largest and fastest growing sector in the travel industry and are spending the children’s inheritance to a tune of $200,000 billion a year globally. The family and couples’ holiday market is still there but the bourgeoning new market is definitely the ‘frequent floaters’ who cruise multiple times are year, some even living on ships.
So, how do you know which cruise line is best suited to your needs? With over 300 ships at sea every day, carrying over 500,000 passengers there is an ever-increasing array of cruise options. First thing is to know is that the vast majority of cruises are owned by one of 3 companies:
1. Carnival: Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seaborne, Costa, P&O, Aida, Cunard
2. Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Silver seas
3. Norwegian: NCL, Reagent, Oceania
These 3 companies operate different cruise lines, under different names to provide different styles of cruises for different tastes and budgets. The cruise ‘product’ is constantly evolving as the companies respond to new markets and of course a desire to increase profits.
There are many blogs out there from ‘frequent floaters’ who spend their lives jumping from one cruise ship to another. I guess we have become sort of ‘frequent floaters’ with around 400 sea days and 200 ports over 30 cruises we are not the most cruised by any means (a couple on a recent cruise had 1000 nights on Princess alone). But, we do our research and if you are a cruise ‘virgin’, I might have some information on how to work out where to start.
However, do remember that there are pros and cons for every ship and every voyage is different so a first experience may not mean all ships in that fleet are the same. Our first Princess was amazing! Great food, ports, cabin, activity schedule and
entertainment team. It ticked all the boxes. After 14 nights through the Panama Canal, we stayed on the ship for an extra 7 nights around the Caribbean. That 7 nights turned out to be the worst cruise we’ve had and had it been our first Princess,
we would not have cruised with them again. It turned into an American 7-day party ship. The menu changed and the entertainment team swapped over. The ports were less interesting, our cabin had problems, you never saw the officers, the weather was bad and all in all it was a VERY different experience. So, be careful of anyone who gives you an absolute on any cruise line or ship. It just isn’t possible.
STEP 1: WORK OUT YOUR BUDGET
Budget is the big one for many people and our first priority. How much are you willing to spend? The rest really unfolds from there. The vast range of prices and last-minute deals make cruises not just affordable, but sometimes the cheapest way to travel. We have crossed the Pacific for 24 days for just a little more than 2 x one-way airfares. Daily prices range from as little as $50 pp/day to up to $2000pp/day. It’s hard to say which lines are consistently the cheapest as there are so many deals being done by the cruise lines and travel agents, also many fleets have some top end ships in their fleet, but you can make a few generalisations.
Main stream Cheaper End: P&O, Carnival, MSC, Costa
Mainstream Mid: Celebrity, Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean
Premium: Holland America, Azamara, Disney, Hurtigruten, Cunard
Luxury: Silver Seas, Regent Seven Seas, Ponant, Seabourn, Virgin, Viking, Abercrombie & Kent, Oceania, Windstar,
STEP2: WORK OUT THE TYPE OF CRUISE YOU WANT TO GO ON.
Your budget may be a determiner here- but there are lots of options in each of these 5 categories of cruises.
I would like to suggest that there are basically 5 categories or types of cruises:
1. Mainstream (ones most of us use). These are called mainstream because they are the big one in the cruise market. Lots of ships, lots of features, entertainment, serving popular routes, reaching both the holiday and retired market. Multiple pools spread the passengers out, food is mass produced except for speciality dining and a number of items are extras. There can be lines at events, tenders (boats to get off the ship in port) and the buffet.
2. Premium: Similar to the mainstream just a bit more refined. Slightly better facilities, dining, a bit more adult only and lounge spaces, longer trips and a few more nice additions in cabins.
3. Luxury: Ranging from mega yachts to small cruise ships these are for the lucky few. There is lots of space, international chefs, personal service and are all inclusive. Trips are longer, the crowd is older and there are few children.
4. River cruises: A rapidly growing area of cruising mostly for older couples. There isn’t the entertainment of the mainstream cruises and spaces are smaller. Guided excursions and drinks are included. Good if you get seasick.
5. Speciality: These include things like tall ships and polar expeditions. They are small (under 200) and usually have programs run by experts (biologists, photographers etc) shared by like minded guests. They have more basic facilities.
As you can see, each of these types of cruises have different features that will suit different tastes. In the beginning it’s a bit of trial and error to find the line that suits you. It seems that after a few different cruises most people tend to find a cruise line that work better for them, and they start to book more often on that one line. As that line becomes more familiar and they build up loyalty points frequent cruises tend to tend to have found a favourite.
STEP 3: DECIDE WHAT FEATURES YOU WANT
Once you know your budget and the type of cruise that suits you, it’s time to consider some of the details. This includes:
ROUTES AND ITINERARIES
Most lines follow similar routes and seasonal patterns. These are usually the ones that are most cost effective and popular for their market. Some ships also have a ‘home base’. As we use cruises mostly to get from A to B, the end point rather than the ports is our next consideration. A new or favourite port along the way is a bonus. Other people like cruise lines that circle back to the same port. We love sea days but for some people too many sea days is also a consideration.
Some fleets seem to cater for the shorter vacation market whilst others tend to have more longer trips including circumnavigations. Other cruise lines are specialists in one area or offer more unusual routes. These tend to be the more expensive ones. Below is a big generalisation (as most lines do some longer repositioning cruises) about the type of routes mostly covered.
Some cruise ports are tricky with poor access, expensive visas or security issues so be aware of this upfront. You need to do your homework on the ports if you plan to get off, so you know what to expect to avoid disappointment. Some ports are in the middle of no-where and at times there are few taxis (at a reasonable price) at the dock. Some of the main attractions are often far away (The Great Wall of China is 6 hrs drive form Tianjin port).
There are a number of websites with port information. I draw information from a few:
https://www.whatsinport.com What’s in Port
http://cruiseportwiki.com Cruise Port Wiki
https://cruisecrocodile.com Cruise Crocodile
https://www.cruisecritic.com Cruise Critic
https://cruiseweb.com Cruise web
https://shorebee.com Shore Bee
Visas can be confusing and time consuming so sometimes we opt not to take a cruise that requires visas. There is often contradictory information and cruise lines do not accept any liability if you do not have the right visa- even if they told you the wrong thing! Sometimes they even avoid giving you any information at all. Occasionally you will not be allowed to board the ship if you do not have a visa- and saying you do not intend to get off doesn’t usually work as countries want to get your money even if you enter their waters. On a cruise that included China, 150 people were denied boarding and had to fly over China at their own expense as they could not enter Chinese waters without a visa. On a cruise that included India and one to Saudi we were all told we MUST have the $100 visa for a 4 hr stop over- only to discover that was incorrect.
SHIP SIZE
For some people size does matter. We are not lovers of big ships so tend towards cruise companies with smaller ships. Big ships seem to have more tenders which can be VERY slow. We find them to feel too busy and daunting. Some people love the facilities on the large ships, but it is a long way from one end to another! Most lines have a mixture of ships, but some tend towards the larger new ships. The sail boats, river cruises and specialist ships are often much smaller and usually at the luxury end of the market.
Here are examples and a few favourites:
Super Small- less than 500
Smaller ship- 500- 1500 guests: Azamara, Holland America
Medium ships- 1500-3000 guests: Princess (Ruby), Holland America (Westerdam)
Larger ships- over 3000: MSC (Davinia), Princess (Crown), NCL (Pearl), Celebrity (Reflection, Solstice)
FACILITIES
There is no doubt that what-ever your definition of comfort you will find a ship that meets most of your needs. Whatever line the cabin levels have the same basic facilities and the cabin crew and wait staff are usually Asian with a smattering of those from the Caribbean, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Whilst ships are basically the same, there may be some deal breakers for you.
We like a laundry, steam room, sauna, quiet lounge and adult spa and pool area, casual eating on the deck, a big airy gym, a circle walking track, and a library with puzzles and a book swap. Not all ships have these as standard, so we check that out before we book. None would stop us from booking, but we do like to know what to expect before we arrive.
EXTRAS AND ADD ONS
This is becoming a bigger issue in the mainstream cruises. More cruise lines are devising creative ways to get passengers to spend more money. It’s called “onboard revenue enhancement”. We personally like inclusive cruises and don’t like what we consider ‘basics’ to be extra $$$ and are not big on upselling. You need to decide what you consider as basics?
Most of the mainstream cruise lines consider basics to be accommodation, basic options for all meals, limited non-alcoholic drinks (tea, coffee, juice with breakfast, perhaps lemonade or flavoured water),facilities, basic 3 meals, entertainment, programs and activities,
Most of the mainstream consider extras to be alcoholic drinks, WIFI, private day areas, special events (wine tasting), salon and spa, personal trainers, shore excursions, laundry and speciality restaurants as extra. Others consider other items as extras such as in room on demand movies, food in the coffee shop, ice cream on deck, pizza on deck, burgers on deck, steam room, sauna, room service, afternoon tea, water, coffee and tea, juices. The claim is that you pay less on the base cruise price, but this isn’t always the case. Just remember, a cheap cruise may not be that cheap if the things you want are extras. The main thing is that you know what to expect.
There are an increasing number of cruise lines who are making things that would have once been considered as part of the basic fare by most lines, as optional extras. Its very disappointing if you have cruised on another line and don’t expect this. P&O is the main line at the moment, but this trend is increasing. Premium lines are usually all-inclusive.
Gratuities are also another add-on that may determine which cruise line you use. Called many things, these are basically a charge per person per day added automatically to your account (US$12-18 per person per day- so it’s significant). This is on top of the service charge added to your bar tab. They are an American service model morphed slightly to suit the industry. Once they were optional on many ships and you could opt out and give your tips directly to your wait and cabin staff. You will need to decide if you support this model of payment and if you trust the line to pass the service charge onto staff. It is however, becoming harder to opt out of this charge but is still possible. We go at the start of the cruise and advise that we wish to opt out. Some lines discourage it and tell you it is not possible, so you have to ask for a supervisor.
Remember, this charge cannot be added on ships leaving and ending in Australia as it is against their industrial laws which require all staff to be paid the Australian minimum wage when in their waters. Also watch as some travel agents automatically include these charges in fares. You need to clarify.
Time will tell if customers vote with their feet and select the cruise lines who include gratuities in their fares. We tip directly when we can, but this has its problems as in the ‘new order’ on many ships any tips we hand directly to a staff member should be handed in and shared! This situation is fluid but as it stands today here is a close summary of the state of play concerning mandatory gratuities according to our recent experience:
Included in fare: Azamara, Crystal,
Automatic but removable on board upon request: Princess, Carnival, Norwegian, MSC, Oceania, Costa
Hard to remove: Royal Caribbean (with conditions), Holland America,
Discretionary: Viking
Drinks: Check what you can bring on board as many cruise lines let you bring a bottle of wine and a number of soft drink tins on your hand luggage with you. Also check if juice, cordial, tea, coffee are complimentary. There will be all sort of alcohol, and coffee packages available to you when you book and when you arrive. They are similar prices across lines. Some are more flexible with unofficially sharing of the package and others have may have more free tasting nights and events, happy hours, and ways to buy and keep bottles of wine. We always bring our hot/cold water bottle to top up at mealtimes in the buffet.
FOOD
This can vary greatly and is probably the biggest difference between cruise lines and cruise types. Most ships have several sit-down dining rooms open for dinner and some of those open for lunch and breakfast. All have a buffet with clear opening hours and a number of small additional extra casual eating options. Most ships have speciality restaurants with a surcharge (from $10-$100 a head) if you wish to eat there.
The menu does reflect the origins of the ship. Costa serve Italian and Cunard British food, but they also have a good basic menu to reflect the international market. I love the high tea served with white gloves on Cunard and the Paella on the deck on Costa- that is a part of the cruising experience. Some ships include a full or limited room service menu which is nice. Here the difference between mainstream and premium is really evident.
Dining times: You may have to option of ‘set dining’ or ‘open dining’. Set dining will be the same table with the same people each night at either an early sitting around 6pm or a late sitting at around 9pm (European ships tend to have later dining times). Both allow you time to see the show and this type of seating gives you a chance to really get to know people. They are usually great at moving you if you get a table that doesn’t work for you. Open dining means you turn up at a dining room at any time and can sit alone or ask to share and meet new people. You do meet more people this way. On multi-language ships they try to match you with similar age and language guests.
And of course, there is always the buffet where many people have breakfast and lunch (although the dining room is open for both). It is better if they are open longer hours. The quality of the buffet varies greatly, and it can be very crowed at peak times on some ships.
We like set dining times with the same people, and this is harder on some ships. Most ships now have a dining booking App that works with varying success.
People will say you get what you pay for, the more expensive the cruise the better the food. My experience is that that is not always the case, so look around. I have personally rated the cruise ships food quality and service based on my experiences.
Limited quality: P&O, Carnival, MSC, Costa
Average quality: NCL,
Above average: Princess, Holland America
LOYALITY PROGRAMS and PROMOTIONS
Loyalty programs: After your done a few cruises, this can become a factor in your decision. These programs are becoming less generous as frequent cruises increase the number of people eligible. We were on a Princess cruise (they have cocktail parties for Platinum members) and discovered that close to half the cruisers were Platinum! There were frequent floaters that had done over 3000 nights with Princess! These programs do have a degree of transference between fleets under the same umbrella (Carnival, RB) to attempt to keep you within the company even if you choose a different line. Ask your booking agent if your loyalty program can be used.
Shareholder Benefits: If you buy 1000 Carnival shares you receive on board credit each Carnival cruise (that includes Carnival, P&O, princess, Cunard) so that may keep you on the Carnival Corporation ships. This is $50 for a short cruise and $250 for 14 days or more. This works for us and whilst our shares have not gone up (or down) much in the last few years we have received US$1000 on board credit.
Promotions: You will discover people on most cruises that tell you they are on a free cruise, paid $100 and get free drinks and large on-board credits or have amazing free upgrades or guests travelling for free. Some lines have random specials that they offer to try and get new cruisers to join their lines. Others approach target groups that they believe they can generate income from. These may be gamblers or shoppers from past cruises. People have suggestions of how they get these specials, but most of us don’t manage to access these. Let me know if you find the secret!
ADMINISTRATION and CUSTOMER SERVICE
How well issues are addressed and how well the ship is administered matters a lot to some people and not at all to others. Usually, a chaotic home office leads to a chaotic ship. Some ships blame Head Office when things don’t go well as it seems some cruise lines give more decision-making authority to the ship. Others blame local officials for delays. What we see as guests is only a part of the picture, but there is no doubt that adequate staffing, good training, effective leadership, and clear systems can prevent many of the issues that frequently frustrate guests on some cruise lines. To be clear, running a cruise ship is a VERY complex tasks and things will go wrong. So go with an open heart and realistic expectations. It’ s how the ship responds that seems to matter the most. Based on our experience we consider the quality of organisation as shown below.
Less efficient leadership and administration: MSC,
More efficient leadership and administration: Princess,
ACTIVITIES and ON-BOARD EVENTS
Some people would rate this at the very top of their criteria when selecting a cruise line. For us it is at the bottom as we join in if the activities suit and do our own thing when they don’t. Some cruises we are at lots of game shows and events and do trivia or crafts each day. Other time we do none. So, this one is VERY personal. We like informational sessions and great Destination talks that don’t just aim to sell shore excursions. We like quality evening shows, comedy clubs and occasional game shows. We go to some trivia, and I do some health or beauty seminars. But like I said we can take or leave them.
Cruises do tend to have ‘a way to do things’ that you see across their lines. For example Carnival is known for their Comedy Clubs which other lines are now including. You can check out information on what is offered before you get on board but not usually before you book.
MAIN LANGUAGE
This is not a deal breaker for us but does play a big part in the ‘feel’ of the cruise. All ships have some English, but the European ships may not have it as the first language. Announcements and entertainment will be made in multiple languages. Some people love this, and others find it difficult. Entertainment on a non- English ship may be less suitable (try watching a comedian in Spanish). All staff will have English and staff are mostly encouraged to use English even between themselves. Others allow staff to speak amongst themselves in their home language. Again, some people like this and others find it rude.
So, there’s just a few thoughts. Good luck in finding a cruise! I hope to see you out there one day on the high seas. If you find some great websites send me the link and I’ll add it to the post for others to see.
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