Dilema! Which Cruise to Choose?!

[Chattyaholic]

DH and I have done 2 7-night Disney Magic cruises, a 4-night Disney Wonder cruise and a 4-night Carnival Fantasy Cruise. Loved them all. Here's the dilema: DH's sister and brother-in-law will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary 2/06 and would like to take a cruise with us. We're just unsure which cruise line to take them on. We're debating on Disney (but it's a lot more $$$ and we're not positive they're THAT much "into" Disney), Carnival, and Royal Caribbean so far, maybe Princess too.

My question is for those who have cruised other lines besides Disney. Please tell me what you liked and didn't like. If you have cruise reports could you please direct me to them? Thanks!

 

[Chattyaholic]

No one has cruised on any other lines?

No advice to give me on choosing?

 

[faireygod mother]

I would not do NCL. If it is just adults I would do Princess or Celbrity. If it is family and Disney is not an opetion I would do RCCL

 

[TootyJane]

I second not doing NCL. I also wouldn't do Carnival (but that's JMHO). I'd pick either Princess, Celebrity or Royal Caribbean. HTH

 

[TravelingDi]

I agree with the previous posters, although Disney is a wonderful line, Princess and Celebrity are the way to go for 4 adults traveling without children. I am not a fan of Carnival - two of my nine cruises have been with them and I won't be back again. I think that NCL and RCCL are just average. With RCCL it really depends on the ship.

Also, alot depends on the length of time that you plan to cruise. How many days are you looking for? A seven day cruise gives you more ships and lines to choose from. A three or four day is very limiting - mainly DCL, RCCL and Carnival. In my opinion Disney does win out there. The ships that RCCL uses for their 3 and 4 day trips are not the best ones.

Please let me know if you have any further questions!

 

[logan1_2000]

Preach it! This was really solid advice--the quality of the ships available for 4 night cruises (3 nights? puh-leez! Never did understand that one, just too short, like a tease)is limited, and the Magic and Wonder are probably the finest ships available for 4 niters. I just did a similar search, and RCCL has some good, though not their absolute top of the line, ships available for 4 niters -- like the soon-to-be-stretched Enchantment of the Seas that I booked for a 4-niter in '06 w/ friends for a grown ups only cruise. That was 4 nights out of Port Everglades (Lauderdale) to Key West, Cozumel, and a Day at Sea. It will be nice to sample those stops on a 4 niter--though I adore CC, the rest of the Bahamas on a cruise doesn't do it (I sufered through he now-abandoned by DCL Freeport option on our first 4 night Wonder. If you can go 7, the check out ports of call and desired ports of departure, if you care, and I agree if it isn't going to be DCL, the Princess and Celebrity, with some RCCL ships also worth considering. The luxury lines offer more, but you mentioned that $ is an issue. Under no circumstances, however, should you ever book the RCCL Empress of the Seas. Can we talk 108 square foot in what passed for an "oceanview" stateroom that cost more in '01 than we will pay in '06 for 50% more square footage.

 

[alexandrew]

I agree with a previous poster....

The Wonder is by far the nicest ship afloat with 3 or 4 day itineraries...other cruise lines use their tired old ships for the short cruises...

You didnt specify if you wantd to take a 3, 4, or 7 day cruise...if 3 or 4 day, I would unequivocally recommend DCL....for a 7 day, if not DCL, I would recommend one of the newer RCCL Voyager class ships...most notably Mariner of Seas and Navigator of Seas...I am not convinced though that the fares on these ships are less than DCL...Howver, these ships IMO are the closest to DCL in the "fun" and "wow" factor....