Which Cruise Line?

[AprilShowers]

DH and I are thinking about taking a cruise next year for our 15th. He says NO to Disney, and I'd probably spend the whole time wishing the kids were there for a Disney cruise anyway.

Soooooo, what cruise lines should I look at? I am looking for good experiences and bad.
Does anyone have any good suggestions for me?

 

[azgal81]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ They have reviews of every ship/line and also a very useful message board.

 

[LoraJ]

Do you guys like a vegas atmosphere? Or something more refined? Is money no object? Or do you have a budget?

cruisecritic.com is definitely an amazing site.

 

[AprilShowers]

Do you guys like a vegas atmosphere? Or something more refined? Is money no object? Or do you have a budget?

cruisecritic.com is definitely an amazing site.

I love Vegas, DH likes the atmosphere, but won't really gamble. We don't want a bunch of formal dinners because I'm overweight and am uncomfortable wearing evening gowns. (although DH does own a tux)

As far as budget, we usually go middle of the road. If I'm going to do it though I don't want to scrimp and be disapointed or feel deprived.
I definitely want something with a spa so we can get a massage.

 

[disallday!]

By no means am I saying I am an exp. cruiser, we've only cruised once. HOWEVER, we have planned our second cruise w/ again Disney.

I cruised Jan 05 with my family (DH & I, my parents, sisters, their husbands, and all of our children ages 3 - 12)! We loved how the kids came 1st on this cruise.

My mother has cruised others & by far this is her fav! Hope this helps, good luck!

P. S. My DH thought Disney would be too much of a kid like atmosphere! This is coming from a hunter/sports fan! He is the most anxious of all of us to return to the DCL!

 

[simba928]

We enjoyed Royal Carribean. We went with 16 people raging in age from 2 to 83. There was something for everyone and we all enjoyed it. We went on the ship that they use for commercials with the rock climbing wall and golf course. We also did Carnival (just 4 of us) and enjoyed that, but I thought Royal Carribean had more to offer. You can PM me if you have any questions on either of the cruises.

 

[mickeyboat]

I know you said NO Disney, but I think you should reconsider. Check out the Cruise Board on the DIS. You would not believe the number of couples, and even singles that cruise Disney.

The best thing about DCL for people without children is that there are several areas of the ship where no children are allowed at all. There is an adults only pool, adults only night clubs, and adult only activities. You can take part in as much Disney-theming as you want - I mean, you don't have to go to the character breakfast or the meet and greets.

Disney is also famous for its customer service, and really made us feel special, even though we almost missed the ship and had no luggage for the first half of the cruise.

We have cruised Carnival as well, and enjoyed Disney much more. I did not like the smoky casino and the drunken, party atmosphere. Check out Cruise Critic, too. I am definitely not saying that no other cruise line will give you a wonderful experience, but please don't discount DCL just because it is DCL.

Denae

 

[MareQ]

I love Vegas, DH likes the atmosphere, but won't really gamble. We don't want a bunch of formal dinners because I'm overweight and am uncomfortable wearing evening gowns. (although DH does own a tux)

As far as budget, we usually go middle of the road. If I'm going to do it though I don't want to scrimp and be disapointed or feel deprived.
I definitely want something with a spa so we can get a massage.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has a more casual atmosphere which may suit your needs. They have what is called Freestyle Dining - no set times, no set tables, no set restaurants. You go to eat when you're ready, wear whatever you like as long as it's not pool wear and jeans(Basically "business casual") etc. I would look into that if you're not into wearing formal wear etc.

 

[EthansMom]

We just took the kids on a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise out of NYC this spring. We all had a blast. The Freestyle cruising was great. Also, the "formal" nights are all "formal-optional". In other words, you can wear a blouse and slacks/skirt or a dress for dinner instead of a formal gown.

It's been a few years since we went on a Royal Caribbean Cruise, but we didn't think that the food and service on NCL were quite as good as on our prior cruises on RCCL. However, the price difference between an RCCL and NCL cruise is pretty steep.

On Royal Caribbean, there are two "formal" nights on a 7-night cruise, where formal attire is required in the main dining rooms. However, you could wear a formal pantsuit to dinner or dine at the buffet.

We're currently hoping to cruise on Royal Caribbean out of the Northeast late next summer.

 

[marybet]

We are going on our 4th Carnival Cruise in Nov. We really like Carnival, we took the whole family (DH's parents, son, wife and 2 kids) last Oct. on the Conquest. Everyone had a great time.

On a 7 day cruise there are 2 formal nights, but you don't have to go to the main dining room if you don't want to. But you also don't have to wear a gown. MIL just wore a dressy suit, I have worn just a dressy blouse over pants. Your husband can just wear a suit or even a sports coat. We love eating in the dining room and wouldn't miss it, but I have talked to people who never eat in the dining room and still enjoy their cruise.

We have looked at other cruise lines but I can get a balcony cabin on Carnival for what some lines charge for an inside. We did an inside cabin on our second cruise and we were upgraded to an ocean view, but it was basicly an inside cabin with a window that you had to crawl on the bed to look out. I prefer a cabin with a sofa in it and you need ocean view or balcony for that. I found out on the second cruise that I really like having a balcony.

Plus the money you save on the fare you can use for excursions. For two people it is really best to book with the cruise line, we did it on our first two cruises and it really helped us "learn the ropes" and we did our own bookings for the whole family. I did a lot of research and with 8 people we saved money, for 2 people the savings isn't that much, unless you are into scuba diving or swimming with dolphins.

Whatever cruise you choose I am sure you will have a great time. If you go expecting to have fun, than you will.

 

[NCRedding]

We've cruised two times on Norwegian and like the freestyle experience. It works well with couples as you are not seated at a group table at dinner, unless you request it. You also have choices of when and where you eat, and can be very comfortable--no need to take a formal dress or coat for DH, unless you want to. I had good experiences--you will find some negative reviews on cruisecritic though.

We've also sailed RCCL, but it was our least favorite experience, after the 2 NCL cruises, and well after my 5 DCL cruises. RCCL is traditional--you have formal nights. If you choose not to dress up, you should do the buffet or room service, or other alternative. I thought of all three lines: DCL, RCCL and NCL; DCL had the best shows; NCL had a lot going on for adults; and RCCL had the least for adults to do. On NCL, you will probably want to go with a newer ship, since the older ships we were on didn't have impressive spas.