And Now The Envelope Please...
Let me first say, that if a dozen experienced cruisers were to write this,
you'd no doubt get a variety of opinions. We have an exceptionally strong
preference for Royal Caribbean because it is the hands-down winner on value.
If I could afford to go on Silverseas and pay $1,000/day per diem or more,
I'd do it--but that's way out of our price range, so we look to optimize
value and give us the most for our money. Royal Caribbean's newer ships
(not old ones for sure!) are spectacular, their service is as good as it
gets (excepting for the ultra-luxury lines where you get a 1:1 crew/passenger
ratio), and their food vendor rivals some of the ultra-luxury ships. Princess
is also very good, Celebrity more pricey also with outstanding food, while
in my opinion, Carnival still has the get-down & party/younger (once in
a while, drink & drown) market where the food is pretty ordinary and the
ship decor super neon glitz. This is my impression, keep in mind, and has
to be tempered with the huge bottom line success of Carnival. Regarding
Carnival, I think a fair statement is that what they do what they do VERY
well--it's just that we don't go on cruises to booze it up and party non-stop.
If you like the glitz of Las Vegas, Carnival may be for you. We're more
into the laid back ship atmosphere, but then, viva la difference...that's
what makes the world go Ôround. Once again, know what you want and most
importantly, what it is that you are actually buying. More
information for travelers
About The Food &ÊDress...
Some people have a misconception about cruising. The food ranges from near
4-star true gourmet food (probably on the luxury lines, such as Silver
Seas, Radission, or perhaps Crystal) to consistently very good and even
great on occasion (Celebrity leads this area, followed by Royal Caribbean
and Princess in my view) to truly pedestrian. If you're not going to spend
the big bucks for the luxury line, then don't expect true gourmet food.
We're not fussy, and so it's always been pretty good to us. The problem
is mass production feeding. On the larger ships, they have get a thousand
or so people in and out of the dining room, only to repeat the trick at
the late seating yet again. Except on the luxury lines (some of which can
give you a nose bleed from pretentiousness, while on others you live in
the lap of the rich & famous without the snottiness), the idea of dressing
for dinner has been toned down. Men can bring or rent a tux on the formal
nights...women wear their finery...or men can wear a dark suit and women,
a nicer dress. The truth is, this is your vacation and no one will much
care what you wear (provided you don't walk into the formal evening in
jeans or halter tops). The whole objective is that you feel comfortable
with what you wear.More
information for travelers
About Ports of Call...
Ports that you visit offer an opportunity to stretch your legs and get off
the ship for a change of pace. Space does not permit a review of specific
ports. For that see the Fielding book and other excellent books that are
on the market.ÊIn general, it is important to realize that you will only
get a tiny sampling of the port or country that you'll visit. Most often
(particularly in the Caribbean), you may be bombarded with hordes of people
who will be lined up to take you around the city or island, or to sell
you something. Some ports offer world-class opportunities to see things
worthwhile (e.g., New York, Singapore, etc.); others are so pedestrian,
there is little there of interest; for others still, stay on the ship for
safety reasons (e.g., robberies or muggings). This is a matter of personal
taste, but in a port that does not have the reputation of being unsafe,
my family and I prefer to share a taxi with another family or couple and
to tour the island on own own. There are exceptions to this, where you
know one of the multitude of ship-sponsored shore excursions are real winners.
However, my advice is get out and encounter the local culture wherever
and whenever possible. To tell you the truth, depending on your preferences,
it is disheartening to have a fantasy about seeing Rome or some wonderful
sights, only to find that you are on a drive-by tourist bus with your shipmates,
and that if you're lucky, you may stop for 15 minutes to take pictures.More
information for travelers
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