Cruises: Choices for You
Cruises are fun. There are different types of cruises. We have traveled on Ocean Cruises in The Caribbean (see DIY Travel in The Caribbean) , the Mediterranean (see The Balkans), in Alaska (see DIY Travel in Alaska) and around French Polynesia (see DIY Travel in French Polynesia. We have traveled on River Cruises in France (see Planning a Trip to France) and Italy (see DIY Travel in Italy).
Ocean Cruises
Cruise Lines
There are four large companies that dominate the cruise industry. They are Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC. Carnival, which is the largest of the four, actually owns nine different cruise lines.
This includes its namesake, but also Cunard, Seabourn, Princess and Holland America Line. Royal Caribbean, in addition to its namesake owns Celebrity, which is one of our favorites.
Another favorite of ours, which is not owned by one of the big four, is Windstar. We particularly like their ship, the Star Breeze, which they purchased from Seabourn. They cut it in half, and added a whole new midsection, in addition to upgrading the entire ship. Another privately owned cruise line that we liked was Crystal. However, they went through bankruptcy which is common among the smaller cruise lines and have now reborn, using the same name.
We had two deposits with Crystal when they went bankrupt. Getting deposits back from cancelled trips during the pandemic, has not been an easy task. Cruise lines are heavily leveraged businesses that got more leveraged during Covid when they were shut down. They often require large deposits upon booking. It is prudent to be careful to understand the financial position of the company you book with. Obviously, we learned our lesson.
Customer Service
One item we find to be fairly consistent is customer service. The cruise lines truly value customer retention, so events, such as cocktail parties, are common rewards for returning customers. Friendly crew members who quickly learn your names are fairly commonplace, particularly on the medium size and smaller vessels.
Size of Cruise Ships
The size of cruise ships varies widely. The largest ships, operated by Royal Caribbean, Carnival and other cruise lines, all can handle more than 5000 passengers. While the smaller ships, like the Seabourn ships, have a capacity of less than 500 passengers. Celebrity ships are more in the 2000 passenger range and Windstar Cruises are all less than 300 passengers. An advantage of the smaller ships is that they can get into ports, coves and other places that the larger ships can’t reach. This helps to see more glaciers in places like the inside passage in Alaska, (see DIY Travel in Alaska) and may restrict the ships from which canal they can pass through.
Ship size has recently become a major issue in Venice, Italy. There they no longer allow the larger ships to enter the lagoon. This has forced Royal Caribbean to build a new port in the town of Ravenna. It is actually two hours south of Venice (see DIY Travel in Italy). The advantage of the larger ships is that they have more activities and entertainment than the smaller ships. They also can offer more excursions as they have more people to meet the minimal tour size. (For more information on excursions go to Our Favorite DIY Travel Tours post).
For more specific information about the size of cruise ships we suggest you visit our post on Cruise Ship Size Comparisons.
Favorite Cruises
When we compare our two favorite cruise lines, Celebrity and Windstar, the size differences mentioned previously are the main difference. Oddly, we do enjoy the food a little better on Windstar. They also bring in expert lecturers to discuss various subjects. In general, we found the lectures to be outstanding.
Celebrity does have some similar lectures. However, we found them to be less interesting. They tend to be conducted by the cruise director or the excursion director. They often lack the expertise of the outside speakers that Windstar employs. Celebrity’s nightly entertainment performances are truly outstanding with a professional cast. While Windstar attempts to get by with one or two singers or small groups on the entire ship. If you want a cruise because of the entertainment, then Celebrity is a must. Like the larger ships, Celebrity offers similar grand performances.
Despite all this, the single most important factor is to understand the audience that the cruise line attracts. For example, if you decide to cruise with Disney Cruise Lines, you’d better expect a lot of children. That was an easy one. The two cruise lines we prefer, Celebrity and Windstar, along with Viking, Princess, and Holland America are more focused on adults. In fact, Viking has a minimum age requirement of 18 years old. Therefore, if you are traveling with children, Disney, Carnival or Royal Caribbean might be your better choice.
Cruise Cost Comparisons
Of course, the other critical factor in deciding on a cruise is cost. Cruise ships generally fall into various cost categories and compete for passengers in those categories. At the low end you will find Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. They operate much larger ships. This allows them to have higher passenger to crew ratios. Hence, they can charge each person a little less. Seabourn, Silversea and Regent are three lines that have much lower passenger to crew ratios. Therefore, they tend to be the most expensive.
However, there are other factors that can dramatically affect the overall cost, starting with cabin selection. The difference between a windowless inside cabin and a suite can often be enormous. Also, where the cabin is located on the ship can make a difference. The higher decks and the center of the ship will usually add to the cost. Robin and I prefer balconies on higher decks with unobstructed views. This can be important, as a balcony serves little purpose if something hanging off if the ship blocks your view. A Google search or Cruise Critic can often give you a good idea of pros and cons of the cabin you are considering. However, we avoid suites, unless we can get a free upgrade, which is rare.
River Cruises
The rules for River Cruises are similar to Ocean Cruises but there are some significant differences. In general, prices are higher, but more is included. You will normally get a free excursion in each port, with an option to upgrade to other selections. Compared to Ocean Cruises, you will not be charged on an itemized basis for so many additional charges. Hence, the need for buying a separate all-inclusive package may not be necessary.
Four Final Cruise Tips:
All-inclusive Packages
1. The decision to go with an all-inclusive package can be important. Cruises charge extra for drinks, Wifi, Internet and Gratuities. Gratuities used to be optional, but now they are mandatory and can add a few hundred dollars on most cruises. You can pay for these extras as you go or buy packages when you board. It is normally more expensively on the ship. You can save money in advance if you can make various assumptions about your use of these services.
Robin and I almost always go for at least the drink package. Not just because we like to drink. But because most cruise lines will nickel and dime you for anything your drink. Sometimes the cruise line will throw in or reduce the cost of the packages to encourage bookings. Robin and I like to look for those deals. But as cruises are getting more crowded, the deals are harder to find.
Cruise Costs
2. The second important factor in the total cost is when you book. This can be tricky. For popular itineraries, especially those during a holiday period, the best time is as soon as the trip is announced. This is normally the case as the price will go up as fewer cabins are available to book. However, as the sailing date approaches the cruise line may lower the price. They may also throw in extras like the all-inclusive deal.
Robin and I recently had a very bad experience with pricing. The cruise line we had booked canceled our trans-Pacific booking due to Covid conditions in Japan where we were headed. Instead, they offered us an alternative on the same ship now traveling along the western coast of the US. We took the offer at the time of the cancellation which was only two months before the scheduled departure date.
What we failed to realize was that with only two months to arrange bookings, the cruise line would have difficulty selling out. So, two weeks before the departure, the price dropped significantly. The people signing up at the last minute got a huge discount and a free all-inclusive package. Needless to say, I was annoyed and complained multiple times. Finally, I got the attention of someone who cared about our desire to possibly no longer travel with them. As a result, we got a nice future travel credit, which is another topic.
Cruises and Travel Agents
3. Okay, last point: cruises are the only time we recommend that DIY travelers work with a traditional travel agent. If you want to know why, please see the post on Travel Agents. (When to use a Travel Agent)
4. The best online source of cruise information is Cruise Critic. We have used them to obtain feedback on cruise lines. They are an easy way to see the best cruise deals out there.