There are actually quite a few, but here are a few teasers.
Keep checking back, I’ll add more as I continue to cruise!
One of the things that drew me to cruising, aside from being at sea and able to go to many destinations on one trip, is the variety of options that comes with being on a ship. The bigger the ship, the more variety! So naturally, I tend to be drawn to bigger ships. This may surprise some people who know me as not being a big fan of crowds. One of the great things about the larger ships, is while, yes, there are more people, for the most part the layout of the ships lends itself to people being spread out enough that it’s not an issue.
The question I get most often is “what’s your favorite cruise line?” Or, “what’s your favorite ship?” Cruise line is a bit easier to answer, although it’s impossible to narrow it down to just one. So, you get two. I would have to go with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Celebrity for the service, food and the little touches (think iced towels as you get back on the ship after being in port on a super hot and humid day), and Royal for the variety of activities and entertainment. I really like the layout of the Oasis Class ships and sometimes it’s great to have the option to go down a water slide!
Is there one perfect ship? No. Each ship is different and depending on your preferences or the goals of a specific vacation, the ship you choose may vary. Personally, I lean towards prioritizing the ship over the itinerary in most cases and I like ships for different reasons. Here is just a sampling of some of my picks and why (in no particular order).
Celebrity Summit
I know, I know, it’s a smaller, older ship. And, I loved her! This was my first experience sailing with Celebrity and it was a game changer and helped me realize the fancy of cruising. She holds a little over 2000 passengers and doesn’t have the bells and whistles of what Royal Caribbean offers, or the amount of kids on board which was a plus (nothing against kids, just an observation). So, I’m not sure if it was the overall cruise experience that won me over or the people I met. The itinerary was great (New England/Canada) but the people I met on the ship definitely made the trip. Quick story: I met an elderly couple at the bar (they were 83) on the second night of the cruise (it was a 10 night sailing) and during our conversation, the woman noticed me bobbing my head to the live music playing in the atrium and asked me if I liked to dance. After saying yes, her husband looked at me excitedly and asked if I would dance with him. “Of course!” I exclaimed. We danced for two songs and the entire time his wife was beaming at us, tapping her hand on the bar and swaying her head to the music. When we returned to our bar spots after our dances, they both looked elated and she explained to me that she had not been able to dance with her husband since she developed hip issues years ago. They asked me if I would dance with him every night thereafter, so we did! It was a great thing to look forward to every evening, and it reminded me of dancing with my dad.
Aside from the “dance partner for a week” experience, the ship lends itself to a classic cruising experience with a top notch food experience and outstanding service. I have also sailed on Celebrity Equinox and had a good experience (not stellar) and look forward to trying out the Edge Class next year.
Discovery Princess
Royal Caribbean - Odyssey of the Seas
Launched in 2020, the second Quantum Ultra Class ship holds 4,100 passengers and has great options for passengers who want a good amount of variety on a bit of a smaller vessel than the Oasis Class options.
Highlights: Great food options! The ahi nachos at Playmakers are amazing, the main dining room was consistent both in terms of food and service, and the Solarium was a great place to spend a day hanging by the pool.
Royal Caribbean - Wonder of the Seas
The newest and largest ship in the world (until Icon debuts) with a huge amount of offerings. I was really attracted to this ship because of some of the newer food venues (The Mason Jar, Hooked, and Wonderland) and, well, the slides. I’m a kid at heart, I can’t help it! I’m also a sucker for the Promenade on the Oasis Class ships.
Highlights: It’s brand new and has all the bells and whistles. While I don’t eat many meals in the buffet typically, the buffet layout on Wonder is fantastic. It’s HUGE and makes navigating the different stations very easy, and it's pretty! This ship is great, but because of the size and number of things to do, you almost need to do a back to back on her to get the full experience.
Norwegian Prima
Clearly, I’m attracted to newer ships and I have always thought that NCL offers a great product. So, when the new Prima Class was introduced I jumped at the chance to sail on her. The Prima is a beautiful ship, the food quality and variety are second to none, and the talent and entertainment options on the ship are stellar. One thing to note, she is a very modern looking ship and not at all like her predecessors in terms of design.
HIghlights:I really love how light and bright the ship is and some of the venus have gorgeous outward facing views. Palomar is one restaurant that I could go back to again and again, not just for the oceanfront seating but the well thought out menu as well. It’s not a fancy menu necessarily, but the ingredients and flavor combinations are very well executed. I also really love the fusion focus of Food Republic and Indulge Food Hall.
