Which cruise ship should i choose

It should always be cheaper to book a cruise with a travel agent than direct with the cruise line. This is because travel agents have access to special rates, and the more cruises they sell, the better the rates they can get. Also, you can sometimes haggle with travel agents to secure a better price. If you choose a good travel agent, you should receive a better level of service than when you book directly with a cruise line. Plus, if anything goes wrong, the travel agent will sort everything out for you.

There are so many choices to make with a cruise and it can definitely help to speak to a human who can guide you through them. Suggested read: How to book a cruise online and is it a good idea? Could you get the same cruise for cheaper?

I learned all about cruising by spending five years working in marketing for a cruise travel agent. There are faster ways. My good friend Emma runs the website EmmaCruises. Find a cruise - See today's top cruise deals.

Save money - Get an exclusive discount from my trusted travel agent. Cruise smarter - Join my email list for insider tips. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Decide where you want to go The first thing to decide when choosing a cruise is roughly where in the world you want to go.

Want somewhere hot? The trick is to find the perfect cruise line for you. As noted above, there are dozens of cruise lines out there. But the world of cruising also includes companies that operate far smaller, more intimate vessels that carry just a few dozen to a few hundred people and have a completely different vibe.

Related: How to plan a cruise with points and miles. There also are cruise companies that specialize in ships that travel on rivers and even lines that just operate sailing ships. You can cruise on a big, boisterous ship that carries 5, people or a tiny, yacht-like vessel that carries just 50 people, and everything in between.

Related: A line-by-line guide to 20 top cruise brands. Just ignore it when you see it. There are seven big lines that account for the majority of cruises taken by North Americans.

They are, in order of size when measured by passenger capacity :. If you are cruising for the first time, it is likely that you will be traveling with one of the above brands — if only because they dominate the market for cruises among North Americans and, indeed, the world.

Related: The 12 best cruise ships for childlike fun. All these brands have changed over the years, and the old distinctions no longer apply. The experience on a Royal Caribbean ship can be just as elegant — or more so — as the experience on a Princess ship. What all these brands have in common is that they operate relatively large, mass-market vessels with starting prices that are relatively affordable.

There is a wide variation among these brands in the size of their ships. The biggest Holland America ships, for instance, are less than half the size of the biggest Royal Caribbean ships and hold far fewer passengers. Related: Holland America rethinking itineraries in wake of downsizing. You may love one of these brands but not likely another, depending on your tastes and preferences. Are you a fan of big, bustling megaresorts with every sort of amusement known to humans?

These are brands designed to appeal to a wide demographic, including families with children of all ages. The best way to describe them is that they are like the big Las Vegas resorts, except they float. Note that the size of each ship operated by these brands varies. In general, the newer vessels in their fleets are the biggest, most megaresort-like vessels.

Each of these brands operates medium-size to big ships that are not loaded up with waterparks, rock climbing walls, surfing simulators and all the other crazy stuff that are hallmarks of the floating megaresort lines.

Instead of bustling attractions, the top decks of the ships these lines operate offer lots of quiet and relaxing pool and lounge areas where you can enjoy the experience of being at sea without a lot of hustle and bustle. Inside, the experience often revolves around dining, classic entertainment and a classy bar and music scene. Compared to the floating megaresort lines, these brands draw more couples and fewer families. They skew older. At Princess, for instance, the average age of passengers is 57, and you see a lot of couples in their 50s, 60s and 70s on board.

In a recent comparison of pricing between top cruise brands , TPG found that a family of four could pay as little as half as much for a cruise on a Carnival ship as compared to a cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship, assuming similar cabins and itineraries. The differential was even greater when we compared the cost of a family vacation on a Carnival ship to the cost of a trip on a Disney Cruise Line ship, assuming similar cabins and itineraries.

In addition to being incredibly inexpensive, Carnival ships are casual, unpretentious, fun-focused and, yes, a bit loud and wild. This is, after all, the brand that famously holds a Hairy Chest Contest around the pool deck on every voyage, to a standing-room-only, hooting and hollering crowd.

Related: The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line. Aida, in particular, is a significantly large line — larger than Celebrity or Holland America when measured by passenger capacity.

There are about half a dozen major luxury players in the cruise business that market to North Americans, including:. As compared to mass-market cruise ships, luxury cruise ships typically offer bigger cabins often every cabin is a suite , more elegant dining and crazy-high levels of service.

Related: Inside Seven Seas Splendor, the most expensive luxury ship ever. Luxury ships also typically offer a lot more onboard space per passenger than mass-market ships. At the same time, luxury ships generally are smaller than mass-market ships — often by a lot.

Europe is one destination where a lot of cruise lines offer some great experiences. Costa Cruise Lines and MSC Cruises are two particular lines that offer amazing trips throughout the Mediterranean and provide a lot of choice in the destinations that they cover. Further north, Cunard has a great selection of Baltic cruises. The amount of time that you will be away will also have a big impact on the type of cruise line that you are going to choose.

Most cruise lines offer a great range of short and long cruises but there are some that are particularly good at one type. Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises are two alternative cruise lines which offer a wide range of cruise lengths with a great experience, but their short cruises are also fantastic. They are ideal for first-time cruisers as well as anyone looking for a short break from the daily grind of life. Oceania Cruises is able to give you such a comfortable experience that you will wish you never had to go back home.

There are many other cruise lines that can offer you that luxury experience too. Regent Seven Seas and Crystal Cruises gives customers a cruise vacation they will never forget with an incredible ship experience to go with the marvelous destinations you will see. Evey cruise line cannot offer a service that is going to fit all ages, all budgets and all types of lifestyles.

Instead you can generally divide the cruise lines into how expensive they are going to be and who they cater to. Even though these companies are the cheapest, they have a great level of customer experience with beautiful and well-maintained ships. These options are also great if you are a first time cruiser.

The mainstream cruise liners are those that offers a wide range of ships and destinations with that feeling of luxury for less. Premium cruises offer a higher level of luxury with either a smaller ship, or a large ship that has the highest level of customer experience. There are also many companies who want to be able to offer the highest level of luxury which make having a sea day every day enjoyable. Some companies also have different policies about taking alcohol on board.

Seeing what a cruise line offers as part of their fare is also a good idea as you will be able to see how much you are going to be getting for your money. Taking other factors into account is important too depending on your lifestyle and health. Cruise lines also have different rules on the likes of pregnancy too which is always important to check beforehand.

Choosing the best cruise line for you is important as you want to match your interests and situation with the ship that you are going to be sailing on. For an overview of the offers of the best cruise lines for different personalities and vacation styles you can also check out our article about finding your perfect cruise from the best cruise lines. For most people, they are going to be able to enjoy a wide selection.

Once you have made the right choice then you will be able to sail away knowing that you are going to have the time of your life on the cruise line that is perfect for you. If you want an exclusive experience on a large ship, opt for a suite in Norwegian's Haven.

You can choose from an array of spacious suites, all with butler and concierge service, and still enjoy Norwegian's big-ship amenities. Britannia is an excellent example of a "foodie ship". Celebrity is all over the specialty dining scene, devoting tons of square footage on its ships to a variety of onboard restaurants.

Choices range from upscale French-continental cuisine to a creperie with sweet and savory options and a whimsical venue specializing in out-of-the-box international comfort food. You can't go wrong when Jacques Pepin is overseeing your onboard restaurants.

All of Oceania's ships have superb cuisine in both main and specialty venues, but its newest and biggest ships have a wide array of dining venues. Go for fee-free Asian, Italian, steak and continental cuisine, or for a splurge, pony up for an exclusive dining event that pairs seven courses with an equal number of fine wines. Enthusiasts can learn anything from calligraphy to card art or jewellery making while onboard.

Learn to dance with Strictly Come Dancing professionals, where celebrity dancers and judges host workshops, performances and even the chance to compete yourself. You can also learn to cook in The Cookery Club, with onboard chefs -- or with celebrity chefs on selected sailings.

The Cunard Insights speaker series and Cunard Book Club literary discussions are offered on all three ships, while Queen Mary 2 offers even more programs. Embrace your inner thespian with Royal Academy of Dramatic Art acting workshops, gaze skyward with members of the Royal Astronomical Society, and get intellectual about your musical entertainment with Juilliard Jazz groups. NCL is a party line, with its "Freestyle" cruising ethos creating a lively atmosphere.

NCL ships can boast as many as 22 bars and lounges, plus nightclubs, casinos, shows, deck parties and more. Highlights on Norwegian Epic, Breakaway and Getaway include an ice bar and open-air nightclub. Carnival vessels have up to 12 bars and extensive entertainment options, including the adult-only Punchliner Comedy Club , live music, karaoke, and an on-board nightclub.

There's also the Carnival Live programme, where top bands perform one-off concerts. If high-end drinking is your thing, a Celebrity ship is the place to be at night. You can listen to jazz while sipping craft beers at Michael's Club , treat yourself to your own wine tasting from the enomatic dispensers at Cellar Masters or order creative cocktails at the Molecular Bar.

Or let your hair down at the Martini Bar, where juggling bartenders pour colorful concoctions, and watch the moon rise at the outdoor aft Sunset Bar. There's always someplace to dance, whether it be a designated disco or another space co-opted for a party, and the casino is nearly always open to take away your hard-earned cash.

Disney's onboard stage shows mix original productions with live versions of hit movies like Aladdin and Toy Story. Its best known event, however, is its once-a-cruise pirate-themed deck party, which combines an interactive musical show with dance parties and fireworks. This line is the only one to offer ice-skating shows and water-based acrobatic productions.

Plus, it was the first to bring Broadway to the high seas with condensed versions of Chicago, Hairspray and Saturday Night Fever. It uses every inch of space to keep the fun going, with parades along its indoor promenade and aerial performances in the atriums of its Vision-class ships.

This line often works with well-known brands, bringing the likes of Blue Chicago's Second City comedy troupe to its guests, as well as West End stage shows such as Rock of Ages. Its newest vessels offer the unique Cirque Dreams and Dinner Show part acrobatic show, part alternative dining venue , jazz and blues clubs, musicians and comedians and on Epic , a recreation of the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles first played.