Cruise Lines To Steer Clear Of These Days. And Why!
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- As none of us want to waste our precious vacation time and money on anything but those cruise lines on top of their game, I've been diving into the latest cruise reviews, pouring over the thousands of comments and messages I get, and been cruising on many cruise lines to see which are hot - and which are not - right now. Based on all that here are the lines I think you may need think about carefully, and why.
Thanks to / @fraseratsea for allowing use of sine of his Costa Cruise footage. He is spending the year travelling / living on cruise ships !
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00:26 Issues To Know About
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I cruise on NCL just because I don't want to be tied down to assigned dining. I don't mind cabin service once a day, and I look at specialty dining as a treat, like going out to dinner at home. I just do it once per cruise. The time of year and destination determine when I cruise. My worst cruise experience was because of rude children, but those were my own grandchildren, so I'd say that was self-inflicted!😂😂
A friend of mine describes Carnival as the "Walmart" of cruise lines....lol
K-Mart seems more apt
Ship cruises seem to attract people whose lives revolve around food. And many of them look like it.
I agree- it's been over eight years since I was in a Walmart (the parking lot crime and clientele are worrying.)
After cruising Royal Caribbean since the early 1980’s, my wife and I discovered Viking and we will never go back to mass market cruises. We love the clean ships, decent food, mostly all inclusive, and uncrowded feel of the experience. The simple act of never having to fight for a pool deck chair was refreshing!
You know - all the changes, the nickel and diming, the increasing workload expectations on the crew, menu changes, the shift to mega-ships, and the rush to attract new cruisers at the expense of long standing customers, it's all got me thinking that cruising is no longer something we will be doing.
I agree with you. Cruising today is vastly different from even 5 years ago.
@@j.m.7056 I'm 68, and my sense is that they've identified me and others of my demographic as literally a dying breed. So they say thanks for the money, but we don't care about you anymore.
@@jimloth6091 Yes, they have. So sad......
Absolutely agree, you only have to go back on the same ship 5 years later to see the differences, cabin steward’s assistant gone, food quality lowered, lobster and steaks now at a supplement and drinks packages costing so much you need to be an alcoholic to break even on the cost.
Agreed, we are avid cruisers, well used to be, and are now looking at other travel options. They are interested in new cruisers because they have no reference point to see the increased costs and diminished services. For us long time cruisers, we see the downfall and they know we see it.
As an ex cruise ship employee, I am ashamed as to the greed that the companies now have. I worked for 5 cruise lined in over 25 years and the service that was offered is now from a completely different era, however, you pay your money you take your choice
I'll stick to good old Cunard,hope they never change.😊
I just booked an NCL cruise for a Panama Canal transit in April. I went with them because they are about the only line that seems to cater to solo travelers, with a large number of solo "suites" on board. They also have a dedicated lounge just for the solo people to meet and mingle in. Maybe not the cheapest, but certainly cheaper than having to pay double just to sail solo.
NCL has the same thing on their larger ships, but from what I've read is you are not saving a bunch compared to a double occupancy fare. However the unique design and lounge area's are well liked.
I was going to say the same thing as others have said, you will pay much less by having a Cabin buddy. Most rates you see advertised is per person based on double occupancy and depending on length of cruise Always double check how much perversion with a cabin buddy verses going solo. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can save. Solo does not save money.
Sailed solo last March, and it was very a very nice area. I was on NCL getaway.
Very good, your comments are better than this guy’s video, more informative.
That is why I have NCL for 11/24/2023 12 day Hawai'i and Society Islands (Tahiti) cruise. I didn't get the Solo cabin, but I got the Balcony Double for 0% Single Supplement. It will be my first time on Norwegian and I get to save a few pounds by not packing for two formal nights.
1. Costa Cruises
2. MSC Cruises
3. Carnival Cruiseline
4. Norwegian Cruiseline
5. P&O Cruises
6. Princess Cruises
7. Azamara
Thanks!
Is this worst to best? Thinking of Azamara myself!
@@siobhanharte5075There's more cruise lines than listed
No 5 has put me off cruising for eternity. A repositioning cruise has only one objective sod what what’s on the itinerary.
Thank goodness, RCL is not on his list😅 In my younger years, all I could afford was Carnival to the Caribbean but now I upgraded to RCL because I want the best for myself and husband!
Cruise experience changed dramatically over time due to the size of the ships. Even Carnival was so much nicer when the ships were smaller. The focus used to be on a very elevated experience. Now it is more focused on fitting as many people as possible into the ship regardless of whether they enjoy it or not. I think we will see the cruise numbers dropping as people realize they don’t enjoy vacations in a sardine can.
Lots of them do. Many don't even know otherwise
More people also increases risk of Covid.
I don't know the actual regulations, but I have noticed that "Flag of Convenience" ships have a tendency to be far more crowded than those with good flags.
Like Costa doesn't seem over crowded (Italian flag), but the Carnival ships do (flag of convenience (bahamas)). 🙂
Our first cruise in 2009 was on the Island Princess. Our second in 2010 was on Oasis of the Seas (RCL). Chalk and cheese. Give me Oasis class any day. Just loved it. We've been on Cunard QM2 (never again), NCL Bliss (great and best food), Regal Princess (Ok - nothing exciting) and some small ones. Love the big ones and particularity RCL because they are so well designed and run. Dawn Princess (2000pax?) was crowed. Oasis (5500pax) was not. Did Symphony of the Seas in 2019. Loved it. RCL DO know how to design and operate large ships.
On the new mega ships, do they still do the "safety muster" where they tell everyone what to do if the ship decides to imitate the Titanic?
My issue with NCL is how they've started to market themselves as a premium cruiseline while also removing service and entertainment. I will pay more for better shows and food, but now they aren't even offered.
A lesson I learned after going from Carnival to Oceania: I'd rather cruise 1/2 as much if I can do it 2x as well. I've tried to go back to mass market for a few holiday events, and while it wasn't miserable by any stretch, I just didn't enjoy it very much. 1200 or less is where I'm happiest.
Oceania is great! Wouldn’t trade it for those huge ships.
I agree, I graduated from carnival(might only do if for reaseon like their 50thBDay, or sail from nyc short 7dy), I prefer HAL(2 on 2023) & Oceania( doing 2 2024)😊
I couldn’t agree more! I graduated from Holland America to Crystal…then Regent. Don’t cruise as often due to the higher cost, but trading quality for quantity is totally worth it.
Oceania is just so effortless and nails it on so many things, without being over the top.
Agree 100%!
I am surprised Royal Caribbean didn't make your list. Just got back from a Mediterranean cruise with them and RC just went from my favorite line to one I will never sail on again. Food has taken a dramatic turn for the worse since the last time I sailed with them (pre-pandemic) and we even found some things were inedible. Orange juice that tastes like watered-down Tang. Considered specialty dining because we couldn't stomach the Windjammer and main dining room fare, but was shocked to see cover charges of $56-$75 a person for specialty dining (last time I sailed it was $20)! No food served around the pool, like a pool bar or burgers, etc. My friends and I started playing a game with each other to guess how bad the food will be (rating game). Drink packages also were exorbitantly priced and both people in a cabin had to purchase them (even if one person isn't a drinker) and if you buy drinks individually they total around $18 after gratuity added, and the glass is overflowing with ice - so essentially you'd get about 3 or 4 sips for $18. Internet package also ridiculously expensive and unreliable - often very slow and lots of dead zones on the ship. Entertainment was hit or miss too. It seemed like fewer options and no big production shows. A jazz club with no live jazz. Activities were often cheesy and you can't even believe the "prizes" they give out to winning teams in the trivia activities. Highlighter pen, anyone? Yes, one pen for the entire team. I guess we needed to figure out a way to chop the highlighter pen into segments. Some activities had no staff person leading them and they had to be "self led" by the passengers! My biggest issue was that none of the hot tubs were hot. They were all tepid and I had to go to guest services TWICE to get them to raise the temperature. And even then, they weren't really hot. It's like they are cutting corners in every area they can and it almost became comical because it was so glaringly obvious. I am starting to fear my cruising days are coming to an end.
While I prefer the entertainment on Royal, we sail Holland America for the price, itineraries, and food quality. There may be better options for you personally, but I wouldn't give up on cruising just because of Royal is ridiculous. We were sailing Celebrity, but after one 12 night cruise with no vegetables, that was it for me.
Carnival is on my "Never again" list because there were tons of kids crawling through the buffets. Food in general was 'eh'. Ships were very unkept and showed a lack of maintenance.
Norwegian is my line of choice, but on my last cruise with them, I have to admit I was very tired of the endless sales pitch by day 4 and I still had several days left. The staff were fantastic as always.
Agreed!
ABSOLUTELY... It was DISGUSTING....
I sailed carnival Mardi Gras in May 2022 and even my lucky British husband was pleasantly surprised. However, we just did the same ship this past August and good lord. Agree never again. Maybe because of lifting of vaccine requirements..? Brought out all the people who aren’t too concerned with cleanliness , never washed their hands before the buffet. Just gross. NCL is ok but I always feel like there are so many places I’m
Not allowed. I guess I would like it more if I had a suite and could go everywhere ! I like Royal Caribbean.
*picky British husband
@@vickiking8276What a ridiculous comment to make. The type of people that Carnival attracts have never been concerned with good behaviour or cleanliness. Nothing whatsoever to do with anything else.
We made the mistake of taking our first cruise on Carnival in 2013 and it was full of trashy people. Glad it was short. We've moved to HAL and had nothing but positive experiences.
Having just attained Elite status on Princess (we've been sailing on them since 2016) we have noticed the changes you mentioned. We'll continue sailing with them, but have also been sailing more on Holland America, which we really enjoy. We'll be on a HAL 94 day cruise roundtrip from San Diego to Australia and New Zealand next year. In general, we like smaller ships so we tend to book those.
HAL is my preferred line. I don't like the larger ships. There is a much more personal touch on the smaller ships.
That sounds like an amazing trip!!!! envious
My wife and I are in our 50s and have started cruising regularly starting 2 years ago and have fallen in love with Princess. So we are very disappointed with their recent turn. I find it cold on their part that they would turn to people of my age and above and totally discard us. Instead of creating a loyal customer for life we will just be price shopping instead of line shopping. Thank God for Holland who seem to still actively seeking our business. Hope they get a medallion type service soon😊
@@Hawkeye2001and, the fresh cut flowers around the ship. I guess they still have them? It’s been a few years since we sailed HAL
@@TheTfer We sailed them in January. There always seemed to be a plentiful selection around the common areas. Plus there are floral options for sale for your stateroom.
We were on MSC a year ago. We saw your review of it before we went including the stale pastry. We went anyway. The price was too good. We found the food to be quite acceptable. If we complemented something our waiter would bring us extra portions. The service was more than satisfactory and we gave them tips individually at the end of the cruise. The main problem we had with MSC was waiting for drinks at the bar. The wait could be 20 minutes or more. They had given free drinks and wifi with the more expensive cabins. The bartenders could not keep up. Some grumbled it was the line's way of giving free drinks without actually giving any drinks. Another complaint: the tips weren't added until we boarded on the first day. It's an underhanded way to hide the true cost of the cruise.
Carnival is the Kmart of cruise lines. The food is cafeteria grade. Never again. I'm saddened to see Norwegian and Princess slip. They used to be my favorite lines. Nickel and diming is another underhanded way of hiding the true cost of the cruise. We Americans hate it. Just be honest with your pricing.
This is why you have the best cruise channel on YT. So informative and fair. Would like to see similar listing of smaller ships in the value to medium price range to stay away from or to go on.
We sailed on Norwegian star for several weeks in May/June 2023. Our cabin steward was excellent and most of the waiters etc. were pretty good, some excellent. Our cabin was very comfortable. The food was sometimes good but inconsistently so. However the front desk was atrocious - disorganized, could not answer questions and resolve issues causing long lines, etc. We experienced multiple (maybe six or more) sig errors on our bill, being charged for stuff we didn't buy, double charged, etc. Each time Norwegian corrected the errors but only after we spent time and aggravation standing in line, reviewing with them etc to get the issues resolved. They also switched perhaps half the ports from Dock to Tinder which made the entire cruise feel a bit like "bait and switch". Cagneys was great but the Chinese and Italian specialty dining food was pretty mediocre. The tours were over priced and in two cases poor quality. Overall made for a surprisingly disappointing experience.
We literally hated Norwegian, paid over 1000 more than a Royal cruise
Was forced to have the alcohol included, we don’t drink much
Food was sub par
Never again
Only thing we like was 3 days in Bermuda
Last time I had a shore excursion on Grand Cayman, we had to go on tenders and buses to a different side of the island because the waves were too big at the scheduled dock.
Having read a lot on Cruise critic, watch countless CZcamsrs, this video is gold. Terrific job synthesizing so much different information, and also very reflective of what I have also read.
Thanks! Great to hear this, and appreciate you watching
I totally agree with the criticisms of Norwegian. I was on a 12-day cruise on the Joy in April 2023. My biggest complaint was the poor food in the dining rooms. Uninspired menus, dry, tasteless, no salmon, no shrimp, no lobster, no escargot. The buffet was OK, but nothing was superlative food-wise. I also hated having trivia and programs in the very crowded atrium area--many of the lounges had been converted to specialty dining rooms. I doubt I will sail on Norwegian again unless the reviews are dramatically turned around.
We were on the Norwegian Epic and the specialty dining was quite good. I was a little disappointed with the food in some of the complimentary dining. However, I was always able to find something that I enjoyed.
We sailed on the Norwegian Dawn around Britain in July 2023. Of my 12 or so cruises, this one had the worst main dining room food. The buffet was so-so, but not the worst. It also appeared that they'd paid the least for docking options, leading to a lot of slow tendering. Will certainly think twice before booking Norwegian again.
After viewing this, I was tempted to cancel my Azamara booking. I'm so glad I did not! We just returned from their Japan Intensive cruise, and we loved Azamara. As a vegetarian, I loved Azamara's food. This was our first cruise with Azamara, and we found it to be a warm, friendly, and comfortable environment. We'll be re-booking soon. (And, yes, the software still is terrible.)
I'm not understanding why these cruise lines are trying to attract more families. Children do not spend money on ships. Adults spend money on alcohol, casinos, shops and specialty restaurants. Am I missing something?
Families vacation too. And kids deserve experiences and vacations just as much as adults. Just because the children don’t have money to spend, doesn’t mean the parents aren’t spending money on and for the children I spend way more money overall, and def more on souvenirs and activities when I am with my kids versus when I’m not.
So cruises can turn into a nanny state of screaming obnoxious kids. Sick.
Parents will splurge on their kids ie excursions, arcades ,cabanas etc.. all of which make more profits..Def notice the uptick on princess ..
Also families will usually stay in high capacity 3-4 to a room. That's a lot of extra potential customers for very small increases in costs.
Kids might not directly make and spend money, but they absolutely have the parents spending a lot more than they would otherwise. Kids go to the arcade, ask for the extra candy and treats that cost extra, want stuff from the shops, want the add on amenities that families will buy to make their excursions easier, more soda drinks packages etc.
They make a lot more from the families for not much higher overhead (usually in the same, larger room, not usually eating much).
In the last 18 months we've done Royal, Carnival, NCL, and Princess, and I totally agree with what you said. We enjoyed Royal the most. The service on NCL was lacking, all the activities cost, and their private island was sad. Carnival is a drinking and partying cruise, which we like too, but the entertainment is very poor and their private beaches are not worth visiting, However we found the food to be good. We thought Princess was going to be a luxury line. We paid a lot more for that cruise then the other ones and it was the hardest cruise to get a drink on. Having a drink package is worthless when it take 30-45 minutes to get a drink and activities are non-existent. For us Royal had the best balance of free activities, good food, great entertainment, good service, and Coco Kay is far better then any other private island. I do wish Royal had some of the fancy bars and quick service restaurants that are on the Mardi Gras.
I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on 400K! You seriously deserve that, simply the best!🍾
Excellent anaysis Gary. The whole nature of cruising is changing and not necessarily for the better since our first cruises back in the early 2000s. The ships have become mega self contained holiday resorts to which ports of call have become almost incidental. At the same time the onboard services which charaterised the cruise experience and made it special are being removed or monetised as additional revenue streams. By doing so they may have opened up a new market but the pleasures of traditional cruising have been sacrificed along the way. In a sense they are no more than mobile equivalents of onshore all inclusive hotels/resorts with all the dull uniformity that entails. There is clearly an appeal to the mass market which would otherwise patronise the Costas and elsewhere but the things that made cruising special with its elements of exploration are just being lost along the way.
We’re going on our 3rd MSC cruise on the Seascape in January out of Miami. We love MSC. The staff is friendly, the food is good and the rooms are comfortable. They stopped doing announcements in six or more languages. I think they only give announcements in English, Spanish and Italian now. We have nothing but good things to say about their cruises.
Thanks for sharing.
We enjoyed MSC a lot and to be honest their island is just soo beautiful. Love the Pizza!! lol
Hi Gary, totally agree with your analysis on these lines. Having cruised from the early 70's I have seen many changes over the years. Regrettably many of them are not so good anymore.
Obviously new to cruising people are none the wiser on a lot of aspects. If they are happy then that's fine but slightly more experienced cruisers are seeing the changes and are becoming uncomfortable and somewhat unhappy. Cruise lines need to listen to their loyal customer base or face the inevitable consequences.
At least we as passengers don't have to row anymore. ;)
Don't give them ideas!!! 😂👍@@CraigZeigler
I’m showing Princes with our feet. And a claim for misleading advertising that sucked us in on a Cruise that they wanted the passengers to test their new App. Orders never turned up wether room service pd deck service. If you went to get what you ordered online 1 hour after it hadn’t turned up, you would then be queuing with minimum of 5+ passengers trying to do the same thing.worst part was, all staff working at the bars were too busy wasting time still making coffees etc for the online orders, that would never turn up because the App could not pin point exactly where the passenger was so the attendant could never deliver the orders.
How frustrating but you have at least given a first hand experience of the things going wrong. Introducing a technology that is not sufficiently supported by staff was obviously going to cause more problems. Unfortunately the guests and overworked (going extinct) staff are the ones to suffer senior managements brave new idea's! 😉@@kevinmaguire8252
I agree with your notes on Carnival. I love them… but I also have small kids. It’s for families and younger guests. It’s not a line for people that want absolute peace and quiet. Though you can still get that if you want.
It should also be noted that celebrity is going through a lot of stealth changes that people have noticed and reported on. The changes run the gamut from cutbacks in the main dining room and food quality issues across the board, as well as significant changes to the retreat experience. The itineraries also have become overly focused on the Caribbean, and there is a disparity among the newerships and older ships both in design and aesthetic, as well as also with the availability of balconies only for Retreat on the E-Class ships. There's also some complaints about the addition of Coco cay as a destination, although the beach is there are presumably as nice and more secure than any of the Caribbean or Mexican ports that at the island is a substitute for. There's also an apparent attempt by Royal Caribbean to avoid acknowledging any of these changes as much as possible, or excuse them like they did cookiegate. It should be awesome mentioned, celebrity canceled entire seasons of cruises for reserve passengers, and did not provide any price protection to those reserved customers. Essentially it was a method to clear out the ship, change the itineraries for a season, and then charge more.
I agree with what you are saying about Celebrity. I cruised on a older ship around Alaska back in 2010 and loved it. Now, between Gary's reviews and other online research, I am less interested in Celebrity. The new modern ships are going for the Millennial / Gen Z crowd and that's not for me. I might still sail with Celebrity on one of their older ships with a good location.
The short-changing of customers and cutbacks are all across the Royal Caribbean line and I went from a royal cruiser to ant-iroyal now.
Yes, good points!!!
we have been on most cruise lines and tried Celebrity this year , it was the worst we had been on in food quality , entertainment , greed would never go with them again !! Fred Olsen was outstanding !
@@androidaccount7743 This is typically what happens when you promote your CFO to CEO. Bean counters normally are very myopic and only look for cost cutting to improve the bottom line.
I like how you take a fair approach to this and dig the reasons for these reviews.
Had a wonderful cruise experience on Norwegian in 2015. Recently cruised again on Norwegian and the degredation of service was very noticeable in all departments. Food, in particular, was an order of magnitude off from our first experience. It was disappointing.
First time watching your videos.
Fascinating breakdown and I think your explanation on each cruise lines issues is really fair ❤
Interesting feedback! Thank you! I have noticed a class system forming within cruise line (Royal Caribbean) too. They seem to be racing to the bottom with their older ships. We love that line but have noticed that they seem to put all their energy on the new ships and being more derelict with the older ships. Staff are great but ya, 1 cleaning a day (gratuities same) and it has to happen when the cabin attendant decides it happens. We were kicked out of our room on first day, 2nd day we told him to not bother because we were sleeping and had to insists that he does it on his morning shifts so that it would fit our schedule. The ships are not as well maintained, curtains in the dinning room were taped to the window, peeling tapestry. Food is the same all the time, no more variety in the islands at the Windjammer, just a few things renamed and decorated differently but tasting the same. Dining room food was the same, we only did a 5 night on the Voyager of the Seas and we were both happy because by the 4th night we were bored with the options. Staff in the dining room were awesome though and so was most of them so it really gave us a feeling that RCCL is trying to use their smaller ships as their economy line within their brand to try to compete with Carnival... who knows... just an impression we got and yes, it was over capacity too even though we went at the end of September hoping that back to school and hurricane season would keep people away. Lol!
Thanks for your honesty. So many other creators seem to tiptoe around this topic
Agree with the whole bigger ship thing...we love Princess but stick to the "older" ships as more space from balconies to theatres. Sky Princess is our max. Looking at smaller ships now...Viking seem interesting
I completely agree with your considerations. The problem is that cruise lines are interested in new customers, disappointing loyal customers. And new customers have no parameters to compare what is currently offered. Anyone taking a cruise for the first time will certainly enjoy it. However, anyone who has traveled with several companies clearly understands that currently it is not so attractive to take a cruise. Maybe when reserves decrease there will be some change but I don't know if that will happen. Congratulations on the channel. Greetings from Brazil
I was on Azamara 4 months ago for 3 weeks and I LOVED IT! GREAT SERVICE, FOOD, STAFF ETC!!
I consider Royal Caribbean kind of on par with NCL, in entertainment, glitzy rides etc. And Royal has a lot of pay as you go items too, but I feel like they've been more savvy about the balance between free and pay choices than NCL. While there are plenty of opportunities to spend a lot on a Royal ship, it's more of a choice not a necessity. There are still a lot of included options, so you don't HAVE to spend extra for a great experience onboard.
Gary - I took the new discovery Princess in february from LA to the Mexican Riviera....and it was amazing! The food was excellent in the main dining room and the steakhouse was great and worth the extra money. The only food that was bad was in the bistro sur la mer - which they have now closed after I and others have complained. The Pizza place(Gigi's) was amazing and Free - I ate 3 lunches there. Loved the muted decor of the ship, but i will admit that the mini suites were the same size as other ships' balcony cabins. I had a balcony cabin and it was perfect for just me - not for 2 or more. I really didn't see ANY kids on our cruise...I think you just have to be smart and book a time when most kids are in school! My 7 day cruise(had to pay a single supplement) was really dirt cheap! the ship was totally full, and didn't feel crowded at all! The Celebrity Silhouette(half full) left at the same time and was more than twice as expensive...and it stopped in San Diego and not Puerto Vallarta. I'm going on the Norwegian Viva on May 6th for a Mediterranean cruise with the best itinerary i have ever seen.I've heard all about the shortcomings of Prima and Viva(not enough pools and tiny venues) but these don't bother me as there are NO sea days and I've got a pool at my apartment building. Also - if I need to see a stand up comic(always hit or miss) - I'll watch netflix. Everyone is looking for different things for their cruise experience - and it helps to get informed by guys like you. Thanks!
Just back from your recommended MSC Yacht Club Caribbean cruise. And yes 100% agree with you, that’s the only way to deal with the mess MSC is. We had a great time, but whenever we went with the main venues, it was possible, even during a week with not sooo many children. Cannot imagine the Seascape full of children! We had a great 170th cruise!
Gary, thanks for the objective review of the various lines. Spot on with NCL as I have noticed the cutbacks and increased fees.
Thank you for reading between the lines to provide a fuller explanation of cruise line ratings. It’s tempting to see one or two stars and assume something is “bad,” but very little in life can be adequately evaluated with just five (or less, as the case may be😊) stars to go by!
100% agree with all of this. Always appreciate the thoughtful perspective on the cruise industry. I think Norwegian has also had some serious customer service issues as of late, I've personally had multiple people anecdotally in my family and friend groups that have had bad experiences on Norwegian, both on the boat itself as well as booking through them being a severe hassle. My mother-in-law ended up in a multi-day scuffle with their customer service because she had booked her flights through them, and they wanted to fly her in on a red-eye getting there only a couple of hours before disembarkation which also included a 3 hour layover. I had another family friend that also booked their flights with the cruise line, got their flights canceled before the cruise and struggled to get anyone on the phone to help them rebook their flights to make it to the cruise in time. After which they had to pay for their own flights and then never got reimbursed by the line for the flight cost. Based on these experiences, I don't think I'm going on an NCL cruise any time soon.
Why NCL allows such poor customer service on the airfare offer, I will never know. It causes so much ill will. They need to allow passengers to book themselves and give a credit or discontinue the offer.
I agree! When I booked my NCL cruise I tried their flight booking and they wanted me to fly the most ridiculous flight times. I booked air myself and was just fine.
This is why it's always better to book through a travel agent. They can get to NCL faster than anyone, and they also have access to discounts and specials that regular people don't.
@@laureneeheman5981they get a cut back from the airlines
i agree 100% with your reviews; similar experiences on all of the above; thought it was just me getting old and cranky and more demanding but you have the same opinions as myself. thank you. i miss the old days and the old glamour.
Good video! Sailed MSC(1st time) off-peak end of May 2023, no issues, we usually sail Celebrity. We did upgrade to Aurea class, food was 7/10, no service issues, internet was great and because of Aurea class we could easily escape the crowds. We would/will cruise with them again, Yacht class is +double regular fare so IMO - not worth it.
We have sailed NCL 3 times, and each time they have become WORSE on pricing, WORSE on service, and much much WORSE with the nickel and diming. Not to mention their food has never held a candle to other lines. We used to cruise with them because of value, but that is long gone and we may never cruise with Norwegian ever again.
I can only confirm that and do fully agree
So what have you switched to?
We have been enjoying Holland America and MSC... both have their hiccups but the value is better and so is the food. @@helenalovelock1030
Try Oceania a more human size ship, still focus on serving passenger
Are there any cruise lines for people who like to dress up for dinner and like the formal nights and events? Personally, I feel that there is a lack of class on cruises as of late.
Cunard.
Cunard HAL+ still get dressy..u see tuxes
For me, it's a VACATION, not a business trip. So you won't see me on one where formal attire is required. I will wear nice slacks, knit polo shirts and casual shoes (not tennis). That's as "formal" as I will get.
Rafael: Agreed. Cruises are at sea, so traditionally meant for relaxing, contemplation, elegance, class, meeting like-minded people. Otherwise, you can go to a hotel complex or amusement parks, no need to pollute the ocean and scenic harbours and coastlines for facilities available on land.
You might try Germany based „Phoenix Reisen“ - they still have a fairly traditional approach to cruising.
We've been on the MSC Meraviglia twice, MSC Seaside once and did a Miami-Caribbean-Transatlantic on MSC Divina. All four were super and good value for money. We can only make recent comparisons with our two cruises on the Virgin Valiant Lady--one 8 night Caribbean and one Transatlantic from Barcelona to Miami. These too were great. Very different experiences. Variety is the spice of life!
I definitely agree with you about MSC Virtuosa. We were on there in April and whilst it was a beautiful ship it was far too crowded and so noisy in the public areas in the evenings and in the restaurants that we could hardly bear to stay there. We had an accessible cabin which had what were essentially two camp beds which slid across the floor every time you sat on them - not a lot of use to a disabled person. The food was fine though and they were very good with my husband's multiple food allergies.
Not a cruiser, and had never been a big fan of the idea of cruising, but we took a Mediterranean Cruise on Princess this summer ... and were incredibly impressed with them.
We've been on all the three Azamara ships pre-pandemic and the most recent post-pandemic cruise on the Pursuit. The only difference or real issue post-pandemic was a supply issue in Buenos Aires, January 2023, where some items, food, drink, were very limited or unavailable. That was actually cleared up the next day in Uruguay. We have booked Azamara Onward for a January cruise and have high expectations that we will receive the kind of food, service, and experience we've come to love from Azamara.
We were on Azamara pre-pandemic and twice in recent months. The service was incredible, food was still incredible and the ships are classy and beautifully maintained. I will agree the website and booking systems have been a disaster with the changeover but if I call the Australian service line there I have never had to wait for friendly, helpful service.
I’m going on my first Azamara cruise in November. I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve only been on 12 cruises, but have learned some people are never happy, can find fault with anything/everything. I got back from my 3rd MSC cruise last month. Everything was great, staff, food, cabin. The ONLY issue I had, a fellow cruiser stole my starfish magnet off my door.
Hi Gary, great reviews as usual and very informative, we have reverted to only the smaller and less mega passenger lines, our favourite is still Azamara, even with all the changes and we had n excellent trans Atlantic to Ft Lauderdale in November, where things were on the up, food improved and one thing that never slipped was the service, which was excellent, we always try and pick a club continent suite. We again sail in a couple of weeks time, from Cape Town to Gran Canaria and looking forward to it.
Again excellent reports.
Best Wishes
Billy Carter
We have tried many different cruise lines. The only American lines that we haven’t tried are Princess and Celebrity. We love Holland America. We tried Royal Caribbean and Carnival recently, and were quite disappointed with how they are run. One thing that we found incredibly frustrating was the signing in and out of towels at the pool. I am in my 60’s and have sailed for many years. I felt like I was being treated like a child. Never again. We’re planning to stay with HAL!
Thanks a million for plugging my content - great to see it getting used on this channel! Really fair comments on Costa - I do think people should give lines a try before they 'write them off', but they need to be very clear what the cruise product that they've booked actually is. I think you'll enjoy Costa if you're really clear on what they are - in other words, if you're expecting Celebrity, time to adjust...!
Great video, as always!
Thanks so much for letting me use it! Just realised the link not in the video description to your channel so will add that now. Eek, sorry
I have been very happy with MSC. I always say, "you get what you pay for," and the price makes cruising affordable. On the last two cruises that I have taken, I found that the customer service was good and the staff were great. I do agree that the food isn't the best, but it isn't bad either. I sailed on the Lirica and Fantasia (I particularly liked the Fantasia crew).
I found the food on MSC to be brilliant...Italian food is some of the best cuisine ever...I was always appreciative of the amazing effort and patience that the kitchen staff displayed towards some very picky and arrogant passenger behaviour in the buffet. There are some people you will never please, no matter how hard you try.
You're totally right. We went on 3 Princess cruises (Caribbean, Ruby and Star). Then we got an amazing deal on Discovery for the kids, and it was obvious. It wasn't the same cruise line after the pandemic. I loved showing my little ones Alaska and they adored the ship (she is a beaut), but it wasn't what I remembered on the first three and something felt lost.
Gary, you are our favorite reviewer....my husband and i always watch your shows and we learn from you....thank you from san diego....
I agree ,you must pick a type of cruise that fits your expectations. I really enjoy the smaller ocean and river cruises from Viking. , may cost a little more , but the service and experience is well worth it !, You always do a great job in your reviews. Thanks.
We have done 9 cruises with Princess. Because the last cruise we took with them felt lacking in Princess quality, we tried 2 other lines for comparison for our likes. First, Carnival for a 7-day Mexican Rivera. Yeah, it's cheaper and we did not get the drink package because we are minimalist when it comes to cocktails and did not think it was good pricing for us. It did not feel like a good fit. Then, we did NCL. I was excited more about this line and was looking forward to it. Some of it was good however really felt the nickel and diming effect. Food was okay and certain areas were really loud. We felt it was a bit better than Carnival. We currently have 2 back-to-back cruises coming up on Princess. I just hope it has improved a bit more than since we last cruised which was in early 2022. We still prefer Princess for us, and I get it that these cruise lines are trying to get strong again and recover from the disaster of Covid. Thanks for sharing!
Canadian here - love Costa Cruise
Great video, very informative!
Our very recent cruise on the Norwegian Spirit (16 days; Alaska to Hawaii) was wonderful! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and felt that we really got our money's worth. We are older and retired, so did not need or want a lot of gimmicks. The quality of service was outstanding; the food was great; the entertainment was fun, and the attitude of the people (both crew and passengers) was very positive. We are planning more cruises with Norwegian because we like their style. And no, they did not pay us to say any of this.
Glad to hear that, but I had a bad experience with Norwegian!
I was a huge carnival fan but recently took a cruise over Easter on Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas with my family and was definitely impressed. Plenty of stuff to do for my younger kids, enjoyed the shows and the food was pretty good. Our cabin was comfortable with 5 people in it and the service was great. Would definitely try another cruise with them.
Agree Royal are running rings around the likes of Princess, P&O and Carnival especially Australian based cruises.
At this point, I have only cruised Carnival and turned Platinum on my last cruise. I live alone, so I like the varied types of people and the high energy and level of fun. Not perfect, but I love them!
Cruising is a minefield. I have been on most of the major cruise lines but must confess that the smaller ships are the best for me. You can quickly make friends when there are less than 700 passenges on board and smaller ships can dock in smaller ports offering more interesting places to visit. I am now 80 years of age and find Azamara the most attractive in terms of value for money, destinations and excursions the best available. I don't think I would choose any other. I have been on almost 30 cruises since I retired.
So glad we have become Viking cruisers. It fits us very well. And isn't that much more expensive when you consider all the things that are included in the fare that others charge extra for!
I think this is exact.y where we’re going to land! We just can’t take the crowds, the marginal food and beverages, and the atmosphere of the larger cruise lines.. in our late 50s, we are no longer their target audience. We are looking into our first Viking cruise now! I’ve heard nothing but great things!
@@robinbatts8498 Welcome aboard!
Going on my first Viking Cruise in December. I don't like these Hugh ships that are basically focused on kids. Tired of not being able to get a chair around the pool and the crowds and upcharges with cutbacks.
Lol Viking is way more expensive
@@ReDEclipsE28 not really, by the time you price out something similar add in wifi, specialty dining, alcohol with meals, a balcony room plus excursions it's not that much different. Prices on the new royal carribean ships are more expensive.
Just did our first ever cruise on NCL Viva. Ship and service were great. Food was below average overall, there was not much to do on the ship, very few shows etc., and the nickel and dime was annoying. Will be trying another line for our next cruise.
Good morning Sir Gary. We’ve sailed 17 cruises among Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, Norwegian and Royal. This November will be our 1st on MSC Seascape. Have heard undesirables on all but like to experience for ourselves. Holland/Viking//Azamara and unique Virgin is on our radar. Thanks for your insight. Always fair and nonjudgmental.
Gary, thank you so much for all you tell us. It's extremely useful
I did a cruise on P&O's Arvia in the summer and admittedly it was in the school holidays but it was so busy everywhere. It had busy shopping centre on a Saturday vibes - very frustrating. Almost all the speciality restaurants were booked up before we even got on board, missed many shows as they were fully booked and struggled to find anywhere to sit in bars in the evening.
We were on the Aurora, so no kids, but the cost cutting and standards were too much. eg. The food was 'okay'; cooked. It became sustenance, there was hardly any of the the looking forward to meals which which we used to enjoy. What killed it for me though was the wine at MDR. It was warm. I raised this every time and they assured me they did have fridges. There were no sommeliers, naturally, but how do you not serve (white/rose) wine chilled? When I went to the Glass House, guess what - chilled wine! It is possible! We put men on the moon as well, so they say!
Thanks for bringing up the subject. It seems the cruise industry is going the same way as the airlines some years ago. First they got rid of the olives in the first and business class’ martinis, then they stopped serving martinis all together. Eventually they reduced the seating space, charged for luggage, added a penalty if you need to change the reservation, even got rid of the peanuts or pretzels!. The difference is that airlines take you to your vacation, cruise ships are the vacation. The moment that vacation becomes annoying or just not being upfront with the “all inclusive” total cost, the customers start looking for other enjoyable alternatives.
I went on a 21-day cruise on Holland-American three months ago. After years and multiple cruises with them, we will be traveling with another company this year. It’s might be a bit more expensive but at least the price they advertise is the price you get to pay.
Thanks for this video and the one where you recommend cruise lines. NCL is my line and I was hoping for a better review, but you are spot on. Also, being of cruising age, my three kids are grown and working, and loads of kids running all over the place is not my cuppa. Indeed, a cruise reviewer recently complained about this situation in NCL's Haven. I might like to try Celebrity, but it's difficult to abandon the loyalty points and benefits I have earned.
Gary -- Thanks for alerting us to the need to choose our line carefully.
Congratulations on four hundred thousand subscribers Gary.
Did the Norway intensive on Azamara Pursuit this past summer and it was simply superb. The service, the food, the captain. This was our 4th cruise with Az, and it was the best so far. Please put them in your list for this year and see what you think. And yes, no question, the I.T. Transition has been painful for them.
Just came back from a grand med. cruise with msc, the first ship Sinfonia was a lovely old girl but getting very long in the tooth. The staff however were amazing and I have to say the food offering was ho hum. Next leg was on the World Europa what a great ship, with a huge range of dining and drinking options. What you say about the value for money on MSC is spot on, it is great value for money and if like us you come from Australia the casual atmosphere is ideal [No jackets or ties required thank goodness!]
After watching this I am so glad I have booked with Cunard Queen Elizabeth next year in Australia!
We recently did Azamara in Italy and we really enjoyed it. We found the food to be very good. The service was also very good. The ports were better than normal. The only thing I did not like was their internet. I could not get it to work and when I went to guest relations they did not help me. However since this was Europe, 80% of the time I could get a good cellular signal so in the end it didn't matter much.
You are so correct about NCL. Nickel and dimming galore. And why do they even staff the guest service desk. Useless. Prices went up and getting less. Got our fingers crossed for next NCL cruise. We’ll keep you posted.
Years ago they were a good cruise line not so good anymore
Great insight as always Gary. Also thanks for your honesty. While some of the lines you said to watch out for you would give a caveat if you were a different style of cruiser. Like I have never wanted to go on Carnival for the reasons you laid out. I was interested in NCL and still have them on my radar. Of course, if I can afford "The Haven" I will and that cancels out some of the negative reviews you mentioned! ;)
It makes me think the premium and luxury lines are the ones that are still doing things right. But of course, as the saying goes, "You get what you pay for!"
Great review. I totally agree with your comments
Disembarked an Azamara cruise on September 8.
Pre-cruise, I had big problems with their buggy website. (Final payment amount wrong, impossible to make final payment by the normal deadline.) My issues were resolved by mid-summer - not sure if this was because my more imminent cruise was getting more attention or if they had hired and trained more personnel.
The cruise itself was great - great food, good ship-board entertainment, and a very friendly crew.
The ship wasn't full - 575 passengers on a ship with berths for 700. Azamara's test may be whether this summer's struggles have scared off travel agents, with the worst case being that Azamara's income, and ability to maintain quality, fall. But I should hasten to add, I saw no signs of that on my recent cruise.
I have done Carnival in the past year. There were fights on board with little to no consequences. I just don't feel safe on Carnival.
I've heard horror stories- Carnival is NOT an option. We did RC for a Christmas Cruise in 2023 ~ other than tummy troubles with my child, everything was fine. We avoided the HUGE crowds at the pool because it was too cold for swimming for us Floridians!
We really enjoy your helpful videos.
I'm so glad I recently discovered your informative travel videos Mr. Bembridge! You have helped me to narrow my choices for a future cruise, especially by helping me to realize what I really do not want in a cruise and what I really want. I realized although Cunard appeals to me for the traditional and classy ship, I hate dressing formally and would be uncomfortable a great deal of the time. I am strongly leaning toward a river cruise now, a first for me!
@Puzzler-qv2hn
The only problem with a river cruise, as opposed to an ocean cruise, especially in North America, is the price comparison. What you would pay for an inside cabin on a river cruise you could have a suite, with all of the ammenities, on an ocean cruise. Since most cruise passengers cannot afford a suite on an ocean cruise affording a river cruise is also out of the question.
I must admit I’m relieved not to hear holland America listed here. I just returned from a fantastic Alaska cruise on Eurodam. Best food and shore excursion experiences I’ve had on any cruise so far. Sold-out cruise, but it never felt crowded.
Our next cruise will be on the oldest and smallest ship in their fleet. I hope it’s as good as this last one.
I do see some evidence of cost-cutting, but it’s practiced in discreet ways. Some common areas of the ship needed a little maintenance here and there. Cost cuts never seemed to compromise the quality of the core attractions, though. In fact, I’ve noticed the return small thoughtful touches I haven’t seen since before COVID.
Totally agree with your comments about P&O. We travelled to Norway on the Iona in May and was really disappointed with the poor level of service. All the speciality restaurants were booked up and the one we did get in was half empty? The entertainment was very karaoke and the buffet was very limited too. No wonder they are so cheap at the moment. The ships interior looks like something from an IKEA catalogue 🥱. We won’t be travelling with P&O again! We’ve bucked our next cruise on the Marella Voyager. (Good old TUI) See how we go?🤔
Thank you for this update. I really appreciate it. I would love to see some sort of regional “best of worst of” review also.
Really interesting, and very informative. Thank you from England.
Our last Carnival cruise will be our last. It was way beyond rowdy - it was frightening! It was like 2 different crowds were onboard - nice, well-behaved people in the dining room and Alchemy Bar - out-of-control “escaped convict” types in the showroom, pool, buffet, stairwells, hallways in cabin areas. The first night I did not sleep at all with all the screaming all night outside my cabin. Carnival now has dog sniffers as you line up against the wall when boarding the ship.
We had the same experience on one of our carnival
Cruises out of New Orleans (7 night on the dream). Very frightening and horrible due to unruly drunk, rude passengers.
You really hit the nail on the head about Princess. We had been on 10 Princess Cruises in past years which we really enjoyed but hadn't done much travel due to the pandemic until this summer when we went on a Princess Cruise to Alaska. Relatively speaking, we were disappointed by the massive crowds, long lines, mediocre food, noisy kids, stuffed elevators and fair entertainment. Disembarking at any port was a real nightmare. Of course, the scenery was beautiful and who doesn't love not cooking and cleaning for a week. But we all agreed (I was with 3 other family members), that this was our last Princess Cruise. For our next trip, we'll be opening our pocketbooks wider and be back to another Viking River Cruise.
And, Viking has also decline. Our family has left Viking for AMA Waterways which has amazing service, top shelf food and large rooms.
Have you tried Seabourn? Stellar service, great food and excellent staff. Small ships rock.
Did my very first cruise to the Norwegian Fjords in July on the P&O Iona. Didn’t have a problem. Ship was lovely. Staff were very good. Only problem was the weather in Norway, was dreadful.
I'm a RCL Diamond & Princess Platinum (wife is Princess Elite) but recenlty sailed for 1st time on Azamara and very much enjoyed it. I agree their IT dept (web page, et. al.) need a LOT of improvement, but the experience on board was quite nice.
Did two P&O Australia cruises on two separate ships earlier this year. Both were similar experiences. Shows were excellent. Staff were great but horribly overworked. The food was so bad my sister and I dubbed it the slimming line, because you didn't want to eat the anything. Very ordinary food, with same menu multiple nights in a row. Anything that looked decent cost. Plus, so much markup--food, activities, everything.
Azamara was pretty decent in the Rome to Athens cruise we took with entire family (23) last Easter. The food was better than just OK and the crew were very pleasant. It’s not up to Regent or SilverSea but then they are totally different in price point. We didn’t expect to get that level of luxury or service. I think you are right. The customer has to do his/her homework and not just look at price, you have to look at the passenger age and activities. I like transatlantic voyages and would love to be able to go back and forth by ship. But I don’t enjoy the class dining system of the Cunard ships nor the formality of dress. I’ll stick to the positioning cruises on SilverSea and Regent.
Thank you once again Gary. Your information is amazing.
Thanks for watching! Good to hear you found it helpful/ interesting
You are 100% spot on with both NCL and Princess. NCL really burned us last year on a cruise and never made good on the refund. Princess's older ships really need to be replaced, many technical issues.
MSC is getting the same booze cruise reputation as Carnival, where the crew and security don't interact and step up when there are problems (fights and confrontations) on board. EVERY passenger wants to feel safe on a cruise vacation.
Thanks for the info. I've just booked two cruises for next year on Princess, on the Majestic and Grand, in the South Pacific. Will be interested to compare them in 2024 with previous cruises I have done a few years back, particularly in regard to quality of meals. In regard to comments on P&O, my understanding is that their operations and standards are quite different in Australia to their European operations. The ships they generally use from Australian ports are quite old, in excess of 20 years and tend to be smaller. They're basically renamed hand me downs, previously sailing in the main for Princess or Holland America. Whilst they have been renovated internally, most of this updating applies to the public areas, whereas cabins have been overlooked to a large degree and consequently appear well-worn and outdated.
I've noticed watching some hotel reviews how grand their entry halls are to entice you in, then you see the state of the actual rooms... dirty, outdated and appalling bedding. Beware of all that glitters folks!
Thank you for your channel, informative and helpful. And you are wonderfully personable on camera.
You reviews are spot on! Costa has always been bad! MSC isn’t great, but I love how you can hop on and hop off the cruise wherever you want, and their best meal is breakfast. I am older so, I prefer HAL and I can travel off season. Every cruise I have been on post-pandemic is charging more and doing less. However, cruising is still my favorite type of vacation!🥰🥰🤩👍