The major cruise lines have most of the market share, but they also have their faults.
Like any airline, hotel, or theme park, there’s a lot to like about what you get, but also some things we wouldn’t mind seeing changed. After all, there is no perfect cruise line, and everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
When choosing a cruise line, you might want to know what annoys people the most about going on their ships. That doesn’t mean any of them are deal breakers and a reason not to book a cruise with them. Rather, this post is intended to share the specific shortcomings of the experience offered by each cruise line. You may not find this problem too much because it doesn’t affect your sailing style.
Looking at the entire cruise experience, I wanted to pick one thing I like least about Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International so you can make the most informed decision possible.
What I like least about Carnival Cruise Line
If I had to pick something that falls more like carnival guilt, it’s the party atmosphere.
Don’t get me wrong, I like to have a good time and being on holiday means taking things easy and forgetting all your worries, but Carnival’s reputation for non-stop partying isn’t something I’m too keen on these days . More than just wanting to have fun, their approach to a good time often leaves many people feeling over the top.
It’s no secret that Carnival often has some of the lowest fares in the cruise industry, especially for short weekend cruises. Extremely low fares and a limited time on board, combined with the cruise line’s “fun boat” atmosphere can result in a raucous onboard experience.
I think Carnival has gotten rid of most of its older ships that were famous for purple carpets and older aesthetics, meaning ships that offer more than just going to the lido deck for a party. But ask any cruise expert, and they’ll likely recommend Carnival to someone going for a bachelorette party, a mardis gras party, or just wants to dance the entire cruise away.
In an industry that has desperately tried to shake the stereotype that it’s mostly for retirees, Carnival has moved to the other side of the conversation.
The family-friendly ships are casual and carefree, and guests stay up late to take advantage of the casinos, dance clubs, and late-night themed parties.
As with any line, if you book a longer cruise (7 nights or more), you’ll probably encounter less of a party atmosphere. In general, the longer the cruise, the fewer families and the higher the overall price. This tends to skew the slightly older and more laid-back demographic on board.
If you want a cruise with more energy between guests and crew members, Carnival is for you. But if you’re wondering why the music has to be so loud, then you might want to think twice.
What I like least about Norwegian Cruise Line
If you’ve ever tried to rate a Norwegian cruise, you should probably open a notepad to calculate the value of all the “free” perks they include.
NCL has shifted its pricing strategy to be based on what you include in the fare, and has a non-stop carousel of offers. Norwegian is also known for adding surcharges, similar to how some low-cost airlines lure customers in with a low base price and then tack on extras later.
Read more: 11 Hidden Cruise Fees You Should Know About
Norwegian Freestyle Cruising’s approach to dining disrupted the cruise industry’s traditional approach to the main dining room by doing away with tables and set dining times in favor of multiple, all-you-can-eat restaurants. Unfortunately, many of these restaurants cost extra and require reservations.
Unlike most cruise ships where pay restaurants have a cover charge, all but two pay restaurants are a la carte (priced per item)
Then you have some industry-first activities, such as ropes courses, laser tag arenas, virtual reality complexes and go-kart tracks. Some of these cost extra to try.
All the big contemporary cruise lines charge extra for certain extras, but Norwegian seems to have the most fees that will add up quickly.
Even with the fees, the overall price for a Norwegian cruise is in line with other mass-market lines, but the total price of the cruise is never easy to estimate before you get on board.
What I like least about Royal Caribbean International
If you think 3,000 passengers is a lot of people on a cruise ship, Royal Caribbean probably isn’t the cruise line for you.
The cruise industry has been steadily building larger and larger cruise ships, but most lines have found a balance between large and small ships. But Royal Caribbean has made it clear that not only does it want to get bigger, it has no intention of building any new ships that are even mid-sized.
While other lines have built new ships that fall into the midsize or smaller category, each of Royal Caribbean’s new ships have pushed the limits of how big they can go.
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships are the largest cruise ships in the world. They’re so big they’re divided into neighborhoods, including a Central Park with real trees and a Boardwalk area with a high-dive carousel and show.
The recently announced icon of the seas can handle almost 10,000 guests and crew if each cabin is maxed out with third and fourth passengers.
Of course bigger ships mean more space to do things, so being bored is unlikely to be a problem. But many cruise enthusiasts rave about how big ships are getting, while at the same time systematically discarding old ships with a fraction of new capacity and no replacement in sight.
In fact, Royal Caribbean has largely benefited from building larger ships by offering innovative attractions and a slightly upscale atmosphere to the cruise line’s mass-market segment.
However, these mega ships mean itineraries that are very repetitive and less chance to explore certain areas of the world since their ships can’t fit there.
Sure, there are still Vision and Radiance class ships that can hold up to 2,400 passengers, but these are the oldest ships in their fleet and don’t have the fun things to do that you’ll see in every Royal Caribbean commercial.
If you want the latest and greatest, it’s hard to ignore Royal Caribbean. Just don’t expect to feel like you have the ship to yourself.
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These fights are quite subjective, and some people reading this may point to it as the best benefits of each line.
I think the issues raised about each cruise line are generally considered fair points of contention between the cruise industry and people who cruise a lot. Of course we could list many more things to fix or address in the future, but these three seem to be the main issues that came to mind when writing this post.
Despite these issues, I think every line is worth trying at least once to find the perfect cruise line for you.
Read more: How to choose a cruise line
I’m curious to know how you feel. Do you agree with any of my positions? What do you like least about each of the “big three” cruise lines? Share your thoughts in the comments.
