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Destinations include the Dominican Republic, Mexico and a private beach club in the Bahamas, as well as parts of Europe and Australia. Families, in particular, will love this line, due to all the family-friendly activities and venues on its vessels. Royal Caribbean ships sail everywhere in the world, but the line's heaviest presence is in the Caribbean and Europe. A giant of cruising in Europe, Switzerland-based MSC Cruises is making a big play for North Americans with newer, bigger ships sailing year-round from Florida to the Caribbean and Bahamas.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL):
They boast a glass wall that opens from the top to create a balcony-like effect. Drink specials abound and karaoke bars are often packed, and the atmosphere is electric with trivia contests, dance parties, hairy chest contests, mixology lessons, and more. There are plenty of activities for children and teens, and larger ships have more extensive water parks, sports courts, and other fast-paced features.
Costa Cruises Costa Smeralda
Cruises are offered throughout the world and for each destination there are a number of cruise lines to choose from. From contemporary cruise lines to luxury cruise lines each cruise line offers different itineraries, features and options. MSC is catching up to what other cruise lines are making a part of the modern cruise experience including a focus on wellness, specialty dining, suites, entertainment, and a plethora of nice bars with drink packages. For travelers whose vacation budgets have no limits, consider upgrading to "the most exclusive address at sea" — the Regent Suite. These include a private car and driver in every port, an exclusive private dining experience and an in-suite spa with unlimited treatments. Our Cruise Ship Comparison Tool will let you see the differences between two ships.
Pros of MSC Cruises
Though the menu is somewhat limited, the pub offerings are quite good and served quickly. This is a venue I would definitely like to see other cruise lines implement. Norwegian’s introduction of its Freestyle cruising concept revolutionized cruise ship dining. With no set dining times, no formal nights, and multiple venues to choose from, it became widely popular and other lines quickly adopted some of its ideas. Anyone who thinks it’s all shuffleboard, bingo, and salsa lessons hasn’t heard about today’s cruise ships.
Viking Cruises
Each year millions of passengers sail the cruise line, known for its highly affordable prices and fun atmosphere. Some trips sail for as little as a couple of hundred dollars per person. It’s also a popular choice as for-purchase items like drinks, specialty restaurants, internet and other things are relatively inexpensive compared to rivals. There are dozens of cruise lines based all over the world, and more than 25 million passengers set sail every year on a wide variety of itineraries to hundreds of different ports of call.
When Carnival Jubilee arrived in Galveston late in 2023, it became the largest and newest ship Carnival has ever cruised from that port. Attractions include the Bolt rollercoaster and a whopping 22 dining options, many of which are included in the cruise fare. Costa Smeralda is the first ship in Costa Cruises' Excellence-class fleet. This premier ship has 20 decks along with 2,614 staterooms and suites onboard. Costa Smeralda was named after a popular tourist destination in Sardinia.
Small-Mid Ships: 800–1,499 Passengers
Picking the right cruise line for your budget can make a big difference. The mega-lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian have moved toward offering lots of adrenaline-pumping activities that younger passengers will enjoy. The luxury lines like Princess and Celebrity aim more toward classic cruise activities enjoyed by older audiences. As with other luxury lines, Seabourn offers a wide range of itineraries around the globe.
The Ultimate Abyss is the newest attraction on Symphony of the Seas, a slide twisting down for 10 decks of darkness. Carnival’s main theater Playlist Productions is still mostly traditional cruise ship singing and dancing without much a story or plot to follow. Regular cabins are comfortable and have great storage even when sailing with four, but most Carnival cabins lack much of anything that makes them special. Here’s the good news — no matter which cruise line you pick, the odds are in your favor that you’ll have a great time. They all aim to give you a great vacation with similar ports of call and the allure of foreign ports.
All Royal Suite Class guests enjoy access to exclusive venues, such as the Coastal Kitchen restaurant and a private lounge and/or sun deck. Additional amenities and VIP perks vary by Royal Suite Class category booked. Those who prefer a ship that's not mega-size might want to consider Royal Caribbean's good-value Mediterranean, Caribbean and Alaska itineraries on its refreshed Radiance- and Voyager-class vessels.
Experience an all-inclusive and true luxury cruise experience as you sail on Scenic Luxury Cruises. You will be spoiled with a variety of amenities including complimentary gratuities, personal butler service, complimentary unlimited drinks, and complimentary excursions and more. Oceania Cruises are known for their highly acclaimed country club casual on-board cruise experience.
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After indulging on vacation, many are nervous to see how big their bar bill is going to be. Below decks are favorites such as the Boardwalk’s Dog House, Sorrento’s Pizza, the Café Promenade, and the Park Café. Pizza preferences are very personal, but in my opinion, Carnival has the best pizza at sea. The fresh, handmade crusts are super thin, coming out of the ovens hot and crispy. Pizza is available 24 hours a day and there is almost always a line for these excellent pizzas. Ships with an ice rink will hold remarkably well-done ice skating shows, given how small the rink actually is. But most spectacular are the shows held in the AquaTheater.
Spots around the ship vary from completely casual to much more refined. The feel in our opinion is a step above Carnival in luxury, without going overboard. Known as the “Fun Ships,” the vibe on Carnival is always relaxed and never stuffy or formal.
Bathrooms include glass-enclosed showers, anti-fog mirrors and heated floors. Just getting to your cruise port of embarkation can be a significant expense. Cruise lines are making an effort to expand their footprint in order to make cruising as accessible as possible. Lunch buffets are complementary and served at several locations so food is nearby no matter which part of the island you find yourself in.
There are even expedition ships that allow you to get up close and personal with nature. P&O Cruises held its spot on the top ten list of largest cruise ships in the world with an aptly named ship. Arvia is Latin for “from the seashore.” Arvia was launched in 2022 and features 19 decks (15 passenger-accessible decks). Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, now the fifth-largest cruise ship in the world, was actually the largest cruise ship from 2016 to 2018.
The next largest ships in MSC's fleet are its five Meraviglia-class ships, all introduced beginning in 2017. They carry 4,438 guests at double occupancy and as many as 6,327 at capacity. Both MSC Meraviglia and MSC Divina are sailing U.S. itineraries out of New York and Miami, respectively. Royal Caribbean has better name recognition than MSC Cruises among Americans. The Miami-based cruise line, known for its groundbreaking innovations, operates 26 vessels, including the five largest cruise ships in the world. Royal Caribbean's recent vessels, by contrast, are awash with suites in a wide range of sizes, including enormous (and super-pricy), two-deck-high complexes that are among the most luxurious accommodations at sea.
As well, the cruise line continues to push the envelope with onboard activities. Its newest ships have noteworthy features like go-kart tracks and extreme waterslides jutting out over the edge of the ship. There are also features like laser tag arenas and virtual reality experiences.
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