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You'll find the latter openly dancing on dance floors, kissing and hugging in bars, and holding hands over dinner. And they’ve won numerous awards for not just being LGBTQ-friendly but for being totally inclusive and wholeheartedly embracing and encouraging diversity. Wherever you’re heading, you can choose from a variety of Romance Packages featuring everything from flowers and champagne to couples massages and breakfast in bed.
Best Nightlife
The traditional fleet operates a year-round service up and down Norway’s fjord-indented west coast, with excellent chances of seeing the northern lights in winter. A high tech expedition fleet, meanwhile, explores everywhere from the high Arctic to Antarctica on the world’s first hybrid-powered ships, with a team of marine and wildlife experts. Another leader in luxury cruising, this seven-ship brand offers all-suite vessels, top-notch service and elegant cuisine. This Miami-based luxury line operates some of the most opulent vessels at sea, including three recently unveiled Explorer-class ships billed as the most expensive luxury vessels ever built on a cost-per-berth basis. Note that TPG has many guides to individual lines, which you can find by clicking on our cruise line hub pages linked in each segment below. Get to know the best cruise ships in a variety of categories, based on member review ratings for cruises taken in the last year.
Best for Families
Accommodations are designed with families in mind by including privacy curtains, divided bathrooms and storage space in most staterooms. “And if someone has cruised before–or considers themselves an avid cruiser–we hope this list helps introduce them to new options, whether an entirely new line or new possibilities offered by some of their favorites. Select Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ships regularly play host to current Broadway hits. Four ships feature the unique Cavern Club look-alike to the legendary Liverpool club where the Beatles performed -- complete with a cover band. The provided gear will include outerwear (a souvenir parka is yours to keep on polar expeditions) and the ships are equipped with complimentary launderettes. Holland America's innovative additions to the entertainment lineup above also keep the company's loyal cruisers in mind.
Holland America
Or just treat yourselves to date-night dinners at one of the restaurants helmed by a Michelin-starred chef. But the furry companion must perform specific tasks for its owner, such as guiding to assist in overcoming sight-impairment. Themed cruises are cruises where a part of the trip is based on a theme or special interest such as Broadway shows, music, media or even crafts like knitting. Some themes are cruise-wide, while others are group itineraries with exclusive activities.
Which cruise brand is best for you? A guide to the most popular lines
In this lounge, you can enjoy complimentary refreshments throughout the day, order room service and meet fellow travelers. Cruising while single can get expensive since most cruise lines charge based on double occupancy. For single travelers, the best cruise line to travel on is Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Passengers can choose from fine dining, al fresco and poolside dining, regional cuisine and room service. Premium alcoholic beverages are included, as is Wi-Fi (premium speeds are only available in the upper suites). On select sailings, guests may opt for a port-to-port package in order to book their own flights.
Choose from more than 90 itineraries that let you visit some of the most remote destinations in the world and focus on everything from photography and history to marine biology and conservation. We used customer satisfaction data from several sources, including Cruiseline.com, to inform our decision. We also considered ship inspection data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also, look at your cruise line's policy terms, as these may detail requirements for unvaccinated people. Finally, check the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site to see a detailed list of suggested vaccines per destination. Cruise lines offering or hosting themed trips are Norwegian Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean.
Once this list was obtained, we used several different metrics to score each cruise line against. The first was the number of times each cruise had been recommended in our previous search. Ratings on platforms such as Cruise Critics and Cruiseline became 2 other metrics for our research. Best for active familiesRoyal Caribbean operates some of the most innovative ships in the world, along with the biggest — Icon of the Seas (debuting in 2024). There are plenty of “wow” moments, from skydiving simulators and zip-lining to dazzling ice shows, high diving displays and a bar that glides up and down between decks.
Best cruise line for families
French luxury cruise line Ponant aims to make passengers feel as if they're traveling on their own private yachts. Guests enjoy Ladurée macarons, Veuve Clicquot Champagne, and luxurious Hermès bath products on board. Each of the company's ships features an onboard spa with massage cabins and either a Turkish bath or sauna. Ponant's luxurious small ships sail to remote destinations like Antarctica, incorporating once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as eclipse spotting from the edge of the earth. Virgin Voyages offers adult-only cruises packed with a huge range of activities, from morning yoga classes to evening cabaret.
A transatlantic crossing between Southampton and New York on Queen Mary 2 is on many a traveller’s bucket list, harking back to the golden age of transatlantic liners. As with other luxury lines, Seabourn offers a wide range of itineraries around the globe. It also recently jumped into more adventurous, expedition-style cruising with two new 264-passenger vessels designed to operate in polar regions such as Antarctica and the Arctic. The line prides itself on offering longer stays in ports, including multi-day visits. Pricing is higher than at the big, mass-market lines but not quite as high as you'll find at luxury lines. A great cruise ship specialty restaurant should feel like date night at an exciting venue – and that’s exactly what Norwegian Cruise Line delivers on its ships.
Why Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term - Yahoo Finance
Why Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term.
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 13:40:08 GMT [source]
Nearly every cruise line offers a high standard of onboard service, but Holland America Line’s gracious crewmembers craft something truly special. Service is thoughtful and casually personal, with crewmembers remembering names and preferences. The genuine care and thought put in by each crewmember is what keeps Holland America’s loyal passengers coming back – and it’s exactly that atmosphere that keeps crews coming back year after year, too. With its endless dedication to kids, Disney Cruise Line breezes to the top of the pack when it comes to the family cruise experience. Larger-than-average staterooms with double-bathrooms, free room service and fountain sodas, and Disney’s spectacular kids facilities and production shows help set the line apart. But Disney doesn’t forget that adults are footing the bill and crafts a memorable experience for them, too.
They will also be happy to have food specifically geared toward them, including pizza, chicken fingers, soft-serve ice cream and all-they-can-eat waffles shaped like mouse ears, in restaurants themed around beloved Disney classics. We only evaluated major lines with trips that depart from the United States – hence, we excluded such companies as Virgin Voyages, Cunard, Azamara and Silversea Cruises. These are some of the most popular itineraries because of their accessibility, affordability and wide variety of activities.
The included food options are tasty and satisfying, the drink packages remain reasonably priced and there’s nonstop entertainment and activities all day. Whether you’re with friends, a significant other or your family, you’re bound to have a good time, with minimum damage to your wallet. Cruisers who seek an ultimate luxury experience must typically take a trip with boutique, small-ship cruise lines such as Seabourn that have relatively few crowd-pleasing attractions. For a premium fare, MSC’s Yacht Club offers what’s called a “ship-within-a-ship” experience — a dedicated VIP enclave on a larger cruise ship that gives guests the best of both worlds.
The line's not stopping there -- it's expanding the number of solo cabins across its entire fleet. Despite a rocky couple of years due to the pandemic, cruising is back, and it’s stronger than ever. In fact, travel insurance comparison site SquareMouth.com reported a 41% increase in the number of travelers taking cruises in 2022 compared with 2019. Cruising has come a long way, and now, rather than cookie-cutter ships and itineraries, the best cruise lines are offering options that appeal to a wide variety of travelers.
