What is the best cruise line?

All the mass market cruise lines offer a pretty similar product. There are of course some differences which may be important to some people. For ex, NCL and Princess let you eat dinner when you want. The rest have assigned dining times (for dinner only), the buffet is always open but for the full dining room experinece, all the lines except princess and ncl have the assigned times. NCL lets you stay in your cabin on the morning you leave the ship. The other lines make you get out of your room by abou 8 in the morning and wait in one of public areas. That can be a big pita. Carnival and RCCL seem to be a bit more active. Hal seems to be more common with older people, Celeberty is a bit more upscale. More important that the line though is when and where you are going. The short cruises 3/4 day cruises tend to be the party cruises. In the summer and holidays, there are alot of kids running around the ship. Mid march is collage spring break, think animal house. Also the longer the cruise, usually the less kids and the older the people. Familes with kids usually can't afford or don't have the time to take the more expensive longer cruises. As far as prices, you have keep an eye on all the websites. Make sure your TA will honor price drops. This means if you book a cruise for 400pp and the price drops to 300 6 months later, an honorable TA will give your a refund for the price difference or onboard credit (if possible). Some won't so you need to get that in writing. As far as warm and relaxing, your main routes for the 7 dayers are eastern and western carribean. The eastern route is known for shopping and laying out on the beach. The western ports are usually more active. Mayan ruins, zip lines, great scuba diving and of course nice beaches. Another option, but a bit more expensive is to fly down to PR and do a southern. YOu see alot of island on the southern routes. Usually CCL and NCL have the best prices, however any of the lines can have a good special going on at any time.

Hi...I hope I can offer you a slightly different response.

The "best" cruise line is the one that best suits you.

If you're young and looking to party, Carnival (known as The Fun Ships) are probably your best bet. They cater to the younger crowd mostly.

If you're looking for something a little more classy yet still informal and a chance to cruise without a lot of kids, Royal Caribbean is for you. They cater to the more mature but still adventure seeking crowd.

If you are looking for high end class and refinement, the Queen Mary 2 may be your best bet. It's an old fashioned type of cruise where you are given priority based on your cabin cost. This isn't a favourable option however unless you enjoying being 3rd class or are able to buy the expensive rooms.

I hope this helps!

This is a hard question to answer - A lot depends on you.

My recommendation is to start by going to a site that lists all cruises, such as Expedia.com. Do some research on cruises, where they go, length, where they leave from. Also, do some research on the different lines, Royal Caribbean (my favorite), Carnival, Disney etc. (there are many). You can get this information by searching on Yahoo with CRUISE REVIEWS.

I go to a site called www.cruisecritic.com, but there are others. With the search above you will find many.

Everyone has their own favorites. My particular favorite is Royal Caribbean. If I were going with an older (sorry aunt) relative, RCCL provides a good mix of younger activities and other things.

Once you've done your research as I mentioned above, contact a local travel agent. He/She will help you decide on a cruise that fits your needs. They can answer your questions about cruising and cruise lines.

Myself - I like to go out of NYC or NJ (I live in NJ) and go south to either Bermuda or Caribbean. (I'm leaving on a cruise Friday !!!!)

But what ever you choose, you will have a great time - Enjoy your cruise.

I think johnklinger's answer is right on target. I just want to add the following, if your limited to a budget keep in mind that on top of the price you find you will stay pay port charges, gov't taxes, etc. You will also have expenses on board for shore excursions, drinks (even soda), spa/salon, casino, and gratuities.

If you don't have one, you will also need a passport and you should apply for that ASAP as everyone travelling outside the US is required to have on by Dec. 31. 2006 and everyone is applying for passports, so it takes a while to get them.

Do not leave the country without travel insurance!!! Its a small price to pay in case something goes wrong. Insurance will cover everything from flight delays and lost luggage, to medical costs and returning you to the US in case of illness. Your regular health insurance won't cover you outside the US.

If you are under 18, make sure you have a notarized parental permission letter that allows your aunt to take you out of the country and make decisions about your well-being with your parents' permission. Airlines, cruise lines, and customs may ask for this type of letter and its better to be prepared.

However, the best advise I can give you is to contact a Travel Agent They can do all the work for you and get you the best price.

I would say Norwegian or Carnival. It depends on what you like to do, how pricing affects you, etc....

Go to the websites & decide what you want. carnival is like beginners cruise. People of all ages & races are on there. The more $$$ you pay, the older the crowd gets. Norweign is good for an adventerious person.

Really, the best depends on you, what you like to do, how big your pocketbook is and the areas that interest you. My overall favorite is Princess, but I just took a cruise on Costa. It was wonderful. I am older without kids, so really don't care for Carnival.

Norweigan...."Freestyle dining" I dont care what others say....

Norweigan= eating whenever you want...all the other cruise lines make you plan the time you eat??? and sit with the same people every day??? and dress up for dinner??? I dont know about you but I dont want "rules" when I'm paying $1200+!!!!

all other cruise lines are kind of like kindergarten huh??

The best Cruise line bay far is "Cunard" from England home of the QE2. My family were always going off with a millionairess friend on world cruises on that line/ship.

We have always had good luck with Royal Caribbean and there are some good deals out there. Celebrity is part of RC but a slight step up in service. Have been on two Celebrity cruises and they have been smaller ships that RC but very nice. RC has some super ships now. Think we have been on 5 of theirs.

I send 90% of my clients to the Carribbean. There's a lot of islands to visit and a ton to do. Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Aruba.

These are all familiar names that you probably wouldn't visit on your own.

I get promotions daily contact me, I'll get you a great price.

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