Choosing a Cruise Line
You may be thinking of taking a cruise for the first time or indeed be an experienced cruiser that is thinking about trying another crise line, hopefully this guide will give you some insight into what each cruise line has to offer and of course you can always call me for more advice.
* P&O CRUISES:
P&O cruises currently has 7 ships in their fleet: the newest being their flagship Britannia which can hold over 4000 passengers. A new ship called Iona will be launching in 2020. They are known for offering passengers Strictly Come Dancing at sea and for their celebrity chef Food Heroes on-board ships. They offer the most cruises out of Southampton, including lots of mini cruises and world cruises that depart in January
A checklist to see if you would enjoy cruising on P&O if; •You like home comforts such as tea and coffee making facilities in your cabin and it has a “British” feel.
•You want an adult only cruise, as you have the option to sail on one of the adult only ships which are called Arcadia and Oriana •You want to sail with children as you could enjoy one of the family friendly ships such as Aurora, Oceana, Ventura and Britannia
.
* Royal Caribbean Cruises Royal Caribbean have 25 Ships in their fleet and they range from small to super-size! Their current largest ship Symphony of The Seas can take up to 5,400 passengers. Don’t let this put you off, their ships may be big but there is plenty of space onboard and with activities like Sky Diving, Bumper Cars, Surfing, Rock Climbing, Ice Skating and a full-size carousel onboard some of their ships there is plenty to do.
The Independence of The Seas has been voted the UK’s favourite cruise line and has just had a multimillion pound makeover including new bars/restaurants and cabins and the very first Trampoline Park at Sea!
You know that you will enjoy cruising on Royal Caribbean if…
• You are a family (the kids and teens clubs are amazing) • You want a more relaxed atmosphere on board • You like West End Show Productions and great entertainment • You are a first-time cruiser as there are lots of different ships, you will find one that suits you.
* Cunard Cruises Cunard are very much a traditional cruise line, I would say more Liners than cruise ships, and very similar to that of Titanic. There are 3 ships, one being the Queen Mary which was built specifically to do a Transatlantic Sailing (Southampton to New York) This particular ship is the only one I am aware of that also has its own deck for dogs, with kennels, a full time “doggy” butler and you can visit your pooches at certain times during the day. As well as the Transatlantic Cunard also operate world cruises in January, mini cruises and sailings from Southampton throughout the year .
You know that you would like to cruise on Cunard Cruises if … • • You like formality and tradition • You like exceptional service
• You like to dress up of an evening • You can’t bear to be parted from your furry friend whilst on holiday
* MSC CRUISES
MSC Cruises are a predominately Mediterranean Cruise Line, including their newest ships there are currently 17 in the fleet, they sail mostly in the Med, The Caribbean, Dubai, Northern Europe and South America. You may have just seen the MSC Meraviglia on Channel 5 recently on Cruising with Jane McDonald, like Royal Caribbean the majority of these ships are big ships but again offers lots onboard for guests to enjoy including water slides and a bowling alley.
MSC are a little different, being Mediterranean you will find that the food, entertainment etc reflects that, however they do have a ship called Magnifica which is sailing from Southampton this year to Northern Europe and this ship will have a more British feel, with tea & coffee making facilities in the cabins, British Comedians and more British inspired food.
You will enjoy cruising onboard MSC Cruises if … • You have a family with children (kid’s prices are normally very good with MSC) • You want to mix with lots of different nationalities • You want to visit lots of ports • You are price conscious (MSC are very competitively priced)
• You enjoy a few drinks – MSC have one of the best priced drinks packages at sea!
* Celebrity Cruise Line
Celebrity are what I would put as a 4 Star type of a Cruise ship, a little bit classier than say Royal Caribbean and Norwegian but not as formal or traditional as say Cunard. They have lots of specialty restaurants onboard, Martini bars, Wine bars and even on some ships a lawn club with real grass where you can have a picnic. In my opinion although they do cater for families and have kids and teen clubs there are no so many things onboard for kids to do and for couples or groups of friends they are brilliant and have some amazing itineraries. Including Europe Celebrity cruises to lots of different places including Antarctica, The Galapagos, India, South Pacific, Hawaii, Australia & New Zealand, Caribbean Asia, Alaska to name but a few.
You may have seen in the news about their newest ship which will sail from 2018 called The Edge, the design is like nothing you have seen before and will be a real game changer for cruising.
You will like Celebrity if … • You are a couple or travelling with a group of friends
• You like to eat out in different restaurants • You want to cruise to different destinations
I hope this helps you in trying to decide on which cruise line would suit you and your family, but please get in touch with me as I would love to help you in making your cruise line choice.