So you want to take cruise, huh? You been holding off but you’re finally ready to dive into the cruise world…Or maybe my recent blog posts convinced you.

Either way, since it’s your first time going on a cruise, you may not be sure which cruise line to go with for cruise itineraries. Let’s see if I can help you.

I’ve said it before the cruise line and/or ship can make or break your cruise vacation. You have to go with the one the matches your vibe or the vibe you want. The means knowing what they have to offer.

There are so many cruise lines out there so I will talk about a few of them. I will start with the cruise lines I’ve used and am familiar with.

Carnival

I’ve been on Carnival twice as a kid. My personal experiences aside, Carnival is probably the best budget friendly cruise line for first time cruisers. Frequent Carnival cruisers enjoy it because the music is good for the most part and they like the food (in particular, Guy’s Burgers).

They have the traditional cruise set up with a main dining room, specialty dining (that you pay extra for if you want), separate gratuity, and different packages like drink, dining, photo, and Wi-Fi packages.

If you like partying, it can be known as the party-ship to some. Carnival has many people that are loyal to them. If everything is going right, you’ll have a good time. 

Royal Caribbean

If you’ve read my blog posts from the start of this blog, you’ll know that Royal Caribbean was the first cruise I booked for myself as an adult (but not my first cruise). I’ve been on Royal Caribbean 3 times; once a kid and twice as an adult (both times captured on the blog).
This cruise line is seen as a step up from Carnival in the general cruise community. To be honest, they’re pretty similar in price depending on the ship you choose. However, I do like Royal Caribbean a little more. There’s a sort of unspoken rivalry between Carnival and Royal Caribbean frequent cruisers which I find funny.
Royal Caribbean is known for their megaships with all the thrills (though not all of their ships are like this keep in mind). I think Royal Caribbean is a good first-time cruise for families and just in general. It’s reasonably priced with decent service, food, and entertainment. It also has the traditional cruise line set up, like Carnival.

This would honestly be my #1 recommendation as a first time cruise because you can either have a more chill ship experience with the older and smaller ships or a more lively experience with their newer and larger ships.

Disney Cruise Lines

This is a big jump in cost in comparison with the median price of Royal Caribbean but it’s worth it in my opinion. I’ve been on five Disney cruises in my life, 3 times as a child, once as a high schooler, and once as a college student. So, I’ve been on this cruise line the most. If I remember correctly, a Disney cruise was my first cruise.

If you’re a Disney fan, you’ll love it. There’s hidden Mickeys in the decor and Disney characters all around the ship, in the art, and of course in the entertainment. The entertainment for the nights on the ship are typically plays and musicals of Disney classics.

This is a great cruise line for families especially, but anyone can go on a Disney cruise. That being said, because of its price tag, I wouldn’t necessarily suggest this as a first-time cruise per say but if you can afford it and love Disney, definitely go for it.

They charge so much because of the brand but the service provided from your stateroom attendant to your servers to the food to the entertainment is terrific.  You also have more chances to take pictures with Disney characters and princesses.

For Disney, as far as a traditional cruise goes, they are a little different. They don’t have a main dining room but instead have restaurants that you choose a day and time to go for each.

They also don’t have a drink package in the way cruisers might be used to. You can get a beer and/or wine package. They also have beverage tasting seminars. Luckily, soda is included, unlike Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or other cruise lines.

I’d always say this was my favorite cruise line, but this next one may have convinced me to change my mind.

Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages is my most recent cruise and it’s a little different from the other cruise lines. For one, this is an adult-only cruise line. That means 18-year olds will be the youngest people on board. The price point is a little less than Disney but more than Carnival and most Royal Caribbean cruises.

Their service matches Disney which is great, food is good and diverse with the same restaurant reservation system that Disney has except all restaurants on Virgin are included in the cruise fare, entertainment is good but not like the Broadway-style shows on other cruise lines.

While this is a great cruise line, I wouldn’t suggest it as your first cruise if you plan on trying out other lines as well. Or at least be aware that Virgin Voyages is not like the other cruise lines.

Virgin does things differently like check-ins starting later in the day, no specialty dining that you have to pay for, no drink packages (instead there’s a bar tab), and Wi-Fi and gratuity are already included in the cruise fare. So, if you went on a cruise with Virgin Voyages and then decided to go on Royal Caribbean, you might be surprised by the gratuity charge or that you have to pay for restaurants outside of the main dining room or the buffet. My cruise budgeting post (coming soon) should help with keeping these in mind.

Just one thing is missing…

One other thing that Virgin Voyages doesn’t have the other cruise lines do is the photography.

On other cruise lines there’s photographers when you get on the ship on Embarkation Day, when you get off the ship at the ports, on formal nights, and sometimes throughout dinner. You would have to pay for these photos of course, but sometimes professional photos are nice to have to remember your trip.

However, if you’re okay with taking your own photos to save money or don’t really like all of the photography in general then this won’t be a big deal to you.

Overall, Virgin Voyages is a great cruise line from my recent experience. I’ll get more into that trip in the posts to come.

Other Cruise Lines

Other cruise lines that are out there are MSC, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, and Holland America to name a few.

MSC and Norwegian seem to have more unique itineraries like Dubai, South Africa, Seychelles, and many places in Asia, which can be appealing to those who want to go to more uncommon cruise stops. Even with their unique itineraries, they still offer Caribbean cruises for a good price and deal.

Princess and Celebrity are slightly more “upscale” versions of Carnival and Royal Caribbean respectively because they’re under the same corporation. My dad and stepmom have been on Princess Cruises twice for their most recent cruises and they enjoyed themselves. I’ve heard good things about Celebrity cruises as well.

Holland America (also under Carnival) is for older cruisers from what I’ve seen. I’ve heard it’s great but for me they aren’t on my radar at this point in my life.

See? There are so many cruise lines to choose from. Are you looking for a good time with no kids or are you okay with the kids? Are you traveling with your family for a more relaxed trip? Or are you traveling friends to have fun nights at sea?

You can always read blog posts, check out vlogs, and read reviews but sometimes you just have to see for yourself.

I know that answer is kind of annoying but it’s true! There are people who’ve had bad experiences with a cruise line and then someone on the same cruises that had a great times so it’s hard to know which ones holds more value.

Before we wrap up, I want to give you something to think about.

The Destination or the Money?

Two things that will be the biggest determining factors on choosing a cruise line are the itinerary and the price.

Let’s say you find two cruises from two different lines. Cruise line one: you like the ship and it’s going to the places you want to go to but it’s a little pricy. Cruise line two: has an equally nice ship, however it’s not going to where you want but it’s a little more affordable. Are you willing to change your itinerary to fit the budget or is the itinerary and service worth the extra funds? It’s a question only you can answer for yourself.

For additional assistance you could use booking engines like Cruise Critics and Delta Cruises to search among all cruise lines based on your criteria. You could also use a travel agent to help.

Hopefully, I’ve given a little insight on some of the more popular cruise lines when you make your cruise selection. The next post will go over the expenses to expect from cruises and to make a cruise budget. See you later overthinkers!

If you want to hear about my personal experiences with first four cruise lines I mentioned, watch the YouTube video when it comes out!