What’s the best cruise line?

2014-12-12

For cruise newbies considering their first sailing, the first question on their minds is always the same: “Which cruise line is the best?”

cruiseship

Booking a cruise is complicated: Once you decide where you want to go, you have to decide what ship to take and then which cabin to choose. The process can be excruciating for the uninitiated – cruise lines often look very similar to one another in brochures, as do some routes, and some larger ships can have more than 30 cabin categories. But, for cruise newbies considering their first sailing, the first question on their minds is always the same: “Which cruise line is the best?”

The answer, of course, is not so simple. Like hotel chains, cruise lines each have their own strengths and weaknesses, their own “personalities.” Some lines in the same price point sailing similar routes may cater to wildly different demographics.

The result: The answer is different for everyone. Start with your budget, since that will help narrow down the field. And don’t think that the list prices for sailings should represent your total budget: Except for some luxury options, those list prices usually don’t include airfare, taxes and fees, shore excursions, and some meals and entertainment, or drinks.