Cruisers Pick Their Best & Worst Lines RIGHT NOW!

[@jrp1144]

We've done 8 Holland America cruises, 4 of them transatlantic. When aboard I want only a quiet place to read my books, an adult beverage, a great dinner, the sea stretched out in all directions, and don't bother me. In 8 cruises I've only been to one evening show, and that was as a polite gesture to my mother-in-law. I always enjoy your KZbins!

[@gdpope52]

Thank you. This is exactly what we want.

[@momv2pa]

I absolutely agree with you-wanting to relax and all. I like nothing better than sitting on my balcony, drinking my coffee and reading a book.

[@williamthurmond4940]

Sailing HA to Australia soon…23 days of open ocean, balcony tea time and multiple books. Paradise.

[@_echobravo]

Couldn’t agree more. Your sentiments are in lockstep with mine.

[@cherieroberts3502]

We used to cruise Holland…now we cruise Silversea…might be more to your liking.

[@SedA2027]

I left NCL about 4 years ago. My go-to cruise line is Princess. I like that there are few kids and enjoy their decor, food, and entertainment.

[@mikemahon6164]

Same here. I love cruising on Princess for that same reason. Although, I was on a cruise with Princess during Thanksgiving week and it was really busy with many families including children but other than that week, they have been mostly kid free or very few children.

[@janewarematt6800]

Same for us. NCL is the worst. One and done.. constant upsetting and crappy food.

[@tracytrebilcox]

That sure wasn't my experience in June when I took the Princess Majestic. The food was forgettable, and there were too many children everywhere including the adult-only area.

[@Prodrive1]

NCL have sank service wise. Dissapointing.

[@LaughingisLivinn]

my name is Alejandro let me know if you are interested in booking your next trip im an agent based out of LA with great partnerships with our vendors just like princess

[@joelsundquist97]

I find Gary, among the many KZbin cruise advisors, is very objective, and as a rule refrains from excessive bias. Last year we cruised two NCL ships. The Viva in the Mediterranean, which was wonderful, and the Sky in the Bahamas, which was horrific. This goes to Gary’s point of the cruise lines putting more into their newer ships, while withdrawing the overall quality of the older ships. While we can appreciate the cruise lines are monetarily attempting to recover from COVID, I for one would rather pay a little more to get the better entertainment, the extra staff needed to bring back the quality of yesteryear, and do a meaningful restoration into the dry docks, if they intend on keeping an older ship. Thanks Gary for the informative perspective!

[@travelingfool9096]

One more NCL for me. Jade ( and older ship) was not great. The Encore was much better. both had too much constant upselling while on board.

[@piratesswoop725]

@@travelingfool9096I was on the Encore this summer, super nice experience. My only complaint was that my solo studio was right across from the housekeeping closet so I was constantly being woken up hearing them come and go. Rookie mistake when booking 😉

[@TheCatInTheHat6505]

I’ve been on the sky twice, including last year. Everything was great! Maybe a little less staffed last year than pre-Covid, but everything else was great. although, staff feel I don't know, no longer happy.

[@skylineuk1485]

Sky Princess was great for us too. We have sailed NCL a lot but our next two NCL are Viva and Prima as it seems all major cruise lines are skimping on the older ships and focusing on the newer ones. I think for the immediate future the more modern ships are a better way to cruise but of course more expensive than the good deals on the older ones.

[@isaacsiedentop2821]

I am basically the polar opposite cruiser from Gary, but I still find value in his videos. A lot of the things he likes are things that are dealbreakers for me, I won't be caught dead on Holland America or regent 7 seas or anything comparable, and I don't expect to see him on Virgin, but he provides a fair breakdown of what you get with each cruise line.

[@karendelong9184]

Viking is my go to line. Never disappointed.

[@ssmith1396]

A friend who has tried Viking says that the 2 new SAGA ships have the edge, he said Viking is more clinical!

[@cmccloskey56]

Want to give more details? Right now they are expensive for me - I want to know why I should pay the premium over other lines.

[@ericbedenbaugh7085]

I took Viking to Iceland this summer. The service was excellent, the cabin okay, the food was good but limited. I wish they had more specialty restaurants. My favorite line is Regent by far.

[@jturie]

I got a huge laugh when you posted that review where the person said "there's hardly anything to do for a kid under 3".

[@NerdsTravels]

As it should be.

[@tracytrebilcox]

If they needed something to do for a three-year-old, stay home or go on Disney.

[@fmmaj9noname332]

Seriously, give them a cardboard box and a set of keys, and they're good to go.

[@ksinfl]

We are sailing on MSC Seashore tomorrow and I am going with an open mind. I have sailed MSC before and I was always have been able to find something that I like to eat, and enjoyed the entertainment. I am from Europe so the so-called "unfriendliness" of the staff doesn't bother me at all. Personally, I have not found that staff has ever been unfriendly. I know I am on a budget cruise so I don't expect the Ritz Carlton. I am looking forward to relaxing, and I am just glad I don't have to work, cook, and clean for a week. And best of all being surrounded by ocean all day long. Thank you Gary for your video content. I always enjoy these videos.

[@seatrees2087]

We were on the Seashore for 2 weeks just two weeks ago and had a wonderful time. We got a great deal in the steakhouse because of the "upsellers" on the first day. Our servers were absolutely fabulous. We ate in the restaurants as often as we could and the food was amazing. Friendly faces were every where and many workers knowing our names by the end of the trip. The cabaret show was excellent and the Brooklyn cafe was a perfect place for relaxing and playing a game. Ocean Cay was incredible. We booked another for next year in Europe.

[@ksinfl]

@@seatrees2087 Thank you so much for the information! Now I am super excited about embarcation day tomorrow. I wish you a wonderful sailing in Europe next year! I am sure you will have a beautiful journey seeing many great ports of call.

[@Ravensonng]

Viking is my cruise line of choice. The ships are beautiful, very well maintained. All cabin categories have balconies. There is no ship within a ship business model. All guests are equally pampered and catered to. The service is superb . The food is great, so are the excursions and I love the resident historian program with all the destination focused historical and cultural lectures. Once you get off the ship you can gauge the effectiveness of the lectures by how much you learn from the excursions. Finally, the Viking experience is always wonderful because the ships never feel crowded, even at full capacity. There are always nooks and crannies available for relaxing and taking in the views and/or sea air. No casinos, no kids no nickel and diming. What more can you ask for when you are cruising for learning and relaxation? One more thing: I am not affiliated with Viking. All I am is a happy and loyal customer. :)

[@NeedtoSpeak]

I am a Viking Ocean person. One point…..this is a class based ship. Below a certain cabin level you do not get to pick your land tours until right before departure…if the are available. Also, no window seat in dining room. Go a bit higher, and there is a big difference.

[@karenjensen2345]

Agreed!

[@Paul-GrnHil]

As a Viking fan and world cruiser, I found no issue with having the least expensive cabin level. While we were last to choose excursions, if we were unable to book in advance we were able to join once onboard. Also, for special excursions we often booked small group tours with private vendors. Same was true for specialty dining reservations. If you spoke to the host beforehand, they often would suggest when a quiet time to arrive and they could seat you without a reservation. I also was totally unaware of seating assignments being tied to cabin level. In my experience, a smile, friendly greeting and flexibility with the staff got you excellent results regardless of cabin.

[@NeedtoSpeak]

@@Paul-GrnHil 😂They specifically ask for your cabin number when you approach the main dining room….for “placement purposes”. Mind you, I love Viking, but please, everything is done by cabin grade. I know because I have been in every cabin level and the differences are STUNNING !

[@chriswilliams6568]

I am sure they are lovely and I would love to try them, sadly they are twice the price of Princess, so I stick with them. They are fine. It is easy to be best when the cost is higher, I wish he had done a study about which line is best value, meaning best bang for the buck. Take care.

[@angiepatterson6338]

Gary, can you put down all 25 lines and their total rankings. Thanks.

[@Eric-jo8uh]

I prefer Princess as every time I have sailed with them, they have been consistently good.

[@janiekcarney5482]

Thank you for no advertising of maps to endure. This video is the type I really enjoy.

[@davidblack6413]

I've a Viking cruise on the Mediterranean in December, from Istanbul to Athens, and a Ponant in the Baltic and Scandinavia in April. I've cruised Viking before, and enjoyed their adult-focused, limited upselling, education-driven culture. Ponant is a different class -- ultra-luxury, and perhaps a little too white-glove for me -- but I liked the ports on the Baltic trip, including a number of harder-to-reach ports. Gary's been such a superlative guide to cruising, and being still new to this -- one river cruise, and two ocean behind me, and these two ocean cruises upcoming --- I've learned so much from this channel.

[@roderickcozens5371]

Just done our first cruise on Marella Explorer. Absolutely brilliant. Smaller ship to what we are used to. Food great, really great. Spaces on board brilliant, pools great, staff amazing. Cant wait to go again.

[@davidknox5929]

Agree

[@michaelseibold9977]

Just got back from a trans Atlantic crossing on Azamara. Service and food was outstanding. It is an R class ship so when we went through the back end of hurricane Kirk it got a bit bumpy. So if you do a trans Atlantic on this line and are prone to seasickness, make sure you get anti seasickness patches. Makes a big difference! They did an Indian night in the buffet and I thought it was some of the best Indian food I've ever had! Great value for the $$$!

[@KathleenBaker-l1f]

We sailed NCL twice before they went to the front of the line in penny pinching. Glad we did. Those are the glory days.

[@yourworldwithbill9096]

Thanks for the thorough report, Gary. We agree with those that found Viking superior to Oceania; not only was the service on Viking the best we've experienced, but the staff seemed a bit more relaxed. We found the service on Holland America at least comparable to what we encountered on Oceania, with -- again -- staff who seemed a bit less pressured (or better actors). The food we had on Viking was definitely the best, but I have to admit that Oceania has more variety.

[@fionabould1683]

Great to see Fred Olsen in here, never disappointed with them, love the friendliness of the crew. Thanks for this video!

[@CapriciousCapricrn]

Dear Gary, you really knocked it out of the park with this review! Just what we need to know with review rankings as data. But I was so disappointed about Cunard being last in its category, with Queen Anne being, perhaps, the culprit. Watched your and others' reviews of QA and most comments being positive. Watch and love cruising videos; know which ships I'd go and not go on. Live vicariously through you and others!

[@adriangoodrich4306]

I agree - Gary's reviews are pretty well always really informative, objective and helpful, but this one is definitely 5⭐

[@Jambi14]

Would like to see reviews of US based inland cruise lines - like those that go on the Mississippi river, the Great Lakes, the Inland waterways, the rivers in the Pacific North West.

[@yvonnetomenga5726]

@Jambi14 • Great idea. I would love to see those reviews also. I just got an ad for a Mississippi River cruise on Viking and it looked like an entirely different experience from the Carribean or Mediterranean.

[@franceswallace2531]

Everyone I know that have taken those cruise, love it so much

[@dianeshaw1145]

I agree. I just got back from a Great Lakes cruise on the Pearl Mist (Pearl Seas Cruises). It's got about 180 passengers, all balcony cabins (including singles --I had one and it was plenty of room). Good food, good staff, enjoyable excursions and port visits, though obviously not in the league of the big cruise lines (no pool, limited entertainment, etc.). I'm planning to go on an American Cruise Lines cruise in the Pacific Northwest next year.

[@cmccloskey56]

Yes! I keep looking at American Cruise Lines for their Chesapeake Bay and coastal East Coast cruises. Places I have done by car, but I think seeing these locations by water would be a totally different experience. Problem is, they take less than 200 guests per ship, which makes them very expensive. Easy to get to for me (driving, not flying) but otherwise, expensive per person/per night. Gary, do our legwork for us, please!

[@anthonyr7208]

My favorite is NCL… I personally enjoy the food and the freestyle relaxed atmosphere

[@jamiebuchholtz1479]

I love HAL. excellent food and service.

[@dondgc2298]

Having recently sailed on Crystal, I can’t imagine sailing on any other line. The quality of the ship, the service and the food were all outstanding. Highly highly recommended.

[@kazaabitboll2026]

That’s good to hear. We had a 16 day Sth America cruise years ago that was just before it sold to the new Chinese owners. It was terrible. The highlight was supposed to be NYE in Rio anchored just off shore to watch the fireworks. Well we were so far away and had the worst position out of the 3 or 4 dozen ships in the area. You also set needed binoculars. What was supposed to be a night of ohh and ahh was underwhelming because of the distance.

[@dondgc2298]

@@kazaabitboll2026 as you know those owners are gone - after running the company into bankruptcy. The crew we spoke to love the new owners. And the two ships now operating were refurbished and close to a third of the passenger capacity was removed. I believe they now have the highest number of crew to passengers in the industry. And it shows. They also have about the largest amount of public space per passenger. And it shows. Outstanding experience.

[@JK-sf3vg]

no more

[@cmccloskey56]

But have they come back the same after their bankruptcy? I have heard great things about pre-COVID Crystal but nothing since then.

[@dondgc2298]

@@cmccloskey56 just read my comment. I was on board a month ago.

[@gruncletim]

This just goes to prove that no matter what any of the cruise lines do, there will always be a group who loves everything, a group who hates everything, a group who is easygoing and easily pleased, a group who is privileged and cannot ever be pleased, and a group who has no idea what they want or like.

[@2000konnie]

Indeed. I got a chuckle out of parents complaining that there's nothing for their kids to do on Celebrity. Well, duh. That's the point. Children are allowed, but there's nothing special for them by choice. Parents that know their children require more activities geared for them shouldn't be going on Celebrity. There are many other cruise lines that would suit them better.

[@TheDastardlyDick]

There's an old saying "you can please all of the people some of the time or some of the people some of the time, but you will never please all of the people all of the time".

[@nancycook7802]

So true!

[@karenjensen2345]

Viking also adds in pre cruise hotels as part of it, you you don't have to find your own lodging to get there a day early. I love that!!!

[@SausalitoVicki]

Crystal client here, and I wouldn’t cruise on anyone else anymore. I’ve tried lots of other lines over the years, but now, after 11 Crystal cruises, I’m sticking with them. It’s true you have to pay more nowadays for a great cruise experience. It’s worth it.

[@JToronto53]

we were you before the bankruptcy, but we’ve yet to cruise with New Crystal. The price has become really out of line with other ships. Also, the itineraries are very very boring right now with only 2 ships and no access to the Suez canal. We’re using the time to explore other lines

[@dondgc2298]

@@JToronto53 the ships are much different since the bankruptcy. They trimmed passenger capacity from over 1,000 to roughly 740. The result is an amazing experience with a crew to passenger ratio that allows exceptional service. For the quality experience offered, the price is in line with the competition. I do agree with you on the limited voyages that are a result of having only two ships.

[@MrWiggenhammer]

@@dondgc2298 Much more suites indeed. All rooms have butler service now and they go out of their way for you! I would not have thought service could have improved before but... it did.

[@reintvandijk5068]

We've been sailing a lot on Azamara recently and we love them. Mostly all inclusive for all the basics (drinks, tips etc), no nickel and timing together with great crew, service and food. Ships are small and older but do really well on port intensive itineraries. Entertainment is very low key. And do do attract a nice international mix to guests. They've been taken over two year again and had a very painful IT transition which went completely wrong. However now it seems to be solved.

[@gerardacronin334]

I agree.

[@adriangoodrich4306]

Seconded, in all you say. Superb 17-night Norway Intensive on Onward this July. Probably our best holiday ever (albeit the weather was very kind!) and looking forward to Japan in 2026.

[@momv2pa]

I know there’s plenty of people that don’t care for NCL, but my husband I love them. We’ve been sailing with them exclusively for over 30 years.Freestyle is perfect for us. We’ve been on the larger ships (example: Breakaway), but prefer the smaller, older ships (example: Pearl). Service, food, everything-has been top notch. Can’t wait to go again. Have eyes on Alaska.

[@dawnpowers7626]

I didn't mind Pearl at all, but I think my daughter was less impressed. (I'm in my 50s, she's in her 20s.) We chose it solely due to itinerary: Boston to Bermuda. No flying involved. A friend of mine does this twice a year, all on that particular Norwegian class of ships. I won't do it again.

[@Retiredtraveler1961]

Gary, that's a great video. Wonderful review of all lines, thank you. I have to say, there's a basic split in ratings between the younger crowd and the older crowd. My wife and I are 63, & want nothing to do with the premium cruise lines or the mega ships. Having cruised since 1993 on 20+ cruises on four different lines, I'm finding the ships are getting just too big and too crowded. My wife and I will only be traveling now on the small cruise ship lines, such as Azamara, and this premium, small luxury cruise lines, in fact we're taking our first cruise on silver sea in January 2025 Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney Australia. The MSC premium line really looks appealing, and I would like to venture on them next (Explora). While every cruiser sees something different, my purpose of cruising is to comfortably travel from port to Port and see exciting, destinations, such as Greece, turkey, or Thailand without having to change hotels or catch a plane or a bus or a train. The obvious observation is younger people choose to cruise because not only is it all inclusive, but has entertainment for the kids such as the waterpark, the go carts and everything else… That has absolutely the last place I would want to find myself. Princess cruises used to be very good, now regrettably they've made a big downhill turn towards mega ships with more nickel and diming, despite being a platinum member, I will no longer be cruising with them. Cheers & happy travels

[@adriangoodrich4306]

Spot on with all you say! Very much two different demographics now. At mid-late sixties, we love Azamara (Japan cruise 2026 is next one booked), and the Norway intensive in July was a superb bucket list experience. But, if you want luxury, Explora (just back from Explora II) has to be the way to go. Rating well deserved, in our view. We absolutely loved Celebrity Beyond (Edge class) two years ago - one of its first cruises. But we (stupidly) did a four-day cruise on Apex in the Channel over the UK August bank holiday. It was FAR too overcrowded, with God knows how many kids sharing cabins with parents but too few kid-centric facilities. Must have been at least 50% over capacity. Never again, although when we booked it (after a few glasses of wine...) we stupidly did not realise the implications of UK school holidays and the bank holiday. Next time, we'll make sure it is outside of school holidays and not a UK sailing. Celebrity are defo aiming more at younger adults with the (superb) Edge class. But they maybe risk falling between two stools if they over-encourage families?

[@JamesTheDad24]

I've cruised various lines, my favorite being Celebrity, but this Christmas I'm cruising with a child on Marella for the first time. I'd love to see more about this discount line and to hear your opinions of the best budget lines.

[@djt_Art_Travel]

Another great and fair blog. Thank you Gary

[@gregorysims3697]

Love to see you do a review of American Cruise Lines. They offer a very nice variety of river, costal and Alaska cruises.

[@TWSmith42]

Rather expensive, though, no?

[@yvonnetomenga5726]

​@@TWSmith42 Gary's reviews usually cover price ranges.

[@stevelaing8335]

My wife and and did a west coast repo cruise on the Holland America Zaandam. This was our first time with HA and we were impressed all around although the theater entertainment was a bit underwhelming likely because it was an end of season repo. This was an older ship and we were surprised and elated to have an actual bathtub in our ocean view cabin. Great! We only hope that when this vessel gets updated/refitted that they don't take the tub away! The ship had great bones and areas to sit and read plus a great promenade. Overall crew service was also really good as well as the food. A friendly ship. We have cruised Princess, Celebrity and Cunard. This HA experience ranks them at the upper end of the four.

[@cmccloskey56]

I love HAL ships! Their Explorations Lounge, with all the reading materials and comfy reading chairs, to say nothing of the views from this high-up deck, makes them unique in all the ships I've sailed. I like all the interesting art all over the ships as well. And their cabins just feel bigger. Certainly bigger than the RCL ship that I took most recently. I took RCL because I heard they had big Broadway shows; not on the ship I took. You gotta read the fine print... So far HAL suits me the best, although I am curious about Viking Ocean.

[@Tellyawhat4]

Great review, as always! I remember a colleague in the early 80s who loved to cruise on Royal Caribbean. His stories and slideshow presentations were amazing and he spoke of midnight buffets and photos showed ice sculptures adorning the tables. We were in awe. Fast forward to 2008 when I took my first cruise on the Costa Fortuna...it was very nice with beautiful finishings, food and service but no ice sculptures or midnight buffets. There were lots of annoying announcements in 7 different languages, but it was a lovely ship! Then came 2013 and a cruise on the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas, a weathered ship with a rock climbing wall. It was OK, but nothing amazing. Next came the Celebrity Solstice in 2016. It was a very nice ship and food was very good, but again, nothing spectacular. Then came the Dawn Princess in 2018, which was under refurbishment whilst at sea!! Areas were cordoned off for painting and new carpeting. It was very disappointing. Next year, we're booked on the Edge. Have heard good and bad. This thing about creating an off-limits section meant only for the "elite" passengers is very snob. Apparently, there are no outdoor areas on the Edge for "regular" passengers to enjoy vistas from the bow. Only the fitness area allows forward views from the inside. Also, on all Australia and NZ cruises, those beautiful plants situated throughout the ship are all covered up for biosecurity reasons, which really takes away from their purpose in the first place!

[@debbief2882]

I have sailed on HAL for 20 years. Even tho there have been a few cutbacks, like orchids on the lido dining tables, we still fully enjoy our time on board.

[@fdionne]

Silversea is my go to line. Never disappointed.

[@helenorgarycrevonis2022]

SilverSea canceled my cruise. They offered an apology and 10% off any booking plus the cruise was for the fall of 2025 so not a disaster. But I will never book again, they broke the trust…

[@coolbreeze253]

I've only sailed ocean cruises with three lines, the last three and one upcoming with Viking. I like their nearly all inclusiveness and the relaxed atmosphere, attentive service and fine cuisine. When they have significantly screwed up, as on two trips, they made things right in a hurry and offered compensation toward a future cruise without me asking for anything. I've recommended them several times to others, all of whom were pleased with their experiences.

[@GingerRobertson-e5w]

Have sailed on nine different cruise lines from Costa to the ultra luxury lines. Viking is my least favorite because of service. When things go wrong their immediate response was we were wrong. Later they try to make it up to you but there is nothing that makes up for that default. We won't sail with them again.

[@suzanneelliott5196]

Princess cruised last Dec to New Zealand kids everywhere overcrowded not a fan will wait until kids are back at school next time

[@susan3831]

Re: Regent. We always book our own flights and take the discount from Regent. Pre-cruise hotels usually very good to excellent. Last time we were at The Whilshire in LA. I’m not sure random critic reviews are the best comprehensive view of a product. Have been on Regent many times. They are outstanding with an occasional hiccup, but to rate it with the worst is to my observation highly skewed by the method you used to rate cruise lines. I never write cruise reviews. Had I. Regent would be a 9.5. The Posh Travel Blog here on KZbin does an excellent full review of their Regent cruise.

[@traceybartlam7737]

Surprised at regent as we’ve done two and have no complaints at all. They’ve been excellent, we had really nice pre hotels too and a good variety of excursions. We’ve almost always got the ones we wanted. If one was full we went on the waitlist, they called and we’ve almost always been given what we want. The only negative was that we flew out of London not Birmingham because to do that made a silly route. I suspect it was Americans who had issue with the flights as we’ve spoken to a few that have had complicated journeys (probably to save the company money). For us it’s always been a seamless trip.

[@apfelstrudel714]

Good summary and analysis in this video of current, popular ratings ❤ My fav cruise lines are Seabourn and Viking. I want no or very few kids on cruises.

[@sth4678]

Virgin voyages has been winning all the awards from food to staff plus not having children onboard i can see them going real far on the lists in the future

[@kevinw7560]

They are subpar in a lot of areas

[@nrgpokemon5158]

You had me at ‘no children’ because parents now rarely control their monsters and they negatively impact me on my cruise. I don’t need to be tripped in the dining room or have them take over the hot tubs or constantly scream in lounges. Nightmares

[@jmlw84]

I tried Virgin Voyages and loved it! The food variety and quality was such an upgrade compared to mass-market lines like Carnival, and I loved that it was all included in the fare. Can't wait to go back!

[@LiveLoveLaughEveryday]

We will be on Virgin transatlantic cruise in 2 weeks. We took the Virgin cruise last June in Mediterranean and loved it. The food is great. This time we will have the opportunities to try more 🎉.

[@JToronto53]

@@kevinw7560 such as?

[@kays749]

HAL is our current go-to, but we've just done an Oceania. I think I want to try Azamara now.

[@Love2Cruise]

MSC and Viking are our 2 go-to cruise lines. Love them both! We cruise during school year, so kids are not an issue. And Viking is adults-only. 😊

[@eveelliotauthor]

NCL charged me $5k for 2 hours in sickbay after heat stroke, charged my c card without asking (so it was denied, of course) and so then suspended all my prepaid services until the end of the cruise. I couldn’t even rent a movie in my cabin or buy an orange juice. The nurse put my IV in wrong and made me bleed all over the place too. Never ever again

[@sylviamortgat2384]

I only cruise Crystal. I was on their last and first sailings during pandemic-caused shut down. I love their philosophy of welcoming you home away from home. Too bad Ben has never vlogged Crystal cruises. I’m happy they scored high… happy cruising you guys.

[@SausalitoVicki]

Yes! Crystal is the BEST.

[@vanstrength806]

We feel the same way about Silversea. Once you get a great experience, it is so easy to return.

[@cathy1672]

I went to Alaska this September on Celebrity Summit, a fully refurbished ship. I absolutely loved it. Gave it 10 across the board. It was the most relaxing and perfect experience I ever had on a cruise. And if course Alaska was just stunning.

[@vickyburton2434]

I stick with RC because of the entertainment! I love the Solarium and the options for kids to be able to be busy and have separate areas of the ship. I have never had issues with the food and the entertainment is amazing. Thank you for your videos!

[@coloradomtnbiker99]

I'm very loyal to Royal, I love the old Cunard line , especially the QE2 she is my favorite ship of all time. Regardless, I was very lucky and privileged that my mom worked for them in New York City and I got to go on her many many times just like the other ships they had in their fleet. I went on most but no longer loyal. Price me out of it, I guess Holland America is in the middle of your survey. I plan to go on them. Not sure soon. Definitely later for my anniversary in 2027 which will be 25 years of marriage and doing Alaska cruise. I think their s itineraries are better than everybody else's. Just waiting for them to open so we can book it probably next summer. Keep up the great work. Gary you're only one of four people I watch on the regular basis on KZbin,

[@gilbydog7350]

Nice, it would have been great to see QE2, Sagafjord, etc.

[@The1GoldenRule]

We’ve only cruised Carnival prior to our last cruise, which was Virgin on New Year’s this year. We probably won’t cruise with any line other than Virgin from now on. No kids plus the fair includes everything. No extra gratuities, free standard wifi, sodas included, specialty dining included, no one trying to sell you photos, etc.

[@HeatherTravels]

This was very interesting, Gary. Thank you for doing all that in depth "reviewing" for us!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching, and joining the Live today !

[@texaswader]

I'll stick with Carnival. They haven't let me down and my 11th cruise is coming up. Great video, thank you.

[@LifeIsTripping]

JUST Subscribed! You have GREAT content here, with a very pleasant disposition. We just cruised to Alaska with Princess, and had a great time! We are looking forward to trying out more ships in the near future. Thank you for your information!

[@4Fidget]

Cruised on NCL in September. Good entertainment and food but I have allergies and they did well sometimes but I had some eye rolls from staff when I asked for gluten free food. Didn't feel the issue of nickel and diming at all but the worst was cigarette smoke filling the centre of the ship due to the Casino being open to one of the atrium areas. Never had these issues on RCL. They were amazing with my allergies.

[@AdamS32828]

I recently booked my first Celebrity cruise for 2025, and seems like reviews from many sources are overwhelmingly positive. So excited!

[@MarkSibthorpe-yg8zu]

Good vlog. I am loyal to Royal, I enjoy all their ships for what they provide rather than what they don’t but the newer bigger ships do have the wow factor. Recently on the Enchantment of the seas, one of their oldest and built at a time of more traditional cruising. Done me fine as just wanted to chill with a bit of entertainment, food and drink but other younger groups were disappointed as, you say, seen the advertising of the new ships. Just emphasises you must do your research, even with the same cruise line.

[@timmbottoni3135]

Awesome video!!! Thanks for sharing your extensive analysis of the current state of reviews

[@jgesselberty]

To the contrary, I prefer the older, smaller ships. A cruise this year on Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas was a delight. The smaller ships are great. Vision is 26 years old, recently refurbiahed, and wonderful. There are some of us that do not want to relax on a floating amusement park.

[@jond46687]

Having sailed on several lines now I mostly agree with these views. I would not sail with MSC again owing to overcrowding, service and included food quality. I quite like P&O, particularly Britannia as it is a good midsize so lots to do but not too crowded - very good value. Norwegian was good but did feel like a lot of upselling going on and cut backs. I loved Cunard (Queen Victoria) and really liked Princess too for the cracking service and food. However, these last two lines I have only been on a couple of recent cruises each so will reserve judgement. Keen to try Celebrity next.

[@djt_Art_Travel]

I totally agree with your comments and the review of Viking Cruises. - we now only sail with them. They match what we want perfectly. Beautiful ships, excellent service and great value with do much included - we can't wait to sail trans Atlantic in 3 weeks😂

[@Stanf954]

Our Go To Line has been Celebrity. Royal Caribbean is our 2nd choice, and that will depend on the cruise itinerary and home port location.

[@abdvantage]

Thanks for this! Spending £15,500 on an Oceania Caribbean cruise with my mum (inc return flights, transfers, and overnight hotel stay in Miami, and £1157 between onboard credit+excursions) this Christmas/New Year. Picked them for the food offering having been on The Retreat on the Celebrity Ascent a few months ago. Disappointed with the Oceania rating but not surprised as there's been a lot of 'not so good reviews' of Oceania on KZbin lately. I hope our actual experience over-exceeds expectations ... 🤞🤞🤞

[@MsHorseracer]

I’ve sailed twice with Oceania and have loved it both times. Our last cruise was on the Sirena which is a very small ship. I read many poor reviews of Sirena and was worried but it was wonderful.

[@abdvantage]

@@MsHorseracer thanks, helpful to know. 🙏🏾

[@carolinec525]

We have just cruised from Athens to Istanbul on Oceania Riviera. It was all fabulous. Crew, food, cabin, entertainment. No complaints

[@LR-kn8zo]

Took our first Viking Ocean cruise last spring, liked it so much we booked a River Cruise with them for next year. Love how everything is included, they don't nickel and dime you to death. We were amazed how many on our cruise had done multiple Viking cruises which explained how far out they are booked. I believed in the value of this company so much with the product they deliver I purchased their stock the first day it went public. The gains so far have allowed me to totally pay for my cruise next year. Disclaimer: we are in our 60's so we fit their target audience.

[@marshas9255]

I have done more than 20 wonderful cruises on Holland America and decided to do a Viking. I found the cabins to be very cramped for the price, the shows to be adequate but not exciting and the late night (after 9:00 PM) to be non-existent. Holland usually does not have a huge number of children at the times we travel, i book specialty restaurants early. I feel Viking does a wonderful job on river cruises (have done most of their European offerings and Egypt a year ago) and they should have stayed in that market. Their decor is exactly the same on every ship - “Am I trapped in an IKEA?”

[@georgebrowne4103]

Great post Gary. We are booked on Explora II next September to the Med so hopefully our cruise is as good as the reviews you have analysed.

[@stephenberndt]

I really find your work is always a very high standard and well considered. This latest effort has been very helpful. My partner and I have had a great experience with Princess especially one of their older ships Diamond Princess. Did your research reveal the positives and negatives of Princess Cruises as a whole? Stephen, Queenstown, Tasmania. Australia. 🇦🇺

[@dionline88]

I agree! We've been quite happy with Celebrity for a number of years now, our experiences marred only by unruly children and higher fares recently. In fact, we'll be cruising on Holland America next month for the first time. They're rated well, with less expensive fares and I've heard only good things about the food. It remains to be seen... Great video again Gary!!

[@michelleb749]

Royal and Celebrity are my 2 favorite lines.

[@kazaabitboll2026]

We were Regent cruisers. Gee has it gone down badly. We won’t go on them again.

[@portaltwo]

Having cruised with Oceania for many years, I have to say I agree that it simply "isn't what it used to be". It has struck us as a slow but steady downward spiral seemingly driven by cost cutting, ever since the line was acquired by Norwegian. That said, some vestiges of glory remain and we are constantly hoping they can reverse course, so to speak. We have one more cruise with them coming up, on Vista, and we'll see what the final judgement is. Fingers crossed.

[@BRuane-pw6xq]

Agree

[@helenorgarycrevonis2022]

Our second with Oceania is on the Vista, the first one was recently- transatlantic, it was ok, not great. Hoping they read reviews and make a few changes, but the price I paid I will think twice before changing.

[@brucelafleur6446]

I completely agree regarding Oceania. I love the line. I cruise with them for many reasons. The food is not one of those reasons.

[@davva360]

My favorite overall is Royal. Best service though I would say is Holland. Worst I’ve experienced was Carnival for service, overall experience and food.

[@TeufelHandlanger]

Over the years cruise lines have made a practice of charging for things that were once included in the base fare. HAL used to provide fresh-squeezed orange juice at breakfast. Pizza at Alfredo's on Princess used to complimentary but no more. The 'Ship Within a Ship' practice sometimes makes other passengers feel like they're just luggage. Food quality overall seems to have declined since COVID. I sometimes wonder if that's not a deliberate attempt to 1) cut costs 2) Push more passengers to specialty dining.

[@sfmc98]

Princess still has good free pizza on the Lido deck on their ships--and on Sun Princess the promenade deck. Lido is NY style pizza and Promenade is Roma pizza. Alfredo's is included twice (or any casual dining) with Princess Plus.

[@PatrickWagz]

Great, informative review. I've noticed a definite downward change in my go-to line (R.C.) and have recently gone back to Carnival (and was pleasantly surprised), and I'll try Princess, for the 1st time ever, soon.

[@dorothygiunta8519]

Celebrity Edge Class ships are our favorites!!!

[@shaunbava1801]

I think in the post pandemic, high inflation period all the major cruise line have made cuts. So the sting is twofold both the fares are higher and the standards are lower. We tend to go on Holland but have done Celebrity, Princess, RCL prior to the pandemic, post pandemic we've only been on Holland and the cuts are really evident granted Holland has been making cuts for 20 years but prior to the pandemic it was more of a trade-off as they did make some improvements. They have definitely made entertainment cuts which even before the pandemic wasn't a strong point of the line, they had a unique offering which I think worked for most of the passengers but now it definitively mediocre at best. The biggest thing seems to be the dining, the lido, dive-in, Pizza all seem mostly as they were before which was good but the big let down seems to be the MDR and specialty dining which isn't what it was before some meals are very good others, very bad and the service is not nearly as on point as before, the MDR options are also significantly downgraded, the preparations are simpler and the ingredients cheaper. The other thing we noticed is the MDR/Lido deserts are almost universally awful I'm glad they brought back the cheese plate but really the same sad cheeses every day on a 2 week cruise and the "chocolate surprise", they should rename the chocolate "shitprise", it was so sad they shouldn't have bothered. So where before it was they took away something that was included or added a charge but maybe improved the menus, added new entertainment, etc now it is just a downgrade. My mother was just complaining about the food on RCL and especially the speciality restaurants so it seems to be widespread and the complaints about Norwegian and their associated lines seem very consistent.

[@ve2vfd]

A little shocked Margaritaville gets such a high score, but of course Mr. Bembridge is right in his assessment. They are marketing a value product to a specific clientèle and are delivering what is expected.

[@patrickallen4678]

It's interesting. We've been cruising for about 30 years. It seems people have been saying "cruising is going to Hell" for that entire time. For awhile, I'd look at reviews on Cruise Critic before a trip and think "gosh, I hope this isn't a terrible cruise." It never is. I really appreciate Gary's reviews for their straightforward even handedness. But I add a pretty big grain of salt to the hyperbole of some that cruising is getting worse. Each trip is different, to be sure. But it's still a pretty fabulous way to vacation.

[@reececollison5101]

Yes I did think reviews online are a somewhat tenuous way to judging things. They’re full of entitled tightwad moaners who complain about everything while probably booking the cheapest fare. Also remember if you have a bad experience you nearly always write a review about it. If you enjoyed it you very often don’t

[@rdrew1114]

I really enjoyed watching this. We have cruised on all of the resort style and premium lines like Celebrity, Princess and Holland America. I love them all even the older ships, but I do agree that some of the ships with having kids in rooms with parents does make the ship feel way more crowded. The way we handle that is we take longer cruises when school is in session.

[@davidknox5929]

Really enjoy Marella.Little upsetting.Good variety of food and drinks,excellent shows and staff flights convenient and included.All v relaxed.

[@rank1839]

Hello Gary, thank you for the info. Your videos are helpful. Next time, could you please include expedition ships? Thanks!

[@domfer2540]

My wife and stop cruising about two years ago. Yes the ship have more actives, more ports and more food. But, this is worst than the smallest cargo ships that we have sailed. We have sailed with less than 100 passengers and more than 5000, we prefer small ships. We also did part of Italy on a 30 meters, best cruise. The last reason we stopped, is it is a nightmare to schedule and return from a cruises. Passengers are rude in general, same as passengers on aircraft. We do not matter, the cruise companies make money as their primary mission.

[@ChrisiB123]

I’m giving P&O uk the benefit of the doubt and booked on Azura in March. I did Iona in August and I felt the experience was lacking, but probably worthy of the 2.4

[@ScottKlapman]

Great, informative video as always - would love to see a river cruise one someday.

[@kelsiewilson]

My family have cruised exclusively with NCL, and we've watched the costs rise while simultaneously observed the quickly deteriorating cruising experience, especially the food quality, menu choices, on board entertainment and other services. Everything is an upsell these days. We find the on board games such as bingo, various trivia games, etc to be tedious and mind numbingly repetitive. We don't ask for much, just consistant service and reasonable accommodation. We are extremely disappointed with the substantial reduction of larger production shows.

[@athenacreations1932]

We have sailed with NCL for the last 10 years and have noticed the quality going down in service, food and entertainment. And routing for flights is ridiculous. We have stayed because we are at a high level for perks, but I just cancelled our TransAtlantic trip due to lack of any interesting excursions.

[@JToronto53]

We are adults in our 50’s with no kids and we just got off our first Disney cruise (on the Magic). We had a GREAT time! there were 600 kids on board but the clubs are amazing and the ship is set up to meet their needs. The Adult areas are large and good. This won’t be our regular line but we were pleasantly delighted and are recommending it to everyone we know with kids of the right age.

[@tuvia4082]

Thanks Gary, great info.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SeatheWorldWithUs]

Really enjoyed this video.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@kathysmith8508]

Thank you- Your videos are excellent! I am wondering if you book your cruises on your own directly with the cruise lines or if you use a travel agent? Do you go about it differently for a premium cruise line vs an ultra-luxury cruise line?

[@helend6774]

We cruised this summer on Oceania. Went from Dublin to Edinburgh. It was awful. The food was uneven, the entertainment (lack of), missed ports, rough seas, invisible cruise director, duplicitous excursions. After we disembarked, the ship went on to Boston. One of the passengers who was staying on said, 'Pray for us' as we were disembarking. I think that says it all.

[@heatherkinneavy1167]

Good evening Gary. We've just come back from our first ever cruise. We went with P&O on the Ventura. Loved every second of it, even though the weather wasn't on our side!! I did notice virtually EVERY piece of artwork on show, including what was in our cabin! 😊 The main reason for messaging you...I've been watching your KZbin videos for a while and have noticed the picture you have of a large black cruise ship with 3 funnels on your wall...please, does the picture have a name? Love your channel.

[@nancycurtis3964]

My first cruises were transatlantic, in 1966, and I was hooked. Perhaps it was that at age 11, I had the run of the ship, and the original Queen Elizabeth represented everything grand and stately about our summer in Great Britain. I've since enjoyed several more transatlantic trips on Queen Mary 2, in Queens Grill, which have not disappointed. (My husband and I are not fans of the "air travel experience," so a "Queen" is the logical choice.) Outside of transatlantic trips, we find smaller ships preferential over any vessel carrying thousands of passengers. We have thoroughly enjoyed considerably smaller ships, Sea Dream Yacht Club, and Hebridean Princess are two favorites. We were on the second week of Explora 1's maiden voyage, and she is splendid in every way. The accommodations, food and service were outstanding.

[@markfischer3626]

I sailed on 23 cruises between 1984 and 1996. IMO this is an industry that died of success. My favorite lines were Royal Viking 2 times and Holland America 3 times. I also liked Royal Caribbean 7 times. The worst were IMO NCL and Celebrity. At least I never sailed on Carnival.I also liked Costa in the early Days, 5 times. Carla Costa, Daphne 3 times, and Costa Riviera. These were much older smaller ships. Princess was good. Their new builds were not recommended by travel agents. Everything has gone to hell in a handbasket. Most of the ships are ridiculously large. The largest I was on was Monarch of the Seas about 73,000 tones, 3 times and Sovereign of the Seas. On HA I was on the Veendam, Maasdam, and Statendam., All about 55,000 tons. The ships never felt crowded, service and food were excellent. NCL was the worst and Celebrity wasn't far behind.Celebrity was the only ship I didn't feel safe on. Coming out of Bermuda, the Kloster ship, Royal Viking Star would set sail around 230 PM and at 300 PM the Horizon would leave Saint George following the Royal Viking ship right behind less than a mile separating them. I was on both ships and it happened every time. When the Star got through the opening in the coral reef he turned hard to port to get out of the nut's way. Reports from friends on Celebrity said you could see where they were cutting corners. Food, and everything else on NCL was awful. If it was a land restaurant I'd never eat there. Holland America had exquisitely decorated ships with lots of art work, statuary, and many other interesting things of elegance. The cabins were large and they had a no tipping policy. I noticed that 10 day cruises had less crowding and fewer if any children. I stay away from when children are out of school.I'm 76 years old now and I think I'm done cruising. IMO packing 5,6, 7 thousand crew and passengers on a cruise ship is insanity. If I want to go to a shopping mall there are plenty around I can drive to. I would no longer recommend a cruise to anyone going on vacation.

[@TheViewfromBethlehem]

Great comment and summary. I have recently become more of a Riverboat cruiser.... Avalon, Emerald, Viking etc... were the madding crowd of an ocean ship becomes an intimate group on a riverboat.

[@ingridhalvorsen8460]

Very disappointed with Norwegian Joy in April 2023. The ship was lovely but food was mediocre at best. In the main dining room there were no salmon, shrimp, lobster. To get those things one had to go to one of SEVEN specialty dining rooms. These new dining rooms supplanted former lounges so things like small entertainment acts, trivia, and other games were in the very crowded guest services area with the audience on folding chairs. I felt like the up-selling was annoying. Services were cut back, but our Club Balcony room was nice, with a very spacious bathroom. It was a mixed bag, and I will not sail with them again unless reviews indicate significant improvement.

[@dirkdiggler164]

It’s a smart move to stick with what makes you comfortable. Be honest with yourself and consider where you fit. The ship can be stunning, but should you get it badly wrong with the clientele and/or age range it can be a truly dreadful experience. Either chav’s ahoy or God’s waiting room. The slightest doubt, or first time on a particular Cruise line never commit to more than 7 days.

[@RussellHorn-h6y]

A lot of younger people are cruising now. They just have to be entertained where as older passengers just want to relax. Also these larger ships really suck. It's more profitable for the company at the expense of the customers.

[@deedeethedog05]

I mean, maybe at the expense of SOME customers, but not every vacation is right for every vacationer. I enjoy those larger ships quite a lot but yeah, if you're the type that just wants to relax on a quiet ship, they're probably not going to be for you. Still plenty of other options if that's what you need though.

[@lindapeterson3613]

Our first cruise with Oceania is coming up. This makes me concerned but. I hope we will have a good experience.

[@sl6066]

We are also going on our first Oceania cruise at the end of January and have heard a few negative comments. However, we have friends who have sailed with Oceania many times (about 25 cruises). Their most recent cruise was in the past year. They noticed some decrease in service levels but felt that people new to Oceania would not notice it. They seem confident we will have a good cruise. Hope they are right!

[@BRuane-pw6xq]

​@@sl6066Not what it was but still good not great

[@TinaLee2042]

Ship within a ship is a big no go for me. After 65+ cruises across lines (and living in FL where the cruise life is exceptionally easy), I’m actually finding myself looking at land trips. I guess I’m one of the exceptions to the rule that “older” folk prefer a trip where everything is done for them.

[@kevinw7560]

Only 65 !

[@TinaLee2042]

@@kevinw7560 been cruising a LONG time

[@adriangoodrich4306]

We just this week came back from a brilliant 10-night cruise on Explora II. Totally agree with the rating, even though this was only its third cruise, so there will still have been a bit of rough edges getting rounded off. Ship, suites, food (Wow!!! And so many restaurants!) and crew all outstanding. And a lovely ambience throughout. Five stars in pretty well everything, in our view. The only minor moans we had were the rear lifts only go down to deck 5 not deck 4, and it takes a while to learn your way around - the direction signage from the lifts is a bit less clear than it might be. Yup - that's all! I fear the sky-high rating will increasingly reflect in the demand...and prices. But with four more ships on the way, hopefully they'll hold their place.

[@cathy1672]

Dec of 2023 I went on the Caribbean Princess, it was my first cruise. I was with my 83 year old mother. The service, food and beds were amazing. The decor more traditional, the clientele beginning of December was 65 plus. I really enjoyed the ship and my mother loved it! She was in awe. For me, a bit younger crowd would have made it perfect! I am going on Princess again over Christmas holidays this year and I am looking forward to their amazing beds, and curious to see if there will be younger people there since kids are off school and many companies close down for the holidays.

[@xkr510]

Sticking with Seabourn Gary.

[@robertw383]

Absolutely top service, food, exceptional crew and plenty of space.

[@TravelTip5]

Thanks for researching and posting this. Very interesting information. I also find it interesting that some cruise lines do well in one geographical location, but poorly in others. Perhaps due to having an optimized ship for a certain location with regard to size and amenities. I personally did an MSC cruise in the Med and would rate it one star for the reasons you discussed in this video, but I've heard MSC is doing much better in the Caribbean.

[@MrToryhere]

I’ve been on several cruises, with Regent, Ponant and Paul Gaugin. They were all quite good, but I wouldn’t rave. Then my wife found a line whose motto is “yachting not cruising”. We have never looked back. We’ve now been on ten voyages with this line. Although these voyages entail sailing on a ship and visiting some of the ports that cruise lines visit, they are totally different to the cruising experience. From being able to order your own off menu dinner, to hiking with the Captain or going to the local markets with the Chef, to staying overnight in same ports to allow passengers to sample the nightlife ashore, to always being addressed by name, to being able to order a drink or some food at anytime without bothering about “drinks packages”, to meeting well-travelled people from all over the world, to having elegant luxurious cabins, yachting on a 120 passenger yacht with 100 crew is so much more enjoyable than cruising.