Watch This BEFORE Booking a Cruise! How to Choose the RIGHT Cruise

[@SeaTravelr123]

I am in the dwindling group of sailing on the smallest and oldest ships I can find.. I have no desire to see or be amongst 7K people on a ship.. I want my holiday to be as people free as possible.. I hate crowds, lines and waiting.. I want to be able to find someone I met on board to have a drink or coffee with and find out about their experiences.. not have to call them or track them on an app.. I want my phone to be in my cabin so I can be off the grid...

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

It's definitely becoming more and more difficult to find those cruise experiences within the mainstream. Thankfully there are still a few ships around that fit the bill, but the trend is clear - bigger and bigger is becoming the norm.

[@kylies7124]

Try Blue Lagoon cruises in Fiji. It’s a small local cruise company with only 32 cabins on board, and is able to travel to local villages getting you up close and personal with local Fiji culture. I did it and it was great.

[@SeaTravelr123]

@@kylies7124 That sounds great....

[@GraemeHosking-u4l]

Yet another great insightful video Adrian, thanks for your advice

[@CyeOutsider]

With the mega ships, the ships themselves are becoming the destinations, which is not inviting unless you want to holiday on a floating resort/fun park. I much prefer smaller ships with a focus on the destinations.

[@TS-pq8km]

Excellent video.... The cruise market is now multiple markets and as you say each needs to be approached differently

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Absolutely! The days of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ cruise are long gone.

[@davidleatherbarrow2640]

Hi Adrian. Did You see that the main channel into Port of Townsville had been dredged wider so that larger cruise ships could enter Port. I heard that around 20 cruise ship will call into Port of Townsville this year. This must be a great thing for cruising in Qld and cruising in Australia in general. Now for Gladstone and Cairns to make upgrades as well. Regards. David.

[@sarahmcivor1500]

I did Gladstone on p&o Dawn when it stopped there once and never again after that wonder why. Son is doing Townsville next week so good to have new stops but they are not stop there much!

[@interflugOz2]

The sweet spot for me is the 80,000-90,000 GT ships (CCL Spirit class, HAL/Cunard Vista class). These ships are now 20+ years old and they don't seem to be building any more in this size range. Booked on Discovery Princess later this year which is much newer and larger. The thought of sailing on a mega ship gives me the horrors 😱

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I too love that size of ship - so many great cruise ships fall within that range. They seem much better suited to destination cruising. Discovery Princess is beautiful - I hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise.

[@markeaston7353]

Great advice as always thanks Adrian. We are definitely equal opportunity cruisers and have no loyalty to any particular cruise line or ship style. A key factor for us as itinerary is usually a priority is to look at just how much time each ship will spend in any given port. It can vary greatly between cruise lines.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I completely agree - itineraries are so important, especially if the destination is the biggest consideration.

[@debandmattchat]

A great video with some really good points to consider Adrian.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thank you guys!

[@deidresmith2335]

We are definitely destination cruisers.....we prefer smaller ships that don't necessarily have all the bells and whistles....really for us it's more than a floating hotel....but we do disembark at just about every port..we couldn't be less interested in huge cruise ships...our favourite size is Grand Princess size...its "just right"...I'm just annoyed that the travel destinations are so limited here in Australia...especially Melbourne

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Totally agree, cruise destinations are quite limited from Australia. I'm hoping there will be more in the way of port development along the coastline, and even across within some of our Pacific island neighbours.

[@paulasquires8256]

Appreciating your humour…gave us a giggle on a dull weather day. Smaller ships, aimed at a more mature age group for us.

[@ruff113s]

I have only sailed one maga ship and that was in Alaska. As the temperatures were cold, people weren't using the pools or attractions, making the rest of the ship over-crowded. Thankful we had balconies as we couldn't find seating in the observation areas.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Alaska is one place specifically where I think choosing a smaller, older ship is as a wise decision. It's a place where the destination is really the attraction, and with sunset being so late in the day, there's almost always something to see from out on deck, or from a balcony.

[@sonarmb]

Having sailed on the old Sun Princess, Coral, and Royal, my wife and my preference is the smaller older ships by far. Also being old farts…both + 60, we prefer the more sedate relaxed cruise experiences.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Totally understand, those older ships have a charm that's hard to beat.

[@gazstaf]

Agreed we are the same

[@calumshaw]

Just can't beat Grand, Coral and Vista class ships if you're a destination cruiser rather than resort focused. And one of the best features about the smaller ships - no ankle biters!! We've never sailed HAL but was delighted to see that our first booking with them for Jan 4th next year is on a Vista class ship!!

[@blacksorrento4719]

@@calumshaw we did HAL to NZ on the Westerdam back late 2022, a vista class ship. Brilliant we like them too. Food was great, cabin and ship were fabulous, shame about the loud, rude and entitled Americans. Canadians onboard were quick to tell you they weren’t Americans. It had just completed a transpacific crossing and many stayed on doing B2B for the NZ leg. Be prepared to walk on the right down corridors and stairs, you will be given “the look“ if you don’t. 🙃

[@calumshaw]

@@blacksorrento4719 it's a cruise out of Sydney to New Guinea, Solomon, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, NZ, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney. A most unique itinerary. So hopefully the Tanks won't be onboard in big numbers.

[@blacksorrento4719]

@@calumshaw great itinerary 👍🏻 hopefully the onboard Aussie ratio will be more than what ours was.

[@leoniemercer7748]

I prefer older/smaller ships when its aboutbthe destination. Being able to dock in a port, walk off and on at leisure is essential for destination exploration. If im on board with the ship being my destination then im keen forva variety of activities, experiences on board. I also like to find those quiet spaces to relax in and people watch. The icon class however has no appeal. Too big, too peopley and too garish. Give me a classic style ship with a good promenade deck any time.

[@guintama]

Love the humor! On Enchanted Princess currently. Last cruise was on the older Caribbean Princess. Although the Caribbean wasn’t perfect, she offered a great experience, albeit dated. The Enchanted feels close to flawless. I think I’d do either again, but lean towards the newer Royal Class ships for their updated interiors and less risk of plumbing/hvac issues.

[@blacksorrento4719]

Much prefer an older ship, but then I am an older passenger, trying to make my budget take me to as many places as possible. I don’t need the newest and the best. Find older ships between 2k-3k in psgr cap, have a charm all their own. No the cabins may not have all the mod cons, but in general we have found they are usually larger than the modern ones. Our next cruise is a repos, on the Diamond Princess launched 2004.

[@calumshaw]

Sailed on her twice, Japan 2019 and NZ Xmas/New Years Eve just passed and absolutely love her - Food was almost up to pre covid standards!!!

[@blacksorrento4719]

@ oh that’s so good to hear Calum. Some fellow cruisers we met on a Sept ‘23 transpacific crossing who live in Qld, were on the NZ Christmas NY one as well, it was their first time on her, apart from getting a dose of the virus onboard, had a great time. Told us to pack some Glen 20 and Dettol wipes, just to be on the safe side.

[@calumshaw]

​@@blacksorrento4719I looked up CDC on return home and there's no comment about the gastro outbreak, but the buzz ashore claimed 700 were affected. I don't believe that as it would have resulted in 1 in 4 staterooms having a table placed in front of their stateroom door (a routine established during Covid). I walked both passage ways on every deck and saw a maximum one day of 5 tables!! Enough of that. There's loads of disinfectant at every food station so leave the Glen 20 at home. Diamond Princess food was outstanding, 2nd best of of our 17 post covid cruises, primarily in the Mediterranean, whilst ship presentation, given her age was simply outstanding.

[@lim2001burger]

Certainly appreciated it when our ship (Royal Princess) was able to dock in the port of Auckland, and just had a 10 min walk to the Skytower. Good tip re the princess ships for Alaska cruises, which is definitely on our list of places to cruise in

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for watching!

[@coleenbrennen487]

I am definitely an equal opportunity cruiser. I like the big ships with the bells and whistles, if that’s the type of vacation I’m looking for . Going on Utopia in October. But I also am now liking the smaller more traditional ships like Princess and Holland America and looking at the destination, rather than the ship itself . I just like cruising in general !!

[@sarahmcivor1500]

I don't like staying on the ship but can't afford to cruise overseas and have done basically everything there is to offer in Australia we really need to have more destinations in the next 5-10 yrs or we will lose people. I just crusie as I don't have to cook or clean and the destinations too as not a fan of more the 3 sea days. We are up to 20 crusies all from Brisbane or Sydney! we would love to maybe try the bigger ships but not for that price and flights on top of that wow! Really don't know how any Aussies could afford that.

[@cjsims3000]

I would love to see Disney be back here. Agree re the requirement for more destinations.

[@markargent6937]

I'm definitely a smaller ship person. Up to 3000 passenger capacity is my ideal, although we did go on Ovation of the Seas (approx 4900 passengers max) and loved the ship. I have no attraction to the bigger ships, but would go on a Quantum class again - no bigger though. Looking forward to going on Norwegian Spirit in 1 year and 2 days. Yes, I am counting :)

[@lisalopez4731]

Queensland! 🏝 🏖

[@stevensomers5668]

We did a 12 Night Japan Cruise on the Celebrity Millennium in May 24, Japan and the itinerary was incredible but the ship (and food) were dreadful. We had been on Edge the previous December and it was incredible and couldn't help but compare. I believe the older ships on the fleet drag the brands down as the expectation is that it will be consistent. I saw a review of one of the oldest Norwegian ships does Japan also, and it looked like a much, much better experience.

[@BrigantiaW]

Hi Adrian, kind of an odd question for you. I'd like to take my final cruise [in Australian waters] before my time is up. I have terminal cancer and a lung disease and I'm told I probably won't be around by November. Can you recommend a nice cruise for my husband and myself before my final send off? Doesn't have to be top of the line but something nice for a week or so would be wonderful.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Hi Briganita. I’m truly sorry to hear about your health situation, and I admire your courage in making plans for such a meaningful trip with your husband. There are several cruises that might suit your preferences for a week-long journey. Based on your desire for something special, I’d suggest looking into Princess Cruises (their ships offer a relaxed yet elegant experience, with good service, comfortable cabins, and good food) or Celebrity Cruises (known for a more refined touch and upmarket experience). It might also be worth checking if they have shorter or close-to-home itineraries departing from your nearest port to minimise travel. Most cruise lines are very accommodating, so you can mention any special needs or requests when booking. I wish you and your husband a truly memorable and beautiful trip. If you’d like help narrowing down options or have any specific questions, my travel agent partner can help you further - you can head to my website to make an enquiry: www.thecruiseandtravelguy.com.au -Adrian

[@SandraRose-vh8ud]

We're more focussed on the itinerary, not the ship. That being said, you definitely have to take in logistics too. Such as fast tendering and getting into venues easily - especially on larger ships. I'm happy with the older, smaller ships. We went on the carnival pride a couple years ago to Iceland, Ireland and Scotland. It's a sister ship to the luminosa. It was gaudy and sparkly and the food was average carnival fare, but we loved it. We've also booked on an older, smaller msc ship for winter 2026 for northern Europe and the western Mediterranean. Really cheap prices compared to summer, and it holds around 3,000 at capacity. Looking forward to the MSC controversial Italian experience. When we docked in Wellington March 2023 on the Encounter, it took us almost till midday just to get off the ship. The Quantum was in port as well and because it's a working port, they had no sealed off walkway for cruise passengers. The port only had eight or so buses to transport eight thousand combined passengers the five minutes into the city centre. If you were booked on a ship tour, then you got priority. But tours had sold out, due to the lack of NZ bus drivers and the amount of people in port. We waited about 90 minutes in the queue to get back on the bus after exploring the city. 😢 It makes sense royal Caribbean has swapped out the large ships for Australia and New Zealand. The largest ships I've been on are the Quantum (here) and the Carnival Panorama last October to the Mexican Riviera. It's a beautiful newer ship, but with the same carnival food. Lol. They were very organised re tendering. Some venues were packed. We've also been on the celebrity millennium around Japan and loved it. I see another viewer didn't. I guess it's all about your individual tastes. We enjoy food that's okay, reading on sea days and lots of great port experiences. We aren't bothered about brand new ships or water slides. Smaller ships rule. 😀

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

It sounds like you've found your cruise niche! Thanks for sharing your recent experiences and I hope your upcoming cruises (particularly MSC!) are enjoyable.

[@gandjconway30]

Sailed on Quantum in March 24 and did not enjoy the crowds. For me, the Grand class ships (Princess & P&O/Carnival) are the sweet spot. Unfortunately they have limited life left and I don’t know what I can sail on when they are gone.

[@davec1034]

Princess have been flogging the Sun Princess to no end the past few months. Star Princess launches soon. Goodness help us! Personally I'd love to try a smaller ship, Grand Class or similar but the good Lady has become attached to Royal class and that limits our choice of cruises and destinations. I think 2025 will be a land based holiday for us, using trains and Hotels. Thanks for the video.

[@CyeOutsider]

A lot of seasoned cruisers prefer the smaller ships, but mega ships is where the cruiselines are making their money at the moment so it won't change for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately.

[@Antonique-w8j]

We choose a cruise based on where it is going rather than the actual ship or line. Love the smaller ships our favourites were HAL Amsterdam and Massdam, both unfortunately sold off now. Celebrity Millennium is also a beautiful ship. Have been on Ovation of the seas and it was fun but would hate to be on it when water shuttles were needed,

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

I would love to sail on one Celebrity's Millennium Class ships one day - they look lovely, particularly those which have been revolutionised.

[@andysviewsof7767]

Thanks for confirming the comparative cost of New v Old. I'd much rather 2 weeks on Oasis than 1 on Icon. I'd also like another cruise on Virgin Voyages. Fortunately we only get OLD ships down under. Great Video

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video.

[@jazzamcc]

I prefer the smaller and older ships. I couldn’t care less about “Speciality Dining”. It wasn’t even around much till 15 years ago. It’s all about getting more money out of you. I remember the old Rhapaody where it was the Dining Room and the buffet and that’s it! They haven’t touched Radiance since 2011. Was meant to be done in 2020 but Covid it. She was very tired in Feb/March 2020 on her last Aussie cruises. I go for the cruise and not for the “thrills”. Maybe I’m just getting old 😂 I’m about to give up on cruising to be honest. It’s all about upselling on top of an increasing base fare! Plus you can only go to the same places so many times before it gets boring.

[@khardy1801]

I love both. We loved ovation but we loved going on the Luminosa and dock at Cairns. I think a lot is determined by the purpose of the cruise. Is it just the cruise ship, the ports or a mix of both. Would love to go on the oasis or icon class but I’d be going on those for ship only, not the ports. Thank you so much for my prize, Adrian! The items are so useful for our next few in a couple weeks time.

[@mrscuteas]

We are destination cruisers living in a resort style cruising ship country sadly. Having sailed to New Zealand 5 times already and once to the Pacific Islands which we have no desire to sail ever again we are currently island locked cruisers. We hope to do the circumnavigation of Australia but you need to book those cruises so far in advance and be able to take a whole month off work.

[@adamwentz8518]

The giggle after he said Yorkeys knob 😂

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

🤣

[@rishih5121]

So true! Was first to cruise on the wonder & ovation & wasn’t worth the hype! Just paying for a hotmess! Prefer the older ships where things are much better & wifi works! Ps love cruising the Caribbean! 😉

[@TheKangarooRanger]

Who’s nob? OMG, LMAOROTFPIMP! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Thank you again for another humorously informative video! 🍸🚢😘👍

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

🤣 I couldn't help myself. Beatiful part of the world, for what it's worth 😂

[@Carps888]

🏝 engagement emoji Adrian! 🤣

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

haha! Thank you 😏

[@andrewgrant1982]

I love my Radiance class ships and ships of a similar size such as Celebrity Eclipse and Carnival Luminosa, I went on Harmony of the Seas in 2016, which was ok, but I wouldn’t do it again, far too difficult for someone in a chair to navigate easily

[@blacksorrento4719]

@@andrewgrant1982 Carnival Luminosa is so easy to navigate isn’t she? Lots of comments on YT rubbish her, but we like her a lot, sailed on her 4x, including a 30 day transpacific from Seattle to Brisbane via Alaska and Japan, the decent sized cabins are a plus compared to other ships.

[@JaniceSlater-m9o]

Hi andrian could you please talk about the island royalcarrabean has brought Just off Australia to be made like cocoacae is it still going to happen as cruising from Australia is getting hard have cruised on radiance ovation quatiumoftheseas need a new place to go done nz Vanuatu qld we now need a new place to g0

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Hi Janice. I covered this in September: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqe8qaVmpMt8aqs there haven't been any updates since - just further delays, really. Once more information is released, you can trust that you'll find it here on my channel. For now, nothing new to report.

[@larryfinkel4102]

Would not like sailing on the mega ships

[@julianigoe1291]

I don't care as long as I am on a cruise. I prefer carnival corp ship's, as I can pay in Australian dollars. I also prefer the classic cruising ships, over the theme parks at sea. Less children. I love hot and cold weather cruising. 🍻🍸🥃

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Totally agree - especially with regards to AUD onboard when sailing in our waters. It definitely makes it more palatable.

[@Ambientmopar]

🛳🛳🛳

[@Ambientmopar]

🛳🛳🛳 Booked a NCL Bail to Brisbane - Brisbane to Fiji. This was great a bit more than i am comfortable paying it came in at under $100 perday for 28nts. Then paperwork to arrive in Australia which became the deal breaker. So much background information on two people, even more for citizen of Thailand. A bit less for citizen of United States of America. Therefore we are sorry to notify NCL to cancel the cruise. Any thoughts on how to make this a much more positive experience?

[@chuckarock2001]

Any cruise is great. ⛴️🏖️