Cruise Line Hierarchy?

[limmy]

Can anyone help a cruise novice please?

We have our DCL booked for this year but the more vlogs we watch the more I think we'll love it. Already planning for the Disney blues, so looking at other cruises for next year as it's DS 16th.
He'd love to go to the Greek Islands.

So I've heard DCL are the Waitrose of cruises and Celebrity are maybe like the Lidl?
Who and what is in-between?

Wd have no young ones to consider. Children 10 and 15, love adventure. We love a drink and activities.

Saw Yorkshire T's post about a ship with waive rider, ice skating, climbing etc and that sounds up our street.

[BevS97]

The wave rider etc is on royal Caribbean. They are up there at the top with activities for kids etc. Although you need to check which ship you are on.

We went on P&O Brittannia which was lovely. Obviously no characters like Disney and no wave rider or ice rink. But the ship was nice. The food was good. Entertainment enjoyable etc. The cabin was much smaller and plainer than a Disney cabin. But it was clean and comfortable.
I think the vast majority of cruise lines are similar to this.

[Smilesonfaces]

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas had all the activities you mention, fabulous restaurants and entertainment.

Unfortunately there is a lot of snobbery in cruising. Look at the ships and decide which activities you like and which ships suit you.

Edited to say Harmony is a huge ship. It will be the smaller ships going to the Greek islands.

[minnie29]

We’ve only done 2 cruises. First was 3 nights on Carnival Sensation - this is their smallest and oldest ship (I think) and we loved it! Great shows, water slides for the kids and extremely comfortable beds! Then we done 3 nights on the Disney Dream which we had a ball on, it was obviously much better than the sensation ship. But, I preferred the food on the Carnival Sensation :/
Anyway, my point is I loved both classes of ships but the Disney Dream is my top cruise ship so far

[stecee]

I wouldn’t say Celebrity are the Lidl of cruising, they are regarded as one of the better ones.
We have cruised with 4 different cruise lines and the standard on all of them has been good.
I would think that RCI and NCL have more going on activity wise than say P&O for example, so with teens I would look at those, but it doesn’t make them a better cruise line.

[Just_Pete]

I mean I get the analogy game, but I don’t think there’s anyway that Celebrity could be considered the Lidl. They are definitely one of the better/classier/premium brands. And still with a degree of contemporary coolness to them as opposed to some of the other “premium” brands like Holland America or Cunard.

[ryanlaur]

Celebrity are definitely not the Lidl of cruising brands. We have cruised on Carnival, NCL , Royal Carribean and Celebrity and I would actually rank them in that order... with Carnival being at the lower end and Celebrity the best! 👍 However, we have thoroughly enjoyed our Carnival cruises too and wouldn't hesitate to cruise with them again.

[pubguv]

We went with NCL with a teenager last year and have booked again this year cannot fault the food the shows or the clubs for the kids

[pubguv]

We have also cruised twice with Disney and although it was great it was very expensive as well, so you would have to weigh up how much the characters are important to you.When I say expensive I mean double the price and that is without drinks or tips included.

[Ciano]

We have cruised twice with Royal Caribbean and once with Disney. I much preferred RC for our family's needs. My children were 6 and 11 at the time of Disney cruise. My little girl loved meeting the princesses and all the character greets which were great but we feel they have outgrown that now and loved all the extra activities RC offer. Kids are now 10 and 15, this yr we are going on RC Mariner of the seas to visit RC's new private island which is a huge water park. We are all living for it!