An Overview Of Different Cruise Lines

Just like with most other things in life, cruise lines are not created equally. Generally speaking, the differences lie in the markets that they serve. Some cruise lines straddle different markets as well, which make them even more difficult to classify. That said, it’s pretty much agreed that cruise lines fall along these lines:

Retail (least expensive)
Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Costa, Fred Olsen, MCS, P&O, AIDA

Premium
Celebrity, Holland America, Cunard, Princess, Disney

Upper Premium
Azamara, Oceania, Windstar

Luxury
Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, Paul Gauguin

Niche
Hurtigruten, Un-Cruise Adventures

River Cruises
Avalon Waterways, Uniworld, Viking

Sailing Ships
Windstar, Star Clippers, SeaCloud, Ponant

As you go upscale, the ships tend to get smaller and crew to passenger ratio gets larger. Of course, that comes at a cost so those cruises are definitely more expensive, but they’re also aimed at a clientele that could afford it.

There are other things that set the various cruise lines apart though. Food is a big one, although what’s good and what’s not is so subjective that it’s hardly worth noting. Entertainment is another, where the larger ships tend to have more entertainment, although the caliber can vary quite a bit.

A big difference between cruise lines is family activities. While it’s true that Disney is more oriented to families just by the nature of entertainment properties, other cruise lines are sensitive to family cruising and try to have activities available for all age groups. For instance, Royal Caribbean has the Dreamworks Experience with characters from films like Madagascar for the smaller kids, as well as a video arcade, teen disco and Adventure Ocean, a supervised activities area for ages 3 to 17. On the other hand, a more upscale line like Oceana or Crystal has fewer of these areas or activities because they cater to an older crowd.

One thing’s for sure, there’s a cruise that will fit every whim, fancy and budget if you look around.