We need some guidance on picking the best cruise line for our group. We’re two married couples in our early 30s, without kids (yet), planning a 6-8 night cruise. We enjoy a mix of relaxation and activities, though we lean slightly more toward activities. We’re the type to go on excursions at ports, and we all enjoy drinking, ranging from casual drinks to the occasional binge. We’re not likely to stay up until 2 am partying, but a “party ship” vibe wouldn’t be a deal-breaker—we’re here to have fun! Good food is important to us, and we’d love a ship with plenty of shows and activities. While we’re casual people, we don’t mind dressing up for a nice dinner or a themed night. We’re not looking for a luxury cruise but still want a good experience. We’re okay with being around kids and families and would probably prefer that over being on a ship with a mostly 55+ crowd.
We’ve looked at the following Caribbean cruises so far and understand that Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival are more budget-friendly, while Celebrity is a step up in luxury:
Norwegian Breakaway: 7-day Caribbean including Puerto Plata, US and British Virgin Islands, Bahamas
Royal Freedom of the Seas: 8-day Caribbean including Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Maarten
Carnival Horizon: 8-day Caribbean including Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao
Celebrity Reflection: 8-day Caribbean including Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire
For drinking, NCL would be ideal, but for excursions, it would be the worst. Definitely the best itinerary, but also arguably the quietest when it comes to drinking, is Celebrity. Carnival involves copious amounts of alcohol. The Royal itinerary has a moderate to strong alcohol content.
Definitely the famous one out of all the ones you mentioned. The sea days are great for unwinding after an exciting day of activities on the ABC islands!
Loved our recent cruise aboard Celebrity Reflection! We are thirty, my wife and I. Most of the age range was presumably between 30 and 60. Have you given Virgin Cruises any thought? That would probably work nicely for your team as well.
As someone else said, the ships matter. Especially if you are younger you likely want a newer ship. I think the older ships are an acquired taste for cruisers to find the amenity sweet spots they are looking for.
Personally I think NCL is the perfect middle of the road if you are new to cruising. It has a little bit of everything, limited dress code, easy to understand drink packages. However I’m your age and love Celebrity’s newest ships but I would rather have the 55+ than the families.
If you are an early riser you will find alot of things not open on Carnival but much more going on after 11 than some others. Conversely Celebrity has a higher quality of food and service but with an overall more mellow vibe that not everyone may like (I love it though) but you will find much less going on after 1030.
But all of this starts to shift depending on the ship.
Even though I love NCL, I would choose one of the ABC itineraries because they are the greatest. If all else was equal, I would definitely choose Celebrity.
Also enjoyable is the Royal itinerary. Out of the four, NCL is my choice.
The ship itself also has a significant impact. Every line offers a variety of ship sizes and features.
Personally, I’d prefer to go on a Carnival or Celebrity cruise, but I also want to see the ABCs. My friends and I have both gone on Carnival cruises in the past (I find that the longer cruises don’t party any more than other lines, and I really enjoy the free food they provide), and I’ve been wanting to try Celebrity but things haven’t worked out for us.
I would choose Royal Caribbean for a first cruise; Freedom is a nice ship, and you can have a more “luxurious” experience with the deluxe drink package, some excursions, maybe some specialty dining, the key, etc. for a little less money than you would pay on a Celebrity cruise.