A newbies information to selecting a cruise line

So, you suppose you need to take a cruise?

First, let me say that you’re going to seemingly adore it. I have been cruising for almost 30 years, on nearly each line on the market, and I can inform you it is a great technique to journey.

It is not for everybody, in fact. Loads of individuals have tried it a few times and are not followers. The world can also be stuffed with “by no means cruisers” — individuals who, for varied causes, would not even consider getting on a ship for a trip.

However as survey after survey has proven, most individuals who attempt a cruise for the primary time give it excessive marks — and lots of find yourself cruising once more. The chances are excessive you may give it excessive marks, too.

Nonetheless, earlier than you may get to the purpose the place you are raving about your life exploring the world by sea, you have got a giant resolution forward of you: Which line do you have to e-book?

It is not a straightforward resolution. There are dozens of cruise traces, and no two are alike. Some solely function large ships. Some function small ships. Some sail solely in North America. Others sail all around the world. Some provide ships designed for household enjoyable. Others do not even enable kids on board.

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Moreover, you may discover cruise traces all around the map concerning worth factors. As with land-based resorts and lodges, there are cruise traces for individuals on the tightest of budgets and cruise traces that cater to individuals for whom cash isn’t any object.

Briefly, a cruise line exists for everybody. However relying in your preferences, not each line will do. The trick is to search out the proper cruise line for you.

On this story, I am going to aid you break down the choices.

An summary of cruise traces

As famous above, dozens of cruise traces function ships around the globe. Eventually rely, I had sailed with 42 totally different cruise corporations, and I nonetheless hadn’t hit each main model — regardless of it being my full-time job for years to check cruise ships.

One factor to grasp is that the lists of cruise traces you may discover right here at TPG and at different journey websites embrace corporations providing an unimaginable vary of experiences.

While you consider a cruise ship, you might consider the enormous floating megaresorts operated by the likes of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line that you simply see in TV ads — the sort of ships that carry hundreds of passengers and have all kinds of gee-whiz amusements on their prime decks.

However the world of cruising additionally contains corporations that function far smaller, extra intimate vessels that carry just a few dozen to some hundred individuals. These ships have a very totally different vibe. They’re extra like small boutique lodges that occur to drift from place to put.

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Moreover, you may discover adventure-focused “expedition” cruise corporations that supply one more utterly totally different sort of cruising — one which includes heading to off-the-beaten-path locations like Antarctica on small, hardy vessels designed for exploring. Some cruise corporations concentrate on ships that journey on rivers, whereas others function crusing ships.

Should you hear any individual say they’d by no means take a cruise as a result of the ships are “too large” or “too crowded,” you’ve got met somebody who has no concept what’s on the market.

You’ll be able to cruise on a giant, boisterous ship that carries 6,000 individuals or a tiny, yachtlike vessel that carries 60 individuals — and all the things in between.

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The cruise business likes to interrupt down its choices right into a bunch of oddly named classes, similar to “up to date” traces and “premium” traces. However to me, that is all advertising converse. Simply ignore it if you see it. After three many years masking the business, I like to interrupt issues down into the six classes you may discover beneath and (in just a few circumstances) a number of subset classes, every of which appeals to a special kind of vacationer.

The biggies

Seven large traces account for almost all of cruises taken by North People. They’re, so as of dimension (when measured by passenger capability):

In case you are cruising for the primary time, you’ll seemingly journey with one of many above manufacturers — if solely as a result of they dominate the marketplace for cruises amongst North People and, certainly, the world. As you possibly can learn in our final information to Royal Caribbean, this single model alone accounts for almost 20% of all cruises taken worldwide. Add within the subsequent three greatest gamers — Carnival, MSC Cruises and Norwegian — and also you’re as much as over 50% of the cruise enterprise.

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The cruise business likes to label these seven traces as both “up to date” (the primary 4 on the listing) or “premium” (the subsequent three on the listing). The thought is that the latter three manufacturers provide a “premium” product to the primary 4. Such nomenclature is a throwback to the early days of cruising that I imagine does not have a lot relevance anymore.

All of those manufacturers have modified over time, and the outdated distinctions now not apply. As an illustration, you may get a “premium” expertise in The Haven, an unique space on Norwegian ships, that can prime something you may expertise on many so-called premium ships. The expertise on a Royal Caribbean ship could be simply as elegant — or extra so — because the expertise on a Princess ship.

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What all these manufacturers have in widespread is that they function comparatively massive, mass-market vessels with beginning costs which are comparatively inexpensive. Simply remember that the time period “massive” is relative. There’s a vast variation amongst these manufacturers within the dimension of their ships. The largest Holland America ships, for example, are lower than half the scale of the largest Royal Caribbean ships and maintain far fewer passengers.

Certainly, whereas Holland America vessels are “massive” in contrast with most of the luxurious, expedition and river ships that I’ll speak about later on this story, the model usually is labeled a “midsize” ship operator within the business to distinguish it from the traces working the largest ships.

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You may additionally discover that the scale of the ships inside the fleets of every of those manufacturers can differ considerably. As an illustration, Royal Caribbean’s greatest ships are 3 times the scale of its smallest ships.

The important thing factor to know concerning the seven “biggies,” as I name them, is that the kind of expertise they provide varies enormously. Should you’re reserving a cruise for the primary time, know that the seven traces are usually not essentially interchangeable — even in circumstances the place they provide related pricing on related itineraries. Chances are you’ll love certainly one of these manufacturers however not like one other, relying in your tastes and preferences.

I break them down into three broad classes, every interesting to a special kind of vacationer.

The floating megaresort traces

Are you a fan of massive, bustling megaresorts with each amusement recognized to people? You may in all probability need to gravitate towards Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC Cruises. These three manufacturers are what I name the “floating megaresort traces” — traces that supply unusually large ships which are the seagoing equal of land-based megaresorts similar to Atlantis Paradise Island within the Bahamas.

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We’re speaking ships with a seemingly limitless array of deck-top enjoyable zones, from water parks and browsing swimming pools to go-kart tracks and laser tag programs, in addition to oodles of eating places, bars, leisure venues, spas, casinos and extra. These ships can maintain as many as 5,000 and even 6,000 individuals, not together with the crew.

Certainly one of these large vessels, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, has room for a whopping 7,600 passengers with each berth stuffed, and it usually sails with nearly each berth stuffed.

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These are manufacturers designed to enchantment to a large demographic, together with households with kids of all ages. They provide cabins for $100 per night time, cabins for $1,000 an evening and all the things in between. One of the simplest ways to explain them is that they’re like the large Las Vegas resorts, besides they float.

As famous above, the scale of every ship these manufacturers function varies. Generally, the newer vessels of their fleets are the largest, most megaresortlike vessels.

The anti-floating megaresort traces

If a ship topped with the cruising equal of an amusement park does not sound like your concept of enjoyable, your greatest bets among the many biggies are Princess, Holland America and Superstar. These are what I name the “anti-floating megaresort traces.”

Every of those manufacturers operates medium-size to large ships which are not loaded up with water parks, mountaineering partitions, browsing simulators and all the opposite issues which are hallmarks of the floating megaresort traces. These are extra conventional cruise ships for individuals who do not need a floating theme park or Las Vegas resort expertise.

As a substitute of bustling points of interest, the highest decks of the ships these traces function provide plenty of quiet and stress-free pool and lounge areas the place you possibly can benefit from the expertise of being at sea with out numerous hustle and bustle. Inside, the expertise usually revolves round eating, basic leisure and a cultured bar and music scene.

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In contrast with the floating megaresort traces, these manufacturers draw extra {couples} and fewer households. They skew older. At Princess, for example, the typical age of passengers is 57, and also you see numerous {couples} of their 50s, 60s and 70s on board.

At Holland America, the typical age of passengers is nearer to 70.

The price range choice

After which there’s Carnival. The “enjoyable ship” line can also be the price range line among the many biggies — a model all about nice worth.

Should you worth the price of a cruise for a household of 4, you may usually discover {that a} crusing on a Carnival ship prices as little as half the quantity of a cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship, assuming related cabins and itineraries. The differential is even higher if you evaluate the price of a household trip on a Carnival ship with the price of a visit on a Disney Cruise Line ship, assuming related cabins and itineraries.

Along with being extremely cheap, Carnival ships are informal, unpretentious, fun-focused and, sure, a bit loud and wild. That is, in spite of everything, the model that lengthy held a furry chest contest across the pool deck on each voyage to a standing-room-only, hooting and hollering crowd.

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Just like the “floating megaresort traces” above, Carnival can also be recognized for amusements atop its ships, together with water park areas, pedal-powered “sky rides” and — on its new ships Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee — the first curler coasters at sea.

However, normally, Carnival does not function vessels fairly as large and venue-packed as the large ships of Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC Cruises. Lately, till the arrival of Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, it did not have a single vessel among the many prime 30 greatest cruise ships on the earth.

Carnival additionally does not goal as vast a demographic because the floating megaresort traces — a minimum of, relating to revenue ranges. Its ships lack the vary of higher-priced suites geared toward upscale vacationers that you’re going to discover on, say, a Royal Caribbean vessel. Among the many biggies, it is actually in a category of its personal.

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Different biggies

There are just a few extra comparatively massive, mass-market traces on the earth that I did not embrace within the listing of biggies, as they primarily cater to non-American vacationers.

These traces embrace Germany’s Aida Cruises and TUI Cruises, each geared toward German-speaking vacationers with onboard applications performed in German. Aida, particularly, is a considerably massive line — bigger than Superstar or Holland America when measured by passenger capability. However until you reside in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, you’ve got in all probability by no means heard of it and could be unlikely to ever sail on it.

There’s additionally Italy-based Costa Cruises, which pulls about 80% of its clients from Europe however does market to People, and United Kingdom-based P&O Cruises. The latter attracts about 98% of its clients from the U.Ok.

When speaking about berths on this story, I’m referring to the variety of beds on a ship based mostly on double occupancy per cabin — or what was referred to as “decrease berths” within the business. The totals don’t embrace additional sleeping spots created with pull-down bunks and pullout sofas that may inflate the “complete berths” quantity some cruise traces listing for his or her ships.

Luxurious cruise traces

In case your concept of a trip is being pampered at each flip, and you’ve got plenty of cash to burn, you may need to begin your seek for a cruise line among the many luxurious cruise operators.

Greater than half a dozen main luxurious gamers market to North People, together with:

In contrast with mass-market cruise ships, luxurious cruise ships sometimes provide larger cabins (usually each cabin is a set), extra elegant eating and excessive ranges of service. It is not unusual for luxurious ships to have almost as many crew members as passengers.

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Luxurious ships additionally sometimes provide extra onboard area per passenger than mass-market ships. The “area ratio” of inside area to passengers could be twice as excessive. This implies you may have numerous room to unfold out and by no means expertise crowds. On the similar time, luxurious ships usually are smaller than mass-market ships — usually by quite a bit. That brings a way more intimate expertise.

Throughout the luxurious area, you may discover important variations within the dimension and elegance of the ships. 5 of Regent’s six ships, for example, are comparatively massive and famously elegant (suppose: hovering areas, plenty of marble and crystal chandeliers). They carry 700 to 750 passengers. (The road additionally has one considerably smaller vessel that carries 490 passengers.)

5 of Seabourn’s seven vessels, with room for 450 to 600 passengers, are noticeably smaller than Regent’s bigger vessels. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Assortment — a brand new line that debuted in 2022 — launched with a vessel that carried simply 298 passengers.

With every step down in dimension, you possibly can anticipate fewer onboard venues, similar to eating places and lounges. However you additionally might discover the expertise extra intimate. Smaller ships can typically entry off-the-beaten-path ports that larger ships cannot.

What all the luxurious traces have in widespread is that they’re expensive. You’ll be able to simply pay a number of instances as a lot for a luxurious cruise as a mass-market cruise. Certainly, it isn’t unusual to see cabins on luxurious cruises listed for $1,000 or extra per particular person, per day.

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Nevertheless, evaluating such excessive pricing to the pricing of mass-market cruises could be deceptive. That is as a result of luxurious traces sometimes embrace nearly each additional cost you might think about — drinks of all kinds, gratuities, Wi-Fi and even flights to the ship — of their base fares.

Word that one of many luxurious traces talked about above, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, is a German line that operates a lot of its cruises in German solely. However in recent times, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has often marketed to English audio system with particular sailings operated on a bilingual foundation. Whereas comparatively unknown in North America, it operates a number of of probably the most elegant, spacious and service-focused cruise vessels wherever on the earth.

Additionally of be aware: A number of new small luxurious cruise traces are on the way in which. Luxurious lodge firm 4 Seasons is constructing a fleet of small luxurious cruise vessels that can start debuting in 2026. Luxurious purveyor Aman Resorts additionally plans to enter the cruise enterprise within the coming years, as does the Orient Specific model.

Upscale-but-not-quite-luxury traces

A number of further cruise traces provide an upscale, elegant expertise that is not fairly as white-glove as what you may discover on the luxurious traces above however continues to be great. These embrace:

For probably the most half, these traces function ships almost as small and intimate as the luxurious traces’ ships. Oceania vessels carry round 700 to 1,250 passengers, for example, whereas Viking ships carry 930 passengers. (We’re speaking concerning the line’s ocean ships; Viking additionally operates river ships, which we’ll focus on beneath.) Windstar vessels are even smaller, with room for 148 to 342 passengers. SeaDream’s two yachtlike vessels maintain simply 112 passengers apiece.

Like luxurious traces, these traces have a excessive staff-to-passenger ratio — although usually not fairly as excessive as the luxurious traces. In addition they usually provide more room per passenger than mass-market traces and larger cabins — however, once more, not fairly as large as what the luxurious traces provide.

They’re additionally usually inexpensive than the luxurious traces, however they do not at all times embrace as a lot of their base fares. You may seemingly pay additional for gratuities and a few drinks on ships on this cohort, for example.

In contrast with the mass-market biggies, the entry-level pricing of this group nonetheless is considerably dearer. Typically, an entry-level cabin on a ship operated by these traces is on par with a set on one of many mass-market traces.

Word that quantifying which traces are “luxurious” and that are “upscale however not fairly luxurious” is a tricky enterprise. Quick-growing Viking, notably, is cautious to not name itself a luxurious line. Nevertheless, it affords an expertise on its ocean ships that some would name luxurious, with spectacular onboard service, high-end eateries and lots of inclusions in its base fares, similar to a shore tour in each port. To me, it straddles the road between the 2 classes.

Viking additionally has an ocean ship fleet that’s all new. Each certainly one of its ocean ships was constructed within the final 9 years. That is comparatively uncommon amongst this group of traces.

Three of the traces listed on this phase — Azamara, Windstar and SeaDream — have fleets totally made up of vessels which are a minimum of a few many years outdated. Typically, they’re ships that had been initially constructed as luxurious vessels and had been state-of-the-art of their time however now not have as vast an array of facilities as newer luxurious ships.

Notably, many cabins on Windstar and SeaDream vessels lack balconies — a characteristic that was uncommon on cruise ships just a few many years in the past however now could be normal. All 4 Azamara ships and the 4 oldest Oceania ships have comparatively small cabins in contrast with cabins on right now’s luxurious ships.

Upscale line trivia: The 4 Azamara ships and the 4 oldest Oceania ships are sister vessels. All of them as soon as belonged to long-defunct Renaissance Cruises. You may typically hear cruising aficionados seek advice from them by their Renaissance-related class title, the R Class.

Expedition traces

One of many fastest-growing segments of cruising in recent times has been “expedition cruising,” a sort of cruising that includes touring to distant, hard-to-reach locations similar to Antarctica on small, hardy vessels that carry their very own touchdown craft to get you ashore.

The sort of cruising is so totally different from what the large mass-market traces provide that it’d as effectively be thought of a completely totally different type of journey.

Expedition cruising is all about getting you to off-the-beaten-path locations that always have little or no land-based infrastructure. You’re touring to those locations by seagoing vessel as a result of that is the one technique to attain them.

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On an expedition cruise, the main target is usually on distant wilderness areas and the wildlife that inhabits them. Expedition leaders with deep data of the vacation spot will accompany you in your journey. Scientific specialists similar to biologists, geologists, ornithologists and a historian can also be on board to steer landings and provides informative talks.

Massive expedition cruise locations embrace Antarctica and distant elements of the Arctic, such because the icy islands of Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Canada’s Northwest Passage. The wildlife-filled Galapagos, the place many islands are uninhabited, is one other basic expedition cruise market (with a vessel ecosystem all its personal, due to uncommon native rules).

You may additionally discover expedition cruise vessels working in distant elements of South America, Asia and the South Pacific, in addition to some extra mainstream locations like Alaska.

The distant and rugged Kimberley area of Australia is also booming as an expedition cruise vacation spot.

Notable gamers within the expedition cruising area embrace:

• Aurora Expeditions
• Atlas Ocean Voyages
• Lindblad Expeditions
• Hurtigruten
• Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
• Ponant
• Quark Expeditions
• Scenic Luxurious Cruises
• Seabourn
• Silversea Cruises
• Oceanwide Expeditions
• Poseidon Expeditions
• Viking

Eagle-eyed readers will discover that 4 traces listed above — Silversea Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Seabourn and Viking — additionally appeared on this story’s itemizing of luxurious or almost-luxury traces. The 4 manufacturers are main gamers in each the normal luxurious ship market and the expedition cruise ship market.

There’s a rising pattern of conventional cruise traces entering into the expedition cruise area. Two of the manufacturers talked about above — Seabourn and Viking — solely added their first expedition ships in 2022.

Moreover, luxurious river cruise specialist Scenic Luxurious Cruises & Excursions just lately unveiled its first two expedition ships. The previous three years have additionally introduced an all-new luxurious expedition cruise firm, Atlas Ocean Voyages.

I additionally embrace UnCruise Adventures on this class of traces. It is a hard-to-categorize little line specializing in adventurous, outdoorsy, ship-based journeys in distant elements of Alaska. It operates the tiniest of vessels, with the largest amongst them holding simply 86 passengers. Its journeys revolve round climbing, kayaking, whale watching, birding and exploring by skiff.

Traditionally, expedition ships have carried below 200 passengers — a manageable quantity for an exploration-focused vessel working in a distant location similar to Antarctica — however a rising variety of expedition ships carry extra. Viking designed its new expedition ships to hold 378 passengers. Some new Hurtigruten expedition vessels are designed for round 500 individuals.

Word that expedition cruises are costly, with pricing on par with conventional luxurious cruises. Expedition ships are costly to construct on a per-berth foundation and require a comparatively excessive ratio of employees to passengers to function in contrast with mass-market cruise ships.

River cruise traces

All of the traces I’ve mentioned thus far have one factor in widespread: They function oceangoing ships. One other total phase of cruising revolves round journey on rivers.

Like expedition cruising, this has been a fast-growing phase of the cruise world in recent times, with capability among the many main river cruise traces rising at a fast tempo.

A lot of the expansion in river cruising has been pushed by the advertising efforts and aggressive shipbuilding program of a single line, Viking. Based in 1997 with 4 river vessels, Viking has exploded right into a cruising colossus over the previous 15 years with the rollout of greater than 60 new river ships. (Beginning in 2015, it additionally started including ocean ships, which we focus on within the “upscale” phase above.)

Viking now accounts for about half of all river cruises taken by North People, but it surely’s not the one important river cruise participant. Different main manufacturers that market river cruises to North People embrace:

• AmaWaterways
• Avalon Waterways
• Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
• Tauck
• Emerald Waterways
• Scenic Luxurious Cruises & Excursions
• American Cruise Traces
• American Queen Voyages
• Grand Circle Cruise Line

As you possibly can see, there isn’t any scarcity of corporations within the river cruise enterprise. The listing above does not even embrace river traces that primarily cater to Europeans, of which there are various, together with France-based CroisiEurope and Germany’s Nicko Cruises.

On many rivers, the vessels these traces function are all roughly the identical dimension attributable to particular dimension limitations attributable to lock sizes and bridge heights. Consequently, there may be much less variation amongst river ships than there may be amongst ocean ships. That mentioned, the manufacturers above provide a spread of experiences and worth factors.

Whereas the outsides of river ships usually look related, their interiors can differ enormously, with some being extra luxurious and pampering than others.

One technique to choose the relative luxurious degree of river traces working in Europe, particularly, is to take a look at what number of passengers every places in certainly one of its 135-meter vessels. That is the most typical normal river ship dimension on European waterways because of the lock sizes in Europe.

River cruise large Viking, for example, designs its 135-meter vessels to hold 190 passengers. Avalon Waterways and AmaWaterways put 166 and 156 passengers, respectively, on the same-length ships. At Tauck, the quantity is 130 passengers.

As a rule of thumb, the ships with fewer passengers provide a extra premium expertise — and are priced accordingly. You may pay much more to sail with Tauck than Viking.

Area of interest traces

Lastly, there are many little (and in some circumstances tiny) cruise traces that I name “area of interest” traces. These traces provide a specialised product, usually with only a handful of ships.

In some circumstances, these traces solely function in a sure a part of the world, similar to Alaska or the South Pacific. In different circumstances, they solely cater to a slim vary of individuals, similar to crusing aficionados.

Chances are you’ll find yourself loving these traces, however you in all probability will not sail with them on a regular basis — if solely as a result of they do not provide all of the forms of cruises you’ll want to expertise.

Amongst these traces, I embrace the next (with its specialty in parentheses):

Even the largest of those traces — Disney — is simply one-tenth the scale of business chief Royal Caribbean when measured by passenger capability. A few of these manufacturers, similar to Paul Gauguin Cruises and Alaskan Dream Cruises, are barely 1% the scale of the largest manufacturers.

Paul Gauguin solely has a single, 332-passenger ship, Paul Gauguin. It operates a really specialised set of French Polynesian itineraries out of Tahiti to locations similar to Bora Bora and Moorea that draw numerous honeymooners and {couples} celebrating anniversaries.

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Just a few of those traces, similar to American Cruise Traces and Grand Circle, you should have observed, had been already included within the listings above for river traces. They slot in each classes, as they function river ships but additionally some very small oceangoing vessels that supply area of interest itineraries.

All of those traces are area of interest gamers within the business. However, in lots of circumstances, they’re well-known within the journey world for what they do. Disney might have simply 5 cruise ships — in contrast with 28 for Royal Caribbean — but when somebody says the phrases “household cruise,” Disney will seemingly be the primary line to return to thoughts.

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Star Clippers and Sea Cloud Cruises, which each function crusing ships, are standard with individuals who need to expertise what it was like touring within the days earlier than steam energy. American Cruise Traces has developed a major area of interest providing small-ship journeys alongside U.S. coastal waterways and rivers, together with voyages alongside the coast of Maine, up the Hudson River and within the Chesapeake Bay.

Courting to the 1800s, U.Ok.-based Cunard is especially recognized for its transatlantic sailings between New York and Southampton, England. Operated by the long-lasting Queen Mary 2, the sailings are a throwback to the times of grand ocean liner journey. Cunard additionally is thought for its annual around-the-world sailings that embrace stops in dozens of nations.

Backside line

The cruise business contains many traces providing a variety of experiences. No two are precisely alike. If you wish to discover the proper cruise line and ship for you, do your homework upfront. Suppose arduous about the kind of trip expertise you need, and skim up on the traces and ships that appear the closest match to your journey type.

Right here at TPG, we provide a rising array of guides to particular person cruise traces, in addition to ship-specific critiques.

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