There are eight major cruise lines that operate out of the United States, and many of them also operate in other regions of the world. Although I don\u2019t like to pigeonhole cruise lines (frankly, you\u2019ll find all ages and types of people on every line), I\u2019m going to do so here just to give a place to start:<\/p>\n
Carnival Cruise Lines<\/strong>: Their slogan is \u201cThe Fun Ships,\u201d and they have a reputation to match. You\u2019ll find a lot of activities, entertainment and booze. But it\u2019s not all about parties \u2013 they\u2019ve caught up to their competitors in offering tasty cuisine, children\u2019s programs and higher-end amenities. Carnival is the largest cruise line in the world, and every region seems to be served by at least one of their ships. Their fares are often among the best you\u2019ll find. A good line for first-time cruisers, family reunions and group travel for friends.<\/p>\n Celebrity Cruises<\/strong>: A subsidiary of Royal Caribbean\u2019s company, Celebrity brings a refined style of cruising to traditional-sized ships and itineraries with mainstream prices. Upgraded categories \u2013 Concierge Class and AquaClass \u2013 offer nice upgrades without the expense of a suite; although their suite class (The Retreat) is possibly the best in the industry among mainstream lines. A good line for special occasion travel.<\/p>\n Disney Cruise Line<\/strong>: Combining the best of two worlds: the experience of cruising with the magic of Disney! But before you picture an oversized “It’s a Small World” boat ride, guess again — Disney Cruises earn outstanding passenger ratings! This is an ideal experience for families, with a ton of kids’ activities…plus some exclusive adults-only areas for relaxation!\u00a0 Pair a short Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral with a Disney World stay for the ultimate Disney experience.<\/p>\n Holland America Line<\/strong>: A subsidiary of Carnival, Holland America caters more to the well-seasoned traveler than the youth market, although family programming is available. Most of their ships are mid-sized, between 1,400 and 2,700 passengers. Quality-wise, they are on par with Celebrity and Princess, and they often offer unique itineraries. A good product for adult-family travel and affordable upscale amenities.<\/p>\n Norwegian Cruise Line<\/strong>: Their service mark is \u201cFreestyle Cruising\u201d and they offer a clear alternative to traditional cruising style. (In fact, many other lines adopted some of Norwegian\u2019s pioneering methods into options they now offer.) Dining is offered in numerous restaurants without set dining times. And there are no formal nights, but feel free to dress-to-impress on their “Night Out” evening. A good line for all types of travelers who like a little more freedom in the cruising experience.<\/p>\n Princess Cruises<\/strong>: Also owned by Carnival, but with a higher sense of quality and service.\u00a0 It’s more upscale than Carnival but is focused on families and adults that tend to be younger than Holland America’s target.\u00a0 A good line for an all-around cruise experience and affordable upscale amenities; possibly the best line for Alaska cruisetours too.<\/p>\n Royal Caribbean<\/strong>: RCCL has aggressively sought out market share through the addition of several mega-ships to its fleet. Within the last two decades they have introduced ten mega-ships with more than 5,000 passengers each! Although these numbers of passengers may seem overwhelming, RCCL manages its service with precision clockwork and attention. A good line for families, group travel and those who don\u2019t require upscale personalized service.<\/p>\n Virgin Voyages:<\/strong> Relatively new to the industry is a bold concept from Virgin Group and its founder Richard Branson, with a chic adults-only experience on their “Lady Ships.” Long-time cruisers on other lines may be surprised to experience the differences on Virgin but they have been overwhelmingly embraced.\u00a0 One ship operates 4- and 5-night sailings from Miami while other ships will do longer sailings. A great option for birthdays and friend-group travel.<\/p>\n Several smaller lines also service United States ports, most of which are subsidiaries of larger lines. For example, Azamara Club Cruises is a smaller-ship boutique experience, and Oceania Cruises is a high-end luxury product. Cunard Line operates several “Queens” (Mary 2, Victoria, Elizabeth, and Anne). And in a very different category, American Cruise Lines operates an American-flagged fleet of approximately 100-passenger boats that explore American waterways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are eight major cruise lines that operate out of the United States, and many of them also operate in other regions of the world. Although I don\u2019t like to pigeonhole cruise lines (frankly, you\u2019ll find all ages and types of people on every line), I\u2019m going to do so here just to give a … <\/span>Read more “Cruise Lines”<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisestarter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisestarter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisestarter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisestarter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisestarter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisestarter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisestarter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10\/revisions\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisestarter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}