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Imagine booking your dream cruise on one of the world’s biggest lines—only to realise within hours of boarding it’s not for you. In this video, I break down the FOUR most popular cruise lines based on passengers carried—Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Carnival—so you can choose wisely and avoid an expensive mistake.
I compare:
- What these “resort style” mega-ships all have in common
- What each does BEST and where each FALLS SHORT
- Fleet sizes, global itineraries and private islands
- Key fare differences and hidden costs
- Cabins: from budget inside rooms to luxury suites (including ship-within-ship concepts)
- Dining styles and quality
- Entertainment and onboard activities
- Who each line is REALLY best for—and who should steer clear
Whether you’re a first-time cruiser or a seasoned traveller, this guide will help you match the right line to your travel style and budget.
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0:00
Imagine booking your dream cruise on one
0:02
of the world's most popular cruise
0:04
lines, only to realize within hours of
0:05
boarding, it's not for you. So many
0:07
things are wrong. I don't want that to
0:09
happen to anyone. That's why I'm going
0:11
to compare these four. While they're the
0:13
biggest cruise lines in the world and
0:16
all seem so similar because they all
0:18
promise fun, they have loads of onboard
0:20
venues, they have great prices, but in
0:21
reality, they're very different as you
0:24
will discover. Welcome aboard. I'm Gary
0:26
Benbridge and I'm going to break down
0:27
exactly what each does best, what they
0:29
don't do so well, and who they're really
0:31
for so you can avoid an expensive
0:34
mistake. But before that, let me explain
0:36
what they all do have in common. The
0:39
world's four biggest lines based on
0:41
passengers carried are Royal Caribbean,
0:43
Norwegian Cruise Line, MSE Cruises, and
0:46
Carnival Cruise Line. Think of these
0:49
four as the resort lines of the cruise
0:51
world. Like land resorts, the ships are
0:54
a destination themselves. They're large.
0:57
They're carrying thousands of
0:58
passengers. They have dozens of venues.
1:00
Dining options range from casual burgers
1:03
to fancy special restaurants. There's
1:05
Broadway and West End level shows.
1:07
There's an endless range of activities
1:09
for a wide range of interests and a high
1:12
energy atmosphere.
1:14
They also have the lowest starting fairs
1:17
in the cruising world. Sometimes even
1:19
from as low as $55 per person per night
1:22
in the low season. But here's where all
1:25
the similarities end. Let me dive into
1:28
their differences. Starting with what
1:29
they are best known for. Royal Caribbean
1:32
is best known for having the biggest and
1:34
most innovative ships in cruising today.
1:37
Their mega ships are packed with surf
1:40
simulators, zip lines, ice rinks, and
1:42
have up to six different themed
1:44
neighborhoods. Their biggest negative,
1:47
though, is some find their ships a bit
1:49
overwhelming, noisy, and just too busy.
1:52
Norwegian is best known for pioneering
1:54
freestyle cruising with no fixed dining
1:56
times or dress codes, tons of dining
1:59
choices, strong entertainment, and the
2:01
pride of America, the only ship that's
2:03
allowed to sail Hawaii year round.
2:06
They're also seen as really good for
2:08
solos due to their solo studio cabins
2:11
area and for luxury seekers due to their
2:13
suites only the haven area. Their
2:16
biggest negative is many people feel
2:18
they're constantly nickel and dimed once
2:20
they're on board with extra charges for
2:23
many many things. MSE Cruisers is best
2:25
known for providing a more European
2:28
experience compared to the other three
2:29
more American one. their very
2:31
competitive pricing with kids traveling
2:33
for free and for the yacht club their
2:35
good value premium ship within a ship
2:37
area. Their biggest negatives are a
2:40
reputation for poor customer service,
2:43
inconsistent dining that doesn't always
2:45
cater that well for North American
2:47
tastes and all their announcements and
2:49
their programs are done in six different
2:52
languages. Carnival is best known for
2:54
having what they call the fun ships
2:56
which are affordable, lively, casual
2:58
with a focus on a party vibe and
3:01
crowdpleasing on deck activities. Their
3:04
biggest negative is a reputation for
3:05
rowdy and bad behavior on board
3:07
reinforced by constantly kind of new
3:09
rules and bans that they occasionally
3:11
introduce to tackle it. With what
3:13
they're best known for in mind, let's
3:15
now dive into more detail on these
3:18
cruise line differences. I'm going to
3:19
start with the fleet and itineraries,
3:20
but then move on to fairs, cabins,
3:22
dining, entertainment, and importantly,
3:24
who they're best for and why. Knowing
3:26
the fleet and itinerary differences is
3:28
really key because that may immediately
3:31
narrow down which of these four lines
3:33
are actually best suited to you based on
3:35
where you want to go and where they can
3:37
actually take you. Royal Caribbean has
3:39
the largest fleet with, at the time of
3:41
recording, 28 ships carrying from 2,000
3:43
to 7,600 passengers. They offer the
3:46
widest global footprint including the
3:48
Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Asia,
3:50
Australia, Canada, New England, and
3:52
South America. As well as offering
3:54
several private destinations, including
3:56
Perfect Day, Cocoa K, Labidi, and now in
3:59
Costaaya. Norwegian has the smallest
4:01
fleet of the four with 19 ships spread
4:03
across six different classes, but more
4:05
like the other lines are on order. They
4:07
do though offer the second widest range
4:09
of regions to cruise to including the
4:11
Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, Asia,
4:14
South America, and Africa. They also
4:17
have private islands including Harvest
4:18
Key and Great Strup Key. MSE Cruisers
4:22
has a large fleet of 24 ships and
4:24
growing fast with bigger ships like the
4:26
new MSE World America, MSE World Asia.
4:29
These ships cater for up to 6,700
4:31
passengers. They do sell several regions
4:33
but are very focused on the
4:34
Mediterranean and are building their
4:36
routes in the Caribbean, Northern
4:38
Europe, the Middle East, South America,
4:40
and Africa. They do have a private
4:41
island, Ocean Key. Carnival has the
4:43
second biggest fleet with 27 ships, and
4:45
their ships are getting bigger and
4:47
bigger with Carnival Jubilee, for
4:48
example, carrying over 6,600 passengers.
4:51
They are mostly focused on the United
4:53
States with many home ports and many
4:56
short Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mexican
4:58
itineraries. But they do sell in Alaska,
5:00
Australia, and they do have some
5:01
European roots, but they have the
5:03
smallest global footprint of all of
5:05
these four big lines. Let me talk a
5:08
little bit about pricing differences
5:09
next. All offer affordable fairs across
5:12
most grades, and inside cabins can
5:14
start, as I mentioned, from as low as
5:16
$55 per person per night out of season.
5:19
But here are some really notable
5:21
differences by cruise line. Royal
5:23
Caribbean fairs do tend to be higher
5:25
than Carnival and MSE cruises,
5:26
especially for their newer ships, where
5:28
demand is always really high. And I can
5:31
see that their starting prices are often
5:32
closer to $90 per person per night.
5:35
Their larger sweet fairs match those
5:37
actually of ultra luxury lines like
5:39
Seabor and Region 7s. They're very
5:41
pricey. Norwegian cruise line pricing is
5:43
much more similar to Royal Caribbean
5:45
with the Haven again often costing the
5:47
same as a suite on those ultra luxury
5:49
lines too. MS Cruises is usually on the
5:52
lower end of pricing in this category,
5:54
often the lowest in Europe and very
5:56
competitive in the Caribbean, helped of
5:58
course by their kids cruise free offer.
6:01
The yacht club is, as mentioned, the
6:03
most affordable ship within a ship
6:05
across all categories of cruising, often
6:08
costing just between $300 and $600 per
6:10
night. Carnival, broadly speaking, will
6:12
often have the lowest average fairs,
6:14
especially in the Caribbean, and MSE and
6:16
them tend to be much lower price
6:18
compared to the other two in this
6:20
category. What about cabins? Are there
6:22
any big differences? All four offer a
6:24
wide range from budget friendly inside
6:26
cabins right through to high-end suites,
6:29
but each line has their own signature
6:31
twists. Royal Caribbean, partly because
6:34
of the scale of their new ship classes,
6:36
has the widest range and types of
6:38
cabins. They have some of the largest
6:41
and most expensive suites on any line
6:43
like the multi-story ultimate family
6:46
suites. They have a whole of star-class
6:48
butler service suites, but then they
6:50
also have very innovative virtual
6:52
balcony inside cabins. And they have
6:54
cabins at every grade that can hold at
6:56
least six guests to cater for families
6:58
on all budgets. Norwegian also has a
7:01
wide range and family cabins, but their
7:03
solo studios with private lounge and the
7:05
Haven luxury enclave with pool, lounge,
7:07
and concier are seen as their most
7:09
standout features when it comes to
7:11
cabins. MSE cruisers with their big
7:12
focus on the family market has many
7:15
multiple occupancy cabins at all grades.
7:17
But again, their most notable feature is
7:19
the yacht club, that luxury ship within
7:21
a ship. And it has great prices with
7:24
butler, private restaurant, and pool.
7:26
Unlike all other line ship in the ships,
7:29
they're the only ones that have inside
7:31
cabins as well as suites within the yach
7:33
club. Carnival again with focus on
7:35
family has many options for multiple
7:37
occupancy. They generally have fewer
7:39
suite options than the other lines, but
7:41
it has a reputation as well for
7:42
generally slightly larger standard
7:44
cabins than average in the category.
7:46
Next, I'm going to explore if there are
7:48
big differences in dining that you need
7:50
to know about. While all four on the
7:52
surface appear to have broadly similar
7:54
approach to dining, there are some key
7:56
differences. All of course have main
7:58
dining rooms, a buffet, casual venues,
8:01
and special restaurants, but there are
8:02
nuances in style, choice, and quality.
8:06
Royal Caribbean, in my view, is the most
8:08
solid allrounder when it comes to
8:09
dining. Standouts include things like
8:11
the Windjama buffet, alcohumi,
8:16
Jamie's Italian, and the themed
8:17
wonderland. Norwegian offers the most
8:20
flexibility and is definitely more
8:22
casual overall. Standouts here include
8:25
oh shihans, the local and the new
8:27
indulge food hall which is great
8:29
flexible addition. Their specialy
8:31
restaurants like kagnes labistro tanyaki
8:33
and my favorite the food republic are
8:35
consistently good. MSE stands out from
8:38
the others with their European inpired
8:40
cuisine with good pasta and pizza from
8:42
their Italian roots.
8:44
But as mentioned, they get the harshest
8:47
reviews about the quality and
8:48
consistency of all the four, mostly from
8:51
North American travelers. Carnival
8:53
stands out most for their American
8:55
comfort food focus, with regular
8:58
Carnival Cruisers really loving venues
8:59
like Guys Burger Joint, Blue Iguana
9:02
Cantina.
9:04
Their main dining room and buffet
9:06
usually have less variety and than Royal
9:08
Caribbean and Norwegian, but it's solid,
9:11
probably reflecting their more
9:12
valuebased fairs. What about
9:14
entertainment and activities? Where do
9:16
these lines differ? There are bigger
9:18
differences in entertainment and
9:20
activities amongst these four than many
9:22
cruisers actually appreciate on the
9:24
surface. Royal Caribbean is the leader
9:26
of the pack for entertainment. In my
9:28
view, they have huge entertainment
9:32
teams, over 250 on my last Symphony of
9:34
the Seas trip, serving up full Broadway
9:37
productions, ice skating shows, aquathe
9:40
shows, and activities like those wave
9:42
riders, zip lines, climbing walls, and
9:44
even skydiving simulators. Norwegian has
9:47
historically been very strong in big
9:48
theater shows with some Broadway shows
9:50
like Beetlejuice that I saw on Viva,
9:52
though they have started to cut back
9:54
here with more in-house shows replacing
9:57
those. They have a big live music focus.
10:00
They like blitzy game shows and late
10:03
night comedy and music. MSE Cruisers is
10:05
probably the weakest of the four,
10:08
running shorter song and dance reviews
10:09
to get around that six language approach
10:12
they have, which does also limit the
10:14
ability to run some traditional cruise
10:16
favorites like trivia. They do focus a
10:18
lot on big themed nightly parties in the
10:21
main atrium along with other high energy
10:23
performances there earlier in the
10:25
evenings. Carnival has a more laid-back
10:27
approach to entertainment with more
10:29
focus on fun events to fit their
10:31
funships promise. So that lots of comedy
10:33
clubs, deck parties, karaoke,
10:36
pool games, and smaller scale theater
10:38
production shows than some of the
10:40
others, but still popular shows. So
10:42
bearing all this in mind, who are all of
10:44
these lines aimed at and who is each
10:47
best for and why? As you will see, they
10:50
are best for really quite different
10:52
people. In my view, Royal Caribbean is
10:54
for cruisers who want a floating theme
10:56
park with lots of big scale
10:58
entertainment and things to do, making
11:01
them best for families with kids of all
11:02
ages, multigenerational groups, and
11:05
active action-seeking couples and friend
11:08
groups. Norwegian Cruise Line is for
11:10
cruisers who love flexibility, casual
11:12
dress codes, and a busy music focused
11:15
night life, making the best for
11:17
independent-minded travelers, night
11:18
hours, and because of those dedicated
11:20
areas, they're good for solos and luxury
11:22
suite lovers who still want all the
11:24
choices and entertainment that a big
11:26
ship can offer them. On the other hand,
11:28
MSE Cruisers is for cruisers wanting a
11:30
more European experience, a more
11:32
cosmopolitan international crowd on
11:34
board and all doing it within a budget,
11:36
making them best for budget conscious
11:38
travelers, especially families and those
11:40
want more luxury, but it needs to be at
11:42
a more affordable price. Carnival is for
11:45
cruisers who want a lively, high energy,
11:48
fun, party atmosphere that's casual but
11:51
affordable and so making them best for
11:53
budget conscious and sociable couples,
11:55
friend groups and families, especially
11:57
Americans because that is the lion's key
12:00
focus. They're also great for those
12:02
looking for short, inexpensive breaks
12:03
because they have many of these as
12:05
options.
12:07
If you decided though that these resort
12:09
value lines aren't for you, why don't
12:10
you join me over in this video where I
12:12
dive into the premium cruise lines
12:14
including Colin America, Princess,
12:16
Celebrity, Kunard, and Virgin. See you
12:18
over there.