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4 Cruise Lines Running Rings Around Their Competitors!
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Jan 28, 2025
I look at the best cruise lines in each of the 4 main cruising categories and why they are the best choice right now, and why smart cruisers are choosing them over the other options. ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 90 cruises I have done to date. Links mentioned in the video: BUY MY CRUISE-THEMED T-SHIRTs ————————————————- * Check out my T-Shirt range: http://bit.ly/TFTStore SUPPORT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS ————————————————————— * Become a Channel Member and get perks: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/Join * Become a Patron on Patreon and get perks: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers * Make a donation: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=V9STJGYSEMGLJ * Buy my book “Cruise Traveler’s Handbook: USA Amazon https://amzn.to/2YVFmG4 and https://amzn.to/3tzIxBn UK Amazon https://amzn.to/3oXbzYc and https://amzn.to/3qawqIQ FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA
View Video Transcript
0:00
not all cruise lines are worth cruising
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on right now while others are really
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on the top of their very best game get
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ready to discover which lines i think
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are today's smart cruising choice
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category
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by category if you're new here welcome
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aboard i'm gary bembridge it's my goal
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to make it fun and easy to discover plan
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and enjoy unforgettable cruise vacations
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and these are the lines to do it on
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there are four distinct categories in
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ocean cruising let's start with the
0:32
category that more passengers cruise on
0:35
than any other
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the mass appeal resort value for money
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cruising segment
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it's got a lot going on and one line in
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my view stands out more than the others
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in this category are the lines with
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large
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mega ships carrying three thousand four
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thousand or many more passengers
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i can usually find a balcony cabin on
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these cruise lines for between 100
1:00
and 200 per person per night
1:02
particularly in regions like the
1:04
caribbean
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now these lines aim to create a bustling
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resort experience that appeals to a very
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wide range of passengers because they
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must fill these huge ships week after
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week they have loads of facilities
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attractions like water parks rock
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climbing wars
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and rides daily programming activities
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for kids teens and adults of all ages
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the activities are high energy and very
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active there are loads of different
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things to do day
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and night there's also a wide range of
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cabins on all of these lines catering
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for all budgets from inside to some of
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the biggest and most expensive suites at
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sea
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some of them have created ships within
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the ship to create closed-off
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neighborhoods for certain types of
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cruises like the yacht club on msc
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cruises with card controlled access for
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premium guests only which contains all
2:00
the suites dedicated restaurant bar and
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even a pool deck the haven on norwegian
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cruise line is basically the same
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they though also have an access
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controlled solar travelers studio area
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with a dedicated lounge and solo cabins
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when it comes to fares as i mentioned
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i'm usually able to get a balcony cabin
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depending on the time of the year and
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the region between 100 and 200 per
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person per night
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but once on board there are lots of
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extras gratuities drinks wi-fi
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especially dining and even for some of
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the activities and events i can easily
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spend another
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100 200 a day on board when it comes to
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places that these lines go to it's
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limited because these ships are big and
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need ports that can receive these big
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huge beasts and they have to have enough
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excursions and the infrastructure to
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cope with and keep the wide range of
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travelers on them entertained so they
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tend to focus on the three main cruising
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regions the mediterranean
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caribbean and to a lesser degree alaska
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so what lines are in this group that you
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should consider well the four biggest
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lines in terms of passengers carried are
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in this group carnival cruise line royal
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caribbean norwegian cruise line and msc
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cruises in my view piano cruises still
3:23
in the uk are shifting into the big mega
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ship wide appeal cruising and are more
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in this category than ever before so
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what is the must do line here i believe
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based on my experience that it is
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norwegian cruise line they not only
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cater for a wide range of travelers
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across the ship but they have those
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areas within the ship like the haven for
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people who want to have that premium
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experience very exclusive and the solo
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studios i mentioned for travellers
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but they have lots of options and they
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cater for individual groups of travelers
3:57
really well so while they have
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attractions like go-karts and laser tag
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on their bigger ships their big strength
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in my view comes in entertainment
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and choice on board they have full-on
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broadway
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west end and vegas shows like six rock
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of ages priscilla queen of the desert
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choir of man burn the floor and these
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are not simply cruise line
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review type shows and they're all
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included in the fair they also created
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and lead on the freestyle cruising
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concept which means there's lots of
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choice there's usually over 20 bars 20
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restaurants the ships themselves are
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stylish they're modern they feel premium
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they're not brash and glitzy the other
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very close choice is royal caribbean
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they are the master of the mega ship
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their ships are enormous like their new
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ship the wonder of the seas the biggest
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cruise ship in the world that can carry
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5900
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double occupancy but up to 6900 when
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kids are sharing cabins with parents so
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if you're more interested in attractions
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then they are probably the smarter
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choice the ships are enormous which
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means they have the space for bigger
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water parks ice rinks water shows flow
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riders indoor skydiving and so on but
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what if you want something less high
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energy
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more traditional and calling on a wider
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range of destinations but without too
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much more cost then premium
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classic cruise experience category is
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for you and here there is also a
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standout line on this category of lines
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i usually pay roughly double for a
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balcony cabin than in the previous
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category so that's between two hundred
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dollars and four hundred dollars per
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person per night
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the ships here are smaller ranging from
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about two thousand up to over three 000
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passengers they have a more traditional
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classic cruise experience and a daily
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program of activities that reflect that
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they do not have those resort
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attractions and facilities on board
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they're very focused on dining
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bars enrichment talks and events and
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activities like trivia quizzes deck
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games and much smaller scale song and
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dance review production shows it's more
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sedate than the previous category for
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sure
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when it comes to accommodation they also
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have inside cabins through to suites
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because they're trying to attract a wide
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range of travelers who are looking
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though for a more classic and less
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resort style cruise
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also like the previous category there's
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usually a lot of the same extras to the
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fair once you're on board however there
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is a trend in this category to shift to
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more all-inclusive fares
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celebrity have always included fares
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with gratuities wi-fi and drinks and
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others like princess and holland america
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they now give me the option of bolting
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on an all-inclusive option these lines
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also call on more diverse places than
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the previous category many run world
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voyages or have exotic voyages down to
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south america around africa or parts of
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asia they cover all the main territories
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though alaska mediterranean the
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caribbean but they do go further afield
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celebrity cruises
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princess cruises holland america cunard
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and even disney fall into this category
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in my view and also the new entrant
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virgin voyages with their modern take on
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this classic premium experience are also
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in here
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for me the master line
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is holland america
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it offers a classic experience it's
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probably the most sedate in all respects
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but it has a phenomenal music walk
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covering four different music venues
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plus the main theater they have a
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rolling stone rock room lincoln center
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stage billboard on board bb kings blues
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club they have a great interpretation of
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a classic experience on board and they
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have really really good food
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however the must do if you want a more
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upbeat and dynamic version to all
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america is celebrity they have really
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interesting new ships with their edge
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class ships they have the same classic
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cruising program as holland america but
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they have a slightly more modern spin
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and take on it of course virgin voyages
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is an even more modern interpretation
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but it's still finding its feet it's
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moving along that way so the smart
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choice right now is holland america and
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if that's too sedate for you celebrity i
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feel
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many people will argue cunard queen mary
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2 transatlantic is a must do which it is
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but that is an itinerary rather than a
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whole line choice i feel the others can
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take you more places
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more often
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right now
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but what if you find this category of
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ship still too big and you actually have
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a little bit more money to spend but you
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still want to find something classic
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this next category is probably my
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favorite the luxury small ship
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experience this is a step above the
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premium ships and they cost between four
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hundred dollars and five hundred dollars
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per person per day for a balcony cabin
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these are small ships they range from
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200 passengers up to about 1 200
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passengers
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they're a bit like staying in a boutique
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hotel while you could say the premium
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category i mentioned earlier are more
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like you know big smart hotels in a
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chain
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these are smaller more intimate
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experiences but still a traditional
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cruise experience but on a smaller and
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dialed down scale with much more
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emphasis on enrichment poor talks
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cooking classes artwork classes that
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kind of stuff the cabin options are much
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less consistent here some of the lines
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have inside cabins some have very few
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balcony cabins and mostly ocean view and
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then some like viking only have
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balconies and sweets as i mentioned the
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fares are higher than the premium lines
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but more is included though within that
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like especially dining some drinks and
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one viking even includes an excursion in
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every port so on a day-to-day basis i
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sometimes find it's actually not that
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much more expensive than the premium
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lines like holland america and celebrity
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in the end
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when it comes to itineraries they have
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more diverse itineraries and they cover
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large parts of the globe many have world
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voyages as well
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they tend not to repeat itineraries even
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if they're in the caribbean or the
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mediterranean they keep doing different
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islands or different ports on each
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itinerary they're able to call on
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smaller more out of the way ports which
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makes them different as well the lines
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to be considered here include viking
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oceanic cruises windstar azamara and
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saga in the uk for me the must-do is
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oceania the reason i chose oceania is
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they offer two distinct options i can
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have the even smaller experience with
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their r-class ships which take about 695
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passengers and then they have the bigger
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ships like marina riviera and their new
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vista which take 1 200 which is a great
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transition from the larger premium line
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ships as it has a similar choice of
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number of venues often but much less
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lions and crowds their really big focus
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is on dining they claim to have the
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finest cuisine at sea and they do have
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incredible food and amazing special
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restaurants very good levels of service
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viking is the other very very strong
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contender they have beautiful new ships
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all of the ships are exactly the same
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and they're incredibly consistent so no
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matter which ship you go on anywhere in
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the world it's basically going to look
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the same
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feel the same and they also have great
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dining as i mentioned lots of inclusions
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and i would say both oceania and viking
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have probably two of the very best
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afternoon teas at sea the other plus
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with viking is it's an adult ownership
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you must be over 18.
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there is another very exclusive category
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that is costly making it even more
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critical to make a really smart choice
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in this
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is the ultra luxury category and here
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you pay significantly more at least 700
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to 800
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plus per person per night for the entry
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level balcony suite that's seven to
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eight times more than on the resort mass
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category ships like royal caribbean
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carnival and norwegian the ships carry
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around 500 to 600 passengers and all
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cabins are considered suites so that's
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also why you find the big leap up in
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price in this category many have butlers
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it's an incredibly personalized service
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and very plush decor the attention to
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detail and the quality of everything is
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really really high now due to the size
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of the ships while the entry-level
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balcony is considered sweet it's more
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like a large balcony cabin in size on
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many of the other categories and i can
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actually book one of the much bigger
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suites on both the mass and the premium
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ships for the same price as this entry
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level balcony the itineraries tend to
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lean towards the exotic or they go to
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interesting out of the way places in all
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those regions many also have
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really expensive world voyages they
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cover most areas of the world even
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skirting in some cases places like
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antarctica the lines to consider here
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are seabourn
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silversea region seven seas crystal used
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to be in this category before their
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troubles also in fact lines like capac
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lloyd from germany and new entrants like
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the ritz-carlton yacht club most people
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choose regent seven seas cruisers
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because they usually have the best
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most personalized more formal and
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detailed on-board experience and
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importantly they have many more
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inclusions not only dining drinks but
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multiple excursions are included within
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the fair in every port pre-cruise hotel
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stays and transfers are normally
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included for me though the muster is
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seabourn i find seaborne ships beautiful
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they have great service
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and great food and just great crew i
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really like the more informal and
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personal approach of the more formal
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style on these ultra luxury lines it's
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hard to really put your finger on these
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different experiences once in the ultra
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luxury category and it ends up being
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about the atmosphere and the style of
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service
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four categories and over 30 cruise lines
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to consider those are the ones right now
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that i think make a smart choice are
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there any lines that i would avoid
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yes
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but that's a topic for another day and
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another video if you want to find out a
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little bit more about the lines that i
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have recommended as must
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try look at this playlist where i have
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in-depth videos about each of those
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lines starting with the one line that
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if i could only ever go on one line
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again
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the one it would be
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see you over there
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