Advice On Next Cruise Line to Try
So I've recently gotten to a point where I have the income and vacation time to cruise like I've always wanted and I want to try the different lines and see what each is like.
I'm mainly looking for suggestions from experienced cruisers on which line to try next, but I know different ships even within the same line can completely change the experience, so if you have specific ship recommendation, please feel free.
I'd like to stick with Port Canaveral or Jacksonville, Florida, for now, since I can drive to them, but they run most of the major lines: Carnival, NCL, Disney, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Celebrity, and Princess. I'll likely branch out later, but airfare nowadays is basically the cost of another cruise, so I'd rather save my money for now.
I've gone on Norwegian (Gem) and Carnival (Elation) so far, both older, smaller ships.
Comparing those two, I definitely liked NCL's vibe better. I liked the unscheduled dining, the chill, slowed-down mood, and the semi-quiet lounges with great views where I could just sit with a drink, watch the water going by, and chat with people. Carnival was fun, but a bit too loud for my taste, and the Elation didn't have many places to sit and watch the horizon without going outside on a (loud) deck, so I spent more time than I really wanted in my room watching out the window. A few other pet peeves with Carnival, but those might have just been the specific cruise.
I'm a cheap cruiser, interior to oceanview is fine with me. No kids, I'm late 30s and I go with my mother who is late 60s. Not concerned about specialty dining, I'm happy with MDR and buffet. Itinerary doesn't really matter either, I'm more interested in the onboard experience.