I want to take my wife on a cruise im in my early 30's and my wife is in her mid 20's and i do know ncl is out

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TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I have been on about 20 cruises on four different cruise lines and my recommendation based on my experience is Royal Caribbean. In addition to RC, I have been on Celebrity, Princess and NCL. You are right to scratch NCL.

The reasons that I recommend RC:

They cater to a mixed crowd and families so there are a lot of great activities on their ships. They have things like (depending upon the ship) ice skating, roller blading, mini-golf, a rock climbing wall, a basketball/tennis court, fantastic gymnasiums, multiple pools and hot tubs, solariums for adults only, on ships with the ice skating a fantastic ice show, and great discos. If you go on one of RC's new mega-ships, the Freedom or Liberty they have the RC exclusive flowrider where you can surf right on ship and these two ships have the greatest gyms that I have ever seen on any ship. They also have good evening shows. and great cabins with very comfortable pillowtop beds.

The people on RC ships tend to be mid 30's and up but there are younger people and people with families. You will be very comfortable with the other people on ship.

If you decide not to use RC then I suggest next Princess or Celebrity. Both have great ships and Celebrity has THE best service of all of the ships I have been on.

One other factor to consider is the newer and larger ships tend to have the better accommodations and activities. So when you go to the cruise line web sites and you find a cruise that you may want to do click on the link that shows the ship's features and its initial launch date. Try to select ships that have been launched since about the year 2000.

To get the best price book very early, like 9 to 12 months or more in advance. Also look for the cruise line specials. RC and Carnival I think do a good job of listing their specials, but RC is best, theirs usually popup as soon as you log on.

ctelly22

Don't do carnival its cheap and boring. Try royal caribbean. They have newer ships, lots of onboard activities, and great itineraries. Also check cruise critic for reviews of various ships.

Truck

We have been on a few cruises (not as many as Tinkertoy yet) but we have been on 3 cruise lines, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and NCL.

I am not sure why you have scratched NCL from your list when it seems like it might be the best one for your needs. Since NCL does Freestyle Cruising that gives you the opportunity to change your dining and more each day of the cruise, and with NCL rolling out Freestyle 2.0 that means even more options.

If you are deadset against NCL, then in your situation either Royal Caribbean or Carnival would be good as they both have varying degrees of activities that appeal to different age groups.

One option you may want to exercize is taking one of the short 1-4 night cruises that many of the cruise lines offer. Depending on where you live there could be a lot of options that would allow you to get a taste of cruising and give you a chance to test the waters.

If you live in the Northwest almost all of the cruise lines have 1 or 2 night cruises in May or September between Vancouver and Seattle that would let you try it out.

chitowncf

I think Carnival and Princess would appeal to you. They do not attract as many retirees, offer good ports, and have a variety of activities on their ships for active young and young thinking people.

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Janell B

What's wrong with Ncl. I have done 2 cruises on them and despite a few minor problems I had fun.

JNH

Try Celebrity Cruise Lines. Take her to Hawaii!

keri0426

I have been on 5-7 day cruises on Disney Cruise Line. That is the only one I will go on. We did not have any children at the time and we always have a wonderful time. They have an adults only pool area and spa. Not to mention their private island, Castaway Cay which also has adult only beach!!! We are getting ready to book for April and get our 1 year old to become a DCL addict as well!!!

jalady

Go to the first sitting for dinner. Younger set. The second sitting crowd dress more, if you like that.

Don't go on a cruise longer than a week. Retirees do the long cruises.

Go on Carnival only if you want nonstop action.

Check with a travel agent who has been on a few cruises, and tell them what you want and they can recommend the best cruise for you.

Julia S

I have been on Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Carnival has a lot of young people, and is more the "party cruise line". But, royal caribbean is good if you want to relax. It is very nice, and it doesnt have very many old people like some might say. (caribbean is very nice! but avoid jamaica and the bahamas. they tend to have people bugging you to buy things)

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