Picking the right cruise has always been challenging, and rising prices and cruises selling out have made it even harder.
Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises all serve the same audience in a broad sense.
All three welcome families and offer ships packed with bars, pools, restaurants and fun things to do. The vast majority of their offerings are for all ages, and in many ways the three cruise lines are similar.
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Figuring out which cruise line makes the most sense for you requires asking some key questions. These are basically the questions a travel agent (at least a good one) will ask in some form:
- When do you want to sail and how flexible are your dates?
- What is most important for you when it comes to your cruise?
- Size of the ship/onboard amenities?
- Ports of call
- Price
You may have other things that are very important, and if you do, it's a good idea to communicate those to your travel agent. It's also important to remember that ports of call, where the ship stops, can change at the last minute because of weather or other problems.
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When you cruise matters a lot
Cruises are generally priced based on demand. During any period when kids are not in school, demand increases. So broadly, summer and the Christmas and Thanksgiving holiday periods are the most expensive with the least choice.
In addition, March and April are Spring Break periods for kids of various ages as well as college-age young adults. There are factors beyond price when it comes to these times of year.
A cruise during a period when schools are closed on Carnival. Royal Caribbean or MSC Cruises means that more children, teenagers and young adults will be on your cruise. That's a positive for some people, especially those with kids of their own, but for others it's a time to avoid.
When you cruise can affect your choice in other ways. Hurricane season, for example, runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. During that period the seas may be rougher and changes in itineraries are more likely.
If you can sail pretty much anytime, you will have the most choices and the best price options.
Balancing cruise prices, amenities and ports of call
The largest Royal Caribbean ships — including the entire Oasis Class and the world's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas — generally cost more than Carnival sailings on its top-tier Excel Class.
For the most part the newer the ship, the higher the price, but Icon of the Seas and Oasis-Class ships as well as Carnival's Excel-Class ships also offer the most amenities, rides, restaurants and bars and the latest entertainment.
If price matters above all else, then MSC Cruises might be the best choice. Even on its newer ships MSC usually has the lowest fares and offers bundles with drink packages and internet, sometimes for less than the cost of a drink package alone on Royal Caribbean or Carnival.
MSC Cruises lags Royal Caribbean and Carnival when it comes to food and on-board entertainment. That's an opinion, of course, but it's one you hear a lot on cruise message boards.
If where the ship stops matters most to you, you will generally find more diverse itineraries on older, smaller ships. Those ships are allowed to dock in more places, and all three cruise lines have smaller ships that don't stop in Nassau, Cozumel and other routine places.
ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
Aside from people booking solely on price, what matters most can vary greatly, So it's really important to do your homework. A travel agent can lay out your choices and help you pick, but at the end of the day it's up to you to set priorities and put down your credit card.
Related: Get the best cruise tips, deals, and news on the ships from our expert cruiser
