Every cruise line offers a different experience. In some cases, different classes of ships on one cruise line can deliver a very different cruise, even if the ships share many of the same features.
A trip on a Royal Caribbean Oasis, Quantum, or Icon-class ship offers far more to do onboard than one on smaller Radiance or Vision-class ships. All the ships have some venues in common, but the bigger ships offer things like ice skating, bumper boats, alternative show venues, and many more dining and beverage options than their smaller cousins.
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Royal Caribbean and Carnival both offer multiple brands that offer different, but clearly defined experiences. Celebrity Cruises, for example, is a little bit more upscale than Royal Caribbean, while Princess Cruises fills the same role for Carnival Cruise Line.
The two biggest cruise lines offer something for pretty much everyone, at least in the family space, and trying to compete requires following one of two plans. First, MSC Cruises has tried to compete by offering cruises, at least one its newer ships, that compete directly with the top-tier Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships.
Margaritaville at Sea and Virgin Voyages are competing by trying to fill niches that the big players don't serve.
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Margaritaville at Sea brings Jimmy Buffett to cruising
Margaritaville at Sea offers two distinct experiences. Its first ship, MAS Paradise, sails most 2 and 3-day sailings out of West Palm Beach starting at $99 per person.
On that ship, the cruise line is seeking to give passengers a quick, low-cost getaway on a ship that offers some Jimmy Buffett vibes. It's kind of an intro to cruising for people who are new to-cruise, or an extension of a land vacation for people staying at Margaritaville resorts or Florida's various theme parks.
With its second ship, MAS Islander, which sails 4-7 day cruises out of Tampa, the cruise line has made a real leap and offers a different kind of differentiated experience from its rivals. Islander offers three pools and multiple hot tubs — in line with many mid-size or smaller ships in Carnival and Royal Caribbean's fleets.
Its pool deck infuses Buffett's spirit creating a chill party vibe. That sets the tone for its many bars which all have a distinct feel. The pool deck bars offer many Margaritaville classics, while each bar inside has its own menu full of variations that fit the Buffett theme while being unique.
That Buffett vibe continues in the Islander's innovative main dining rooms where the menus are much more adventurous than you get on Royal Caribbean or Carnival. The food has flair and the menu changes sailing to sailing because the culinary team only has to service a two-ship fleet.
Islander is not exactly created for kids, but it does have space for them, and the laid back party vibe is welcoming to families. Cruises on Islander are priced in line, or perhaps a little below, comparable mid-size ships from the Carnival or Royal Caribbean fleets on a per night basis.
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Virgin Voyages serves an adult market
Virgin Voyages seeks to tap into a market not served by Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC Cruises, or any other major cruise line — adults who want to sail without children. All its cruises are 18+ only, and really, they're geared for passengers 21-and-over since that's the legal drinking age on its sailings from the U.S.
While it's serving adults and offers some risque entertainment (a drag show and a sex therapist show), Virgin Voyages is not an overly adult experience. The cruise line's four-ship fleet offers a higher-end experience than Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC.
Its ships have no main dining room and no buffet. Instead, they have what would be considered specialty restaurants on other cruise lines and a food hall that offers a variety of restaurant concepts. Virgin has genuinely good food that takes more risks than the included fare on the bigger cruise lines.
Virgin sails from Miami year round, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Europe seasonally. It's generally more expensive than many Royal Caribbean or Carnival sailings (albeit not on their newest ships) but it's also includes internet, most non-alcoholic drinks, and what would be considered upgraded dining on other cruise lines in its basic packages.
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