Which Premium Cruise Line Is Top Of Their Game Right Now? 

If people ask me which is the best premium/luxury line I send them to you (ha ha). 😂💕

I think the funny thing is Carnival (the company) Owns Princess, Holland America, Cunard, P&O. so these differences between the cruise lines are deliberate and purposeful. They understand the needs of travelers and offer them different lines with different levels of appeal depending on your needs.

Just returned from 10 days in the Caribbean on Celebrity Silhouette. What a beautiful ship and terrific crew. I have been on Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Viking. This ship had the best entertainment of any I’ve been on. Every cruise line has its pros and cons but I have never had a bad time regardless of which cruise line I traveled on. Carnival gets a bad rap because it “may” cater to a younger more fun crowd but I am 71 and my husband is 73 and we had a blast. Just sit back and enjoy whichever cruise line you pick. If these past two years have taught us anything it’s better to be anywhere than quarantined in your house.

I am buying lotto tickets with Holland America and Cunard specifically in mind. Their style seems to fit me the best. Good food, good drinks, and good music is 100% my wheelhouse. I love the older British stylings of Cunard. Give me oak and teak any day. I'll gladly wear a suit and tie to breakfast in exchange.

I’ve seen them categorized like this: Basic- MSC, Carnival, Aida, Costa, etc Mid- RCL, NCL, Virgin, P&O, etc Premium- HAL, Celebrity, Princess Super Premium- Disney Cruise Line Luxury- Viking, Silversea, etc…

The best one is the one you are sailing on right now! I travel on any and all depending upon my schedule and the best deal that I can get. 12 cruises since September and, so far, 82 more days booked for this year.

Thanks for the video. We have been on Holland America and Celebrity for quite a few cruises over the last ten years. There is one item that may be missing from your video. Since we are retired, we do not want to fly across the ocean for a 7 or 14 day cruise. We prefer a port intensive itinerary that is between 20 and 35 days. This is why we normally focus on Holland America. Cheers

I'm 72 and one of the things I like about Holland America is that they do attract an older group of cruisers. I also like that they are more of a "traditional" line. The food, however needs to be improved a bit. (I like the ship sizes, though.)

Thanks Gary! Another (in a long series) of brilliant videos. I always appreciate your informative and substantive presentations. Thanks for posting.

Very impressive review of the different cruise lines. I thought your ability to differentiate discreet elements of each line and sum up their qualities and downsides was a pleasure to reflect on.

Celebrity is a more modern, more youthful luxury cruise line which is up my alley. I'm 25, don't like kids, not a big party guy, and I really enjoy Celeb. However, Virgin Voyages might be even better as I am more active and the innuendo is pretty funny to me.

I truly appreciate your videos. They are so helpful. I think you do such a good job of explaining and giving examples of your points. I’ve still not cruised on Holland or Cunard. I think those will appeal to us more on down the road.

Great video. This underlines my love for X and Royal. Same company, but unique amenities and different countries.

My husband and I are 47 and 38, respectively. We’ve really loved Celebrity, and so far it’s been my favorite. He likes NCL, but I find that even though Celebrity’s prices may be higher, you get more bang for your buck vs. Carnival, NCL, and Royal especially if you’re looking for a more upscale experience. We’ve got Virgin and Princess booked, but I really want to try out Azamara and HAL.

I cruise Princess and Celebrity exclusively now, but I think someone should tell Princess that the '70's called and they want their shower curtains back. I loved your quote, "some passengers on Cunard are not particularly thrilled to see children on board."

We have cruised mostly on HAL and Celebrity. You are right about destinations. When we want a more exotic cruise, we go Princess! Great analysis, thanks!

A question...how can anyone dislike Gary? Surely the most likeable person out there!

Love to go to Europe-yearly on the QM 2!! Love their library!

I laugh every time you say something is for the over 50 crowd 😆 im only 38 but I don’t like loud and busy. So anytime you said laid back chill or for older ppl, i perked up and took notes. I was told by someone that holland america would actually suit me really good, but i let a cheap fare sway me elsewhere. Won’t make that mistake again oof. Love your channel 🥰 your vids are really entertaining. Also edited my comment to add that the last cruise (and my first cruise) that i went on, the only conversations i ever had worth anything were of ppl 50+. Its like they stopped teaching “how to have a conversation” in schools at some point 😆😭

The Dress Code is one thing that attracts me to Cunard. I can dress up. :)

I cruised Celebrity Millennium and Apex over Christmas and New Year respectively. Princess at the end of January and Royal Caribbean today. As a solo cruiser the best bang for my buck was Princess without a doubt. I'm aslo booked on the Regal Princess for her last two itineraries before repositioning. I then reposition with the Emerald mid April.

I really found this a most useful run down of these 4 cruise lines. We have only cruised 4 times, each time on Princess but we have booked on Royal Caribbean next year, only because of their itinerary from Vancouver to Hawaii. We do have a few reservations about the on board experience we may have but have decided to go with an open mind and just enjoy the best of it!

Princess Medallion works perfectly. Ordering to my deck lounger worked perfectly. No masks from 1st March except for highly crowded spaces ie theater.

Oceania’s Marina and Riviera were not mentioned. They are classy,and the food options are wonderful. The staff are attentive and if you like low key travel with the option of being able to relax without all the glitz and glamour and hectic outdoorsy entertainment then these two are ‘number 1’s’ for me!

Just finished HAL's 18 day Hawaii/San Diego Loop. It was very nice, and they were very careful w masking as the previous loop had had a lot of quarantines. This time the strict masking seemed to make all the difference. I would rate HAL a nice/I guess premium, cruise line. Definitely an older crowd-70s the predominant age. A lot of scooters, too. Food was very good- the buffet (served by crew behind glass) was exceptional. Our balcony cabin had the smallest bathroom yet, but was comfortable. Our 31 day Queen Victoria cruise from Fort Lauderdale/Panama Canal/SFO/Hawaii/to New Zealand trip was a step up. Food/entertainment/balcony room space all better. Then our Regent cruise to Alaska was superb. All included, they handled everything from the time we got to the airport. Spacious balcony cabins, loads of activities/courses, great excursions. A top recommend. Favorite is probably SilverSeas. They had the best food-high end entrees in the main dining room every night. No need for the specialty restaurants! Balcony cabin luxury equal to Regent & Cunard.

I just got off my first cruise on Royal Caribbean and I’m HOOKED! I’m glad I binged watched your channel before I left! Thanks for all your advice!

We absolutely ❤️ Celebrity and completely agree on all your points regarding Celebrity Cruises! 👏🏽☺️

You have the best cruise videos. You are very fair and balanced.

A great video. I think the amount of space in the public areas as well as the size of the cabins would also be a factor. It's a major reason why I tried out Cunard and loved the space. How do the other lines you mentioned in the video compare to the ratio guests-space?

I so appreciate the fact that you don't just give the pluses, but you give reasons why a particular line might not be a good one for a particular person.

I love the dress code on Cunard. I just like traditional cruising!

Thanks for covering this

This is the best cruise vlogger on RU-vid. Very professional, no nonsense.

Thanks so much for this video. As always, very informative and objective . You are my cruising guru!

Just returned from Alaska on Oceania Regatta. Fabulous service and food.

As a 25 year old with toddler age children I'm still most drawn to Holland and Cunard. I would love more content involving our age groups.

Really excellent and informative video. We have cruised P and O, Cunard and Royal Caribbean and for our 25th anniversary we have booked Princess. For us the drinks package was the decider - we were also looking at Pand O Iona but it's modern muted colour scheme and layout put us off. The lack of value for the extortionate drinks package really put us off, as did numerous reviews that said the number of drinks you can get included is very low and they often run out. I don't want to pay for something that I end up not getting. The P and O drinks package only includes drinks up to £6.95, the Princess one is 12USD. Most drinks on P and O are over the 6.95 limit - even the wines are mainly starting at more than that - only 3 house wines seem to be under that limit. Both give up to 15 drinks a day, which is way more than either of us would ever consume but it's really nice to not be tempted to count the pennies and to just have whatever we fancy. The other differences is that Princess's drinks package also includes tips and one free wifi connection per cabin - that's great value and makes the p and o one look very poor by comparison. On the down side the Princess balconies are absolutely tiny unless you go for the top option, also the UK prices do not include parking, P and O select fare does. I am not keen on most of the most modern ships, they don't have the wow factor and look like they have been decorated so they don't offend anybody. Life is about colour and music, it looked to us that Enchanted Princess offers both.

Just ordered your book. Can't wait.

Thank you for your contrasts

As a younger cruiser I’ve enjoyed Celebrity and Holland a lot. You still have some families and kids but it doesn’t feel overcrowded. Food and service are great, and their newer ships have amazingly hi-tech theaters. I also like their emphasis on excursions, enrichment, and the environment. I just wish there was a premium cruise line with Viking’s decor and observation lounge.

Just for the time stamps the videos class, and the reviews are great aswell

Thank you Gary!

Nice video. Great info. Thanks and take care.

I am definitely a HAL fan through and through.

The first Cruise I ever did on HA was before 2wks before 9/11. It was great with my kids who were really little. Lots of people of various ages on the ship. The last time I was on HA was about 2mo. before the pandemic hit and it was like a floating nursing home. Even the music venues reflect the ages of the base clients. My most recent cruise was on Celebrity edge, It was a perfect fit! The age rage was about late 30-late 50's. Few kids. Classy , Modern and upscale experience with outstanding food. Royal is a good line too, and has something for every age.. Spot on for a multi generational family trip, but if you what a classy middle adult experience with fewer kids, Celebrity is the line to go with.

This was wonderful!! We've only ever been on Royal Caribbean and lately Celebrity (but none since COVID 😞). I've often wondered about the differences between these lines (including Norwegian) and this was hugely helpful! I'll be forwarding this to hubby and let him pick the next cruise line. Though nothing will be booked until masks are no longer mandated - that may be a while, I know. Nevertheless I so appreciate your insight. Keep 'em coming Gary!!

Thanks to your tips, planning to do a river cruise on Die Donau . Passau to Wien

This is fo those of us 65 years and older. So far Viking Ocean Cruises is the one best for me. I have out grown the three major cruise lines. The service on Viking is the best I have ever experienced so far. They are the absolute cleanest ships I have ever been on. I am currently on a World Cruise and sailing on the Viking Star is truly an Utopian experience. I never had it so good.

Gary: video idea. I would love a 20-to-30-minute video on the "categories of cruise ships". What is resort, premium, premium-luxury, and luxury. This would cover lines from 7day trips at$599 to $10,000+ This is very subjective so avoid terms like "expensive" and maybe quote "web site prices" for a standard 7-day trip in the Mediterranean. This would clear up how to rank these ship lines.

I would love to hear your comparison between Viking Ocean, Seabourn, Regent and Silversea!

TYVM! My understanding is that Princess is just not the Medallion (of which I approve) but also decent internet - something that is my expectation everywhere I stay although I am frequently disappointed. I just like to complement businesses that have chosen modernity. I hope these lines continue to succeed. In many markets, the middle is being eroded. Not that many midrange/middleclass survivors between the lowend Walmarts and boutiques. How to differentiate/choose amongst the Premium and up category would be my most requested topic. Thanks!

Gary, haven't written in a while but you were so helpful and informative throughout the pandemic so I subscribed and followed many of your videos. We waited almost 2 years but finally were on the inaugural transatlantic cruise on Celebrity Apex in October. I wanted to report it was a fantastic experience. On a ship that holds 2900+, there were 1200 passengers, 1100 crew. Celebrity worked very hard to ensure everyone was safe with a total of 3 tests. One before we boarded, the second after our last stop before the crossing and the last just before we landed in Ft Lauderdale. No one had a problem with being tested. We were in a suite so we experienced the Retreat perks. It was definitely one of the best cruises we had ever experienced. I can't recommend the Edge class ships highly enough. The service, food, entertainment, ambiance of Luminae, specialty dining all contributed to a fantastic experience. We have a transpacific booked for September, however it will not be on an Edge class ship. I truly believe, Celebrity is the top of the line for the money spent. Thanks for all the informative and educational videos you put online. I'll keep following.

I haven't been on one of the super cruise ships, but with so many people I get the feeling that the crowding for the different features would be reminiscent of Disneyworld/land.

I am currently sailing on the Regal Princess in the Caribbean, day two of a seven night cruise. I’ve sailed on all the lines mentioned in this video. This is my first cruise since the pandemic and I’ve observed a few cost cutting measures on this Princess cruise - for example cabin stewards are now cleaning the cabins once a day instead of twice a day. The food is adequate but not outstanding. The medallion app is a mess, it has been a problem since the start of the cruise. I am enjoying myself but I would say Princess is bordering on the premium category. As you point out It’s also less expensive than some of the others. The crew however is amazing and always try to make sure the passenger enjoys the cruise.

HAL is my go to Cruise Line.

For us it’s Princess, largely because we started with them. We are going on the best cruise in 2023, Bahamas, St. Thomas, Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba. We cannot wait!

I think that Celebrity is setting themselves apart with their vastly improved food in not only the Main Dining rooms, but, especially in their specialty restaurants. Their now all inclusive fare with included tips, wifi and drinks is an excellent feature. The Edge class ships with the 4 main dining rooms with their unique cuisine is absolutely wonderful. I was very impressed with my two Celebrity cruises this past year. I would try Princess and Cunard again as we have enjoyed them in the past. I prefer not to dress up so much anymore in the evening so Cunard would not be my first choice.

I think one other thing that really sets Cunard apart is that they allow dogs on the transatlantic sailings 🐶🐶

I don’t think it was mentioned in the video, but it’s interesting to mention that all four these lines are owned by just two holding companies. Holland America, Princess, and Cunard are part of Carnival Corp. and Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean. For Carnival, you have the General Motors model where consumers can start at Carnival (the Chevrolet) move up to Holland America (the Buick), then end with Seabourn (the Cadillac). So you have value, premium and luxury categories all within the same holding group. Each level level offering more exclusivity at a higher per day cost as you move up the aspiration ladder. It’s interesting that Carnival Corp has three lines in this premium category. There’s just enough product differentiation to make them unique to certain consumer segments, but the underpinnings are still all very much Carnival Corp. I’d put Viking and Oceania (NCL’s own Buick product) in this premium mix. But I understand the scale grouping you were going for.

Love Cunard ❤️ still I’m looking forward to my Princess cruise in a couple of weeks!

I just finished my first "post pandemic" (are we really out of it yet?) cruise, with princess this time. I must say, compared to my last princess cruise (almost identical itenary, similar sized ship), the cost cutting in food (ingredients) and entertainment (e.g. number of shows) has been really apparent; service was still really really good I am happy to report.

i personally love Holland America even when i was kid, as i did not like crowds and would get overwhelmed easily due to my auditory processing disorder, so being on a quieter ship is a must for me, also I'm more of a young person who rather have a more laid back approach to cruising, i rather be around older people than younger as the younger crowd is more loud and i don't care for the party crowd, but to each their own as this is jut my opinion. I would love to Cunard cruise as I actually love dressing up for the formal nights on Holland, it was always such fun . BY the way Holland kids program was fantastic i had so much fun there as a kid. I defiantly want to check out celebrity and Cunard now,. I love how he went over the cons and pros of each ship its very helpful. awesome video!

Our first cruise with Cunard QM with my teens Christmas in Caribbean best experienced

Amazing👍

We are booked on Princess for Alaska because of thier reputation for Alaska for land and sea. Booked on Celebrity in October for Boston to Canada. Will probably go with Celebrity for future cruises.

Must go on Cunard in the near future

We booked a cruise on Celebrity Flora all suite, to the Galapagos and side trip to Machu Pichu… NOT cheap!!! 7 days in Galápagos, and another 9 exploring Equator/Machu Pichu 30k for 2, but it was one way to do the Galápagos in luxury so we are going for it

Just back from a Viking South American cruise , to me they are the best .

I been on Norwegian, Disney(best with children), Royal Caribbean, Holland America & most recently Princess. Love Norwegian best. None of my cruises have ever been the larger ships, all have been 3000 guests or less ❤️

My wife and I (low 70’s) have been on several Holland cruises, all very nice. However, in December, we went on a two week cruise on Regent Explorer. In every way it was FAR superior. It seemed every crew member knew who we were and our dietary requirements. They were extremely welcoming and we are customers for as long as we can.

Actually, Princess Cruises was the FIRST line to create an inclusive pricing program when they introduced what was then a promotional offer called Princess Plus. Shortly after the launch of Princess Plus they adopted it as a permanent pricing option that offers the top perks/add-on's at a dramatically reduced amount versus adding them to the basic cruise fare. Princess now has 3 pricing options and their top-tier option offers more than any of the others, at a more discounted price that delivers more value.

I'd suggest that the dining experience in Queen's Grill (we've not eaten in Princess Grill yet) is quite different from dining in the MDR on Princess. It's also different from the Britannia Dining room on Cunard. Haven't done HAL nor X yet. Might not unless they offer something that Princess doesn't. We are trying other lines, esp. the Lux and Ultra Lux lines. So many ships, so little time. David

Excellent review! I am eager to try a transatlantic in Queen's Grill on the QM2. Until then, I'm very satisfied in the Retreat on Celebrity.

We were pretty much Royal Caribbean customers because of the family style. Now the kids are off for colleges and we are moving towards Celebrity cruise line. Just found that they belong to the same holding company. What a surprise 😂

Hi Gary, we're die-hard Celebrity Millennium class cruisers. Ship size and passenger capacity are perfect for us. Food is great. Cabins comfy. Entertainment top notch. If it's not broke, don't fix it. Hi from Bob and Jill in Connecticut. Go Chelsea Blues 💙

More options for solo travelers who are interested in luxury travel is my interest!

Gary. Cruising with my wife on a 21-day Honolulu to Sydney via Tahiti and New Zealand on th Royal Princess. If you do not know, we are paying a daily gratitude US$17 each. They also charge 18% on alcohol and room service. Free Elite laundry, as we are, now takes 4 days. Our cabin attendant in forms us there are no face washers from there laundy. What a do!

Gary I think you missed one reason why some people travel on the QM2: There are some people who can't fly. This can be because of a severe phobia or because of severe problems with jet lag.

Thanks.

We typically go only on Holland America these days (just booked another Koningsdam trip!), seems to fit our style very well. Plenty to do, quiet atmosphere compared to the buzz of the others. Of course I haven't been on them all to know which is best but unless there's a specific trip we want that someone else offers we'll probably stay on HAL. That said, I watched a documentary at the weekend about the MSC Seaside and no thank you, sooo many people packed around the pool shouting and drinking (and having fun!), definitely not my thing.

you didnt commit Gary which I fully understand. For me, having done many trip on all 4 lines I am particularly fond of the new Celebrity, great ships, excellent service, wonderful food options. Just off a 2 weeks back to back on Reflection and cannot fault a single thing. I think how they treat their higher tier frequent guests is an important aspect and Celebrity do it well

Viking has really stepped up their game and am prepared to pay a bit more to travel in style with none of the amusement park features you find on some cruise lines. Sadly, too many parents bring their kids on cruises and set them free (with very little training on how to behave in more formal settings). The cruise turns into a floating Chuck E. Cheese'.

We have been on 11 cruises and Holland America has been the only cruise that we had a bathtub in our balcony cabin, happy wife.

I think Cunard needs more on offer for their grills accommodation. When Celebrity adds in Premium Drinks, Tips, Wifi, and EVEN shore excursion credit starting at their entry level suite grade … getting that hefty gratuity bill at the end of your cruise paying all that for the grills anyway, just sort of stings…

Love Celebrity! Royal Caribbean is class and best food.

On a recent cruise on the Queen Elizabeth, my wife and I tried to draw-up our own pros & cons charts for the cruise lines we've now experienced (P&O, Saga, Celebrity and Cunard - we're booked on a Princess cruise next year). They all had their good points and their not-so-good but one where Cunard scored a big negative in our view was Internet access. The others all offer free or affordable Internet options - but Cunard sell it by the minute at a ridiculous price. We love to be able to research ports we're heading to and the weather, look up other ships we see to discover what they are and where they're going, and of course it's sometimes nice to be in contact with family while one is away. Our QE cruise was the first for a long time where we were completely cut off from the world on sea days and reliant on mobile data in ports. I know it may not matter to some of their older customers but for us it's a significant reason to avoid them until they change this. By the way, we loved the QE itself - beautiful from the moment you step on board.

Will be on Celebrity eclipse July 24 to Alaska

My wife and I are more d sixties and retired. We like to travel on Hal on the smaller ships. Unfortunately they did away with the S class and half of the R class. We have moved up to the Vista/ Compass class ships. We have 3 more cruises scheduled for the next year with HAL. My wife and I would like to try Cunard for the old world charm. We always stay in a Neptune suite where we pick the room.

Love Celebrity

My first cruise was in December on the Celebrity Reflection and it was pretty awesome. We are going on another cruise next week actually, end of February, for our anniversary on the Celebrity Edge. Both of those are Caribbean cruises and we have one scheduled for Alaska on the Celebrity Eclipse as well. My wife has been on several cruises before and now i am obviously hooked!

I like the smaller Princess ships. My "legacy" cruise ships.

Love Celebrity as they are always innovating, Princess is sort of stagnant. Holland America would be my second best choice.

If my Mediterranean cruise has to be cancelled because of unrest in Europe, I think we will do Tahiti again. That is a lovey area.

Do you know which are the best historical cruises, ones who deliver good talks/lectures prior to visiting sites of historical interest?

Virgin Voyages should be put in this category too. Also what about oceania and windstar are they in this or are the ships too small to fall in this category ?

Princess is the best😊

It's been a while since I've been on a large ship. Will probably wait another year.

Love Celebrity!!!

Great video, Gary. Just disembarked on Princess and feel that they are stagnant and not really innovating like Celebrity. Going to put a pencil to it and see how Celebrity compares to the Princess Plus offering. Thank you.

I think out of these I'd probably pick Celebrity. My husband and I have gone on Princess and we didn't think it was particularly premium. It seemed very much like the resort lines, so I personally wouldn't call it premium. We've had a much more premium feel on NCL in the Haven. HAL and Cunard seem a little too old.