Start with the trip you want. If the ports are the main attraction, choose the itinerary first. If you picture long days aboard, give dining, activities and cabin choice more weight. Then compare what each fare includes and the extras you would actually buy.
A good shortlist needs a few clear priorities. Perhaps you want flexible dinners, a cabin you can choose yourself and enough time ashore to explore without rushing. Those details will tell you more than a long list of restaurants and attractions.
Use the cruise line comparison to put two lines side by side, then use the chart below to narrow your choices.
Nine cruise lines: where to start
| Cruise line | What to look at first | What it means for your trip | Before you choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Onboard activities and entertainment | Dining options, entertainment and activities are included; specialty dining, beverage packages, Wi-Fi and excursions add to the bill | Pick the ship with the activities you want, then price the extras you would use |
| Carnival | Casual dining on your chosen ship | Lido Marketplace is an included dining option on ships that offer it | Check the restaurant list for that ship; a venue you enjoyed elsewhere may not be aboard |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | Flexible dining | Freestyle Dining gives you complimentary and specialty choices without building every evening around one fixed sitting | Allow for specialty dining charges, reservations and any meal limits in your fare |
| MSC Cruises | Cabin choice and experience level | With Bella, MSC assigns your cabin. Fantastica offers cabin/location selection, while Aurea adds further benefits | If location matters, compare the experience level as carefully as the cabin category |
| Princess | Standard versus Plus or Premier | Standard covers main dining, buffet and entertainment. The packages add different combinations of drinks, Wi-Fi, dining and other benefits | Add up your likely spending before paying for a package |
| Celebrity | Cruise-only versus All Included | All Included combines a Classic Drink Package and Basic Wi-Fi, with beverage-package gratuities included | Budget for staff gratuities separately; “All Included” does not cover every onboard charge |
| Holland America | How much of Have It All you would use | The bundle combines drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining and shore-excursion credit, with allowances tied to cruise length | Match the credit to an excursion you want and allow for any remaining cost |
| Disney Cruise Line | The Disney experiences your party wants | Rotational and casual dining, character encounters and entertainment are included; premium adult dining, nursery care and excursions cost extra | Weigh those experiences against the fare difference and the paid services your family needs |
| Virgin Voyages | An adults-only trip with restaurant dining included | Restaurant dining, Wi-Fi, essential drinks and group fitness classes are included | Everyone must be at least 18; allow for optional purchases and check the limits of your fare |
Royal Caribbean
- What to look at first
- Onboard activities and entertainment
- What it means for your trip
- Dining options, entertainment and activities are included; specialty dining, beverage packages, Wi-Fi and excursions add to the bill
- Before you choose
- Pick the ship with the activities you want, then price the extras you would use
Carnival
- What to look at first
- Casual dining on your chosen ship
- What it means for your trip
- Lido Marketplace is an included dining option on ships that offer it
- Before you choose
- Check the restaurant list for that ship; a venue you enjoyed elsewhere may not be aboard
Norwegian Cruise Line
- What to look at first
- Flexible dining
- What it means for your trip
- Freestyle Dining gives you complimentary and specialty choices without building every evening around one fixed sitting
- Before you choose
- Allow for specialty dining charges, reservations and any meal limits in your fare
MSC Cruises
- What to look at first
- Cabin choice and experience level
- What it means for your trip
- With Bella, MSC assigns your cabin. Fantastica offers cabin/location selection, while Aurea adds further benefits
- Before you choose
- If location matters, compare the experience level as carefully as the cabin category
Princess
- What to look at first
- Standard versus Plus or Premier
- What it means for your trip
- Standard covers main dining, buffet and entertainment. The packages add different combinations of drinks, Wi-Fi, dining and other benefits
- Before you choose
- Add up your likely spending before paying for a package
Celebrity
- What to look at first
- Cruise-only versus All Included
- What it means for your trip
- All Included combines a Classic Drink Package and Basic Wi-Fi, with beverage-package gratuities included
- Before you choose
- Budget for staff gratuities separately; “All Included” does not cover every onboard charge
Holland America
- What to look at first
- How much of Have It All you would use
- What it means for your trip
- The bundle combines drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining and shore-excursion credit, with allowances tied to cruise length
- Before you choose
- Match the credit to an excursion you want and allow for any remaining cost
Disney Cruise Line
- What to look at first
- The Disney experiences your party wants
- What it means for your trip
- Rotational and casual dining, character encounters and entertainment are included; premium adult dining, nursery care and excursions cost extra
- Before you choose
- Weigh those experiences against the fare difference and the paid services your family needs
Virgin Voyages
- What to look at first
- An adults-only trip with restaurant dining included
- What it means for your trip
- Restaurant dining, Wi-Fi, essential drinks and group fitness classes are included
- Before you choose
- Everyone must be at least 18; allow for optional purchases and check the limits of your fare
Package benefits vary by offer, sailing and booking market. Before paying, use the inclusions attached to your quote. A familiar package name is easy to recognise; the allowance, exclusions and price difference deserve a closer look. Virgin's minimum sailing age is 18.
Decide what would make or break the trip
Choose three priorities before getting lost in the options. For a family, they might be a sensible sleeping arrangement, a children's programme that fits the right ages and easy meals. For a couple, they might be a particular port, a quiet place to read and dinner whenever they feel ready.
Make each priority specific enough to compare. If food matters, look at included menus, dietary arrangements and whether the restaurants you want need reservations. If you want busy sea days, choose two or three activities you would actually use and check that they are on your ship.
Cabin location deserves the same attention. If you want to choose your deck or avoid a particular area, a lower fare with an assigned cabin may be a poor compromise. Keep the sleeping arrangement and location beside the price when comparing quotes.
Compare the whole bill
Put the same dates, party size, cabin arrangement and currency beside each quote. Then add travel, accommodation and the onboard spending you expect. Keep optional treats separate so you can see where you have room to save.
| Cost | Put these details beside each quote | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin | Category, guests, beds and whether you choose the location | A guarantee cabin and a chosen cabin are different offers |
| Fare terms | Taxes and fees, deposit, cancellation terms and final payment date | A cheaper fare may require a commitment you do not want |
| Onboard spending | Meals, drinks, internet, services and applicable service charges | A package only saves you money if it replaces spending you would otherwise choose |
| Shore days | Activities, transport and usable excursion credits | A credit may cover only part of the outing you want |
| Getting to the ship | Flights or driving, hotels, transfers and parking | A different departure port can change the total considerably |
Cabin
- Put these details beside each quote
- Category, guests, beds and whether you choose the location
- Why it matters
- A guarantee cabin and a chosen cabin are different offers
Fare terms
- Put these details beside each quote
- Taxes and fees, deposit, cancellation terms and final payment date
- Why it matters
- A cheaper fare may require a commitment you do not want
Onboard spending
- Put these details beside each quote
- Meals, drinks, internet, services and applicable service charges
- Why it matters
- A package only saves you money if it replaces spending you would otherwise choose
Shore days
- Put these details beside each quote
- Activities, transport and usable excursion credits
- Why it matters
- A credit may cover only part of the outing you want
Getting to the ship
- Put these details beside each quote
- Flights or driving, hotels, transfers and parking
- Why it matters
- A different departure port can change the total considerably
Be careful with per-person and per-cabin benefits. A credit for the cabin does not double because two people are travelling. And a drinks package has a different value for a couple who rarely drinks alcohol than for friends planning cocktails every evening.
An Alaska shortlist, for example
Imagine two adults planning an Alaska cruise. They want long port days and relaxed dinners without a fixed sitting. Their first move is to remove itineraries that miss the places they want to visit. Then they can compare dining options on the ships that remain.
Suppose one route finishes in a different city and needs another hotel night. That hotel and the transfer belong beside the cruise fare. The one-way route may still be worth it, especially if it gives them more of the Alaska experiences they want. The decision becomes much clearer once the extra travel is part of the comparison.
A useful reason to choose a sailing sounds like this: “It gives us more time in the ports we care about, dinner is flexible, and we are happy to pay for the extra transfer.” That is a shortlist you can act on.
Choose the sailing as carefully as the line
Check the sequence of port days and sea days. A busy itinerary leaves less time to enjoy the ship, while several days at sea give dining, public spaces and activities a bigger role in your holiday.
Use VoyagePro's timetable tools to look at the calls that matter. Allow for getting off the ship, travelling to your activity and returning before the passenger deadline. A scenic cruising day also offers a different experience from a stop where you can go ashore.
Aim for two or three candidates. Beside each one, write the exact sailing, cabin, total cost, strongest reason to book and biggest compromise. Then return to the line comparison for any unresolved differences, or search sailings with those priorities in mind.
