Cruise lines love passengers who are loyal to their brand. They even give you extra incentives to cruise with them as you slowly move up their loyalty program ladder. From free internet and drinks to line cutting and parties with the captain, the perks can be a nice benefit if you reach the top tiers. However, should you really only stick to cruising on one cruise line?
Everyday, I see people making comments how they are “Loyal To Royal” or “Carnival or nothing”. I often see cruisers post how they felt guilty that they had “cheated” for booking a cruise on a different cruise line. I’ll be 100% clear on this, unless you are being paid by the cruise line, you owe no loyalty to any specific line.
Yes, we all have our preferences and we usually prefer one or two cruise lines over others. However, I’m a firm believer that you really miss out on a lot that cruising has to offer by limiting yourself to just one cruise line. With that being said, here are five reasons why you should take cruises on different cruise lines.
Visit New Ports – A great reason to cruise on different cruise lines is that not every cruise line stops in the same ports. If you only cruise on Royal Caribbean, you will miss great ports like Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. On the other hand, if you only cruise on Carnival Cruise Line or Norwegian Cruise Line, you will never visit Labadee, Haiti. Tired of the same ports? Try cruising on different lines.
Each Cruise Line Excels in Different Areas – No one cruise line has completely mastered the perfect cruise. Cruise lines each excel in different areas. By mixing it up, you can experience these differences and enjoy the comedy clubs on Carnival, MUTS on Princess, and the award wining evening shows on MSC Cruises.
Ships Vary Greatly By Cruise Line – While cruise ships from different lines share a great deal of common features with each other, they each offer unique differences that set them apart. From the virtual inside cabins on Disney and Royal Caribbean to the ropes courses on Carnival and Norwegian, you can’t experience everything from sticking to one cruise line.
If you really want to take a cruise on a ship that offers the most unique amenities, then choose the Quantum or Oasis class ships from Royal Caribbean.
Different Dining Options – While most cruise lines still offer traditional dining, “anytime or freestyle” dining has taken the industry by storm and changed the way we dine at sea. However, some cruise lines offer unique dining options. Want to dine in different restaurants each night and keep the same waitstaff? Then you will have to cruise on Disney Cruise Line.
Each cruise line also offers different specialty restaurants with Norwegian leading the way in that department. However, if you want to dine at the best steak house at sea (also the cheapest at $29 per person), then you will want to cruise on Princess Cruises and dine at the Crown Grill.
The Chocolate Melting Cake on Carnival is to die for, along with Guy’s Burgers! Did we mention the pizza and gelato on MSC Divina? Or the amazing seafood buffet available each night on Viking cruise ships?
Variety is the Spice of Life – Variety in life keeps the world from being bland. Yes, there is nothing wrong with only cruising on one cruise line if that is your preference. But don’t be afraid to try something new and enjoy the differences that make each cruise line unique. They each bring something different to the table that helps keep cruising fresh for those that cruise often.