Cruising is one of our all time favorite things and thus wanted to compile a list of favorite cruises in the hopes to inspire and aid you in deciding which cruise you’ll want to take next! We’re elated to share that we have collaborated with some pretty incredible avid cruises to showcase a variety of cruise experiences for every type of traveler.
Over the years, cruising has changed so much from the size of cruise ships, the amenities, onboard activities, shopping, dinning, theater productions, casinos and so much more. Personally, we love to refer to them as exquisite floating cities on the high seas where you will never be bored. There are so many things to choose from while sailing that there in fact isn’t enough time to do everything which is actually a good thing as it gives you a great reason to cruise time and time again.
Currently, there are over 300 cruise ships worldwide and we would highly recommend doing your research on what types of ships are out there, the various cruise lines and determine what fits your personal style.
For someone that doesn’t know much about cruising and really doesn’t have any expectations in terms of the activities and or bells and whistles on a larger cruise ship, we would suggest taking a shorter cruise anywhere between 3-5 days on a medium size ship and see how you like it.
Checkout our blogs on tips for first time cruises, cruise ship staterooms and cruise packing essentials.
So without any further delay, let’s get into it! Don’t forget to follow & subscribe to all of our social media channels for more blogs, tips, recommendations, travel news and much more.
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Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas: by The Traveling Footprints
Thus far, this is our all time favorite cruise ship and sailing with Royal Caribbean International. RCI has quite an expansive fleet of ships ranging from all sizes and various classes to choose from. Each class has its own unique flare and offerings ranging from smaller ships which can accommodate approximately 2,400 passengers vs the largest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas which has a guest capacity of 5,518 people.
The Ship:
Anthem of the Seas is a Quantum Class ship offering a multitude of onboard activities including the RipCord by ifly (skydiving simulator), rock climbing walls, Flowrider surf simulator, boggie boarding, the North Star observation capsule (it takes you 300 feet in the air with 360 degree views) and the Seaplex (an indoor sports and entertainment complex with various activities such as bumper cars, roller skating, basketball court, circus trapeze school, dodgeball, arcade, gaming consoles and much more).
Furthermore, there are bars and lounges including a bionic bar with robotic bartenders, broadway productions, live orchestras, comedy & game shows, kids clubs, dance & culinary classes and so much more. One of our favorites is the Two70 where you can immerse yourself in an innovative experience like no other. The space is transformed into a magical place where anything digital is possible and comes to life with 12K resolution screens that are 100 feet wide, with a multitude of projectors and 6 choreographed robotic screens that move around to add to the entire experience. To say the least, you will be completely blown away and fall in love with yet another amazing aspect of this ship!
There is a culinary heaven of delights offered in any of their 17 dining options which include Izumi (Japanese), Johnny Rockets, Wonderland (an imaginative culinary experience like no other), Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant, Chops Grille, buffets, cafes and much more.
Personally, we love to get dressed up for dinner and head to the main dining room (formal dining) at our set time, along with being seated at the largest table setting. This way we get to meet so many incredible individuals from across the globe and enjoy our meals while they regale us with their worldly travel knowledge and experiences.
For a more comprehensive look at this incredible ship, click here.
Our Sailing:
We sailed on a 12 night Southern Caribbean cruise during the holiday season from Cape Liberty, New Jersey with the following ports of call: Puerto Rico, St Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, St Kitts & Nevis and Martinique. The reasons why we loved this ship and sailing so much so that we would do it again in a heartbeat is because not only did the ship have so much to offer, the amazing ports of call but the fact that you had plenty of time to enjoy and explore the ship itself. We didn’t feel rushed to partake in activities or anything that was happening onboard as we knew there was more than enough time to relax and enjoy all of the onboard amenities and activities at our leisure.
The itinerary itself was really well planned out with 8-10 hours at the various destinations allowing us more than enough time to do anything that we wanted to from island tours, excursions, dining and taking in some much needed vitamin sea. Additionally, we really enjoyed the fact that there were a few sea days before and after all of the ports of call which gave us time to unwind and relax before returning back and disembarking in New Jersey.
Parking & Shuttle service:
We parked at the Bayonne Cruise Parking lot which offers a secure & gated outdoor lot, along with a complimentary shuttle service to and from the cruise port. The entire process was quite quick and efficient, we made the payment onsite as per our parking needs, took our baggage to the shuttle and were transported to the cruise port. Once we arrived back from our sailing, there was a shuttle waiting outside for all of the passengers to take them back to the parking lot. We would definitely use their services again and would highly recommend them to anyone.
As big fans of Royal Caribbean, we hope that you will consider sailing on this beauty. Trust us when we tell you that it will change the way you travel forever!
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Joy: by Robbie_Cruise_NCL
Photo by Robbie O’Malley
The Ship:
The Norwegian Cruise Line’s Joy boasts a wide array of different food selections such as La Cucina, the Italian Restaurant, Le Bistro, the French restaurant, Cagney’s, the onboard steakhouse and these only cover just a few of all the tasteful pleasures of the Joy.
Furthermore, onboard this monstrosity of a ship, there is something for everyone. If you’re feeling lucky, you can try your luck in the Joy Casino, which happens to be one of the largest at sea, encompassing most of Deck 7! If you are feeling like having a relaxing day indoors, you can mosey on up to Deck 15, where you can find one of the largest Observation Lounges at sea. This is where you find snacks throughout the day, along with a full service Starbucks. If you are wanting a party and or night club vibe, you can visit ‘The Social’ located on Deck 6. This is where you can get your groove on and even participate in a fan favorite; the silent disco. There is something for everyone in the entire family to enjoy!
My Sailing:
A cruise that I consider one of my best, is one that many may not think of when they are planning a vacation. Think about it… do you think of beaches or glaciers when you’re wanting to ‘get away from it all’. Alaska; The Last Frontier, has given me my absolute favorite cruise experience of all! From the moment you embark on this magical journey through the Alaskan Fjords, you are struck with gorgeous scenery and this is precisely why this has been my most memorable cruise to date.
On this cruise, I was so lucky to be invited to participate in one of the top ranking excursions that Norwegian Cruise Line has to offer. This is the Endicott Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer tour. Our ship was scheduled to depart Juneau, Alaska at 1:30 pm and at roughly 1:15 pm we transferred to a smaller ship that was able to take us right up to the face of the mighty Dawes Glacier; much closer in comparison to where the ship can get to. Soon after, we re-boarded the Norwegian Joy right in the fjord. It was an experience I will indeed remember forever!
Photos by Robbie O’Malley
Norwegian Joy was one of the ships that transported me to my Alaskan Paradise. On top of the views, the ship itself is a destination. When you’re not out enjoying the great outdoors of Alaska, you can be racing go-karts on one of the largest speedways at sea or playing in the Galaxy Pavilion which is an enormous area onboard filled with 3D and virtual reality games. Personally, I feel that this is what tied the entire experience together.
Putting all that aside, let’s get to what everyone is curious about, and what many believe makes a cruise, a cruise! Norwegian Joy boasts a ‘boat load’ of different dining and bar venues; so many that you may not be able to hit all of them in just a week.
I hope that after telling you about my all time favorite cruise, you will not think twice about Alaska, or Norwegian Joy! This is your chance to get to The Last Frontier and take in all of its beauty!
Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas: by Cruise_Fly_Repeat
Photo by The Traveling Footprints
The Ship:
Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas is one of the Oasis Class Ships and here are a few stats for you: Maiden Voyage: May 2016 | Tonage: 226,963 GT | Length:1,188 FT | Guest Capacity: 5,479 | Crew: 2,300.
As this is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, there are tons of things to do on this ship. Trust me, you will never ever feel crowded or bored. Planning ahead of time is key, there’s so much to explore and shows to enjoy such as the aqua show ‘The Fine Line’ (this was one of the best shows we’ve seen at sea). Ensure that you make your reservations as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out on any of the shows/productions. You can make your reservations on your phone by using the Royal Caribbean app, along with viewing the cruise itinerary, deck maps, show times and onboard activities for free without purchasing any onboard internet packages.
Our Sailing:
This Piece will highlight some of the things I loved and really enjoyed about the beautiful Harmony of the Seas. Ever since the first Oasis Class ship debuted back in 2009, I dreamed of the day that I would sail on an Oasis Class ship. Finally, that day came when I was able to sail on Harmony of the Seas and let me tell you – it stole my heart ever since.
I feel that our cabin location was the best choice. We love sailing on balcony cabins; I mean who doesn’t, but an Oasis class ship has 3 types of locations for balcony views and it can be a little overwhelming. We both agreed that we wanted an ocean view balcony stateroom but after looking at the prices, we realized that it was not in our budget. After further reviewing the deck plans, we came across what we felt was our home away from home having the best of both worlds with views of the ocean and aqua theater. We chose cabin number 8329 on deck 8 Aft, which is the very last stateroom on the boardwalk. This is where we were able to enjoy some beautiful ocean views and of course the amazing aqua theater shows all in the comfort of our balcony; it was like having an aqua suite but way more affordable. Furthermore, the Ultimate Abyss was right in front of our stateroom but does not obstruct the view and we enjoyed it.
Photo by Cruise_Fly_Repeat
The evening entertainment was something that my husband and I both enjoyed very much, along with strolling through Central Park at night, listening to the live music and enjoying the lush gardens as it made for a relaxing way to end the night.
Labadee: This was our first time visiting Labadee, Haiti and let me just tell you that we had a great day at the beach which has crystal clear beautiful blue waters. Aside from being a great beach day there’s lots of adrenaline pumping activities around the island from the Dragon’s breath zip line to the Dragon’s tail coaster; there’s something for everyone. We decided to ride the coaster and it was a blast as you were able to control the speed you traveled down the hill. We went on it twice and on the first run we decided to enjoy the views and took some spectacular pictures and the second time around we went down really fast; kinda scary but fun.
Photos by Cruise_Fly_Repeat
Wonderland: After watching numerous YouTube videos and pictures, this specialty restaurant was a must especially because I Love ‘Alice in Wonderland’. We decided to celebrate our Anniversary in ‘Wonderland’ and enter the “rabbit hole” lol. Wonderland is located Aft of the ship and is a two story restaurant which overlooks the boardwalk. The service and attention to detail is always top notch but the food quality was incredible and one of the best meals I have ever had in my years of cruising and that says a lot! It’s definitely an experience from the menus to the magical desserts. I love trying new things and expanding my taste buds as after all, you are on a cruise.
P&O Cruises’ Britannia: by Cruise Mummy
Photo by The Traveling Footprints
The Ship:
P&O’s Britannia is the largest of six ships currently in service with P&O Cruises and she is also the flagship of the fleet with a guest capacity of 3,647 passengers & 1,398 crew.
The Britannia doesn’t have as much onboard as many ships, in terms of facilities. There are no water slides, rock climbing walls and other things like that. What this ship does have is some fantastic pools, hot tubs and world-leading evening entertainment in addition to all of the traditional cruise ship favorites such as shuffleboard, table tennis, quoits and a shaded splash area for the little ones.
Our Sailing:
The best cruise I’ve been on with my family was P&O’s Britannia around the Mediterranean.
P&O Cruises is a British cruise line and many of their ships depart from Southampton, England making it an ideal option for UK families. The Britannia is the newest and largest ship in the fleet (pending the long-awaited arrival of the new ship Iona). Most of the passengers onboard are British and either couples or families.
Photos by Cruise Mummy
One of the things that I loved most about the Britannia was the food. There’s an incredible choice, with lots of great options for vegans, vegetarians and children that are picky eaters. I also love that P&O Cruises allows each guest (USA – 21+ / Britain – 18+) to bring 1L of either wine, champagne, beer, spirit, or liqueur on board. This allowed us to save a huge amount of money.
The Mediterranean is a lovely place to cruise and we visited many beautiful ports of call in Spain, Italy and Monaco. On a two-week itinerary, you have the time to relax with sunny sea days breaking up the busy days spent exploring ashore.
I would definitely recommend this cruise for families with children as the kids club is excellent, along with free babysitting for children 5 and under until 2 am. Furthermore, an important aspect for parents with babies and toddlers is that P&O Cruises allow swim nappies/diapers in the pool, which not many cruise lines do.
P&O Cruises offers a great value for your money and the Mediterranean is a lovely place to explore with beautiful beaches, fascinating history and lots to see and do.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Bliss: by Cruise_Yes_Please
Photo by Norwegian Cruise Line
The Ship:
The Norwegian Bliss’ inaugural sailing was in April 2018 and has a guest capacity of 4,002 guests and 1,700 crew. This ship has various themed dining options including the Ocean Blue (Seafood), Los Lobos (Mexican), Teppanyaki and much more. The Bliss also offers some spectacular entertainment options such as musicals, a night club, live bands, comedy shows and more.
Our Sailing:
When asked which cruise has been my absolute favorite I had the initial thought of, “how in the world would I pick one cruise?!” In retrospect though, there is one cruise that really speaks to my heart and when I close my eyes, I can see myself back on that particular ship. I can smell the newness of the ship, taste the delicious food and I clearly remember every moment and thing that made the Norwegian Bliss my favorite cruise ship. We sailed from Vancouver on the Bliss and this particular sailing was a repositioning cruise that started in Vancouver and ended in Los Angeles.
Photos by Cruise_Yes_Please
There are so many things that made this cruise stick out in my memory from the 17 cruises we’ve been on. Norwegian Cruise Line has this wonderful concept on this ship which makes this ship stick out from the rest. The Observation Lounge is at the front of the ship and multi-level decks which provide stunning ocean views. The Observation Lounge is beautifully decorated and you can grab a cocktail at the bar located in the lounge, enjoy some small bites and relax in the very comfortable and plentiful seating areas. All this makes the Bliss one of the most amazing ships I’ve ever sailed on.
In addition to the Observation Lounge, this ship has a wonderful promenade deck which also has outdoor seating from their specialty dining restaurants, the largest race track at sea and more. This ship is great for the Alaska itinerary and is also great for multi-generational families. The Norwegian Bliss is one cruise ship that brings the outside in and gives you the ability to truly connect to nature and the ocean.
Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas: by Cruise_Genius
Photo by Cruise_Genius
The Ship:
The Symphony of the Seas is an Oasis Class ship with an inaugural sailing of March 2018 and a guest capacity of 5,518. Fun Fact, at 1,188 feet long, she is twice as high as the Washington Monument! Much like the Anthem of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, Symphony has such an abundance of amenities, activities, dining and entertainment options to choose from. There is also the ‘Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade’ which has 31 big screen tvs that you can enjoy and cheer on your favorite teams at sea.
Photo by Cruise_Genius
My Sailing:
My favorite cruise was onboard the Symphony of the Seas. I took this cruise last summer and it was my last cruise before the COVID-19 pandemic started. I often think about this cruise, it holds a lot of great memories. Symphony is the largest ship in the world and when I was onboard we sailed from Miami, Florida to the western Caribbean and Perfect day at Coco Cay.
The ports of call on this cruise included Honduras, Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico. I decided to stay on board since I have visited these ports before and it was the best decision. The ships tend to be more empty on the sea days and I was able to enjoy two massive hot tubs to myself for most of the day while overlooking some amazing views. On day 7, I was able to visit the Royal Caribbean’s brand new private island, Perfect day at Coco Cay. I had plans to go up on the hot air balloon but the weather that day had different plans. My ride was unfortunately cancelled but I was able to enjoy the entire day in the Oasis Lagoon with the live band, DJ & swim up bars.
I’ll have to go back to try the hot air balloon another time for sure.
Photo by Cruise_Genius
Onboard there’s many activities that were fun and entertaining. I have been on an Oasis Class ship before so there was a few things I skipped out on this time around. I tried the Ultimate Abyss and it was surprisingly not scary! I was expecting it to give me a slight scare at least. The Abyss took me from the top deck to the boardwalk. It was short but so much fun! Being on the boardwalk lead to the Aqua Theatre; they have an amazing show but it was very hot in the summer for me to enjoy all of it. One thing I truly enjoy onboard cruises is the live entertainment. Towards the end of this cruise I enjoyed the Broadway show Hairspray in the main theater. It was a fun and interactive show.
I love to try different cuisines and the dining onboard was fantastic from complimentary to specialty dining. I was able to get a 3 night dining package. I enjoyed Hooked Seafood during a beautiful sunset which made it a better experience; great food with a view who doesn’t love that? I was amazed at Wonderland, the food and experience itself was something indescribable. For lunch one day, I tried Jamie’s Italian since I had a balcony overlooking Central Park and it was complementary. After a fun time at Perfect Day, I ended the cruise with Izumi Hibachi. Symphony of the Seas also features Johnny Rockets and Playmakers Sports Bar for a small charge. I got the sundae at playmakers and it was awesome. The best complimentary place to eat onboard was a poolside Mexican Grill called the “El Loco Fresh” serving a buffet style of great food. I went there many times a day as it was too good not too.
Overall, this was a relaxing and fun cruise. There are an endless amount of things to do on and off of this ship and with cruising in general. I truly can’t wait to cruise again.
Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria: by No Cruise Control
Photo by Nocruisecontrol85
The Ship:
Last year, I embarked aboard Queen Victoria for a Canary Isles cruise during the British Winter. It is currently my favourite cruise because it was the perfect mixture of a fabulous new (to me) ship, the fantastic service from Cunard and my old favourite of a Canary Isles cruise. An escape, not too far away, lovely warmth and sunshine during the British Winter and just perfect! Cunard Lines’ Queen Victoria really does take your breath away. On embarkation, the main lobby looked so beautiful, a string trio plays as you admire the traditional Cunard bellboys, you then stroll along towards your cabin, only to stumble into the Royal Arcade and have your breath taken away yet again. Then the ship just has that knack to keep taking your breath away. The Queens Rooms, the Library, the Britannia Restaurant, everywhere is breathtaking! Everywhere is so beautiful and has such attention to detail.
Photo by Nocruisecontrol85
My Sailing:
My favorite cruise is a hard one to choose as I love our annual Caribbean cruises, Baltic cruises and Norwegian Fjord cruises. I think that my favorite cruise so far has to be my first cruise aboard Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria to the Canary Isles.
I think the Canary Isles cruise is my favorite cruise for a few reasons. First of all it tends to be around two weeks on the ship. The perfect duration, a lovely long break off work, but not too long to make going back to normal life too difficult! I enjoyed embarking in Southampton, a large British port, then having a couple of days at sea to wind down to the cruise way of life.
Visiting Madeira, wandering around Funchal, burning off some calories, whilst walking along the seafront. Then onwards to the wonderful little island of La Palma. I thoroughly enjoyed a fabulous trip aboard a beautiful refurbished old fishing boat to Whale and Dolphin watch. The trip was fantastic, there were only around 10 of us and we saw lots of Dolphins.
We then sailed on to Tenerife and Lanzarote. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around each port, getting in as many steps as possible; we had to burn off the calories of the gastronomical delights we had been feasting on! Also, to take advantage of the glorious Canarian sunshine before the Voyage back to the UK commenced. En route back up North we stopped in La Coruna prior to another wonderful day at sea before disembarkation at Southampton. Fingers crossed it’ll be safe to return this Winter.
Photo by Nocruisecontrol85
We hope that you found all of the aforementioned information useful and anticipate that it will aid you in either booking your first or subsequent cruise(s).
Comment down below👇🏼 your favorite cruise experience; we would love to hear from you!
Until next time, keep dreaming, traveling, exploring safely and spreading your footprints.
♥️ The Traveling Footprints