Toms Cruise Ship Reviews

A brainchild of Carnival Corporation, Seabourn Cruise Lines are headquartered at Miami, Florida. Seabourn is known for the classy tours that it carries out all around the world. From the short 7 day trips around the Caribbean to the longer 100+ day trips around the world, Seabourn stands up to the nickname of being the “World’s best Cruises” that has been bestowed upon it by its clients. Most of the clients that inhabit these cruises belong to the age group ranging between 40 and 60. The clientèle of the Seabourn therefore, is that of the rich and the famous and therefore, the cruises have to maintain high standards of service in order to match the taste of its clients.

The fleet of Seabourn Cruise Lines is affectionately known as the Yachts of Seabourn and are smaller than standard cruises being offered by other cruise companies. This translates into good news for the clients, since Seabourn’s cruises can fit into some of the more exquisite and pristine ports, which are smaller and inept for larger cruise liners. Having a limited number of vacancies on board also means that the cruises guarantee a 100% privacy and exclusivity to each and every member of the guest family.

The cabins are well laden with the best that you could ever hope for. From DVD players to LCD TV panels and Bose sound Wave systems, the suits are fully loaded with all the toys of entertainment that you would want to enjoy in the middle of the sea. The main fleet of vessels consist of three identical vessels, which were built somewhere in the decade of 1985-1995. The three vessels that initially came into being are known as the Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit and the Seabourn Legend. The Seabourn Odyssey is on its way in 2009 and another vessel is lined up for launch in 2010. Thus, Carnival Corporation has long term plans of expanding its ever so popular Cruise liner service to enable more travelers to get an opportunity to enjoy a ride in the high seas!

The Seabourn Odyssey is the latest addition to the star studded fleet of Seabourn. With almost 90% of the suits in the ship having their own private verandas, largest spa in the history of cruise liners and an extended service to the loyal customers of the Seabourn, the Odyssey is all set to take the Cruise Liner company to an all new level of excitement.

The company is also planning the launch of the Sojourn in 2010 and it is a twin of the Odyssey. The Sojourn will have some extended features of the Odyssey, but the overall structure is expected to be the same. On the whole, Seabourn Cruise Liners is set to take an all new path to glory, as we all await the launch of these two new beauties.

If you are looking for six star comfort in the sea, and looking to explore more than 300 different ports across continents (including far flung places like Antarctica), then Radisson Cruise lines are exactly what you need. Having been chosen as the best cruise line for two years in a row, Radisson definitely has what it takes to make even the most picky of all consumers happy.

Be it one of the best dining experiences, exceptional room service, delightful cabin crew or just the plain fun of cruising in high seas, Radisson offers it all.

Radisson offers some of the best cruising experiences in the world. Guest aboard the Radisson are offered some of the best amenities on board and there are a number of services that are complimentary, or a delivered at give away prices. Complimentary non-alcoholic welcome drinks, breakfast and wine at lunch and dinner are more or less a standard feature of all Radisson packages. No wonder, Radisson is being constantly awarded the “best cruise value” award by the World Cruise and Cruise Liner Society for the past 11 years on the trot.

Although, there are a number of destinations that Radisson Cruises cater to, but Radisson’s Alaskan Cruise, which is offered during the summers, is one of the most popular cruises of all time. Great food, some of the best sights en route and amazingly refreshing rooms are all that a demented soul needs to cheer up. Radisson cruises offer the best guided tours in the world and their guides have picked up some of the most exclusive sights on the way and take all the pains to make their guests feel at home, in the sea.

Apart from Alaskan cruises, Radisson Mexican cruises are also popular amongst those looking for a different experience. The Seven Seas Mariner and an all-balcony suites line up on the ship add a whole new experience to the trip. Besides, the cruise takes special care to ensure that the people on board get a dining experience that is closest to the place the ship is sailing through. Be it Mediterranean cuisine, Asian food or the mouth watering delicacies of the Pacific, Chefs on board Radisson Cruises know how to give their guests the best possible dining experience.

Finally, one of the most important things that set Radisson Cruise lines apart from the rest of the crowd is the fact that they have one of the widest range of services to offer. With a large number of places to visit on their list and an equally well-equipped fleet of cruise liners, Radisson Cruise Liners are definitely one of the best in the industry today.

Royal Caribbean, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises, was set up in the year 1968 and is headquartered at Miami, Florida. Since its inception, Royal Caribbean has come a long way, with its parent company acquiring some of the best brands in the industry over time; Royal Caribbean has a huge fleet of twenty one ships that are in service as of today. Two ships are under construction and are expected to join the ranks pretty soon. Ships belonging to the Royal Caribbean cruises are differentiated from others by their name, which more or less ends in these words- “of the seas”.

Song of Norway was the first ship to have been out into service by the Royal Caribbean, back in 1970. Later, Sun Viking and Nordic Prince were also added to its fleet. Over a span of four years, these three ships gained considerable popularity amongst sailors and guests alike. The Song of Norway, owing to an unprecedented demand in the number of people seeking a spot on the cruise, was the first cruise in the history of shipping industry to have been lengthened by insertion of a 25 meter long piece of metal.

Royal Caribbean has always been at its innovative best throughout the course of time it has been operating. It was the first cruise liner to have purchased private property in Haiti, to accommodate its guests and to make them feel exclusive and special. In 1988, the Sovereign of the Seas was launched under the aegis of the Royal Caribbean. This cruise liner was the largest ship afloat in the seas at that time and thus, it was the cynosure of critics and guests alike.

Each Royal Caribbean ship has a host of features, which are virtually absent in all the other cruise liners operating in the market currently. For instance, each ship has a father of all lounges, called the Viking Lounge, which boasts of amazing views, on board swimming pools, tennis lawns, lawn climbing and a hoard of other facilities, which make the guests’ experience a totally exquisite one. What’s more, the cruise line takes care of its younger guess as well, and each cruise ship has a different section for this lot of guests. Known as the Adventure Ocean, this area has a hoard of fun filled activities and theme parks, which are exclusively designed to cater to the needs of the young Turks.

The Royal Caribbean cruises are divided into a number of categories, depending upon the kind of cruise liner in perspective. These categories are Oasis, Freedom, Voyager, Radiance, Vision and the sovereign class. While all the ships in these categories boast of the trademark legacy that Royal Caribbean beholds, yet there are subtle differences between each of these which sets them apart from each other and from the rest of the crowd.

Having two identical cruise liners in its fleet, Azamara Cruise Line is a highly respected name in the Asian, Caribbean and European waters. Being a subsidiary of Celebrity Cruises, which in itself is backed by the powerful Royal Caribbean Group, Azamara caters to a highly niche-specific class of guests, looking for nothing but the best. Initially set up as an extension to Celebrity Expeditions, which was a special service carried out by Celebrity Cruises, Azamara ships were so distinct from the other ships in the Caribbean waters, that the company decided to give these ships a brand name of their own and hence, Azamara Cruise was born.

Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest are the two ships that are currently a part of the fleet of cruise liners under Azamara. While the Journey and the Quest can carry a total 710 passengers on board at any given time, both the ships had been launched in order to give the passengers a more intimate and exclusive experience, while taking them to some of the most unseen destinations of the high seas.

The sole aim of segregating Azamara ships from other Celebrity ships was to create a whole new segment of travelers. This new niche was termed as the Deluxe segment, which according to the then CEO of Celebrity Cruises, was a segment that fell between the luxury and the premium classes. This segment was meant for those people who wanted to travel in style and were not really willing to spend a lot of money on the otherwise unnecessary amenities being offered by some other cruises.  Thus, an all new era of cruise liners was born in the name of Azamara Cruises.

Azamara Cruises not only takes its travelers on the more popular Caribbean itineraries, but also runs regular tours to some of the most pristine parts of Asian waters. What’s more, Azamara is planning to expand its operations soon and take its guests to some of the most pristine and undiscovered destinations all around the world, delivering what Azamara had promised to deliver at its inception- Great service, state of art cruising and a totally intimate experience while sailing.

While Azamara promises to take you to places where larger cruisers can’t go- because of their size- the service within the ship is one of the best that you can get in the service industry. With Butler service in every room, fresh flowers, concierge amenities, plasma TV panels and tastefully appointed furniture in the suits and staterooms, Azamara delivers the best in terms of in house amenities in the Caribbean region. Thus, for an intimate cruising experience, coupled with some of the best wines, great itineraries and servicing par excellence, Azamara is a name to reckon with.

Founded in 1988 as a part of the Greek business house- Chandris Group, Celebrity cruises was inducted into the Royal Caribbean International in the year 1997. The group today, is known as the Royal Caribbean Cruises and has a number of other smaller cruise liners under its gamut.

Celebrity Cruises came into being as an upmarket, high end cruise liner to cater to the guests in the Bermuda region. Chandris Group had been in the cruising industry since the late 1960s and felt the need of expanding its business to the US market. Chandris operated its cruise liners in the US under the name Chandris Fantasy Cruises, which later dissolved and Celebrity was taken over by the Caribbean International.

Initially, Chandris fantasy cruises catered mainly to the upper middle and middle class markets. Their cruises were not really known to suit the tastes of the high end customer and Chandris operated on second hand ocean liners which it had acquired from the defunct cruise operators of that era. But, with Home Lines, a leading cruise company of that time, being sold off to Holland America Line in 1988, Celebrity Cruises was born. Home Lines had contracts for five ships, which were allowed to sail in the waters of the Bermuda region, but Home Lines, due to their internal grievances, decided to forgo the contract. The Bermuda government then opened the contract again to the public, this time for only two cruise liners and Chandris was interested.

Chandris found it difficult to gain this contract, as the Bermuda government was very picky about the ships being high end and upmarket, which, unfortunately, was not the case with Chandris’ cruises at that time. As a result of this set back, Chandris Cruises gave birth to celebrity cruises, which were one of the most sophisticated and upmarket cruise liners of that era. With the state of the art modern cruises at its disposal, Chandris started negotiating with the Bermuda government once again and finally ended up winning a contract for itself for two ships. It was then, that Celebrity Cruises catapulted to success and came in to the limelight as being one of the most upmarket, yet economical cruises of all time.

Since then, there was no looking back for Chandris and Celebrity Cruises as well. Celebrity cruises expanded its fleet like mad over the coming decade and today, Celebrity Cruises boast of a fleet of eight cruise liners that carry out expeditions in the Bahamas and Galapagos islands and some ships also frequent Malta, which is an all-exclusive trip being carried out by Celebrity Cruises these days. So, there you go. If pure exhilaration and unmatched fun, coupled with some great cuisine and exceptional service are what you want in your perfect cruise trip to the Bahamas, then Celebrity Cruises is your way to go!

Known mostly for their two high end large steamers, Crystal cruises is a subsidiary of the Japanese corporation Nippon Yusen Kaisha. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the company sees a mix of guests from different parts of the world, with 85% being from North America itself. Out of these 85% guests that hail from North America, stats tell us that almost half of them hail from California. Thus, we conclude that Crystal Cruises operates and caters to people from California primarily, although, the staff on board the cruise liners is well equipped to cater to people from different parts of the world.

Given the fact that most North American cruise liners operates from California itself, Crystal Cruises does get a very moody clientèle and stats tell us that Crystal Cruises scores pretty high in the list of these guests, whose fluctuating tastes and mood swings are quite a handful to handle. Having been voted as the top cruise liner by the readers of famous magazines (for eg, Conde Naste Traveler), it is imminent that Crystal Cruises is definitely one of the best in the service industry today. Even popular guidebooks and tourist booklets have constantly been voting Crystal Cruises among the top 10 attractions of California.

Founded in 1988, Crystal Cruises currently has two cruise liners, which are also the flagship trademarks of this cruising industry minnow. The Crystal Symphony and the Crystal Serenity are currently used to conduct tours in the Caribbean and a third ship- the Crystal Harmony, which was an integral part of the fleet, retired in 2005. The Crystal Symphony is smaller of the two cruise liners and can hold around 950 passengers, while the Crystal Serenity has the capacity of catering to more than a thousand guests. The Symphony is also the older of the two ships and was built in the year 1995, while the Serenity joined the fleet in 2003.

Exceptional service is the sole yardstick that sets Crystal Cruises apart from other cruise liners operating in the region of California. While there are Cruise liners that are better in terms of facilities and amenities, their staff can be rude at times. With Crystal Cruises, you get the most well mannered and ethical staff on board in the region, and this is primarily the reason why Crystal is a favorite amongst the high profile guests of the region.

With plush and fully furnished rooms, sea facing balconies, exceptional décor, great cuisine and some of the most happening casinos and night clubs on board, give Crystal Cruises an added advantage over the rest of the lot. We are sure that once you plan to cruise on one of the Crystal cruise liners, you will always want to come back.

Owned by Carnival Corporation now, Cunard Cruises was the first shipping company to be awarded a transatlantic shipmail contract in the year 1839. in the subsequent year, Samuel Cunard, the founder of the group, established the British and North American Mail Steam-Packet Company. For the next 30 years, the Cunard group was the proud holder of the Blue Riband, a title that is bestowed upon the fastest shipping company across the Atlantic. In the subsequent years, Inman Cruises and White Start shipping took over Cunards to clinch the title. Cunard then had to go public with his company, in order to raise capital to compete in the shipping business. The company went public with the name Cunard Steamship Company Ltd, in the year 1879.

In 1902, White star became a member of the American shipping company- the International Mercantile Marine Company and Cunard again was at the danger of falling prey at the hands of stiff competition. In those demanding times, it was the British government that came to the rescue of Cunard Cruise lines by offering them huge loans to overcome the competition and to stay afloat in the market.

Cunard Cruise lines built two large steamers after being funded by the government and one of their liners held the Blue Riband or a few more years. The competition, however got tougher, with the French, Germans and Italians entering the sailing industry with a bang, by launching their super-luxury prestige steamers in the decades of 1930s and 1940s.

Due to the depression, Cunard had to stop all his on going plans. The British government again came to the rescue and offered him a loan enough to get him to complete Queen Marry and Queen Elizabeth, the two steamliners that Cunard was pursuing back then. The government had a condition though, that Cunard would have to merge with the Whitestar corporation. Cunard agreed and formed the Cunard White-star company, which later came to be known as the Cunard Line in 1950. This is how a gem in the shipping and cruising industry was born.

The end of World War II Saw the Cunard Corporation regaining the position of the largest and the most trusted transatlantic cruise operator. With more than 12 steamers in its fleet by the end of the war, Cunard has started operating in full swing. With one of the most respected on-board staff and having one of the best guest-service record in the shipping industry, Cunard is all set to retain its position of being the best in the North Atlantic for years to come. In 1998, Cunard was annexed and taken over by Carnival Corporation, which is home to some of the best cruise liner companies in the world. Today, Cunard stands as a British operated, American owned company, which retains its legacy and is the perfect mixture of modern sophistication, coupled with age old work ethics that the company is known for, all over the world.

AMA waterways is one of the most respected names in the European cruise arena and has been winning the hearts of its guests continuously since its inception in 2002. Known for pioneering some of the most pristine and unexplored itineraries of European waters, AMA waterways has been winning accolades for years and is seen as the preferred choice for those seeking some of the best river cruise experiences in the European seas.

With names like Jimmy Murphy, Rudi Schreiner and Kristine Karst amongst the founders of this amazing cruise company, AMA waterways theoretically has the best expertise and knowledge that any cruise liner company could boast of.

AMA cruises has the most spacious balconies and suites in the entire European region and most of these ships boast of 82+ French Balconies, attached with the suites, overlooking the mellow waters of the rivers these cruise liners take their guests through. The rooms are tastefully appointed and it would not be unfair to compare the rooms of AMA ships to those of some of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Guests are given the best in terms of comfort and facilities. With soft bathing robes, terry slippers and plush interiors, guests are pampered to the core. Besides, flat TV panels, marble flooring all over the room and calm and relaxing attached bathrooms make the experience worth savoring for, for the rest of your lives.

AMA waterways has the fastest growing fleet of river cruises over the historic rivers of Europe like the Danube, Rhine and Po. AMA waterways is also one of the most technically equipped river cruises operating in this region today. With a staff that is conversant in speaking a number of languages and having some of the best chefs on board in the entire world, AMA waterways is known for unprecedented service and some of the best on-water cuisines in the world.

Some of the most prominent cruises being carried out by AMA waterways include a cruise through the Porto River Valley, Portugal, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, romantic cruises along the French Riviera and cruises through the chilling and historic waters of Russia and the Scandinavian nations. AMA waterways is also keen on expanding its operation in the otherwise untouched regions of the world. In September ’09, AMA waterways plans to foray into South East Asian waters, with cruises in Vietnamese waters and in places such as Cambodia and Mekong.

There are a number of exclusive and complimentary amenities that the guests are entitled to. Local wines at dinner and lunch, Wi Fi in the lobbies and free tour guides to accompany you along to the places that are on the map of the cruise are just some of the services that set AMA waterways apart from the competition and should force you to book a berth today itself.

Carnival cruises, is one of the most respected cruise liners in the world today. Carnival Corporation has a number of smaller cruise liners under its aegis, which makes it one of the most elegant and versatile cruise liners operating from the US today. Set up by Ted Arison in 1072, Carnival Corporation is a publicly traded company today, and is the owner of almost a dozen smaller brands of cruise liners.

Being a pioneer in the small cruise segment, which conducted shorter cruise tours, which were not only less expensive than the other standard cruises of that era, but were also more fun and enjoyable for those who were short on time and wanted a short, crisp and sweet tour, rather than a long cruise, spanning hundreds of days on the sea.

Carnival cruises have always been known as cruises having a high fun quotient in their cruises. With Las Vegas type interiors, well appointed rooms and some of the most high tech entertainment options on board, Carnival Cruises attract crowd from all sphere of life.

Carnival Destiny was one of the first ships to have been added to the fleet of Carnival Cruises. The Carnival Splendor, which was launched in 2008, has been the largest and the most technically advanced ship to have been added to the fleet of Carnival Cruises till date. Another cruise liner, the Carnival Dream, which, when launched, will be one of the most sophisticated ships at sea is all set to debut in 2009. Another ship the Carnival Magic, which is supposedly a sister ship of the Carnival Dream, is all set for debut in 2011.

Currently, Carnival Cruises has divided its fleet of almost 30 ships into six broad categories. The six cruising classes in which Carnival has divided its packages into include Fantasy class, Destiny Class, Holiday Class, Spirit Class, Conquest Class and splendor class. Most cruises being conducted by Carnival Cruises are conducted in the region of the Bahamas and Panama. While the Holiday class caters exclusively to people seeking to go out in the Bahamas, the Destiny and Fantasy classes run regular cruises to both the Bahamas section as well as the Panama section. The Spirit, conquest and splendor segments are, again exclusively run in the Panama region.

Overall, Carnival Cruise lines can be considered as the master cruise lines if you want to explore the Bahamas and the Caribbean. With one of the most sophisticated on-board technologies, some of the best suites, great food, amazing services and the best on-the-sea entertainments arrangements, Carnival Cruises are definitely way ahead of the competition, when it comes to guided cruises tours in the Caribbean. Besides, Carnival Cruise liners consist of one of the most disparate fleet of cruise liners in the world, giving its guests a wide variety to choose from in terms of packages and tours.

This article is part of the series: carnival cruise line reviews.

Being one of America’s premium cruise lines, Princess Cruise lines are also one of the most luxurious cruise lines in the world. It has its offices in Valencia, which a suburb of Santa Clarita, California. Once a private enterprise, Princess Cruises was listed at the London Stock Exchange and was also a part of the FTSE 100 index. Later, the cruise company got taken over by Carnival Corporation, which owns some of America’s most prestigious cruise and shipping companies as of today.

Princess Cruise Lines shot into virtual stardom overnight after two of its ships got featured in the famous TV series, The Love Boat. The two ships to be featured in the TV series were The Pacific Princess and the Island Princess, both of which became a household name during the era in which the TV series was aired.

Princess cruises was incorporated way back in 1966, when it’s innovative and out of the box thinking owner, Stanley McDonald chartered the Princess Patricia (which was then owned by another cruise company, the Canadian Pacific Limited) and started his own cruise of sorts, starting from Los Angeles and taking its guests on a guided tour of the Mexican Riviera. He was able to charter Patricia for a relatively cheaper price during the winters since Patricia’s owners used it to conduct cruises along the Alaskan waters during the summers and the cruise liner was relatively free during the summers. Thus, with an innovative idea, the cruise started sailing during the winters as well, under the aegis of Princess Cruises.

Princess Patricia lacked some features (such as Air Conditioning etc) and thus, a new purpose built cruise liner came into existent. Called the Italia, this cruise lines became the flagship cruise liner for Princess Cruises. Princess Cruises kept acquiring cruises from other cruise liner companies over time and kept ordering their own cruises, which were custom built to suit their requirements. Today, the company has almost 9 cruises under its aegis and conducts tours to all the famous cruising destinations of the world. Princess Cruises has the capacity to offer decks and space to more than 10,000 passengers on all its cruises at one given time.

In 2008, the company was taken over by Carnival Corporation for a whopping $5.4 billion and since then, the company has come a long way and Carnival has added its own charm to the otherwise flourishing cruise liner company. With a legacy of more than 50 years to behold and the strong expertise of Carnival Corporation to back the company up, Princess Cruises is all set to expand and continues to cater to its guests the way it has been doing for years. In our opinion, Princess Cruises is all set to take over the world of chartered cruising in the coming few years. So, when are you booking yourself a place on this wonderful cruise liner?