We have taken close to 40 cruises and we are still booking more. We love being at sea, but we are not easy sells. Cruise lines are a smaller universe than hotels or destinations, so our reviews here cover the full range of what we have sailed rather than just our favorites. We will tell you honestly which ones we would book again and which we would not. We look at accessibility on every sailing because it is personal to us. We write these because reading from someone who has actually been on the ship has always helped us book smarter. These are our experiences, and yours may be different.
Disney Adventure
A Disney ship with empty bars and a spa you could always get into. That was the surprise of the Disney Adventure, the first Disney built for Asia and unlike any Disney cruise we have taken. Our daughters grew up on these ships and still called it the best we have sailed, though the specialty dining can run eye-watering.
Virgin Scarlet Lady
Virgin Voyages is not trying to build a better cruise ship. They are building a different one, and on its own terms it works. We sailed an Accessible Sea Terrace and kept finding reasons the format earns its confidence, from six included specialty restaurants to an adults-only pace that never apologizes for itself.
Explora I
By day three, the true all-inclusive fare, no packages, no upcharges, produces a mental shift most cruisers have never felt at sea. Glenn and Judy Tudor on Explora I, the black cod at Sakura, an included thalassotherapy pool that changed how mornings worked, and why the established luxury lines are watching this ship more closely than they let on.
Norwegian Aqua
The Mandara Spa Thermal Suite was the best spa facility we have encountered at sea, on any line, any class of ship. Glenn and Judy Tudor on Norwegian Aqua, Mexican food at Los Lobos that holds up against any land comparison, and why this ship rewards the guest who comes prepared and books The Haven.
Celebrity Beyond in “The Retreat”
Stepping into The Retreat's private lounge removed the friction of modern cruising in a way we had not fully anticipated. Glenn and Judy Tudor on Celebrity Beyond, why the Retreat Sun Deck earns its quiet, a five-course dinner at Le Voyage, and how this ship-within-a-ship proves you don't have to trade variety for exclusivity.
Disney Destiny
Our daughters grew up on Disney ships, and even they had never quite seen this version of the brand. Glenn and Judy Tudor on Disney Destiny's Heroes and Villains theme, production shows that hold up entirely on their own, and why Disney's best ships are not built for children, they are built for anyone who still takes a good story seriously.
Oceania Vista
Stepping aboard the Oceania Vista felt less like boarding a cruise ship and more like checking into a chic, floating residential hotel. Glenn and Judy Tudor on the Allura Class debut, why 1,200 guests means space over crowds, and the Aquamar Kitchen dining program that makes the case you don't have to choose between a big ship's resources and a small one's feel.