We recently took a cruise for a family vacation with Norwegian Cruise Lines - our first with that particular line. After you’ve been on a certain number of cruises (this was my 8th) you consider yourself to be a bit of an expert, and you compare the cruise ship you’re on with all of the cruise ships you’ve been on in the past.

Some things we liked:

• The price was right - we took advantage of a kids sail free special and only paid port & tax for 2 of the kids
• The common areas and multiple dining rooms were nicely appointed
• Check in at the terminal was a breeze, and we were welcomed onto the ship with champagne
• The slots were hot, and we won close to $1400
• The kids club did activities in one central location and the kids really enjoyed their time there, and WANTED to be there instead of hanging with us
• Freestyle dining means you eat when and where you’d like to

Some things, we didn’t like:

• Norwegian’s private island, Grand Stirrup Cay, doesn’t even compare to Royal Carribean’s private island CoCo Cay
• Because of the freestyle dining, you don’t get the benefit of a waiter who learns your drink or dining preferences on the first night, thereby catering to you for the rest of the cruise
• The cabins were much smaller compared to the last cruise we took on Carnival

I plan to elaborate more at a future date, but for now, I would do Norwegian again as long as it went to places no other cruise line could take me too. We definitely enjoyed our time, but I prefer Royal Caribbean or Carnival.

I went on my first cruise when I was 9, and my second when I was 11. I didn’t have the chance to cruise again until the year 2000, when I finally talked my husband into a cruise. Can you believe that he had to be talked into it? He thought he’d be bored! Once he got on board, it was a completely different story though, and we’ve been on several cruises since, as a couple and with the family. I love cruising because of the options you have. You can go almost anywhere on a cruise, from the Caribbean, to Alaska, to ports of call in Europe and Asia. While you’re getting to your destination, you can eat, drink, dance, and enjoy all sorts of new experiences. On our various cruises, we’ve seen magicians, participated in a wine tasting class, and played plenty of Bingo and other games.

Due to the popularity of cruises, and all of the options available to travelers, there’s a lot of competition between travel agencies and travel websites for a piece of the cruise market. I prefer shopping for cruises at a site that specializes in cruises, like DirectLineCruises.com - I prefer knowing that my travel website knows the cruise industry inside and out! Too many travel agencies try to handle too much, and your vacation plans suffer. When you book with a company like DirectLineCruises.com, you can rest assured knowing that they know their stuff, and can get you great deals on every type of cruise, from budget offerings to premium and luxury lines. Two of the premier cruise companies they work with are Celebrity Cruises and
Azamara Cruises. They’re known for their wonderful cuisine and 5 start accommodations. If you want to be pampered and dazzled on your next cruise vacation, either of those cruise lines can get the job done!

This is a sponsored review.

We’ve been on a Disney Cruise before, and hands down, it was one of the BEST cruises we’ve ever been on. The ship was fantastic, the staff was amazing, and the attention to detail on everything from the entertainment to the decor was super. I’m not surprised that the Disney Cruise Line was recently named one of the top cruise lines in the industry by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine!

The magazine editor’s selected cruises and the readers voted on - because Disney goes out of their way to engage the whole family on their ship, they won high honors. One reason we enjoyed the ship so much is that it had a large area devoted specifically to the kids. On another cruise line we went on, the playroom was mostly used for the babies, and my kids were shuffled from lounge to lounge for their activities. Disney had a huge play area for the kids, a big screen TV, and plenty of activities to keep them busy, but the kids were also able to just have down time to play if they wanted to do that.

Congratulations to Disney!