I've been on 6 cruise ships — here's how they compare and the one I would recommend

05.11.2023 - 11:51 / insider.com / Royal Caribbean

Throughout the last two years, I've spent at least one night on six ships all with different cruise lines. While they've all varied in prices and target demographics, one has stood out as my clear favorite.

By no means do I love cruises — the shows can be tacky, the food can be mediocre, and I'm easily bored. If I wasn't a travel reporter, I'd probably never board these floating resorts. But duty calls, and since 2021, I've been invited to several non-revenue media sailings or overnighters with cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Oceania, and Norwegian.

While I've been unsurprisingly critical of some cruise ships, others have won me over. Let's take a closer look at the six ships I've been on and the one I'd recommend.

In late 2021, I boarded the then-new $1 billion Celebrity Apex for its two-night naming ceremony. At the time, I hadn't been on a cruise in over 10 years. (As a kid with parents who liked cruises, I remember disliking them.)

The Apex wasn't designed for "zillennials" like me. Celebrity targets Gen X customers, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the cruise line's now-former CEO, told Insider at the time. Despite this disconnect, the Apex had some of the best-designed and decorated spaces I've seen on a ship.

Places like Eden (a restaurant, bar, and entertainment venue) were attractive and trendy while the Rooftop Garden looked just like its name promised. Even the outdoor lounges and frequently overlooked atrium were more exciting than most ships — the latter had a martini bar that sat under the glow of an LED chandelier.

While my 243-square-foot infinite veranda stateroom had some dull decor, the natural light from the large wall of windows made my tiny cabin feel large.

Where these onboard spaces shined, the dining didn't: I wasn't wowed by any of my meals, including my dinner at Le Petit Chef. Here, overhead projectors displayed an animated storyline on the dining table. However, this gimmick wasn't enough to overshadow the disappointingly mediocre food.

Ultimately, I faced the same dilemma I remembered as a child: boredom. While the theater was grand, I wasn't wowed by the nighttime show. And like I said at the time, I can only wade around the pool so many times and eat and drink so much. While I loved the design of spaces like the Magic Carpet, an outdoor extension that moves vertically between decks, I can't spend all day staring at it.

If I was here on a week-long vacation, I'd be twiddling my thumbs by day three.

In October 2022, I was invited on the four-night inaugural sailing for the $1.1 billion Norwegian Prima. It was the first time I had ever enjoyed being on a cruise.

Four nights is long for a cynic like me. But to my surprise, I was consistently entertained by the Prima's long list of