Different Vibes on Different Cruise Ships

Different vibes Different Cruises

I recently got off a Liberty of the Seas weekend vacation out of Fort Lauderdale. While onboard, there were some large differences in other cruise lines I had been on throughout this year, and I wanted to explain some of the key differences so you can choose the right cruise for you.

Any cheap weekend cruise is going to have a party environment. It can fluctuate with how busy the party areas are by the different cruise line but typically it goes about the same. A cheap weekend Royal is similar to a weekend Carnival. Maybe a slight difference. The casinos will be packed, and the adult shows you will need to be there early for. The bars are almost always full and will take a bit of waiting to get a drink at most bars. A positive of these booze cruises is that most people get off the ship on a port day. Nassau in the cruise community is well known as an extra sea day. Most people use that day to experience all the activities on the ship. On the Liberty of the Seas, the ship became a ghost town in Nassau. Something I haven’t seen in several cruises. These cruises can be a family vacation, but the weekend cruise crowd can be a bit rowdier than the crowd during a weeklong cruise.

A month before our Liberty sailing was a five-night sailing on the Disney Magic. It is a 27-year-old ship that was during the work week and was double the price of the booze cruise that had the drink package included. The difference in vibes were massive. We could have a hot tub by ourselves in the adult section, a chair right by the pool, and we could walk up to any bar on the ship and immediately get served. All of these bars were like that. On the ship, and on the private islands. It didn’t matter; they just were completely empty. Disney has an extremely high price point and caters their offerings to mostly a younger crowd. They also don’t have a prepaid drink package. The adult offerings at the end of the night were laughably empty. We were able to do every single one of the adult offerings and have a great chair every single time. You could walk in late and get a great spot too. The nighttime entertainment was extremely toned down, and when the crowd participation isn’t filled with drunk people, it isn’t quite as fun. I believe it was the back end of deck 3 where all the adult only entertainment was and we would call it sadness avenue. The pub at the end was empty, the piano bar, empty, the main lounge where everything was held, empty. This ship was not catering to that vibe at all. This cruise was perfect for families to be in a family environment.

I went on a Disney Wish sailing several months ago and it was a weekend cruise. Once again, the price point was high but there was definitely more of a party element. The adult shows were a bit more busy, and even got risqué for Disney.  It was still a family centered environment but the adult shows were just a bit busier, and there were so many themed bars and lounges that you could enjoy.

The Virgin Scarlett Lady is the opposite of the Disney cruise and we went on a five day during the week, and the only night where I really could see it being an extreme party boat was Scarlett night on the top deck. You could get a chair at nightlife, and the bars were not overrun, even with no kids allowed on the ship. This was during a week cruise, and an expensive one as well, so it isn’t too surprising that the party vibes weren’t extremely high.  

The Utopia of the Seas is one of the newest ships in Royal’s fleet and is a bit more expensive than a Liberty booze cruise. This ship is perfect for all vibes. You can still have a peaceful vacation, party, and even have plenty to do for the whole family. I would say that this cruise was most in the middle because of how big it is, everything can be spread out throughout the night. There is definitely a difference between the vibes of Liberty and the Utopia, even though the deck party is full of champagne guns on the Utopia.

Whatever vacation you are looking to have, I am certain you can find a ship for you. If you want more of a slower experience onboard, look for the cruises during the week. If you want to party, you can find the cheapest ship available on a weekend trip and  it will be full of like-minded people.  This is one of the reasons I love cruising, it is a vacation that you can cater all yourself. Do as much or little as you want for one price.