Editor's note: This article is solely an opinion piece, based on publicly available passenger reviews, loyalty program changes, onboard pricing changes, and industry reporting we found online.
Do not make the mistake of thinking cruising is on its last legs. The ships are at capacity, the new ones are enormous, and the industry has no trouble putting in private islands, slides, or whatever premium upsell and dining concept is in vogue.
Longtime passengers are annoyed for good reason. They will be the first to tell you the value proposition of old is what has gone missing, not the act of cruising itself.
You hear the same refrain from one brand to another: tighter menus, less staff, more charges and fewer inclusions. It makes for a vacation that lacks some of its former grace.
12. Holland America Line
Holland America remains one of the few with an unambiguous identity. You have your live music, your older demographic, your calmer ships and itineraries for those who want to see the port. The gripes are of a quieter sort.
Loyalists will point out that maintenance, the depth of entertainment and even the food do not measure up to the line they know. It is not a public relations crisis, but regulars have been on the old version and can tell the difference.
11. Princess Cruises
Princess was once in a fine middle ground: better than the mass-market noise, yet without the formality of old luxury. A solid choice for the Panama Canal or Alaska. Now there is talk of app friction and add-on packages.
The dining does not seem as special as the brochures would have it. Princess can put together a lovely itinerary, but whether the experience on board is as polished as the cost warrants is open to debate.
10. Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity made its name as the grown-up alternative to the mainstream. So every cut is felt more acutely. Those who put down money for superior food and some space are not fond of the crowds or the way specialty dining prices inch up year after year.
The line has its fans and the ships are fine, but there are complaints from people who recall when Celebrity was more than just pricier; it was above the pack.
9. Disney Cruise Line
Disney is in a class of its own for service, so the issue is value. Fares have gotten to the point where a family can be happy and still wonder if the magic was worth the tab.
With the short sailings and the premium cabins, the numbers are hard to justify. For those with young children it is unforgettable, but the rest of us find the price gap hard to overlook.
Read more: 29 Ridiculous Time Wasters All Cruisers Must Avoid
8. Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean has put all its eggs in the basket of mega-ship spectacle. Bigger crowds, bigger neighborhoods, bigger everything. It is a floating resort, which is fine if that is what one wants.
But it is frustrating for those who remember when the line was a cruise and not a theme park with a few cabins. An impressive ship is not necessarily a relaxing one when there is a queue for every marquee activity.
7. Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival is still the place for a cheap, lively time and the ships show it.
But passengers will complain when the low fare seems to produce a lower-quality product: functional food, long lines at the buffet and pools that are too crowded. Carnival is upfront about being casual, but some say it has become chaotic.
6. Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian’s pitch was always freedom: dress and dine as you please. Lately that freedom seems to come with a lot of fine print, surcharges and the need for reservations.
There is flexibility, but not much simplicity. Repeaters notice when “free at sea” becomes a puzzle and the pressure to upsell is anything but light.
5. MSC Cruises
With their modern vessels and hard-nosed pricing, MSC draws in business. The photos are flattering. Service and communication are where the complaints lie, and the European way of doing things is not as intuitive to Americans as what they get from Norwegian or Royal.
It is a good deal if one knows what to expect. Disappointing if the gloss of the ship leads one to anticipate luxury.
Read more: 21 Cruise Drink Package Mistakes That Cost Passengers
4. P&O Cruises
P&O has a devoted following in the U.K. for its traditionalism. The newer mega-ships and the value pricing have altered the mood. Some of the old guard say the line is more average and busy than it should be.
P&O may well win over new families with the change, but at the risk of losing those who liked that it did not feel like any other mass-market operation.
3. Cunard
Cunard projects an image of ocean-liner history and occasion that is hard to match. It is also fragile. A change in the dining or the service on a new ship is not taken as an update, but as a departure from tradition.
Cunard does not have to be modern for all tastes, but it must be unmistakably itself. Some loyalists would argue the line has wavered on that front.
2. Oceania Cruises
Oceania has built a market around refinement and a quiet premium feel. That sets a high standard. Passengers are vocal when the food does not seem to hold the edge over the competition or when the inclusions are changed.
Premium cruisers will put up with minor flaws if the value is there. When the bill is special and the experience is not, they will make their feelings known.
1. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent is in the danger zone common to ultra-luxury brands. Expectations are set before one even gets on board. No one is saying the cruise is unpleasant. The question is whether the flights, hotels and excursions are seamless enough for what is being charged.
If there is a rough transfer or a meal that falls flat on an all-inclusive dream, it is magnified. At these levels, “pretty good” can be a letdown.
The Pattern
It is more than a case of a bad meal or a full pool.
Cruise passengers are reacting to the sense that the vacation they were sold has been carved up into smaller pieces for an extra fee.
The frustration is evident in cruise shore excursion mistakes, cruise cabin mistakes that ruin trips, airport lounges that no longer feel worth it, hotel chains travelers say have gone downhill and restaurant chains diners say lost their old appeal.
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