Every time we bring our readers together in a room, they begin to swap stories about their experiences with different destinations or properties. So we inaugurated a feature called "Readers Recommend," where we contact a sampling of our readers for their top picks. This month, we conducted an informal e-mail survey asking which cruises readers have used in the recent past that they would recommend to others--and why.
The ship was top of the line in service, staff, and accommodations. Our company rarely does a repeat trip to any destination. This is one trip that we would definitely consider doing again!"
The ship was great for a large group. The service was wonderful, the staff was very helpful and informative, and the food was excellent. The rooms are spacious by cruise-ship standards and the cabin staff kept them looking good."
Holland America's smaller ships work great for incentive programs. Qualifiers were also very satisfied with the food and services."
The meeting facilities were excellent. But most impressive, when one of our attendees had a serious accident, the level of medical service and the attentiveness of the ship's staff could not have been better had the incident occurred on land."
The itinerary was interesting for everyone in the group and the service and standards aboard the ship were outstanding. The staff was willing to go out of their way for individual requests. The Southern Caribbean offers ports of call that the average person probably has not had the opportunity to visit."
The new, 674-passenger ship was just the right size. There was wonderful food and interesting ports of call."
It was just a beautiful journey. The service was superb."
RCCL does a good job working with high-end clientele and can easily adapt their expertise for meetings. All details are presented in the same manner as a resort, except this resort is on water."
This is a great ship for incentive programs. It is smaller and more intimate than most, and the design minimizes ship motion." Nordic Empress
Royal Caribbean worked very well with us throughout the entire planning process. While on ship, we were assigned a meeting coordinator just like we would have at a hotel, which is important. On a ship, it can be difficult to determine who is responsible for what, so our meeting coordinator was very helpful."
The itinerary was extremely convenient, with minimal travel time for attendees. The crew and service were both excellent. There were also great post-trip land excursion options, which the fantastic exchange rate between U.S. and Canadian dollars made even more attractive."
Attendees liked the ship and enjoyed the entertainment."
The QE2 fits the bill for an incentive that needs good meeting space."
Royal Caribbean does a great job satisfying cruisers and the ship's meeting facilities were excellent."
Carnival was able to accommodate our group on the right dates and had the amenities we needed."
Everyone liked the ship's large cabins, excellent service, and good food."
The Sea Goddess had exemplary service and accommodations and delectable food and beverages. Since it's a smaller ship, the cruise was an intimate experience for attendees."
Royal Caribbean's excellent incentive department understood our needs perfectly and the staff on board the Nordic Empress worked closely with us to make our program run smoothly. The itinerary was unique and very appealing to our winners."
The staff [members] on the Ecstasy were very accommodating in attending to my group's needs. And the group department at Carnival worked very hard to secure us the best cabins."
*American Hawaii Cruises * (800) 933-9933
*Carnival Cruise Lines * (800) 438-6744 ext. 24447
*Celebrity Cruises * (800) 345-7225
*Commodore Cruise Lines * (800) 538-1000
*Costa Cruises * (305) 358-7325
*Crystal Cruises * (800) 446-6620
*Cunard Line * (773) 276-7601
*Disney Cruise Line * (407) 828-3411
*Holland America Cruise Line (800) 445-3731
*KD River Cruises * (914) 696-3600
*Norwegian Cruise Line (800) 327-9020
*Orient Lines * (800) 333-7300
*Premier Cruises * (800) 992-4299
*Princess Cruises * (310) 553-1770
*Radisson Seven Seas Cruises * (937) 291-2225
*Renaissance Cruises * (954) 463-0982
*Royal Caribbean International * (800) 345-7225
*Sea Cloud Cruises * (888) 732-2568, (973) 884-0407
*Silver Sea Cruises * (800) 722-9955, (954) 522-4477
*Star Clippers * (800) 442-0553
*Windstar Cruises * (800) 628-3354