If you are starting to plan a honeymoon, you might be wondering, is a cruise a good choice for a honeymoon and what is the best cruise line for a honeymoon. We are going to answer both of those questions.
A cruise is a great choice for a honeymoon. In fact, our honeymoon was on a Princess cruise to Alaska.
Before we get to what are the best honeymoon cruises lets look at the reasons to choose a cruise for your first vacation together as newly married couple.
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Top 6 reasons a cruise is a great choice for a honeymoon
1. Romantic feel
Cruise ships definitely have a romantic feel to them. The open ocean, the waves, the sun, it’s all so great.
2. Visit beautiful destinations
There are so many cruise itineraries with ports of call all over the world. Whether you are looking to relax on beautiful beaches, enjoy water sports, experience different cultures, see tropical rainforests, or explore historical sites you will find the perfect cruise itinerary and shore excursions.
Some popular honeymoon cruise itineraries include:
Western Caribbean
Itineraries vary but Western Caribbean stops often include Grand Cayman and Jamaica. Several of the cruise lines now have their own private island in the Bahamas that cruise ships will stop at.
Eastern Caribbean
Eastern Caribbean itineraries often includes stops such as San Juan Puerto Rico and St. Thomas.
Europe Cruises
The major cruise lines offer several Europe itineraries. Mediterranean cruises that include Italy and the Greek Islands are popular. You will also find itineraries that feature Northern Europe as well as river cruises.
River cruises are on small ships, not the larger ships that you might be expecting.
South Pacific Cruises
South Pacific cruise itineraries feature more exotic destinations such as French Polynesia, Bora Bora, Tahiti, and New Zealand.
3. Amazing Food
Cruise ships offer both fine dining and delicious casual dining options. You can have a romantic dinner nightly in the ship’s main dining room or splurge and eat at one of the specialty restaurants.
4. Fun Activities
Cruise ships have so many fun onboard activities and amenities. Especially the newer and larger ships. Activities vary greatly ship to ship and cruise line to cruise line. Be sure to research the ship before booking.
Some ships offer things like water slides, mini golf, and organized pool games. Certain ships even have things like a rock climbing wall, laser tag, a roller coaster (Carnival), and a race track (Norwegian Cruise Line).
Create life long memories with your new spouse while having fun onboard.
5. Relaxing Spots
After enjoying the fun activities, it’s nice to relax and enjoy some quality time with your loved one.
Soak in the hot tub, relax on the comfy loungers in the adult only pool area (if your ship offers that), or splurge on a couples massage at the spa.
Consider a stateroom with a private balcony to have your own quiet spot. A coffee or tea on your own balcony is the perfect way to start your day.
6. Great evening entertainment
Cruises offer nightly entertainment including live music, dancing, and production type shows.
As you can see, a cruise is a pretty great way to start your married life together. Now let’s talk about the best cruise line for honeymoon.
Best Cruise Line for a Honeymoon
The best cruise lines are definitely subjective, you can ask 10 people what their favorite cruise line is, and you will probably get 4 – 6 different answers.
Here are what I would consider the best cruise line for a honeymoon. There are other really great cruise lines out there and I’m sure you’d have a wonderful time on any of them. But it doesn’t help you plan a honeymoon cruise if I just list every cruise line out there.
A note regardless which cruise line you choose. Not all features are available on all ships so be sure to research the ship before booking. The newer ships will have more features and dining options; however they will also be more expensive.
Here are the 5 best cruise lines for honeymoons, in no particular order (in my opinion).
5 Best Cruise Lines for a Honeymoon
1. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean is a great choice for a honeymoon cruise, especially on their newer ships.
In my opinion, Royal Caribbean International has some of the best onboard activities on their newer ships. If you like to be active, then check out some of the ships like Wonder of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas.
Just some of the highlights you will find on certain Royal Caribbean ships are:
- Cool waterslides
- Zipline
- Surf simulator
- Ice skating and ice skating shows
- Solarium – adult only pool area
- Aqua theater shows
If you are cruising the Caribbean, Bahamas, or Bermuda, look for itineraries that include a stop at Perfect Day at Coco Cay. This is their incredible private island. They have a thrill side with a waterpark and a chill side with beautiful beaches, an incredible pool and beach side cabanas.
2. Norwegian Cruise Line
You can’t go wrong with a Norwegian cruise.
Some of the features on their newer ships are:
- Speedway – a 3 level racetrack
- Galaxy Pavilion – virtual reality
- 10 story tall waterslide
If you are looking to splurge and go all out, check out The Haven on NCL’s newer ships. These rooms are more luxurious, have their own private sundeck and 24-hour butler service.
Norwegian Cruise Line also has a honeymoon registry.
NCL has a private island called Great Stirrup Cay.
Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva are two of Norwegian’s newer ships worth checking out.
3. Princess Cruises
Princess Cruise Line doesn’t have the adrenaline pumping activities that Royal Caribbean does, but still have plenty of great activities on beautiful ships.
They offer some great honeymoon packages and a Princess cruises Honeymoon Registry.
A cruise with Princess offers the ultimate in romance, a romantic dinner served on your private balcony. If you are cruising Princess for your honeymoon, consider a balcony cabin just for this purpose.
Princess has Broadway style shows, delicious food, and beautiful spas.
A couple of the newer Princess ships to look at are Discovery Princess and Enchanted Princess.
4. Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is considered to be a little bit more of a premium cruise line, just a step above the others already mentioned.
Their ships are definitely elegant, have great entertainment and have amazing fine dining. They don’t however have the big innovative activities that you will find on say Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, or Carnival.
If you like to be busy and active all day, Celebrity might not be the best choice. However if you are looking to relax and be pampered, the it is worth a look.
Celebrity’s newer ships are Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Beyond.
5. Carnival Cruise Line
Another good option for a honeymoon cruise is Carnival Cruises.
Carnival isn’t as elegant as Celebrity or Princess, but they are more fun.
You will find lots of great onboard activities and in my opinion some of the best free food options on Carnival.
Carnival has the first and only roller coaster at sea. This is currently on just the Mardi Gras but will also be on the Celebration and Jubilee.
21 Romantic things to do on a Carnival cruise is worth the read. Several of the points will apply to all cruise lines.
The cruise lines all offer different romance packages so be sure to check those out. Some include chocolate covered strawberries and champagne, others include spa treatments.
Each cruise line also offers different categories of staterooms, including balcony cabins, suites, and specialty staterooms including exclusive areas or spa staterooms.
In summary,
For a cruise honeymoon with fun and being active as your priority I’d recommend:
- Royal Caribbean
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Carnival Cruise Line
If you are looking for a honeymoon that is more elegant and relaxing with fine dining and evening shows as your priority, I’d recommend:
- Princess Cruises
- Celebrity Cruises
Let everyone know you are on your honeymoon and get some awesome pictures with couples matching vacation shirts or honeymoon cruise shirts. You can find the perfect shirt in 59 Awesome Cruise Shirt Ideas.
I hope this has helped with your honeymoon cruise planning. Again remember, consider how you would like to spend your cruise vacation, and research your ship carefully. The amenities and activities vary greatly on each ship.
This is just my opinion but hopefully it is a good starting point to checking out the different cruise lines and seeing what appeals most to you and your loved one.
If you are looking for another excuse to cruise, consider a birthday cruise
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