Next Step Up

We love cruising-14 down and number 15 booked for January but I'd like to try one of the 6* lines even if it is only the once. How do I choose?

We've cruised with a few different lines but mainly Cunard whose ambience we both enjoy. But at the other end of the spectrum we also enjoyed our time on the NCL Breakaway, possibly because it was different.

So where do I start? Obviously itinerary has a huge bearing on choice but we are really open to all possibilities. Maybe I should at least narrow down where we want to go!!

Would value peoples' opinions.

If you really want to move up beyond Queen's Grill, there is a board here for Luxury Cruising. I would start there where people can help you compare the lines. EM

Here's where to start in my opinion and I regularly sail luxury lines.

Read.

There is a book by Douglas Ward and published by Berlitz and it has good writeups on each cruise line/ship.

https://www.amazon.com/Berlitz-Cruising-Cruise-Ships-Guide/dp/1780049099/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1503078285&sr=8-1

Visit each of the luxury line web sites. You will learn a lot from them.

This would include Crystal Cruises, Regent, Seabourn and Silversea.

Read reviews on CC and go with the 80/20 rule. If 80% of the people rate something positive or negative accept it as fact until you can experience it yourselves.

Start narrowing the list down and look at itineraries.

Also consider what size ship would make you happy. Larger the luxury ship the more activities offered.

Also on some of the luxury lines not all the ships are sister ships are of one another so there can be large differences in what is offered on each ship because of its size.

If you have friends who have sailed any of these lines speak with them.

Try to find a TA who specializes in luxury lines so you can talk it out with them and ideally one who has sailed most if not all the luxury lines.

I have also sailed the QM2 one time and was in Queens Grill.

Keith

Thanks Keith. Helpful advice as always.

I know how I'm going to be spending the next few weeks :D and beyond.

babs135, you are very welcome.

If I can help with other questions just let me know.

The challenge will be deciding which line to sail and even when you decide you will be a little nervous as to whether you selected the one that will work best for you. On the other hand it's a fun process to go through and it will be a very nice experience sailing another line.

Keith

I've been watching a show on the television called " Dream Cruises " it shows some of the different cruises that I am used to and 6.0 luxury rated ships

Visit each of the luxury line web sites. You will learn a lot from them.

 

Keith

The best way for me to start scouting.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We have cruised on three of the luxury lines, Sea Dream (over 200 nights) Silversea, and Regent, with another Silversea booked. Sea Dream is the most casual (it is always country club casual, never any formal wear of any kind required), and has the best food and service. The ships are tiny with a maximum capacity of 112 passengers. We have two problems with SD, first they will often have children on board and there is nothing for them to do, and second the cabins are small with no balconies or room service. The bathrooms are tiny though the showers and amenities are wonderful. We will often book a Commodore suite whihc is effect two cabins so that we end up with two bathrooms, and two of everything else except the bed.

We find Silversea and Regent to be very similar. They both have nice size cabins that are well appointed with nice bathrooms, butler service and good food, though not up to SD quality. We have had children on our cruises with both of these lines, though because the ships are bigger you do not notice them as much. The entertainment on these lines is much better than on SD.

We enjoy all three of these lines, but they are very different in feel. You just need to figure out which one is for you.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

Weirdly enough a Regent Cruises brochure has just dropped through my letterbox!! Maybe someone is trying to tell me something.

Because we are 'fully booked' for next year (unless I find a real bargain ;)) I've loads of time to browse brochures, the web and, of course, here. Feeling quite excited at the research - especially if there is a good result at the end.

There is however, one fly in the ointment - I haven't told DH what I'd like to do and as he holds the purse strings and whilst by no means is he mean with money, the actual outlay might frighten him. Have time to work on him ;p

OK, just another question. Having looked through the Regent brochure I feel they might fit my brief, especially as just about everything is included in the price. I still have to look at other lines in the 'same price range'.

However, as I said in my last post, the initial outlay is quite high and I wonder if I could do just as well (or close enough) by opting for a cruise line that has a 'ship within a ship', ie the Grills on Cunard, the Haven on NCL or Aqua on Celebrity, etc. We've always been content with an inside cabin (just happy to be onboard) but it would be nice to splash out, even if it's only once.

Would be grateful if anyone who has cruised 'both ways' would care to share their thoughts. As I'm looking at 2019 we have loads of time to make any decision; and who knows, we might have won the lottery by then and money won't be any problem :D:D

If you are considering trying the 'ship within a ship' experience, you might look at MSC ships that have a Yacht Club. EM

OK, just another question. Having looked through the Regent brochure I feel they might fit my brief, especially as just about everything is included in the price. I still have to look at other lines in the 'same price range'.

 

However, as I said in my last post, the initial outlay is quite high and I wonder if I could do just as well (or close enough) by opting for a cruise line that has a 'ship within a ship', ie the Grills on Cunard, the Haven on NCL or Aqua on Celebrity, etc. We've always been content with an inside cabin (just happy to be onboard) but it would be nice to splash out, even if it's only once.

 

Would be grateful if anyone who has cruised 'both ways' would care to share their thoughts. As I'm looking at 2019 we have loads of time to make any decision; and who knows, we might have won the lottery by then and money won't be any problem :D:D

We've done Cunard in the Queens Grill. It was certainly a nice experience.

The difference is that these ships carry a lot more people then the luxury ships do. Once out of those special areas everything else is what you would find in a ship that is not luxury.

I would do the homework on each luxury line.

Figure out what is important to you.

Some things might be included say shore excursions and if you were going to book a standard tour (not all tours are free) in every port then there is value there but if you prefer to not always do a tour or do some in small groups then there is less value there.

Keith

Keith, do you know if anyone has done a comparison table? I realise it would actually be quite difficult to do like for like, but if there is anything out there I wouldn't mind a look. Probably will try and do something myself but it is going to be very basic.

I actually saw one of the luxury lines doing a comparison table but they got it wrong.

I can't think of one that I've seen is accurate. Maybe you could do a google search but again I would be careful as it might not be accurate or up to date as amenities offered change all the time.

For example, presently Crystal provides one hour per day per passage of internet (all up front) but they have announced plans to offer unlimited internet.

Keith

I've talked to a couple of people who have done both the "ship within a ship" and the luxury ship experience. They enjoyed both, but for the money preferred the luxury. This was primarily for two reasons. One, the luxury ships tend to have fewer passengers, so that the situations where crowds were inevitable were, well, less crowded. Two, part of the cruising experience is being part of the shipboard community, and being in the "ship within a ship" made them feel a bit outside the community. The thing about the luxury ships is that, yes, there are different levels of cabin, but once you leave the cabin, all passengers are treated more or less equally. (I say more or less because, for example, there are three ladies who literally live aboard the Crystal Serenity. They are going to get extra attention just because).