Toryhere

My wife and I have a problem.  We want a week’s holiday in April or May this year. 
 

We were thinking of going to a luxury resort in Vanuatu. But then my wife received an email about a Sydney to Sydney cruise on Majestic Princess. The cruise basically sails to Port Douglas and back.  We live a short cab ride away from the Sydney terminal. So we thought that it might be nice, to have a trip that didn’t require air travel. In addition, some American friends had been on Princess and said that it was OK. And although the ports on the cruise we were considering weren’t particularly exciting, we thought we’d look into how much the cruise would cost.

Our experience of cruising has always been on smaller luxury ships, where the fare is all-inclusive.  What we found on these ships is that you really don’t have to worry about perks, because you are treated just the same, no matter what sort of cabin you have. This past week we have just booked three voyages back to back on SeaDream II for next year. It was a very easy process.

Then we sat down to look at booking Majestic Princess.  Firstly, we did some research. My eyes began to glaze over, as every review we watched or read made it look so difficult to plan, book and sail on the ship.  It seems that you have to constantly be ready to claim your perks, consulting apps and worrying whether you were missing out on something.  First you had to know what cabin class, then what perks. If you worked that out, then there were the promotions, which were all rather confusing. And there was the whole specialty dining stuff, which seemed very odd to us.

My wife eventually called a halt, on the basis that she couldn’t feel she could ever on this ship relax and get the sort of service she likes. My response was that we try it out, as plenty of other people seem to understand the way it works without too much stress and have a good time. She remains dubious.

My question is thus what is it that makes you choose to cruise on ships like Majestic Princess and how easy are things once you’re on board?

How could I sell this to my wife as being as good as the luxury resort in Vanuatu?

There is something magical about being abroad at New Year’s Eve. It gives you a fresh perspective, especially if you are on a cruise ship in the Caribbean with very few Australians about.  
 

Good luck with your quest to find a cruise. I’m sure you’ll have a fabulous time.

On 9/22/2019 at 2:53 AM, wripro said:

There is more than once adverse review for EVERY cruise line out there. So what's the answer?

The answer is that you pull your head in and act like an adult

17 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

And Seabourn is owned by Carnival and Oceania and Regent are owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings but it has not affected their luxury brand.  We have already heard good things about Silversea since Mark Conroy was hired (and our TA that rarely sailed on Silversea now sails them once a year - with her group of customers).  

There was a poster on the Seabourn forum that gave a detailed review of a voyage and how it demonstrated that being owned by Carnival made it less than what it was.

17 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

The Paul Gauguin was our first luxury cruise (then operated by Radisson/Regent).  We love that ship - she is one of a kind!

 

We are concerned about the PG being purchased by Ponant as the review of their food for the past month has been poor to horrible.  Hope that they get their act together.

Where do you read the reviews of Ponant’s food? My recollection was that was one area where Ponant did reasonably well. However, these things do change.

11 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

True, we looked at a Regent one, the price was to me just crazy, as I wouldn’t have got value out of all the extras, but I can see how others may. At the end of the day you need to do what’s best for you and whilst there were some attractions in the Regent Product it just didn’t add up for us.

Good point. I seem to remember reading somewhere that someone did a comparison between a Regent and a Celebrity cruise in Alaska. Once you added all the extras you have to pay on Celebrity, the prices weren’t that different. However, the Regent product is overall of a higher standard. It’s just a shame that those who don’t use all the inclusions can’t get that standard without paying for everything. 

Maybe the point is that the all inclusive lines don’t have to waste so much time and so many resources in administering beverage packages or charges for specialty restaurants.

2 hours ago, Brisbane41 said:

Its all hypothetical of course, but in reality of the government wanted a solution for another cruise terminal it would have been a good option with an existing wharf that needed extending and nearby property acquired. 

 

Unfortunately the problem with Sydney and Australia is due to the over development of areas like Sydney Harbour for example when a desperately needed facility or service is needed there is no room as no planning was ever done.

 

Obviously my scenario cannot go ahead and will not go ahead, but it was still a possible option if the government was serious about it. There were better chances of getting the properties surrounding that than bailing up the likes of Turnbull and asking hin to surrender his mansion for a desperately needed cruise port.

Yes, the point is that Sydney developed before cruising became thing. And truth be told, it really only makes sense to put a cruise terminal on the southern side of the Harbour before the Bridge. That has the best transport and infrastructure to deal with such a facility.

Farm Cove is a public space as ins Lad Macquarie’s Chair. Elizabeth Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Darling Point, Double Bay, Point Piper, Rose Bay and Watson’s Bay are all too heavily populated with the most expensive real estate in the Country. Garden Island or Woolloomooloo Bay is a possibility, but I doubt whether the Feds would give it up, and if they did I am sure that another Barangaroo style suburb would be the use favoured by the State government.

13 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

I agree with him, as non drinkers, who rarely do ships excursions and never fly all inclusive rarely works out for us

As far as I know of the luxury lines only Regent does the free flight thing, and they discount the fare if you come from Australia and can’t use one of their flights. 

Regent is probably the only one that includes excursions too. 

As far as the drinks are concerned, you have to remember that it’s not just alcohol that is included in the fare, but all drinks. So there’s no need for soda or coffee packages either.

i seem to remember that you don’t fly. That would probably mean that the all inclusive Li es would be a difficult proposition as they don’t do as many round trips to Sydney.

14 hours ago, Emoliash said:

 

Why doesn’t he go on the more upmarket lines that are not all inclusive like Oceania, Viking and Azamara if he is upset about the all inclusive fare? 

That was his question. My comment was that the value of a holiday is really the whole package to you, not worrying about how individual bits of it’s a priced. Yes, he could try Azamara, Oceania or Viking, but he wouldn’t get the same level of style, service or comfort that he would get on the luxury lines.

However, if the idea that he was subsidising the drinks of others was something he just couldn’t get over, he would have a better time picking a cruise line that wasn’t all inclusive.

1 hour ago, Brisbane41 said:

No I am not joking. Have you taken a look at the map and history of the place? It is a former naval base and wharf where the Oberon class submarines were docked in Sydney. There is nothing heritage listed about it. Now comparing a former naval dock to the Sydney Opera House that really is stretching the realms of credibility.

 

There is a single access road to the dock that links directly to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The location of the ex-HMAS Platypus site is ideal. The only obstacle would have been about up to 8 properties in the vicinity of the north entrance gate to the site. Acquire all the properties on the corner of High and Hipwood streets and possibly another property on Kiara close and then you have access to the site sufficient for coaches and delivery trucks and tourists. Once the roads are cleared there is enough room on the existing space of the site to berth and operate cruise ships that it would have no impact on the neighbours.

 

The site is the former naval base that based submarines and most of the technology used around them was classified "Top Secret" and the government would have gone out of its way to make sure the site was out of the line of sight of residents so that no national security secrets could be exposed by residing close to the base. That means it is private and the barriers around it would keep such a site secure for immigration and customs as well as keeping it private for residents.

 

It would work but it is clearly not to be. 

 

Really... comparing a former naval submarine wharf to the Opera House 🙄

Thousands of people and supply trucks trying to get through on one road from the Harbour Bridge through a residential area? I can see why the government baulked at it. 

Also, it might sound nice and easy to compulsorily acquire people’s property, but having represented several victims of such resumption by government I can tell you that they don’t always see the benefit of it. 

12 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

 

Wow - US$23.99 a day to get 25% off bottled water!

I’m sticking with All Inclusive thanks 🙂 

Yes, all inclusive is so much easier. No limits, no worrying, just the opportunity to relax with your favourite tipple. 

I watched it sail out down the harbour and out of the Heads from my window. What an awful night for a sail away party.

There’s a chap over on the Luxury Cruising thread who was complaining about all-inclusive fares, because he and his wife were not drinkers and he didn’t see why he should subsidise the drinks of other passengers. 

What do those commenting here think about that? Would you prefer and all inclusive fare where most drinks are included, or do you think that it’s better to have drinks packages or pay as you go?

On 9/9/2019 at 11:38 PM, princeton123211 said:

Thats been our experience the one time we sailed SeaDream a few years ago. That also used to be the case on Seabourn like 10-15 years ago on the smaller original sisters and then Seabourn's kitchens became much more corporate like Regents.

 

Nothing since has rivaled the off menu extravaganza you could have on Cunard's QE2 20 years ago in Queens Grill-- literally whatever you wanted for dinner as long as it was ordered at lunch with the maitre'd. The current iteration of what they do in Queens Grill on QM2 pales in comparison and the food on Cunard has gone way downhill since QE2's heyday. Back then that dining experience was true luxury and was very comparable to many restaurants you would eat at in NYC or London before or after the crossing. 

Thank you for that reminder of things past on Cunard.

its also interesting that you mention the corporate kitchens on Regent and Seabourn. I am a bit worried that SeaDream might go the same way with their new larger and flashier yacht. But the hope is that the fact that SeaDream isn’t owned by a larger line will prevent it becoming too bland

In days gone by, you used to be able to go on a Harbour cruise on which they served a very good Xmas lunch.

It’s a shame you are leaving on Boxing Day [26 December], as that is the day that the Sydney to Hobart yacht race starts. It is a wonderful spectacle watching all the boats sail down the Harbour and out of the Heads.

On 9/6/2019 at 1:24 AM, princeton123211 said:

 

Agree with you-- we've always found Regent's food to be at least good, sometimes great, but never special. The below article in Forbes sort of articulates the differences I found on Europa 2 that I think make it a true luxury experience (cooking totally from scratch, hiring great chefs and giving them the leeway to form their own menus and recipes vs the ones Regent gets from the corporate chefs from Norwegian Cruise Line parent in Miami). The food was far more along the lines of what you get in a 5 star restaurant ashore vs what I've experienced on other luxury lines like Regent, Seabourn, etc. 

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/garywalther/2019/05/06/luxury-cruising-dining-on-the-europa-2-from-sydney-to-bali/#6314a0781e09

It probably helps that the ship was using Australian supplies.😀

I’ve noticed on SeaDream that the chefs have a lot of leeway too, and can use ingredients obtained at the ports visited. They can also prepare you a special meal if you give them some notice. 

2 hours ago, sweetp12 said:

We are arriving in Sydney on the 13th of January and are wondering if a 11.50am flight back to NZ will be too tight (due to our domestic flight in NZ if we don't make this flight we have to stay over).

 

A general review of the boards have suggested that this flight should be ok but my concern is the getting to the airport in time.  Our plan would be to take the train from circular quay - but it could put us on peak hour train service and my husband will be on a mobility scooter and I will need to manage the suitcases.  This wouldn't phase us if the train isn't packed....

 

In NZ about 50% of people will start back from Christmas holidays on the 13th and traffic / commuters tend to be very reasonable, so wondering if it will be the same in Aussie?  

 

We are considering using EzAir rather than booking direct because of the tight time frame - would we need to take a Princess transfer?  We have never sailed Princess before so any comments on the price of the transfer etc would be appreciated.  We don't mind paying extra to do the transfer if it makes it less stressful. 

 

 

All I can say is that 13 January will see a lot of people still on holidays, but I think you would still struggle on the train in the morning peak hour with your husband on a mobility scooter and suitcases.

On 8/28/2019 at 1:39 AM, princeton123211 said:

Not going to follow you into the weeds on this one-- its very well established that land based restaurants around the globe are far superior to anything at sea. Not necessarily even hotel outlets- world renowned places like French Laundry, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Noma, the list goes on-- far superior to anything that Regent can do. 

I think it might be more accurate to say that the very best land based restaurant will always have the advantage when it comes to the very highest level of cooking. But I have dishes on board ship that would rival just about anything I’ve been served on land in some very exclusive restaurants.

The food on a luxury cruise ship or yacht will probably be better than the food at most dining establishments on land. But a lot depends on the food culture of the diner and of the cruise line. For example, we could see that Regent’s food was top quality fare, much enjoyed and highly rated by the vast majority of the passengers, who all seemed to be used to fine dining, but to us it didn’t have that extra bit of zing that makes a five star eating experience. It was of course just the result of a difference in food culture, not in quality.

3 hours ago, Big Kev said:

Great itinerary with NCL..

We had done about 8 TP's on RCI,  and cancelled one and jumped ship to NCL Jewel when it was to come down to Oz for first time.. They combined the best of the northern and southern route to Oz into one.. With NCL, we could do our normal flying into USA tripping , then finish with Jewel into Alaska, and then the Trans Pacific to home...  'Twas a great 49 nights on-board.. Great to see that they are repeating that inaugral itin..   We have  done quite a lot on NCL in other parts of the planet, so any Aussies wanting something different will not be disappointed.

Do they smile upon you flying into the US whilst tripping 😀

On 8/30/2019 at 12:55 AM, English Voyager said:

I thought dull Australian was an oxymoron.

Not to other Australians. 

On 8/30/2019 at 4:15 AM, Heidi13 said:

Wow!, dull cruise with Australians is one I have never experienced. Spent 4 months Aussie cruising and more recently a WC R/T from Sydney and the pax most certainly weren't dull. 🙂

But they are if you are Australian.

On 8/2/2019 at 4:30 AM, LHT28 said:

do Australian work on the ships?

We did a river cruise  with Scenic  the crew were European

Food was  MEH! 

I was thinking more about the organisation than the crew.

my mother made the mistake of going on a Scenic river cruise. She said the food was average and the passengers included lots of very dull Australians.

one of the things I like about travelling is getting away from my own culture for a while. I would thus avoid any line, be it the height of luxury or not, that is likely to have a strong Australian contingent.

15 hours ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

My wife and I have cruised  mostly HAL  and now want to upgrade to luxury.

 

We  are looking at Seabourn, Regent,  Silver Sea,  Crystal,  Oceania  (please no comments how Oceania is  premium and not luxury).

 

The problem is that we do not need or even want all inclusive. Neither one of us  drinks that much.  If we have 2 drinks each   on a  2 week cruise that would be about it.

 

We might do  2 shore excursions the entire cruise as we like to walk around and explore on our  own. So we do not see the point in  subsidizing all the "drinkers"  and those who want to squeeze in as many   shore excursions as possible.  How  does  this benefit  us? We prefer to simply  pay for what we use.

 

So maybe Oceania  where we get a step above HAL  and still only pay for what we use  for the most part?  Or some other line?

It seems a it odd worrying about inclusions, when any luxury cruise is really about the overall package. 

The difference between the 4 and 5 star lines is not merely the inclusions, but the whole level of the service.  Yes, you may not be subsidising others if you go on a premium ship, but then you are also not getting such a good product.

On 8/1/2019 at 10:26 PM, pacruise804 said:

I think Cunard and P&O are both under the Carnival umbrella and primarily based in the UK.  My limited impression is Cunard is fancier dress, old fashioned cruising while P&O is more mass market appeal/mainstream.

 

I'm not sure if you will find larger ships (depending on your definition of large and what you want for entertainment) with the level of quality you seek.  My view is US based, possibly the dynamic is different in England, so my opinion/experience may be slanted.  Here is my general understanding (and I'm sure several lines are missing):

-Mass market: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, possibly P&O or MSC.  These ships generally have more "bells & whistles" and appeal to families and younger adults (although you can find all ages).

Premium: Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, Disney*, and possibly P&O or MSC (Cunard might fit here too).  Price point starts increasing and appeal is to more mature crowds (Disney obviously an exception).  Activities and entertainment are still to be had, but likely more intellectual versus high energy.

Premium Plus: Azamara, Oceana, Viking (possibly Cunard - I'm sure I'm missing others).  These generally have smaller ships and more included with your (higher priced) fare.  This is probably the sweet spot for a "foodie" wanting quality, but you might sacrifice facilities and entertainment (depending on what you want there).  Another option is a suite on a lower line - especially something like Yacht Club on MSC or Haven on Norwegian.

Luxury: Crystal, Regent, Silver Sea (probably others).  Much smaller ships with high level of service and high price tag. 

Some lines (Windstar I think?) are much smaller ships and are more about the sailing experience and the destinations than the other onboard experiences, but still likely to have good food.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that ship galleys are a different animal than land based kitchens.  Some of the cooking techniques aren't as practical.  Also, the larger amount of diners will generally mean the lower quality food.  Mass produced buffet food is generally not as good as individually plated MDR food.  Specialty dining will be a step above that, with Chef's Table experience at the top for mass market.  We have never gone hungry on a cruise, but have only had a truly excellent meal once.  Regal Princess (and other Royal class ships) offers a Wine Maker's table that serves around 12 guests with a set menu paired with wines and prepared a la minute.  It makes sense though that food specially prepared for 12 would be better than a variety of foods for 4000 😉 

 

If entertainment is equally or more important than food, you might want to find the ship that has the amenities you want and then focus your food experiences on shore for a great lunch somewhere local.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Good comment.

the smaller the ship, the more likely that the food will be more interesting.

on SeaDream, for example, they often give passengers the opportunity to walk to the local market with the chef, as he selects some local food for that evening’s dishes. You also have the opportunity to get the galley to cook you anything you may prefer, if you give them some notice.

On 7/29/2019 at 11:17 AM, Travelcat2 said:

 

When I said "familiar", I meant that I have done research on Europa 2 and decided that it was not for us but have no doubt that it is a luxury cruise line.  And, I'm happy that there are cruise lines that cater to people that speak languages other than English.

 

As an aside, did you read about the horrible fights that broke out on a P&O ship?  I don't know much about them but assume that they are not a luxury cruise line.

 

We would have no problem going on an Australian cruise line (like Scenic Eclipse that is supposed to finally debut next month).  In fact, we would prefer an Australian cruise line to a British cruise line (I would not tell my British DH this but it is true).  Aussies tend to be more fun!

Australians are good fun, but not very good at 5 star service. I will run a mile from Scenic.