Luxury Cruise Line for Coupe, 29 & 31, no kids

My wife and I are exploring taking another cruise. I am 29 and she is 31. We have been on Caribbean cruises on Royal Caribbean and NCL and have found them to be a little tacky. What would be a cruise line that would offer more of a luxury atmosphere without being all old people? Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, and Seabourn seem appealing, but we're afraid that we will feel out of place. I don't mind paying to get the experience we want.

My main gripes with RCI and NCL are:

-I thought the food, even the premium restaurants, was very average, like what you'd expect at a hotel serving a 500 person corporate dinner for a convention, although this is not totally different that what I expected. This is vacation, I want at least some memorable food. Some of my best vacation memories involve food - Tapas crawling in Barcelona, Night market in Chiang Mai, NOMA in Copenhagen - I want that to be part of the cruise experience as well.

-Average shore excursions - I felt the shore excursions, while enjoyable, were a bit run of the mill.

-Shore stays too short, I know this is par for the course for almost all major lines unless the cruise is 14+ days, but it would be nice to go on a cruise where you stayed overnight in a port a couple of times so you could really explore a place.

-Design aesthetic - The cabins were nice, but I felt that the decor was cheesy in most public locations on the ship. If you are a cruise line spending billions of dollars on ships, you have no excuse to have an elegant modern design aesthetic rather than having your ships looking like a combination of a mediocre casino and a Holiday Inn banquet room.

That said, I'm not really disappointed with my experiences. They were pretty much what I expected, just not really what I wanted, if that makes any sense.

Anyway, we're looking to do 7-14 nights. Location is flexible and we would consider lines that typically don't cater to Americans, but no Asia/Australia as it is too long of a flight.

Most important things to us are:

-Food - I'm not expecting a 3 star restaurant, but I should be able to have memorable dining experiences and look forward to meals.

-Demographics of the boat- I don't want to be on a boat of all retirees.

-Quality of shore activities - If I'm paying for a luxury cruise, I want special, memorable experiences that I could not get exploring on my own or through a run of the mill tour.

-Cool and unique on board experiences, preferably things where I learn something.

Least important things are:

-Fancy Staterooms - I appreciate good design, but I don't need an overly big or fancy rooms.

-Spa - Unless it's inclusive, we're not going to shell out for a hot stone seaweed mud wrap facial massage or whatever.

-Doesn't need to be couple focused/super romantic. This is not our honeymoon, we are more interested in the experiences.

If you want to go all out then something like Seabourn is for you but it's going to set you back 2-2 1/2 times the cost of your RCI trip.

If you are just looking for the next step up the ladder (several steps up from NCL in my mind) then under the Carnival umbrella you have Princess and another step up Cunard or under the RCI umbrella there is Celebrity and a further step Azamara. With the exception of Azamara we have cruised them all.

As to the demographics on the ship both Princess and Celebrity will likely have a slightly older crowd but on a 14 day cruise it isn't likely to be geriatric. On cruises longer than 14 days and to more exotic places it will be very much the baby boomer generation. On our Asia cruise with Princess we were the teens onboard and in our mid 50s. You will find a older crowd on any line that offers extended voyages.

If you cruise in the summer you will find a range of ages on the luxury lines such as Crystal, Regent and Seabourn. You will certainly enjoy a luxurious experience.

Keith

My wife and I are exploring taking another cruise. I am 29 and she is 31. We have been on Caribbean cruises on Royal Caribbean and NCL and have found them to be a little tacky. What would be a cruise line that would offer more of a luxury atmosphere without being all old people? Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, and Seabourn seem appealing, but we're afraid that we will feel out of place. I don't mind paying to get the experience we want.

 

My main gripes with RCI and NCL are:

 

-I thought the food, even the premium restaurants, was very average, like what you'd expect at a hotel serving a 500 person corporate dinner for a convention, although this is not totally different that what I expected. This is vacation, I want at least some memorable food. Some of my best vacation memories involve food - Tapas crawling in Barcelona, Night market in Chiang Mai, NOMA in Copenhagen - I want that to be part of the cruise experience as well.

 

-Average shore excursions - I felt the shore excursions, while enjoyable, were a bit run of the mill.

 

-Shore stays too short, I know this is par for the course for almost all major lines unless the cruise is 14+ days, but it would be nice to go on a cruise where you stayed overnight in a port a couple of times so you could really explore a place.

 

-Design aesthetic - The cabins were nice, but I felt that the decor was cheesy in most public locations on the ship. If you are a cruise line spending billions of dollars on ships, you have no excuse to have an elegant modern design aesthetic rather than having your ships looking like a combination of a mediocre casino and a Holiday Inn banquet room.

 

That said, I'm not really disappointed with my experiences. They were pretty much what I expected, just not really what I wanted, if that makes any sense.

 

Anyway, we're looking to do 7-14 nights. Location is flexible and we would consider lines that typically don't cater to Americans, but no Asia/Australia as it is too long of a flight.

 

Most important things to us are:

 

-Food - I'm not expecting a 3 star restaurant, but I should be able to have memorable dining experiences and look forward to meals.

 

-Demographics of the boat- I don't want to be on a boat of all retirees.

 

-Quality of shore activities - If I'm paying for a luxury cruise, I want special, memorable experiences that I could not get exploring on my own or through a run of the mill tour.

 

-Cool and unique on board experiences, preferably things where I learn something.

 

Least important things are:

 

-Fancy Staterooms - I appreciate good design, but I don't need an overly big or fancy rooms.

-Spa - Unless it's inclusive, we're not going to shell out for a hot stone seaweed mud wrap facial massage or whatever.

-Doesn't need to be couple focused/super romantic. This is not our honeymoon, we are more interested in the experiences.

Why not move right up to Cunard or maybe Lindblad? Only problem is you will be sailing with more of an older group.

Have you considered finding a reputable travel agent? Might be the way to go.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

You could have a look at Seadream

Oceania's new ships of 1250 pax are almost luxury

Azamara have smaller ships & have more inclusive feel to them

Just depends on what your needs & wants are

You will probably find the more upscale the line the demographics will be older but still an active group for the most part ;)

Enjoy whatever cruise you choose

Lyn

I should say that wearing a jacket every night and white glove tea service doesn't really appeal to me and neither does being on a boat full of people who desire this kind of atmosphere, which is the reason that I'm not really leaning toward Cunard.

I should say that wearing a jacket every night and white glove tea service doesn't really appeal to me and neither does being on a boat full of people who desire this kind of atmosphere, which is the reason that I'm not really leaning toward Cunard.

If these are your feelings, I highly recommend Oceania. Their ships are beautiful, their average age is lower than you'd find on Crystal or Seabourn (my experience on those lines is the average age is 65 and older on most of their itineraries), they don't have formal nights and only ask you to dress in what's called country club casual. When I first started cruising Crystal, I was in my early 40's and I was by far the youngest person on the ship----same for Seabourn and Silversea.

Something between mass market and luxury would be Azamara or Oceania. However you will still be some of the youngest onboard.

If you want to move up without breaking the bank -- cruise Celebrity in Aqua Class. Much better food and less crowded ships. Very modern! (No formal nights in Aqua Class; although many do dress up)

Double the price, or more, and try Oceania or Azamara. Older, well traveled customers, but the best food.

Cunard is no better than Celebrity, except it's even more formal. Their MDR is good, but their buffet is one of the worst at sea.

Four or five times the price you can try Crystal, Seabourn, SilverSea…., (can't speak to these, as we have never tried this level of luxury)

Dollar for dollar, Celebrity is the best at sea!!

Enjoy!

Kel:)

I think you'll find the youngest demographic on Windstar. It's different, but it is luxury.

As for food, if you're used to high end New York City restaurants I'm afraid you're bound to be disappointed by much of what you find at sea.

http://www.windstarcruises.com/

Try the premium S class ships of Celebrity next. Either Silhoutte or Reflections.Beautiful ships and food. Then go up to Oceania. O is quite small, a lot more pricey and ammenites are limited due to size.Lets face it, you were on really the lowest rung of cruise ships.

The more expensive cruises will have older passengers. Also the longer the cruise the older the passengers.

As for memorable food - the cruise lines cater to the majority of its passengers. There will not be a lot of exotic or super outstanding meals on cruise ships.

The best food I have had on a cruise was on a 20 passenger barge cruising Burgundy for 6 nights. You might look into these cruises as there is an onboard chef - who shops daily. Fresh croissants daily - big yum. The atmosphere is much more casual - people even go to the market with the chef. As the per diem is pretty expensive the passengers will be older - but very interesting and usually well travelled. The tours were included and because we were not on the open sea we visited sites unavailable to the large cruise ships. There are several of these barges and cruise different areas of Europe.

We did a 14 night river cruise - the food was very mediocre as a lot of it was overcooked and underseasoned (by my California taste). That had almost 200 passengers - the tours were reached on big busses so the groups were 40 to 50 people.

I was going to suggest Cunard until your second post.

I'd recommend Windstar or Star Clippers. We've done both and as long as you aren't interested in crowds, they are exactly what you are looking for. :)

Something between mass market and luxury would be Azamara or Oceania. However you will still be some of the youngest onboard.

We met a couple in their mid 30's who were on an Oceania cruise. We were on NCL. We met at the Bath's in Virgin Gorda. They were looking for a quiet relaxing cruise. Three days in they had had there fill of relaxing and were totally bored. They did enjoy the food and the service but missed seeing families and being with people there own age.

Try Paul Gauguin in the South Pacific. The demographic leans older, but there were definitely families and people in their 30s last summer.

Welcome to Cruise Critic Advdk,

Since you live in New York City why not consider the only true ocean liner afloat, the mighty Queen Mary 2. The QM2 is a glorious and elegant vessel with beautiful public spaces and lounges. Cunard is practically the last of the traditional cruise lines where formality is still practiced throughout the voyage.

There are wonderful and interesting guest speakers during the cruise, a planetarium aboard the ship which also doubles as the cinema and Royal Court production theater.

Afternoon Tea in the lavish Queens Room, which stretches the entire width of the ship, is a classic affair with a string quartet, white gloved servers and delicious sandwiches, scones and pastries served throughout.

The food is top-notch with first class service, we usually travel in Britannia Class. The Grills on the other hand present the upper echelon of cruise dining and consistently garner top ratings from travel critics around the world.

QM2 sails to Canada/New England during the fall from New York, she does her Christmas Holiday cruise on December 22 for about 12 days. Also, a selection of transatlantics to Southampton or Germany throughout the year. Why not combine a Transatlantic with a 10-Mediterranean during the summer. Or possibly do the Med trip on either of the sister ships Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth smaller but, equally elegant and sumptuous.

I think you would adore the Queen Mary 2 she will provide just the memorable experiences you are seeking.

Jonathan

We met a couple in their mid 30's who were on an Oceania cruise. We were on NCL. We met at the Bath's in Virgin Gorda. They were looking for a quiet relaxing cruise. Three days in they had had there fill of relaxing and were totally bored. They did enjoy the food and the service but missed seeing families and being with people there own age.

If you want to be around families with children then Oceania is really not for those people

The majority will be in the 50+ age range with some in their teens & over 80 group

Most sail Oceania because of the lack of families

Very few children except maybe on the Christmas cruises & some Alaska cruises where they have a children's club

No formal nights

Obviously the couple did not do their homework ...if they wanted a family oriented cruise they picked the wrong one

You have to read the reviews then decide which cruise line works best

Hope the OP comes back to let us know what cruise they chose

Lyn

BTW we hated NCL because of all the families onboard

I should say that wearing a jacket every night and white glove tea service doesn't really appeal to me and neither does being on a boat full of people who desire this kind of atmosphere, which is the reason that I'm not really leaning toward Cunard.

On Oceania you do not need a jacket at all ..just a button down shirt with a collar & nice slacks for the dinner dining venues

but sorry they do have white gloved afternoon tea so my not work for you after all :D

If you want to be around families with children then Oceania is really not for those people

 

The majority will be in the 50+ age range with some in their teens & over 80 group

Most sail Oceania because of the lack of families

Very few children except maybe on the Christmas cruises & some Alaska cruises where they have a children's club

No formal nights

Obviously the couple did not do their homework ...if they wanted a family oriented cruise they picked the wrong one

 

You have to read the reviews then decide which cruise line works best

 

Hope the OP comes back to let us know what cruise they chose

 

Lyn

BTW we hated NCL because of all the families onboard

Actually they didn't start out wanting a family oriented cruise. Their TA booked them on what they asked for. Funny thing is that after 3 days of that they were board out of their minds. They really enjoyed spending with time with the families that they met while at the Bath's and they were truly saddened when everyone left to go back to their ship leaving them all alone at the Bath's. Sometimes we think we want one thing when we book but 6 months later we yearn for something else. I think that this is what happened with the couple that we met. Like I said before they really loved the food and the service but found the passenger demographics to be too old and they sounded really jealous when others told them about the shows and discos and pool side bands that their ship just didn't have.

Welcome to Cruise Critic Advdk,

 

Since you live in New York City why not consider the only true ocean liner afloat, the mighty Queen Mary 2. The QM2 is a glorious and elegant vessel with beautiful public spaces and lounges. Cunard is practically the last of the traditional cruise lines where formality is still practiced throughout the voyage.

 

There are wonderful and interesting guest speakers during the cruise, a planetarium aboard the ship which also doubles as the cinema and Royal Court production theater.

 

Afternoon Tea in the lavish Queens Room, which stretches the entire width of the ship, is a classic affair with a string quartet, white gloved servers and delicious sandwiches, scones and pastries served throughout.

 

The food is top-notch with first class service, we usually travel in Britannia Class. The Grills on the other hand present the upper echelon of cruise dining and consistently garner top ratings from travel critics around the world.

 

QM2 sails to Canada/New England during the fall from New York, she does her Christmas Holiday cruise on December 22 for about 12 days. Also, a selection of transatlantics to Southampton or Germany throughout the year. Why not combine a Transatlantic with a 10-Mediterranean during the summer. Or possibly do the Med trip on either of the sister ships Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth smaller but, equally elegant and sumptuous.

 

I think you would adore the Queen Mary 2 she will provide just the memorable experiences you are seeking.

 

Jonathan

Would so love to do this!

Unfortunately there isn't a cruise line that caters to 20's/30's that is a luxury experience. Believe me I looked! I just took a Seabourn 10 day Caribbean cruise and while the demographic was older it wasn't geriatric! There was a mix of people on a bell curve with 50's/60's being the top of the bell curve.

The excursions were not included in the price and most seemed mediocre, but then again I don't think Caribbean vacations really lend themselves to unique excursions that would wow.

With a ship of only 450 passengers there was never any queing for anything. We could have been on the very first tender if we so desired. They had plenty of tenders running and most went out 20% full and left about every 10 minutes.

the food was very good and it didn't seem all that stuffy.

The rooms were a nice size and well laid out with thoughtfull design.

I would do celebrity or go for silverseas but what you will find is the average age changes depending on the time of year and whether schools are in or out