BEST cruise EVER!

[remydiva]

We are a group of four couples in our 50s who met on a European river cruise last year. We just had a wonderful reunion on dry land in California and are planning another cruise for next summer or fall.

 

My question is to all my fellow CCers....while ALL cruises are good, what was your BEST cruise EVER?!

 

We are leaning towards a Baltic Sea/St. Petersburg itinerary but are open to other suggestions. Princess would be my choice but Celebrity Constellation, RCI Jewel of the Seas and Ms Eurodam also do this cruise.

 

Comments welcome!

[Times Prince]

Best Cruise? Tahiti to Hawaii, Pacific Princess II

 

Next best: Southern Caribbean, Emerald Princess

 

Perhaps you want to rephrase the question as "best European cruise?"

[remydiva]

Best Cruise? Tahiti to Hawaii, Pacific Princess II

 

Next best: Southern Caribbean, Emerald Princess

 

Perhaps you want to rephrase the question as "best European cruise?"

 

Not necessarily so...we are open to other venues...it's just that Europe came up as that is where we'd met. In fact, the Antarctic was suggested as well with a rather 'lukewarm' response from some in the group :p.

 

Hmm...Tahiti....that sounds pretty nice!

[recyclelady]

I'd also add that putting this on the Princess board will not necessarily give you unbiased results!

[Texaswinediva]

The best cruise is the one you take with all your friends.

It doesn't matter where you go it will be fun.

[Druke I]

I think the Baltic is a great choice - but I would look for a ship & itinerary that includes a transit of the Kiel Canal.

 

We've done the Baltic twice, and were expecially pleased with the Kiel Canal Transit. It crosses a very pretty part of Germany, and local townsfolk come down to the pubs along the banks of the Canal and cheer the ship on!

 

Passage of a passenger ship is a big social event, and many of today's ships are too big to go through and fit under the low bridges.

 

HAL's Prinsendam, Princess's "little sisters", and Oceania's three Renaissance class ships are among those able to go through the Canal.

[Pam in CA]

I don't have one "best ever." However, I'd list my top five as (and not necessarily in order):

 

1. HAL Amsterdam -- Antarctica

2. HAL Prinsendam -- "Top of the World" -- Sailed into the polar ice cap

3. Sapphire Princess -- Sydney to LA

4. HAL Prinsendam -- "Spirit of Discovery" -- 28 days/21 ports in Eastern Med and Black Sea

5. Crown Princess -- British Isles

[paul929207]

All of ours were the best :)

 

Mostg recent best was the Ocean Princess up the west coast of Africa from Cape Town to Dover

[Talisker92]

I am torn between 2-A cruise from Venice to Istanbul where we got married on the island of Santorini.

Or my first cruise with my wife when I took her to Tahiti - a dream of hers since she was 17.

Both those stories are on our website http://www.stevekathytravels.com

[Toto2Kansas]

I also agree, there is no 'one best cruise' for us.

 

LA to Sydney was a GREAT CRUISE (Star Princess)

Egypt/Aegean was a GREAT CRUISE (Star Princess)

Hawaii to Tahiti and staying onboard for 10 days around Tahiti has been a GREAT CRUISE (to the point that we have repeated it several times and have it booked again for February). (Old Crown Princess, Tahitian Princess, Pacific Princess, and last but not least our first Princess ship the Old Fair Princess with the next adventure coming up on the Royal Princess) :D

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

My best cruise ever had nothing to do with the ship or the ports of call or the weather,

 

it was down to out standing service from the crew,

 

great table mates,

 

and a nice mix of fellow passengers,

 

 

if I coulld organise these things I would be a very happy cruiser

 

 

 

yours Shogun

[chipmaster]

Hmm "best" is what you make of it, ever cruise I've been on has been better than the last or other.

 

Its a seperate question as to what is the best destination and too many factors come into play in that discussion.

 

I know I would enjoy a northen europe but the destinations themselves don't strike me with the same excitment as other parts of the world.

 

We are a group of four couples in our 50s who met on a European river cruise last year. We just had a wonderful reunion on dry land in California and are planning another cruise for next summer or fall.

 

My question is to all my fellow CCers....while ALL cruises are good, what was your BEST cruise EVER?!

 

We are leaning towards a Baltic Sea/St. Petersburg itinerary but are open to other suggestions. Princess would be my choice but Celebrity Constellation, RCI Jewel of the Seas and Ms Eurodam also do this cruise.

 

Comments welcome!

[gingera]

I don't have one "best ever." However, I'd list my top five as (and not necessarily in order):

 

1. HAL Amsterdam -- Antarctica

2. HAL Prinsendam -- "Top of the World" -- Sailed into the polar ice cap

3. Sapphire Princess -- Sydney to LA

4. HAL Prinsendam -- "Spirit of Discovery" -- 28 days/21 ports in Eastern Med and Black Sea

5. Crown Princess -- British Isles

 

Pam, what was it about the Sydney to LA trip you liked in particular?..that is, was it the ports, or entertainment, or the ship itself?, etc

[5fathom]

Through the Panama Canal on the old Royal Princess

[avalong]

What is important to me is to have a nice mix of port days interspersed with sea days. I would never want to have more than, say, 3 port days in a row. Any more than that and it starts to seem like work. On the other hand, there are those who looooove port intensive cruises. To each his own. The point being, it's an important aspect to consider when you're choosing your cruise.

[Sunsailor]

Southampton to Rome on the Grand Princess Sept '09.

After a rocky start.. perfect weather, great itinerary, great ports, wonderful CC group.

 

It was are best cruise so far. We hope our next will be even better

[rdsqrl]

"Best" can mean any number of things: best ship, best itinerary, best romantic fling [i'm single, I hasten to add].

The all-around "best" so far was my crossing on the QE2, sailing in "first class" (a Grill cabin). That won for best everything: best true ocean liner, best food, best service, best cabin, best number of formal nights (all 5!), best itinerary (nothing but sea days). The only non-best was weather: November in the North Atlantic is not exactly sun-worshippers' weather . . .

The best Princess cruise I've taken so far is probably the Panama Canal on the Coral: big ups for the ship and the Canal itself. And lots of sea days. And hot, hot weather.

Since I don't kiss and tell, I'll keep to myself the details of the winning cruise in my last category. I'll just say that it definitely lived up to the "Love Boat" mystique . . .

[Pam in CA]

Pam, what was it about the Sydney to LA trip you liked in particular?..that is, was it the ports, or entertainment, or the ship itself?, etc

It was a combination of things but mostly, it was our CC roll call with 187 people, many of whom became lifelong friends. I've been on cruises with very large roll calls before but this group was very special. A number of independent tours were planned which were incredible, particularly the Motu picnic in Bora Bora where we swam with sharks, and the group planned an incredible, private Mother's Day brunch that 150 of us attended; for $20, it was like the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast but far more special. We had a dining room all to ourselves, they created an ice sculpture, baked a special cake, had a menu printed up just for us, and had unlimited wine and champagne.

 

I love the sea days but wherever we went on the ship, there would be someone from our roll call greeting us and getting together. Loved Pago Pago, am sorry I didn't go to Moorea instead of touring Tahiti, thought New Zealand was awesome, etc. Whether the tour was good or bad, we had fun. There was never a dull moment during the 31 days.

[konatyme]

We haven't cruised that much, but can't imagine anything better than our 2008 31-day cruise from San Francisco to Sydney on the Dawn Princess. All the South Pacific ports were incredible, the sea days wonderful, and New Zealand was amazing. (And then we stayed in Australia for 10 days or so and visited Sydney & the Blue Mts., Uluru, Alice Springs, and Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef.) It was the trip of a lifetime!

[remydiva]

FONT=Comic Sans MS]The best Princess cruise I've taken so far is probably the Panama Canal on the Coral: big ups for the ship and the Canal itself. And lots of sea days. And hot, hot weather. [/font]

 

Since I don't kiss and tell, I'll keep to myself the details of the winning cruise in my last category. I'll just say that it definitely lived up to the "Love Boat" mystique . . .

 

Ok, now THAT sounds interesting :) to say the least!

 

My hubby got down on his knees on our balcony of the Caribbean Princess and proposed, bought my 'engagement' ring for $29.99 in the jewellry kiosk but we had to get married in Vegas as they couldn't do a last minute wedding (unlike on the Love Boat TV show!) I guess that could qualify as my 'best' cruise so far!

 

I love hearing all of your responses so far!

[dfields1814]

I have only been on a couple of cruises but this their order

 

8 West Carribbean - Nice trip but way too short only 7 days

7 Mexico Rivera on the Star - Our first cruise on a modern cruise ship

6 Alaska on the Sea Princess

5 Mexico Rivera on Carnival Splendor (before the problems) We took my

son who was on leave after being in Iraq. That and whale watching

made this cruise.

4 Australia and New Zealand on the Diamond.. Sydney and New Zealand

what more do you want!!

3 Panama Canal - full transit on the Coral - a must sometime during a

lifetime

 

and #1and 2 tied!!!!

 

1and 2 Back to Back Transatlantic/British Isles and West Europe on the

Grand - I liked the length 29 days and the sea days crossing

the Atlantic. European ports were fantastic. We stayed in England

10 extra days!!

 

We have a 28 day South Pacific in Oct. I assume that will be #1

[gooch47]

Sorry, Princess folks, but our best was the Celebrity Xpedition to the Galapagos Islands. So good we did it twice.

 

Not a laid back cruise. Lots of heavy activity. Hiking, swimming, snorkeling.

[kiwipete]

alaska

[windsor26]

We are a group of four couples in our 50s who met on a European river cruise last year. We just had a wonderful reunion on dry land in California and are planning another cruise for next summer or fall.

 

My question is to all my fellow CCers....while ALL cruises are good, what was your BEST cruise EVER?!

 

We are leaning towards a Baltic Sea/St. Petersburg itinerary but are open to other suggestions. Princess would be my choice but Celebrity Constellation, RCI Jewel of the Seas and Ms Eurodam also do this cruise.

 

Comments welcome!

 

 

The Baltic St Petersburgh is our choice as well but this also was our first and with a small company (defunct now) so good I bought shares in the company (and lost money when they went tails up) but still the best cruise