Thinking of trying a luxury cruise - have you done one?

[MDCruiserz]

A question for you folks - have you ever sailed any of the luxury lines and were you able to cruise on the premium lines again without constantly drawing comparisons? We've been warned that this might be a risk.

 

We've been on RCCL, Princess and, in the past couple of years, Celebrity. All have been great, with each cruiseline having characteristics that we really enjoyed. Now DH and I are toying with taking a luxury cruise (sans children) next year and looking at Seabourn. I'm just wondering if we should (a) jump directly to the top of the luxury market like that, and (b) spend the additional money (is it truly that much nicer?). We do really enjoy fine dining, socializing and dressing up for dinner. We also enjoy the entertainment (not big on the big production shows - more the singers/musicians) and hanging out at the pool.

 

Anybody have any thoughts on this? In your opinion, how do the cruiselines stack up on the premium-to-luxury ladder?

[JFontaine]

It depends what you are interested in.

 

I have cruised Celebrity, Regent and Crystal many times and I keep coming back to Celebrity for the simple reason that I can get a larger cabin and verandah on Celebrity than the same money will buy on a more upscale line. Private space is key for me. Also - since I am in a suite I am treated far better on Celebrity than I ever was on the other two lines - and with the other perks of being in a suite I am able to avoid large crowds. The only thing I hesitate about is if anything ever went wrong (a mechanical issue at sea or forcing the cruise to end early) you are better off on a small, upscale ship, but the chance of that is very low. So this plan works for me and others (check out the Crystal board). But I am not a foodie nor a big drinker so having better food or unlimited drinks do not mean much to me. Good luck with your search.

[gsb]

Don't need a butler following me around powdering my a*s.

Hope I'm not snobbish enough to enjoy one of them.;)

 

Also, I like the excitement of the new big ships, such as the Oasis and all thedy offer--no way the "luxury" cruises have all of this--I don't want to look forward to lectures and piano and harp concerts.

[annierie]

We have done four luxury cruises but not on Seabourn.

 

After discovering small ship cruising, we have not returned to the mass market lines due to these preferences.

 

Longer times in ports, including overnights. Better smaller ports, with less ship traffic. Country club atmosphere. Very well traveled passengers, mostly our age or older but not pretentious. We found more people to socialize with, on shared excursions or in the lounges. The atmosphere is closer to yachting or sailing, with people focused on the destinations. Loved open seating for dinner where we increased acquaintances based on shared interests.

 

Entertainment is low key but most of our trips were port intensive. We were tired out every night and enjoyed the absence of crowds, noise and sensory overload.

 

Highlights include:

 

cocktail party on deck while cruising around Santorini

dessert on deck while cruising beneath an active volcano

deciding to anchor off Nauplion so the Captain could launch the water toys

anchoring off the coast of Malta to watch the fireworks on a national holiday

having a day at Princess Cays with open bar, only 400 people on the island

[kitty9]

Well, first of all, you can get a butler on Celebrity and you don't necessarily get a butler on the all luxury ships unless you book higher end suites. Having a butler doesn't mean luxury. Oh, and the entertainment isn't all harps and pianos. AND, snobs do not populate the luxury lines. I've seen my share of snobs and pains in the behind passengers on every line, including Celebrity and RCI. So, unless you've experienced a luxury cruise, you really cannot understand what they're all about. And BTW, I started cruising the luxury lines when I was 40, so you don't have to be in your 80's to enjoy the luxury experience.

 

I've cruised every luxury line out there and while the food they offer is sublime, and having a smaller number of passengers means you don't have lines for anything and their tours are much, much better and varied than a mass market, I think you can get very close to a luxury experience, as far as food is concerned, if you dine every night in the specialty restaurants.

 

The other big plus for the smaller luxury ships is their ability to provide itineraries that the big ships cannot do. You cannot get Oasis or Epic to the more exotic locales and out of the way places that the smaller ships can. So unless you're happy always cruising to the same places in the Caribbean or Europe, you have to look at a smaller ship company to find those really interesting itineraries.

 

Finally, the smaller ships have the ability to provide shore excursions that the large ships cannot. You won't see Oasis doing private dinners in the desert in Dubai, visiting Petra, doing a Jeep tour in Namibia, having a private lunch with the woman who cooks for the Pope, or having an evening picnic on a deserted island in the Maldives. While some of you might not be interested in those kinds of things, there are a lot who'd jump at the chance, but can only do that on a luxury line.

 

I cruise Crystal or Seabourn, but have absolutely no problem coming back to Celebrity. When I want a quick get away on a ship that has good service and fine food in the specialty restaurants, Celebrity is the best choice. When I'm on X, the ship is the destination and I don't care about the itinerary. But when I'm looking for destinations, I have to look at the luxury lines and their more varied itineraries and interesting ports of call.

 

But like people always say, it's great to have choices.

[gsb]

.

 

The other big plus for the smaller luxury ships is their ability to provide itineraries that the big ships cannot do. You cannot get Oasis or Epic to the more exotic locales and out of the way places that the smaller ships can. So unless you're happy always cruising to the same places in the Caribbean or Europe, you have to look at a smaller ship company to find those really interesting itineraries.

 

,But like people always say, it's great to have choices.

 

Agree Kitty9--Can't get the big ones into the small ports. One big plus for the Midsize/small ships.

 

The same ports in the Caribbean do get old--that's why a lot of cruisers go on the Oasis or Allure just for the ship. Everyone should do one of these at least one time.

[kelmac]

A question for you folks - have you ever sailed any of the luxury lines and were you able to cruise on the premium lines again without constantly drawing comparisons? We've been warned that this might be a risk.

 

We've been on RCCL, Princess and, in the past couple of years, Celebrity. All have been great, with each cruiseline having characteristics that we really enjoyed. Now DH and I are toying with taking a luxury cruise (sans children) next year and looking at Seabourn. I'm just wondering if we should (a) jump directly to the top of the luxury market like that, and (b) spend the additional money (is it truly that much nicer?). We do really enjoy fine dining, socializing and dressing up for dinner. We also enjoy the entertainment (not big on the big production shows - more the singers/musicians) and hanging out at the pool.

 

Anybody have any thoughts on this? In your opinion, how do the cruiselines stack up on the premium-to-luxury ladder?

 

If you would like to take a step up, without breaking the bank -- I would look at Oceania, Azamara or perhaps Cunard. Cunard is about the same as Celebrity, and the other two would be the next level up.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[Janthere]

We normally cruise on RCCL with the kids and Celebrity without them. This May we did our first cruise on Regent and it was truly wonderful. We were concerned that it would be all older passengers (we are in our 40's) but i think because it was a 7 day cruise, the average age was younger than normal - most were in the 40-60 range. Until i sailed on Celebrity Eclipse in NOvember, the Regent Mariner was my favourite cruise experience. the Eclipse (with the drink package) gave us a similar all inclusive experience as the Regent ship did but with a younger crowd and more things to do.

 

I would not hesitate to book another cruise on Regent if we went with friends and were going more for the itinerary. And i just booked Eclipse again for March Break so no problem going between luxury and mainstream lines for us.

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I have never sailed with Seabourn, but I have taken five cruises with Crystal. I think Crystal is excellent and I love the dining, entertainment and atmosphere. Yes, I think it is worth the extra money. However, I have no problem switching to the premium lines such as Celebrity, Cunard and Holland America. All of these are very nice.

 

Chuck

[ljk76]

We feel exactlythe same as the previous poster. We took our first Regent cruise to the Med this summer and absolutely loved it. The food was fantastic in all venues, the passengers were interesting, very down to earth,and with a smaller ship it was lovely to see many of the same people on excursions, at the cocktail lounges, the pool. The all inclusiveness of Regent appealed to us because we had excursions of significance 10 of 12 days.

 

With that said we fullyexpect to enjoy our upcoming Summit cruise in the Caribbean. We are planning a couple of nights in the Normandie, purchased the drink package to keep that "all inclusive" feeling going, and we were able to get a great price on a corner FOV, which will give us six times more veranda space. I will miss the large marble bath and walk in closet on Regent!

 

I think we will tend to stick to Celebrity for Caribbean trips. Because it's such a value and we like cruising out of San Jaun. We would definitely cruise Regent again for a good European itinerary. Both lines had to cancel European trips recently. It seems Celebrity really dumped their Century guests to the curb, where Regent looks to have made most guests quite happy.

 

One note, in terms of service both lines are spectacular in our experiences, really little if any difference. We are in our mid-fifties and have done 15 cruises, Carnival, Princess, RCCL, Celebrity, and Regent. Other than Carnival, given the right itinerary and price we'd cruise any of them, but Celebrity is by far our favorite "mass market" line.

[J&R-Chicago]

It seems Celebrity really dumped their Century guests to the curb, where Regent looks to have made most guests quite happy.

 

Hello, could you elaborate on the above? We're going on Celebrity for the first time next month on the Century.

 

I'd like to hear more on why. Thanks.

[Can'tstopcruising]

Hello, could you elaborate on the above? We're going on Celebrity for the first time next month on the Century.

 

I'd like to hear more on why. Thanks.

 

We were on the ill-fated Century, Oct.13. The evening of Oct. 14, the captain announced over the loud speaker that the rudder was broken, the cruise was cancelled, we would receive a refund and a 25% (of what we had paid) voucher for another cruise and we had to vacate the ship by Saturday. (This was Thursday evening). We had free access to the phones (impossible to use) and internet (constantly breaking down due to overuse).

 

Then the Captain & officers did a disappearing act, leaving the "kids", shop people, game people, dancers, etc. to field off all questions.

 

Hardly any help from anyone. Lots of lies and procrastination.

 

Friday night we were told to leave our bags out. We did not receive colour tags until 2am.

 

Many opted for free bus ride to Barcelona(10 hours, 2 stops, no water or toilets on bus, no English speaking staff on bus).

 

As we were a group, we had "cornered" an officer who promised we would be on the same bus. Guess what? We were all given different buses. At 2am, one of us had to go to the front desk, wait in a long line, and plead our case.

 

It was a disaster. All I could think is what if the rudder broke in the middle of the ocean? There was such disorganization that I don't think I would trust this company in an emergency.

 

Hope this answers your question.

[jgnova]

We were docked opposite the Seabourn Legend while in St. Kitts on the Mercury this December. As our veranda cabin was on that side of the ship, we spent a bit of time watching it before we sailed. I liked what appeared to be a lot of interaction between the officers and the passengers - noted that at one point the door to the bridge was open and people were chatting. I thought the size and interaction looked inviting and made a mental note to check with the Chancellor of the Exchequer (dw) on whether we could even think of trying it.

 

But then we kept watching and got a bit turned off. There were several passengers sitting on their top deck around the pool enjoying their afternoon cocktails and chatting amongst themselves as the Mercury staff began to prepare for our departure. We always enjoy watching this - and looking to see how many of our fellow passengers cut it close to last few minutes. That day there were a few - and the group on the Legend were hanging over the edge taunting the Mercury's latecomers rather loudly and crudely.

 

To misquote Groucho, if that's typical of their membership, we're not sure that's a club to which we want to belong. The people on the Mercury seemed much friendlier.

 

j

[MDCruiserz]

Thank you all so much for your comments. We like the idea of the smaller ports, and some of the itineraries on Seabourn sound great. I think before we book, we'll take a look at Oceana and Azamara to compare.

 

Many thanks again

MA

[zimmer64]

The luxury cruises are wonderful- the ships are smaller and able to get in close to the ports without tendering and to sights such as the glaciers on the Alaska cruises. Your bar in your room is stocked twice daily with whatever you choose- wines, liquors, sodas, etc. You can use the spa facilities, any restaurant at any time or anywhere to sit, whether alone or with others. No tip is accepted- it is all inclusive. There are bottles of water and extra beach towels to take with you when you get off at various ports. There are enough seats for people to sit around the pools and plenty of towels. The various toiletries are replaced usually 3x a day on your room. There are free laundry and ironing services. The meals are like eating in a 5 star restaurant and you can order whatever you want. The food is not mass produced- it is made to order so fresher. An attendant carries your food to a table when you use the buffet. There is no charge for any demonstration as the wine tasting and cooking classes. There are usually multiple speakers throughout the trip- such as authors, sports figures, etc. There are many day to day activities and the rec directors are very visible and approachable. The staff are encouraged to call you by name. You usually receive a booklet with passenger names and cities they come from. There are not the glitzy stuff like mountains to climb and wave makers, but it is very very nice. It is hard to go back to the other cruise lines but you should try it at least once. The customs agents some onboard the night before disembarkation and take care of their business so you do not have to worry about that. A lot of the passengers left their room doors open during the day. Our favorites are Regent, Windstar, Seabourne and Silversea.

[skandls]

Last year (2010) we sailed Seabourn and Oceania after being mass market cruisers. I did a thread comparing our experience. We are not rich but enjoy travel - and good food - which is one of the reasons we expanded our choice of cruse lines. I like good food. We are from California which means we have some of the best produce and ethnic creative chefs.

 

For port intensive cruises I like a more upscale ship - better food and service. For the lets getaway cruises entertainment is important. If there are a lot of sea days -I appreciate entertainment and choices for activities - and the big ships have more choices.

[jgnova]

Last year (2010) we sailed Seabourn and Oceania after being mass market cruisers.

 

So were more pax drinking more because of the open bar, or was what we watched an aberration?

 

How loud is the entertainment? Was there any classical? Piano bar type?

 

j

[MattOsprey]

Well, first of all, you can get a butler on Celebrity and you don't necessarily get a butler on the all luxury ships unless you book higher end suites. Having a butler doesn't mean luxury. Oh, and the entertainment isn't all harps and pianos. AND, snobs do not populate the luxury lines. I've seen my share of snobs and pains in the behind passengers on every line, including Celebrity and RCI. So, unless you've experienced a luxury cruise, you really cannot understand what they're all about. And BTW, I started cruising the luxury lines when I was 40, so you don't have to be in your 80's to enjoy the luxury experience.

 

I've cruised every luxury line out there and while the food they offer is sublime, and having a smaller number of passengers means you don't have lines for anything and their tours are much, much better and varied than a mass market, I think you can get very close to a luxury experience, as far as food is concerned, if you dine every night in the specialty restaurants.

 

The other big plus for the smaller luxury ships is their ability to provide itineraries that the big ships cannot do. You cannot get Oasis or Epic to the more exotic locales and out of the way places that the smaller ships can. So unless you're happy always cruising to the same places in the Caribbean or Europe, you have to look at a smaller ship company to find those really interesting itineraries.

 

Finally, the smaller ships have the ability to provide shore excursions that the large ships cannot. You won't see Oasis doing private dinners in the desert in Dubai, visiting Petra, doing a Jeep tour in Namibia, having a private lunch with the woman who cooks for the Pope, or having an evening picnic on a deserted island in the Maldives. While some of you might not be interested in those kinds of things, there are a lot who'd jump at the chance, but can only do that on a luxury line.

 

I cruise Crystal or Seabourn, but have absolutely no problem coming back to Celebrity. When I want a quick get away on a ship that has good service and fine food in the specialty restaurants, Celebrity is the best choice. When I'm on X, the ship is the destination and I don't care about the itinerary. But when I'm looking for destinations, I have to look at the luxury lines and their more varied itineraries and interesting ports of call.

 

But like people always say, it's great to have choices.

Very interesting thread and great individual post.

I am sold!

Just need 6 numbers in tonights Lotto.

I like the point that for sea days go mass market, but for quality ports go Luxury. This seems like good advice.

Thanks.

Matthew

[S&G@C]

Interesting thread to me. My daughter, granddaughter and I are going on our first Celebrity cruise in a few weeks. I have selected "luxury" ships in the past mostly for ease of getting on and off smaller ships and I don't like crowds. However I have read great comments about Celebrity and the price was right...so anxious to compare. I will say that an all inclusive ship (shore excursions, beverages, restaurants) makes for a stress free trip...particularly when traveling with my husband, children and spouses. Since we usually foot the bill no one feels left behind because they can't afford an excursion, drink etc.. However, as my family grows so does the bill...need new options!!! Curious to compare total bill on Celebrity to all inclusive luxury lines...so far has come out cheaper.

[BroncosFan2010]

We have been looking at our cruising options for next year and have settled on Regent. We are booking an 11 night Caribbean cruise. There are several nice perks being offered right now including free airfare, 2 for 1 fares, and free excursions.

[ORV]

Having been on a combination of luxury and mass market ships I believe all is good. So far Celebrity has been our favorite Mass Market line and Silversea our favorite lux line. It's all about expectations and knowing what you are getting.

 

To me the top reasons for the cruising the lux lines is smaller ship, interesting itineraries, and nicer staterooms. I really enjoyed the food on Celebrity and found the food on Oceania to be no better or perhaps not quite as good as X. There are many that would disagree with me about the food though.

[jackdiamond]

Interestingly, I chatted with a lovely lady while we were doing our vigorous pool walking in the Solarium on our Christmas Equinox cruise; and, she opined that this was her first cruise on a large ship and that she preferred it to the smaller ships she had cruised, basically Azamar, Seaborne, and Regent. She was, as were we, booked in AQ; and, her favorible assessment of the cuisine therein corroborated our experience therein.

[kitty9]

So were more pax drinking more because of the open bar, or was what we watched an aberration?

 

How loud is the entertainment? Was there any classical? Piano bar type?

 

j

 

Believe me, what you saw was definitely not part and parcel of a Seabourn cruise. Now, I've seen my fair share of disorderly drunks on the mass market lines, where alcohol is not included, so I don't believe it had anything to do with that. At times, there are groups of certain people who take a luxury cruise, or heck, any cruise for that matter, who's behavior leaves a lot to be desired. I've experienced groups of passengers who's behavior should have gotten them thrown off a ship, but for whatever reason, they are left alone. For example, there was a large group traveling with lots of kids on an Infinity cruise I was on. Every single one from this group were behaving badly, both adults and kids. Absolutely terrible treatment of the staff (teens swearing at them in the most vulgar language), food fights in the main dining room and buffet (one kid threw the large salad bowl at his cousins) and the final misbehavior, throwing human feces in the pool that had to be closed for nearly two days. I asked someone why this family of over 45 people were allowed to stay on the ship and the answer was "They cruise a few times a year and spend a boatload of money in the bars and casino, so we let them be". So, as you see, boorish behavior knows no limits.

[MDCruiserz]

This thread has been so useful - I think we are going to book a Seabourn cruise for next year - now we just need to determine which one! Thanks for your inputs.

 

... For example, there was a large group traveling with lots of kids on an Infinity cruise I was on. Every single one from this group were behaving badly, both adults and kids. Absolutely terrible treatment of the staff (teens swearing at them in the most vulgar language), food fights in the main dining room and buffet (one kid threw the large salad bowl at his cousins) and the final misbehavior, throwing human feces in the pool that had to be closed for nearly two days. I asked someone why this family of over 45 people were allowed to stay on the ship and the answer was "They cruise a few times a year and spend a boatload of money in the bars and casino, so we let them be". So, as you see, boorish behavior knows no limits.

 

Wow - I'm amazed and dismayed that the cruiseline would tolerate such behavior irrespective of the profits they may realize from this group. They should be disallowed onboard.

[ddpe]

I have done Princess, RC and Seabourn. I have mixed feelings about Seabourn.

 

First, the balcony is very important to me. On the Legend, you have a French Balcony in most of the suites. It is like a large window that opens. Also, when you are on the Legend's pool deck, you really can't get a great view of the ocean. So, I never really felt like I was at sea. I will only go on the new larger ships if I ever return to Seabourn.

 

The dining options were more limited on Seabourn, but of course, the food was better but sometimes confusing. For instance, breakfast had no menu, but people were getting hot items ordered. Is it too much for a menu? Roomservice was impeccable. There was a lot of personal attention - invitations to dinner, talking with the officers and entertainment staff - but that really is not very important to me so wasted on me.

 

The Legend shore excursions staff went above and beyond with buses right at the ships door and accomodated a missed port by going to a larger port and then bussing us to the original port. No waiting for tendors, no waiting ever. But, because of the passenger size, the excursion variety is limited.

 

Of course, entertainment options are also limited. I enjoy the comedy shows and trivia and other game contests on the big ships. You just won't find that on Seabourn. I thought that being on a luxery line meant that we would be treated to some lectures, but there was not a one. This was truly a dissappointment.

I can say I just didn't have as much fun on Seabourn. Yes, dining was stellar, but everything else.... not so much.

 

My husband wants to try it again because dining is what is important to him and Princess has gone down a path where it isn't enjoyable anymore unless you are at the specialty restaurants - and if they had more of them, no problem. That is why I am on the Celebrity board because we will probably book Reagent or Celebrity next.