I'm gonna cheat on SeaDream just once in 2012...

[CDreamer]

Yep, Paris is on our "cheat" list this year too... but since we're taking a 'land only' trip, is that still considered "cheating on SD"?? ;)

 

Knot - loved seeing your video after all the reviews you posted re: your time in Scotland. Thanks for posting the link!

[knotheadusc]

All this talk of kids on board SeaDream has me thinking of Princess again... Bumping this for those looking for a less kid friendly cruise.

[JES4845]

Just curious why you think Princess is less kid friendly? I've been as concerned as anyone about kids on SD and we just canceled a Costa Rica cruise because of too many potential spoiled brats on SD that cruise, but why would Princess be less risky? Do they ban them or is it just the ships are big enough to handle them? Any adults only areas on Princess? We are more likely to go back to land trips than ditch SD over kids only to get all the non-kid headaches of larger ships plus kids issues on the larger ones too!

[knotheadusc]

I think it's less kid friendly for a lot of reasons. First off, they state in their literature that kids under nine are not allowed. They also seem to enforce their policies more than SeaDream does. It is a luxury cruise and they do take very good care of people onboard, but they also seemed very firm about what was and was not acceptable behavior. We didn't notice anyone acting in an uncivilized way, but I noticed that the staff had the ability to say "no".

 

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, my husband and I were the only Americans on one trip and two of four Americans on the second. Most of the folks onboard were older Brits whose days of child rearing were long behind them. I got the impression that was the usual clientele for that ship. At age 40, I was the youngest on the first cruise and among the youngest on the second. I noticed a number of folks had been aboard before.

 

Also, in case you haven't noticed, fares on Hebridean Princess are very pricey, especially during the summer when kids would be more likely to sail. There are absolutely no facilities for kids whatsoever-- not even a pool or a hot tub. Princess only handles 50 people at a time, but it's not like three straight decks with staterooms. The rooms are situated in different areas throughout the ship.

 

Princess is not like SeaDream, though. The mood is quite different and the focus is more on excursions. There are two a day and they are included in the price of the cruise. Personally, I liked it. I didn't drink as much and actually got to see a lot of places I might have otherwise skipped. I did a lot of walking, too.

[Zimmy]

I think we are talking about two different Princess lines here.

[knotheadusc]

Right. This is about Hebridean Princess, not Princess Cruise Lines of Love Boat fame. :p

 

http://www.hebrideancruises.us/destination.html

 

Hebridean owns one ship, a former car ferry called Princess. They also lease the Royal Crown for river cruises. I don't see any river cruises currently listed for 2014, but they did have some posted a few weeks ago.

[JES4845]

THAT explains it. Two different Princesses ... sort of like the difference between the Wicked Witch of the East and Glenda, the Good Witch (of the North?).

[knotheadusc]

Yes. They are entirely different. I haven't taken a Princess Cruise Lines cruise, but Hebridean Princess makes SeaDream I and II look large! Hebridean Princess has the feel of a country inn, only it's a ship and not a quaint B&B. It definitely not at all child friendly and from what I could tell, the people onboard were fine with that.

 

Some people have said they find the Hebridean experience "stuffy". I didn't. It's just not American and doesn't specifically cater to Americans. Frankly, I thought that was kind of refreshing.

[Jim Avery]

I am testing out the Love Boat Princess on the 29th. We have booked a suite and the covered veranda is a bit larger than a SeaDream cabin! The suite is near 500 s/f. Also reserved sunbeds in the ADULTS ONLY pool area with bar service. Will be reviewing as time permits. Oh yeah, all in with allowance for a bar tab, about 1/2 what we are paying for our upcoming Costa Rica trip on SeaDream. We went on a Panama Canal voyage on Cunard's Queen Victoria last year and had absolutely no kid issues. I have sailed Cunard since I was the kid and have never been a problem (except to my parents) nor had a kid problem in many voyages. Lots of kids on board but, as we have beaten to death, they had their own spaces and naturally want to be away from the "old folks".:eek: As we know on SeaDream, kids take over a space that is sold as an adult venue. We would probably have jumped on an early Caribbean on SD had things been less contentious with the kids. I have seen no complaints about unruly kids in adult spaces over on the Princess Board. We shall see.:D

[zqvol]

We have our cheating for next year booked. Back to Alaska, trying Silver Seas this time.

[Jim Avery]

We have our cheating for next year booked. Back to Alaska, trying Silver Seas this time.

 

You and FT will look really good in Tux/formal Chicos!:eek::D Send pictures.:D

[zqvol]

You and FT will look really good in Tux/formal Chicos!:eek::D Send pictures.:D

 

No formal in Alaska :D:D

[Jim Avery]

No formal in Alaska :D:D

 

Bummer. I was looking forward to the pictures.:eek::D

[Tall Lad]

After the events of this summer the title of this thread is ironic to say the least.

 

Maybe we should have a new thread............ "How many times are you going to let SeaDream cheat on you?"

[JES4845]

We all look forward to Jim's report on the adult area of Princess. Sounds very interesting. Earlier this week, I stubbornly made one more run at SeaDream management to deal with the kid barrier to our future business in a more comprehensive and effective manner. I failed. Thus, in addition to canceling our end of year trip to Costa Rica (for which SD did promptly refund our deposit) we are forced to reconsider our two 2014 voyages. While we are more inclined to go back to land only trips as we did before falling in love with the original SD concept, we are open to hearing about cruise options that facilitate adult relaxation and enjoyment on other lines.

[Tall Lad]

We all look forward to Jim's report on the adult area of Princess. Sounds very interesting. Earlier this week, I stubbornly made one more run at SeaDream management to deal with the kid barrier to our future business in a more comprehensive and effective manner. I failed. Thus, in addition to canceling our end of year trip to Costa Rica (for which SD did promptly refund our deposit) we are forced to reconsider our two 2014 voyages. While we are more inclined to go back to land only trips as we did before falling in love with the original SD concept, we are open to hearing about cruise options that facilitate adult relaxation and enjoyment on other lines.

 

I have e-mailed the UK Sales and Marketing director and he too has chosen to ignore.

[knotheadusc]

I am giving serious thought to booking a river barge cruise in Ireland or France. Or perhaps we'll go back to Scotland and barge.

[Jim Avery]

We all look forward to Jim's report on the adult area of Princess. Sounds very interesting. Earlier this week, I stubbornly made one more run at SeaDream management to deal with the kid barrier to our future business in a more comprehensive and effective manner. I failed. Thus, in addition to canceling our end of year trip to Costa Rica (for which SD did promptly refund our deposit) we are forced to reconsider our two 2014 voyages. While we are more inclined to go back to land only trips as we did before falling in love with the original SD concept, we are open to hearing about cruise options that facilitate adult relaxation and enjoyment on other lines.

 

Sorry to hear again about the unresponsive SD management. Saddens me to say good bye. We are fully prepaid for Costa Rica and have been told our voyage is kid free (at the moment---if they are being truthful) but we have already shelled out $10K for the non refundable cruise, flights, hotel, etc. You bet I will be reviewing the Suite Life on Princess. A fun getaway itinerary and what appears to be very nice quarters. Frequent Traveler did a similar thing on NCL last year and enjoyed it. What SD management seems to ignore is that we are all not inherently kid haters, just hate to be forced to interact with other people's wunderkind-er when the product marketed is something else.

[JES4845]

We are saddened as well. Thankfully in a perverse way we had the bad kiddie voyage in the Black Sea last month the same week our final deposit was due on the land portion in Costa Rica for the full week prior to the SD voyage starting. We quickly canceled and got the initial deposit back while on the bad SD cruise to avoid the final payment that would have been nonrefundable as of Sept. 1. That said, we are holding nonrefundable first class airline tickets that can be rebooked for another trip but with a hefty change fee. We were willing to rebook the airfare to just do the SD voyage has they been more willing to address our kid concerns, but that didn't happen. In fact they made a bad situation worse by trying to minimize our concerns and yours here about kids.

 

To be clear about my earlier reply, SD has responded to my several emails and we have had very candid and detailed exchanges. Thus, they aren't ignoring my emails as in not replying at all so I give them credit to that extent. However, they are ignoring the substance of my concerns and many of those here about whether kids are compatible with what is "billed" as an ultra luxury yachting not cruising trip. By billed of course that means both the marketing and the premium paid in fares and fees which is worth it to us generally, just not when kids rule the roost.

 

At bottom they are taking what I would call cosmetic steps but only when a lot of kids are on board. For example, the pool time restrictions apply if six or more kids are on board. They were unmoved when I reminded them that it took only two kids at any given time to ruin the pool for adults on the two-week Black Sea trip. They also said we could just travel when there are fewer kids and they will share that info if asked. The problem is they said fewer to zero kids likely would be outside of July, August and holidays, the very times we can most readily travel. We had hoped to be on SD at least twice a year as we have been until now, if not more often, once we retire and could travel in shoulder months. Unfortunately, we just can't take the chance on kids anymore. We also can't recommend SD to others as we have done for five years.

 

Beyond the kids, the failure to grasp the seriousness of the matter and put loyal adults like all of us over kids and their parents who have to bring little Johnny and Susie wherever the parents go is a business decision they will come to regret but too late, in my humble opinion.