Which ship would you choose of these?

[MicCanberra]

Thanks all for your thoughts! These are the ships available for my (if approved) leave for January. I could add Emerald Princess although it only does South NZ, up to Wellington I think, but the ship does look very nice.

 

I was even half thinking, depending on my leave (and $!) Solstice to Auckland, a night in Auckland, and a four night cruise on Dawn back to Sydney. Why fly home when you can cruise?!

 

My daughter didn't use kids club on our last cruise, though I've encouraged her to give it a go, at least on the first night, for our upcoming cruise. She enjoyed watching the ocean go by on a deck chair with a mocktail, the shows, the MDR, and even Bingo :). And of course the port stops. We've been to NZ before on a land trip (although she was 7!) and she is keen to go back. I don't think she even used the water slides on Carnival, now that I think about it.

 

I'll cross HAL off the list. Slightly leaning towards Solstice, Emerald or Radiance... decisions, decisions!! And yes, any cruise is better than staying home!! :)

 

Good choices, I haven't sailed on Radiance but most RCI lovers that I have met say it is their favourite RCI ship. The combo sounds alright as well, except I would be constantly comparing the second cruise to the first in regards to ship, service, etc. May be a disappointment.

Edited February 24, 2016 by MicCanberra

[NoWhiners]

We have the same dilemma, but different circumstances. It is just us (2 early 60s) and have to pick between Solstice/Radiance combined, or Emerald/Solstice combined. Right now we are leaning the latter, mostly due to a 3 day vs 7 day stopover in Sydney. I would prefer to fly into Auckland, do Emerald ending in Sydney, a week in Sydney, then Solstice around Australia. Our friends want to do Solstice/Radiance out of Sydney. So a debate rages on!! We have never done RCI or Celebrity before so it's new to us. But I tend to agree that your daughter might prefer other than HAL. But I have read many posts that say teenagers have liked HAL cruises.

 

What do you and you daughter like to do? Are you either/both good with sitting and watching water go by, seeing an occasional movie in a theatre, just going with the flow. Or do you like to be busy/moving all the time? If the latter, probably HAL isn't the line for this cruise. Excursions/ports will be great with all cruise lines, so the decision point might be the onboard experience.

 

I love HAL and have done all our cruises so far on them but we don't have kids. We are trying other lines, just to compare. I like the slowed-down pace and quieter atmosphere of HAL. But if you and your daughter (and I think you need to consider both your preferences, not just your daughter's) want more action, go with Solstice and Radiance/Princess, not HAL.

 

Good luck and please post what you decide.

ML

Edited February 24, 2016 by NoWhiners

[GUT2407]

We have the same dilemma, but different circumstances. It is just us (2 early 60s) and have to pick between Solstice/Radiance combined, or Emerald/Solstice combined. Right now we are leaning the latter, mostly due to a 3 day vs 7 day stopover in Sydney. I would prefer to fly into Auckland, do Emerald ending in Sydney, a week in Sydney, then Solstice around Australia. Our friends want to do Solstice/Radiance out of Sydney. So a debate rages on!! We have never done RCI or Celebrity before so it's new to us. But I tend to agree that your daughter might prefer other than HAL. But I have read many posts that say teenagers have liked HAL cruises.

 

What do you and you daughter like to do? Are you either/both good with sitting and watching water go by, seeing an occasional movie in a theatre, just going with the flow. Or do you like to be busy/moving all the time? If the latter, probably HAL isn't the line for this cruise. Excursions/ports will be great with all cruise lines, so the decision point might be the onboard experience.

 

I love HAL and have done all our cruises so far on them but we don't have kids. We are trying other lines, just to compare. I like the slowed-down pace and quieter atmosphere of HAL. But if you and your daughter (and I think you need to consider both your preferences, not just your daughter's) want more action, go with Solstice and Radiance/Princess, not HAL.

 

Good luck and please post what you decide.

ML

 

 

For me Emerald Solstice without a doubt.

[NoWhiners]

For me Emerald Solstice without a doubt.

 

me too, but friends were scared off by a week in Sydney between cruises. Don't ask me why! It seemed perfect to me.

 

ML

[GUT2407]

me too, but friends were scared off by a week in Sydney between cruises. Don't ask me why! It seemed perfect to me.

 

ML

 

If time (and I guess money) isn't an issue there's plenty to fill a week in Sydney.

[MicCanberra]

We have the same dilemma, but different circumstances. It is just us (2 early 60s) and have to pick between Solstice/Radiance combined, or Emerald/Solstice combined. Right now we are leaning the latter, mostly due to a 3 day vs 7 day stopover in Sydney. I would prefer to fly into Auckland, do Emerald ending in Sydney, a week in Sydney, then Solstice around Australia. Our friends want to do Solstice/Radiance out of Sydney. So a debate rages on!! We have never done RCI or Celebrity before so it's new to us. But I tend to agree that your daughter might prefer other than HAL. But I have read many posts that say teenagers have liked HAL cruises.

 

Good luck and please post what you decide.

ML

 

I suppose for you it comes down to how much you want to cruise with your friends if they cannot be convinced. I would go the Emerald and Solstice combo but the other combo isn't bad either. For me, it would come down to itinerary, timing and price.:D

[MicCanberra]

me too, but friends were scared off by a week in Sydney between cruises. Don't ask me why! It seemed perfect to me.

 

ML

Not having enough time away can be a real cramp on holidays. Perhaps some suggestions of what they can do for the week will help sway them.:D

[cassamanda]

me too, but friends were scared off by a week in Sydney between cruises. Don't ask me why! It seemed perfect to me.

 

ML

 

I think you have a thread going about this topic, so best to discuss there but for i would take the 7 days in Sydney with options to fly/drive to other towns/cities fir a few days. Others have done this very succesfully.

 

Havent been on Solstice yet but it is on the list as they have reciprocal loyalty with RCI. Favourite ship for now is Radiance.

[mr walker]

Favourite ship for now is Radiance.

 

One more for Radiance, although we haven't done Solstice yet, and many who's opinions we value really recommend her :)

[cunarderdiamond7]

Any cruise line but RCL is a wise choice

[Tara Jane]

7 days in sydney, if $$ allow you could even fly over to uluru (ayers rock) for a couple of days, up to the gold coast or further to the great barrier reef.

I always suggest Uluru for overseas visitors as its so different to everywhere else in Australia.

[The_Big_M]

From what's described, I'd say Solstice or Emerald from those options.

 

But other things like price and itinerary and dates would factor into that as well, so that's only a provisional recommendation. :-)

Edited February 24, 2016 by The_Big_M

[Tigerlily75]

We have the same dilemma, but different circumstances. It is just us (2 early 60s) and have to pick between Solstice/Radiance combined, or Emerald/Solstice combined. Right now we are leaning the latter, mostly due to a 3 day vs 7 day stopover in Sydney. I would prefer to fly into Auckland, do Emerald ending in Sydney, a week in Sydney, then Solstice around Australia. Our friends want to do Solstice/Radiance out of Sydney. So a debate rages on!! We have never done RCI or Celebrity before so it's new to us. But I tend to agree that your daughter might prefer other than HAL. But I have read many posts that say teenagers have liked HAL cruises.

 

What do you and you daughter like to do? Are you either/both good with sitting and watching water go by, seeing an occasional movie in a theatre, just going with the flow. Or do you like to be busy/moving all the time? If the latter, probably HAL isn't the line for this cruise. Excursions/ports will be great with all cruise lines, so the decision point might be the onboard experience.

 

I love HAL and have done all our cruises so far on them but we don't have kids. We are trying other lines, just to compare. I like the slowed-down pace and quieter atmosphere of HAL. But if you and your daughter (and I think you need to consider both your preferences, not just your daughter's) want more action, go with Solstice and Radiance/Princess, not HAL.

 

Good luck and please post what you decide.

ML

 

Whichever way you choose, that sounds like a great trip! If budget is not the concern, I agree with others that filling in seven days would be easy, Sydney is a great place to visit, and there's also the option of flying somewhere like Uluru (Ayers Rock) for three days or so, no ships stop there!

 

As for us, I think we are somewhere in the middle - very go with the flow, happy to watch the sea, we do like more vibrant shows Broadway style or magicians etc, not so much violinists or opera, but nor belly flop or hairy chest contests. I do like a festive happy holiday atmosphere. I doubt we'd be unhappy on any cruise, it's just the picking which one to do when there are so many options!

[Aussie_Kiwi_Family]

Personally not our favourite solstice. Sorry. Lovely ship but not the feel we were looking for. I really liked the 'modern luxury' themes before I went - but didn't really do it for me.

 

We like a bit more lively atmosphere. We did a repositioning so that does impact the ave age massively.

 

Would go radiance or legend.

Our favourite cruise is still Voyager so yes would go legend. Loved the open promenade and activities.

 

We are just about to try carnival for the first time so hoping its good.

[MicCanberra]

Whichever way you choose, that sounds like a great trip! If budget is not the concern, I agree with others that filling in seven days would be easy, Sydney is a great place to visit, and there's also the option of flying somewhere like Uluru (Ayers Rock) for three days or so, no ships stop there!

As for us, I think we are somewhere in the middle - very go with the flow, happy to watch the sea, we do like more vibrant shows Broadway style or magicians etc, not so much violinists or opera, but nor belly flop or hairy chest contests. I do like a festive happy holiday atmosphere. I doubt we'd be unhappy on any cruise, it's just the picking which one to do when there are so many options!

 

Good point, add Cairns (GBR and Daintree) or Adelaide (Barossa, kangaroo Island) or Darwin (Kakaudu) or another Aussie destination that is of interest.:D

[NoWhiners]

Whichever way you choose, that sounds like a great trip! If budget is not the concern, I agree with others that filling in seven days would be easy, Sydney is a great place to visit, and there's also the option of flying somewhere like Uluru (Ayers Rock) for three days or so, no ships stop there!

 

As for us, I think we are somewhere in the middle - very go with the flow, happy to watch the sea, we do like more vibrant shows Broadway style or magicians etc, not so much violinists or opera, but nor belly flop or hairy chest contests. I do like a festive happy holiday atmosphere. I doubt we'd be unhappy on any cruise, it's just the picking which one to do when there are so many options!

 

Tigerlily

 

Yes, it was a win either way, which is why we stopped fighting and went with their 1st choice. The Radiance/Solstice is cheaper, so I that's why they liked it more. Plus, they have a plan on how to fly using points, which we don't have. So, we'll go with their preference and stay extra days after the Radiance returns. Really no way to lose, but they may have to leave so he can get back to work, which makes it harder. Always want to make the perfect choice, which may be the killer of good choice :)

 

Good luck on your decision, there is no 'wrong' choice, great advice here.

 

ML

[NoWhiners]

Not having enough time away can be a real cramp on holidays. Perhaps some suggestions of what they can do for the week will help sway them.:D

 

I think price is their big driver, no matter what I say about what we can do. I am compiling a file of all we can do, and will send it to them. But I don't think it will matter...<sigh>.

 

ML

[NoWhiners]

I think you have a thread going about this topic, so best to discuss there but for i would take the 7 days in Sydney with options to fly/drive to other towns/cities fir a few days. Others have done this very succesfully.

 

Havent been on Solstice yet but it is on the list as they have reciprocal loyalty with RCI. Favourite ship for now is Radiance.

 

Not sure what you are referring to, but I only have 1 other thread going--Fiordland NP. I have been asking a lot of specific questions there but not about ships. I agree there is a lot to do and we do have a lot of options. Didn't know about X/RCI reciprocal loyalty, thanks for that tip!

 

ML

[cassamanda]

Not sure what you are referring to, but I only have 1 other thread going--Fiordland NP. I have been asking a lot of specific questions there but not about ships. I agree there is a lot to do and we do have a lot of options. Didn't know about X/RCI reciprocal loyalty, thanks for that tip!

 

ML

 

Sorry may have had a senior moment:cool:

The loyalty refers to your existing status on either ship is recognised on both however points earned only add up on the individual line.

[MicCanberra]

Didn't know about X/RCI reciprocal loyalty, thanks for that tip!

 

ML

 

RCI's Platinum = X's Select and the same reversed.

Diamond = Elite and the same reversed.

However, Diamond + only = Elite and Elite + only = Diamond.:D

[cassamanda]

Not sure what you are referring to, but I only have 1 other thread going--Fiordland NP. I have been asking a lot of specific questions there but not about ships. I agree there is a lot to do and we do have a lot of options. Didn't know about X/RCI reciprocal loyalty, thanks for that tip!

 

ML

 

My memory cells have recovered:D I was referring to spending 7 days in Sydney.

[gek]

The Radiance and Solstice are the two best ships in Australia in my opinion and of a number of TAs I know.

 

If you want activities then the Radiance is the way to go. The Solstice is a bit more sedate and "classy" and that can be a good thing if you are looking for relaxation.

 

Either is great and I'd just pick the one with the best itinerary, however if I was forced to travel during school holidays I'd definitely pick the Solstice.

[NoWhiners]

RCI's Platinum = X's Select and the same reversed.

Diamond = Elite and the same reversed.

However, Diamond + only = Elite and Elite + only = Diamond.:D

 

Hmm, good to know but I doubt we will ever progress enough on either! I have been working with X Captains Club the past 3 days just to get my CC # associated with my name!!:) Took us 7 cruises (I think) to get to 3 star on HAL. We need to cruise more!

 

My memory cells have recovered:D I was referring to spending 7 days in Sydney.

 

Totally get senior moments and memory cells recovering :D! I have gotten a lot of great ideas on the other thread about what to do/where to stay.

 

This will be the trip of a lifetime, so really looking forward to it. We will have to cancel our 4 week B2B Celebrity cruise to/around South America but this trip is more interesting to us.

 

ML

[MicCanberra]

Hmm, good to know but I doubt we will ever progress enough on either! I have been working with X Captains Club the past 3 days just to get my CC # associated with my name!!:) Took us 7 cruises (I think) to get to 3 star on HAL. We need to cruise more!

 

ML

 

I cruise for the cruise experience and the ports it visits, so have changed cruise lines to suit, the points will accrue eventually and when the perks kick in it makes a nice reward. However, I don't think chasing points is worth it for the perks.

[GUT2407]

I cruise for the cruise experience and the ports it visits, so have changed cruise lines to suit, the points will accrue eventually and when the perks kick in it makes a nice reward. However, I don't think chasing points is worth it for the perks.

 

 

We're the same.

 

No way I'd chase points, but if we get something free so be it. I don't see much value in any of it till you get to the top level, and even then not a huge amount for us