Rate the top luxury lines

[Suite Travels]

Aloha and Mahalo for your postings. We love the spiritual islands of Hawaii and we are thinking about finding a home on the big island outside of Kona. We have been to beautiful Kailua and loved it. For those of you who have never visited, here is a bit of information.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kailua,_Honolulu_County,_Hawaii

[Ka Honu]

Thank you all for your interest and concern. For those who are curious, I must admit that I may not be quite as handsome and well-dressed in person as you might imagine. I am, however, just as charming and witty as I am on line.

 

Suite Travels - I lived in Kona "back in the day" (late 70s) and won't bore you with all the changes other than to strongly advise you check out how the vog affects wherever you decide to settle. It can be brutal.

[Emperor Norton]

As a first time Seabourn cruiser, and having never done Regent/Crystal, I would appreciate it if you could you expound on the differences in the "dining arrangement?" Thanks.

 

Since everyone is is arguing semantics (rather than getting up to some antics) I'll answer this.

 

Crystal still uses set time dining meaning there's an early seating and a late seating. You're assigned a table and every night at the same time you dine with the same people (unless you go to a specialty restaurant which you need to make a reservation for). They also offer dining by reservation or something similar where you pick ahead of time what time you want to eat and at a table for how many. The system lacks the flexibility/spontaneity offered on Seabourn, SilverSea and Regent. Some people are fine with this arrangement, others not so much.

[pvkatmom]

Love Seabourn. Also love Azamara, and as we book suites there, we eat in the specialty restaurants most nights, super friendly crew (and passengers!). Seabourn and Azamara ships are just the right size. Crystal is very nice, but we like to dine when its convenient for us, and not be slotted into a set dining time. Haven't been on Silversea for a long time, but found Silversea Wind a bit too small. Have not been on the other ships mentioned in this thread, but we've found that Seabourn and Azamara work best for us, and are our lines of choice. (We've also been on Princess, HAL, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean, but they aren't luxury and are too large) Anyway, Azamara has late nights and overnights in some ports, which is great, so you are not just somewhere from 8am-5pm (or even less) and kind of rushing to see everything. We always get off the ship and see as much as we can, usually through private guides, but sometimes via ship's excursions, if the timing is tight.

Edited June 22, 2016 by pvkatmom
wanted to add something

[notjaded]

Since everyone is is arguing semantics (rather than getting up to some antics) I'll answer this.

 

Crystal still uses set time dining meaning there's an early seating and a late seating. You're assigned a table and every night at the same time you dine with the same people (unless you go to a specialty restaurant which you need to make a reservation for). They also offer dining by reservation or something similar where you pick ahead of time what time you want to eat and at a table for how many. The system lacks the flexibility/spontaneity offered on Seabourn, SilverSea and Regent. Some people are fine with this arrangement, others not so much.

 

Thanks for the helpful information!

[auldlassie]

Happy to agree Oceania not a luxury line, as Seabourn is, but just off Oceania Riviera at the weekend and I can assure Emperor Norton that the cruise he described is completely unrecognisable in comparison to the cruise I have just had, where passengers generally behaved well and I didn't see any of the awful behaviours he described.

[Emperor Norton]

Happy to agree Oceania not a luxury line, as Seabourn is, but just off Oceania Riviera at the weekend and I can assure Emperor Norton that the cruise he described is completely unrecognisable in comparison to the cruise I have just had, where passengers generally behaved well and I didn't see any of the awful behaviours he described.

 

That's what adds spice to life.

[auldlassie]

Really? I am totally sceptical of that. I would have expected some cross over at the very least, not the total opposite.