Please help me find a new cruise line

[islandwoman]

We sail to experience parts of the world that we wouldn't feel comfortable visiting on our own at our age (early 70's). We most enjoyed our trip down the Amazon on the old Royal Princess, our trips around South Africa and through the Suez canal on the Ocean Princess, Society Islands and Tuamotos on the Paul Gauguin, and the Great Barrier Reef on the Captain Cook Reef Endeavor. Princess has sold both the old Royal and the Ocean and with that, given up some of her more interesting itineraries. This year's cruise is the Grand Mediterranean on Princess, that we booked to visit Turkey, but Princess cancelled those port calls. So who do we sail with next? We don't like formal and we aren't interested in destination ships.

[Floridiana]

HAL has interesting itineraries. It's usually the Volendam that travels around the world. Many of the luxury and premium lines like Oceania have itineraries all over the world. Their ships are small enough to get to smaller ports and closer to downtown in Shanghai and Hong Kong for example. Oceania is not formal at all and has excellent food.

[NMLady]

We sail to experience parts of the world that we wouldn't feel comfortable visiting on our own at our age (early 70's). We most enjoyed our trip down the Amazon on the old Royal Princess, our trips around South Africa and through the Suez canal on the Ocean Princess, Society Islands and Tuamotos on the Paul Gauguin, and the Great Barrier Reef on the Captain Cook Reef Endeavor. Princess has sold both the old Royal and the Ocean and with that, given up some of her more interesting itineraries. This year's cruise is the Grand Mediterranean on Princess, that we booked to visit Turkey, but Princess cancelled those port calls. So who do we sail with next? We don't like formal and we aren't interested in destination ships.

 

I agree with Floridiana about Oceania for you.

Look at some of the itineraries for Oceania cruise lines.

As said, they have no formal dress evenings.

Their Specialty restaurants are included in the fare.

[Floridiana]

Have a look at the freighter Aranui 5 from Papeete to the Marquesas Islands and back, a really cool experience. We did it twice, once on the old Aranui 2 and 10 years later on the Aranui 3.Those ships are sold and the Aranui 5 does the itinerary.

 

I am eyeing a Ponant (French Line) cruise from Papeete to Easter Islands via the Gambier Islands. Nobody else does this. They have an American archeologist as speaker on this itinerary.

[islandwoman]

Interesting ideas. I will check them out.

Any others?

[wheezedr]

But do not blame Princess for the cancellation of the Turkish ports, I think you will find virtually all the mainstream lines have pulled out given the current political situation. Most of them recognize the potential risks and the fact that many cruisers would not book if Turkey remained on the itinerary. Turkey was one of the reasons I booked the Royal last year and we were lucky as our cruise was the last to make the stop. It is actually quite sad because both Istanbul and Kusadesi (Ephesus) were interesting to visit and the Turks we met were a delight to interact with. It is sad to know that the everyday lives of people dependent on the tourism industry is upset through no actions of their own.

[Aquahound]

HAL has interesting itineraries. It's usually the Volendam that travels around the world. Many of the luxury and premium lines like Oceania have itineraries all over the world. Their ships are small enough to get to smaller ports and closer to downtown in Shanghai and Hong Kong for example. Oceania is not formal at all and has excellent food.

 

I agree with this post. I think HAL and Oceania are worth looking in to.

 

With HAL, look at Prinsendam's itineraries.

[Sny]

Oceania - you are exactly their demographic. Sail once with them, and you'll probably be hooked.

[cruisemom42]

The only quibble I'd put in regarding Oceania is that their itineraries are fairly bland for each region where they are active.

 

I've been looking for a reason to book an Oceania cruise for a while (I would like to experience their ships) but I keep finding that other ships I'm interested in have better itineraries (e.g., above and beyond the 'first trip' ports).

[SteveH2508]

Azamara are not formal and their itineraries are sometimes quite interesting.

[Floridiana]

Turn the search around and pick parts of the world you would like to visit and then find out who sails there.

Places we loved: the Baltic, Norway's coast, the Chilean Fjords, New Zealand, circumnavigation of Australia, Indonesian islands (Bali, Flores, Komodo).

River cruises: the Mekong, the Yangtze as part of a China trip.

Extraordinary inland places: Machu Picchu, Iguassu Falls, the Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala, Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador etc.

[marco]

Have you considered a river cruise? No formality, a very limited # of passengers. We've done 7 and LOVE them.

[nhsails]

Another vote for Azamara

[whogo]

Floridiana's suggestion to decide where you want to go and then look for an acceptable cruise line is good. I agree with others that Holland America has some great itineraries for a mainstream cruise line. Their gala night dress code is lax, with a collared shirt and slacks being the minimum for men. The Prinsendam's round trip Mediterranean cruise from Ft. Lauderdale tempts as does a South American circumnavigation. I am currently following the prices of Zaandam Antarctica cruises between Buenos Aires, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chile. But really, it all depends on where you want to go.

[islandwoman]

Turn the search around and pick parts of the world you would like to visit and then find out who sails there.

Places we loved: the Baltic, Norway's coast, the Chilean Fjords, New Zealand, circumnavigation of Australia, Indonesian islands (Bali, Flores, Komodo).

River cruises: the Mekong, the Yangtze as part of a China trip.

Extraordinary inland places: Machu Picchu, Iguassu Falls, the Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala, Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador etc.

The Prinsendam's round trip Mediterranean cruise from Ft. Lauderdale tempts as does a South American circumnavigation. I am currently following the prices of Zaandam Antarctica cruises between Buenos Aires, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chile. But really, it all depends on where you want to go.

I'd have to say, I'd like to go everywhere I haven't been yet except Antarctica (brrrrr!) Of the places you two mentioned, we're looking to do a transpacific with a circumnavigation of Australia in 2018, but so far have only found one cruise line - Holland America - that probably will be doing that itinerary. We're going to Tikal on an excursion from our HAL test cruise this fall. The rest we've seen, one way or the other, except: Iguassu Falls, Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador, the Mekong River, Flores, and Komodo. My bucket list continues to grow! I guess I'll never finish it. Does that mean I'll live forever :cool: Do you have recommendations for cruise lines that visit, or go close to in the case of inland destinations, Iguassu Falls, Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador, the Mekong River, Flores, and Komodo? Or a transpacific with a circumnavigation of Australia, other than HAL?

[Haole]

Our best cruise experience was on the Coral Princess (now Coral Expeditions) a smaller company in Australia. We cruised the Great Barrier Reef on 3 occasions with them. Small boat, of about 75 passengers, informal single seating dining and superior staff. Much of the dining fare was fresh seafood, but did offer other options.

 

We will sail with them on an over the top Kimberly cruise in the future. (Well its on our bucket list, anyway.)

 

Oceania was bought out by NCL and is suffering as a result.

[SuiteTraveler]

With the world situation as it is, I'm listing some places that should be relatively safe and unlikely to have port cancellations and where it is highly unlikely you will have to deal with having to escape from some country in chaos or a terrorist attack. Here are some suggestions:

 

Galapagos Islands

 

Arctic

http://www.adventurecanada.com/trip/heart-arctic-2017/?gclid=COrchYDOldMCFUGTfgodmbkLqg

 

New Zealand

 

River Cruising - I think you would find this absolutely delightful on an upscale line where is it all inclusive such as Uniworld or Viking. Even on dressier nights, it was understated - like a nice pair of pants and a dressy top for women and men wore sports coats and ties (sometimes). But other than that, it's casual all the way and the food is amazing and you are the right age group and will be in the majority.

Castles of the Rhine

Danube

Northern Italy

China

 

Iceland/Norwegian Fjords

 

Japan

 

Fanning Island

[whogo]

Do you have recommendations for cruise lines that visit, or go close to in the case of inland destinations, Iguassu Falls, Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador.

The aforementioned Prinsendam South America circumnavigation would allow you to visit both, I assume HAL even has an overpriced shore excursion to Iguazu Falls. There would be time to leave the ship between Lima, Peru and Manta, Ecuador to visit Napo Wildlife Center.

 

 

Buenos Aires is a jumping off place for Iquazu Falls. The Zaandam repositions from its Cape Horn cruises by way of the west coast of South America.

 

 

30 nights from $5400 plus taxes and whatever:

 

Saturday, March 3 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sunday, March 4 Buenos Aires, Argentina 6:00pm

Monday, March 5 Montevideo, Uruguay 8:00am 6:00pm

Tuesday, March 6 At Sea

Wednesday, March 7 At Sea

Thursday, March 8 Port Stanley, Falkland Islands 8:00am 6:00pm

Friday, March 9 Strait of Magellan (Cruising)

Saturday, March 10 Punta Arenas, Chile / Cockburn Channel / Beagle Channel / Glacier Alley (Cruising) 6:00am 6:00pm

Sunday, March 11 Ushuaia, Argentina Noon 8:00pm

Monday, March 12 Cape Horn (Cruising)

Tuesday, March 13 Sarmiento Canal (Cruising)

Wednesday, March 14 Chilean Fjords (Cruising)

Thursday, March 15 Puerto Montt, Chile 8:00am 5:00pm

Friday, March 16 At Sea

Saturday, March 17 Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile 7:00am 5:00pm

Sunday, March 18 La Serena, Chile 8:00am 5:00pm

Monday, March 19 At Sea

Tuesday, March 20 At Sea

Wednesday, March 21 General San Martin, Peru 6:00am 5:00pm

Thursday, March 22 Lima (Callao), Peru 8:00am

Friday, March 23 Lima (Callao), Peru 4:00pm

Saturday, March 24 Salaverry (Trujillo), Peru 9:00am 8:00pm

Sunday, March 25 At Sea

Monday, March 26 Manta, Ecuador 5:00am 6:00pm

Tuesday, March 27 At Sea

Wednesday, March 28 Fuerte Amador, Panama 8:00am

Thursday, March 29 Fuerte Amador, Panama 4:00am

Thursday, March 29 Panama Canal (Full Transit)

Friday, March 30 At Sea

Saturday, March 31 Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 8:00am 4:00pm

Sunday, April 1 At Sea

Monday, April 2 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am

 

 

Any of the cruises between Buenos Aires and Valparaiso would also work. Why not add in a flight to Easter Island, too, before flying on to Ecuador?

[Floridiana]

I'd have to say, I'd like to go everywhere I haven't been yet except Antarctica (brrrrr!) Of the places you two mentioned, we're looking to do a transpacific with a circumnavigation of Australia in 2018, but so far have only found one cruise line - Holland America - that probably will be doing that itinerary. We're going to Tikal on an excursion from our HAL test cruise this fall. The rest we've seen, one way or the other, except: Iguassu Falls, Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador, the Mekong River, Flores, and Komodo. My bucket list continues to grow! I guess I'll never finish it. Does that mean I'll live forever :cool: Do you have recommendations for cruise lines that visit, or go close to in the case of inland destinations, Iguassu Falls, Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador, the Mekong River, Flores, and Komodo? Or a transpacific with a circumnavigation of Australia, other than HAL?

 

Iguassu Falls: We did that on our own before a HAL cruise from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. It was easy to do on our own. We left the large suitcase in the hotel in BsAs and flew to the Argentinian side of the falls.

 

Napa Wildlife Center in Ecuador: We did this after a Galapagos cruise with Celebrity. We did not enjoy the Galapagos as much as other people because we don't snorkel. A three day trip would have been sufficient for us. Wildlife center: we made separate arrangements with them. They booked the flights, the boats and the guides from and back to Quito. This is a trip that needs to be done when your knees and back are still in working order because you are often in canoes. It's fascinating! We saw many more animals than people in other lodges.

 

Mekong River: Part of an Angkor Wat and Saigon visit. Several well known river cruise companies do that.

 

Komodo Island: It's on a Bali itinerary with HAL, probably with other ships as well. Our ship was the luxurious (and expensive) Europa 2 that also went to Flores on the same cruise. I know that Ponant goes there as well, I am not sure about others. It's really off the beaten tourist path with a weak infrastructure but gorgeous scenery. It's not for the faint of heart but not strenuous at all. Very friendly locals who love seeing visitors.

 

Circumnavigation of Australia: We did it with Princess, but now many other lines do it including Oceania. We flew to Sydney. You may want to look whether Princess does it in conjunction with a transpacific cruise. There is always the option of taking a break in Sydney for a few days and join a different ship. Oceania does transpacific cruises, but at a higher price point that mainstream lines like HAL and Princess..

 

Tikal: We went there on an Oceania cruise. The excursion was expensive due to the small charter planes, but well worth it. Bring toilet paper! The airport where you take off is military and bare bones. We got there early in the morning after breakfast and a slow bus ride in dense morning commuter traffic. The inland airport is modern. If you have the same excursion company we had, they take good care of you with fruit juices, early lunch package, late lunch in a nice restaurant. One of the steep pyramids has a wooden staircase in the back to get up to the top where you look out over the tree tops. No banister once you are off the wooden structure! We brought mosquito spray on the plane to Tikal, but it was confiscated in the inland airport on the way back. Not many mosquitos in December when we went.

[Floridiana]

There would be time to leave the ship between Lima, Peru and Manta, Ecuador to visit Napo Wildlife Center.

 

Not possible. They can be reached from Quito only. They arrange everything because they are really off the beaten path and need to hire motorized and man powered canoes and local guides for their guests to get you from the airport to the lodge. The flight from Quito is only 35 minutes. People stay in the lodge 3 or 4 nights. The lodge has all modern conveniences like hot water on demand in the bathroom with shower and mosquito nets, restaurant and bar. Fantastic location on a small jungle lake.

You can also take a river cruise on the Napa, two ships available but they are not connected to the lodge. One of the ships is super luxurious.

[islandwoman]

We brought mosquito spray on the plane to Tikal, but it was confiscated in the inland airport on the way back. Not many mosquitos in December when we went.

I'm glad you mentioned about your mosquito spray being confiscated. I am a mosquito magnet and always travel with both Deet and Aerogard when going to affected areas. I would hate to lose them in situations where they couldn't be replaced, especially the Aerogard that is the only effective repellent I've found against no-see-ums and it isn't sold in the US. Was it a ban on traveling with liquids/aerosols, or something else?