We want luxury but don't need "all inclusive."

[Texas Tillie]

4 hours ago, zltm089 said:

My understanding so far, 4 categories 

 

Luxury - seabourn, silversea, regent and crystal. 

 

Premium - Viking, Oceania and Azamara

 

Premium light/ mainstream premium - Celebrity, Cunard, Princess and HAL.

 

Mainstream/ Mass market- RC, NCL, Carnival and P&O.

 

Think you should add Disney to the premium light.

[Travelcat2]

5 hours ago, zltm089 said:

My understanding so far, 4 categories 

 

Luxury - seabourn, silversea, regent and crystal. 

 

Premium - Viking, Oceania and Azamara

 

Premium light/ mainstream premium - Celebrity, Cunard, Princess and HAL.

 

Mainstream/ Mass market- RC, NCL, Carnival and P&O.

 

I have not heard of “Premium Light”.  I do know that the CEO of Oceania states that it is “Luxury Light” while, as mentioned, Celebrity advertises itself as “premium”.  Regardless of what we call it, I do feel that Oceania is a step below luxury and Celebrity is a step below that so we agree somewhat!

Edited January 20, 2020 by Travelcat2

[wripro]

This rundown of categories is rather silly imo and totally inappropriate for a luxury cruise line board. This board is for luxury lines ONLY so why discuss here what category other lines fall into?

[Texas Tillie]

1 hour ago, wripro said:

This rundown of categories is rather silly imo and totally inappropriate for a luxury cruise line board. This board is for luxury lines ONLY so why discuss here what category other lines fall into?

 

If you can find one thread on one board that totally stays on topic, you win the grand prize! The way I look at it, you get what you pay for it on Cruise Critic. 😏🙄🥴

[wripro]

22 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

If you can find one thread on one board that totally stays on topic, you win the grand prize! The way I look at it, you get what you pay for it on Cruise Critic. 😏🙄🥴

I'm not talking about a thread. I'm talking about a board.

[alc13]

On 1/20/2020 at 12:23 PM, wripro said:

This rundown of categories is rather silly imo and totally inappropriate for a luxury cruise line board. This board is for luxury lines ONLY so why discuss here what category other lines fall into?

Because the definition of luxury vis a vis cruise lines is forever open to personal opinion.  Thanks partly to the cruise lines' desire to brand themselves that way.  

 

 

[honumaui]

This thread has been fun to follow...But my question is..since this was started last August..what did Cruisetheworld67 decide? Did they book Oceania or something else ?

[Travelcat2]

On 1/20/2020 at 1:43 AM, zltm089 said:

My understanding so far, 4 categories 

 

Luxury - seabourn, silversea, regent and crystal. 

 

Premium - Viking, Oceania and Azamara

 

Premium light/ mainstream premium - Celebrity, Cunard, Princess and HAL.

 

Mainstream/ Mass market- RC, NCL, Carnival and P&O.

 

Perhaps the categories are different in the U.S.  Like I said, I have never heard of “Premium light” or “mainstream premium” (and we have sailed all categories of ships - but mostly luxury).

[Travelcat2]

On 1/20/2020 at 9:23 AM, wripro said:

This rundown of categories is rather silly imo and totally inappropriate for a luxury cruise line board. This board is for luxury lines ONLY so why discuss here what category other lines fall into?

 

I’m guessing here but, as you and I know, Cruise Critic includes cruise lines on this board that many of us know are not luxury (Oceania, Azamara, etc.).  You and I have commented on this several times.  So, for this reason, I think that the rundown of categories could help people looking for a “true” luxury line.  

 

Perhaps this board should just have a name change ...... to “Luxury/Luxury Light”

[calliopecruiser]

It is not in CC's benefit to restrict any of their forums that way.

[wripro]

18 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

It is not in CC's benefit to restrict any of their forums that way.

Then they should remove all board titles and just let everyone post whatever they want wherever they want.

[calliopecruiser]

8 hours ago, wripro said:

Then they should remove all board titles and just let everyone post whatever they want wherever they want.

They could.......their question would be which is more likely to bring in more advertising income.  That's their bottom line - they're a commercial site that makes money from advertisers and we, the participants in the forums, are what they are selling. 

[Travelcat2]

My point was about people new to the luxury board and do not know the difference between the luxury cruise lines and the luxury lite cruise lines.  Just as an example:

 

Luxury cruise lines (Crystal, Regent, Seabourn and Silversea) are pretty much all-inclusive - some more than others.  Alcohol is included and is top shelf.

 

Premium Plus/Luxury Light (Azamara, Oceania and Viking Ocean) are not inclusive but some do serve drinks at meals (not top shelf).  Tips are generally not included.

 

I know there are more differences, however, isn't it important for people looking for a "luxury" cruise on a "luxury board" to know that Oceania is not luxury (or the others)?  I'm not saying that luxury is the only way to go or that it is better in all ways than luxury light - it is simply different.

 

Many people love the luxury lite and even premium cruise lines but they should not be mistaken as being luxury.

 

P.S.  Oceania's large ships are almost as well appointed as Regent's Explorer but this does not make them luxury.  We had luxury service on Celebrity (a premium cruise line) because we stayed in a suite and had a special dining room and lounge - only for suite passengers.  But, the rest of the ship was clearly "premium".  

Edited January 28, 2020 by Travelcat2

[kent9xxx1]

None of them have top shelf alcohol in my opinion.  

And that's the point.  Luxury to some, not luxury to others.  Top shelf to some, swill to me.  🙂  

[wripro]

Not true. The luxury lines all offer top shelf alcohol. Maybe not Johnny Walker Blue or XO Cognacs but if you consider what they do offer swill then your palette is much more sophisticated than mine.

[pacruise804]

I have been checking the Luxury board some since I am booked on my first Viking cruise and there doesn't seem to be much activity in the general "Ask a Question" or "First Time Cruiser" for premium/premium plus lines.  It does get very confusing, because some consider Royal Caribbean (which I thought competed with Carnival and NCL) to be premium while at least one poster doesn't consider anything other than Oceania to be premium (and I suspect considers it luxury).

 

I would be fine with a "Premium" forum, but also have found what I need by looking at the boards for each individual line too.

[kent9xxx1]

On 1/30/2020 at 9:39 AM, wripro said:

Not true. The luxury lines all offer top shelf alcohol. Maybe not Johnny Walker Blue or XO Cognacs but if you consider what they do offer swill then your palette is much more sophisticated than mine.

 

So if the stuff they are offering is top shelf, what shelf is the johnny walker blue in?  

I've seen Crystal top shelf, I can guarantee you you aren't getting any of those for free.  This is indisputable.  Top shelf means top shelf.  It's not about sophisticated palate or not.  

If luxury cruises want to pretend like they are equivalent to first class in airlines, they better pay up.  No first class offers less than Johnny Walker Blue.  

[Stickman1990]

5 hours ago, kent9xxx1 said:

I've seen Crystal top shelf, I can guarantee you you aren't getting any of those for free.  This is indisputable.  Top shelf means top shelf.  It's not about sophisticated palate or not.  

If luxury cruises want to pretend like they are equivalent to first class in airlines, they better pay up.  No first class offers less than Johnny Walker Blue.  

I get better All Inclusive alcohol on Crystal than I do on Business Class airlines - although Qantas pour the same standard champagne 

 

I don’t bother flying First Class - that delta goes towards cruising 

[wripro]

20 hours ago, kent9xxx1 said:

 

So if the stuff they are offering is top shelf, what shelf is the johnny walker blue in?  

I've seen Crystal top shelf, I can guarantee you you aren't getting any of those for free.  This is indisputable.  Top shelf means top shelf.  It's not about sophisticated palate or not.  

If luxury cruises want to pretend like they are equivalent to first class in airlines, they better pay up.  No first class offers less than Johnny Walker Blue.  

 

20 hours ago, kent9xxx1 said:

 

So if the stuff they are offering is top shelf, what shelf is the johnny walker blue in?  

I've seen Crystal top shelf, I can guarantee you you aren't getting any of those for free.  This is indisputable.  Top shelf means top shelf.  It's not about sophisticated palate or not.  

If luxury cruises want to pretend like they are equivalent to first class in airlines, they better pay up.  No first class offers less than Johnny Walker Blue.  

And most first class international tickets cost more for ten hours than a 14 day cruise on the luxury lines. That makes it much easier to offer those brands you see to covet so much. 

 

And if you want those brands it;s you had better pay up, not them. They are available onboard for purchase and you'd still come out far far far far far ahead.

[kent9xxx1]

4 hours ago, wripro said:

 

And most first class international tickets cost more for ten hours than a 14 day cruise on the luxury lines. That makes it much easier to offer those brands you see to covet so much. 

 

And if you want those brands it;s you had better pay up, not them. They are available onboard for purchase and you'd still come out far far far far far ahead.

 

Are you quoting refundable fare?  I have never paid for any international first class in 10 hours more than cruises.  

 

For example, when CMB to USA OW in Emirates F was going for 2k, I used that to make a trip out of the Maldives.  Or getting back from the safari using Emirates F is also very cheap.  JNB to USA RT was going for less than 5k.  that is 40 hours+ in F for 5k.  

 

You just have to be flexible with airfare as with cruises.  

 

 

[calliopecruiser]

Are you kidding?  I paid over $5K for my 17 hour flights home from NZ (first class).

[LHT28]

On 1/29/2020 at 6:50 PM, kent9xxx1 said:

None of them have top shelf alcohol in my opinion.  

And that's the point.  Luxury to some, not luxury to others.  Top shelf to some, swill to me.  🙂  

What do you consider top shelf?

DH likes his XO cognac

[vistaman]

9 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

Are you kidding?  I paid over $5K for my 17 hour flights home from NZ (first class).

I can confim something similar  :  Brussels Dubai Singapore  return  was something above 4 x  but in € - it was prior to the Crystal Esprit  - stopover to Sin cost me 28 € more as going F to Dubai    -  there was XO cognac in business and Paradis in First

[vistaman]

12 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

What do you consider top shelf?

DH likes his XO cognac

I am afraid I do not know any luxury all inclusive cruise company offering XO cognac for free , however on the Crystal Esprit the Martell Cordon Bleu was free. ( in a similar - somewhat lower - price level as an XO )

last year Crystal did offer Courvoisier XO for 12 $

most of the companies do offer VSOP as the highest all inclusive cognac.

[kent9xxx1]

46 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

What do you consider top shelf?

DH likes his XO cognac

 

You can look at what Crystal considers top shelf.  You can go to any bar and look at the top shelf.  That is top shelf.  Very clear what is and what isn't.  I personally don't care for JW Blue, and it wouldn't be on my top shelf at home, but that doesn't mean it isn't top shelf.