We're strange--we want less luxury!

[fud2468]

We're simple folks and don't want or need to be pampered so much. We are quite elderly but can get around pretty well.

We've begun cruising late in life and have only been on two cruises. First one was was on Dawn Princess to Mexican Riviera in March and we just got back from Alaska on Celebrity Infinity.

We gained no weight on Princess because we stuck to the buffet and essentially had a Mediterranean diet, head chef was Italian.

On Celebrity we went for the full-course dinners and had the buffet for other meals. Head chef was French and we gained weight, which we did not need.

Especially on Celebrity we felt we should go for all the rich food and many activities because it was the thing to do and we were paying for it.

To get to the point: I doubt there's anything like this, but who knows?

We'd be happy with a coffee-maker in the cabin so we don't have to walk a long way just for that (we don't use room service). Simpler and healthier food is fine, and we don't need an attendant coming in the cabin every time we leave it. We don't need new sheets & towels every day either!

This is not in the interest of saving money, basically. We would just to have a slower pace, and less temptation, than we've seen so far.

Short of going on a tramp steamer, is there any cruise line or ship that would pamper us a bit less?

Ray Mac

[Creeks]

Look up the Amazing Grace - we have friends that love to

sail on it! Casual, small ship, small ports.

[LHT28]

You could try http://www.americancruiselines.com/

more $$ than the big ships do inland or coastal cruises

 

many other small ships that may fit your requirements

http://www.smallshipcruises.com/alltheboats.shtml

[songanddance]

I heartitly recommend NCL as the line that offers the least in the way of luxury on their cruises. Just good cheap transportation to the usual places most people seem to like to sail to. I am sure you would find them perfect for your needs.

[kitty9]

How about EasyCruise??? Bare bones cruising, no luxury whatsoever. Don't even have a closet, but a metal storage container. You pay for your food as you go, so you don't have to worry about overeating. They won't come all the time to clean your cabin. The cabin is very tiny----you could spread your arms and touch both walls.

 

But, to be honest, none of the mainstream cruise lines will give you exactly what you want. I mean, even NCL will come to your cabin to clean it and give fresh towels and you can gain weight if you eat everything for dinner on NCL. It's part of the service to clean your cabin, and personally I don't see what's wrong with that. What's wrong with clean sheets and towels? I mean, you pay for it, right? And as for the overeating, that wasn't the cruise line's fault. I know people who've been on world cruises for over 100 days and they actually lost weight. The whole eating thing is your responsibility, to be quite frank. I'm not sure if a cruise ship allows coffee makers in cabins due to the fire hazard.

 

If you don't want your room cleaned every day, you just tell your cabin steward. If you want the same towels for the whole week, they'll do that for you. But don't be surprised if you get funny looks. I would bet you'll be the only passengers ever to have requested such a thing. Every passenger goes on a cruise to be pampered, even if just a little bit. And it has nothing to do with being simple folk. All kinds of people cruise, the very rich and the not so rich, simple people and those who want to be spoiled.

[BILLP1]

I am wondering why you would not room service. For us it is a convience and a nice way to get a cup of coffee and a snack during a day at sea..

[Kathie44]

We sail only X and RCCL. We never use room service, like having a clean room, fresh ice and towels. If you don't need towels changed hang them on rack. If they are on the floor they will be changed. Sheets are not changed every day. We avoid the buffet because that is where the temptation is to eat too much. There are so many choices on the menus, you don't have to eat the fattening stuff. We walk whenever possible and avoid the elevators unless I'm having a bad knee day.

Give me the mainline luxury! I can handle it, lol.

[cruise_lover]

I heartitly recommend NCL as the line that offers the least in the way of luxury on their cruises. Just good cheap transportation to the usual places most people seem to like to sail to. I am sure you would find them perfect for your needs.

 

Have you ever sailed on a Norwegian ship? Read what the OP wanted. You get the same service on NCL as she did on her last two cruises. We just came from a 7-day cruise on the Norwegian SUN and we had our room cleaned twice a day, some days it seemed like more - we had clean linen (sheets) every day and because we threw the towels on the floor we had clean towels everyday. We did not have a coffee maker in the room which meant if we wanted coffee we either had to leave our cabin to get a cup or call room service, which they preferred not to use.

 

I am not trying to be mean :mad: but I think our OP needs to get the facts straight :confused: NCL might have smaller ships but their services are basically the same as Princess Cruise Lines and Celebrity Cruise Lines :D

[Toyz711]

at this age and after having given up on cruising..(too formal), we found NCL. that changed our minds..if we didn't want to be bothered, we just turned the dial to "to no distrub". we had a coffee pot, but if that was really important, we would bring our own. i like having my salad, instead of a 4 course meal...i like my ice tea all day. in alaska, i got a nice bowl of chili when i came back from whale watcing, got to just relax in my wet jeans...and no one cared. it was so nice, we booked again for this dec..a smaller NCL ship..but DH plans to sit around on the balcony, he is taking more then a few books to read. we have had the "white glove" treatment, it's nice but nothing i would care if i do again.

what i really like, i don't have to dress up for dinner..i don't at home, why should i on vacation? but if i don't dress up, i don't feel forced to eat at the buffets. which ever dining venue we want, we can go as we are. the other thing, we can eat one place for him and another for me...no one said anything.

this cruise is going to be strange, DH has discovered healthy eating, i still wonder how that is going to work for him. for me it's not a problem, but it's harder for him to walk away from food.

i do like having my room cleaned, but i like having my quiet moments honored. don't know if i can do the tramp steamer...maybe, we will see after the next resort...crocodile bay in costa rica for fishing.

[forensic]

They are a lot cheaper, their service is pretty bad so they are not running in your room giving you clean towels and changing your sheets all of the time. They only changed our sheets once during a full week cruise. WE had to ask for clean towels on the second day. We thought the food was terrible so we lost weight during our cruise, because we only ate the salads and the shrimp cocktail.

 

I guess that is why their cruises are so cheap huh?

[notentirelynormal]

How about cruising on a barge or container type ship? My grandfather did that for a month and loved it. The advantage for them is they get priority entering ports because they have passengers. You eat what the crew eats, no fancy entertainment. I think the price is a lot less too but I've never really checked it out (although my grandfather was, um... frugal, so I'm thinking it was a good deal. I think it might be perfect for what you want.

[Tinabrn]

there were coffee makers on my recent Norwegian Dawn Cruise. I also feel you can be as casual as you wish on NCL or Carnival and still have a great time...and on other lines as well....just depends on where you want to go and how much you want to spend. As others have said, many of the small ships are quite casual, with healthy food, however they are also very very expensive!!

[cb at sea]

Part of cruising is the service! How about land-based vacations for you? That way, you can pick an unluxurious hotel, and do everything "a la carte", so to speak! Do, and spend, only what you want!

[cruisnpat]

I love it when we are on a cruise and I get pampered. I don't get that at home.

[cathyz]

They are a lot cheaper, their service is pretty bad so they are not running in your room giving you clean towels and changing your sheets all of the time. They only changed our sheets once during a full week cruise. WE had to ask for clean towels on the second day. We thought the food was terrible so we lost weight during our cruise, because we only ate the salads and the shrimp cocktail.

 

I guess that is why their cruises are so cheap huh?

Hmmm, I guess I have to disagree with you. We love Carnival and the service and food are both great. Our cabin steward was in our cabin at least twice a day with fresh towels each time and on a 5-day cruise, they changed our sheets in the middle. The food is outstanding and gets very high ratings by cruising magazines. Guess you haven't been on Carnival in several years huh? They are a bit cheaper because they are the largest cruise line and can save a little by buying things in quantity (and yes there is plenty of quality too).

[yellowbird23]

It doesn't matter what ship you are on. You can always put up the 'do not disturb' sign whenever you want to. As for having coffee in the morning, I love to call room service just for that reason. I also use it for a basic 'wake up' call, knowing full well I don't have to get dressed quickly and can stay in my cabin and enjoy that cup of coffee until I'm ready to leave. I have also requested what I wanted done in my cabin, i.e. just give me clean towels today...don't worry about the bed...etc..

 

I also like to avoid the dress ups. I feel more comfortable going to the Windjammer when I want to. I am a flip-flops grandma on vacation! Time to relax the way I want to.:D

[riteonglor]

How about cruising on a barge or container type ship? My grandfather did that for a month and loved it. The advantage for them is they get priority entering ports because they have passengers. You eat what the crew eats, no fancy entertainment. I think the price is a lot less too but I've never really checked it out (although my grandfather was, um... frugal, so I'm thinking it was a good deal. I think it might be perfect for what you want.

 

We thought we would like to try the container type ships. So I went to work and checked prices even subscibed to a small magazine that we get every month with the different ships and ports they go to. I was in for the shock of my life as far as prices go. Very expensive, considering its bare bones accomadations. Cheaper to go with a well know cruiseline. But for some people they like the no crowd, bare bones, sitting and reading. I think they would be fun because you get to know the crew, you eat with them and learn a lot from them.

[Arsinoe]

Strongly share the sentiment that 'less is more.' My ideal ship is smaller, has fewer 'activities', etc. Three summers ago we found that with the MSC Monterrey, but I am not sure whether MSC is still sailing that vessel--they were running out of Genoa, were used by the line as a 'training' ship for the staff, and were mostly marketed to Europeans. We found it perfect.

 

As one of the posters here suggested, I have had an eye on EasyCruise. They fit my bill perfectly, because the format is so perfect--long days in port, and the ability to hop on-and-off. Also like that you buy your food, as you wish or not.

 

My question here is whether there are any other 'Seniors' in the mix. To read their promotions, it appears as though all of the passengers are in their 20s? Is this so? Or, like 'youth hostels' does one also find intrepid, experienced travelers in the mix?

 

Arsinoe

[JunPOA]

To the OP - we share and appreciate your sentiments, we're around the same age. We've researched a South Pacific voyage 14 days on the Aranui 3 www.aranui.com

freighter in liu of the Paul Gaughin. We thoroughtly enjoyed the Paul Gaughin but are looking for a more port intensive, leisurely expereince that offers different ports.

Good Luck:)

[MMDown Under]

A lady in Hawaii last year told me she had sailed on Aranui 3 five times, because she loved the cruise so much. She was surprised I knew of this Freighter to Paradise, however it is on my wish list also.

 

http://www.aranui.com

 

Fud2468

 

You might enjoy the big working ferries, such as the Norwegian Coastal Voyage and the Alaska Marine Highway, which we loved. There is no fuss/pampering on board, but both these ferries cruise regions of outstanding beauty.

 

http://www.hurtigruten.us

 

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs

[MMDown Under]

BTW I don't think it is strange to want less luxury, as a simple life brings its own joys.

 

Just ask the backpackers and young people the freedom gained by just travelling with hand luggage.

[Betty/Avie]

Have you every considered river cruises in Europe or other destinations. Really, a wonderful way to travel. The food is usually good -- however, you don't have the opulence you have on an ocean-going vessel,. The ships are small (usually about a 150 passenger max). It doesn't take a day and a half to go from one end of the ship to the other. And the passengers (generally speaking) are fabulous!

 

The cruises usually provide tours at each stop; and the ships normally dock downtown. You can just walk off at your leisure and explore. We do!

[PennyAgain]

I agree that often less is more when traveling. We have traveled with many cruise companies and have our likes and dislikes. We don't dress up, no formal attire in our suitcases. We don't mind paying less when services we don't use anyway are not offered on a ship.

 

We decide where we want to go and then find a ship that goes there. Destination driver. Works for us.

 

I watch for bargain rates on cruise sailings and sometimes do very well.