Please help with planning another transatlantic cruise

[jmkoilers]

I am hoping some of the more seasoned cruisers can help me. For our 20th anniversary in 2010, we are planning a trip to Paris followed by another transatlantic cruise (from somewhere) back to the US via a southern route. While we thoroughly enjoyed our 1st northern crossing onboard the Celebrity Constellation, I am planning a surprise upgrade to a luxury cruise line and have some questions. As you can see, all our past cruises have been on ships ranging from the 47,000 ton Carnival Celebration to the 100,000 ton Carnival Destiny. We definitely will not cruise on any ship with the 3000+ crowds that take away from a true ‘cruise’ experience. At 50/55, we are at a point where pampering is greatly appreciated when we just cruise together, though Carnival is nice when we travel with our 4 kids. To relax, enjoy the serenity of sea days, meet new friends from around the world and live life once in awhile as an escape from reality is what we are looking for.

With that in mind, I have narrowed our choices to the Regent Navigator 33,000 ton, 490 guests, or the 208 passenger Seabourn Legend (perhaps the Odyssey would be available). What’s it really like on a small ship? Our transatlantic on the Constellation encountered a couple days of 30+ foot waves, so what could we expect? We don’t get seasick, but am concerned about a ship 1/3 the size of the Constellation. Our trip would be NOT be in April or May, but later in the year and am looking for when those itineraries would be available to view.

Thank you for all your help, as on our last cruise we met hundreds of people on line and were able to meet several couples for dinner before and during our trips. Cruisers are a very special group.

[Host Dan]

I see that you posted the exact same thread on the Regent board. It will be interesting to see the different responses each board will bring.

 

Host Dan

[Seabourn-nail]

A quick reply while watching football (soccer, European Championships).

Crossing will be October/November.

Weather: Unpredictable

Itinerary: Not yet known exactly

Atmosphere: Always great

Marja

[O2BatSea]

Hi jmkoilers,

 

I did a crossing on Seabourn last year and on Regent Navigator this year. Both are good in their own ways, but I would stay on Seabourn for the crossing. While underway, Navigator does vibrate - so it is NON STOP while crossing. Is the vibration so bad that I would never cruise again on Navigator - NO. But it is always there and since I have a choice....

 

Seabourn excels at:

1) STAFF, staff, staff!! By far the staff is superior on Seabourn.

2) The floorplan for dancing and socializing in the club is far superior on Seabourn.

3) Passengers are much more social and approachable.

4) Forward hot tub for quiet relaxation

5) Bow accessible to passengers to watch coming to port AND you can walk in front of the bridge as well

6) More hosted tables at dinner - Navigator only does hosted with a few officers on a select few nights and then only tables of 6, not 10 as on SB.

7) Skybar is much more active on SB with it's semi round design and GREAT bartenders.

8) Wine selection and complimentary champagne superior.

9) More seasoned luxury style passengers that meet new friends and book future crusies together.

10) Officers are out as much more approachable, although that has changed recently and you see less of them out at night :( On Regent I rarely saw them out except during the tournament.

 

Navigator is better at:

1) A few more social activites on crossings - they have an 10 year tradition of a shuffleboard tournament that lasts many days where they pair up an officer with a passenger. I NEVER thought I would play shuffleboard, let alone love it, but it was a blast.

2) Bigger shows, more entertaners. And they did an "Idol" contest with the crew trying out - fabulous talent!!

3) Additional bar for nighttime enjoyment, but they have pushy dance hosts that don't leave the single women alone! Good if you want to dance ballroom style and don't have a partner, but these guys hover over the single women even if you say no!

4) The Pool is better on Navigator - centered on the main deck with clear panel side walls to block the wind

5) Alternative restaurant is always Italian with a singer during dinner that sings the menu as well as other popular italian songs.

6) Gym is at the front with the best view on the ship, which also means there is NO lounge at the front of the ship to look out at the views.

7) I found the food overall to be better on Regent, but maybe I am just tired of Charlie Palmer after all these years of cruising SB.

 

These are just a few off the top of my head, hope it helps. The final decision is very personal, baseed on what you like. As a solo traveler, I would not go back on Regent just because of the obnoxious dance hosts that don't take no for an answer.

 

I have booked my next crossing on SB, where it always feels like coming home!

 

Leslie

[jmkoilers]

Thanks Leslie for your detailed comparison. I will await further ideas but have been leaning towards Seabourn from the beginning. We just know we deserve a break and want to enjoy luxury at its best. Though we don't dance, we do enjoy quiet times and friendly people. Everyone has so many varied experiences and stories we love to hear and share. 2010 seems so far away and I can't wait to start planning our trip. We so enjoyed our last cruise and the variety of ports in Ireland, France, Canada and pre-cruise time in London that we want to travel. Our feeling is that we don't want to wait until we retire (nothing against retirees), but we want to enjoy life as much as possible - now (though our available time is limited). Hope to hear from others and thanks.

[tulip 1]

If you want to cruise on your 'own yacht' choose Seabourn.

The only thing you cannot decide is 'where she goes'.

The rest is for you to decide.i.e. where you eat, what you eat, when you eat, who you want to eat with etc.

Who to talk to or not to talk to.

Rest or play.

Anything,Anytime,Anywhere.

ENJOY!

[Missabby]

Though we don't dance, we do enjoy quiet times and friendly people.

jmkoilers - we have cruised up to about 1,850 passenger ships and I have found that I really relish Seabourn's sisters. It's kind of like Cheers - "Everyone knows your name". For pure relaxation, It can't be beat. Yes, it's a small ship; however, I have little use for huge pools, tennis courts, mega-casinos, spa-stuff that takes up half a deck, golf, climbing walls, etc. Give me a Seabourn sister and it's service and I am perfectly content. I will never take a mega-ship cruise.

 

May I suggest you take the time until your next cruise to learn to dance a little? Make that part of your anniversary - learn to dance. That's how my wife and I got started. We were on Holland's Amsterdam watching the gentlemen hosts do their think. Hey - we can do that! Then, after tripping all over our feet, we stumbled back to our little table to lick our wounds. We decided to do something about it and took some lessons - me, Mr. Two Left Feet. We are not perfect, but we have fun. I am no longer paranoid about getting in front of people and dancing. In fact, it's kinda neat to request a tango, watch the dance floor clear out, and be the only ones dancing on the floor!

 

You could try starting out with rumba, waltz and foxtrot. Rumba is not just for latin music - there is a lot of music with a rumba beat - even CW music. It is a basic slow-quick-quick beat, and you can put in as much or as little Cuban motion in it as you like. It doesn't move much around the dance floor so it's good for Seabourn-sized dance floors.

 

Give Seabourn a chance - I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

-- Jeff

[ltsally]

To your question about ocean-motion: We've made crossings on both Seabourn (southern route, Ft. L'dale-Lisbon; spring) and Silversea (northern, Dover to Boston; Sept). Had some rough seas on both voyages. On silversea< it was enough to put down about a third of the ship one nite (including a fair bit of crew)> (keyboard doesn"t want to do punctuation marks _ sorry)

 

IT was definitely noticeable, tho frankly, i rather enjoyed it (spouse did not). We only encountered about 12-15 foot seas on either voyage, however. 30 foot seas.....wow! However, I would not hesitate to do a Seabourn crossing again, and only wish we could!

 

It's a fabulous experience....though on our Seabourn voyage we missed the verandahs available on Silversea. Have fun with your planning! It's an important part of the whole experience.

[O2BatSea]

Yes, I too have been on crossings (or even non-crossings) where we get some motion in the ocean. But I have also been on crossings where the entire trip is as smooth as glass. It's luck of the draw.

 

I was on a cruise once where we were avoiding Hurricane Mitch. Even reversing the itinerary, we still got bad weather - so you never know. My motto is "A bad day at sea is better than the best day on land!"

 

Dancing - I haver taken a few classes, and within 10 minutes I forget everything I have been taught. Maybe it's the fact that I don't follow well and always try to lead even though I don't know what I am doing. :D

 

However, dancing can be as simple (and fun) as a slow swaying back and forth. No one else really cares, and there is not a judging panel or a rating system. Once, dancing with an Officer, I did miss his hand coming out of a turn and went sprawling across the floor. We all laughed about it - no judgements on this ship, amd I think that got more people out on the floor, thinking "If she can look that silly and it not bother anyone else, they won't care what I look like!"

[seapenarth]

Yes, I too have been on crossings (or even non-crossings) where we get some motion in the ocean. But I have also been on crossings where the entire trip is as smooth as glass. It's luck of the draw.

 

I was on a cruise once where we were avoiding Hurricane Mitch. Even reversing the itinerary, we still got bad weather - so you never know. My motto is "A bad day at sea is better than the best day on land!"

 

Dancing - I haver taken a few classes, and within 10 minutes I forget everything I have been taught. Maybe it's the fact that I don't follow well and always try to lead even though I don't know what I am doing. :D

 

However, dancing can be as simple (and fun) as a slow swaying back and forth. No one else really cares, and there is not a judging panel or a rating system. Once, dancing with an Officer, I did miss his hand coming out of a turn and went sprawling across the floor. We all laughed about it - no judgements on this ship, amd I think that got more people out on the floor, thinking "If she can look that silly and it not bother anyone else, they won't care what I look like!"

 

That was`nt on Seabourn I hope. I can`t remember their officers dancing although they do ride bikes and climb hills :cool:

[CruisinMatt]

That was`nt on Seabourn I hope. I can`t remember their officers dancing although they do ride bikes and climb hills :cool:

 

 

I've witnessed many officers on Seabourn coming into the Club to dance. In most cases it was fairly late. ;)

[Seabourn-nail]

That was`nt on Seabourn I hope. I can`t remember their officers dancing although they do ride bikes and climb hills :cool:

They most certainly do! I've danced with quite a few captains and other officers. Once a lady knocked me on my shoulder after I had danced with the captain for less than a minute. I was not really happy, but stepped aside. Later I passed my invitation to the captains table on to her! She was thrilled!

Marja

[Daneite]

. Later I passed my invitation to the captains table on to her! She was thrilled!

Marja

 

Thanks for the laugh Marja!!! Now that is genuinely funny:D :D :D :D

[O2BatSea]

That was`nt on Seabourn I hope. I can`t remember their officers dancing although they do ride bikes and climb hills :cool:

 

Hi Seapenarth,

 

Yes they USED TO COME OUT MORE.... I have danced many times over the years with a few of the Captains and Officers, and they dance far better than I ever will!

 

But I understand a directive came down from the top that several passengers didn't think Officers should be out in the clubs, or mingle with the passengers, so they have pulled back quite a bit and you rarely see them out now.

 

Maybe they just hide now that I am single, as they don't want history to repeat itself. I met my now ex-husband when he was Captain of a Navy ship and I was a guest onboard for a five day cruise off San Diego. But they don't know I can't get remarried for 10 years, so they are safe!!

[Missabby]

But I understand a directive came down from the top that several passengers didn't think Officers should be out in the clubs, or mingle with the passengers, so they have pulled back quite a bit and you rarely see them out now.

Mental midgets! Tell these "several passengers" to find another cruise line. I find nothing wrong with the officers mingling with the passengers on occasion - what better way to find out some of their concerns and needs? Sheesh!

[O2BatSea]

Mental midgets! Tell these "several passengers" to find another cruise line. I find nothing wrong with the officers mingling with the passengers on occasion - what better way to find out some of their concerns and needs? Sheesh!

 

Missabby, I agree and wish they still were out as I love asking questions about the ship, their favorite ports and itineraries (yes, I have even booked several ADDITIONAL cruises now because of interesting comments about certain ports - so it is a good thing to have them out!), but I have also seen a few times when passengers insult the crew and treat them as if they were "less than" since they were 'just the crew.'

 

It is a two way street and I don't blame them for hiding sometimes! I've also been at a hosted table when a passenger was absolutely rude and obnoxious to the Officer. He held his tongue MUCH better than I would have! :rolleyes:

[jmkoilers]

Thanks for the comments. I guess I was just concerned with the perception of a small ship out in the middle of the ocean. My thoughts of a dingy flailling about are a bit too much huh? :D

[O2BatSea]

My thoughts of a dingy flailling about are a bit too much huh? :D

 

John, The only time we look like a dinghy is when we are docked next to one of the mega floating city cruise lines, and then we all stand at the sky bar railing, craning our necks to look up, and thanking our lucky stars that we are on our own 'little yacht' instead of with the cattle car masses of tourists.