Can someone play cruise ship matchmaker for me?

[galileo111]

I wish there was a quiz that would match me to the "perfect" ship, but so far I have not found one, so I leave it to you experts to point me in the right direction.

A little about us - I am in my early 30's, dh is in his early 40's. We own our own business and have worked hard to be able to afford to see the world in luxury. We love to travel anywhere and everywhere, and do not usually enjoy mass market chain tours. For example, when in Europe we usually rent an apartment rather than staying at a hotel so that we can experience more of the local flavor. We are just as happy in a big city as on a deserted beach. Usually our trips fall into one of two categories, the active and the relaxing. For active trips we go to Europe, Central America, or major cities in the US. We love to see things that are off the beaten path but still be able to sleep and dine in luxury. For our relaxing vacations we like to rent a villa somewhere tropical and just chill by the pool or float in the ocean and read lots of books. We are not "party people" but do enjoy a rousing game of cards or a night of karaoke (dh watches, I sing off-key).

I am a vegetarian who loves champagne and dh is a bit of a beer snob. His dream would be to start his own microbrewery someday.

I have read and read and read these boards and books and websites and I keep changing my mind... Here are my thoughts on the luxury lines so far.

Crystal is not for us, I don't really think we would like the set dining times and set seating arrangements.

Seabourn and Silversea are very interesting but I think we might prefer to wait for their larger ships. I could be wrong though. I am thinking that for a first cruise, dh (who does get seasick when he goes deep sea fishing) would prefer something larger with more stabilizers. But at the same time, I love the idea of being able to dock close to town instead of tendering in. I guess it really depends on the ports of call, I'm sure that some ports require everyone to tender in, no matter the size of the ship.

Regent looks very nice as well, and I like the fact that they have 4 dining choices compared to only 2 on the smaller ships of SB and SS. However, what I have read about their shore excursions doesn't sound so great.

If we were to have a perfect cruise day...

Wake up and walk around the top deck. Breakfast on our balcony with hot tea for me and good strong black coffee for dh. Head to port and see something out of the ordinary. We would prefer to avoid large tour busses. Lunch at a small cafe and a bit of shopping. Back on board, we would sit by the pool and read, have a mojito or two, and nap a bit. Afternoon canapes with a group of friends and a game of cards. We don't mind dressing for dinner but also love dining al fresco. After dinner we might enjoy a few games at the casino (we're low rollers though, especially me, lol) and then some nice music and possibly dancing. A nightcap on our balcony and then a bath for me before we snuggle down to watch a movie and fall asleep.

So sorry this is incredibly long, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that someone can steer me in the right direction.

One last question - do any of the luxury lines have a good selection of beer? Dh really likes strong IPA's and belgian brews. If we are out to eat he will usually order a Duvel or Chimmay.

Thank you thank you thank you.

[Host Dan]

After reading your post, I honestly think Seabourn would be perfect for you and your husband. One caveat- Book one of the brand new ships (Seabourn Odyssey debuts next month). You will get the level of service you would expect, a new stable ship that is over twice as large as the current triplets, that is small enough to dock in town rather than tender every port. Request the beer your husband prefers before boarding, and they will make every effort to have it onboard for you. The marina days and champagne in the surf aren't too shabby either!

 

Good luck!!

 

Host Dan

[dfb]

I wouldn't let shore excursions keep me off Regent. Historically, we have been able to arrange private tours through the ship's Travel Desk and avoid the bus tours entirely. Or, you can arrange your own tours independently. Agree with Dan that if you want to request specific beers on RSSC, have your TA notify RSSC at least a month in advance and they will have it onboard. (I have routinely requested cranberry juice WITHOUT citric acid, which has become a tricky thing to find these days! It has always been available both in my cabin and onboard the ship in restaurants.) Also, my husband always like to try local beers and historically once informed onboard about it, the F&B managers have made local purchases ashore when possible. In the meantime, here is a link that someone posted from their Mariner cruise last November of the standard beer stock.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2530963140101716102sgBeDA

Debbie

[wripro]

I agree with Dan that the new Seabourn Odyssey which is only 47 days from its maiden voyage will be the luxury ship to beat. It too will have four dining venues from which to choose and will be small enough that ti will be able to dock at most ports, though as you say, some tendering is inevitable. The best part about Seabourn's size is that it can get into smaller ports where larger ships cannot.

[cb at sea]

Being on a cruiseship (even a smaller one) is NOTHING like being on a deep-sea fishing boat!!!! I'm betting your husband won't have a problem!

[ancientmariner]

You haven't said anything about the itinerary. It sounds as if you've seen a lot of Europe already but, if I were you, I wouldn't discount Oceania. Small ships, very relaxed atmosphere and very interesting, port-intensive itineraries.

[wripro]

This is a luxury board and while Oceania offers a very nice product it is not a luxury line.

[Travelcat2]

While I have read nothing but wonderful things about Seabourn, it is known for being more formal than Regent. This may or may not matter. It is definitely worth reading reviews on the new ship after a couple of sailings.

 

As mentioned above, don't let Regent's reputation for poor excursions stop you. We have booked wonderful excursions on our own and been very satisfied.

 

In terms of being a younger couple, you may want to try a South American cruise or even New Zealand or Australia. Local cruises (out of Ft. Lauderdale) tend to attract the older crowd (or at least that was our experience on two Caribbean cruises).

 

We really enjoy beer (and have wonderful microbrews in our hometown) -- Regent does not have the best choices. It might be fun to pick up a couple of bottles in each port and have some new taste experiences:confused:

 

I also suggest that you post this on the Regent and Seabourn boards.

[Host Dan]

For the OP to post such a long and well thought out thread, I'm amazed she hasn't responded! (??)

 

Host Dan

[galileo111]

I'm so sorry that I haven't responded until now! DH and I are doing a major renovation on our house and we have been packing and moving boxes and dealing with contractors and all that lovely stuff.

I really appreciate everyone's feedback and I do think we definitely want to go with a luxury cruise, rather than premium like Oceania. If none of the ships have the beer selection we want, we would enjoy being able to pick up some new brews to try in each port. As far as itineraries go, we were thinking about the Med. We have never been to Turkey or Greece and would love to do a few days pre-cruise in Istanbul. We had also considered doing a danube river cruise, from Budapest to Prague, but I think that a sea cruise would be better suited for us for now. I would think that the age range on a river cruise would tend to be much older. (Not that we have a problem with that!) I am going to look at some specific sailings on Regent, SS, and SB....

[wripro]

As far as Seabourn being more formal this is becoming less and less so. There are fewer formal nights than ever and with the new Odyssey they will be even rarer. Most nights will either be jacket with no tie or casual. And even on formal nights the new Odyssey will have have three alternative dining venues where more causal attire will be the norm.