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.

(I am posting this in the Regent, SS, and SB boards, looking for different opinions)

[OrpingtonT]

Welcome to this Regent board. Frankly, it looks like Regent Seven Seas Mariner or Voyager would be ideal choices for you. Large enough to boast a wide variety of dining options and small enough to have an intimate friendly atmosphere.

 

Even the lowest grade accommodation has a balcony with a spacious suite. The champagne flows freely and there are good vegetarian options on the menus.( I know, because my wife is also a non meat eater.) In spite of what you may have heard, we have found a good variety of shore excursions and you can always strike off on your own, the tour desk will help.

 

Not being a big beer afficionado, I cannot comment but your room fridge will accommodate quite a few cans.

 

Do let us know what you decide. Happy cruising (on Regent, of course!)

[newlondon]

I couldn't agree with you more about Crystal! Either SS or Regent will suit you just fine. You need to choose the itinerary that suits you best. DW and I have cruised on both lines and we can't say we are loyal to one or the other, because the time of year and ports are what makes the decision. I would also say don't worry about the size of the ship on these two lines; you will like them all.

[petlover]

I definitely think Voyager or Mariner would work perfectly for you based on everything you described. You didn't mention what kind of cards you play?? I have played friendly games of bridge and Texas Hold'em with friends many times on Regent ships...

 

We're not beer drinkers but my husband is a bit of a wine snob so I can relate to what you were saying. I think either of these two ships will be a "perfect fit" for you! Keep us posted on what you decide. Please feel free to email me if you'd like...petlovermarcie@gmail.com with any questions. We have lots of nights on both ships.

[dugxfresh]

I would agree with the previous posts; Regent would be a perfect choice. They have a nice selection of beers that are all included where as crystal you would have to pay addtional.. Regent shore excursions are good and I guess that depends on how picky you are.

These ships are without a doubt ultra luxury and you dont have to worry about anything; you will be pampered, wined, dined , shore excursions whenever, and all your requests promply taken care of. Enjoy!!

[Suite Travels]

I would agree with the previous posts; Regent would be a perfect choice. They have a nice selection of beers that are all included where as crystal you would have to pay addtional.. Regent shore excursions are good and I guess that depends on how picky you are.

These ships are without a doubt ultra luxury and you dont have to worry about anything; you will be pampered, wined, dined , shore excursions whenever, and all your requests promply taken care of. Enjoy!!

 

 

I must disagree with you about Crystal. First of all, coffee, soft drinks are included. Our TA pays for our gratuity's we also receive OB credit of $500.00. Now Crystal is offering $1000.00 pp cabin credit so for us that will be $2500.00. We will be able to use this for anything except the casino. We can use it for any shore excursion or private excursion.

In fact on our last Crystal cruise our bill was <0>.

 

As far as dining is concerned you have many choices without fixed dining. The venues are Prego, Silk Road,Tastes which is casual dining except not open on formal nights. When the Crystal ships are not full the MD is open seating.

 

Regent to their credit has larger cabins. We always book PH and above on Crystal and you do get a complimentary bar set up and all the beer you want. We don't drink beer.

 

We are going to try the new Seabourn Odyssey in November and looking forward to trying another lux line. We have sailed Regent five times and we personally felt the food and service did not measure up to Crystal's. Just our personal opinion. We have friends that love Regent but they are not sailing them because of the higher fares and think Crystal is a better deal with all they are offering.

[traveller333]

Either Voyager or Mariner sound like a good match. Crystal's deal breaker to many of us is the assigned seating time. Just doesn't work for my lifestyle on board.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Some of your dream requirements will certainly be fulfilled on Seven Seas Voyager. It is a lovely ship, with beautiful cabins, service, food. I'll have a butler suite on her in December for the first time, and I'm looking forward to that.

 

But some of your dreams sound like you need a private yacht, or a very small ship. I know you say you don't want a small ship, but have you considered the Paul Gauguin? The destination itself fulfills many requirements and the ship, although not perfect, is very nice and the quintessence of friendly service and relaxation. I would suggest a Veranda stateroom on deck 8, so that you can stroll out to the pool bar when you like. I have never been seasick on the Paul Gauguin, in 42 days aboard, and I was completely paranoid about this before I sailed for the first time.

 

Sounds like whatever you do, a butler suite would be a good thing for you, although if your husband really has a problem, you may have to compromise and take a smaller suite lower down and midship, the most stable location.

[galileo111]

Thank you all so much for your feedback. I have thought about the PG, but DH is pretty set on a Med cruise. Truth be told though, I don't think he really understands cruising. He was surprised that we weren't supposed to stay overnight at every port! I explained of course that we sailed overnight so that we would be in the next port in the morning, he is so silly. He is against a caribbean cruise for some reason, which is odd to me because we love to visit the different islands. I think he is picturing ports like Nassau and Freeport with gigantic cruise ships, instead of the smaller ports that the luxury ships frequent. I understand that all RSSC ships, with the exception of PG, are all balcony, but only the higher levels have butler service. I felt like I read that they were moving towards butler service in all cabins, but then again, I could be confusing cruise lines. So much information to gather!

[traveller333]

For what it's worth, I don't think it's worth having a Butler. If you go on the Mariner try to get a Penthouse C cabin. They're very spacious and exactly like the Penthouse A and B but without the butler. Everytime I've had a butler I haven't had enough (any) jobs for him, certainly not worth the extra cost IMO.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well I agree in general about the butler, I've only had one once and it certainly wasn't worth much to me, but the OP seems to want to feel pampered, and a butler can do that. Cabin size is more important, or in their case perhaps, cabin location.

 

What about Sea Dream? The small ship problem comes to mind, of course.

 

But you know what? I'm sure you would be very happy on Voyager or Mariner--Mariner will be in the Med for much of the 2010 season.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Thanks for the perfect segway Wendy. I have only cruised on Regent, in a Penthouse C, and on SeaDream, never on a mass-market ship, so I can pipe in on this one. galileo111, from reading your post I can recommend Regent Mariner or Voyager as a perfect first cruise. The ships are not too big nor too small. They give you a good idea of what cruising can entail, without crowds and without the over the top stuff that appears to be on the big ships.

 

Mariner/Voyager provide multiple dining venues, so that is kind of fun, makes it a bit more adventurous. They also put on some nice shows in very nice venues, but are not big extravaganzas like are probably found on the big ships. They have moderate casinos. There are multiple lounges to hang out at. The cabins range from large (standard Mariner) to really large (standard Voyager). If you are on Mariner and can splurge a little, get a Penthouse C (or A or B if you want a butler). They are significanly larger than the standard cabin. On Voyager the standard cabin is great (between a Mariner standard and a Mariner Penthouse C in size). Room service on Regent is extensive, good, and quickly delivered.

 

Seadream isn't an optimum first cruise because it is very limited in terms of dining options and entertainment offerings. The cabins are rather small. Room service is, shall we say, lacking. There are no balconeys, but this is not really a problem since the ship is small and has pleanty of deck area. But, after you've done a Regent cruise on Mariner or Voyager, check out Seadream if you like a very low-key relaxed vacation and want to visit a few smaller, out of the way places. The best thing about Seadream is the pool deck. Only about 16 loungers and a couple of tables. and it is low on the open stern and quite a large area, with beautiful varnished teak, etc. You really feel like "the rich and famous" when lounging there sipping a great umbrella drink, with the harbor of St. Barts spread before you, after just getting off one of the SeaDream's Seadoos :D

 

One thing to keep in mind on your first cuise: relax and slow down, no need to do everthing, you can always come back (and you will...).

[JoAnne B]

Agree with all the the Voyager or Mariner would be a good match. I won't sail the Mariner until next spring, but have sailed the Voyager a few times. The selection of four dining options sounds right for you. I'm hearing good things about Prime 7. At first I was concerned because I very seldom eat meat, but was pleased that there are inviting options. Signatures is certainly an elegant experience.

 

Most of all the Voyager is a very stable ship if you don't go too high and stay midship. One of the PH suites might be right for you. They aren't much larger, but have a nice layout and Butler service. As I recall we were in 1044 for a crossing and it was a surprisingly smooth ride.

 

She's larger than some, but not so large that you are overwhelmed in port. Do let us know what you decide!