What is easy cruise?

[newlywedcruisers]

I have heard bits and peices about Easy Cruise, mainly that you pay for everything basically a la carte, any body got more information on them/

[sceptic]

Hi. Scroll down a bit in the "Other Cruise Line" section of the "A-O" boards and you'll find an easycruise review that's been looked at and discussed a zillion times.

Suffice to say, I loved every minute on it. It's certainly not the typical cruise line experience, but if you approach it with the expectation of what it is rather than what it isn't you can have a great time.

btw, they just announced their winter Caribbean season itinerary, and it sounds awesome.

(I'm really not sure why easycruise now has its own section on the board. Yes, there are now two easy cruise ships, but still.)

[sea_u_onboard]

They have a website - www.easycruise.com (http://www.easycruise.com). You can book 2 to 14 nights - get on where you want and off where you what. Basically it's a floating hotel - except you have to pay to even get the cabin cleaned and the towels changed. No room steward on this cruise.

Right now it's not showing the Caribbean routes - only Europe. Looks interesting but would like to hear from people who have ACTUALLY cruised with them. From what I've read they have another ship (coming out soon?).

I found an article (and video) about it on budgettravelonline.com website - http://www.budgettravelonline.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/01/02/AR2006010200821.html.

Here is a link on the CC board about it - http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=90.

OH - and I just found this site http://www.bigorangeboat.com/ - looks like they have the scoop. I'm going to go check it out now.

I asked Laura to include a spot on the boards so we can find out more about it. Looks interesting.

[sea_u_onboard]

Well - just went to check out orangeboat.com but there isn't much there yet.

[sea_u_onboard]

Here's a CC review - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=264396

[pnhmrk]

I'm really not sure why easycruise now has its own section on the board

I looked the other day for things about easycruise - I found the review but that was all.

Are we going to have lots of people posting to say what a wonderful time they've had on board? I hope so:)

I'm interested in their river cruising. I don't think it would be too bad for a short break. Anyone have any experience of that?

[SaylorGirl]

I looked the other day for things about easycruise - I found the review but that was all.

Are we going to have lots of people posting to say what a wonderful time they've had on board? I hope so:)

I'm interested in their river cruising. I don't think it would be too bad for a short break. Anyone have any experience of that?

Count me in as one of the people that had a wonderful time. We were on the ship this summer in the Med and it was great. We stayed in port until about 8:00 in the morning and were at the next port around noon. Great ports, Nice, Monte Carlo, Cannes, Portifino, San Remo. We had a great time. Enjoyed the ports very much in fact we were in Cannes during the film festival. The ship is much nicer than I had thought it would be and the public rooms are very nice, and everything is so clean . . We are planning on going back next summer. We normally spend a couple of weeks in Europe so this fits in very well with our schedule, we will also spend some time on their river boat cruise next summer.

[clearedfortakeoff]

I use EasyJet quite a lot and love it, dead curious to check out the cruises

[Doc Savage]

:cool:
I cruised on easycruise for a week in the eastern Caribbean last March, and had a wonderful time. The people on board are great, both the cruisers and the staff. It's a small ship, with a max of 170 passengers, and the cruise includes only your very small (110 sq foot) room and bathroom. Reasonably priced food and drinks can be bought on board, but most people eat on shore. The best part about these cruises (in the Caribbean) is that you get on shore by about 10 am, and don't have to be back to the boat till 10pm or later. No wasted time "cruising at sea". This is definitely a trip for adventurous people who don't mind reading about the islands, and then deciding what to do on their own. Basically, its a really nice way to see a lot of new places at a very good price.

I had a blast, and plan to go back to the new Caribbean itinerary this year.

For a lot of reviews, etc., go to BigOrangeBoat.com!

Doc Savage:cool:

[Cully]

Is it a good deal?

[sceptic]

It depends what you're looking for. It is in some ways a different sort of ferry, going from one island to another every day, with you able to be on board for as short as two nights or as long as 14. Six different islands, with St. Maarten visited more frequently. It is not for those who seek the standard in cruises - the shows, the casinos, the fun days at sea, the buffets and lobster nights,the towel animals. Those are cool, most definitely. But easyCruise is a different animal. Its point is for you to explore and enjoy the islands - not just the standard shore excursions, but the local eateries and party places, long into the night. It's likely that the ship won't leave port until well after midnight.

Is it worth it? IMO absolutely, because when I was on easycruise it was for the express purpose of seeing great islands and having inexpensvie, friendly, clean, hospitable and comfortable travel between them. And it more than delivered this. The food onboard was delicious and reasonably priced, the drinks very reasonably priced. The cabin small but ideal for us (with a big shower!). The staff was delightful. In terms of cost, it was a bargain, even with buying our own food.

Read the threads about people's experiences. Don't let their enthusiasm, including mine, interfere with what it is they're saying. It's pretty accurate. If the facts don't appeal to you, don't expect the reality of easycruise to appeal to you. But if the experiences of the posters sounds like what you'd want, it can be a wonderful time.

BTW, the only thing that isn't cheap is the cost of getting to St. Maarten to get on the ship.

And has anyone heard about the refitting of EC1? Is it complete?

[ultranet]

Lots of cruise, What is speical about this one?