First time and any feedback very appreciated!

Hello all, firstly thanks in advance for reading and I apologise if I go on a bit! I am new here...:)

I am planning a surprise cruise for my husband. All this is being done well in advance, and I am planning this for Jan-March 2016 as we will have completed 30 years of marriage then (what an achievement!) I understand that booking so much in advance is the norm in the cruising world?

I have spent the last few months googling and reading far too much about cruises, cruise lines, and then I found Cruise Critic and I have been lurking, but now my brain has turned to spaghetti because I have read too much about everything to do with cruising!

I would, if possible, like to pick your collective brains as I have got to the point of not knowing what I know any more!

If I could explain what I think would suit us... I have contacted a TA (I've picked up the lingo from reading the forum!) and they are already on board to know the sort of cruise we want. However, I feel it will come to the point where I have to make some sort of decision when they present options to us, hence me posting here.

I know January 2016 is a long way off but I am one of those people who like to plan, research and read a lot about where I am going!

OK, I am going to list the pre-requisites now...

Definitely would prefer 'all inclusive' to include alcoholic beverages and tipping.

This is a really special holiday for us so although it's not quite 'money no object' would prefer luxury as opposed to cheaper end of the market -I want to feel 'spoilt'

We are coming up to 60 and 65 but very young at heart as we had our children later in life, they keep us young and I don't feel (or act) 60!

We are happy to mix with younger and we love to dance, stay up late occasionally, have fun and we are very sociable (without being OTT).

We enjoy good food and have excellent table manners (!) but we are just ordinary people with no pretensions. We won't mind dressing up as long as it isn't 'stuffy' as I feel ill at ease with that.

We have a second home in the Med so wish to avoid there.

At the moment a cruise to Asia is interesting me Jan - March 2016 - anyone any idea of temperatures at that time of year? (we both love hot weather and would prefer to cruise in good temps)

My husband would love to go to the casino, he enjoys having a flutter (he is a horse racing man..).

(If you've perservered this far, thank you :D)

Cruise lines -

I have narrowed it down so Regent, Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea. Am I missing any out? I am tending to favour Seabourn at the moment because (and do correct me if I'm wrong!) Regent and Crystal are much larger? 500 passengers on the Seabourn ships appeals, but is there enough to amuse us? We don't need constant entertainment (as on some of the huge ships) but wondered what people do all day on the smaller ships...

I see there is very good reviews of Seabourn (along with some bad ones, but that's normal isn't it...)

The TA also mentioned Azamara .. are they worth considering alongside Seabourn?

From what I have said, do you think we are better suited to Regent or Crystal? (although I appreciate anyone's opinions are just subjective...)

Apologies for such a long first post and thank you in advance for any feedback. :)

I think your post is very well written and to the point. You seem to be headed down the right path as to the type of cruise and cruise line you would like.:D

Seabourn would be a good fit and I am sure you would have a very happy hubby booking with them... Just make sure you get everything you want from your T.A. and don't settle!!!

Enjoy your cruise and keep us posted in your progress!!!:cool:

I think a good travel agent who specializes in "luxury" lines is what you need....they can really help with comparing the ship's amenities and entertainment options.

Remember, the smaller the ship, the fewer entertainment options you will have...including casino space! The larger ships will offer more to do...and they are designed for the max. # of passengers, so you really don't feel like a floating sardine can!

Azamara is not really "luxury", but it is higher-end than the mass market lines.

Get brochures from ALL the lines you are considering...they really do help you get a "feel" for the type of experience you will have.

I've been on the four luxury lines you mentioned and I think that Seabourn is an excellent choice. Depending on the itinerary you're looking at with Seabourn, I've found that having too many things to do on board can get a bit tiring, especially if the cruise you select is very port intensive. I've found that on an itinerary that's port intensive, all I want is a very good dinner, good conversation with other guests, an interesting entertainment option and then up to the cabin to rest and get ready for the next busy day.

An Asian itinerary can be very port intensive, and I've found on my four Asian cruises that a huge amount of evening entertainment isn't all that important to me. Maybe a good show after dinner, and a cocktail in a dance venue is all I need in the evening. You'll find that on Seabourn. Yes, they do have a casino, but none of the luxury ships, including Azamara, have the huge casinos that you'll find on the mass market behemoth ships.

Azamara is not really considered in the same luxury class as the other four lines you mentioned, and their ships are older and their cabins, unless you spring for one of their biggest suites, tend to be quite small. They have a very nice product, but if it was between Azamara and Seabourn, I'd choose Seabourn every time.

If you have any specific questions about any of the lines, I'll be happy to help in any way I can.

I would go azmara or seaborne

Oceania in a better room or crystal also fit with what you are looking for

Good luck and congrats

When you book make sure you find the roll call for that cruise or start one yourself

Greg

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I cruised through Asia in March/April this year. Japan and China were cooler (10-14 C) but it started to warm up by the time we got to Hong Kong. From there (Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, and UAE) , it was warm to very hot.

I can understand your confusion, but you have really done a fine job narrowing your choices down. Seabourn is a very good choice for a Special anniversary cruise.

We also like Regent because even some of the excursions are included.

Congratulations on you Anniversary. The next 30 will go even faster. We will soon be celebrating or 62nd with a cruise too.

If you are open to the Caribbean, then don't overlook Thomson. They have a 1200 passenger and 1500 passenger ship in the Caribbean over the winter.

This size means they have plenty of amenities but are not monsters.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Asia is a great place to cruise, our experience of the weather is much the same as Scrapnana''s - if you want warm that time of year don't stray north of Hong Kong. This is not typhoon season.

Typically you should be looking for a cruise between Singapore & Hong Kong, including Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam and perhaps Indonesia, Borneo etc.

And you can visit China easily without going up to Shanghai / Beijing - some cruises include the port of Sanya on the island of Hainan, or you can take a day-trip over the border from Hong Kong to Guagzhou (Canton). Unlike the rest of China, no visa needed for Sanya. And a group day-trip (various operators) from Hong Kong includes a group visa.

One of the bug-bears of cruising is the limited time in port, typically 9am to 5pm, which is insufficient in many places & doesn't provide the opportunity to sample evening life.

So aim for a one-way cruise, rather than a cruise which returns to the same port. This gives you two bites - pre-cruise and post-cruise - of spending a few hotel-based days exploring two different places.

And aim for cruises which overnite in port in places like Bangkok, Saigon & Halong Bay.

These tend to be features of most Asian cruises, but also apply to some cruises elsewhere in the world.

And, if it's not going to frazzle you, do consider other parts of the world as well.

That time of year the other major options are South America (IMHO not as varied or interesting as Asia but others will disagree) and the Caribbean. The Caribbean is by far the simplest (language, currency, distance between ports, weather, sea conditions, etc) but is now a very well-worn tourist path, usually several ships in port at one time & cruisers greatly out-numbering the locals.

If you aim for a one-way cruise and fix your own flights you'll find the flights no more expensive than a simple return ticket if you use the same airline or airline-alliance for both flights on an "open jaw" or "multi-city" ticket.

Get a cruise T/A to explain the pros & cons of fixing your own flights or allowing the cruise line to do it.

A good thing about the luxury lines (and Azamara, which as others have said is part-way to luxury), especially in Asia, is that they're small ships which berth close to where you want to be whereas the leviathons have to berth miles away in ports capable of handling large ships. I'm thinking particularly of Saigon (you sail up the Saigon River & berth in the city, whereas the oversize jumbos berth over an hour away near the coast at Phu My), Bangkok (the jumbos berth even further away, at Laem Chabang, a 2 hour drive) and at places like Da Nang and Nha Trang.

All-inclusive narrows the field, though it's much more common on luxury cruise lines. But don't place great store by all-inclusive - signing for drinks etc is no big deal, and a cruise price which includes excursions will either mean going-with-the-herd rather that your own preferences at your own speed ..... or wasting money by not taking those included excursions.

I wouldn't rule out a cruise line on that factor.

You've been in touch with T/A's.

Cruise-specialist T/A's ?

Especially since you're a newbie, stick with the cruise specialists. Can't name any, against Cruise Critic rules, but just google "cruise travel agents" & look for the clues in the names.

They know far more about cruising than the average High Street T/A, and although few will have actually experienced the luxury lines they can be remarkably knowledgeable and helpful with such matters as dining preferences, dress codes, cabin location, visas (including whether a cruise-visit exemption applies and whether the ship arranges visas), and the general routines of cruising. Use the phone more than the internet. You'll soon figure which T/A is the most valuable to you. We usually check prices & deals with different cruise T/A's then return to our preferred T/A and ask them to match the price. Price-bargaining (and freebies such as on-board credit, upgrades, parking etc) is common in the UK, but not normal for our American cousins.

There's so much information on Cruise Critic, as you've already found out.:)

The danger, as you've also found out, is information overload. :eek:

Don't let that overload intimidate you - you have plenty of time to glance though from time to time, and to ask the occasional question. And don't worry too much about the comparatively trivial stuff, let it just wash over you.

I doubt there'll be many cruises yet promoted for 2016, but the offerings for 2015 will give you a very good idea & many will be exact repeats in 2016.

Have fun choosin', have fun cruisin'

JB :)

Thank you all - much appreciated :) What a lovely warm welcome.

Just to answer a few things. The TA I've been speaking to is a cruise specialist (although they also specialise in other holidays too). I don't think there are so many cruise specialists in the UK compared to the US - at least I couldn't find them! This firm (who also deal in other top end holidays) have a 'Cruise Specialist' and he has already nearly talked my ears off with information (hence my overload :eek:) He used to work on Royal Caribbean apparently and seems to know his stuff. I wanted to liaise with someone on the 'phone and not online and hopefully he will be able to help. He is at present diarising me for when the early 2016 cruises come out.

One thing he did say was... to leave the flights to him/his company (obviously nearer the time) as he would get a better deal than the 'included' flights through the cruise line. I presume that is normal?

Thanks for the heads up on a possible 'one way cruise' - all that makes sense. Oceania is not a line I've read about so I now need to devote some time to looking at that one! Indonesia/Burma/Thailand etc sounds like the sort of itinerary that would appeal to me as I've never gone that far east before and nor has my husband. (By the way congratulations Dorisis on your spectacular achievement! We are still a year and a bit away from the 30th but a cruise will be a way to celebrate in style)

As far as casinos, my husband would be in heaven with a chance to play roulette or whatever might be on a ship, however small, so not worried about the size of it (and maybe this would be wise anyway or I might not see him of an evening!)

Anyway, back to cruisin' the forum and reading up some more. Thank you everyone :)

 

One thing he did say was... to leave the flights to him/his company (obviously nearer the time) as he would get a better deal than the 'included' flights through the cruise line. I presume that is normal?

 

There are pros & cons with a cruise-air package.

Your T/A is right, they're usually over-priced.

And they use their "preferred airline partners". So if you live in Manchester and the cruise departs Bangkok, even though another airline may have direct flights you might be routed via changes at Frankfurt & Singapore because that's the easiest route using their "preferred partner". As your T/A will know, RCI are one of the worst offenders & they've frequently been slated for this on CC.

For an RCI cruise out of Istanbul we booked direct BA flights from Heathrow. Those on cruise-air were routed via a 3 hour stop-over in Amsterdam & lost most of a day.

Those criticisms don't apply when the cruise line charters aircraft, ie everyone on the aircraft is on the cruise, but chartered aircraft from the UK won't be used for your planned cruise lines or itineraries.

Cruise lines' hotel packages are also over-priced & often use hotels which are unsuitably located outside the areas you'd want to visit. For instance, in Hong Kong a cruise line booked passengers into a hotel in high-rise residential Sha Tin, half-an-hour's drive from downtown Tsim Sha Tsui.

The one big advantage with cruise-air is that, having booked the package with them, if one element goes belly-up - for instance they cancel the cruise - you are entitled to a full refund of all elements. If you've booked flights separately, they have no responsibility to refund your air tickets. Travel insurers won't want to know either. And even though you book both the cruise-only and the flights with the same agent, it doesn't alter the fact that it's two unconnected contracts.

If there's a flight delay or cancellation & you miss the sailing, with cruise-air they're responsible for getting you to the ship at the next port & all incidental exes plus compensation. If your separately-booked flight is similarly delayed or cancelled, you're on your own. Those booking flights independently fly out a few days early to enjoy the departure port - and to provide a buffer against flight delays.

You can probably get a better flight deal through one of the consolidation websites than through your T/A, but if the difference isn't huge there are advantages in using the same T/A.

BTW, if you don't have annual travel insurance, do take out insurance for the trip at the same time as booking - it costs no more. Our American cousins' cancellation terms etc are different, so their advice on the subject is inappropriate.

JB :)

Thank you JB, much appreciated.

As far as travel insurance, I have an annual policy that I negotiate every year (i.e. I push the price down as it goes up too much!) for our trips to the Med, would I have to change that to 'worldwide' insurance before booking a cruise and if so, I would be paying for 2015 that I don't use possibly (as we won't go outside of Europe next year). Of course, this would cover us if heaven forbid something happened and we really couldn't go. Sorry to ask, I know you aren't an insurance specialist :)

Interesting on the hotels before and after the cruise and yes I would prefer to have a choice but of course, as you say, you are then not covered but having not used a TA for more years than I care to remember as we book all elements seperately of any travel we do, I suppose it's a considered risk.

1). You will have to up your insurance to World Wide, before or at the time of booking, or you won't be covered for cancellation and you would loose your deposit.

2).IMO ........Seabourn should be your first choice and Regent your second. Both are All Inclusive.That is All Drinks all day, All Food all day. no speciality restaurant charges. You never have to present your cruise card, makes for very relaxing cruising. Seabourn tours are extra and Regent offer inclusive tours as well as chargeable tours. Also they are both Luxury cruise lines. You will be very spoilt, specially on Seabourn. Have a great time.

Thanks Jay. How does Azamara fit in amongst Regent and Seabourn, because it does sound similar...

The insurance, yes of course, it is something I would sort out as soon as we are near to booking. (this is going to be the longest lead up to a holiday known to man :D)

I have never been on Azamara but, If you look on the Oceania page, there is a very good comparison between Azamara and Oceania. I know Oceania is not on your list (ours will be our first Oceania cruise), but it is a good insight into Azamara.

J

1). You will have to up your insurance to World Wide, before or at the time of booking, or you won't be covered for cancellation and you would loose your deposit.

Yep, that's the point I was making about fixing trip/cancellation insurance (or in Mauzak's case, up-grading to worldwide) when committing money.

In this case it's the increased premium from that date versus the risk of losing a great deal of money, since the full price will have to be paid in 2015 for a Jan/Fen '16 cruise - a call that Mauzak will have to make.

Re hotels there should be no risk, most can be cancelled without penalty with about 3 days notice - one of the terms I look for when booking.

http://www.booking.com is an excellent site, it gives stax of info/photos/reviews/map etc. For anything more than a one-nighter, after choosing via booking.com, we then check for better prices direct with the hotel or via other booking websites though booking.com is usually competitive.

JB :)