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Help, First Cruise with no Children....


LauraW77
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Ok, so hubby and I are planning our first cruise without the kids, who are now all young adults.

I am so overwhelmed with choice and I know everyone has their own preferences, but I would love feedback. We are looking at transatlantic cruises from US back to AUS. Between August and November 2018. I love the idea of a suite with all the perks, but is it worth it? We have both just turned 40 and starting a new life, now that the kids are all adults. From what I have found I have a choice between RCI, Celebrity and Holland America. All advice/feedback greatly appreciated to help make a choice! Cheers, Laura.

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hi welcome to cruise critic.

I dont fully follow where you want to cruise

partly because you have not entered where you are from.

Transatlantic usually means US to Europe

US to Aus is usually transpacific unless you mean

segments of a world cruise ar a series of cruises

us to eu to middle east to asia. Though there are some that go EU to SA to Perth.

Bit more info as to where you want to go?

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Thanks for the prompt reply. I am in Alice Springs, so will have to fly back home. I am looking at the Seattle and Honolulu depart ports. How silly, I was so excited I wrote the wrong Trans part!

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Hi

We are from QLD and have been on both Celebrity and RCI. In our 50s but young 50s. Celebrity was outstanding and RCI fantastic. Our friends have just returned from a HAL cruise and said they much prefer Celebrity. HAL from what they said was more sedate than Celebrity, and Celebrity is not a party cruise. With Celebrity, if you want, you can still find a bar going strong after midnight. If you drink definitely get the drink package. A must for us even thou we are not over the top drunk every night. Just good to have it for coffee as well. Life does change a bit when kids are of our hands. Cruising is a magical way to enjoy that different next chapter in your life.

 

 

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If you have time to do them re positioning cruises might be of interest.

 

I am currently looking at this one

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=53570350#post53570350

Or there is a shorter cruise on the same ship that ends in Aukland

and you could fly home from there.

There are others maybe if you have already cruised the NZ bit

you can find one that misses it out and just goes straight to AUS

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Enjoy your time together. I would suggest that you sail on Celebrity solstice class. IMO best for adults of all ages. My second choice would be Royal Oasis Class. If you can try a suite as perks from both lines are great. On celebrity the entry level suite is a sky suite and typically less expensive then the entry level grand suite on Royal.

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As has been stated above, cruises from North America to OZ are repositioning cruises at the end of the Alaska season. I said North America, because unless you would be satisfied with Hawaii as your US starting point, the cruises actually leave from Vancouver, Canada. That's because of a pesky law called the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA, also erroneously called the Jones Act). I w on't go into it, it is discussed endlessly here at times. Anyway, it makes it illegal for those cruises with the first segment ending in Hawaii, to sail from Seattle.

I suggest you go to http://www.cruisetimetables.com and choose Vancouver as your departure port, and start with Sept. and work through to October. August is too early, and Nov. too late. You will see who is sailing, and their itineraries. I do have to amend my blanket statement, in that Golden Princess will be leaving from Los Angeles with port call in Hawaii. EM

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In my opinion, Celebrity would be the cruise line choice. My DH and I just returned in May from a transpacific on the Solstice from Sydney to Hawaii (18 night) and LOVED it. If you can afford a Suite, I would select the entry level Sky Suite. This cruiseline does not typically offer offer included Drink Packages on transpacific cruises unless you are in a suite. Right now, though, I only see April 2018 and April 2019 available - limited availability and costly. We chose a Balcony, paid for the drink package and it was wonderful. Good luck and happy travels whatever you choose.

 

 

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Suite perks vary from cruise line to cruise line....NCL has the BEST suite perks....Carnival has the worst. To get the most out of the "perks" you want, choose carefully!

 

Only if you are in the Haven- the rest of the ship not up to the standards of Royal or Celebrity. The haven is super expensive.

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