Looking for a list of Luxe/Luxe-light cruiselines?

We really enjoy Oceania's luxe-light cruise style and it is certainly our favorite cruise line so far.... However, we have a specific desire to sail out of Bali or Singapore (or anywhere within a short flight from Jakarta) at the beginning of March 2016 as we plan to attend the International Java Jazz festival... Unfortunately it looks like we'd be off by just a few days with Azamara which sails out of Bali on March 1... I think the festival is going to be the following weekend.

That said - can anyone please give me a list of "upscale" lines so that I can do my homework on itineraries as they are released for 2016? I know of the following:

Azamara (like it)

Oceania (LOVE it)

PG

Regent

Silverseas

What lines am I missing? We like small to mid-sized ships.

Many thanks! :)

Windstar

Windstar

Is that the sailboat line? (and thanks) :)

Yeah, well what do you mean luxe? I`ve sailed O. I`ve sailed RCI. O cost twice as much. It was not twice the value in my experience. Actually, not that much better.

The balcony stateroom on O was not well-laid out - RCI`s are better. I had to climb over my cabin mate to get to my part of the clothes closet. We did get four specialty restos on O as part of the price. I found the food heavy, way too rich for a steady diet, and very short on fresh raw veg. The entertainment on the O ship just killed me. Yeah, I lived the sixties - but I don`t want to feel that I died and the world stopped when I got older. Is that what luxe means?

Seriously, I don`t know what you mean by luxe. You need to describe what that looks like to you.

They have smaller ships between about 5000-14,000 tons. The ships are older and some do look like sailboats. I have friends who did a cruise with them earlier this year. The wife was worried about how small the ship was but went because it was exactly what her husband wanted. They both loved it.

Seabourn and Seadream Yacht Cruises

Yeah, well what do you mean luxe? I`ve sailed O. I`ve sailed RCI. O cost twice as much. It was not twice the value in my experience. Actually, not that much better.

 

The balcony stateroom on O was not well-laid out - RCI`s are better. I had to climb over my cabin mate to get to my part of the clothes closet. We did get four specialty restos on O as part of the price. I found the food heavy, way too rich for a steady diet, and very short on fresh raw veg. The entertainment on the O ship just killed me. Yeah, I lived the sixties - but I don`t want to feel that I died and the world stopped when I got older. Is that what luxe means?

 

Seriously, I don`t know what you mean by luxe. You need to describe what that looks like to you.

Luxe to me = not having to pay for non-alcoholic drinks (or even including them) / not large ships (e.g. <1200 people) / great food / exotic itineraries / excellent staff : passenger ratio / etc.

From my experience Azamara and Oceania come to mind. I've heard lots of good things about Regent and Sliverseas.... That kind of thing. O is particularly known to have horrible entertainment. I'll give you that. I've yet to see one show there besides muster. :) Though the Piano man at the Martini bar is pretty awesome. We look at itineraries first. And we don't like huge ships. As for the food - we just run it off in the gym each morning. :) Yeah it's heavy - but it is damn good in our opinion. Also the cooking classes and artist loft appeal to us. BASICALLY - we don't love the being chased by potog's and upcharging at every turn. We have been contemplating a cruise on RCI (primarily because I skydive and love the idea of a wind tunnel ON the ship! - I spend at least 1 hour per week in our local Orlando wind tunnel and many weekends at the local drop zone) but we are questionable about the crowds on a ship of that size. For us cruising is quiet/calm time, not go go go...

My hope is you can make a convincing argument to me to do the big RCI ship so I can skydive AT SEA! :)

Seabourn and Seadream Yacht Cruises

Thank you.

Understand first of all that I am not an RCI cheerleader. Yes, I have cruised RCI several times and liked it fine. I cruised O once, and did not find the bump for almost double the cost.

On O we had a balcony with Concierge privileges. Those amounted to nothing to me. I do not need some sliders and some tea or coffee between meals. I also did not need afternoon tea(not just for Concierge), which I had once, and could hardly eat my dinner later. Seriously - stuff yourself with pastries and cakes and then have dinner shortly afterward?

Our room steward on both lines was equal. Polite, did the job, fulfilled small requests. Guest Services won on RCI. It was open everytime I went there to ask for something or make a reasonable request. Guest Services was closed several times on O - a sign saying come back later.

I need salads, green veg and fruit when I travel. Sure I can tuck into those heavy sauces and meats at dinner, but there better be some counter-balance at lunch. At the O lunch buffet, the guy was dishing up the salad stuff with some little tongs. I wanted to say, "Dude, just dump your four little bins all on my plate." But what I got was a few leaves, a few radish slices, a couple cucumber bits and a few carrot shreds. On RCI I load my plate at lunch with a mountain of leaves, pepper bits, mushrooms, bean sprouts, radishes, carrot shreds, cucumbers...and on and on. Or I go to the MDR and they make me a giant salad that I get to say how much I want of many things. If I`m going to eat the big stuff at dinner, this is how I have to eat at lunch.

Room service on both lines = equal. Prompt, well-served, about the same number of choices.

Staff = equal. All courteous, all diligent, all responsive. RCI maybe a little "warmer" but that`s a value judgement - could just be me.

I got no free booze on O. I was allowed to bring on as much as I could hump onto the ship - they didn`t care. But I had to pay for beer, wine, and alcoholic drinkies in every venue on O, same as RCI. I could solitary drink as much as I wanted with my own booze on my balcony.

Bathtub in the bathroom as well as a shower on O. Well, I guess if you`re a bath person that would be a value. We just hung our swim suits over it. I`d rather have had a couple more feet of cabin space.

Ship size. We sailed on O`s Riviera. I have sailed the equivalent sizes on RCI (Legend, for example). But I have sailed on bigger too on RCI. It turns out you never actually go to all the places on a larger ship. You go to the places you gravitate to. And other people go to the places they gravitate to. And people are pretty much spread out all over the ship. I found Independence too big for me. Really, I was constantly getting lost. But the flashy attractions are on the bigger ships.

I`m not trying to sell you on anything. But if you want the robes and the slippers, just book a suite.

As for people trying to sell you stuff, yes , it happens a little bit, not a lot, on RCI. You just tell then no. They go away.

There ya go. I`ve said enough. Ask away if you want.

Sorry to double post corp kid, but I missed a few things you were asking about. O`s claim to fame is their staff to pax ratio. But ask yourself how many staff you actually interface with. Room Steward -equally good and equally available on both lines. Serving staff at dinner - equally good and equally available on both lines. Pool towel people, about equal. Bar staff, about equal. Guest Services - open more of the time on RCI. Who else do you deal with on O? I don`t know what all those staff are doing on O, but nothing I require. Maybe they were the butlers (we didn`t pay enough to have a butler. Did fine without.)

Exotic itineraries? Hello, check what the other lines are offering. I am re-tracing my steps on a Med cruise this fall which I did on O two autumns ago. It cost me $6,500 on O (I admit it included my airfare). I am doing a similar cruise on RCI this autumn for about $1500. Plus my airfare of about $800. We will be doing three fewer ports (the least interesting ones in my opinion.) We will be on the Serenade, an RCI ship of the Radiance class, which is in my opinion, arguably a much more beautiful and well-appointed ship than Riviera.

You know what, The only way you`ll know is to try something else. I tried O, and I won`t be going back. But we may be very different people.

That said - can anyone please give me a list of "upscale" lines so that I can do my homework on itineraries as they are released for 2016? I know of the following:

 

Azamara (like it)

Oceania (LOVE it)

PG

Regent

Silverseas

 

What lines am I missing? We like small to mid-sized ships.

 

Many thanks! :)

I think you have covered the LUX LITE except maybe Viking Oceans

The other luxury lines are Crystal, Seabourn but do they have ships in the area you want at the time you want is another question

Then you are back the the main stream lines

Not all schedules are out for 2016 so keep checking ;)

Enjoy what ever you choose

Lyn

I was also going to add Crystal to your list. Their 2016 itineraries are coming out. Check their website. They only have 2 ships at present, so the itinerary may not mesh.