Honeymoon cruises for first timers?

The fiancee and I are trying to narrow down our options for honeymoon cruises in Europe.We are first timers and completely new to this.I thought I had it narrowed down to Celebrity, Amazara, and Viking, but from reading the reviews I'm leery of pulling the trigger on something so expensive.Celebrity seems to nickle and dime and go for the upsell, the rooms with Amazara don't seem to be worth the price, and Viking seems to be all over the place depending on if the river is sail-able or not. We are in our late 20s and looking for something that really immerses us in the destinations without completely breaking the bank like Regent.Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Not sure what you mean by "nickle and dime and go for the upsell". Celebrity is a perfectly fine cruise line. Have you considered NCL or Carnival? Don't know what timeframe you're considering, but when Carnival has a new build, they spend the first season in Europe.

You may want to go over to the Weddings and Honeymoons forum and get advice from others in the same situation. Regardless of which line you choose, consider springing for a suite since it's your honeymoon.

Roz

From some of the reviews I've read Celebrity's employees tend to be very pushy about upsells on things like beverage packages. I would prefer something a bit more relaxed.

Viking is a river cruise....totally different from a sea cruise! If you want to really experience different parts of a country, a river cruise is the way to go.

I would advise you speak with a good travel agent in your town....get brochures, get guidebooks on your potential ports/destinations...and do a bit of research before putting out big bucks on something you might be disappointed with!

As far as "nickel and diming"...all the mainstream lines are doing that now...you are under NO obligation to buy packages or photos or anything above what you pay for the cruise (except for gratuities...those are an additional charge, if they aren't included in your fare).

Edit for clarity: Based on reviews here are my concerns, Celebrity - extremely pushy on upsells, Azamara - rooms not worth the price?, Princess and Viking - all over the place depending on who you ask

Edit for clarity: Based on reviews here are my concerns, Celebrity - extremely pushy on upsells, Azamara - rooms not worth the price?, Princess and Viking - all over the place depending on who you ask

You are looking at the top drawer cruise lines (expensive). Have a look at what Norwegian offers, they do Med and Baltic, since you are so 'young' I sincerely think Celebrity won't cater to age group as well as Carnival, Norwegian or Royal Caribbean.

Where are you looking to cruise? What ports are important to you? You need to figure out your budget, don't blow it all on the cruise fare and then have nothing left over to pay for excursions, drinks, specialty restaurants and other incidental expenses you'll enounter.

Viking is a river cruise....totally different from a sea cruise! If you want to really experience different parts of a country, a river cruise is the way to go.

 

I would advise you speak with a good travel agent in your town....get brochures, get guidebooks on your potential ports/destinations...and do a bit of research before putting out big bucks on something you might be disappointed with!

 

As far as "nickel and diming"...all the mainstream lines are doing that now...you are under NO obligation to buy packages or photos or anything above what you pay for the cruise (except for gratuities...those are an additional charge, if they aren't included in your fare).

I think the advice above is great. go into a travel agency that specializes in cruises with your budget, time frame,etc. that will serve you better than reading negative reviews.

Viking isn't just river cruises anymore - they also have ocean cruises, but seem to be pretty expensive.

Roz

I suppose that's the reason I was looking at more expensive lines, hoping that more would be included.We're pretty mellow folks, so I was somewhat shying away from the larger liners, but I will look into. Thanks guys.

From some of the reviews I've read Celebrity's employees tend to be very pushy about upsells on things like beverage packages. I would prefer something a bit more relaxed.

I've been on more than 35 Celebrity cruises and NEVER have seen anyone push an upsell for anything. And even IF someone came and asked if you wanted to buy the better package, a simple NO would suffice. I guess I don't understand why you think this would impact your relaxation. Seriously, you're not going to be bothered 24/7 with any kind of upsells. And quite honestly, if you're looking for relaxation on your cruise, European cruises are not relaxing by any stretch of the imagination.

We're doing a NCL cruise for our Honeymoon. The offers at the moment include a free drinks package so you won't have to pay for drinks on board, and also things like on board credit or free speciality dining. People complain about being 'nickle and dimed' but you don't have to pay for anything you don't want to. On our last cruise we probably spent about £200 over 10 days and all of that was totally voluntary, I don't think we were asked to spend anything extra once on board, let alone pestered. You could easily come back with a $0 balance at the end of the cruise and still have a great time.

Personally as a young couple we like NCL as it's very relaxed, no set dining times and very minimal dress codes. I can't imagine cruising on a more formal line. A girl I spoke to recentley said she was put off cruising for life by her first cruise when they had to do things like 'line up to shake the captain's hand before they were allowed to go in for dinner' :eek:

Also, just a note- if you really want to be 'immersed in a destination' then maybe a cruise isn't the answer. You'll have typically anywhere between 4-10 hours in each port- that's not enough for immersion. However it does give a fantastic way to get a snapshot of each destination and see a lot of different places and do different things. Agree with the above note that a European cruise isn't the most relaxing, but even after a hectic day in port there's a chance to relax when back on board. If you want relaxation look for a cruise that includes a couple of sea days, and book a balcony cabin.

Have you looked at Honeymoon cruises under special interests below on this forum page? Avoid River cruises in Europe; they are ultra expensive, very small and suited to the Senior set. Low water this season also demoted them to bus trips.For a first cruise look at Caribbean. More ships yield better pricing and more itins. I also have done 30 or more Celebrity cruises. Do not knock them until you have tried them or any line. NCL is only line I have found nickel/ diming. Start reading member reviews here. Get out cruise books at your library and online. Berlitz does all ships. Fodors, Frommers and Lonely Planet for both ships and ports. Ship photos on this site.

My wife and I did a Greek Isles cruise with NCL out of Venice for our honeymoon. We loved it. We stayed 3 additional nights in Venice. Every cruise tries to "sell" something once you get onboard, so don't assume that's exclusive to one line. We've done Celebrity and enjoyed it also. You might do well with a cruiseline like NCL, Carnival, or Celebrity and just get a high end stateroom if money isn't a problem.

I don't think you should consider a river cruise. Have you looked at Windstar? That would be my choice.

You briefly mentioned Princess.....

Have cruised 3 times and really can't fault much at all, we also are easy going people!!

The nickel n dime thing is in people's heads (IMO)........By that I mean (and has been pointed out)....you are under NO obligation for anything......those guys are just doing their jobs!!!

Location wise.....you could do far worse than the Norwegian fjords........That was our first cruise.....and by far is still the best!!

Whatever you decide (do your homework, and see TA) hope it's a special and wonderful time for both of you!!

Steve n Wendy

Look at the Windstar Wind Surf. They do several Med routes in the summer, and there is NOTHING more romantic than sailing along via wind power. Many of the ports they visit you can just walk around in the port, no need for shore excursions, and they include a lot of the stuff the other lines nickel and dime for.

Have a look at Royal Caribbean beautiful ships, many great European itineraries, affordable prices. Princess is another good option as well.

Jonathan

We love Royal. I also don't like to be on an older crowd cruise.

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We have cruised a lot, and the absolute most favorite was our Italy Croatia cruise. It was a 13 night cruise on Legend of the Seas (Royal Caribbean). The itinerary was amazing, the staff wonderful, and our dinnermates the best. We sat at a table of 10 for the late seating, and all of our dinnermates where older...but so funny we laughed hard everynight. We are from CT (USA) and the other dinnermates were from England, Scotland and New Zealand...the New Zealanders have actually flew to stay with us...such good lifetime friends, all of them. The food, the sights, just can't say enough. We had a balcony and I would recommend that...it doesn't have to be a Jr. Suite or bigger, just a balcony room. I loved every minute of it.

You've got some research to do!:) As others have said, a river cruise and ocean cruise are two completely different things and you'll get an older crowd on a river cruise. I've seen complaints about nickle and diming for most cruise lines and like others, I've never felt pressured to upsell anything. People say that about NCL all the time, but I left my last NCL cruise having spent very little on board. I like to eat in the specialty restaurants, but certainly no one is forcing me to! All the mainstream lines offer things that aren't included in the fare--it's up to you whether to purchase them. Except, as was pointed out, gratuities or hotel service charge or DSC or whatever the line you choose calls it.

As far as reading reviews, keep in mind that most people don't write them, especially when they've had a great time. Unless a review is balanced, I don't take it into consideration. You'll read some that complain about every little thing, and that's usually a person who just likes to complain or went on their cruise expecting to have a miserable time.

I have no idea what you mean by a cabin isn't worth the price...? Cabins on ships are small (suites are larger, but not usually like what you get at a land-based hotel) no matter which line. Most people don't spend a lot of time in their cabins.

If I were in your shoes, I'd first decide where I want to cruise and then see who goes there. If you want a lot of relaxation, book one with the most sea days. If you're really active and love to explore, then more ports. If you like to dress up and go formal, pick a line like Princess or Celebrity. If you prefer a more relaxed dress code, pick NCL. If you want a robust night life, then Carnival, RCL, NCL. If you want a younger crowd, the same three. If you want to be less regimented then NCL. There's a lot to think about, but chances are no matter which line you choose, you'll have a great time!

Good luck!

If OP gave a couple of facts : length of cruise desired and some rough budget figures, more helpful suggestions could follow.

Azamara.

I am in my mid fifties, though Celebrity has a beautiful product, you may get bored.

Not knowing your budget, but as a poster above said be sure to have money left over for excursions. Also when is the honeymoon? Something to consider.

Try to get the best cabin you can comfortably afford this is your honeymoon. If you want immersion pick your areas first, I.e. Asia, British Isles, Baltic, Alaska etc. Caribbean is for relaxation and water activities.

I am going on NCL (12 Day Med)For the second time. They are affordable alternative,I will repost when I get back.

Until happy hunting

Ps cruising is addictive

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You didn't say when you were going. I took Celebrity Reflection April 29, 2014 form Ft Lauderdale to Rome. Loved this cruise. Large nice ship and great staff. We got a balcony room on 8th deck for $750.00 a person back then. Our room bathroom flooded on the 5th night and we got upgraded to the 11th deck balcony concerige plus a free dinner and extra $100.00. The cruse line move the ships in April and October. You can't go wrong with any RCCL products. They own Celebrity. So much to see in Europe. Start doing your planning now. I saw Monte Carlo during race season, Montceraut in Barcelona and La Sangri Familia. Vatican in Rome and the Forum.So much to see. I like to use priceline to check prices each day. It will show you the rooms available each day.

I don't know which is going to change you life more. Getting married or taking a cruise. Their very close ;)

We've pretty much sailed them all and find ourselves drawn to the Oceania cruises for the past few years. Celebrity Adriatic cruise was spectacular.... I've never cruised that I didn't think it was AMAZING. Especially your first cruise!!! Choose an itinerary, a veranda cabin and GO.... Travel Agents are your most reliable tool!!