What would you recommend for a couples first luxury cruise

[indychristine]

My husband and I have cruised on NCL,RCL,DCL. We want to try a luxury cruise next year for our anniversary.
Any recommendations? We would consider any Itinerary leaving out of the states.

Thank you for any suggestions!
Christine

[NCCruzQueen]

Christine, I have been on what is now Regent Seven Seas for almost 20 years. Regent is all inclusive which includes gratuities, alcohol, air fare, one hotel night pre-cruise and many excursions. The small ships with no more than 700 passengers and the excellent service make Regent the line I prefer.

[indychristine]

Thank you for that info NC! I will check Regent out!
Christine

[alexandra cruiser]

and loved it...Also gone on Seabourn(again GREAT) and Seadream(too small and no balcony)..
So many things to consider,,,check out ALL the details before,read the many reviews,,etc.Find what important to YOU,,everyone different.
I start with ship size,,don t like the Larger,,luxury lines,,ie...Crystal ships 1200 passengers..and then SeaDream too small (100),,,find 400 to 700 JUST RIGHT>..sounds like the 3 bears...haha
Then chose itinerary,,,dates,length,room size,dining options,,can go on and on..
Look for best prices and find travel agent to help,,mine even gives %5 cash back on luxury cruises.
Give it a try and see if its the one for you,,,or (like me),,,try many and enjoy them all(just ea.a little different) ..good luck PS.. also may want less expensive optoions like Oceana,Azamara.Step up from lines you ve tried.

[Texas Tillie]

Originally Posted by alexandra cruiser

and loved it...Also gone on Seabourn(again GREAT) and Seadream(too small and no balcony)..
So many things to consider,,,check out ALL the details before,read the many reviews,,etc.Find what important to YOU,,everyone different.
I start with ship size,,don t like the Larger,,luxury lines,,ie...Crystal ships 1200 passengers..and then SeaDream too small (100),,,find 400 to 700 JUST RIGHT>..sounds like the 3 bears...haha
Then chose itinerary,,,dates,length,room size,dining options,,can go on and on..
Look for best prices and find travel agent to help,,mine even gives %5 cash back on luxury cruises.
Give it a try and see if its the one for you,,,or (like me),,,try many and enjoy them all(just ea.a little different) ..good luck PS.. also may want less expensive optoions like Oceana,Azamara.Step up from lines you ve tried.

The Crystal ships aren't as large as you quoted. The Symphony is 922 passengers and the Serenity is 1070 passengers. Because Crystal has the least expensive single supplement, a "full" ship is never "full".

[Travelcat2]

It really depends upon your likes and dislikes. A few of major differences in the luxury cruise lines are:

1. Silversea is the most formal of the luxury lines followed by Seabourn and Crystal. Regent is Elegant Casual.

2. No smoking in Suites or balconies on Regent. No smoking on balconies -- but smoking in suites -- on Silversea and Crystal. Smoking in suites and balconies on Seabourn.

[martinsfo]

If you have sailed on the larger ships, you might find Crystal more to your likeing. Because it is larger than the other lines, it offers more in the way of activities and sea entertainment. In addition, because the ships only carry around 900 passengers on a ship that a mass market line would carry 1500 to 2000 passengers, you will never feel crowded, even on a full ship.

[indychristine]

Thank you! This is all good information . Fortunately I love doing research so here I go! I have already dug into the reviews!
Can't wait to try our first luxury cruise!

[Travelcat2]

Just rethought my response. For a first cruise, nothing can beat the Paul Gauguin in Tahiti. Most Regent cruisers (and many others) began their luxury cruising on the PG. It is, IMO, impossible to beat that lovely ship in the most beautiful place on earth (and it was recently refurbished).

I know that this does not leave out of the states, however, cruises that leave out of the states are more mass market than anything. You either go to Alaska, the Caribbean or Mexico. If you go to these places, it doesn't matter what cruise line you are on. Why pay luxury prices? You can get a perfectly good cabin on Princess or Celebrity.

My last thought is SeaDream Yacht Club. They are luxury--- small intimate ships -- all-inclusive. . . . check out their website http://www.seadream.com/ . Many posters on this thread are giving their personal preference for cruising which may not be yours. The PG and Seadream seem to be aimed more towards what you are looking for:-(

[zqvol]

I suspect that you will fit well on Sea Dream. Smallest ships and close to a 1:1 crew to passenger ratio. The other luxury lines are much more formal and stuff, and the want to be luxury , like Regent are anything but luxury. Whenever you get over 200 passengers you leave the luxury level and go down to the upscale level.

[knotheadusc]

I vote for SeaDream. Been onboard twice and have another planned for next year... But I will admit, at this point, I don't have experience with the other luxury lines.

As problems go, choosing the right luxury cruise line is a darn nice one to have!

[pvrick]

We took a Seabourn trans atlantic in the spring and it was fantastic. I have traveled all over the world and eaten in some very good restaurants and I would say their food was comparable. The suite we had (standard balcony) was over 300 sf and the bathroom I would take in my house. Service was outstanding and the transatlantic repositioning cruises were a real deal from a price standpoint.
The only disappointment was that the wines, particularly the reds were not up to my desired taste. Took about six days before we finally found one we liked.
All inclusive is great. No signing slips, worring about how much something costs nor calculating tips.

A great cruise if you aren't into port days as there were many days as sea.

Enjoy

[jjking]

Originally Posted by Travelcat2

It really depends upon your likes and dislikes. A few of major differences in the luxury cruise lines are:

1. Silversea is the most formal of the luxury lines followed by Seabourn and Crystal. Regent is Elegant Casual.

2. No smoking in Suites or balconies on Regent. No smoking on balconies -- but smoking in suites -- on Silversea and Crystal. Smoking in suites and balconies on Seabourn.

Sounds like Regent for me. The less smoke the better