QuestionEverything

Certainly many posters on this thread not complimentary to Luminae.

Well said. 100%

The premium and luxury lines, excellence for each guest.

I always say. Be careful about the size of the ship. Some ports can not accommodate bigger ships. This is why we cruise Oceania as their vessels can get into most ports in the world. This is a BIG issue in Iceland. Do not presume you can get into ports there.

Did Iceland in August 2023. Then got on a Oceania voyage that did 2 other ports. The major "sights" are on the south side of Iceland and one on the east side. A cruise will never do justice to Iceland. We arrived at Rek and then had a vehicle and drove the entire length of the south shore and did the "official" circle tour on the other main highway. On the east/south side is the Iceberg Lagoon - pay the $ and get the suits on and do the 8 km zodiak tour to the glacier - OMG, the best ever! On the west side is the national park that has the plate divergence - the NA plate diverting from the European plate - OMG. The gap increases 2 inches per year. The national park is where the Iceland legislature does business 1x per year. The south side has so many local communities and yes, one is by the active volcano. If you are travelling to Iceland, it is not cheap whatsover. ICELAND is the only place in the world with both FIRE AND ICE. No where else is their both volcanos and glaciers. A great visit.

Thank you. Indeed. Nice to be here but, like many posters on CC, sad to see the changes to cruising. Time will tell what happens to the cruise lines, I will monitor same indeed. Stay well in your travels.

OP, thank you for your review. I particularly support your overall impression summary. The over promise and under deliver reality has turned our household off cruising in particular. This consumer is not purchasing travel, restaurants etc until I observe improvements in value for money. Many of our travel friends have gone stop on travel. It is consumers like you that keep companies on their toes and working for us. Thank you.

They can charge what they want. Hotels, restaurants, airlines. It is up to the consumer, each of us, to decide if we wish to purchase their product offering at said price today. I am not an "obedient consumer" and I have 0 cruises booked at this time. On cruising, the price and offering and consistency of the product is not there for me. Expanding my travel offerings; vehicle trips, land trips. It is up to you. It is obvious the cruise lines think that there are many existing "obedient consumers" and "new cruisers" who will fill all their new builds. When a company takes you for granted, it will not end well for the consumer. Time will tell.

I started sailing on Celebrity in 2001. Decade after decade Celebrity provided CONSISTENT product and service, I booked 3 cruises each year with confidence. The same great product year after year albeit newer ships came along, but still great service and product. It was the Confidence of the product to book that kept us booking Celebrity. At that time Celebrity was the premium cruise line - there was no Oceania etc. Around 2018, I noticed the RCLing of Celebrity and the downgrading and the destroying of the Celebrity product due to class apartheid as well as today, the loss of access to the sea on the E class (no forward lounge). My last Celebrity cruise was 2019. We cancelled Celebrity thereafter and moved to the premium lines. ___________________ I am not picking on Celebrity, the loss of consistency is seen in all travel venues and restaurants. I am so very sad at the decline in cruising, hotels, restaurants etc - it was not always this way. This turns me, a consumer, off from any vacation bookings. No cruises booked at this point. Everyone be well, be careful of your bookings, Put Yourself First.

We and numerous friends who are travelers like us have eliminated cruising from our 5 year travel planning. No one has a cruise booked. In the event, there is something new destination wise, we all check CC, hence why I am posting on this thread. Been there and done that and cruising is superficial at best. Same old and repeat and repeat. But we are all now deep diving into land tours - Trafalgar, Globus and Viatour. Also supplement using private guides and vehicles depending upon the location. The driver is to see the detail, be challenged in each location, eat local foods. Oceania lost all of us due to their forced Simply M decision. Please do check out land travel as well as driving trips! Safe travels.

Thank You. Oceania and Regent new ships, the same issues, new ships built in the same Yard, ALL NCL, Oh yes.

Excellent assessment. While I like cruising, I am rather done with it as the main areas to be seen via ship are done now. Have 4 Globus and Trafalgar tours booked. There are many critical areas that can only be done in detail via the land, as you noted. We also have numerous private vehicle trips booked. I do note more threads and postings regarding cruise customers who are booking more land trips for many reasons; some are due to the eroding situations/high costs of cruising, that includes my household and many friends. Any one on CC is blessed to be able to travel, in any way they deem best. To each their own.

Greetings everyone. Regarding the land vacation option, I have been participating in this most interesting thread indeed. There is life beyond cruising! Enjoy

I am certainly not purchasing at this price. While I respect the ridiculous inflation is causing cost increases, I do not participate in price gouging. Presume that SB and other lines presume there is an endless supply of consumers willing to pay these prices - well not for my household. While I can afford it, I refuse to do it. I am turned off all the cruise lines at the moment. Consumers saying no will return sanity to pricing.

I am on a Globus for 24 days, doing all 5 countries in June. Numerous mornings or afternoons of free time, so it is not jam packed. Will be golfing in Ireland, a dream of myself and my spouse. The buses are not ever full, maybe 2/3. Globus aims primarily at North Americans and Aussies and NZ's, so they know the type of hotels, food etc that is welcomed by their customers. Globus is also great at ensuring food stops of local food opportunity. They know what they are doing, and they good pricing due to their repeat and volume business.