Thaddeusa

For us, it's all about cruising first! What is weighed is cost, cabin and itinerary (not in that order). We know when we DON'T want to cruise, summer months. The number of days is based on time my honey can take off work (I'm retired). Type of cabin is based on WHERE we're going (What do we want to see) and PRICE. Itinerary has been the last decider in many times but in those cases, we don't even get off the ship.

We have our favorite cruise lines and those WE wouldn't do again. We also prefer ships that hold less that 3,000 - 3,500 passengers (+ or -). I haven't any desire to cruise a Mega Ship, we know who they are. :)

Our general plan is to cruise different lines and ships as often as we're able (just look at our list). We enjoy inside cabins, it, as George Carlin said about a house, a place to store your stuff. Besides that, it is a place to sleep and more than that, we roam the ship and outside areas. We're doing a Transatlantic next month and stopping in places we've not been, so we took a balcony cabin. We booked early and watched our cabin price go up as much as $600 per person.

Having said all this, research your ship, read reviews about their cabins and base your choice on that.

ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!

Inspired by a spirited discussion on the Europa2 thread in the luxury forum, and currently cruising on that German centric ship at the moment, I'm noticing something in the wind for upmarket cruising. Just as the big ships have gone from being country-centric to more globally focused, we're seeing more "melting pot" geography in the luxury sector. It's not just that lines like Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn and Silversea are attracting passengers from all over the world.

 

It's also that lines like Le Ponant and Hapag Lloyd, who operate first in French and German respectively, are also trying to gain a foothold in the English speaking market.

 

As a luxury cruiser, how interested are you in cruising with a brand that's not primarily North American (or even British)-focused? Please vote in our poll, and definitely feel free to weigh in with opinions and experiences below. Thanks.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

I have cruised once from England to the US and cruised on the MSC Poesia from Florida (10 nights). I found the european style experience strange, sometimes annoying. Every announcement, shows or activities was in five languages. Swimming pools & hot tubs closed for the evening between 6:00 and 7:00 PM. Deck crew normally hovered over anyone not getting up. Saw numerous handicapped scooters get hung up in doorways. The list goes on. My bottom-line, the ship was gorgeous, itinerary great, food was ok (late night food closed at 1:00 AM) but I will not sail on any line that boasts a european cruising style/experience. Not for me!

This was for "travel is my name" post#2801. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. Glad you're having fun, but I agree what are you talking about.

I was looking for an inside cabin on a cruise to nowhere out of NYC. I had cruised on the NCL Gem before and had a great trip. I took a forward cabin with a porthole for the price of an inside cabin...woopie! NOT! The cabin was great, not the location. I could not sleep, heard EVERY wave that hit the bow. That made the trip a horror...NEVER AGAIN!

I would apply this to any cruise line. You have been warned.:D