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Finding a Luxury Cruise That Fits


LauraS
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Like the descriptions of the luxury cruise lines but it would be helpful to know which luxury cruise lines are children friendly (Europa 2 for instance). Trying to ignore the fact that 50% of the "luxury" cruise Iines listed are not luxury cruise lines but rather are premium plus.

 

I do "get" that updated articles are "new" but it is a bit confusing. I'd be more inclined to read more CC articles if they were designated as "updated".

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What qualifies a cruise as "children friendly" in your mind?

 

The four luxury cruise lines that we typically discuss are Crystal, Regent, Seabourn and Silversea. When school is in session, there are typically no children onboard as there is literally nothing for them to do. Some passengers find it selfish to impose a luxury cruise line on their children because it seems that they care more about what they will be doing instead of caring about their children (there are some children that are exceptions - those that can sit quietly at dinner for 2 hours, can swim in a pool without disturbing others, converse with adults and feel comfortable doing so, do not yell, play in the elevators, run up and down the halls or disrupt passengers).

 

While they are technically "always welcome", when we do see a family onboard, they are typically ignored or given dirty looks when their child(ren) want to splash around in the pool. However, during the summer and school breaks, there are programs specifically for children. During those times, those of us that prefer not sailing with children stay home.

 

Europe II on the other hand advertises that they are unlike other luxury cruise lines and always welcome children - have family suites and special care for babies (babies are not allowed on other luxury lines until the age of 1 unless they are part of an officers family).

 

While I'm not sure about the other three cruise lines, Regent limits the number of passengers/children that can stay in a suite. This typically means that you have to purchase more than one suite and children under the age of 18 cannot be in a suite alone so the parents have to split up.

 

This is typically a contentious subject - I only brought it up to differentiate Europa II from typical luxury cruise lines. It isn't my intent to take this thread off topic and have a debate about children.

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Europe II on the other hand advertises that they are unlike other luxury cruise lines and always welcome children - have family suites and special care for babies (babies are not allowed on other luxury lines until the age of 1 unless they are part of an officers family).

 

To clarify this a bit - babies have to be at least 8 months to go on a cruise within Europe. Outside Europe, the minimum age is 2 years.

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Like the descriptions of the luxury cruise lines but it would be helpful to know which luxury cruise lines are children friendly (Europa 2 for instance). Trying to ignore the fact that 50% of the "luxury" cruise Iines listed are not luxury cruise lines but rather are premium plus.

 

I do "get" that updated articles are "new" but it is a bit confusing. I'd be more inclined to read more CC articles if they were designated as "updated".

 

 

 

I still have yet to see a definitive delimitation between a luxury cruise line and a premium plus line. There doesn’t seem to be any clear demarcation other than personal opinion.

 

We are new to this vacation option and, like the OP, trying to find one that fits. I did read the article and found it somewhat helpful. I guess we are just going to have to do more research and decide for ourselves what constitutes luxury. I’m beginning to think that, like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder - or in this case the opinion of the cruiser.

 

 

 

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Hapag LLoyd does put a limit on the number of children on board as well

i think i saw the most annoying kids on a Crystal cruise from New York to Montreal for sure !!

(children from wealthy parents cursing the crew on deck and Lido )

and years ago some youngsters - there were only 3 kids - were horryfying the Seabourn Pride !!

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Hapag LLoyd does put a limit on the number of children on board as well

i think i saw the most annoying kids on a Crystal cruise from New York to Montreal for sure !!

(children from wealthy parents cursing the crew on deck and Lido )

and years ago some youngsters - there were only 3 kids - were horryfying the Seabourn Pride !!

Interesting -- different experiences. The best-behaved kids on a cruise I've ever seen were on Crystal.....they were in several classes (1 learning iPad movies, 1 knitting), and were well behaved and generally seemed pleasant to those around them when I'd see them. I have no idea if their parents were wealthy, but they were (I heard) on a year long sabbatical trip with their parents around the world. I've only taken 3 cruises on Crystal, and those were the only 2 children I'd seen....probably because they were all transoceanic cruises.

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Hapag LLoyd does put a limit on the number of children on board as well

i think i saw the most annoying kids on a Crystal cruise from New York to Montreal for sure !!

(children from wealthy parents cursing the crew on deck and Lido )

and years ago some youngsters - there were only 3 kids - were horryfying the Seabourn Pride !!

 

I have very happy memories of cruising on the Seabourn Pride.

 

Before embarkation moved to Greenwich it would anchor at Tower Bridge.

 

In order to board one had to walk across the deck of HMS Belfast.

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I still have yet to see a definitive delimitation between a luxury cruise line and a premium plus line. There doesn’t seem to be any clear demarcation other than personal opinion.

 

We are new to this vacation option and, like the OP, trying to find one that fits. I did read the article and found it somewhat helpful. I guess we are just going to have to do more research and decide for ourselves what constitutes luxury. I’m beginning to think that, like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder - or in this case the opinion of the cruiser.

 

 

 

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It can be confusing but it is not only the opinion of cruisers - our TA is a luxury cruise agent (with a couple of exceptions) and the top four cruise lines that they book are (in alphabetical order), Crystal, Regent, Seabourn and Silversea. They likely do not book Europa 2 since it is not (as yet) popular with people in North America.

 

I can "sort of" make one comparison - from a very reliable source (former CEO of Oceania and Regent and now CEO of NCL). They have three levels of ships -- NCL - their mainstream product - Oceania which is considered premium plus and Regent which is their luxury cruise line. I have sailed on both Oceania and Regent and there are some interesting distinctions.

 

1. There are inside suites on Oceania while there are no inside suites on luxury cruise lines.

 

2. While many things are included on Oceania, it is not all-inclusive. When they run promotions, you can pick some included excursions or OBC's or included internet for one person or the included wine package.

 

3. On Oceania, upper suite passengers can visit lounges on the ship that lower suite passengerscannot visit. On luxury cruise lines, everyone has access to every dining venue, lounge, etc. And while on the subject of suites, most newer luxury cruise lines have all suites and balconies - no "staterooms" or "cabins".

 

In general, luxury cruise lines are all-inclusive but that means different things - depending upon the cruise line. Regent, for instance, includes International Business Class air for passengers residing in North America and have included excursions (as well as ones with a charge) in every port. Not all luxury lines include air (to be fair, Oceania does include air).

 

There are some cross-overs between luxury and premium plus. Oceania's new ships are gorgeous and compare favorably to luxury cruise lines. The differences are in the details (some of which are delineated above).

 

For those of you that are really interested in the details, see a luxury travel agent that regularly books luxury cruises. There is definitely a difference but "us passengers" don't always know how to explain them in the best way:evilsmile:

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That's true on ALL cruise lines.

 

Respectfully have to disagree. Most cruise lines not only welcome children but have tons of things for them to do. Very few cruise lines are basically for adults (meaning that there is nothing for children to do) - except during the summer and school breaks.

 

vistaman, your experience on Crystal and Seabourn is typical of luxury cruise lines (which is what this board is about). While some children are delightful, we are very concerned when we see them on Regent since we have seen children rolling down the isle in the theater while a pianist was performing, and being very disruptive in general. On the other hand, we have seen lovely children. We simply don't want to take the risk. Since 90+% of cruise lines are child-friendly, why subject children to cruise lines that only tolerate them (again, except during the summer and school breaks).

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Respectfully have to disagree. Most cruise lines not only welcome children but have tons of things for them to do. Very few cruise lines are basically for adults (meaning that there is nothing for children to do) - except during the summer and school breaks.

I meant that on (virtually) all cruises, there will be passengers who don't welcome them there - which is what wripro said. It wasn't a comment on the cruise lines, but on passengers.

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I meant that on (virtually) all cruises, there will be passengers who don't welcome them there - which is what wripro said. It wasn't a comment on the cruise lines, but on passengers.

 

Guess that I m I misunderstood but am surprised that passengers on Royal Caribbean or NCL would feel that way. IMO, if you don't want to sail with children, why would you sail on cruiseline that is built for children.

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It can be confusing but it is not only the opinion of cruisers - our TA is a luxury cruise agent (with a couple of exceptions) and the top four cruise lines that they book are (in alphabetical order), Crystal, Regent, Seabourn and Silversea. They likely do not book Europa 2 since it is not (as yet) popular with people in North America.

 

I can "sort of" make one comparison - from a very reliable source (former CEO of Oceania and Regent and now CEO of NCL). They have three levels of ships -- NCL - their mainstream product - Oceania which is considered premium plus and Regent which is their luxury cruise line. I have sailed on both Oceania and Regent and there are some interesting distinctions.

 

1. There are inside suites on Oceania while there are no inside suites on luxury cruise lines.

 

2. While many things are included on Oceania, it is not all-inclusive. When they run promotions, you can pick some included excursions or OBC's or included internet for one person or the included wine package.

 

3. On Oceania, upper suite passengers can visit lounges on the ship that lower suite passengerscannot visit. On luxury cruise lines, everyone has access to every dining venue, lounge, etc. And while on the subject of suites, most newer luxury cruise lines have all suites and balconies - no "staterooms" or "cabins".

 

In general, luxury cruise lines are all-inclusive but that means different things - depending upon the cruise line. Regent, for instance, includes International Business Class air for passengers residing in North America and have included excursions (as well as ones with a charge) in every port. Not all luxury lines include air (to be fair, Oceania does include air).

 

There are some cross-overs between luxury and premium plus. Oceania's new ships are gorgeous and compare favorably to luxury cruise lines. The differences are in the details (some of which are delineated above).

 

For those of you that are really interested in the details, see a luxury travel agent that regularly books luxury cruises. There is definitely a difference but "us passengers" don't always know how to explain them in the best way:evilsmile:

 

 

 

Well this is very interesting. By this definition Viking is a luxury cruise line, but I keep reading that’s it’s not considered one.

 

There are no inside rooms

One excursion is included in each port.

Internet is included for all.

Wine and beer with meals is included.

All passengers have access to all areas of the ship.

 

Not all rooms are full suites, but they all have balconies and a sitting area in the room.

 

Viking includes free or discounted air, but regular economy not business/first, though you can pay to upgrade.

 

Viking also limits the number of children under 18 and has no special activities or programs for children.

 

We have a cruise booked on Viking Ocean because we really enjoyed our river cruise with them. We don’t like the mega ships and have been looking to move on from mainstream lines. I’ve been looking into other lines as well to see what the differences are. I find Regent intriguing, but I’m still trying to find out what sets luxury lines above premium plus lines - where everyone seems to put Viking.

 

We may find a good fit with Viking, but if there is something we might like better we would be interested in checking it out. As I said Regent and Seabourn seem like they might be a good fit, but I think we would fin Crystal and Silversea a bit more formal than would suit us.

 

I will say that one thing that appeals to us about Viking is their fleet of all brand new and absolutely gorgeous (in our opinion) ships. Another thing is that we can expect very few if any kids [emoji41]

 

 

 

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Guess that I m I misunderstood but am surprised that passengers on Royal Caribbean or NCL would feel that way. IMO, if you don't want to sail with children, why would you sail on cruiseline that is built for children.

I don't know, but reading some of the comments about it on CC, I know it's the case. Actually, I think it's as much frustration with parents who don't monitor or discipline ill-behaved children as it is with children themselves.

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I meant that on (virtually) all cruises, there will be passengers who don't welcome them there - which is what wripro said. It wasn't a comment on the cruise lines, but on passengers.

 

It is especially true on luxury lines where many people sail to get away from their own children and do not want to put up with other peoples', especially entitled parents who seem to ignore the bad behavior of their kids as soon as they board. These are parents who book a luxury line knowing full well that there is very little provided in the way of entertainment or distraction for the kids but are more concerned with their own needs than those of their kids. So you can't blame a child for misbehaving when he is bored out of his mind. It's rarely the kids' fault, usually the parents'.

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Well this is very interesting. By this definition Viking is a luxury cruise line, but I keep reading that’s it’s not considered one.

 

There are no inside rooms. You are correct but the veranda suites are smaller and the PH suites are significantly smaller than Regent, Silversea or Seabourn (Crystal has small suites but their ships are pretty ancient - passengers are anxious to get the promised new ships built but must wait another 4 years or so).

One excursion is included in each port. As I think that I mentioned, excursions vary by cruise line - premium cruise line - Oceania also includes excursions if you choose that option.

Internet is included for all. Is this for both people in the suite (individual sign-ons?).

Wine and beer with meals is included. Wine and beer at meals is better than Oceania but not as good as luxury cruise lines who include premium alcoholic beverages. You can also select two bottles of alcohol for your suite (on Regent - not sure about the other luxury lines) and have beer or wine in your refrigerator.

All passengers have access to all areas of the ship. Again, this is better than on Oceania.

 

Not all rooms are full suites, but they all have balconies and a sitting area in the room. I kind of addressed this above. Smaller suites for sure on Viking Ocean - especially in the PH category.

 

Viking includes free or discounted air, but regular economy not business/first, though you can pay to upgrade. Oceania has this as well (free - not discounted) - not sure about Azamara. I understand why any cruise line would not want to include Business Class air. Our flight to Bali and back from Hong Kong is so expensive that Regent offers a $12,000 credit if you do to use their air (note: We booked the same airline that Regent uses - Cathay Pacific Business Class - for $8,500. We took the credit and saved the difference).

 

Viking also limits the number of children under 18 and has no special activities or programs for children. Interesting. I was under the impression that children under 18 were not permitted on Viking. Wish they did that on all premium plus and luxury cruise lines (except during the summer)

 

We have a cruise booked on Viking Ocean because we really enjoyed our river cruise with them. We don’t like the mega ships and have been looking to move on from mainstream lines. I’ve been looking into other lines as well to see what the differences are. I find Regent intriguing, but I’m still trying to find out what sets luxury lines above premium plus lines - where everyone seems to put Viking.

 

This paragraph is interesting because I have not heard anything good about Viking river cruises. This is the reason that I made the assumption that Viking Ocean would be just as bad. However, I have read nothing but good things about Viking Ocean. Some luxury cruisers have sailed Viking Ocean to save money and enjoyed the experience very much.

 

We may find a good fit with Viking, but if there is something we might like better we would be interested in checking it out. As I said Regent and Seabourn seem like they might be a good fit, but I think we would fin Crystal and Silversea a bit more formal than would suit us.

 

Have not sailed on Seabourn but have sailed on Silversea (very formal) and have no desire to sail on Crystal. When comparing prices, be sure to take into consideration the inclusions on Regent that Seabourn does not have (air and excursions). Seabourn does have newer ships. Regent has one new ship with another one launching in two years. They do refurbish their ships frequently and they are in good shape. The one Regent ship that I would not consider is the Navigator - she is old and does not handle the seas very well.

 

I will say that one thing that appeals to us about Viking is their fleet of all brand new and absolutely gorgeous (in our opinion) ships. Another thing is that we can expect very few if any kids [emoji41]

 

 

 

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Will try to address Viking vs. luxury cruise lines by typing in beneath your comments. First, I do want to say that Viking Ocean ships look beautiful. Viking Ocean was able to get some Regent officers to leave Regent and go to Viking. As least half of them have come back (not saying anything bad about working there - they just preferred Regent).

 

Just thought of one more thing....... the size of Viking Ocean ships. I will once again ignore Crystal and address the three other luxury cruise lines. The maximum number of passengers on a luxury cruise line is 750 (and that is only one ship - Regent's newest). Viking Ocean is huge compared to luxury cruise lines.

 

In any case, if you enjoy Viking Ocean, there is no reason to change unless you want to inclusivity, larger suites and a smaller ship.

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Will try to address Viking vs. luxury cruise lines by typing in beneath your comments. First, I do want to say that Viking Ocean ships look beautiful. Viking Ocean was able to get some Regent officers to leave Regent and go to Viking. As least half of them have come back (not saying anything bad about working there - they just preferred Regent).

 

Just thought of one more thing....... the size of Viking Ocean ships. I will once again ignore Crystal and address the three other luxury cruise lines. The maximum number of passengers on a luxury cruise line is 750 (and that is only one ship - Regent's newest). Viking Ocean is huge compared to luxury cruise lines.

 

In any case, if you enjoy Viking Ocean, there is no reason to change unless you want to inclusivity, larger suites and a smaller ship.

 

Who is it who's defined these things (from inside cabins to passenger capacity) for luxury lines?

 

 

As far as I can tell, it's a personal opinion, or the marketing opinion of a company with a conflict of interest. As far as I can tell, there is NO standard definition of luxury in the cruise industry (or in most industries). It's a personal opinion about what YOU (singularly, or department) think is luxurious.

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Who is it who's defined these things (from inside cabins to passenger capacity) for luxury lines?

 

 

As far as I can tell, it's a personal opinion, or the marketing opinion of a company with a conflict of interest. As far as I can tell, there is NO standard definition of luxury in the cruise industry (or in most industries). It's a personal opinion about what YOU (singularly, or department) think is luxurious.

 

Again, travel agents also make the distinctions - this is where I learned about luxury cruising. On the other hand, many people feel that Azamara, Oceania and Viking Ocean are luxury which is fine. Some of us just find it confusing to mix luxury lines, premium plus cruise lines, yachts and river cruises together as they are not the same.

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