Group a Six Need Advice

[kimocat]

Hi -- We are a group of three married couples in our late 50's and early 60's, recently retired and getting ready to take our first cruise together. We have traveled all over the world, just not on a cruise ship. We want to start with a Caribbean cruise and/or South American cruise. We are looking for a casual atmosphere, few children, excellent food, free style dining, balcony cabins. We are looking for a quiet, sophisticated atmosphere with out so much "formality.", particularly in dress -- if there is such a thing out there. We are definitely not looking for a wild party type boat full of splring breakers. Can you experts give us a recodmmendation on cruise lines and/or ships we should take a look at given our preferences? Thanks so much for your help

 

kimo

[bz]

Took Azamara cruise in Sept to the Med., loved it. Sophisticated yet so much fun, not stuffy. No big show productions, more cabaret entertainment. Great food. May be a few hundred dollars more than the main line cruise companies, but was so worth it. This was my 12th cruise, I've done all the usual ones except NCL & Carnival. Azamara is my new favorite and might be just what you're looking for. Check out the Journey 3/8/09, it was $1999 for 12 days in the Caribbean.

[Andee]

Look into Oceania--they're wonderful. No formal nights, all open seating dining, no charge for the specialty restaurants, no children's program--so very few, if any, children, excellent food.

[Colorado Kat]

For fewer children, look for longer cruises - 12-14 nights plus.

 

Kathy

[Aunty Pat]

Look at Holland America.

Aunty Pat

 

Barefoot Windjammer - Phantom ‘81

K&D German Rhine Line ‘84

NCL - Norway ’85, Pride of America ’05, Southward ’87, Star ’97 & ‘05, Starward ’92, Sun ’02 & Windward ’93

RCC - Song of America ‘89

American Hawaiian - Independence ‘98

HAL - Volendam ’99, Noordam ’06, Oosterdam ’07 & ‘09, Statendam ’02 & ‘08, Prinsendam ’03 & ’06, & Zuiderdam ’04, ’06 & ’07, Westerdam ‘09

Carnival - Spirit ‘05

Celebrity – Summit ‘05

Cruise West - Yorktown Clipper ‘06

Princess - Golden Princess ‘07

A & K - East Queen ‘07

Cunard - QM2 ’08

Pending Cruises:

Crystal – Serenity, December 10, 2009

Oceania – Insignia, June 17, 2010

[kimocat]

Thanks so much folks. I will check out all of your suggestions.

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Hi -- We are a group of three married couples in our late 50's and early 60's, recently retired and getting ready to take our first cruise together. We have traveled all over the world, just not on a cruise ship. We want to start with a Caribbean cruise and/or South American cruise. We are looking for a casual atmosphere, few children, excellent food, free style dining, balcony cabins. We are looking for a quiet, sophisticated atmosphere with out so much "formality.", particularly in dress -- if there is such a thing out there. We are definitely not looking for a wild party type boat full of splring breakers. Can you experts give us a recodmmendation on cruise lines and/or ships we should take a look at given our preferences? Thanks so much for your help

 

kimo

Join us on our CC Group Cruise!;) Early enough that schools not out and prices are great all from NYC!:cool: See the links below if interested!:D

[Cuizer2]

Hi -- We are a group of three married couples in our late 50's and early 60's, recently retired and getting ready to take our first cruise together. We have traveled all over the world, just not on a cruise ship. We want to start with a Caribbean cruise and/or South American cruise. We are looking for a casual atmosphere, few children, excellent food, free style dining, balcony cabins. We are looking for a quiet, sophisticated atmosphere with out so much "formality.", particularly in dress -- if there is such a thing out there. We are definitely not looking for a wild party type boat full of splring breakers. Can you experts give us a recodmmendation on cruise lines and/or ships we should take a look at given our preferences? Thanks so much for your help

 

kimo

 

casual atmosphere - Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean or Regent

few children - HAL, Celebrity, Azamara or any luxury line

excellent food - HAL, Celebrity, Azamara or any luxury line

free style dining - most of the lines offer some sort of free style dining except Crystal

balcony cabins - all the lines have balcony cabins, though perhaps not on every ship

quiet, sophisticated atmosphere - Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Azamara or any of the luxury lines

with out so much formality - Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean or Regent

[Canuker]

For the very reasons you state, my wife & I (around age 60) are on

Royal Caribbean: December 01, 2009: Lisbon to Sao Paulo: 14 nights.

To learn more, go to the RCI Roll call thread for this cruise.

 

Bon Voyage!

[Marie51]

Hi -- We are a group of three married couples in our late 50's and early 60's, recently retired and getting ready to take our first cruise together. We have traveled all over the world, just not on a cruise ship. We want to start with a Caribbean cruise and/or South American cruise. We are looking for a casual atmosphere, few children, excellent food, free style dining, balcony cabins. We are looking for a quiet, sophisticated atmosphere with out so much "formality.", particularly in dress -- if there is such a thing out there. We are definitely not looking for a wild party type boat full of splring breakers. Can you experts give us a recodmmendation on cruise lines and/or ships we should take a look at given our preferences? Thanks so much for your help

 

kimo

 

Welcome to the world of cruising. First of all, do not cruise in summer months or spring break time if you want to avoid children. My personal thoughs on first time cruising would be to go for not more than a week just in case someone in your party really doesn't like it. Most of the lines now have dine anytime options and balconies. I recommend Celebrity.

[Arwenmark]

NCL has no formality whatsoever. It is completely freestyle dining. If you book a longer cruise, not the short ones, and travel on non school holiday times there will be fewer kids and what there are usually are not a problem.

 

Celebrity now has a dine anytime choice, is somewhat more formal and more refined than NCL and now has a NO SMOKING in cabins OR ON BALCONIES, for us non smokers that is a HUGE plus. Depending on your group could be a plus or a huge minus.