Which cruise line?

[West Coast Gal]

16 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

A world cruise itinerary, with a nice mix of port days and sea days is important to me.  The Princess world cruise has several port days in a row, which can be tiring, but if I've been there before there's no law that says you must get off the ship.

Absolutely agree!

[SWATeam]

@travelwell Another great post with lots of info. We will definitely keep Regent in consideration.  I looked at itineraries for the possible world cruises, and came up with a multi-year plan to “test cruise” four lines on itineraries visiting ports that aren’t typically covered in a World Cruise.  First up: Viking in search of northern lights. Thanks to all of you!  I will be sure to keep monitoring this board.

[Heidi13]

58 minutes ago, SWATeam said:

@travelwell Another great post with lots of info. We will definitely keep Regent in consideration.  I looked at itineraries for the possible world cruises, and came up with a multi-year plan to “test cruise” four lines on itineraries visiting ports that aren’t typically covered in a World Cruise.  First up: Viking in search of northern lights. Thanks to all of you!  I will be sure to keep monitoring this board.

 

When taking shorter test itineraries, you will get a great feel which cruise lines are a good fit for you, but please be aware that the inclusiveness on some cruise lines short cruises are different to those on their World Cruises.

 

The Viking shorter cruises are significantly less inclusive than the World Cruises. Shorter cruises don't include visas, gratuities, luggage shipping, beverage package, etc. On the shorter cruises beer, wine & soft drinks are only complimentary at lunch and dinner. Whereas the more luxury lines are more inclusive even on shorter cruises.

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, SWATeam said:

I looked at itineraries for the possible world cruises, and came up with a multi-year plan to “test cruise” four lines on itineraries visiting ports that aren’t typically covered in a World Cruise

 

20 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

When taking shorter test itineraries, you will get a great feel which cruise lines are a good fit for you, but please be aware that the inclusiveness on some cruise lines short cruises are different to those on their World Cruises.

 

SWATeam, also remember that the passenger mix on shorter cruises may be different than those on longer cruises.  

 

 

[travelwell]

17 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

SWATeam, also remember that the passenger mix on shorter cruises may be different than those on longer cruises.  

 

 

Totally agree, if trying a cruise line I would pick no shorter then a two week cruise and not a back to back cruise. I also would have at least a few seas days. Taking a world cruise is a huge expense, you want to fine the one that matches the best for you. Use a travel agent who has booked world cruises on a variety of different types of cruise lines, mainstream to luxury and who knows the culture of the line. Classic example is Cunard, this line has a class system on board and the higher levels very formal. You might end up on a cruise you are very happy on or miserable. They also know which cruises have more financial concerns then others eg Crystal. 

[West Coast Gal]

On 2/14/2021 at 7:17 PM, Heidi13 said:

In current times, HAL & Princess are mass market lines that are both owned by Carnival Group. While they are still distinct Lines and have separate offices, they are both managed by the Holland America Group. The 4 cruise lines in the Group share many managers/directors.

 

Oceania is considered one of the luxury brands and it was purchased by NCL 5 or 6 years ago. 

 

I spent 40 years working for and cruising for P&O/Princess. Starting in 1975 with P&O and then moving to Princess in 1979, I am well aware of the pre-Carnival standards. We continued cruising with them until the 2015 WC out of Sydney, which will be our last ever cruise with Princess. Since they were purchased by Carnival in 2003, in our experience, the standards have continued dropping.

 

We spent a couple of years of research, starting with developing a statement of requirements. Basically - what did we want from a new cruise line, some of which included:

• Number of pax - our preference was 750 to 1,250. Less restricts the entertainment options and more is too busy
• Space ratio (GT/pax) - we wanted a less crowded ship, which pushed us towards luxury/premium brands
• Segments - depending on how managed by the cruise line, segments can make a WC more of B2B2B...... Our preference was no segments, or less segments
• Inclusive - tired of mega ship nickle and diming, we wanted a more inclusive experience
• Meals - quality meals, with preference for no additional fees for alternative restaurants
• Rig of the Day - preference was a cruise line that enforces their dress code. While we enjoy formal nights, we are tired of the increasing non-compliance, so wanted to try a more relaxed smart casual standard every night.
• Kids - not interested. While WC's have few kids, we did have some on segments with Princess. Also the kid's zones are wasted space.
• Casino - not interested, so again preference is not to have one. If not provided, it is more space available
• Photogs. art auctions, bulk shoppies - definitely NO
• Lectures - quality and varied lectures
• Entertainment - not interested in tacky pool games, marriage games, etc. Looking for quality shows and guest entertainers.
• Number of port days & time in port - the more and longer the better
• Number of ports with 2 or 3 days - more the better
• Wifi - prefer quality bandwidth and included in price

Although we did consider HAL & Celebrity, they were quickly eliminated. We then did a review of Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, Viking, Oceania and Azamara. We short-listed to Viking and Oceania, eventually selecting Viking.

 

Oceania had reportedly the best food, but we felt Viking provided the best overall package.

 

We completed the curtailed 2020 WC on Viking Sun and the day it was published booked the 2023 WC on the new Viking Neptune. Note - the Viking base fare in 2020 was almost double the 2015 Princess cabin, for a comparible balcony. However, once all costs were added, the gross daily cost on Viking was fractionally cheaper than Princess.

 

While Viking works for us, it does not meet the needs of everyone, hence the reason I suggest determing you needs for spending 4 - 6 months on a ship.

 

Good luck and enjoy the research.

 

 

You have had some great information, and I have enjoyed your information.  So I talked with my TA who has been strictly a cruise TA for decades.  She is very watchful of Viking right now, they were quite unkind to the TA community over the last year.  With so many cancelations over the last year the TAs had a lot of work moving people off of cruises, getting cruise credits or refunds, work they were not getting paid for and while the mass market cruise lines took care of the TAs for all their work, Viking did not.  The world has changed, I can't help but wonder that everything we knew about cruising might be different after this is over.

[SargassoPirate]

8 hours ago, West Coast Gal said:

You have had some great information, and I have enjoyed your information.  So I talked with my TA who has been strictly a cruise TA for decades.  She is very watchful of Viking right now, they were quite unkind to the TA community over the last year.  With so many cancelations over the last year the TAs had a lot of work moving people off of cruises, getting cruise credits or refunds, work they were not getting paid for and while the mass market cruise lines took care of the TAs for all their work, Viking did not.  The world has changed, I can't help but wonder that everything we knew about cruising might be different after this is over.

 

 

Interesting insider info on Viking.  She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have enjoyed one Viking cruise so far and liked all of the things that they don't have, such as  no casino, no formal nights, no kids.  As nice as Viking is, I have a hard time justifying the cost of their cruises when compared to other lines.  Another turnoff is how far in advance they want final payment.  I recently tossed one of their river cruise brochures when I read the fine print and for a mid-2023 river cruise, final payment was due in December 2021.  That being said, I would still cruise on Viking for the right price and the right itinerary.

 

There's a berth for everybody somewhere.

 

[Heidi13]

13 hours ago, West Coast Gal said:

You have had some great information, and I have enjoyed your information.  So I talked with my TA who has been strictly a cruise TA for decades.  She is very watchful of Viking right now, they were quite unkind to the TA community over the last year.  With so many cancelations over the last year the TAs had a lot of work moving people off of cruises, getting cruise credits or refunds, work they were not getting paid for and while the mass market cruise lines took care of the TAs for all their work, Viking did not.  The world has changed, I can't help but wonder that everything we knew about cruising might be different after this is over.

 

Yes, totally agree that Viking have a different relationship with T/A's, probably stemming from the fact that Viking are not members of the Cruise Line Association (CLIA) and consequently do not follow the industry norms in many ways.

 

Their relationships with TA's is one of them, as they have a TA policy that limits the marketing initiatives they can provide (OBC, refunds, etc) and prevents them from selling at lower than Viking's website price. Many of the TA's don't appreciate these restrictions and prefer to work with the mass market mega lines that are more dependent on TA business.

 

At present, all cruise lines are hurting and each of them will decide on their priorities, with limited funds. Viking's priorities are again different from the mass market lines, as I believe Viking places TA's as a lower priority. Many components make up a great cruise, with TA's being more important for some and optional for others. Personally, we only use the TA to confirm our bookings and receive the small OBC that Viking permits. So for us, Viking's TA policy works well. Although the T/A's are not complimentary, I'll suggest the Viking crews, which are a ship's greatest asset, are more complimentary than mass market crews.

 

We were 8 of the final pax aboard Viking Sun on the 2020 WC, remaining onboard for 3 weeks after cruising shut down. We reviewed news stories of crew members on mass market ships protesting being held captive on board and not receiving any wages. Viking crews were receiving 50% payment, including crews at home who were due to return to the ship. Once their joining day arrived they started receiving partial payment of wages at home. Many mass market ships were kept in US/Caribbean waters, waiting for permission to disembark crew, which took many, many months. Viking quickly sailed across the Atlantic to UK, which readily accepted disembarking crew for repatriation. In contrast to the protests on mass market ships, the Viking Sun crew filmed a thank you film to the Chairman and Senior Management. These decisions are why Viking has about a 94% hotel crew retention rate. 

 

Totally agree with the changes to the World and we are watching closely and are in active discussions with Viking regarding mandatory vaccinations.

 

Yes, Viking have made life challenging for the TA's, but personally, if funds are limited, as a retired Captain, I prefer looking after ship's crew over TA's. In our experience, we also received all refunds in a timely manner without any issues. Within 2 days of our TA contacting Viking regarding the refund for the unused portion of the cruise, we received a cheque delivered by courier. The significant OBC balance was also received by cheque within the 6 weeks, as promised on board the ship.

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

 

Interesting insider info on Viking.  She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have enjoyed one Viking cruise so far and liked all of the things that they don't have, such as  no casino, no formal nights, no kids.  As nice as Viking is, I have a hard time justifying the cost of their cruises when compared to other lines.  Another turnoff is how far in advance they want final payment.  I recently tossed one of their river cruise brochures when I read the fine print and for a mid-2023 river cruise, final payment was due in December 2021.  That being said, I would still cruise on Viking for the right price and the right itinerary.

 

There's a berth for everybody somewhere.

 

 

Yes, the base fare is more expensive than mass market, but in our experience, by the end of the cruise when compared on a per diem basis the final difference is minimal.

 

The PIF is most definitely a negative, but everything is negotiable. Most pax/TA's should be able to negotiate that to 12 months. If booking onboard, or you have an existing booking, you can negotiate to 6 months.

 

For our 23 WC the PIF is 6 months before, with an option to pay 12 months and receive a $5K discount, which is a 5.5% discount.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Yes, totally agree that Viking have a different relationship with T/A's, probably stemming from the fact that Viking are not members of the Cruise Line Association (CLIA) and consequently do not follow the industry norms in many ways.

 

Their relationships with TA's is one of them, as they have a TA policy that limits the marketing initiatives they can provide (OBC, refunds, etc) and prevents them from selling at lower than Viking's website price. Many of the TA's don't appreciate these restrictions and prefer to work with the mass market mega lines that are more dependent on TA business.

 

I continue to learn.  I was not aware of what you said.  I get so much mail from Viking, maybe their relationship with travel agents is a reason for this.  Keep me well informed of their product and cruises when perhaps my travel agent would not do so?  

[Heidi13]

2 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I continue to learn.  I was not aware of what you said.  I get so much mail from Viking, maybe their relationship with travel agents is a reason for this.  Keep me well informed of their product and cruises when perhaps my travel agent would not do so?  

 

Affirmative, don't have any definitive facts, but I believe Viking do way more direct marketing than mass market lines.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

19 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Yes, totally agree that Viking have a different relationship with T/A's, probably stemming from the fact that Viking are not members of the Cruise Line Association (CLIA) and consequently do not follow the industry norms in many ways.

 

Their relationships with TA's is one of them, as they have a TA policy that limits the marketing initiatives they can provide (OBC, refunds, etc) and prevents them from selling at lower than Viking's website price. Many of the TA's don't appreciate these restrictions and prefer to work with the mass market mega lines that are more dependent on TA business.

 

At present, all cruise lines are hurting and each of them will decide on their priorities, with limited funds. Viking's priorities are again different from the mass market lines, as I believe Viking places TA's as a lower priority. Many components make up a great cruise, with TA's being more important for some and optional for others. Personally, we only use the TA to confirm our bookings and receive the small OBC that Viking permits. So for us, Viking's TA policy works well. Although the T/A's are not complimentary, I'll suggest the Viking crews, which are a ship's greatest asset, are more complimentary than mass market crews.

 

We were 8 of the final pax aboard Viking Sun on the 2020 WC, remaining onboard for 3 weeks after cruising shut down. We reviewed news stories of crew members on mass market ships protesting being held captive on board and not receiving any wages. Viking crews were receiving 50% payment, including crews at home who were due to return to the ship. Once their joining day arrived they started receiving partial payment of wages at home. Many mass market ships were kept in US/Caribbean waters, waiting for permission to disembark crew, which took many, many months. Viking quickly sailed across the Atlantic to UK, which readily accepted disembarking crew for repatriation. In contrast to the protests on mass market ships, the Viking Sun crew filmed a thank you film to the Chairman and Senior Management. These decisions are why Viking has about a 94% hotel crew retention rate. 

 

Totally agree with the changes to the World and we are watching closely and are in active discussions with Viking regarding mandatory vaccinations.

 

Yes, Viking have made life challenging for the TA's, but personally, if funds are limited, as a retired Captain, I prefer looking after ship's crew over TA's. In our experience, we also received all refunds in a timely manner without any issues. Within 2 days of our TA contacting Viking regarding the refund for the unused portion of the cruise, we received a cheque delivered by courier. The significant OBC balance was also received by cheque within the 6 weeks, as promised on board the ship.

Thanks for sharing ..

[LewiLewi]

Have you considered Cunard’s World Cruises? After over 100 cruises on practically every ship, we have really enjoyed World Cruises on Cunard. Queen Victoria is our favorite, although many enjoy the Queen Mary as well. Yes, it is more formal, jackets for men every night, plus more formal wear at least twice a week. However, the ambience of the ships, the lecture series, entertainment and food are very good. The price is very competitive with other cruise lines. We enjoyed it so much that we are looking forward to our fourth World Cruise with them.

[jowilson]

Are  the cruise lines now offering evening floor shows and live lounge music

[Heidi13]

36 minutes ago, jowilson said:

Are  the cruise lines now offering evening floor shows and live lounge music

 

The entertainment options vary by cruise line and length of voyage. May I suggest checking with the Board for a specific cruise line, or mention which cruise line(s) you are considering.

[jowilson]

rcl.carnival,princess and ncl are lines I AM considering

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, jowilson said:

rcl.carnival,princess and ncl are lines I AM considering

 

Of the 4 cruise lines you mentioned, only Princess does World Cruises, that I am aware of.

 

May I suggest going back to the home page and selecting each of those cruise lines and asking on the respective Board.

 

Here is a link to the Home page

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/

 

You will find them listed under the Cruise Lines A to O and P to Z.

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, jowilson said:

,princess

 

Be careful.  Unless plans have changed, the Princess ship that is scheduled for a World Cruise is Island Princess. The Company butchered her stern by eliminating a public room and aft open deck spaces in order to add more staterooms.  Compare her deck plan to her sister's Coral Princess deck plan.  The Island's capacity increased.  Coral Princess was the size that properly, comfortably accommodated her guest load.  Would Island be able to do the same?  I have my doubts.  

[cbcruiser]

Met with several life long couple friends and we all decided to go on a World Cruise  in 2024.  I know its far out, but apparently 2023 Viking and Oceana sold out quickly.  6 Weeks for Viking and I heard 1 day for Oceana.  No segments.  Great information on this thread.  We have just started researching.  Have done Asia and South America with Princess and loved it, but agree by the time you add shore excursions etc. you are up to the premium lines prices besides the crowds etc.  

[Heidi13]

12 hours ago, cbcruiser said:

Met with several life long couple friends and we all decided to go on a World Cruise  in 2024.  I know its far out, but apparently 2023 Viking and Oceana sold out quickly.  6 Weeks for Viking and I heard 1 day for Oceana.  No segments.  Great information on this thread.  We have just started researching.  Have done Asia and South America with Princess and loved it, but agree by the time you add shore excursions etc. you are up to the premium lines prices besides the crowds etc.  

 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[SargassoPirate]

On 5/17/2021 at 11:39 PM, cbcruiser said:

Met with several life long couple friends and we all decided to go on a World Cruise  in 2024.  I know its far out, but apparently 2023 Viking and Oceana sold out quickly.  6 Weeks for Viking and I heard 1 day for Oceana.  No segments.  Great information on this thread.  We have just started researching.  Have done Asia and South America with Princess and loved it, but agree by the time you add shore excursions etc. you are up to the premium lines prices besides the crowds etc.  

 

Don't rule out a world cruise on P&O.  I've been researching world cruises for several years and finally settled on P&O as a good fit for the way I like to cruise.  Their price is hard to beat, but it all depends on what you are looking for.  My cruising needs are fairly simple and I don't like paying for all-inclusives  that I'll never use.  Give me a comfy inside, a full promenade, and a wee dram or two in the evening while listening to some music and I'm good.   I usually skip the MDR in the evening as it is generally too noisy for my taste and I skip production shows for the same reason since they tend to be over-amplified.  

 

One of the beauties of cruising is that you can be as busy as you want or as relaxed as you want.  It's your trip.  

 

 

 

[Hflors]

I have been looking at a world cruise for some time.  My first criteria is the ship needs to leave out of Florida.  I live within 2 hrs drive from 3 ports and I hate to fly.  I also want it to return to Florida.  Second I want wifi, drinks and gratuities included in the price.  I want the ship to go thru both the panama and suez canal.  I am a 4 star mariner on HAL and I like the size of the ship that does the world cruise.  2023 is the soonest we could do the cruise.  Princess is the only line I have found that actually has all the things I listed, but the Island is too large.  I guess I will need to hold out for the 2024 sailings.  Oops Crystal actually does it, but it is twice the price. A bit out of my budget.

 

I guess I need to be patient and wait for 2024!!!

 

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

8 hours ago, Hflors said:

Second I want wifi, drinks and gratuities included in the price.  I want the ship to go thru both the panama and suez canal.  I am a 4 star mariner on HAL and I like the size of the ship that does the world cruise. 

 

On HAL, gratuities included in a world cruise fare?  Yes, it can happen.  Drinks included?  No.  At least that has not been the practice.  Wifi?  Maybe.  There may be "deals" offered that included that; I don't know because it is something that makes little difference to me.  As you are aware, the more Mariner Stars one has, the perks included increase.  Since your expected world cruise seems not to be until 2023 or 2024, you have time to book more HAL cruises in order to reach the 5 Star status.  

[marieps]

On 2/14/2021 at 10:17 PM, Heidi13 said:

In current times, HAL & Princess are mass market lines that are both owned by Carnival Group. While they are still distinct Lines and have separate offices, they are both managed by the Holland America Group. The 4 cruise lines in the Group share many managers/directors.

 

Oceania is considered one of the luxury brands and it was purchased by NCL 5 or 6 years ago. 

 

I spent 40 years working for and cruising for P&O/Princess. Starting in 1975 with P&O and then moving to Princess in 1979, I am well aware of the pre-Carnival standards. We continued cruising with them until the 2015 WC out of Sydney, which will be our last ever cruise with Princess. Since they were purchased by Carnival in 2003, in our experience, the standards have continued dropping.

 

We spent a couple of years of research, starting with developing a statement of requirements. Basically - what did we want from a new cruise line, some of which included:

• Number of pax - our preference was 750 to 1,250. Less restricts the entertainment options and more is too busy
• Space ratio (GT/pax) - we wanted a less crowded ship, which pushed us towards luxury/premium brands
• Segments - depending on how managed by the cruise line, segments can make a WC more of B2B2B...... Our preference was no segments, or less segments
• Inclusive - tired of mega ship nickle and diming, we wanted a more inclusive experience
• Meals - quality meals, with preference for no additional fees for alternative restaurants
• Rig of the Day - preference was a cruise line that enforces their dress code. While we enjoy formal nights, we are tired of the increasing non-compliance, so wanted to try a more relaxed smart casual standard every night.
• Kids - not interested. While WC's have few kids, we did have some on segments with Princess. Also the kid's zones are wasted space.
• Casino - not interested, so again preference is not to have one. If not provided, it is more space available
• Photogs. art auctions, bulk shoppies - definitely NO
• Lectures - quality and varied lectures
• Entertainment - not interested in tacky pool games, marriage games, etc. Looking for quality shows and guest entertainers.
• Number of port days & time in port - the more and longer the better
• Number of ports with 2 or 3 days - more the better
• Wifi - prefer quality bandwidth and included in price

Although we did consider HAL & Celebrity, they were quickly eliminated. We then did a review of Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, Viking, Oceania and Azamara. We short-listed to Viking and Oceania, eventually selecting Viking.

 

Oceania had reportedly the best food, but we felt Viking provided the best overall package.

 

We completed the curtailed 2020 WC on Viking Sun and the day it was published booked the 2023 WC on the new Viking Neptune. Note - the Viking base fare in 2020 was almost double the 2015 Princess cabin, for a comparible balcony. However, once all costs were added, the gross daily cost on Viking was fractionally cheaper than Princess.

 

While Viking works for us, it does not meet the needs of everyone, hence the reason I suggest determing you needs for spending 4 - 6 months on a ship.

 

Good luck and enjoy the research.

 

 

That was one of the most informative posts I've read.  We have a different taste as casinos go, but I saw no judgement about it in your post.  Applause.

[angela12345]

On 3/7/2021 at 6:02 PM, Heidi13 said:

When you compare the base fares of Viking and Princess, yes Viking is considerably more expensive. However, I calculated the total cruise per diem costs - 2015 Princess and 2020 Viking. Although the Viking base fare was almost double the Princess fare, the total cost per day was slightly less.

 

I completed a post in one of the threads in the WC Board comparing the numbers.

Would you please post a link to the post where you compared the numbers ?  I searched a little bit, but with almost 7,800 posts, I wasn't having good luck finding it !