Looking for greener grass….

[susiesan]

On 6/18/2023 at 12:24 PM, basor said:

I think, other than mass mega ships, alcohol is usually included.....all of the lines you have mentioned already do...it is getting hard to find a smaller ship experience on an upper premium line that does not include some alcohol.  Part of the reason that O is moving in that direction.  Our decision will be based upon itinerary and pricing because some of the inclusions will not be of high value to us, so in the same boat as you.......

Windstar does not include alcohol. Why no one on here mentions them as an alternative I don't get. After Oceania, they are my second favorite line. Small ships, great itineraries, large cabins on the yachts. Right now, they are for more expensive than O per day for the cabin I would be in so I haven't sailed with them in a few years. After the coming price increase with Simply More Windstar may price out less money than O.

[Vineyard View]

Last summer we compared similar itineraries (general location of sailings, similar size balcony cabins, # days, extra we would pay for) with Viking, Oceania, SB, Azamara. We found that the per day was actually highest on Viking (daily room steward fees are not included in their pricing). We found that the other three were very similar in cost per day per person. We opted for Seabourn - all inclusive, cabin was stunning. As was all else and on a 460 pax ship.

Between some of the reviews I read, and the size of the ship (would it be to small) I had my concerns. Lots of the chatter on the boards that was negative was the jeans being allowed in MDR, and some were around the food. Some were around included wines. All the cruise lines included wines can be sketch, imho, so I wasn’t expecting a lot there. We don’t care for spending evenings at shows because we spend long days in ports. 
What we found was that the size of the ship, and likely their larger 600 pax was a real bonus for us. The food on Quest was very good to excellent. Caviar and Champagne a treat whenever. The champagne was quite lovely and could be stocked in your room bar as well as wine, spirits. Two choices. The wine (we are a bit picky) would be poured for us to taste. They switched it up frequently and much was from local ports. If we didn’t care for what they were pouring, they gladly brought several other options. The port days were all early arrivals with 5-6p departures, except Malta and that was 11p. Quite honestly, we would disembark right after breakfast and found that by the time we had to be back on board (30 min before sail time) we had enjoyed what we wanted to. Some days we were back early just to enjoy the ship as it was lovely. 
The two itineraries we are looking at, one on SB and one on O for next April are not in the same region of the Mediterranean. O is a focus on Spain, Islands in the Med. SB is Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy. Both are 14 days. Price per day on O in entry level Concierge (trying to get close in comparison to amenities) with  OLife is $15pp/pd less than SB. If I look at cruise only, same category, it is $107pp/pd less - but I need to add in drink package and other amenities that are important to us. The SB ship is 600 pax vs 1238 pax. I do not need to pay for anything more on SB. But….it is in a different region so maybe it’s not an apples to apples, but it is an example of how close pricing can be. So far, we have not found that to be quite the same with Regent and SS, but we do not take ship excursions, so that is a meaningless perk for us. 
 

[1985rz1]

4 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Last summer we compared similar itineraries (general location of sailings, similar size balcony cabins, # days, extra we would pay for) with Viking, Oceania, SB, Azamara. We found that the per day was actually highest on Viking (daily room steward fees are not included in their pricing). We found that the other three were very similar in cost per day per person. We opted for Seabourn - all inclusive, cabin was stunning. As was all else and on a 460 pax ship.

Between some of the reviews I read, and the size of the ship (would it be to small) I had my concerns. Lots of the chatter on the boards that was negative was the jeans being allowed in MDR, and some were around the food. Some were around included wines. All the cruise lines included wines can be sketch, imho, so I wasn’t expecting a lot there. We don’t care for spending evenings at shows because we spend long days in ports. 
What we found was that the size of the ship, and likely their larger 600 pax was a real bonus for us. The food on Quest was very good to excellent. Caviar and Champagne a treat whenever. The champagne was quite lovely and could be stocked in your room bar as well as wine, spirits. Two choices. The wine (we are a bit picky) would be poured for us to taste. They switched it up frequently and much was from local ports. If we didn’t care for what they were pouring, they gladly brought several other options. The port days were all early arrivals with 5-6p departures, except Malta and that was 11p. Quite honestly, we would disembark right after breakfast and found that by the time we had to be back on board (30 min before sail time) we had enjoyed what we wanted to. Some days we were back early just to enjoy the ship as it was lovely. 
The two itineraries we are looking at, one on SB and one on O for next April are not in the same region of the Mediterranean. O is a focus on Spain, Islands in the Med. SB is Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy. Both are 14 days. Price per day on O in entry level Concierge (trying to get close in comparison to amenities) with  OLife is $15pp/pd less than SB. If I look at cruise only, same category, it is $107pp/pd less - but I need to add in drink package and other amenities that are important to us. The SB ship is 600 pax vs 1238 pax. I do not need to pay for anything more on SB. But….it is in a different region so maybe it’s not an apples to apples, but it is an example of how close pricing can be. So far, we have not found that to be quite the same with Regent and SS, but we do not take ship excursions, so that is a meaningless perk for us. 
 

It would be interesting to have a similar comparisons with O's R ships, which are about 680 pax, closer to SB, if you can find similar itineraries.

[AMHuntFerry]

19 minutes ago, susiesan said:

Windstar does not include alcohol. Why no one on here mentions them as an alternative I don't get. After Oceania, they are my second favorite line. Small ships, great itineraries, large cabins on the yachts. Right now, they are for more expensive than O per day for the cabin I would be in so I haven't sailed with them in a few years. After the coming price increase with Simply More Windstar may price out less money than O.

Someone did mention Windstar in an earlier post (p 1?), but I agree...I think it and Azamara are my idea of competitors based on our preferences. Even though we drink, I probably will think twice about any alcohol-all-day-every-day lines which puts Windstar above Azamara. I like Windstar's menu of prices for Wifi, drinks, etc....more like O before the coming change. And they have kayaks!

Edited June 19, 2023 by AMHuntFerry

[Vineyard View]

2 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

It would be interesting to have a similar comparisons with O's R ships, which are about 680 pax, closer to SB, if you can find similar itineraries.

That is what I was trying to find to be honest. Unfortunately there were no R ship itineraries in the areas when we are able to sail next year. 
We were in a basic Verandah on SB. To get a similar size on any R ship we would need to book a suite. 

[Vineyard View]

1 minute ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Someone did mention Windstar in an earlier post (p 1?), but I agree...I think it and Azamara are my idea of competitors based on our preferences. Even though we drink, I probably will think twice about any alcohol-all-day-every-day lines which puts Windstar above Azamara. I like Windstar's menu of prices for Wifi, drinks, etc....more like O before the coming change. And they have kayaks!

I like their itineraries as well. What I do not care for is not having any balconies - only French Balconies on some of their ships. Not important to some…..important to us though. 

[AMHuntFerry]

Just now, Vineyard View said:

I like their itineraries as well. What I do not care for is not having any balconies - only French Balconies on some of their ships. Not important to some…..important to us though. 

We only use balconies to check the temperature, so they are wasted on us. I know a lot of people love to hang out on them though.

[1985rz1]

1 minute ago, AMHuntFerry said:

We only use balconies to check the temperature, so they are wasted on us. I know a lot of people love to hang out on them though.

Yep, we're in the balcony lovers group ☺️.

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

The two itineraries we are looking at, one on SB and one on O for next April are not in the same region of the Mediterranean. O is a focus on Spain, Islands in the Med. SB is Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy. Both are 14 days. Price per day on O in entry level Concierge (trying to get close in comparison to amenities) with  OLife is $15pp/pd less than SB. If I look at cruise only, same category, it is $107pp/pd less - but I need to add in drink package and other amenities that are important to us. The SB ship is 600 pax vs 1238 pax. I do not need to pay for anything more on SB. But….it is in a different region so maybe it’s not an apples to apples, but it is an example of how close pricing can be. So far, we have not found that to be quite the same with Regent and SS, but we do not take ship excursions, so that is a meaningless perk for us. 
 

 

I would be interested to see the comparison.

 

The SB cruise I assume you refer to this one:

 

 

I couldn't find a 14 nights O cruise next April.

 

There is one on April 5th on the Marina - https://www.oceaniacruises.com/transatlantic-cruises/miami-to-barcelona-MNA240405/ but it's transatlantic, and they are typically cheaper.

 

Still, the cheapest Concierge is $4,899 CAD, so about half price compared to SB for cruise only.. with oLife, it's extra $400. Not sure how you get only $15/day less compared to SB.

[LuAnn]

22 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Depends on the restaurant.  The Restaurant has 1 formal night per week.   You can do casual (no shorts) in the Colonnade (equivalent to Terrace).

 

In fact to the OPs original post, I would recommend SB.  Why -- best itineraries than any cruise line.  Not 100% inclusive -- the shore excursions are not included unlike Regent, Viking or SS.  Not as formal as SS but more than Regent and Oceania. 

 

Lastly they do make it easy to find single fares

 

https://seabournsolotraveler.com/

Thank you for that link. Do you have any idea when they will release their '25 cruises/solo rates? 

[Vineyard View]

I misquoted the date. It is in May. The Seabourn is in April. 
‘May 18-June 1. Barcelona to Rome on O
Basic Veranda Suite on SB (two category upgrade right now and 10% deposit)

Concierge on O. 
I will have a quote from our TA tomorrow for O. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Vineyard View

[ak1004]

12 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

I misquoted the date. It is in May. The Seabourn is in April. 
‘May 18-June 1. Barcelona to Rome on O
Basic Veranda Suite on SB (two category upgrade right now and 10% deposit)

Concierge on O. 
I will have a quote from our TA tomorrow for O. 

 

I thought this might be the case..

 

The O cruise on May 18 is $7,399 CAD:

 

 

SB is $9,373.

[Vineyard View]

I will get back after TA quote and update if the difference pp is significant over my initial cursory math. 

[CurlerRob]

3 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I thought this might be the case..

 

The O cruise on May 18 is $7,399 CAD:

 

 

SB is $9,373.

 

Nothing is more "fun" than trying to compare cruise lines and reconcile them from an apples-to-apples standpoint!

 

I may be mistaken, but I believe that @Vineyard View posted earlier that he prefers to have the full drinks package - if that's the case, adding that in to the O cruise-only fare of $7399 would almost totally close the gap. There's also a SB air credit offered now (this may be new), but I can't see the actual amount.

 

Thanks to both of you for the analyses - these threads are making it clear that the cost differences between lines can sometime be much narrower than it may seem at first - always a function of what amenities the individual finds important, of course.🍺🥌

[YourWorldWithBill]

6 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Last summer we compared similar itineraries (general location of sailings, similar size balcony cabins, # days, extra we would pay for) with Viking, Oceania, SB, Azamara. We found that the per day was actually highest on Viking (daily room steward fees are not included in their pricing).

 

But….it is in a different region so maybe it’s not an apples to apples, but it is an example of how close pricing can be. 

Thanks for this analysis; good to know. As you said, the prices may differ by regions, but the comparisons are still useful.

[ak1004]

5 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Nothing is more "fun" than trying to compare cruise lines and reconcile them from an apples-to-apples standpoint!

 

I may be mistaken, but I believe that @Vineyard View posted earlier that he prefers to have the full drinks package - if that's the case, adding that in to the O cruise-only fare of $7399 would almost totally close the gap. There's also a SB air credit offered now (this may be new), but I can't see the actual amount.

 

Thanks to both of you for the analyses - these threads are making it clear that the cost differences between lines can sometime be much narrower than it may seem at first - always a function of what amenities the individual finds important, of course.🍺🥌

 

Almost.. but at the same time, it's possible to take regular veranda, not concierge, for $1,000 CAD less.

 

But I do agree that in many cases when you add all the extras to O basic price, the difference might become minimal. 

[Vineyard View]

10 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Nothing is more "fun" than trying to compare cruise lines and reconcile them from an apples-to-apples standpoint!

 

I may be mistaken, but I believe that @Vineyard View posted earlier that he prefers to have the full drinks package - if that's the case, adding that in to the O cruise-only fare of $7399 would almost totally close the gap. There's also a SB air credit offered now (this may be new), but I can't see the actual amount.

 

Thanks to both of you for the analyses - these threads are making it clear that the cost differences between lines can sometime be much narrower than it may seem at first - always a function of what amenities the individual finds important, of course.🍺🥌

We do prefer to have the full drinks package on O. It was included on SB. So, for us, we need to calculate that into our total costs. 
Everyone  has their preferences and what is important to them. The beauty is that usually one can find a line/itinerary that mostly meets and checks those individual boxes. So those preferences have to be calculated in overall costs and drilling it down to cost pp per day. As DH and I were discussing this evening, if all that turns out to being similar, meaning per day, as it originally appears between tue two, then the decision can certainly become more complicated.
As you point out CurlerRob, the differences can certainly be less than we sure originally thought they would be. 

[Vineyard View]

9 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

Almost.. but at the same time, it's possible to take regular veranda, not concierge, for $1,000 CAD less.

 

But I do agree that in many cases when you add all the extras to O basic price, the difference might become minimal. 

I can. But if I am comparing as close to possible, apples to apples, then I cannot. That is what I am trying to compare as similar to one another in amenities. That doesn’t mean a regular verandah is bad. I am just looking for equal. 

[Jancruz]

6 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Someone did mention Windstar in an earlier post (p 1?), but I agree...I think it and Azamara are my idea of competitors based on our preferences. Even though we drink, I probably will think twice about any alcohol-all-day-every-day lines which puts Windstar above Azamara. I like Windstar's menu of prices for Wifi, drinks, etc....more like O before the coming change. And they have kayaks!

The small ships have no elevator and no balconies and are 185 square feet..dont compare..it was fine when I was young..I loved it!!

Jancruz1

Edited June 20, 2023 by Jancruz

[CurlerRob]

18 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

 As DH and I were discussing this evening ...

 

My apologies for the "he" reference 😕. Gender-neutral handles get me every time! 🍺🥌

[ak1004]

2 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

The small ships have no elevator and no balconies and are 185 square feet..dont compare..it was fine when I was young..I loved it!!

Jancruz1

 

I actually just looked at Windstar.. Looks like the 3 smaller ships have cabins similar to R class (slightly larger actually) but the 3 bigger ships (Star Pride, Breeze and Legend) have pretty large cabins (277 sqft). They are old but were fully renovated recently. And the prices are very reasonable, with inclusions similar to what O has now (except for internet). The itineraries are very intriguing. Seems like a very interesting option if O prices go up significantly on July 1st.  

[Vineyard View]

19 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

My apologies for the "he" reference 😕. Gender-neutral handles get me every time! 🍺🥌

No worries whatsoever. DH has the same vineyard view on our patio as I do!

Edited June 20, 2023 by Vineyard View

[AMHuntFerry]

2 hours ago, Jancruz said:

The small ships have no elevator and no balconies and are 185 square feet..dont compare..it was fine when I was young..I loved it!!

Jancruz1

The smaller ships with fewer passengers have less appeal since we're introverts; a friend highly recommended Lindblad (sp?), but I just wouldn't be comfortable with so few people. Even the 350 pax ships may be too small in that respect.

[AMHuntFerry]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I actually just looked at Windstar.. Looks like the 3 smaller ships have cabins similar to R class (slightly larger actually) but the 3 bigger ships (Star Pride, Breeze and Legend) have pretty large cabins (277 sqft). They are old but were fully renovated recently. And the prices are very reasonable, with inclusions similar to what O has now (except for internet). The itineraries are very intriguing. Seems like a very interesting option if O prices go up significantly on July 1st.  

If I remember correctly Windstar's non-sail ("yacht") ships were purchased from Seabourn. At least one was recently cut in half and a whole mid-section was added so it's much bigger than before. There's a blurb on their website that I read a few months ago.

[AMHuntFerry]

9 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

I like their itineraries as well. What I do not care for is not having any balconies - only French Balconies on some of their ships. Not important to some…..important to us though. 

I haven't looked at Windstar for a while and just looked at the cabins and deck plans. 6 of the suites on the larger ships have "real" balconies (not the ~2 feet wide ones).