How exactly DO you luxe up a mass-market cruise?

[CruiserPK]

Lee Ann, You are most welcome. I think most people try to answer questions and be polite. Thankfully, there are cruisers for every type of ship and if you make the best of it, any trip can be a wonderful adventure.

 

As a side note.....we are booked on the PG 9/27 2008 two week cruise. When booking this trip, we had a choice of the grand suite or a window cabin. We were also informed that a wait list was started and we could join the list for a balcony cabin. Lo and behold, it came available this week. I do think many are rethinking the price of these luxury cruises and cancellations will not be a surprise with our "non recession economy." ;) Sorry to get off topic, but I do think many people will be looking for ways to "luxe up" a mass market cruise due to the high price of the luxury lines. We will continue to cruise Regent and feel most fortunate to do so, however, a large group of friends or a family group could take us to another cruise line in a heartbeat.

 

Cheers, Pam

[kitty9]

Lee Ann, forgive me, but I think you may be misinterpreting what some have been saying. I didn't see anyone judging you based on money. Please let me know exactly what was said that implied you were less of a person because you choose to cruise on Celebrity? The problem with venues such as Cruise Critic is that it's impossible to ascertain nuances in what is being written. It's very easy to take what someone writes as insulting when that was not the intention at all.

 

Personally, I've cruised most cruise lines out there, including NCL, Carnival, RCCI, Costa and the rest, and I've been fortunate to cruise the big four of luxury lines. A person would have to be a moron to fail to understand that not everyone can, or desires to, pay the prices of the luxury lines. No one said you're wrong for wanting to cruise Celebrity. I think what everyone was trying to say is, no matter what you try, no matter what people tell you, you're not going to receive a true luxury experience on Celebrity. Yes, there are a few things that can lux up your trip, but in the end you're still on a ship that carries 2800 passengers, with a high passenger to crew ratio, rather than on a ship of less than 1000 with a passenger to crew ratio of around 2 to 1.

 

 

PK, no, I was not on the short three day Regent cruise. But even if that were the case, seeing that those cruises were designed to attract new Regent customers, one would think they would want to put their best foot forward in order to attract new customers. But both my Regent cruises were longer, with the second one being 12 days. To be honest, I was shocked to be refused the shrimp cocktail and my gentleman friend was told he couldn't order a filet on one evening. While the alternate restaurants on Regent Voyager were wonderful, we were disappointed in the food and service in Compass Rose. I will say though, Regent has, by FAR, the best and largest cabins in the industry.

[Leejnd4]

I think what everyone was trying to say is, no matter what you try, no matter what people tell you, you're not going to receive a true luxury experience on Celebrity. Yes, there are a few things that can lux up your trip, but in the end you're still on a ship that carries 2800 passengers, with a high passenger to crew ratio, rather than on a ship of less than 1000 with a passenger to crew ratio of around 2 to 1.

 

.

And (once again) I remind you that I've stated, quite emphatically in fact, that I do not EXPECT a "true luxury experience", that I am well aware of the math and the down sides, yadda yadda. What I was looking for (and asked for repeatedly) was ideas, suggestions, thoughts on how to IMPROVE the experience. A few posters came in here and did just that. Most, however, did nothing more than repeatedly state that it cannot be done, that no matter what I do it will still be a ::::shudder-in-horror::: MASS MARKET CRUISE! How horrifying.

 

It's the constant battering of discouragement that got to me, and I fail to see why some folks felt it was necessary to repeat it over and over, especially after I've repeatedly repeated that I really do not need any more discouragement - it adds nothing to this discussion. :rolleyes:

 

I think we're done here.

[JunPOA]

that no matter what I do it will still be a ::::shudder-in-horror::: MASS MARKET CRUISE! How horrifying.

 

It's the constant battering of discouragement that got to me, and I fail to see why some folks felt it was necessary to repeat it over and over, especially after I've repeatedly repeated that I really do not need any more discouragement - it adds nothing to this discussion. :rolleyes:

 

I think we're done here.

LeeAnn - OMG a MASS MARKET cruise :eek: - a fate worse than death and to have to share it with 2800 cruisers.,One of us may have to rescue you from such torture. :rolleyes: The cruise will be as enjoyable as you make it. When you're up in your suite-just pretend you're on one of those upscale high-end "luxury " cruises you know so well. In fact it would not surprise me if you come away from that cruise having enjoyed it as much or more than your past cruises. You never know what unexpected luxuries behold you-we had an OS on our NCL Hawaiian cruise 2 years ago - our 4 adults kids, the DH & I - everyday we had either fresh fruit, canapees, hor d'horves, or chocolate covered stawberries waiting for us back in our cabin. We had tons of room, a HUGE balcony w/ hottub, multiple lunge chairs etc. - we spent most of our time after port together in our suite all but dinner time, by then we were to pooped to go back out among the "masses".:D I say don't knock it til you've tried it. ENJOY!:) Look forward to your trip report.

[cruisead]

Unless I missed it, you did get suggestions about how to lux up your cruise. A couple of people did give you some very good ideas about going to the alt restaurants, going to the spa and all that stuff. But I'm guessing you're upset with people because they said things you don't want to hear. Go, have fun and make it YOUR best cruise. Do what you want to lux things up all you want. In the end, it's your money and your choices. So what if it's the dreaded mass market line. That's your choice, and you do what you will. But if you don't get the answers you're looking for, perhaps it's basically because what you're looking for can't happen. Don't blame the messenger, people were only giving you their opinions, so leave it at that. In the end only your opinion counts anyway, so go, don't worry about making things fancy and just enjoy your cruise. Celebrity is a great line and the new Solstice will be lovely

[Leejnd4]

Unless I missed it, you did get suggestions about how to lux up your cruise. A couple of people did give you some very good ideas about going to the alt restaurants, going to the spa and all that stuff. [/Quote]

 

Yes, they did...and I acknowledged that, several times. You must have missed that part.

 

But I'm guessing you're upset with people because they said things you don't want to hear.

Not upset. Just disappointed that so many posters seemed to feel that they were contributing to the thread by repeatedly stating the same things over and over...specifically, that it can't be done. As I stated, I was disappointed that there was so much more of THAT (which helped me not at all) than ideas and suggestions that WOULD help me. I was hoping for help, not discouragement. And, as I said (repeatedly), I appreciate those who posted in the spirit of helping. :)

 

But if you don't get the answers you're looking for, perhaps it's basically because what you're looking for can't happen.

Ah but you see I disagree that what I'm looking for can't happen. (And, again, I really don't need to hear that AGAIN.) I did get several suggestions, and came up with quite a few ideas on my own, which I do believe will improve my overall cruise experience and mitigate at least some of the "downsides" to cruising on a mass-market line. So like I said earlier, I think I'm done here. :)

[Leejnd4]

LeeAnn - OMG a MASS MARKET cruise :eek: - a fate worse than death and to have to share it with 2800 cruisers.,One of us may have to rescue you from such torture. :rolleyes: The cruise will be as enjoyable as you make it. When you're up in your suite-just pretend you're on one of those upscale high-end "luxury " cruises you know so well. In fact it would not surprise me if you come away from that cruise having enjoyed it as much or more than your past cruises. You never know what unexpected luxuries behold you-we had an OS on our NCL Hawaiian cruise 2 years ago - our 4 adults kids, the DH & I - everyday we had either fresh fruit, canapees, hor d'horves, or chocolate covered stawberries waiting for us back in our cabin. We had tons of room, a HUGE balcony w/ hottub, multiple lunge chairs etc. - we spent most of our time after port together in our suite all but dinner time, by then we were to pooped to go back out among the "masses".:D I say don't knock it til you've tried it. ENJOY!:) Look forward to your trip report.

 

Thanks for your comments! You seem to *get* the spirit of the thread, and I appreciate that. And I promise you I'll write a detailed trip report. :) If you're interested in reading one of my earlier trip reports, check out this review of my Windstar Costa Rica cruise:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=18059

[SanNic44]

LeeAnn,

 

I hear you talking (sorry, see you writing) about the limits on bringing wine aboard. I don't have much experience cruising so forgive me, but are you saying that if I go ashore, find some nice wine and buy a bunch they will stop me from bringing it aboard? If true, that is lunacy. Do they stop people from buying jewelry or other products? Really, that has to be too much.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Leejnd4]

LeeAnn,

 

I hear you talking (sorry, see you writing) about the limits on bringing wine aboard. I don't have much experience cruising so forgive me, but are you saying that if I go ashore, find some nice wine and buy a bunch they will stop me from bringing it aboard? If true, that is lunacy. Do they stop people from buying jewelry or other products? Really, that has to be too much.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

The answer to your question is...YES! And I fully agree that it is lunacy.

 

Different cruise lines have different booze rules. Some lines have no limits - bring what you want. Others are extremely rigid - RCCL will actually search your luggage and confiscate any alcoholic beverages you attempt to bring on board...and their policies state that they can deny you boarding for attempting to smuggle booze onto the ship. Celebrity allows TWO (and only two) bottles of wine to be brought on board at embarkation...you are not allowed to bring any other type of alcoholic beverage, and you can't even bring wine onboard at the port stops. If they catch you, they will take it away from you, and (supposedly) return it to you at the end of the cruise - although I've heard of way too many cases when they never do give it back.

 

This is one of the key downsides to mass-market cruises, to me.

 

You can find the booze policies for each line on their websites.

[martinsfo]

You have to remember the nickle and diming part of mass market lines, selling booze and wine is a large money maker. Most luxury lines have no limits on bringing alcohol on board. I have some very great memories of sitting inthe dining room on the Crystal Symphony with the owner and the winemaker from Walla Walla winery and sampling their whole portfolio of wines over dinner. In fact, the sommolier came over and joined us. At another dinner, my wife and I bought a special bottle of sparkling wine for NewYear's and shared it with the beverage staff. Crystal had no limits on wine, and they also had a reasonably priced wine list as well.

[Destin Mom]

Hi LeeAnn. I personally love your questions. We are new to cruising- a handful of CCL and RCI cruises had us turned off forever from cruising (for about 8 years anyway). We just booked with Holland- have two kids (aged 5 and 6). We stay at nicer hotels during land based vacations (Ritz, Four Seasons, Sea Island, etc.) and we we most definitely enjoy better food and wine (Brunello also one of our favorites). We wanted a luxury line but had the kids to think about- also cost. We are spending quite a bit this summer to travel over 11 weeks so couldn't afford a true luxury cruise line. We have lowered expectations in terms of food, can bring our own wine onboard (a big deciding factor for us in cruise line selection- we are wine snobs and freely admit it), have great private tours planned, and we don't have to pack or unpack. I am prepared for waiters trying to sell me umbrella drinks made with cheap liquor- I hope I don't encounter them but I'm ready. I think our trip will be what we make it. We don't have your point of reference in terms of luxury cruising- we've mentally prepared ourselves for worst case scenario- hoping we will be pleasantly surprised. For what we save on Holland vs the luxury lines (plus the kid's program), we can wine and dine our way through the rest of our European stint. Please be sure to share your experience vis a vis your luxury liner experiences. Have a great trip.

[surfklutz]

One suggestion I have is to contact the ship with some expectations you might have of this cruise. Ask for VIP treatment - and ask if there are some things that you can have that might have a cost associated with them.

Very often when expectations are brought to the attention of the ship - special attention is paid to those people.

[martinsfo]

I'm sorry that you wont try the luxury lines. Our son was 8 on our first Crystal Cruise and I was very impressed by their kids program. It was long on using the mind and activly involving the kids in anything from Karioke to talent shows. The Jr. Activities Directors are all first rate teachers that really bring a lot to the table. Combine that with the superior food, very low guest to staff ratio and if you are used to the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons, that is the experience you get. There are still deals to be had to Europe this season, and I know that Regent offer kids free to Alaska along with a very reduced airfare package.

[Leejnd4]

Hi LeeAnn. I personally love your questions. We are new to cruising- a handful of CCL and RCI cruises had us turned off forever from cruising (for about 8 years anyway). We just booked with Holland- have two kids (aged 5 and 6). We stay at nicer hotels during land based vacations (Ritz, Four Seasons, Sea Island, etc.) and we we most definitely enjoy better food and wine (Brunello also one of our favorites). We wanted a luxury line but had the kids to think about- also cost. We are spending quite a bit this summer to travel over 11 weeks so couldn't afford a true luxury cruise line. We have lowered expectations in terms of food, can bring our own wine onboard (a big deciding factor for us in cruise line selection- we are wine snobs and freely admit it), have great private tours planned, and we don't have to pack or unpack. I am prepared for waiters trying to sell me umbrella drinks made with cheap liquor- I hope I don't encounter them but I'm ready. I think our trip will be what we make it. We don't have your point of reference in terms of luxury cruising- we've mentally prepared ourselves for worst case scenario- hoping we will be pleasantly surprised. For what we save on Holland vs the luxury lines (plus the kid's program), we can wine and dine our way through the rest of our European stint. Please be sure to share your experience vis a vis your luxury liner experiences. Have a great trip.

Thanks, and I'm glad you *get it* in terms of what I was asking! You seem to be taking a similar approach to me - lowering some expectations, preparing to ignore some expected annoyances, and taking some specific actions to improve the aspects of the cruise that we can actually affect. Yes some of those actions will cost money, but not nearly as much as we'll be saving by going with the mass-market line vs. the luxury line.

 

One comment: you mentioned lowering your expectations for the food. Do HAL ships have specialty restaurants? If so, then I'd suggest dining in them as much as possible. Dining, to me, is just not something I want to compromise on. We've budgeted for the cost of dining in the specialty restaurants as many nights as we can get in there.

 

I do encourage you to try a luxury line sometime when you don't have the kids with you. (I wouldn't have taken my kids on the luxury lines at that age either.)

 

One suggestion I have is to contact the ship with some expectations you might have of this cruise. Ask for VIP treatment - and ask if there are some things that you can have that might have a cost associated with them.

Very often when expectations are brought to the attention of the ship - special attention is paid to those people.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. This is such a huge ship that I don't know of there's anything I could do on a ship level - but I do intend to express my expectations to our cabin steward, waiter, etc, and hopefully that will help to ensure we get the service we want from them. :)

 

I'm sorry that you wont try the luxury lines. Our son was 8 on our first Crystal Cruise and I was very impressed by their kids program. It was long on using the mind and activly involving the kids in anything from Karioke to talent shows. The Jr. Activities Directors are all first rate teachers that really bring a lot to the table. Combine that with the superior food, very low guest to staff ratio and if you are used to the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons, that is the experience you get. There are still deals to be had to Europe this season, and I know that Regent offer kids free to Alaska along with a very reduced airfare package.

 

I haven't been on Crystal, nor do I know much about them, so I can't comment on their kids' program. But most luxury cruises are not geared towards kids. I've taken my kids on two cruises, both on Royal Caribbean, and they had a great time. I went on those cruises FOR the kids. When I've done luxury cruises, they were sans kids. I don't think I would have enjoyed them nearly as much if I had the kids with me...nor do I think the premium price is worth it for them, as they wouldn't have appreciated the aspects that make the luxury lines so special.

[SanNic44]

Lee Ann,

 

Well, I've shelved my plans for buying booze while on a cruise. The more I think about it, maybe these types of cruises aren't for me. I don't appreciate a police state mentality when I'm PAYING to be there.

[Leejnd4]

Lee Ann,

 

Well, I've shelved my plans for buying booze while on a cruise. The more I think about it, maybe these types of cruises aren't for me. I don't appreciate a police state mentality when I'm PAYING to be there.

 

I hear you, and completely understand. The "booze policy," to me, tops the list of mass-market annoyances - and the "police state mentality" definitely factors into this.

 

Some posters in other threads have scoffed at those of us who consider booze policies to be a deal-breaker. They can scoff away. To me, drinking great wines is one of the key pleasures of a European vacation, and I see no reason to be denied that. The only reason I'm even chancing this is that I've read numerous times that Celebrity's enforcement of these policies varies depending on where the cruise is located, and that they tend to be lax in enforcement on European-based cruises. Hence I'm hoping to be able to get all of the bottles of wine that I purchase pre-cruise on board and into my cabin. If I am unable to, I will be extremely upset, and will likely never cruise on Celebrity again.

 

But I remain optimistic! :)

[Destin Mom]

Thanks LeeAnn for the specialty restaurant reminder. We plan to dine there during our cruise. We are okay with the 'regular' food at other times...I am not paying for five star dining service. For me, having a great bottle of wine and some good cheese is a bigger priority. I hear you on the wine policy being a deal breaker- it was for us.

 

Martinsfo- thanks for the feedback on Crystal. I'm glad to hear there are some programs for children. My biggest fear with booking a 'luxury' line is that we would be disappointed with the food/ wine as our expectations would be for five star quality. My husband refuses to believe that any cruise line can cook for masses with a level of quality similar to what you would have in a fine dining venue. I think it's easier for us to book a step down and cross our fingers than spend the extra $10K in hopes it is all that. I guess that really goes to LeeAnn's point though. Some of us may be better served to spend less and spruce up our experience. We're on a port intensive European sailing with limited at sea days. I'll take my $10K, bring my own wine, accept that people will not greet me by name, and live it up! But I will look at Crystal next time...thanks!

[Leejnd4]

Destin Mom - there was a great, lengthy and lively thread going for quite a while on the Regent board about whether or not the luxury lines are really worth the premium price. There were MANY differing opinions in there, as you can imagine. Having been on both, I will say that the luxury cruises I've been on WERE markedly better, on a number of levels, than the mass-market cruises. But the question was, are these improvements worth the premium price?

 

My answer, for MYSELF ONLY, is that they used to be, but not anymore...not right now. I previously upgraded to the luxury lines when the price differential was not nearly as significant as it appears to be today, and I felt it was TOTALLY worth it. In fact, back in those days, when I did a true apples-to-apples comparison (comparable cabin, factoring in the cost of luxing-up the mass-market lines, tips, etc.) they often came out surprisingly close in total price.

 

But it seems at least some of the luxury lines (Regent in particular) have hiked up their prices to the point where the price comparisons are no longer so close - and I had to sit down and do an item-by-item inventory of what I would be getting for my additional thousands.

 

And, as evidenced by this thread, I came to the conclusion that the improvements WEREN'T worth it - at least not on this itinerary.

 

BUT....if I was one of those fortunate cruisers who didn't have to pay such close attention to price vs. value, trust me that I would be doing the luxury lines. They really are amazing experiences. :D

 

Oh...and I honestly have had some of my best meals at sea, on Regent's Voyager, in Compass Rose. (Surprisingly, this is their main dining room, which I enjoyed greater than Signatures, their specialty dining room!) But keep in mind, these are MUCH smaller ships than most mass-market cruises, so they really can and do function like land-based fine dining restaurants.

[Destin Mom]

Thanks LeeAnn. I havent done any research on luxury crusing since we were unable to find a ship with a kid's program that fit into our itinerary at a price that was not more than double what we are paying for Holland. You bring up a great point which (I'm sure) is covered elsewhere so please forgive me. In your experience, how much more is the luxury experience worth on a per night basis as compared to being on a higher end mass market line? I know this is entirely subjective...for us, food, wine, service (including kid's program), and quality of accomodations would be of primary importance with ship board activities, enrichment, and spa being secondary (but also factoring into our decision somewhat). Can you quantify that? I know...service is priceless...we've said it ourselves countless times...apparently, that holds true for us until it hits a five figure mark- and then, service is cut to fit in two more weeks in Paris :D

[martinsfo]

I am a chef, and the food on Crystal is as good if not better than 99% of the fine dining restaurants that I've dined at. In addition, the specialty restaurants, Prego for Italian Food, and their Asian restaurant, are as good as any Asian or Italian restaurant you will eat at on land. I have lived and cooked professionally in San Francisco and NYC at some of the top kitchens in each city. The service in Crystal's dining room is better than almost any fine dining establishment. Whether it's worth the price, that is up to the individual spending the money. I think it is. I would rather have a lower priced cabin on a Crystal Cruise than a penthouse on a mass market line. And the lower priced cabins are all outside ones.

[Destin Mom]

Hi LeeAnn. Revisiting your thread here. We leave to begin our 11 week European trip in 3 days and are grinning ear to ear with excitement. We just upgraded our cabin on Holland to an SA (deluxe suite) to get more perks and have made specialty dining reservations. Thank you to everyone who shared opinions on how to make the mass market experience better. It helped us greatly with our decision to upgrade our cabin. Feedback from martinsfo and others also prompted us to review more closely the luxury liners. To our surprise, Regent has a children's program and allows four to a cabin. I'm not sure how many children would actually be on the ship, but it's good to know a program exists. Having no luxury line experience (and very little cruise experience for that matter)...but enjoying the better hotels, restaurants and wine lists...I'm going to luxe the heck out of Holland and see how it goes. And really....at the end of the day, how lucky are we to be on ANY ship in the first place? I think pretty darn lucky!

[Leejnd4]

How exciting! I'm envious - my big adventure isn't until Oct. of next YEAR! (We have a few land-based trips between now and then, but nothing quite as exciting.)

 

I'm glad that this thread was able to help you. I think they were all very valid questions, and I remain convinced that it IS possible to take steps to bring a mass-market cruise at least closer to a luxury experience...provided you walk into it knowing what you will NOT get.

 

In fact I'm feeling even more confident about the dining part of my upcoming cruise. The more I read about Celebrity's specialty restaurants, the more I'm positive that my dining experiences there will be at least equal to the dining I've done on the luxury lines. In fact, many reviewers place it even a step above! It's going to add some cost to my trip, but that's part of the whole "luxing it up" thing - it does cost money. The important thing is that even with all the added expenses, it still doesn't even come close to costing what the luxury lines do (at least for my itinerary).

 

I realized you asked some questions in this thread recently that I never answered, so I'll take a shot at it now:

 

In your experience, how much more is the luxury experience worth on a per night basis as compared to being on a higher end mass market line? I know this is entirely subjective...for us, food, wine, service (including kid's program), and quality of accomodations would be of primary importance with ship board activities, enrichment, and spa being secondary (but also factoring into our decision somewhat). Can you quantify that?

 

I honestly don't think I can attribute a dollar value to this on a per-night basis (too subjective...not to mention more math than I want to think about after a long work day ;)). It depends on too many factors, including destinations, and specific ship amenities. I will say that I agree with you that food, service, and overall accommodations are way up there in importance to me...and to me, good food is a non-negotiable item. I don't care how luxurious a cruise ship is - if the food isn't top-notch, I'm not going. Wine is important as well, but I'm less focused on whether or not it's all-inclusive - I'm okay bringing my own wine, or buying what they have onboard, as long as there are good choices. (All-inclusive is nice, but after seeing Regent's prices sky-rocket immediately after they went all-inclusive, I'm not sure I can even drink enough alcohol to cover the fare hike!)

 

So when it comes down to the price comparisons, I can only tell you that when there seemed to be enough opportunities to luxe it up so that it would come reasonably close in the most important factors, when the price difference came into the multiple thousand (in my case, $5000) for the cruise (13-days in this case), I just didn't see the value. In reflecting on this, I think perhaps if it was anything less than $2000 difference, I might have gone with the luxury line. (You can do the math!) :D

 

As far as the other items you mentioned, one thing to keep in mind is that you will generally not find nearly as many shipboard activities on a luxury line as you will on the mass-market - especially the smaller ships, where the primary activities will be good conversation with perhaps some live music in the background. That is actually one of the reasons I'm going on a mass-market cruise this time around - given that I'm cruising with my mom, and the fact that my itinerary has a lot of sea days, I wanted to be sure there were enough things to do so that we don't drive each other crazy. That may not be as important to others, especially couples, and it's not as important to me when I'm traveling with my husband, but it was on this cruise. So that definitely factored into the decision.

 

Spa I really don't care about - I can get top-quality massages at home for free, I really don't like to pay the exhorbitant onboard spa prices. And kids programs don't matter to me anymore, as my kids are in their teens now.

 

Hope this explains my perspective well enough.

 

Have a GREAT trip, and do come back and post your review! I'm sure I'll still be hanging around on Cruise Critic waiting for my own cruise, so maybe dredge this thread up and let me know how it worked out for you.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Destin Mom. We're really interested in offering info for families who like a bit of luxury but also want good programs for the kids -- so stay tuned (looking at August launch) for a story on a family's Alaska cruise on Regent Seven Seas Mariner. RSSC, on two ships, offers a Cousteau-affiliated environmental program for older kids (10 plus).

 

We've also got a piece in the edit queue about traveling with nannies/baby sitters....

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

Thanks LeeAnn. I havent done any research on luxury crusing since we were unable to find a ship with a kid's program that fit into our itinerary at a price that was not more than double what we are paying for Holland. You bring up a great point which (I'm sure) is covered elsewhere so please forgive me. In your experience, how much more is the luxury experience worth on a per night basis as compared to being on a higher end mass market line? I know this is entirely subjective...for us, food, wine, service (including kid's program), and quality of accomodations would be of primary importance with ship board activities, enrichment, and spa being secondary (but also factoring into our decision somewhat). Can you quantify that? I know...service is priceless...we've said it ourselves countless times...apparently, that holds true for us until it hits a five figure mark- and then, service is cut to fit in two more weeks in Paris :D

[usna]

LeeAnne,

I just happened to read your emails and wondered why no one mentioned the Ocenaia cruise line? I have not sailed on one of their ships yet - will be doing so this July - but this line sounds like that "in-between" cruise line that you might want to consider.

Lani

[Leejnd4]

Hi Lani,

 

Thanks for replying! I do know about Oceania - in fact, I have some friends that are big fans, and will pretty much ONLY sail Oceania if they can't find what they want on Regent. I definitely have considered them. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the itinerary I wanted on them for this cruise, for a price that was affordable - at least in comparison to the Celebrity cruise I booked.

 

But Oceania is definitely on my radar - if I can find an itinerary that I like I would love to try them. They do seem to bridge the gap between luxury and mass-market, with a price that makes them more affordable than luxury. I'm sure I'll try them one of these days. I especially like their very restrictive smoking policy, and I've read and heard that they offer some of the best dining at sea.