Anybody ever been on a luxurious cruise?

The lack of feces-laden water on the floor.

My idea of a 'luxury' cruise is one that doesn't have a bunch of the 'wrong' kind of people onboard. There, I said it. No, I'm not referring to race.

Holland America are the only cruise ships I will ever set foot on again. Of course 80% of ones fellow cruisers are nearly dead but plenty of eye candy on the crew. The food is excellent and the staterooms are luxe and very comfortable. I recommend getting a room with a balcony. Even though tips are included in your bill be sure and take plenty of cash and tip well. You will be showered with attention !

Have done 11 cruises with Celebrity. Have not been on any other cruise line, so we have nothing to compare it to. Celebrity Retreat (suite class) is very good. It is a ship within a ship concept - sort of like First Class on the Titanic (without the sinking). You eat in a separate dining room, have a separate lounge/bar, and a separate pool/sundeck that only. If you book a suite, it comes with a butler and a room attendant. Alcohol and WiFi is included in the cost of a suite, so no need to buy beverage package or WiFi package. And the minibar is free, so no worry about that cost.

Our first couple of cruises, we did not have a suite, and didn’t have access to The Retreat. And we had to buy a beverage package and pay for WiFi, and the minibar was extra. We quickly figured out that when everything was added up, it was the same cost as a suite.

R2 I get you and I think that’s a fair statement. I’ve heard that the longer cruises on Carnivale or the other reasonably priced cruises aren’t that bad because the low rent crowd can’t afford them. I’m talking the cruises that are 7 days or more. But I’m really interested in a luxury cruise.

I'm mostly a Celebrity passenger but the only "notch above" was on Silversea. Great food, charming staff, and fellow passengers were not overwhelming. Celebrity is quite good but can be crowded with very little private space. As he said, bring lots of $5 bills and tip generously. I'd go back on Silversea again (lousy casino). I'd never go on a river cruise, or the super-expensive lines like the Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carlton. I like to meet people so those 100-passenger ships would bore me.

I'd do Silversea perhaps but that's about as luxurious as I'd like to be.

What are you talking about, OP? Disney Cruises are luxurious!

Why would you never go on a river cruise, r6? I've seen some great-looking itineraries on Viking (through mailers), but have never been on a Viking cruise, river or not.

R8 What is the max capacity on those Vikings cruises or rather the average amount of passengers?

I’ve done Celebrity, Holland America, and Disney.

Holland America had the best food with Celebrity a close second. Disney had the best entertainment

Most of the highest-end lines (Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas) are more all-inclusive and many have only balconies or only suites. Smaller ships, better quality food, more refined atmosphere. It's like comparing a mainstream hotel chain to a very upscale or boutique chain. There's also a tier in-between the Premium (Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Cunard) and the highest-end lines. Ultra-Premium includes Viking, Oceania, Windstar, and Azamara.

I haven't been but I've heard really good things about Viking. Apparently 95% of the passengers are elderly so you don't have to travel with drunken trash or screaming kids.

I travel a few times a year on Celebrity. I love the large suites. They have a couple of huge suites onboard but I actually favor the slightly smaller suite just below that category. You have a dedicated bedroom, dining room, bar, large bathroom with separate shower and spa tub, walk-in closet, large living room area and extensive outdoor area with a hot tub. You pay nothing extra for anything, You have a very personalized butler, the run of all the premium restaurants plus your own suite category restaurant, laundry and dry-cleaning services. the retreat is great with afternoon tea and an always available selection of drinks and specialty coffees... this last time we were gifted custom personalized pajamas.

I used to cruise on Cristal lines. I had done both river and ocean cruising with that line and enjoyed both. The dining and especially service was exceptional. With the river, overall I found river cruising somewhat boring. The ocean cruising was fabulous. I have been on a number of less expensive lines and won't get into those, but I will say this... getting a suite is the ultimate in spoiling yourself, and do go for one of the grander suites if you can afford this. Is it worth it? YES.

[quote]I haven't been but I've heard really good things about Viking. Apparently 95% of the passengers are elderly so you don't have to travel with drunken trash or screaming kids.

Neither Viking nor Virgin allows anyone under 18.

I was on a DUMPY cruise in July- Virgin Voyages

What a DUMP!

I am the queen who started numerous thread about my lack of sex on all of the 12 Gay cruises I've been on since 2009.

r9 - just getting to answer you now. Here is your answer:

[quote] Viking's European river cruise Longships typically have a passenger limit of 190 people, while some smaller versions can accommodate 168, and their ships on other rivers like the Douro or Seine may be even smaller. These smaller capacities are a core part of Viking's strategy, creating a more intimate and social atmosphere compared to large ocean-going vessels.

Celebrity a luxury cruise? LOL

My ex and his husband (both 73) just set sail on Celebrity Oct. 1st from Honolulu. Tahiti, New Zealand, final stop Sydney. They are such cheapskates all they could talk about was the money they were saving (doing laundry in the sink, etc.). They won't be tipping anybody.

We & 4 other gay couples did a repositioning/crossing last year on the Ritz-Carlton Ilma from Lisbon to FL. 13 days of relaxation & total luxury. We all felt like it was our own private super yacht. Beautiful rooms, fabulous food, amazing staff. We're looking to do it again next year but now have about 12 other couples interested!! We weren't & aren't cruise people, but this one seemed different & it was & SO worth it.

Celebrity is not luxury - it's in the "premium" category, i.e., one step above "mainstream." Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean, and is their mid-market offering. They also own Silversea, which IS ultra-premium.

I’d love to try Explora or HAPAG’s EUROPA 2. I like to be different.

R8, I've watched many YT videos on river cruises and they seem that the ports are (especially in Europe) are located near a lot of the industrial hubs of the cities you stop at. Think smoke stacks and river barges. Then buses to city centers for the castles and cathedrals. As I mentioned regarding the yacht-style cruises, I just don't think I'd enjoy a trip with only a hundred or so fellow passengers. I like to have drinks and get to know fellow passengers from many different parts of either the US or the world. It seems like Euro river cruises means traveling in a pack. No thanks.

I have a friend who works at Viking and tries to entice me with discounts and swag but I think I'd rather take trains to different cities. Stations are usually located in city centers already.

Gotcha, r22

[quote]How does it differentiate itself from say Carnival or a Disney cruise?

Well, you don't have passengers mysteriously disappearing and being sold as sex slaves.

I remember being on a cruise with Mr & Mrs Donald Pleasance ("You only live twice, 007!"), it was a tiny boat and consequently not very many guests. Mr and Mrs Arthur Murray were also on board, along with any number of people who wouldn't be caught dead on what passes for luxury nowadays. These were passengers, not the paid entertainment. Donald Pleasance funniest comment was "I hope my credit card holds out for the entire trip". My tablemates included a black couple from Bel Air, California. They were very funny and gracious people. I was 22 and had single-occupancy of a cabin.

Of course this was decades ago.

R25 what ship was it?

r26 The S.S. Minnow

R27 - Um, no. There were maybe 200 passengers. Someone needs to guess, that would be much more fun. No one will be right.

We’ve been on several Regent Seven Seas cruises. Small ships (around 700 passengers), all balcony suites, wide choice of restaurants (although the main dining room is very good). All inclusive; no add one for liquor (other than high end wines, or really top shelf whiskies/scotches/ports). Lots of excursions at no cost (you can pay for some excursions) cooking classes, great spa/fitness center. Really happy with this line. Have also done two crossing on the QM2. Very luxurious but 3,000 + guests, so embark and debark is a zoo.

R24 r28 what year was it?

R25 nor24

R25 was it Sea Goddess?

Yes, in 1992 and I ended up on a nudist beach with my parents on my 13th birthday on the island of St. Martin!

My family went on a Viking cruise, it was very nice. Maybe 200 people and the staff all knows your name. Room was small but nice and there was plenty of common space to hang out. Great food and service. Amazing tours at the ports.

R33 Did you see that dyke bitch who decided to troll her parents for 25 yrs for being homophobic?

R30 - 1985

I've always wanted to try one just to see the difference - but it's hard to justify paying 5x more than a premium cruise line price.

It really is for people with money to burn. 7 night cruise for 2 is what - $12 to 15,000 minimum?

R20- Virgin is a low end ship like Walmart and Celebrity is medium priced like Kohls but not upscale or luxury.

Compared to Virgin - Celebrity feels upscale though.

r34 That's a Virgin RIVER cruise. They also have ocean cruises on larger ocean-going vessels.

If Virgin is low rent, why are their prices so high?

R40 - How come Variety Cruises attracts all the aristocracy and celebrities when they are so cheap (generally)?

What the hell is a Variety cruise?

R41 = Bruce Nierenberg

R42 answers R41

OK then - who the hell is Bruce Nierenberg?

No, I'd spend my time barfing overboard. Just thinking about it makes me want to drop a dramamine.

[quote]I was on a DUMPY cruise in July- Virgin Voyages. What a DUMP!

I feel like Virgin whoring themselves out to Atlantis has been detrimental to the ships.

Wow, I envy those of you on here like R4 who can afford high end suites on luxury cruises. I would love to try it just once, but it’s never going to happen. I am single so would likely pay a huge supplement, and I am not so well off that I could justify paying thousands for a cruise. But good luck to those of you that can.

I am well-off enough to afford it, but I just can't justfiy spending that kind of money. Same thing goes for flying first class. I should probably adjust my thinking since I'm 73 and have no heirs! I guess I should have large banners with "you can't take it with you" hanging in every room of my house to remind me.

[quote] I am well-off enough to afford it, but I just can't justfiy spending that kind of money. Same thing goes for flying first class. I should probably adjust my thinking since I'm 73 and have no heirs!

That it’s wasteful should be a reason not to do it, unless you have piles of money that you don’t know what to with. However, on an upcoming trip I have splurged by purchasing an upgrade to first class for $225 for a four hour flight. That seemed like a reasonable deal to me, considering the original economy ticket was a reward flight purchased with miles.

I have only the best holiday brochures for cruises.

For r45. He was the CEO of the defunct Premier Cruise Lines

I spent several months off the coast of Newfoundland on an Italian fishing boat.

But with Elizabeth there it lacked First Class ambience.