honumaui

A lot depends on the itinerary.  Most lines give you a walking tour in the morning, then free time or they might move to another port in the afternoon.  I remember days of cruising past lovely vineyards growing up the sides of hills and castles on hill tops. You don't need a balcony but it is really nice to have a full door you can open. My suggestion is to check out the web sites for the different lines. We were on Viking the first time ( before they expanded) and Avalon twice. 

Most cruise lines today do not allow smoking on any balconies and they are strict about it.  You can check their policies on the web sites. We have sailed for many years, love cruising but now avoid any ship with over around 800 passengers.

  We loved the Star Legend because there was only 200 pgs and they visited some great ports the big ships don't go to.  If you  like adventure, they do zodiac tours with naturalists directly off the ship. ( we are over 75 and decided to skip the zodiacs.) The down side is they don't go out of Seattle,  there are no big shows, but also no long lines..  and the food and service was great.

  I would suggest you check out Oceania. A nice size ship, comfortable accommodations,  some of the best food, and they do Rt from Seattle. Also, Sitka is a really nice port to visit.

We were in 332 (not a suite) in 2018 and sometimes could hear the band (esp the base) 

What was it you were disappointed with ? Alaska or the ship ? We have cruised there twice ...First on Oceania ( round trip Seattle)  with a Denali extension, second on Windstar Legend ..two weeks out of Seward... and are going again this June on Oceania..two weeks RT Seattle because we like the itinerary. Loved the ports and scenery. 

Right on Grandma, The original poster must be having a good laugh at all the arguments as to the classification of the cruise lines and the tangents that went off...Do people really decide on a cruise line based on what brands of alcohol they do or do not have ?  How did they get to cars?  If you are treated luxuriously and are happy with the line, who cares exactly what others decide to classify it. It is luxury to you. And all the "luxury" and "premium" lines mentioned are an upgrade to HAL . I am sorry  that the poster wanted to discount lines that include drinks. It is a "package" cost. Not everyone takes advantage of all the amenities.  For example my husband falls asleep during shows so we usually skip them but I wouldn't cross a line off my list because it had shows.

I equate Luxury Cruising with great accommodations, excellent service, delicious food, no crowds, not brands of alcohol, although we do prefer wine several cuts above Charles Shaw,  My favorite lines are Regent, Windstar and Oceania.  I would rather pay for amenities I don't use on a luxury or premium ship than things we don't use..like bumper cars, a climbing wall, water tubes, etc on the giants.

Who got mine ? Sailing on the Surf in a few weeks. Maybe they sent mine to the yacht ? 

Not really..when I was that young I couldn't afford to cruise.

This thread has been fun to follow...But my question is..since this was started last August..what did Cruisetheworld67 decide? Did they book Oceania or something else ?

We are packing LESS too !  No more formal wear., not even jackets or ties..fewer shoes..more multi  use light weight outfits .

( hearing aid batteries, extra glasses, medications don't take up much room) But we do find that we also need a check off list now.  We are spending more on airfare though...Over 77 and refuse to fly coach any more. Old enough to remember when flying was fun. Also spending more on our cruises as we will not cruise on any ship over around 800 passengers ( well maybe if it was free ). Years ago RCCL and Hal were our favourites. Now it is Windstar, Regent & Oceania. Thankful we can keep cursing.

I was awed the first time they uncoiled the sails on Windstar.  Maybe their yachts are one step down from luxury but it was amazing,  It was the first time on a small ship (150 passengers) and for us at the time that was a luxury in itself.   Our recent luxury was flying business class to Europe on Regent. We will be sailing the Caribbean again on the  Wind Surf in Feb. Still love the sails.

I've worn lots of different outfits to dinner on Windstar depending on the climate and my mood  ( and what packs easily), dresses or pants outfits, cute clothes from Goodwill ( one of my favorite places to shop), some more dressy , some more casual. Whatever you feel comfortable in with just a few exceptions ( jeans, t shirts, shorts) Rarely see anyone in a cocktail dress but if you want to wear one have fun, It is your Yacht to enjoy. You only need to share it with a few other passengers, some of which dress up and some dress down. My husband usually wears long pants with a Hawaiian shirt ( he has a collection of them) or other collared shirt. He never brings a jacket and tie.

We are boarding Feb 18 in Cozumel. I was looking forward to a spruced up ship. We did a back to back on her a couple of years ago. . Oh, well...as long as the sails work, the food and service are great and our room is comfy  i will be happy.  Have never been in the fitness center and probably never will.  We cruised on the Pride, New York to Montreal and our cabin definitely needed an update but the cruise was great.  Same for our Alaska cruise  on the Legend. We have cruised the Med. on Regent and chose them because of the all inclusive and business air. They do a great job on their tours esp for oldies like us who don't do well independently in Europe. I would compare the food and service on Windstar as good as Regent but Regent beats them on accommodations. I wish Windstar had their beds.

We used to cruise on RCCL and HAL until the ships got too big  (over 1500 ). I can't imagine being on the new giants and would not cruise on them ( well, maybe if we got a free vacation). We have been on river cruises in Europe several years ago and loved them but three was enough.  Then we discovered Windstar. Wow...our own yacht ! We only had to share it with 148 other people. And the sails..a whole new experience... Now, the Windsurf (appx 320 pgs) is our favorite.  We have also cruised with Regent in the Med. They are great too. Very organized tours. Liked the all inclusive and business air to Europe. Getting too old for coach!. 

Having sailed on both Regent & Windstar, I would put Regent in the luxury category and enjoyed it ( great tours and business class to the Med.) but in many ways prefer Windstar.  The experience of being on a sailing ship is amazing.  The thrill of sailing away from port and other ships taking our picture was so neat ! It is not a luxury ship but the food & service equaled Regent. No fancy entertainment..just lounge chairs in the dark in front of the bridge to watch the stars.A nice combo in the lounge for dancing..an open bridge..you really feel like you are on a yacht instead of a cruise ship,

Back to the question of "luxury" experiences without included alcoholic drinks. We know it is a step down from luxury but we love Windstar. Whatever is lacking in the definition of luxury is made up for with the experience of  the sails. They also now own the three Seaborne "hand me downs" and are stretching and improving them. We have cruised Regent and Oceania and enjoyed them too. We found service and food just as good even if the yachts are a bit dated. We love the small size  and lack of crowds. No lines. But for me nothing measures up to the thrill of the sails opening as we leave ports.  

Is there a reason you  are limiting yourself to those two lines. We cruised Alaska with  a Denali extension on Oceania and loved it. We also went on Windstar . They do zodiac and kayak tours right off the ship and had several young naturalists on board.  Check out their itineraries.  

I would definitely recommend Alaska as the scenery is so amazing from the ship. We are over 75 and going for the third time. You really can stay aboard most of the time. Also.no matter where you go,.don't go to the buffets. Choose a line that had open dining in the dining room for all meals. It is not only a lot easier to be served but also more relaxing and not rushed. We don't like the big ships and would only sail on a ship with  more than around 800 passengers if it was free (maybe). Check out Oceania. They are excellent. Another recommendation...if you need to fly try to go the day before the cruise so you are not rushed. You can book a hotel through the cruise line ( expensive but they get you to the ship) or stay at an inexpensive hotel and take a cab to the port. We did European river cruises years ago and I definitely do not recommend them for any one with mobility problems unless you plan to skip the tours and stay on board most of the time. We have not done The Mississippi or Columbia but i have heard they are good. Another possibility is the East coast cruise to Canada.  The scenery is wonderful. We have done it twice, once on Regent and once on Windstar's Pride. Regent does a lot of scenic bus tours that don't require much walking. We went to the Mediterranean with them twice. They are pricey but everything  is included and they fly you over in Business class( Included in price)

We prefer Regent for Europe as they fly you business class and do a great job on their tours. We are both over 75 and don't do well on independent foreign travel.  For the Caribbean we love Windstar' s Wind Surf. I get a thrill whenever we leave port and the sails open !  We have also been on their motorized ships ( hand me downs from Seaborne) and enjoyed the small size. Not sure we are happy they are enlarging them but they did need some updating. 

We are on Feb 18 - Feb 29 . Cozumel to St. Maarten. Booked a hotel day on both ends.

We got a  reduced upgrade  on the Pride from New York to Puerto Rico to cabin 315. Loved the french balcony. Had no noise problems. LOVED the cruise ( food, service, etc.) but prefer the sails. Going to be on the Surf next month for the third time, 

We went on one Viking river cruise and two river cruises on Avalon. We considered Avalon a cut above and loved the french balcony with full window/door. But that was several years ago. I suggest you research all of them on cruise critic and their web sites to see which fits your preferences. Most of the web sites will show a picture of the accommodations.

We got a free upgrade to the Ax level but it was under the lounge stage and we could hear the band noise. We didn't mind as they they did not play really late and we hadn't paid extra for it but i would not book a cabin under the band stage...unless you like staying up late.

We booked almost a year in advance on board.  The price went down on their one week sale several months later and called them. Had no problems. They adjusted the price. The price went down again the day before our final pmt was due ( $800) and they gave us an on board credit for the difference. I am very happy with their policy even if it goes down more without an adjustment. We got the cabin and the itinerary we wanted. I have booked our last four cruises directly with them and had no problems.

We have cruised Windstar 4 times so don't need to be sold on their service. We have never been to the Med. Only did river cruises in Europe. Has anyone been to the Mediterranean in the fall? Would we be better off on the Breeze ( haven't tried the new ships yet) or the Wind Surf ? Is the weather usually really bad? Of course weather is always unpredictable. We are thinking back to backs ..Italy to Barcelona and B. to Lisbon this Oct. ( if space is still available).