What have been your favorite itineraries?

We are getting ready for our upcoming Seabourn voyage aboard the new Ovation beginning on June 9th. SO--of course I am beginning to think about our NEXT cruise. Where should we go? Do you have a favorite cruise you have taken due to an extraordinary itinerary (it could be on Seabourn--or Silversea or Crystal, etc) ?

And, could you tell us what made your favorite itinerary so special? I've been reading about Flamin_June's Ring of Fire itinerary.

Antarctica on the Quest hands down by miles

Photos do not do Antarctica any justice

Antarctica is one of those places one has to see and go ashore to actually meet happy feet, for yourself to really understand Antarctica. Wife did not want to go, cold, but she changed her mind once we were there

Best place we have ever been to

Thank you Thecat123. Currently, my husband has no interest in going to Antarctica, but he can always be persuaded. I have noticed the enthusiasm of posters who have gone there. Ca you tell me further what made it so special?

People think Alaska is good. Alaska has not got a patch on Antarctica.

Just have a look at some of the video clips of Antarctica, then a couple of Alaska ones which might then give you a better understanding. We were quite happy just to sit with and watch Happy Feet and his friends. They are funny

Its very hard to explain in words but as I mentioned. Once you have been to Antarctica you can understand why people want to return. You really have to go to understand

Got it Thecat123!

Antarctica!!!! Simply the best cruise we have ever done in over 350 days at sea. The remoteness, the vastness, the uniqueness, the Seabourn Antartica team, the whales, the penguins etc etc etc. The Drake passage gave us its fury in both directions and still it remains the most amazing cruise experience of my life.

Thank you cruising kirby! That's two votes for Antarctica now.

I agree with the Thecat123 and cruising kirby definitely Antarctica by far, we would go back tomrrow. My wife also hates the cold (suffers with Raynards) but she loved it, there's not one photo of her from Antarctica where she's not grinning like the Cheshire Cat:D

While we have not yet been to Antarctica (hopefully next year!) we definitely enjoyed the LA to LA South Pacific /Hawaii Cruise on the Sojourn last year. It was technicallly two trips back to back but the turnover mid cruise was only about 10 percent of passengers.

jozi, Thank you. I've looked at that itinerary . Can you tell me more about it and what you especially liked?

Another vote for Antarctica. Best cruise ever. If you ask the crew, they will all agree that it is the best itinerary.

I would like to go again, but this time I would want to start in Chile and work my way east. After you see Antarctica, the rest of the trip is a bit anticlimactic, so I would see the Chilean fjords first and let the excitement build as you start meeting the incredible icebergs and getting to know the penguins. The light is incredible - it’s impossible to take a bad picture. Linda

I've been to Antarctica on the Quest - the one that went to South Georgia. I had no interest in the other one that spends just one day in the Falklands. The Quest remains overall the best ship we have ever been on and we thought the Antarctica trip was fabulous. But we would not do it again unless someone offers the South Sandwich Islands and Bouvet as part of the itinerary.

The best cruises we have ever done have all been on proper expedition ships with about 100 passengers. And the best trips on those have been in the South Pacific, visiting tiny islands like Pitcairn, Palmerston, Wallis & Futuna, remote islands of the Solomons, Vanuatu and PNG etc. In our view, nothing comes close to those trips, not even Antarctica.

After our Quest trip earlier this year we really wanted to find another Seabourn trip and we scanned the itineries and couldn't come up with anything we fancied - maybe we've been to most places. So next up for us is Galapagos and Seabourn, sadly, don't go there. So we are with Silversea again. I think Seabourn will eventually think about getting a proper expedition ship for those of us who like Seaboard's style, service and levels of luxury and also like going that much further off the predictable routes.

I've been to Antarctica on the Quest - the one that went to South Georgia. I had no interest in the other one that spends just one day in the Falklands. The Quest remains overall the best ship we have ever been on and we thought the Antarctica trip was fabulous. But we would not do it again unless someone offers the South Sandwich Islands and Bouvet as part of the itinerary.

 

The best cruises we have ever done have all been on proper expedition ships with about 100 passengers. And the best trips on those have been in the South Pacific, visiting tiny islands like Pitcairn, Palmerston, Wallis & Futuna, remote islands of the Solomons, Vanuatu and PNG etc. In our view, nothing comes close to those trips, not even Antarctica.

 

After our Quest trip earlier this year we really wanted to find another Seabourn trip and we scanned the itineries and couldn't come up with anything we fancied - maybe we've been to most places. So next up for us is Galapagos and Seabourn, sadly, don't go there. So we are with Silversea again. I think Seabourn will eventually think about getting a proper expedition ship for those of us who like Seaboard's style, service and levels of luxury and also like going that much further off the predictable routes.

Now that would be good. A Seabourn expedition ship. I love the places that are really remote too.

I enjoyed five days on Easter island but it wasn’t a cruise. For now it remains Antarctica. For me it was an ambition since I was very young to get there and I finally did last year on Quest. It didn’t disappoint and I would go again. However I’d love to get to South Georgia and have longer in the Falklands (we’ve also spent two separate weeks there and it’s never enough) but I can’t make a Christmas cruise

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We spent a couple of weeks on the Encore last Xmas and it really surprised me how many we talked to during diner conversations had been on the Quest to Antarctica. Every second person seemed to have been there. Never a bad word. I would guess very few of these have ever heard of Cruise Critic as CC never came up in the conversations

Vancouver to Tokyo - incl. Alaska, remote seas, tewice a year only trip

Istanbul to Venice - culture, islands, scenery

good duration and # of sea days were additional plus 😎

Well leaving Antartica out for a moment, my favourite part of the world is French Polynesia. Haven't been to remote islands between there and Asia, except for the Cook's, but have been up to the Marquesas, and all through the Societies and Tuamotus. But then I also recommend the Paul Gauguin for that part of the world. I'm a Seabourn newbie, haven't sailed yet, so perhaps I'll change my mind.

Also really loved the Black Sea, unexpectedly so, before the problems in that part of the world. Not sure Seabourn has ever gone there, but cruise ships are starting to go back there now.

Well leaving Antartica out for a moment, my favourite part of the world is French Polynesia. Haven't been to remote islands between there and Asia, except for the Cook's, but have been up to the Marquesas, and all through the Societies and Tuamotus. But then I also recommend the Paul Gauguin for that part of the world. I'm a Seabourn newbie, haven't sailed yet, so perhaps I'll change my mind.

 

 

 

Also really loved the Black Sea, unexpectedly so, before the problems in that part of the world. Not sure Seabourn has ever gone there, but cruise ships are starting to go back there now.

Yes they used to go to the Black Sea. Round trip Istanbul. Very nice

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MHNI--was your Vancouver to Tokyo itinerary through Seabourn?

I feel very fortunate that ended a voyage (Silversea) in Istanbul about 13 years ago. My favorite city ever! So much to see and do there--and the food was truly scrumptious.

By the way, I've been sharing the posts on this thread with my husband. He maintains that he will never do the Antartica voyage--much to my disappointment. I've seen the photos and can imagine the wonder of it all. So please, keep coming with other favorite itineraries. We need to plan a cruise for 2019!

He maintains that he will never do the Antartica voyage--much to my disappointment. !

Who is the boss? :)

We also cruised Singapore up to China, Philippines, Vietnam etc back to Singapore which was pretty good but I do not think we would do it again

The next cruise we are doing is from Bali down to Sydney early December

jozi, Thank you. I've looked at that itinerary . Can you tell me more about it and what you especially liked?

I'm not sure that Seabourn is doing it (South Pacific circle) again any time soon. The current version is Hawaii first (and only four islands, no Maui) and then Tahiti and west to NZ.

Our trip was round trip LA to LA, very convenient for us. No long haul flights (East coast to LA is easy) was a boon. Also many sea days. We love them, not everyone does.

The LA to Tahiti (Papeete) part had a few island stops (Nuku Hiva, Rangiroa, Fakarava, Moorea, also Bora Bora after Tahiti) and a wonderful group of Tahitian performers who spent a lot of time with passengers. It was luxury summer camp with drinks and a snorkel outing here and there. The Hawaii part seemed a bit more buttoned up (the Hawaiian performers were more rigorous in their ukulele academy) but it was nice to go to big island (Kona side), Oahu, Lanai, Kauai and Maui without packing and unpacking. I don't think i'd enjoy being a single resort in any of those places but enjoyed a slower pace and stunning scenery, dawns and sunsets. Also nice people, including some that we'd met on earlier trips and CC.

I feel very fortunate that ended a voyage (Silversea) in Istanbul about 13 years ago. My favorite city ever! So much to see and do there--and the food was truly scrumptious.

 

By the way, I've been sharing the posts on this thread with my husband. He maintains that he will never do the Antartica voyage--much to my disappointment. I've seen the photos and can imagine the wonder of it all. So please, keep coming with other favorite itineraries. We need to plan a cruise for 2019!

Agree we were on a cruise on Quest in 2012 that finished in Istanbul. Would love to go back.

As for your husband and Antarctica, you will have to make an executive decision there and insist, he"ll thank you after👍😀

I agree abut Antarctica. My husband and I had no real desire to go there, but our daughter asked us to go with her. We said, anywhere you want us to go with you, we will. BEST DESTINATION—cruise or land trip—EVER! It’s the closest you will ever come to experiencing another planet! The beauty, the pristine land, the wildlife (oh the wildlife—whales, seals, and dare I mention the penguin rookery where we saw 250,000 penguins at one time—as far as the eye could see) and the incredible ice bergs—breaking the icy water as the first ship of the season in one part! If you are worried about the weather, it was 28 degrees most days—warmer than back home. Find out what your husband’s reasons are for not wanting to go, then let us help you dispel those concerns. If you are a true traveler, you owe it to yourself to see this incredible place.

I am not worried about the weather. I would like to go to Antarctica. My husband is just not interested. I think one reason is that his parents went some years ago (more than 20 years ago) and did not care for it. It probably is not worth arguing about if we can find other itineraries that interest both of us!

Agree we were on a cruise on Quest in 2012 that finished in Istanbul. Would love to go back.

As for your husband and Antarctica, you will have to make an executive decision there and insist, he"ll thank you after

Another vote for Istanbul. Our first ever cruise was SB, Istanbul to Venice, Istanbul was wonderful. Swimming in the Aegean, Ionian and Adriatic Seas were special.

... so was Venice.