Referrals sought for "All Inclusive" experience...

[Bo1953]

.... that is overall, all inclusive, gratuities, adult beverages, tours etc.. . My partner enjoys drinking a great deal (not quite AA yet), such as Belvedere, Grey Goose and/or Abosut as well as great Chardonnays', for myself I rather enjoy a good bourbon (Woodford Reserve, Bookers, Eagle and those that will compare), single malt scotch, as well as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, any recommendations on cruise lines which will include these types of beverages as part of the experience? When I say include, I do mean comparable quality brands...

 

Thinking of a surprize by booking a Butler level accommodation, even if, it is my 60th natal anniversary celebration!

 

We will book at least five (5) cabins, not that is a deal breaker..

 

Thank you one and all for your invaluable input and assistance...

[Martita B.]

I would suggest Seabourn's brand new ship, "Odyssey." As you know, Seabourn is a 6* cruise line and all liquor complimentary.

NO butler's however ~~very elegant suites!

I just arrived home from the Odyssey Maiden TA Crossing ~Malaga to Ft Laud.......it's truly an elegant and gorgeous ship.

You may enjoy the 450 Guests ~~we had a fun group!

Good Luck and happy sailing!

Martita B.

[kitty9]

Silversea, Regent, Sea Dream and Seabourn are all lines that include tips and beverages. But you need to check with either the cruise line or your travel agent to see if top shelf liquor is included. On some lines you only get basic brands and you have to pay for the expensive alcohol.

 

You might want to check Crystal. Although they're not all inclusive up front, they are providing a very generous on board credit, starting at $500 per person and going up to $1000 depending on the itinerary, which makes Crystal all inclusive. And you can order the top shelf brands and use your on board credit to pay for it.

[Travelcat2]

Silversea, Regent and Seabourn do include most top shelf brands. IMO, you need to do a comparison of the all-inclusive luxury ships. If you are looking for a true all-inclusive experience (no tipping, no signing, open seating), you may not want to look at Crystal. While they are a top rated luxury line, the experience is not the same as the others. On Silversea, they do have one dining venue (two on the new ship) that requirees a fee. Neither Seabourn or Regent have dining fees. Regent includes airfare and many excursions for 2010.

 

One thing you may want to look at is ship size. With the exception of their newest ship, Seabourn's fleet hold 208 passengers and does not have full balconies. The largest ships are Regent at 490 - 700 passengers. Two of Regent's ships are all-balcony and the third is 80% balcony. Silversea fits in the middle in terms of size and balconies.

 

Although many loyalists are enjoying the new Seabourn Odyssey, they have some issues to deal with on that ship -- it will be in drydock next year to fix them. I would not hesitate to go on the Odyssey after drydock. The Silversea Spirit debuts in just a matter of days. It will no doubt have some bugs to be worked out as all new ships do. Early reviews should be out this coming week.

 

I think you would enjoy the all-inclusive experience on any of the three lines.

[prunes10]

Not even the top luxury ships will include great chardonnays or any other great wine as part of the all inclusive price. There will always be surcharges for truly expensive items.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

I would recommend Seabourn, I certainly found it to be far better than my Regent experience, although that was very positive.

 

Always thought the wines on Seabourn were of very high quality!:)