25th Anniversary Cruise Ideas Needed!!

[DandyTwister]

Next year will be our 25th Anniversary. We've gone on 4 cruises and love cruising. We want to do a "bigger trip" to celebrate but can't decide what. We have been on 7 night cruises, all with Carnival, to Eastern and Western Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera.

We're looking for a longer cruise and different ports.

Any suggestions??

Also...anyone's input on Carnival vs. other cruise lines. We like Carnival...we find it fun, with enough to do during the day and evening to keep us nicely entertained. We are a little worried if other lines offer such a variety of things (we don't gamble or drink...nor really sit around the pool all day....we like the things like the trivia games and such, the shows at night....the comedians, a place to dance etc.).

We also like the rather "casual" feel of Carnival (although we enjoy getting dressed up for dinner) so we worry that other lines might be more "formal".

 

All suggestions welcome (we are in Canada...no where near a port city, so no specific port to depart from...but airfare is a consideration)

[jmf123]

Congratulations on the milestone! Depending on when and how far you'd like to travel, and considering you're in Canada...how about a Hawaiian Islands cruise from the west coast? In April Royal Caribbean's beautiful Radiance of the Seas departs from Honolulu on a 12 nt. Hawaiian Islands sailing that disembarks in Vancouver. In September she offers a 10 nt. Vancouver to Honolulu. Also in April, the Star Princess sails r.t. from San Francisco on a 15 day Hawaiian Islands cruise, and the Sapphire Princess has a 14 day Hawaiian Island itinerary r.t. from Los Angeles. Or there's always an Alaska cruise or cruise/tour to consider- depart from Vancouver or Seattle. A Mediterranean cruise would be great, or fly to Papeete, Tahiti and experience amazing French Polynesia on the 'Paul Gauguin'. Royal Caribbean and Princess both offer beautiful ships with activities to keep you busy (trivia and shows, the Radiance even has self-leveling billiard tables!), or plenty of places to just relax. Have fun planning and enjoy your anniversary! :)

[trish1c]

NCL is very casual & has lots to do.

To me, the mass market lines are more alike then different. There are some differences in on board amenities . . . if you want to go zip lining across the back, book Oasis. If you want to bowl pick an NCL ship. If you want great pizza & like watching movies by the pool, go with Princess. If you want to ice skate, you're back with RCL.

[Lsimon]

We like Celebrity. You'll find the service level is big notch up and the activity levels more subdued than Carnival. The ship also has dress codes for evenings (smart csual and a formal night or two) which create a more elegant atmosphere if that is the type of thing you'd enjoy.

 

Personally we think the overall atmosphere is more refined and love Celebrity. for something totally different do a Mediterainian cruise from Barcelona or Rome on one of their newer S class ships.

[momofmeg]

For our 25th we took a transatlantic from Dover England to New Jersey with stops at ports in England, France, Ireland, and Canada. We loved it so much, we are doing another transatlantic for out 30th, but this time from Rome with med ports before we cross.

 

Our friends recently took a cruise to Alaska for their 25th. The suggestion of Hawaii sounds great too. Not sure when you said you plan to go, but Celebrity Century is doing a repositioning cruise to Hawaii from California in November ( I think) this year. That would be a nice choice, as you could spend some time in Hawaii, after leaving the cruise, before returning home.

 

We have cruised Carnival a few times-our first cruise was Carnival-and so I must admit Carnival hooked us on cruising. But we have tried other lines and found we prefer several other lines. I am not saying we will never cruise Carnival again-they are just not our first or even 2nd or 3rd choice.

 

Celebrity is a nice line as one person mentioned. We also like NCL as another mentioned. However, Celebrity is a better quality line than NCL. We usually choose NCL when cruising with our daughter, as it is a decent budget line, she works in the school system, so when she can cruise, fares are pricer. When my husband and I cruise alone though, we normally pick a nicer line, but we do prefer NCL to Carnival.

[CaveDiving]

You might want to look at the Holland America "Voyage of the Vikings" on the ms Maasdam. It is around 35 days, RT from Boston, including Iceland, Greenland, and some European stops.

 

It leaves around the middle of July each year.

 

Scott & Karen

[momofmeg]

You might want to look at the Holland America "Voyage of the Vikings" on the ms Maasdam. It is around 35 days, RT from Boston, including Iceland, Greenland, and some European stops.

 

It leaves around the middle of July each year.

 

Scott & Karen

 

We would love to do that cruise-once my husband retires-he can not take that much time off from work at once-although he gets 5 weeks vacation each year. I would also like to see HAL use one of their vista class ships for that-well retirement is still 10 years away-they may by then.

[tracyanns]

Check out Princess out of Fort Lauderdale, they have some really nice 10-14 night itineraries to some nice places...good food and if you like CCL this is their next level line...not the off the wall things like the hairy chest contests and stuff but you get the nice shows, bars, etc...

[momofmeg]

Check out Princess out of Fort Lauderdale, they have some really nice 10-14 night itineraries to some nice places...good food and if you like CCL this is their next level line...not the off the wall things like the hairy chest contests and stuff but you get the nice shows, bars, etc...

 

The OP has done the Caribbean,also,westcoast Mexico,and is looking for something different and more special for the 25th anniversary celebration.

[SadieN]

How about a 14day Alaska on the HAL Amsterdam.

[LHT28]

You do not say how much longer you want or budget

I would look at the Baltic or Med cruise for more interesting ports of call ...totally different from your previous cruises

Maybe look at a more upscale line

 

Enjoy

[jmf123]

The OP has done the Caribbean,also,westcoast Mexico,and is looking for something different and more special for the 25th anniversary celebration.

 

Actually the OP stated wanting a "bigger cruise"- with a longer cruise duration and different ports. If they enjoy the Caribbean, the 10-14 day Princess sailings either from Ft. Lauderdale, or the more exotic Southern caribbean itinerary from San Juan could offer a very nice anniversary celebration. I also like the idea of Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti, Alaska, or Mediterranean...they have some great choices. :)

[caa]

Next year will be our 25th Anniversary. We've gone on 4 cruises and love cruising. We want to do a "bigger trip" to celebrate but can't decide what. We have been on 7 night cruises, all with Carnival, to Eastern and Western Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera.

We're looking for a longer cruise and different ports.

Any suggestions??

Also...anyone's input on Carnival vs. other cruise lines. We like Carnival...we find it fun, with enough to do during the day and evening to keep us nicely entertained. We are a little worried if other lines offer such a variety of things (we don't gamble or drink...nor really sit around the pool all day....we like the things like the trivia games and such, the shows at night....the comedians, a place to dance etc.).

We also like the rather "casual" feel of Carnival (although we enjoy getting dressed up for dinner) so we worry that other lines might be more "formal".

 

All suggestions welcome (we are in Canada...no where near a port city, so no specific port to depart from...but airfare is a consideration)

 

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary! We are also celebrating our 25th next year and wanted to do a "big" trip that would be different from anything we've done before. We tried for tix to the Olympics but were only able to get one day of Fencing (which would be fun to see, but not as the one and only event!) so we looked around for a cruise and found the 10-night Society Islands and Cook Islands trip on the Paul Gauguin. We've never been to the South Pacific and can't wait. I don't expect that there'll be a ton of daily activities like trivia, napkin folding, ice carving and cooking demonstrations, etc. We enjoy those things, but both of us also like relaxing with a good book or chatting with our fellow passengers, so I think we'll enjoy it.

 

We did a trip to Alaska in 2009 that was fantastic and might work for you. We did a one-week land tour followed by a cruise to Vancouver. The whole thing was through Princess, and the land tour was super easy as they do all the luggage handling, hotel check-ins, etc. You just show up in the lobby of the hotel at the appointed time each morning. We went to Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton Highway, but they have a lot of other itineraries to choose from as well.

[SuiteTraveler]

Since you have not yet done the Mediterranean, then, my suggestion would be an NCL cruise in the Med and since it is your 25th anniversary (extra special - Congrats!) spring for a Penthouse or above. You will love how completely casual NCL is and be wowed by how great the Penthouse or above is. If you can, even try to get a Courtyard Villa - which is a WOW experience - you will feel like you are on a private yacht! But even the window and balcony staterooms are very nice, large and have lots of storage - you can't go wrong!

 

That said, plan to spend at least 1 night on land prior to departure - it might be Barcelona, it might be Venice and then spend at least one night on land upon your return - especially if it is to a different port than your ship departed from! If it is somewhere amazing (Barcelona, Venice, etc.) then I would spend a couple of nights on land at both ends of the trip. You can book 7 - 14 day cruises, depending on what you want!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Do a 10 day on princess Emerald

[wantocruisemore]

I second the suggestion for the Med. We just did the RCCL Navigator Eastern Mediterranean with a pre-cruise stay in Rome. Entire trip was 13 days. Extra special with 3 generations going.

 

We love Carnival too but we also loved the Navigator. There really are more similarities than differences in the two lines. I know that Carnival Breeze next summer will have some great cruises around 12 days. May want to check into that.

 

Have fun planning! I'm going through trip withdrawal and trying to get my husband to commit to our place for next summer so I can start planning.

[momofmeg]

Since you have not yet done the Mediterranean, then, my suggestion would be an NCL cruise in the Med and since it is your 25th anniversary (extra special - Congrats!) spring for a Penthouse or above. You will love how completely casual NCL is and be wowed by how great the Penthouse or above is. If you can, even try to get a Courtyard Villa - which is a WOW experience - you will feel like you are on a private yacht! But even the window and balcony staterooms are very nice, large and have lots of storage - you can't go wrong!

 

That said, plan to spend at least 1 night on land prior to departure - it might be Barcelona, it might be Venice and then spend at least one night on land upon your return - especially if it is to a different port than your ship departed from! If it is somewhere amazing (Barcelona, Venice, etc.) then I would spend a couple of nights on land at both ends of the trip. You can book 7 - 14 day cruises, depending on what you want!

 

Wouldn't that Villa run at least $20.000 each? (I am thinking even more-as I saw a 7 day caribbean last minute bargain price of $9000 each a couple of years back) The OP has only done 7 day cruises in the caribbean and Mexican Riviera on Carnival. Now I agree they are probably looking for something more exotic than the southern caribbean-but you are talking about a big jump in price.

 

Of course- as the person who posted after you- they have not mentioned a budget. I can say though that the mini suites on NCL are very nice, and so are the balcony rooms, just slightly less than a mini suite, they have a shower instead of the MS small tub,and the toilet is not in an alcove, partially hidden, as in the MS. We have never done a penthouse-before we would do that we would pick an Amazara or Oceania cruise. However, We are just middle class and retiring in the next 10 years-so we could not in good conscience spend such a chunk of money for one vacation.

 

To the OP-NCL is a budget line overall but they do have penthouse suites that are kind've pricey; and also these villas that are very pricey (living room, 2 bedrooms,bathroom kitchenette, plus master suite with private bath) that come with extra perks, such as a pool accessible only to villa guests and their own private outdoor area that includes an out door hot tub. Also the penthouse and villas guests get perks such as breakfast in a dinning room others can't use. Several other perks.

 

Now, with the transatlantic we booked,(balcony room) and spending 8 nights in Italy (3 cities, Venice, Florence and finally Rome) before, plus air, we feel we can do our trip for the 2 of us for between 12,000 to $15,000.

[grand isle joe]

...how about dressing up as Superman and Lois Lane? Then who cares which line you cruise but only if they have a "do not disturb" door handle sign....;):D

[beachchick]

Wouldn't that Villa run at least $20.000 each? (I am thinking even more-as I saw a 7 day caribbean last minute bargain price of $9000 each a couple of years back) The OP has only done 7 day cruises in the caribbean and Mexican Riviera on Carnival. Now I agree they are probably looking for something more exotic than the southern caribbean-but you are talking about a big jump in price.

 

Of course- as the person who posted after you- they have not mentioned a budget. I can say though that the mini suites on NCL are very nice, and so are the balcony rooms, just slightly less than a mini suite, they have a shower instead of the MS small tub,and the toilet is not in an alcove, partially hidden, as in the MS. We have never done a penthouse-before we would do that we would pick an Amazara or Oceania cruise. However, We are just middle class and retiring in the next 10 years-so we could not in good conscience spend such a chunk of money for one vacation.

 

To the OP-NCL is a budget line overall but they do have penthouse suites that are kind've pricey; and also these villas that are very pricey (living room, 2 bedrooms,bathroom kitchenette, plus master suite with private bath) that come with extra perks, such as a pool accessible only to villa guests and their own private outdoor area that includes an out door hot tub. Also the penthouse and villas guests get perks such as breakfast in a dinning room others can't use. Several other perks.

 

Now, with the transatlantic we booked,(balcony room) and spending 8 nights in Italy (3 cities, Venice, Florence and finally Rome) before, plus air, we feel we can do our trip for the 2 of us for between 12,000 to $15,000.

 

You're talking about the Garden Villas, not the Courtyard Villas. The CVs are one or two bedrooms with the two bedroom villas setup exactly like the two bedroom family penthouses, but with Courtyard access and extra perks. Only the Jewel-class ships and Epic have the Courtyard; Epic's penthouses and villas are completely different from any of the other ships, so the setup and floor plans are not the same. The GVs have their own sundeck and private hottub, but no private pool. The GVs also receive six bottles of alcohol, a bottle of champagne, and unlimited sodas and bottled water; CVs and other full suites receive one bottle of bubbly and one large bottled water, but no other alcohol or soft drinks. The GVs, CVs, and Owner's Suites all have access to the Courtyard with its small pool, large hottub, retractable roof, lounging area, eating area, small sauna, small workout room, and sundeck above. On Epic, the other full suites also have Courtyard (and other) access, but not on the Jewel-class ships. All full suites on all ships have butler and concierge service, VIP boarding/disembarkation/tender tix, special dining for breakfast and lunch, and other VIP benefits.

 

In any case, CVs are nowhere near $20,000/person, although they are not cheap by any means. For example, on a 10 night cruise the range might be $4,000-$7,000/person depending on itinerary and time of year. The CVs are delightful. For a 25th anniversary, the Owner's Suites or Deluxe Owner's Suites might be an outstanding choice, depending on budget and preferences, of course. The "basic" level Penthouses (an oxymoron to be sure) are smaller, have no Courtyard access, and not quite as many perks, but they are also very nice and much more affordable.

 

beachchick

[momofmeg]

You're talking about the Garden Villas, not the Courtyard Villas. The CVs are one or two bedrooms with the two bedroom villas setup exactly like the two bedroom family penthouses, but with Courtyard access and extra perks. Only the Jewel-class ships and Epic have the Courtyard; Epic's penthouses and villas are completely different from any of the other ships, so the setup and floor plans are not the same. The GVs have their own sundeck and private hottub, but no private pool. The GVs also receive six bottles of alcohol, a bottle of champagne, and unlimited sodas and bottled water; CVs and other full suites receive one bottle of bubbly and one large bottled water, but no other alcohol or soft drinks. The GVs, CVs, and Owner's Suites all have access to the Courtyard with its small pool, large hottub, retractable roof, lounging area, eating area, small sauna, small workout room, and sundeck above. On Epic, the other full suites also have Courtyard (and other) access, but not on the Jewel-class ships. All full suites on all ships have butler and concierge service, VIP boarding/disembarkation/tender tix, special dining for breakfast and lunch, and other VIP benefits.

 

In any case, CVs are nowhere near $20,000/person, although they are not cheap by any means. For example, on a 10 night cruise the range might be $4,000-$7,000/person depending on itinerary and time of year. The CVs are delightful. For a 25th anniversary, the Owner's Suites or Deluxe Owner's Suites might be an outstanding choice, depending on budget and preferences, of course. The "basic" level Penthouses (an oxymoron to be sure) are smaller, have no Courtyard access, and not quite as many perks, but they are also very nice and much more affordable.

 

beachchick

 

Still too much in my opinion-for the difference I can pay for a week in Italy. I will stick with my Equinox balcony we have for our transatlantic. Now we did almost book a 10 day Oceania balcony that included airfare on a special sale of $3400 a person. Unfortunately, we hesitated (to think about it) and a week later the price had gone up to $7000 a person. If you ever see a sale like that for Oceania, know that you must jump on it.

[beachchick]

Still too much in my opinion-for the difference I can pay for a week in Italy. I will stick with my Equinox balcony we have for our transatlantic. Now we did almost book a 10 day Oceania balcony that included airfare on a special sale of $3400 a person. Unfortunately, we hesitated (to think about it) and a week later the price had gone up to $7000 a person. If you ever see a sale like that for Oceania, know that you must jump on it.

 

I agree completely. The only reason we were able to cruise in a CV was that it was the first week of December, it was the one bedroom (and the only suite remaining after three rounds of upsell calls), we already had a great mini-suite with a senior discount and some OBC, and that 3rd upsell offer was for $300/person. We had said no to the other offers because we felt that $300/person to move up only one category to the lowest level aft penthouse was not worth it to us, but we could not resist the Courtyard offer at that price. Our total cruise fare was only $250 more per person than our last RCI cruise's balcony cabin. They were really desparate for our aft mini-suite, I guess. Oh, and the policy at that time was for unlimited soft drinks and bottled water for CVs as well as GVs and OSs. That meant we didn't have to purchase the soda package for our club soda needs and didn't have to buy cans of Diet Coke for my DH's morning fix.

 

What an utter bummer about the Oceania deal. I'm afraid we would have done the same thing. Even at that price, it's something we have to think about and discuss because that's the cost of two cruises on our usual cruise lines (RCI, NCL, Princess) balconies. My mom cruised on Oceania a couple of times, including the western Med. She absolutely loved it. I hope this doesn't sound too morbid, but here goes: Since my mom died last winter, her mail is being forwarded to me so I can take care of things. We've received a few sale brochures from Oceania offering really great deals on certain itineraries. I confess we've perused the brochures and drooled over a few offerings. It's just not something we can plan for right now, but you might want to check Oceania's website and see if the 50% off sale is for everyone, rather than just returning passengers. As I recall, the cruises in the brochures encompassed both the western and eastern Med, and several itineraries in the Caribbean with cruise dates this coming winter and next year.

 

I know you'll have a wonderful cruise on Equinox.:)

 

beachchick

[momofmeg]

I agree completely. The only reason we were able to cruise in a CV was that it was the first week of December, it was the one bedroom (and the only suite remaining after three rounds of upsell calls), we already had a great mini-suite with a senior discount and some OBC, and that 3rd upsell offer was for $300/person. We had said no to the other offers because we felt that $300/person to move up only one category to the lowest level aft penthouse was not worth it to us, but we could not resist the Courtyard offer at that price. Our total cruise fare was only $250 more per person than our last RCI cruise's balcony cabin. They were really desparate for our aft mini-suite, I guess. Oh, and the policy at that time was for unlimited soft drinks and bottled water for CVs as well as GVs and OSs. That meant we didn't have to purchase the soda package for our club soda needs and didn't have to buy cans of Diet Coke for my DH's morning fix.

 

What an utter bummer about the Oceania deal. I'm afraid we would have done the same thing. Even at that price, it's something we have to think about and discuss because that's the cost of two cruises on our usual cruise lines (RCI, NCL, Princess) balconies. My mom cruised on Oceania a couple of times, including the western Med. She absolutely loved it. I hope this doesn't sound too morbid, but here goes: Since my mom died last winter, her mail is being forwarded to me so I can take care of things. We've received a few sale brochures from Oceania offering really great deals on certain itineraries. I confess we've perused the brochures and drooled over a few offerings. It's just not something we can plan for right now, but you might want to check Oceania's website and see if the 50% off sale is for everyone, rather than just returning passengers. As I recall, the cruises in the brochures encompassed both the western and eastern Med, and several itineraries in the Caribbean with cruise dates this coming winter and next year.

 

I know you'll have a wonderful cruise on Equinox.:)

 

beachchick

 

The Oceania sale runs until Dec. 31 this year (I think- or something like that) so I thought we would have plenty of time. I guess a lot of people jumped on it very quickly which ran up the price of staterooms, as only higher categories were left. All the Europe Oceania cruises went up-not just the med ones. So if you are ever notified of the half price Oceania sale that includes airfare-jump on it.

 

If I could get a courtyard villa for $300 more than a minisuite I would jump on it too. The cruise that we had a minisuite we paid $900 each for a 7 day, (originally we booked a balcony for $850 each but prices dropped so we paid only $100 more) but the Courtyard villa was going for $9000 each I thought but maybe it was $4500 each-so I was thinking $9000 for 2? I think even the penthouses were more than $300 difference on that cruise. If I remember correctly it would have been $1500 total more for the 3 of us.

[dandm]

For our 25th we did a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii on RCCl Serenade of the Seas. Spent a day in Vancouver before and a couple days in Hawaii afterwards. It was wonderful!!!! The days at sea at the beginning were great to be able to relax and rest up for the adventures in Hawaii.

 

For our 30th we did a Med cruise on NCL Jade. It was also awesome. Saw so many sights that we never thought we would.

 

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a wonderful time!

[momofmeg]

The Oceania sale runs until Dec. 31 this year (I think- or something like that) so I thought we would have plenty of time. I guess a lot of people jumped on it very quickly which ran up the price of staterooms, as only higher categories were left. All the Europe Oceania cruises went up-not just the med ones. So if you are ever notified of the half price Oceania sale that includes airfare-jump on it.

 

If I could get a courtyard villa for $300 more than a minisuite I would jump on it too. The cruise that we had a minisuite we paid $900 each for a 7 day, (originally we booked a balcony for $850 each but prices dropped so we paid only $100 more) but the Courtyard villa was going for $9000 each I thought but maybe it was $4500 each-so I was thinking $9000 for 2? I think even the penthouses were more than $300 difference on that cruise. If I remember correctly it would have been $1500 total more for the 3 of us.

 

I meant $900 each for my husband and I. Our daughter as third person was $500? I think and it did not go up from balcony to minisuite. Her fare would have gone up for penthouse-(not all hold 3 people though, as someone on our roll call upgraded for $500 total more over a minisuite-but it held just 2 people-the 3 people penthouse suites were considerably more) It seems like (I may be wrong) although the courtyard villa was so much more-it seems additional people over 2, were no more in cost-but heck-at that price they should be no more-LOL!

[MMMD]

Next year will be our 25th Anniversary. We've gone on 4 cruises and love cruising. We want to do a "bigger trip" to celebrate but can't decide what. We have been on 7 night cruises, all with Carnival, to Eastern and Western Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera.

We're looking for a longer cruise and different ports.

Any suggestions??

Also...anyone's input on Carnival vs. other cruise lines. We like Carnival...we find it fun, with enough to do during the day and evening to keep us nicely entertained. We are a little worried if other lines offer such a variety of things (we don't gamble or drink...nor really sit around the pool all day....we like the things like the trivia games and such, the shows at night....the comedians, a place to dance etc.).

We also like the rather "casual" feel of Carnival (although we enjoy getting dressed up for dinner) so we worry that other lines might be more "formal".

 

All suggestions welcome (we are in Canada...no where near a port city, so no specific port to depart from...but airfare is a consideration)

 

For me, no cruise line comes close to NCL when you sail in one of their Suites.

 

The perks you will receive are outstanding, and you'll be spoiled from the moment you arrive at the pier.

 

We celebrated our Anniversary on the NCL Jewel this past January, and are still talking about how wonderful it was. It was also our first cruise experience, but won't be our last.

 

I would splurge on a Suite for your Anniversary and be sure to include some of their Specialty Restaurants for dining.

 

You will have a great time.