Which 6 star lines are most like Cunard ?

[edwardh1]

Maybe its too broad a question, and may vary by ship as much as by cruise line, and assuming Cunard is a 5 star line, which of the 6 star lines (do those exist?) are like Cunard, i.e. not huge ships with "super slides" but with a little more casualness, and perhaps more luxury? Not necessarily cheaper.

Opinions?

[Host Hattie]

Just to let you know, I've moved this question into a new thread as it wasn't really answering the original question or followed on from it.

[jimmybean]

I would say "none." Cunard isn't a six-star line. Not to say it isn't lovely and a happy experience to sail on Cunard. But, "six stars" does not apply. (In my opinion…)

[Host Hattie]

The Cruise Critic article on luxury cruising includes the following as Traditional luxury - Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn Cruise Line, SeaDream Yacht Club.

 

I've not sailed on any of them but from what I have read I don't think any of them are particularly "like" Cunard.

[majortom10]

Also because of the tier of dining you might find Queens Grill could be 5 star and Britannia restaurant 4 star on the same ship so can only compare personally to what you normally book.

[pepperrn]

I would rate Cunard as:

Britannia 3+/4 star.

Queens Grill 4+ star.

(Princess Grill hovering somewhere between the two).

 

I don't see Britannia as higher because the MDR isn't "fine dining", it is very good/excellent banquet-style dining with plated food and no silver-service (and two fixed seating times). I doubt you could feed over 1,300 people in one go unless you used banquet style catering.

 

I don't see the Grills as 5 star because none of the ships have large facilities exclusive to the Grills. For example, whilst all three have private decks none have exclusive pools, gyms, spas, etc. On QM2 there is one hot tub for Grills passengers (but not so on QE/QV). All three have private sun decks, dining rooms and a lounge.

But all other facilities (bars, lounges, theatres, shopping, beauty salon, night club etc) are not exclusive to Grills passengers alone. So it is difficult to give the Grills 5 Stars if Grill passengers have to mix with the likes of me (aka Riff-Raff! :D ).

 

Don't get me wrong, I love my times on board in Britannia Grade (not tried the Grills... yet ;) ... ). But I accept all the good parts and enjoy every single second.

 

I read somewhere, a long time ago, that:

1. In the old days 1st Class was an exclusive, rigidly-enforced, off-limits-to-others section on the best ships.

2. However these days, on most vessels, all passengers have the run of the whole ship.

3. But that off-limits-to-others 1st Class still exists, but has become even more exclusive... and much easier to police... by moving it from a mere section of a ship's hull... to a completely different hull!

Enter 5+ Star Silversea/Crystal/Seabourn et al.

Edited September 13, 2015 by pepperrn

[Jim Avery]

The Cruise Critic article on luxury cruising includes the following as Traditional luxury - Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn Cruise Line, SeaDream Yacht Club.

 

I've not sailed on any of them but from what I have read I don't think any of them are particularly "like" Cunard.

 

Cunard is nothing like Seabourn or SeaDream. Cats & Dogs.:D

[edwardh1]

Maybe its too broad a question, and may vary by ship as much as by cruise line, and assuming Cunard is a 5 star line, which of the 6 star lines (do those exist?) are like Cunard, i.e. not huge ships with "super slides" but with a little more casualness, and perhaps more luxury? Not necessarily cheaper.

Opinions?

 

In answering my question many when comparing talk only about the food, I was trying to get an idea of which lines "overall " are higher rated than cunard.

[rafinmd]

I once posted this on the Crystal forum a few years ago. It was from the perspective of a Crystal cruiser but I think the translation to a Cunarder's point of view should not be too hard.

 

I have been off line at sea for a few days and you may already have made your decision, but here goes.

 

I have never sailed on Seabourn but have on Cunard, and will again in 3 days. I prefer to reserve the term mass-market for Carnival, NCL, and perhaps (I have never sailed them) RCI, and use the term mainstream for Cunard and others. Of the mainstream lines, I think Cunard is the most like Crystal. That’s a bit of a double edged sword. The upside is that most of the things I love with Crystal I like with Cunard. The downside is that Cunard does not have advantages like the large fleet and multitude of itineraries of Princess or HAL or the smoke-free policies of Celebrity. There is very little about Cunard that is better than Crystal; in nearly every category they are a step or two behind.

 

There are 3 positives I see to Cunard. Their prices are generally lower than Crystal, although every cruise is different, and their single supplement can overshadow that advantage in some cases. Since you’ve found a cruise you like at a price you are comfortable with, it sounds like advantage Cunard there. (Just be sure your budget will cover desired shore excursions, air, and the lack of AYWC). The second thing is the QM2 promenade deck (but not QV or QE). Crystal’s are more elegant, but QM2's wraparound deck is better protected from the weather and rarely are entrances closed due to winds as often happens on Crystal ships. It is also has some wind protection at the bow. The final thing I like about Cunard is the regular Atlantic crossings which I have often combined successfully with other travel plans. For me, a Cunard crossing is not special but is much preferable to flying. That does not sound like a consideration for you.

 

Now for a few specifics. If others disagree with these comments dissenting opinions are welcomed:

 

I am at least 90% sure Cunard also has gentlemen hosts. If I find out next week that is not ture I will report it. There is a thread on the Cunard forum that might have some more helpful information:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=748144

 

Spiritual support: Both have a Priest who does daily mass. On Crystal Sundays at sea the Priest also does a non-denominational service, on Cunard the Captain officiates at a non-denominational service although he uses the Anglican liturgy.

 

Dining: I have always used the standard restaurant. I have found nothing wrong with it. It is probably harder to order off menu and you will not have a head waiter preparing special deserts at your table but I’ve never had a problem with either service or food. I have been seated with a combination of couples and solos. The specialty restaurant (Todd English in my experience, I believe it’s something else on the new Queen Elizabeth) is about $20 for lunch and $30 for dinner (I think) and is certainly much cheaper than going to the grills (that’s almost certainly more expensive than Crystal and you still aren’t on a Crystal ship). I will try the next step up (Britannia Club) on a 2-day mini-cruise next week and will report on that. Lido dining is not great but the dining room is open for nearly every meal (the main exception is embarkation day lunch). The Lido on QV and QE is much better than Kings Court on QM2.

 

The quality of the enrichment programs is fairly similar on both lines, but on Cunard you are pretty much a listener with little opportunity for audience feedback and interchange. I also have the impression Cunard’s speakers do less mixing with passengers in the course of the day than do Crystal’s. I have enjoyed the company of at least 3 of Crystal’s speakers either as tour escorts or otherwise off the ship while that has never happened to me with Cunard.

 

The entertainment variety and programs are fairly similar. The main difference I have noticed is that on Cunard you have singers and dancers and the roles of the two are rarely mixed. Either model can produce a great show but I find the Crystal model of having the dancers involved in the vocals produces a richer effect. Both lines offer a mixture of the resident ensemble and a variety of acts brought in for classical, comedy, and other types of acts for a varied entertainment program.

 

I find Cunard’s shore excursions a step behind Crystal’s. They are more bureaucratic as you will go to the Queens room and be given a sticker which puts you on a specific bus. This is pretty much a final assignment, and at least in theory can not be changed if someone you know shows up later and is on the same tour but gets assigned to another bus; you are unlikely to be able to travel together. I believe Cunard tends to pretty much fill up each bus while Crystal seems to add additional busses well before capacity is reached so the busses are significantly less crowded. Both lines assign ship’s escorts but Cunard’s typically seem to be less involved with the passengers than do Crystal’s who usually monitor the participant experience quite closely.

 

I would say that Cunard is somewhat more formal than Crystal. In 39 nights with Cunard I have had only 1 that was truly casual, and it is not at all unusual to have nights that are at least “Semi-formal”, more formal than Crystal’s informal, on port days. There is some offsetting effect since Cunard’s lido is open every night but I don’t really consider dinner in the lido an attractive alternative.

 

Crystal’s rooms tend to be better appointed with a full bath in every room whereas Cunard has a number with just showers, but you can verify the amenities of your specific stateroom.

 

One area where IMHO Cunard gets an unjustified bad rap is the idea of “the caste system”. I think this is more of an artifact of having some class structure combined with a tradition of class separation than of a real difference in today’s world. On the original Queen Mary First and Second class passengers were rigidly divided and would only see each other at church. QE2 was much more open but the Grills rooms were in a truly separate section of the ship with an entrance through the Grill restaurant. On QM2 there are budget and Grill cabins directly across the hall from each other although a portion of the inside of the promenade deck is the restricted Grill Lounge. On QE and QV the Grills and Lounges are at the front of the top deck in a contiguous area with the other 95% of the ship open to everybody. I believe Celebrety has Blu restaurant which is open only to a certain grade of cabin and HAL has Pinnacle restaurant with the same restrictions. Some lines have sections of the show lounge restricted to certain grades of cabins; Cunard has none of that. With most cruise lines people who pay more get more. Even on Crystal, some people have butlers have butlers but I don’t. Does that bother me? Not in the least, and neither does having a few people on Cunard dine where I can’t .

 

Will you have a Crystal experience on Cunard? Absolutely not. But every year (actually most every VOYAGE) Cunard has thousands of satisfied customers. Can you be satisfied with Cunard after experiencing Crystal? Only you can decide that and you may have to try it first hand to be sure.

 

<SMIP>

Roy

 

A few details have changed since this was posted but not enough to really affect the comparison.

 

I still love both cruise lines and continue to sail them interchangeably, looking forward to 19 days on Cunard followed closely by 38 on Crystal starting in January.

 

Roy

[wripro]

One of the nice things about sailing on different lines is having different experiences. Sail Cunard for what it is and enjoy that. (five stars in QG but the rest of the ship far below.) Sail the luxury lines for what they offer. You can enjoy them all.

[keithm]

The Cruise Critic article on luxury cruising includes the following as Traditional luxury - Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn Cruise Line, SeaDream Yacht Club.

 

I've not sailed on any of them but from what I have read I don't think any of them are particularly "like" Cunard.

What about Hapog LLoyd? Their Europa1 & Europa2 ships score highest of any line.

[Keith1010]

I would say Crystal because of aspects such as its enrichment offerings during the daytime.

 

Keith

Edited September 14, 2015 by Keith1010

[ancientmariner]

Although other amenities may be considered below par, QM2's daytime 'enrichment' activities compare well with Crystal's. See Canuker's post "QM2: All 8 days' events, in one file."

[vahobbit]

I am quite surprised by a few of the things I have read about Crystal. I keep reading that they are meant to be more luxurious but then I have read a couple of things that I did not expect from them being more luxurious. For example, the comment that Crystal is less formal than Cunard. And somewhere I read that they have done away with bedtime chocolates. When people say that Crystal is more luxurious are they referring more to the service as I know they have a far higher crew to passenger ratio? I am just interested to know as I had been thinking of trying a Crystal cruise.

[fantasy51]

My understanding is that luxury applies to what is on the ship (e.g. service, quality of decor, food) rather than what we bring onto it (e.g. clothes). The clothing policy has nothing to do with standards of luxury, but is rather a deliberate choice.

[vahobbit]

My understanding is that luxury applies to what is on the ship (e.g. service, quality of decor, food) rather than what we bring onto it (e.g. clothes). The clothing policy has nothing to do with standards of luxury, but is rather a deliberate choice.

 

I was not only saying about the clothing policy hence why I mentioned the little touches like bedtime chocolates. Of course it is chiefly to do with service, decor and food but I do not think I would be alone in thinking that clothing policy might be of some relevance to some people.

[fantasy51]

I think clothing is a difficult one. It seems to me that the most expensive lines (therefore presumably the most luxurious in terms of service) stick to resort-style clothes rather than formal clothes. The majority of people are not interested in formal clothes on a cruise. Cunard is different; the formal clothes policy is what makes Cunard so special and so loved by many of us.

 

I am surprised by the lack of chocolates. However, on my last cruise I hardly ate any of the provided chocolates. I did, however, buy a block of expensive nut chocolate at one of the ports and enjoyed that much more than any of the turn-down offerings.

[ancientmariner]

Crystal use to provide pillow chocolates. However, they would often find them all left in a drawer at the end of a cruise. This was wasteful, so they discontinued them. Suites receive a box of chocolates, and, if requested, chocolate truffle petit fours are always available at the end of dinner. A chocolate fountain with fruit is provided at the Bistro late at night. No need to go without your regular chocolate fix.

[avalon1025]

I'm about to board Serenity in a few weeks, I think Crystal is a great product, but nothing special in and about the cabins. I can still remember special cabin things on Seabourn (turn down with strawberries and after dinner drinks) or on Silversea (Godiva chocolates on your pillow on special nights), but on Crystal you are lucky to get an extra bottle of shampoo or turn down without running down your stewardess (based on my last three Crystal cruises on Serenity and Symphony)

[rafinmd]

Crystal use to provide pillow chocolates. However, they would often find them all left in a drawer at the end of a cruise. This was wasteful, so they discontinued them. Suites receive a box of chocolates, and, if requested, chocolate truffle petit fours are always available at the end of dinner. A chocolate fountain with fruit is provided at the Bistro late at night. No need to go without your regular chocolate fix.

 

As do regular passengers after a certain number of cruises.

 

Roy

[wripro]

Formal clothes have absolutely nothing to do with luxury except in the minds of those who want to wear formal clothes. There is nothing luxury about the vast majority of Cunard ships (with the possible exception of Queens Grill, and then only in the restaurant) yet more people dress formally than on the true luxury lines.

[edwardh1]

Formal clothes have absolutely nothing to do with luxury except in the minds of those who want to wear formal clothes. There is nothing luxury about the vast majority of Cunard ships (with the possible exception of Queens Grill, and then only in the restaurant) yet more people dress formally than on the true luxury lines.

 

 

and the true luxury lines are .......??

[avalon1025]

and the true luxury lines are .......??

 

I would say: Seabourn, Crystal, Silversea, Regent, Hapag

[wripro]

And Sea Dream. Yes, those posted above are the true luxury lines.