Which luxury line is the least stuffy? ;)

[Travelcat2]

On 2/9/2020 at 9:08 AM, orchestrapal said:

However not one of the aforementioned lines are LUXURY..

 

 

Thank you for bringing up that point! 

 

We have been on three of the four most recognized luxury cruise ships (those being Crystal, Regent and Silversea).  While all three were wonderful, in different ways, Silversea, due to the formal dress code, feels the most stuffy (even though the passenger really are not).  I did not realize until reading this thread that what we saw on Crystal (t-shirts and workout clothes at dinner in the horrible Brazillian restaurant was permissible).  While onboard, we were taken aback by the informality of that dining venue (as well as the food that wasn't quite as good as McDonald's!  

 

To be honest, I am Regent customer that has tried other luxury lines to determine if they would suit us more than Regent (they do not).  Regent's passengers, in general, are friendly, outgoing and not judgmental of others.  That is one of many reasons why we sail Regent.

[HPfoodie]

On 2/11/2020 at 9:15 PM, CruisySusie said:

I agree completely! Thank you so much for putting my thoughts into words 🙂  I ended up booking the cruise with Crystal on the Barcelona to Rome cruise starting 6/26.  The ports will be interesting to all of us and all of the beachy excursions seem perfect for my daughter and her bf.  Thank you to everyone for all the info!

Glad you chose this one. We are on this too, first time on Crystal. Very much looking forward to it, and hope it is not at all stuffy! 

[Silver Sweethearts]

On 2/26/2020 at 4:59 AM, SecretFruity said:

 

SecretFruity asks: "Curious as to why Windstar is not considered 'luxury'?"  The first thing that comes to mind is that it is not all-inclusive.

Edited February 28, 2020 by Silver Sweethearts

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

SecretFruity asks: "Curious as to why Windstar is not considered 'luxury'?"  The first thing that comes to mind is that it is not all-inclusive.

Why is Crystal considered luxury?

It is not all inclusive  

[Silver Sweethearts]

We do believe they advertise themselves as such.

[oakridger]

Crystal is all inclusive except excursions and air.  Food, alcohol, gratuities are included.

[LHT28]

10 hours ago, oakridger said:

Crystal is all inclusive except excursions and air.  Food, alcohol, gratuities are included.

HMMM

Azamara  has Food alcohol & Gratuities included   ...are they a luxury line??

[ducklite]

While Windstar doesn't include alcohol, it's also considerably less expensive than the other luxury ships.  Those who don't drink or prefer to pay-as-they-go appreciate that they aren't subsidizing the consumption of others. All dining on Windstar is included as are all soft drinks including specialty coffees and such.    

[orchestrapal]

On 2/28/2020 at 9:41 AM, LHT28 said:

HMMM

Azamara  has Food alcohol & Gratuities included   ...are they a luxury line??

NO they are considered premium....

[orchestrapal]

On 2/27/2020 at 10:43 PM, Silver Sweethearts said:

We do believe they advertise themselves as such.

Because that is what they are and always have been. Try them to experience for yourself.

 

[wripro]

On 3/4/2020 at 7:54 AM, orchestrapal said:

Because that is what they are and always have been. Try them to experience for yourself.

 

And then post about it on the appropriate board.

[CruisySusie]

Thanks very much for the info! Wishing now that I had checked out Regent!  We ended up booking on Crystal Barcelona - Rome on 6/24.  The ports and excursions seemed fun and the dates worked for all of us.  Thanks again for the input; I’m saving it in my travel file 😊

[LHT28]

6 hours ago, CruisySusie said:

Thanks very much for the info! Wishing now that I had checked out Regent!  We ended up booking on Crystal Barcelona - Rome on 6/24.  The ports and excursions seemed fun and the dates worked for all of us.  Thanks again for the input; I’m saving it in my travel file 😊

well hope Crystal works  for you

It was not our  "cup of tea"

YMMV

[CruisySusie]

😄lots of strong and varying opinions on this topic! Thanks again 

[orchestrapal]

On 3/6/2020 at 7:53 PM, CruisySusie said:

Thanks very much for the info! Wishing now that I had checked out Regent!  We ended up booking on Crystal Barcelona - Rome on 6/24.  The ports and excursions seemed fun and the dates worked for all of us.  Thanks again for the input; I’m saving it in my travel file 😊

 

 

You made a great choice now just go and enjoy😁 and forget the negativity.

 

[CruiserFromMaine]

On 2/17/2020 at 2:49 PM, LHT28 said:

The Brazilian place is  a joke   IMO

And in my opinion, it is worth a visit. Just providing a balance. 

[Travelcat2]

On 2/28/2020 at 6:41 AM, LHT28 said:

HMMM

Azamara  has Food alcohol & Gratuities included   ...are they a luxury line??

 

The quality of the alcohol is not the same as on Crystal (Crystal having top shelf beverages included).  IMHO, Crystal is definitely a luxury cruise line (as are Silversea, Regent and Seabourn).  We have not sailed on Seabourn but have sailed on Crystal, Silversea and Regent.  For us, Regent meets fits our needs better than Silversea or Crystal but we did enjoy our cruises on both lines.  Others may prefer Silversea for their formality and still others prefer Crystal. 

 

Some people prefer luxury-lite cruise lines while others prefer luxury.  It is a personal preference and is all good!

[wripro]

And it's great to have choices so we can all sail the line that makes us happiest.

[LHT28]

5 minutes ago, wripro said:

And it's great to have choices so we can all sail the line that makes us happiest.

Finally we  agree on something  😉

[wripro]

23 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Finally we  agree on something  😉

Now I can die happy.

[chefchick]

I cannot recommend staying in the "luxury section" of a large cruise ship.  We have been in the luxury section of NCL and Celebrity.  Once you leave the private dining room and lounge for suite guests, you are on a mainstream or premium cruise line.  Definitely not a luxury experience

 

Travelcat/OP - I’m going to give a different perspective here.  Although I have only tried this concept once (Yacht Club on MSC Seaside) and our only luxury line (so far) has been Seabourn, we found the YC to be a wonderful (and considerably less expensive) alternative ....no it was not luxury, per say, but it was pretty much all inclusive (or as much as Seabourn was).  Our suite was almost as large (and I actually preferred the bathroom).  The food was not as “sophisticated” and service not as “polished”, but we certainly enjoyed it.  Yes, once you leave the confines of the YC you are on a massive ship, but we enjoyed having the multiple Nightly entertainment and Lounge options which we don’t get on SB...my point is, it can be nice alternative to someone looking for upgraded service and food paired with the bells and whistles that come with a large ship.  I wouldn’t necessarily want to do this in the Med where itinerary is king (I prefer the smaller ports only the small ships can provide), but for a “been there, done that” Caribbean vacation at a great price?  I think it’s a value that can’t be beat. YVMV 

 

 

[Travelcat2]

chefchick - thank you for posting your perspective.  Although almost all of our cruises have been luxury cruise lines, we did sail on the NCL Bliss for her christening cruise in The Haven and sailed in a top suite on Celebrity so we have had that experience.  In our case, the food was the main issue on both cruise lines.  We enjoyed Celebrity but found ourselves going outside of the ship (port intensive cruise) for lunch every day since the restaurant for the suites was not always open and the dining choices at lunch were poor (food looked great but the quality was not there).

 

I agree that it is a lower cost alternative to luxury cruising but have learned that when you book a top suite on Celebrity (for instance) and add in everything that is not included (particularly Business Class International Air - something that is included on Regent), the price difference is very close.  

 

Take the cost of sailing in the luxury section of a cruise line and add in flights, some excursions, tips, the cost of specialty restaurants and alcohol as well speciality coffee drinks (with or without alcohol), you may be surprised by how much extra this costs.  

 

In any case, it is a good alternative but it is sure nice to not sign for anything on a luxury cruise line.

[MBP&O2/O]

To reverse the scenario ... process by elimination ... which luxury line would experienced cruisers consider the ‘most stuffy’?
Which has the strictest dress code?
Which is the most ‘formal’? By that I do not mean multiple black tie nights [emoji6]
Which line is most likely to enforce their dress code?

My understanding is Cunard is the most stuffy but they are not luxury per se.

[orchestrapal]

5 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

To reverse the scenario ... process by elimination ... which luxury line would experienced cruisers consider the ‘most stuffy’?
Which has the strictest dress code?
Which is the most ‘formal’? By that I do not mean multiple black tie nights
Which line is most likely to enforce their dress code?

My understanding is Cunard is the most stuffy but they are not luxury per se.

 

Cunard is NOT luxury in any way. What they call luxury is Queens Grill which is fifties food in an unimpressive room with stuffy overly pompous people. Once and never again!

[vistaman]

On 8/9/2020 at 1:19 AM, orchestrapal said:

Cunard is NOT luxury in any way. What they call luxury is Queens Grill which is fifties food in an unimpressive room with stuffy overly pompous people. Once and never again!

I agree with you in full ... some of the food was identical to my first cruise on the former QE2 in 1990

and sommeliers constantly trying to sell you a more expensive bottle  

and the party even for QG guests was a very poor performance with basic drinks   -  sparkling wine and the cheapest brands 

never again !!