stickey_mouse Posted January 21, 2021 #1 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Since we cannot cruise right now, let's have some fun and think back on the good ol' days. 🙂 I consider the contributors on this HAL board to be very well traveled, and I really value your feedback. What are the "Top 5" itineraries on which you have sailed? Please rank them in order (#1 being the best/winner). Please only include itineraries that are 21-days or less (world tours would obviously be the best, so please refrain, or at least tell us the best "leg" of it). Likewise, for B2B cruises, please break them up and rate separately. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising-along Posted January 21, 2021 #2 Share Posted January 21, 2021 1 hour ago, stickey_mouse said: Since we cannot cruise right now, let's have some fun and think back on the good ol' days. 🙂 I consider the contributors on this HAL board to be very well traveled, and I really value your feedback. What are the "Top 5" itineraries on which you have sailed? Please rank them in order (#1 being the best/winner). Please only include itineraries that are 21-days or less (world tours would obviously be the best, so please refrain, or at least tell us the best "leg" of it). Likewise, for B2B cruises, please break them up and rate separately. 1. Eastern Med 2. Western Med 3. Voyage of the Vikings (I know the round trip is more than 21 days, but with this cruise you can take the first or second half *if* we must stick to 21 days or less). 😉 4. Baltics 5. Holy Land I still have a few more on my bucket list (Australia/NZ and Antarctica) so obviously my list may change! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iancal Posted January 22, 2021 #3 Share Posted January 22, 2021 South America Eastern Med Australia New Zealand Western Med Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare richwmn Posted January 22, 2021 #4 Share Posted January 22, 2021 I agree with @Cruising-alongabout Western Med and VoV (either direction). I would add the 14 Day Alaska, Reposition from Vancouver to Ft Lauderdale and Australia New Zealand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Lady Arwen Posted January 22, 2021 #5 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Baltics British Isles western Med VOV Hawaii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJcruzer Posted January 22, 2021 #6 Share Posted January 22, 2021 1- Viking passage 2- Japan 3- Eastern Med/Adriatic 4- South America 5- Australia/New Zealand Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted January 22, 2021 #7 Share Posted January 22, 2021 So. America w/Antarctica Voyage of the Vikings---first trip (went as far east as St. Petersburg) New Zealand Hong Kong to Japan Viking Passage 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelholics Posted January 22, 2021 #8 Share Posted January 22, 2021 South America and Antarctica The Baltic Singapore to Hong Kong Norway to the North Cape Eastern Med, including Malta 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted January 22, 2021 #9 Share Posted January 22, 2021 2 hours ago, stickey_mouse said: What are the "Top 5" itineraries on which you have sailed? Please rank them in order (#1 being the best/winner). Please only include itineraries that are 21-days or less Very restrictive, OP, but, an interesting question nonetheless. #1: 1970, Rotterdam V, an 11 day Caribbean cruise from New York--my first #2: 1971, Rotterdam V, a 9 day Caribbean cruise from New York with my Mother and Brother We were celebrating my Brother's graduation from college and my Mother's feelings (though she never said as much, but must have felt): all of the "baby birds" have left the nest! #3: 1977, S. S. Monterey, a 3 week cruise Los Angeles-Honolulu-Honolulu-Los Angeles cruise with my Mother. A visit to Hawaii had been a bucket list dream of hers. Financially, I was able to provide that for her. It included First Class flights to/from Los Angeles. (These were her first flights.) The experience included an overnight at Hotel Queen Mary. #4: 2017, Nieuw Amsterdam, a 7 day New Year's cruise to the Western Caribbean with three very good friends, one of who was a former colleague and whose two sons I taught. We had cruised on others, including VOV, but, that cruise proved to be her last. #5: June, 1980, Royal Viking Sky: the initial 10 day segment of a trans-Atlantic crossing with a North Cape Cruise that followed from New York to Copenhagen. Aboard a ship built for 500 guests, there were only 250. Service, cuisine, and sailing through fog areas in the North Atlantic, particularly in the area of the Grand Banks, are special memories for me. This cruise was special for me because it was my first to Europe. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d9704011 Posted January 22, 2021 #10 Share Posted January 22, 2021 1. South America - Santiago to Rio 2. Singapore to Beijing 3. Baltic 4. Venice to Rome with Eastern Med 5. Fort Lauderdale to LA - Panama Canal transit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozcruizer Posted January 22, 2021 #11 Share Posted January 22, 2021 So difficult to pick five cruises because I have enjoyed them all. 1. Whole Mediterranean 2. Alaska 3. Honolulu to Sydney 4. Sydney to NZ and Southern Australia 5. SE Asia 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted January 22, 2021 #12 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Boy that's a tough one especially with the limitation of 21 days and really we've had so many fabulous itineraries, it's a toughie. But in no particular order: Black Sea on the Prinsendam Celtic Explorer on the Prinsendam River Explorer on the P'dam South America on the Rotterdam Australia & New Zealand on Princess An extra and always wonderful - Panama Canal (especially with our roll call) and if you don't have time for a full Panama - the Sunfarer cruise which gives you a taste and some nice ports. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesport Posted January 22, 2021 #13 Share Posted January 22, 2021 South America/Antarctica Hawaii Northern Europe/Iceland Greek Islands Holy Land/Egypt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickey_mouse Posted January 22, 2021 Author #14 Share Posted January 22, 2021 I see so much love for South America. Tell me, is the Chile to Argentina route worth it, even without the extended trip down to Antarctica? Or is the part to Antarctica what makes it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuolumne couple Posted January 22, 2021 #15 Share Posted January 22, 2021 1. Panama Canal (west to east). 2. Hawaii (round trip from San Diego more than 14 days (18 days). 3. Caribbean, round trip 14-15 days (not a back to back). 4.Panama Canal (east to west) yes I know, it seems the same but , honestly, it's not... 5. Caribbean back to back but longer than 14 days (16-18 days). of course, my wife does not like the B2B, and she always says that her favorite itinerary is the one she hasn't sailed on yet... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcummin Posted January 22, 2021 #16 Share Posted January 22, 2021 1 hour ago, stickey_mouse said: I see so much love for South America. Tell me, is the Chile to Argentina route worth it, even without the extended trip down to Antarctica? Or is the part to Antarctica what makes it? Antarctica transforms it. Barbara 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickey_mouse Posted January 22, 2021 Author #17 Share Posted January 22, 2021 56 minutes ago, tuolumne couple said: 1. Panama Canal (west to east). 2. Hawaii (round trip from San Diego more than 14 days (18 days). 3. Caribbean, round trip 14-15 days (not a back to back). 4.Panama Canal (east to west) yes I know, it seems the same but , honestly, it's not... 5. Caribbean back to back but longer than 14 days (16-18 days). of course, my wife does not like the B2B, and she always says that her favorite itinerary is the one she hasn't sailed on yet... Ok, I have to ask, why is west to east better? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Crew News Posted January 22, 2021 #18 Share Posted January 22, 2021 1. 14-day Alaska 2. 12-day Alaska/Denali 3. 14-day Alaska B2B 4. Panama Canal 5. Caribbean - Pinnacle Class Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodndonna Posted January 22, 2021 #19 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Haven't made it through our bucket list yet and not that many cruises under our belt - but here is where we stand based on where we have been 1) Egypt Nile River (was not stated if we are including River cruises ) 2) West Med 3) Holy Land As much as we have enjoyed other cruises we have done, I don't 'anticipate' them to be on the top 5 of our list. I expect the last 2 to be something like .... 4) Antartica or Galapagos? 5) Alaska or Norway Fjords? Order of 4 and 5 may bump up when we get around to to them. or something else may surprise me 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ontheweb Posted January 22, 2021 #20 Share Posted January 22, 2021 1. Definitely Baltic 2. Western Mediterranean---did twice, 25th and 35th anniversary 3. Eastern Mediterranean 4. British Isles 5. Alaska Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelingbums Posted January 22, 2021 #21 Share Posted January 22, 2021 1. Australia/New Zealand 2.Copenhagen/Boston Norwegion Fjords 3.Panama Canal 4.Alaska 5.Valpariso to Aukland 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nw gardener Posted January 22, 2021 #22 Share Posted January 22, 2021 With work and personal constraints, I am definitely not as well traveled as many on this board, but here are my top three with two bucket list. 1. 14 day Alaska 2. Cuba 3. Southern Caribbean Wish list - Iceland and British Isles, Holy land. Anxiously waiting to cruise safely again! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennybear Posted January 22, 2021 #23 Share Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) Great question! Circumnavigation of Japan during cherry blossom time Mediterranean as long as possible! with Istanbul, we have done several back to backs, so 20/23/24 days Baltic with Oslo or within Berlin Norwegian fjords on the Rotterdam out of Rotterdam Partial transit of Panama Canal I am sure that French Polynesia would have been on the list had it not been cancelled! Edited January 22, 2021 by bennybear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisemom42 Posted January 22, 2021 #24 Share Posted January 22, 2021 This one is tough and I warn you in advance that only one is a HAL itinerary (though they offer some similar ones): 14-day Alaska, R/T San Francisco on Sitmar Fairsea (1977) -- an itinerary that can never be duplicated today because the ports were so much less commercial and less crowded. 14-day Ancient Southern Med Empires on Voyages to Antiquity (2010) -- another that cannot be duplicated today, with pre-cruise days in Cairo, embarkation at Safaga (after a day in Luxor), Sharm el-Sheikh, Suez canal transit, Beirut, Syria (Tartus and Aleppo, with a land-stay overnight in Palmyra), Limassol, Cyprus; Antalya, Turkey and ended in Athens. 12-day HAL Westerdam (2010) -- Eastern Med (R/T from Athens): Istanbul, Antalya, Iskenderun, Haifa, Ashdod, Alexandria, Kusadasi 14-day SE Asia on Voyages to Antiquity, Bangkok to Singapore with pre-cruise visit to Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) from Bangkok and stops in Koh Samui, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuantan, Malacca and 3-days in Singapore after. 12-day Baltic on Star Princess, R/T Copenhagen: Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg (overnight), Talinn, Warnemunde, Copenhagen If I'm being honest, I'd rate other Mediterranean itineraries over the Baltic cruise, because that is where my heart and interests lie, but in the efforts of some variety..... I also have two "bucket list" HAL cruises that I'm sure would be on the list if I had been able to take them: 14-day Japan "cherry blossom" circumnavigation mentioned above (canceled in 2020 due to COVID) 22-day South America/Antarctica cruising -- I should be on that one right now, but also canceled due to COVID. I have rebooked it for January 2022 however. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjcox9 Posted January 22, 2021 #25 Share Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) Antarctica - 2 Princess, 2 HAL plus one does not qualify under the 21 day limit - Seabourn South Georgia/Antarctica 24 day Galapagos - Celebrity and Silverseas Norway, especially the ones including Svalbard and/or Longyearbyen on HAL, Princess and Cunard Japan, this was three 9 day B2B's for a total of 27, so perhaps it qualifies - Princess Black Sea - Both Princess and HAL 😷 Edited January 22, 2021 by tjcox9 mini corrections 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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