Second Favorite

[Cruise-y]

What is your second favorite luxury cruise line (after Crystal)? And why? Thanks. 

Edited May 7, 2023 by Cruise-y

[Texas Tillie]

55 minutes ago, Cruise-y said:

What is your second favorite luxury cruise line (after Crystal)? And why? Thanks. 

 

If you are including Viking, why didn't you include Oceania and Azamara? None of them are "luxury".

 

Patty

 

P.S. At least you spelled the others correctly which often isn't the case! 🤪

Edited May 7, 2023 by Texas Tillie

[TER777]

How about a “none of the above” choice?

[cruisr]

We have NO idea what New Crystal will be.  Are you referring to Old Crystal?  

[Stickman1990]

I’d want to vote for a few of those choices - imho it’s not a case of one over all others 

Choice is good 

My bags are packed (again)

[Cruise-y]

50 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

I’d want to vote for a few of those choices - imho it’s not a case of one over all others 

Choice is good 

My bags are packed (again)

Thank you. Which few? This is really just to help me make other choices. And I know what the Crystal group likes in a lux cruise. 

[sullaRaffaello]

Viking is not luxury.

[broccoli robin]

Cruise Critic considers Viking a luxury line. This is what they wrote about it:

 

About Viking Ocean Cruises

Viking Ocean Cruises is one of the youngest luxury fleets on the waves, with beautiful, largely inclusive 930-passenger ships that generally cater to adults 55 and older. Itineraries are packed with ports, and a shore excursion is included at every stop.

 

They are small ships and every guest room has a veranda. They look very nice! Maybe you don't think of them as a luxury line because of their mass market river cruises.

 

I voted for Regent. I am booked on Regent, but my only other experience is on Princess. I am interested in Crystal but not so sure because they are not sailing yet. I don't really care about a cruise line being labeled luxury but I also don't think Crystal can be labeled until after they start sailing again.

[Mr Luxury]

Viking is luxury lite 

 

I am sailing on two of the above lines but have no idea what New Crystal will be like as it has not sailed yet.

Luxury or not we will see.

Bags being packed and unpacked at an alarming rate.

Currently unpacked in Crete.

 

[PaulMCO]

After Crystal???  Crystal has yet to sail.. 

 

Bags unpacked on Seabourn..  So far we like Regent and Seabourn.  Regent better and Sillversea post-covid to be sampled in November.

Edited May 8, 2023 by PaulMCO

[FlyerTalker]

15 hours ago, broccoli robin said:

Cruise Critic considers Viking a luxury line. This is what they wrote about it:

 

About Viking Ocean Cruises

Viking Ocean Cruises is one of the youngest luxury fleets on the waves, with beautiful, largely inclusive 930-passenger ships that generally cater to adults 55 and older. Itineraries are packed with ports, and a shore excursion is included at every stop.

 

They are small ships and every guest room has a veranda. They look very nice! Maybe you don't think of them as a luxury line because of their mass market river cruises.

 

Ha.

 

Lots of marketing hype there.

 

Have been on Viking, for the itinerary, while OC was not sailing. Viking is a premium line, regardless of what their promotion department says.  Or what the promotion people at CC say.

 

They have new, modern ships that are exact cookie-cutter replicas of each other -- with no personality to the specific vessel.  Viking hypes their "included" shore excursions, which are basically "Highlights of X" bus or walking tours, and glosses over how shore excursions you really want are extra cost.  Beer and wine included -- but only at meal times.  Implicit class system, as the category of your cabin determines when you can book restaurant reservations and book tours, so often the lower plebes are left with the dregs.

 

But if a heated bathroom floor is your definition of luxury, well I guess it then qualifies.

 

 

[Azulann]

6 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Ha.

 

Lots of marketing hype there.

 

Have been on Viking, for the itinerary, while OC was not sailing. Viking is a premium line, regardless of what their promotion department says.  Or what the promotion people at CC say.

 

They have new, modern ships that are exact cookie-cutter replicas of each other -- with no personality to the specific vessel.  Viking hypes their "included" shore excursions, which are basically "Highlights of X" bus or walking tours, and glosses over how shore excursions you really want are extra cost.  Beer and wine included -- but only at meal times.  Implicit class system, as the category of your cabin determines when you can book restaurant reservations and book tours, so often the lower plebes are left with the dregs.

 

But if a heated bathroom floor is your definition of luxury, well I guess it then qualifies.

 

 

Glad I found your review of Viking Ocean. 🚢Weird that it was on Crystal forum . But stop by Viking forum anytime. Always appreciate your air advice there and on Cruise Air . 
Viking ships are exactly what I was looking for  in every way . No need to change a great Scandinavian design 

Cheers ! 

[Mr Luxury]

6 hours ago, Azulann said:

Glad I found your review of Viking Ocean. 🚢Weird that it was on Crystal forum . But stop by Viking forum anytime. Always appreciate your air advice there and on Cruise Air . 
Viking ships are exactly what I was looking for  in every way . No need to change a great Scandinavian design 

Cheers ! 

It's a floating IKEA store.😁

[FlyerTalker]

15 hours ago, Azulann said:

Glad I found your review of Viking Ocean.

 

Just to be clear:  would I take another Viking cruise?  For the right itinerary and the right price, yes.  What Viking sets out to do, they do well.

 

The point I was trying to make is that the marketing "image" of Viking and the product delivered have two quite different definitions of "luxury".

 

 

[Mr Luxury]

7 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Just to be clear:  would I take another Viking cruise?  For the right itinerary and the right price, yes.  What Viking sets out to do, they do well.

 

The point I was trying to make is that the marketing "image" of Viking and the product delivered have two quite different definitions of "luxury".

 

 

Of course some might think that something is luxury when it is clearly not.

[bitob]

There are some who think Oceania and azamara are luxury

 

frame of reference is everything

[Mr Luxury]

13 hours ago, bitob said:

There are some who think Oceania and azamara are luxury

 

frame of reference is everything

Exactly and it also matters at what starting point you are on at home.

We all live varied lives in different environments even though we like similar things on a ship.

I'll stick with my version of Luxury as it's the only one I know 😁

[Leejnd4]

21 hours ago, bitob said:

There are some who think Oceania and azamara are luxury

 

frame of reference is everything

Exactly. I enjoyed my Oceania cruise immensely, but it was definitely NOT a "luxury" cruise when compared to my OC cruises. There are specific, identifiable factors that characterize a luxury cruise ship vs a premium one. Oceania ticked every premium box, but is skipping on some of the luxury ones. That does not mean that it's not a fabulous cruise line! It's all in what's important to you.

 

I've often seen people get into pissing matches over whether a particular cruise line is luxury or not. That seems silly to me. 

[FlyerTalker]

8 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

I'll stick with my version of Luxury as it's the only one I know 😁

 

That would be the "Luxury" version of luxury.

 

😀

 

 

[Mr Luxury]

3 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

That would be the "Luxury" version of luxury.

 

😀

 

 

The definitive 

[May B]

22 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Just to be clear:  would I take another Viking cruise?  For the right itinerary and the right price, yes.  What Viking sets out to do, they do well.

 

The point I was trying to make is that the marketing "image" of Viking and the product delivered have two quite different definitions of "luxury".

 

 

Yesterday somebody told me that a third party (she claimed she couldn’t remember who it was, so I have absolutely no point of reference) thought their Viking stateroom was a big disappointment, and there was “no entertainment” on their Viking cruise. 
 

I said this person clearly had inaccurate expectations, and I can guarantee there was not NO entertainment on the ship. Obviously the cruiser had incorrect expectations for the entertainment, too. But I don’t think either of those incorrect expectations would’ve come from marketing. Am I wrong?

 

They also said, “Viking doesn’t have a casino!”. I said, don’t tell me this person expected a casino! Oh, no, no, the other one said. 😳 

[bitob]

Not surprising

 

i recall an Oceania cruise I was on many years ago

 

a woman brought 4 ball gowns

same woman was angry she would have to pay for shore excursions totalling thousands for a 30 night cruise

[May B]

6 minutes ago, bitob said:

Not surprising

 

i recall an Oceania cruise I was on many years ago

 

a woman brought 4 ball gowns

same woman was angry she would have to pay for shore excursions totalling thousands for a 30 night cruise

WOW

 

I actually feel sorry for her.

[Leejnd4]

5 hours ago, May B said:

Yesterday somebody told me that a third party (she claimed she couldn’t remember who it was, so I have absolutely no point of reference) thought their Viking stateroom was a big disappointment, and there was “no entertainment” on their Viking cruise. 
 

I said this person clearly had inaccurate expectations, and I can guarantee there was not NO entertainment on the ship. Obviously the cruiser had incorrect expectations for the entertainment, too. But I don’t think either of those incorrect expectations would’ve come from marketing. Am I wrong?

 

They also said, “Viking doesn’t have a casino!”. I said, don’t tell me this person expected a casino! Oh, no, no, the other one said. 😳 

"No entertainment"? Um...😉 Tell that to my good friend's son, who spent 8 months on Oceania as a singer/dancer, along with a troupe of other singer/dancers, doing shows nearly every night. I wonder what they were paying him for, if not to, ya know, sing and dance? LOL!

 

I too have encountered people who found themselves gobsmacked to be on a ship that was not at all what they were expecting. Which makes no sense to me. Honestly, I just don't understand why they wouldn't have spent just a LITTLE bit of time researching the ship they've just spent a lot of money to cruise on. Every cruise line these days has a website with wonderfully detailed descriptions and photos of their ships, their cabins, their entertainment, dining options, shore excursions, dress codes, etc. It's not rocket science.

 

But of course this is coming from a person who spends at least a year reading everything there is to read about every vacation I take. So maybe I'm the weird one!😝

Edited May 10, 2023 by Leejnd4

[May B]

22 hours ago, Leejnd4 said:

"No entertainment"? Um...😉 Tell that to my good friend's son, who spent 8 months on Oceania as a singer/dancer, along with a troupe of other singer/dancers, doing shows nearly every night. I wonder what they were paying him for, if not to, ya know, sing and dance? LOL!

 

I too have encountered people who found themselves gobsmacked to be on a ship that was not at all what they were expecting. Which makes no sense to me. Honestly, I just don't understand why they wouldn't have spent just a LITTLE bit of time researching the ship they've just spent a lot of money to cruise on. Every cruise line these days has a website with wonderfully detailed descriptions and photos of their ships, their cabins, their entertainment, dining options, shore excursions, dress codes, etc. It's not rocket science.

 

But of course this is coming from a person who spends at least a year reading everything there is to read about every vacation I take. So maybe I'm the weird one!😝

The ship somebody reported having “no” entertainment on was Viking, not Oceania.

 

That having been said, though, I must tell you I remember ZERO about the entertainment on the one Oceania cruise we took. I remember plenty about the food and about the ports we visited (Mediterranean, so of course very port-intensive), and even about the bridge game we enjoyed. That was 2014. We had a fun post-cruise trip to Cappadocia.