Looking for greener grass….

[AMHuntFerry]

3 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I actually just looked at Windstar.. Looks like the 3 smaller ships have cabins similar to R class (slightly larger actually) but the 3 bigger ships (Star Pride, Breeze and Legend) have pretty large cabins (277 sqft). They are old but were fully renovated recently. And the prices are very reasonable, with inclusions similar to what O has now (except for internet). The itineraries are very intriguing. Seems like a very interesting option if O prices go up significantly on July 1st.  

...and even the smallest 277 sq. ft. cabins have two bathroom sinks, a (cozey) walk-in closet, and seating for 4 in the living room (5 if you use the desk chair). I'm hoping the new O system works since we've fallen in love, but I feel better knowing there is a back-up plan.

[Vineyard View]

Thank you for the update on Windstar balconies. I just looked at a Spain itinerary. The top two categories “classic Suite” (400-530 sf) and owners suite (575 sq ft) say that they have balconies on the Pride. I did not realize this. The other balcony categories are French style. It’s quite a bump in pricing to not have a French Balcony, but they have them so thank you for finding that. 

[kirtihk]

On 6/18/2023 at 2:10 PM, basenji56 said:

I don't believe the non-complimentary excursions are cheaper than Celebrity or Royal.  Not sure of other big ship excursion prices.  They may be cheaper than Oceania though.  I haven't done a comparison.

 

The least expensive excursions we experienced were on Ponant (about 2-3 times less than on other itinerary/time comparable cruise lines).

[kirtihk]

19 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I would be interested to see the comparison.

 

The SB cruise I assume you refer to this one:

 

 

I couldn't find a 14 nights O cruise next April.

 

There is one on April 5th on the Marina - https://www.oceaniacruises.com/transatlantic-cruises/miami-to-barcelona-MNA240405/ but it's transatlantic, and they are typically cheaper.

 

Still, the cheapest Concierge is $4,899 CAD, so about half price compared to SB for cruise only.. with oLife, it's extra $400. Not sure how you get only $15/day less compared to SB.

If you book an expedition cruise on-board of Seabourn, you would get 35% off.  We did it during our Brazil Coast-Amazon March Seabourn Venture cruise (we booked the least expensive cabin and saved $10,000 for a cabin).  They run this promotion indefinitely so far (no closing date).

Edited June 20, 2023 by kirtihk

[ak1004]

9 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

If you book an expedition cruise on-board of Seabourn, you would get 35% off.  We did it during our Brazil Coast-Amazon March Seabourn Venture cruise (we booked the least expensive cabin and saved $10,000 for a cabin).

Good to know.

 

What about regular cruise? Any discounts or perks for booking on board?

[kirtihk]

26 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Good to know.

 

What about regular cruise? Any discounts or perks for booking on board?

5% book-on-board combinable with 1. website promotions available at time of booking on-board (like the current "Bon Voyage Event") and 2. a Seabourn Club Loyalty level discount.  35% expedition book-on-board discount is not combinable with them, but it's way more by itself.  Seabourn also has a nice Referral program (recently reduced, however) OBC program (not available when booked through a personal travel agency if the agency gives you OBC).

[susiesan]

12 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

If I remember correctly Windstar's non-sail ("yacht") ships were purchased from Seabourn. At least one was recently cut in half and a whole mid-section was added so it's much bigger than before. There's a blurb on their website that I read a few months ago.

All 3 Windstar yachts have now been cut in half and stretched. They went from 212 pax to 312. The standard cabins are much much bigger than the veranda cabins on the R ships.

 

During the stretching of the yachts and elevator was added. The small sailing ships gave only 4 decks so elevators are not needed for the majority of passengers.

 

All of the 6 Windstar ships have the water sports platform at the back for those who enjoy swimming and water activities.

[AMHuntFerry]

1 minute ago, susiesan said:

All 3 Windstar yachts have now been cut in half and stretched. They went from 212 pax to 312. The standard cabins are much much bigger than the veranda cabins on the R ships.

 

During the stretching of the yachts and elevator was added. The small sailing ships gave only 4 decks so elevators are not needed for the majority of passengers.

 

All of the 6 Windstar ships have the water sports platform at the back for those who enjoy swimming and water activities.

After my post I spent way too much time on the Windstar site. It looks like there are 4 elevators (2 aft, 1 mid, 1 fwd-mid) for those who want them. There is a note that stairs are required for getting on/off the ship. I know at some point my kness (or ?) will balk at stairs, but until then I need the stairs to work off my gluttony (I'm proud to say that I didn't use the elevator once on our last cruise and the 4 pound "gain" has subsided...I guess it was just bread bloat 😉 ).

For people who are fine booking oceanviews and French balconies on O, these ships are a viable alternative... even a step up, since as you mentioned 277 sq. ft. is bigger than an O veranda, and bigger than the interior space (i.e., not including veranda) of an O penthouse on the R ships (and somewhere between interior space of veranda and PH on O's larger ships). And for those who want balconies there are 6 cabins, but they probably sell out quickly so maybe not as viable an alternative for them. There are also rooms designated as accessible, but I'd want details if I had specific accessibility needs.

Food may be limited in selection (is that a bad thing?), but they are heavily advertising affiliation with James Beard and certain chefs, so I think it's worth a try.

And did I mention they have kayaks? (OK, I'll shut up about them...they are my favorite water sport).

[mariners]

Windstar gives the option of booking all-inclusive which is not the same as all-inclusive on Regent but does include a beverage package, wifi, and gratuities.  If the sailing is 14 days or longer, laundry is included.  Any passenger who has difficulty with mobility will need to determine if the ship chosen will work for them.  We have over 100 nights on Windstar and have always found the other passengers who sail on the ships to respect space for those passengers who wish to spend the time alone, and also provide a social experience for those passengers who choose to socialize.  

 

Other options that I didn't mention would include SeaDream but, as it's been years since we sailed with them, I'm not able to provide current information.  We loved the ship and the experience; however, we wanted longer itineraries and different ports than they offered so chose a different cruise line.  

 

I know the OP has sailed on Regent and that was our favourite cruise line for years (starting with our cruise on RSSC Song of Flower).  Once Regent made some changes that didn't work for us, we looked at other cruise lines.  By trying out a few different lines, we found some that worked well for us and have sailed on them since 2010.  We will continue to try different cruise lines as well as sail those we have sailed in the past as every cruise line makes changes that work or don't work for us.

 

I really appreciate how much information has been provided on this thread about different cruise experiences as well as what factors are the most important for people when choosing a cruise. Thanks to the OP for starting this thread.

[PaulMCO]

3 hours ago, kirtihk said:

5% book-on-board combinable with 1. website promotions available at time of booking on-board (like the current "Bon Voyage Event") and 2. a Seabourn Club Loyalty level discount.  35% expedition book-on-board discount is not combinable with them, but it's way more by itself.  Seabourn also has a nice Referral program (recently reduced, however) OBC program (not available when booked through a personal travel agency if the agency gives you OBC).

The book on board is 5% across the line.  The current promotion is 30% off expedition cruise when you book on board you get the 5% for a total of 35%.  Slick marketing talk from the Seabourn Ambassador.

 

23 hours ago, LuAnn said:

Thank you for that link. Do you have any idea when they will release their '25 cruises/solo rates? 

 

Was told August/Sept...

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by PaulMCO

[kirtihk]

21 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

The book on board is 5% across the line.  The current promotion is 30% off expedition cruise when you book on board you get the 5% for a total of 35%.  Slick marketing talk from the Seabourn Ambassador.

It is officially 35% (one can twist it anyway a person likes it). And, as I mentioned, regular (non-expedition) 5% is combinable with other promotions and the loyalty discount while expedition 35% is not.

Edited June 20, 2023 by kirtihk

[avalong]

3 hours ago, susiesan said:

All 3 Windstar yachts have now been cut in half and stretched. They went from 212 pax to 312. The standard cabins are much much bigger than the veranda cabins on the R ships.

 

During the stretching of the yachts and elevator was added. The small sailing ships gave only 4 decks so elevators are not needed for the majority of passengers.

 

All of the 6 Windstar ships have the water sports platform at the back for those who enjoy swimming and water activities.

It should be noted that the largest of the 3 sailing ships, the Windsurf, does have an elevator. She carries 310 passengers, same as the stretched yachts.

[PaulMCO]

1 hour ago, kirtihk said:

It is officially 35% (one can twist it anyway a person likes it). And, as I mentioned, regular (non-expedition) 5% is combinable with other promotions and the loyalty discount while expedition 35% is not.

How is it way more by itself, if you were home and made the booking from your home you would get 30%...

[kirtihk]

1 hour ago, PaulMCO said:

How is it way more by itself, if you were home and made the booking from your home you would get 30%...

I did not get it: I posted the actual promotion flyer, and that’s what I used to book my next 17-night Papeete - Solomon Islands cruise in April 14, 2024 on Pursuit (when I was on the Venture in March). I would not be able to get additional 30% from my home; so, I have no clue what your comment was about.  Actually, I even tried to apply the current Seabourn website promotion to my existing book/on-board booking, and I was denied.

[Vineyard View]

4 hours ago, kirtihk said:

It is officially 35% (one can twist it anyway a person likes it). And, as I mentioned, regular (non-expedition) 5% is combinable with other promotions and the loyalty discount while expedition 35% is not.

We were on board a couple weeks ago when this was available. It was an awesome promotion that we seriously considered. In hindsight, probably should have. Unfortunately for us it was only available for a short time as it ended 6/1. 

[kirtihk]

23 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

We were on board a couple weeks ago when this was available. It was an awesome promotion that we seriously considered. In hindsight, probably should have. Unfortunately for us it was only available for a short time as it ended 6/1. 

Really? That’s a shame, because I was promised (yes, promised!) by the Seabourn management (when I talked to them 4-5 weeks ago) they this promotion will last at least until the end of 2024 (booking date, not a sale date)! The reason I called was I was thinking to potentially change my current April 2024 expedition booking made on-board to some other a year later; so, they told me if decide to switch to a different expedition cruise, I may do it and still apply this promotion.

[Vineyard View]

2 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

Really? That’s a shame, because I was promised (yes, promised!) by the Seabourn management (when I talked to them 4-5 weeks ago) they this promotion will last at least until the end of 2024 (booking date, not a sale date)! The reason I called was I was thinking to potentially change my current April 2024 expedition booking made on-board to some other a year later; so, they told me if decide to switch to a different expedition cruise, I may do it and still apply this promotion.

That may hold true for current bookings. We could not book a new one though after 6/1 on board the ship.
We were made some promises on board with the Oceans cruise we ended up booking that are not quite accurate so we have our TA working on that. 

Edited June 21, 2023 by Vineyard View

[kirtihk]

2 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

That may hold true for current bookings. We could not book a new one though after 6/1 on board the ship. 

At least, you may try to use the current website promotion; it is really good, too.

[Vineyard View]

Thank you. I will take a look. 

[kirtihk]

5 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

At least, you may try to use the current website promotion; it is really good, too.

By the way, food on a Seabourn was the best for us for 24 of cruising years from all cruise lines (including Regent, Ponant, Azamara), and black and red caviar were great (24-hour pleasure)!

Edited June 21, 2023 by kirtihk

[PaulMCO]

20 hours ago, kirtihk said:

I did not get it: I posted the actual promotion flyer, and that’s what I used to book my next 17-night Papeete - Solomon Islands cruise in April 14, 2024 on Pursuit (when I was on the Venture in March). I would not be able to get additional 30% from my home; so, I have no clue what your comment was about.  Actually, I even tried to apply the current Seabourn website promotion to my existing book/on-board booking, and I was denied.

I am just saying you are getting only 5% off additionally for booking on board.  Reason -- at the same time Seabourn was advertising 30% off on their web site for all others in the world for these cruises.

[kirtihk]

1 hour ago, PaulMCO said:

I am just saying you are getting only 5% off additionally for booking on board.  Reason -- at the same time Seabourn was advertising 30% off on their web site for all others in the world for these cruises.

I did see 30% discount on the web site on March 20 when I booked on-board.  If I remember correctly, at that time there was some generic % discount (less than 30) on certain cruises only, and it was not available for the cruise I booked on-board.  By the way, I just read this morning about that 35% on-board discount ended on June 1 - a person who wrote about it was on a Seabourn cruise staring at the end on May, decided to book a cruise on board a few days later, but it was too late (it was June already).  And, as you may be aware, there was no 30% web site discount at the end of May either (there was and still is double upgrade and up to $2,000 air discount).

[kirtihk]

52 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

I did see 30% discount on the web site on March 20 when I booked on-board.  If I remember correctly, at that time there was some generic % discount (less than 30) on certain cruises only, and it was not available for the cruise I booked on-board.  By the way, I just read this morning about that 35% on-board discount ended on June 1 - a person who wrote about it was on a Seabourn cruise staring at the end on May, decided to book a cruise on board a few days later, but it was too late (it was June already).  And, as you may be aware, there was no 30% web site discount at the end of May either (there was and still is double upgrade and up to $2,000 air discount).

Typo: I did NOT see 30% web site discount on March 20.

[vtgumby]

Windstar is fabulous. We’re new to O and loved them after our 28 day Tahiti to LA, booked a 34 day onboard but Windstar beats them on customer service. They know your names with a day or two and while they all pound that whole ‘family’ drum way too much it felt like a nice family every time we’ve been on W.

Cabins are bigger than many we’ve had and the ocean view cabins have huge windows and the French balconies are fine, not as good as a real one for sure but nice to get the constant breeze.

W and Az and O are our main three and we like them all but W is probably the best for us, all depending on itinerary and prices. However O wins hands down with the food, W is really good but bless O and the nightly sushi! 👍

Nice to say goodbye to the big ships!

[Jayne E]

On 6/19/2023 at 11:53 AM, ak1004 said:

 

Yes and no. On our last cruise with SS we stayed in Abu Dhabi till 11pm. We took the included SS tour from 9am till 2pm. We returned just in time for lunch. Then we went to the city for an independent tour, including high tea in Emirates Palace. We came back to the ship at 9pm and still had time for dinner as some venues are open till 11pm. 

Our Oceania cruise stays in Abu Dhabi until 11 P.M.  We have an O excursion ending at 2:30 P.M. in the city. We’d like to return to ship later on our own. Are taxis easily available and how long is the ride back to cruise port?  Thanks so much. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Jayne E
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