Help needed to find the right luxury cruise to mediterranean

[cruisetowin]

Hi, I need help to find the right cruise for my family to Mediterranean in 2009. We just came back from RCCL to W. Caribbean for the 1st cruise and realised it is not our thing. We want something upscale with a touch of class - "luxury". We are in our late 30s with a 10-year-old... mature enough...daughter. We love food, music, history, art and culture. We also like to be pampered day and night. My husband is a professional and we'd like to meet people that can share similar spectrum of topics.

 

It is so many luxury cruiselines out there that I got so confused. They all sound good and not-so-good in some way. Let's say...Crystal is not all-inclusive( I like to forget about $$ during the trip), Oceania and Silversea are not that kids-friendly( My daughter doesn't need a lot of activities, just hate to see other people get frown of seeing kids. My daughter is very well-behaved and polite anyway!) RSSL has better ship one from the other..Voyager vs Marnier and Navigator?? (more restaurants:rolleyes: ). Am I confusing you too?:confused:

 

Also, should we take a 7 or 10 day if we are planning to stay a few days here and there before and after?. Will 7-day for Med be too rush? I am afraid we will get sick of the ship for too many days (We were with RCCL:eek: ) .

 

Is staying in a higher class (suite w/butler) worth the money? We do have a budget but will spend more if it is worth it.

 

We are kinda picky about hotel rooms. We tend to stay in something like a Four Seasons, St. Regis or Peninsula. Will any of the ships provide cabins equivalent to theirs?

 

Oh, too many questions:(.. I really appreciate any suggestions and comments. Thanks a lot!!!:o

 

BTW, should I find a cruise professional to help me? Any suggestions?

[Host Dan]

Heres a thought.... Sea Dream Yacht Club! Casual, all-inclusive, kid (sort of) friendly, like minded passengers. My recommendation!

 

Host Dan

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I can only comment on RSSC--love it. They are kid-tolerant--there may not be a program for your daughter, but she will be treated nicely.

 

You would not get sick of the ship on a 10 day, but...you may find that the age demographic is a bit younger on a 7-day. My advice is to take a 7-day cruise and do a few days pre- and post-cruise for some land time.

 

If you want the Med., it's either Voyager or Navigator--Mariner sticks to Alaska in the summer. Voyager has 4 restaurants, Navigator has 2. I would recommend the former, since there is a bit more space and things to do (although Navigator is a lovely intimate ship.)

 

If you like staying in the St. Regis and Four Seasons, you will probably want a larger suite--I can't really comment on that, since we book standard suites, usually on deck 6 on Voyager, or minimum balcony on Navigator. The standard suites are lovely, but with a child, you might like something bigger. Can't comment on the butler--it's never seemed worth it to me, but if you get up to a Penthouse size suite, you get one anyways. Bear in mind that a 7-days Med. itinerary is going to be very port-intensive, so you won't actually be in the suite very much.

[cruisetowin]

I really appreicate all the replies and they actually gave me a whole lot to think about. After evaluating all the factors, we are down to only two cruise lines and two itineraries - Oceania and Regent. For Oceania, I like the 12-day from Rome to Venice, Vista Suite. Spending about the same dollar, I could also choose Regent - a 10-day from Istanbul to Barcelona in a PH-A.

 

I am more interested in the Oceania one, since the value for dollar is better. I like to have a larger room for my family(esp. my daughter) to enjoy meals and movies...quality time! The ovesize veranda sold me the whole thing... Just still don't like to pay for sodas though (lucky that I do not drink!!) :rolleyes:

 

Anyway, I am still giving myself a couple of days to finalise which one to choose...if anyone have a better idea of the BIG DIFFEENCE between this two... let me know..please...it won't be very often to have another trip like this....NO MISTAKE IS ALLOWED:mad: :p

 

Thank you again for all your thoughtfullness. I love CC!

[Host Dan]

If you are deciding between Oceania and Regent, AND you want a luxury experience, Regent is the only choice. Although Oceania is similiar in size, etc, it is not considered luxury cruising. Oceania is considered premium. Regent, on the other hand, is considered luxury being alcohol and soft drink inclusive, as well as no tipping. The service will most likely be a notch above, on Regent, as will the well traveled fellow passengers.

JMHO

 

Host Dan

[cruisetowin]

Thank you for spending time to explain the difference between the two. If I choose Oceania, I will take the OS for a 12-day. My family likes to stay in the room while not at any ports. Oceania provides not only the size of the room, but also 300 titles of movie. It will make the family quality time more quality. With the same money spent, I can only choose a PH in Regent. The room indeed is the largest among others in the same category, yet a lot smaller than a OS. I do like the fact that beverages are all included, but it is still a smaller factor.

 

You have mentioned Regent's service is a notch higher, what does it mean exactly in terms of hospitality. I've been to many top-notch hotels. What I think is the most important element about service is the sincerity. I have experienced some pretentious hotels that provide so-called top notch service. It felt like they were forced to do it because we are paying top dollar. The one that I always recall still gives me goosebump is the Banyan Tree in Thailand. They loved their customer and their job. You can really feel it... Do you see it in Regent or Oceania?

 

I hope I can really find my dream cruise this time, it will become a life-time memory for the whole family, esp when my daughter is still young and willing to be with us:o

 

Thank you very much.

[Host Dan]

Its hard for me to explain the "exact" difference in service between a lux line and a premium line, but here goes... The waiters, bar staff, front desk operations are serving with a smile on a lux line because they are genuinely happy to serve you. (They have been paid well already for the priviledge) On the other hand, the premium servers tend to be very nice, because they see a "tip" in their future. Bottom line, the way you can really tell the difference is disembarkation breakfast. Premium line, no service , no smiles, and "off you go" (typically) On a lux line, its service with a smile and hugs all around till the bitter end.. Priceless...

 

Host Dan

[kitty9]

Unless you go up to their top price suites, Oceania cabins are really, really small. Regent has the largest cabins I've seen, even for the H category suites. The amenities on Regent far outweigh those on Oceania. IMHO, I don't find either line particularly child friendly, none of the more upscale lines are. But of all the ones mentioned, Regent might be the most child friendly.

[JunPOA]

Hi, I need help to find the right cruise for my family to Mediterranean in 2009. We just came back from RCCL to W. Caribbean for the 1st cruise and realised it is not our thing. We want something upscale with a touch of class - "luxury". We are in our late 30s with a 10-year-old... mature enough...daughter. We love food, music, history, art and culture. We also like to be pampered day and night. My husband is a professional and we'd like to meet people that can share similar spectrum of topics.

 

It is so many luxury cruiselines out there that I got so confused. They all sound good and not-so-good in some way. Let's say...Crystal is not all-inclusive( I like to forget about $$ during the trip), Oceania and Silversea are not that kids-friendly( My daughter doesn't need a lot of activities, just hate to see other people get frown of seeing kids. My daughter is very well-behaved and polite anyway!) RSSL has better ship one from the other..Voyager vs Marnier and Navigator?? (more restaurants:rolleyes: ). Am I confusing you too?:confused:

 

Also, should we take a 7 or 10 day if we are planning to stay a few days here and there before and after?. Will 7-day for Med be too rush? I am afraid we will get sick of the ship for too many days (We were with RCCL:eek: ) .

 

Is staying in a higher class (suite w/butler) worth the money? We do have a budget but will spend more if it is worth it.

 

We are kinda picky about hotel rooms. We tend to stay in something like a Four Seasons, St. Regis or Peninsula. Will any of the ships provide cabins equivalent to theirs?

 

Oh, too many questions:(.. I really appreciate any suggestions and comments. Thanks a lot!!!:o

 

BTW, should I find a cruise professional to help me? Any suggestions?

Hi cruztowin - I'm in the same boat minus the younger children (ours are adults by age anyway).:D Just curious have you considered Equinox or Azamara as a consideration? It might be worth a shot to check the Celebrity Equinox website and the Azamara discussion boards.

Good Luck!

[kitty9]

While those may be very nice ships, neither Celebrity nor Azamara are considered in the luxury market. They are considered premium mass market ships. Same with Oceania, that line is not in the luxury category.

[JunPOA]

While those may be very nice ships, neither Celebrity nor Azamara are considered in the luxury market. They are considered premium mass market ships. Same with Oceania, that line is not in the luxury category.

Thanks for correcting me kitty9.:)

I did not mean to imply however that Azamara nor Equinox was on the same scale as the typical celebrity ships (mass market-premium) - I have sailed 3 Celebrity ships (Galaxy, Meridien, & Expedition) and one HAL. Only IMHO-personally, my overall experience on HAL (Masdamn) was far superior to X paricularly in the area of customer service, courtesy, respect, ambience, and food. I think we can all agree that even within the same brand name there differences & variations in cruise experiences depending on the ship-same line different crew. I do feel HAL is premium, I do feel X is premium wannabe.:D Agree that Regent is in the luxury category - sailed the PG in 2003-rated as my #1 cruise of all time but HAL is #2.

I was just trying to make the OP aware of other options since the OP did mention in her earlier thread that she was considering Oceana - a "premium" class - not "luxury".

[cruisetowin]

Hey, thanks everyone. I have already put down a deposit on O for a 12 day from Rome to Venice with Insignia. I want to try this premium line in a luxury way. I have booked the Owner Suite. Next time I will try Regent or some other real "luxury market" to see the difference.:)

[scamper]

I like SeaDream for it's relaxed dress code, but the bathrooms are too small for me. On the otherhand, I have never found fault with Seabourn, so...

 

SeaDream for "casual" luxury and Seabourne for "elegant" luxury, but Seabourn wins by a nose all around.

[Coastal Jewel]

We just completed our second cruise on Regent Mariner. We had a Horizon Suite and it was wonderful. However, there seemed to be some subtle differences from when we cruised two years ago. We know that tips are "included" but had such an enjoyable time, we provided very generous tips to both our butler and stewardess. The first time we cruised Regent there was a card to complete to give recongition to an employee as tips were not expected. No cards this time, and tips we gave seemed to be "sort of" expected. Also it is my understanding that tipping is not incuded in Spa b/c they are not "Regent employees".

 

We are really low maintenance folks. We don't drink alcohol so find the all-inlcusive not a "perk" for us. i want to be clear that we really like the service, rooms, food on Regent. I am just hoping that someone (Host Dan???) can give us some additional ideas for other lines that may be "equal" to Regent that are not "all-inlcusive" and tips don't need to be included if we tip anyway. We are also very relaxed cruisers, reading on our balcony is a joy!

[kitty9]

You could give Crystal a look. They are in the luxury segment, but are not all inclusive. The Crystal ships are consistently ranked at the very top in most cruise publications. The only included things on Crystal are bottled water, soda, premium ice cream and specialty coffees. They do not include tips nor alcohol.

 

There are other differences though, so that might make a difference to you. Crystal's balcony cabins are smaller than Regent and they have traditional seating with two dining times and assigned tables. Crystal is also much more formal in their dress code, so on a cruise longer than 10 days, which most of Crystal's are, there are three formal nights. They also have semiformal nights in addition to casual. I have a 14 night Crystal cruise coming up next month and we'll have 3 formal, 3 semiformal and 8 casual nights.

 

One thing Crystal has above any other luxury line is their entertainment for both day and night. There's so much offered and not enough hours in a day. Also, the food on Crystal is the best of any line I've been on, other than Seabourn. They have two alternate dining venues, which are excellent and they only charge a small gratuity, unlike most other lines who's alternate restaurants charge $30 per person on up.

[Host Dan]

I'm with Kitty9. Crystal seems to be a really good match for you! Many TA's will include tips if you book with them..

 

Host Dan

[SanNic44]

All good things to say about Crystal. I remember when they first launched and they've remained in the business long enough to prove they get it right.

 

Just thought I'd mention it.