Which cruise line is the most upscale?

[Anonymous]

I know several families that tried Celebrity after Royal and all emphatically said they preferred Royal and wouldn't do Celebrity again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know several families that tried Celebrity after Royal and all emphatically said they preferred Royal and wouldn't do Celebrity again.

Do you know why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know several families that tried Celebrity after Royal and all emphatically said they preferred Royal and wouldn't do Celebrity again.

Celebrity has better food, but it’s a stuffier, older crowd.

Royal is more fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know several families that tried Celebrity after Royal and all emphatically said they preferred Royal and wouldn't do Celebrity again.

Do you know why?

PP here. They all said there was less to do and I don't think the food is really any better than the upcharge RC restaurants. I think they were all expecting a noticeable step up in service and atmospheres an it just...wasn't. I've heard similar things from several different people who don't know each other.

[Anonymous]

I’ve done disney concierge and Norwegian haven. I don’t think either is what you’re looking for. There’s no upgrade on the tours (you’re best bet is getting your own tours on port). NCL haven has really good food at dinner and breakfast but a limited menu that does not change so depending on your family’s food preferences it might be old fast.

Disney concierge doesn’t come with a food upgrade although there is a club that has very nice snacks. I don’t think the DCL food is all that great — I don’t know why people think it’s so much better. I’ve had some great stuff there, some bad stuff, and some stuff that was just fine — basically like all cruises.

Yacht posters should post some specific recommendations because every time I look I find it really difficult. I’d drop 10-20K for a week on it, but I think it would be more? And you wouldn’t get a kids club with that!

My recommendation is basically build your own luxury. Pick ant of the mainstream cruise lines, upgrade to the fancier room and upgrade for the enhanced dining options. Do not pay for the drink package unless you’re a borderline alcoholic. (Some lines have a wine package that is a good deal if you like wine with dinner, or many allow you to bring on a few bottles and pay a corkage fee.). Do not pay for crap like the cupcake shop or craft projects or spa treatments. Stay out of the casino and the pool. Generally avoid the buffet (with some exceptions) and take the time to eat sit down meals instead. Do not pay for their overpriced shore excursions—book your own for less money and with better tour operators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done disney concierge and Norwegian haven. I don’t think either is what you’re looking for. There’s no upgrade on the tours (you’re best bet is getting your own tours on port). NCL haven has really good food at dinner and breakfast but a limited menu that does not change so depending on your family’s food preferences it might be old fast.

Disney concierge doesn’t come with a food upgrade although there is a club that has very nice snacks. I don’t think the DCL food is all that great — I don’t know why people think it’s so much better. I’ve had some great stuff there, some bad stuff, and some stuff that was just fine — basically like all cruises.

Yacht posters should post some specific recommendations because every time I look I find it really difficult. I’d drop 10-20K for a week on it, but I think it would be more? And you wouldn’t get a kids club with that!

My recommendation is basically build your own luxury. Pick ant of the mainstream cruise lines, upgrade to the fancier room and upgrade for the enhanced dining options. Do not pay for the drink package unless you’re a borderline alcoholic. (Some lines have a wine package that is a good deal if you like wine with dinner, or many allow you to bring on a few bottles and pay a corkage fee.). Do not pay for crap like the cupcake shop or craft projects or spa treatments. Stay out of the casino and the pool. Generally avoid the buffet (with some exceptions) and take the time to eat sit down meals instead. Do not pay for their overpriced shore excursions—book your own for less money and with better tour operators.

I think this poster has the right idea.

[Anonymous]

Scenic Luxury Cruises. Super nice and elegant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The top luxury so-called 6-star lines are usually considered to be:

Regent Seven Seas, SilverSea, Crystal, Hapag-Lloyd, and Seabourn.

The next tier down includes lines like Viking Ocean, Ritz-Carlton, Seadream Yacht Club, Explora, Azamara, and Oceania.

Next would be mass-market upscale lines like Curnard, Holland America, Princess, Disney, Virgin, and Ponant.

The next tier of mass market lines includes brands like Royal Carribbean and Norwegian.

Expedition cruising is a different market, with different lines and vessels.

I would say mass market upscale which may market themselves as luxury are Virgin and Celebrity -- Cunard, Holland and Princess and Explora are allegedly in this category as well.

Emerald, Ritz Carlton, Scenic etc. are in another luxury category along with Windstar. Very different price points but the former are the most expensive.

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids?

When do you want to travel?

Where do you want to go?

Are you looking for beaches or city excursions? Nature or art? A mix?

We’ve done Caribbean and Med cruises on multiple lines with multiple kids.

We don’t do excursions through cruise lines. We hire private drivers/boat captains/guides. This gets us away from the crowds.

^^^
That’s where we spend our money. Paying a premium for a slightly nicer cabin which you sleep in, a separate club area for the same food and drinks found elsewhere on the ship, etc. seems like a waste imho. Get a cabin with a balcony. That’s all you need.

Tell me more about your travel wish list and I’ll give you my two cents.

Preliminarily, the luxury lines are for elderly retirees. We’ve seen young people traveling with grandparents on those ships (in port) and they seem miserable.

[Anonymous]

Upscale/luxury is more expensive than you can imagine. Plus, they cater to older couples.

Do you want to have fun? Then you focus on lines that are equipped to cater to families. That doesn’t limit you to Disney btw.

Tell us about your family and how you want to spend your vacation.

[Anonymous]

For a private yacht you can pick an island to go to - say, St Lucia - and then find a local luxury yacht service and rent a fully staffed yacht for a week for 15-20K (obv not including food and activities though chef is typically provided). Then you could sail to Martinique and other islands nearby. Honestly it’s not any more expensive (probably cheaper) than staying at a super high end resort like Sugar Beach St Lucia.

[Anonymous]

The Moorings for private staffed yacht

https://www.moorings.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While everyone's debating cruise lines, let me drop a truth bomb – private yachting is where it's at! Forget crowded decks and buffet lines, on a private yacht, it’s just you, the ocean, and the luxury of doing whatever you want, whenever you want.

This is the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done disney concierge and Norwegian haven. I don’t think either is what you’re looking for. There’s no upgrade on the tours (you’re best bet is getting your own tours on port). NCL haven has really good food at dinner and breakfast but a limited menu that does not change so depending on your family’s food preferences it might be old fast.

Disney concierge doesn’t come with a food upgrade although there is a club that has very nice snacks. I don’t think the DCL food is all that great — I don’t know why people think it’s so much better. I’ve had some great stuff there, some bad stuff, and some stuff that was just fine — basically like all cruises.

Yacht posters should post some specific recommendations because every time I look I find it really difficult. I’d drop 10-20K for a week on it, but I think it would be more? And you wouldn’t get a kids club with that!

My recommendation is basically build your own luxury. Pick ant of the mainstream cruise lines, upgrade to the fancier room and upgrade for the enhanced dining options. Do not pay for the drink package unless you’re a borderline alcoholic. (Some lines have a wine package that is a good deal if you like wine with dinner, or many allow you to bring on a few bottles and pay a corkage fee.). Do not pay for crap like the cupcake shop or craft projects or spa treatments. Stay out of the casino and the pool. Generally avoid the buffet (with some exceptions) and take the time to eat sit down meals instead. Do not pay for their overpriced shore excursions—book your own for less money and with better tour operators.

I can't rally fathom paying that much money then having to stay away from things or not being able to use the pool!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done disney concierge and Norwegian haven. I don’t think either is what you’re looking for. There’s no upgrade on the tours (you’re best bet is getting your own tours on port). NCL haven has really good food at dinner and breakfast but a limited menu that does not change so depending on your family’s food preferences it might be old fast.

Disney concierge doesn’t come with a food upgrade although there is a club that has very nice snacks. I don’t think the DCL food is all that great — I don’t know why people think it’s so much better. I’ve had some great stuff there, some bad stuff, and some stuff that was just fine — basically like all cruises.

Yacht posters should post some specific recommendations because every time I look I find it really difficult. I’d drop 10-20K for a week on it, but I think it would be more? And you wouldn’t get a kids club with that!

My recommendation is basically build your own luxury. Pick ant of the mainstream cruise lines, upgrade to the fancier room and upgrade for the enhanced dining options. Do not pay for the drink package unless you’re a borderline alcoholic. (Some lines have a wine package that is a good deal if you like wine with dinner, or many allow you to bring on a few bottles and pay a corkage fee.). Do not pay for crap like the cupcake shop or craft projects or spa treatments. Stay out of the casino and the pool. Generally avoid the buffet (with some exceptions) and take the time to eat sit down meals instead. Do not pay for their overpriced shore excursions—book your own for less money and with better tour operators.

I can't rally fathom paying that much money then having to stay away from things or not being able to use the pool!

I’m that poster and obviously you don’t have to stay away from anything. I don’t know why anyone would cruise for the pool — cruise ship pools are always far far inferior to the land based options. And if I wasn’t clear, I’m a pretty “discerning” eater (I won’t say lucky because I eat almost all foods provided they are fresh and well prepared and not too greasy)— this was my advice for people who are similar. I’m not really sure the club levels are worth it in the end but the clubs are really nice — the disney concierge snacks were great and it was nice to have a calm near-private club room where you could always find lounge chairs or someplace to eat. The Haven restaurant on NCL was also excellent although I wish the menu varied day to day — I didn’t have trouble finding things but my family members that don’t eat red meat were pretty limited. The Have. Suite also came with a butler which we really didn’t need, three bottles of premium liquor for your room (which again I didn’t need), your choice of pillows (eg down, memory foam, whatever), and afternoon snacks delivered to your room, which was fine but I wouldn’t really pay extra for. It was nice to have a dedicated customer service/concierge person so you never had to wait in line, and we got premium boarding with access to a specialty restaurant on the first day.