A New Idea

AS READERS here know, I spend a lot of time on line on various sites that cover the cruise and travel agency. Not as a professional. As a consumer. Reading responses to a YouTube channel on cruising recently, I came across a comment that planted a seed for this blog. A "new" (to me, anyway) approach to cruising.

Most stops are for less than 12 hours

AS SEASONED cruisers know, the typical cruise is anywhere from 4 to about 14 days (with an average of about 7-12). There are longer ones, of course. But this is the norm. The usual itinerary, depending on distance between ports, has the ship cruising at night and stopping in ports by day. A typical 7-day cruise would have between 3 and 5 stops. Most stops are for less than 12 hours. Sometimes there is an overnight, but even those can abbreviate one of the 2 days you would expect an overnight to consume.

What if there were cruises designed with a smaller number of stops and more overnights or even multiple nights?

WHAT IF the cruise lines changed that up. One of my "negatives" about cruising as a form of seeing the world travel is the shortness of time spent in ports. There is not only not enough time, but we miss some of the best times for things to happen (sunrise, sunset and night time). What if there were cruises designed with a smaller number of stops and more overnights or even multiple nights?

THIS IS just a "raw" idea in my mind at this state. There are certainly going to be complications. For example, I do not know how the approach would change the cost structure. Port fees would most likely substantially increase. Ship revenues might be effected by lower on-ship consumption (shops and casinos closed more -but maybe some concessions could be made there, at least where shore stops don't have the shops and/or casinos). There might be lowered fuel costs, but I am not sure on this one, particularly when ships run engines while docked?

Managing passenger logistics would be a significant consideration

I SUSPECT some of the cruise logistics would be complicated by an approach like this - especially considering that cruise types (traditional and this approach) would be mixed. This could well effect and be effected by port availability. This approach could also change onboard staff management and logistics. Employee contracts would no doubt be different, or at least contain additional provisions.

ANOTHER POSSIBLE logistics problem would be managing passenger accounting. The ships all do - in my view - an amazing job of accounting for passengers who leave the ship and return. By the time I started cruising in the 2000's, we were already pretty much digitized. Our ship cards contained at least a magnetic strip that could be swiped and would show the ship management that you had gone ashore - and that you returned. Even on my first cruise, the efficiency of this process impressed me. I wonder how they did it back in the earlier days. Maybe some reader here is old enough to remember - and would share that with us in the comments?

WITH THIS approach, however, another -different - problem comes to mind. On our Celebrity "England and Ireland" cruise in 2019, we had a unique (for us) experience - very much like what I am proposing here. We ported in Le Havre, France. From there, it was only about a 90 - minute train ride to Paris. Our overnight was the longest I can remember, arriving in the early morning hours and then not departing until around midnight on the second day. Never having been to Paris, we took advantage of this (to us) extra-long stop and booked an overnight in a Paris motel. This gave us about a day and a half in Paris, including the evening. It was well worth it in my view (I was able to see - and photograph - the sunset over Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower - and photograph the tower at night). We had time to see a few of the main sights in the city (not nearly enough). We ate in a couple of the local restaurants. It was memorable and I remember thinking about this on many of our other unique stops.

It had never even occurred to us that the ship might depart early, leaving us "stranded" in Paris!

THERE IS, however, a logistics issue. It was really underscored when in 2022, we cruise on Celebrity's Apex in the Baltic. We had a planned overnight stop in Stockholm, Sweden. The port was not really within walking distance of the city, though it was only a short shuttle or taxi ride. It would have been another ideal spot to book an overnight hotel and take in parts of the city during the nighttime and early morning hours. We did not plan to do that this time, but I am sure some people did. At some point (I don't remember exactly when, but we were on board at the time), the ship captain came on the PA system and announce that because of predicted high winds, the overnight stay was being cancelled (maybe during dinner), and the ship would be departing around midnight (the passage in and out of Stockholm Port is narrow and winding and a few miles (it took a couple hours each way).

IT GAVE us a jolt when it occurred to us: what about people who were still ashore? What about people who had booked overnight stays in Stockholm hotels? How would they know? What are the mechanics of getting them back aboard? We immediately remembered our Paris adventure. It had never even occurred to us that the ship might depart early, leaving us "stranded" in Paris! We had not informed the ship that we would be overnighting in Paris. Nor had we given them our hotel name, reservation, etc. It is unclear to me what the resposibilities are in that case. I confess I haven't read a contract from end-to-end since our first couple cruises. Even then when I did that, I think I was in the huge minority of passengers. I am an attorney. I will be the first to tell you that these contracts are long, wordy, confusing and tedious. I think - like many large commercial ventures - they count on people not reading the so-called "fine print." In the future though, if I plan an overnight stay on shore, I will at least peruse the contract for that information. An even better approach, however, is to just voluntarily inform the ship of your overnight plans, including the name, telephone, address, and perhaps reservation number of your hotel. Just common sense (even though we didn't exercise it in 2022). 😓

Would there be enough demand for this kind of cruise?

THE THING is, this could become a major logistics headache for cruise ships. Would overnight stays onshore become a popular thing? I am not sure. I think it would partially depend on the port and how close amenities were. If it were easy to walk, shuttle or taxi/Uber, we probably wouldn't want to deal with the extra cost and hassle (some form of luggage would be an issue for most travelers planning to overnight) of booking a hotel when we have a great room right there back at the ship. 

WOULD THERE be enough demand for this kind of a cruise? I honestly don't know. I do know that I would personally embrace it. There are - in my (perhaps myopic) view, some real cruise passenger pluses. Perhaps the biggest positive for all passengers who like to travel and get off the ship at stops (I suspect this is the majority) is the additional time to explore the port city and surrounds. It would likely create many more options and opportunities for excursions. It would allow passengers to take advantage of local cuisine and restaurants (though the cruise lines might see this a negative, considering the food planning logistics require, but lost revenue on upcharge items and alcohol). And of course many passengers are more about the cruising "experience" than the ports. There is certainly an argument that both of these could be accomplished though.

WHAT DO you think? Is this a viable approach to cruising? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Which Cruise Ship / Cruise Line is for You?

Carnival Cruise Ships - Nassau, Bahamas - Copyright Andy Richards 2022

RECENTLY, I was reading online trying to keep up with new (to me anyway) developments on cruising. One concept I read struck me. There are 100's of cruise ships to choose from, and every one of them (even the "sister" ships within a class) have something (or things) different to discover, explore, and in most cases, enjoy. We consider ourselves "seasoned" cruisers, with more than 20 cruises under our belt. As I peruse different cruising sites, it is clear to me that we are still in the "sophomore" stage of our cruising. I have no idea how many total cruises we will have finally taken over our time on earth, but I know we will keep on doing it as long as we are able.

For us, it is more about the itinerary than the ship

THE NAME of this blog suggests to the reader that I have a "favorite." At the moment, all other things being equal, I would choose one of the newer class Celebrity Ship to cruise on. But that is certainly not a hard and fast position. And in keeping with my opening remarks, we will - I am certain - when circumstances present, cruise on other lines. For us, it is more about the itinerary than the ship. Having said that, there are some lines that, based on my research and anecdotal evidence, we will not even look at. We have no interest, for example in cruising on either Carnival or Costa (ironically, Carnival Corp. owns Princess, which we have no problem cruising on). Not trying to be elitist by any means. We know that there are cruisers and potential cruisers who would not be able to go on any cruise at all, if these so-called "budget" lines didn't exist. They are just not for us. Because of that, any useful information you may get here will not include them.

Top Deck; Celebrity Edge - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

THERE ARE cruise lines and then there are cruise lines. We generally cruise on a medium-capacity, relatively sedate, cruise ship that offers a relaxed, adult experience with a premium on visiting interesting ports of call around the world. Our usual experience is what we think is probably pretty common among the majority of cruise passengers in our demographic (60's, comfortable, but not "wealthy," reasonably good health, and retired). We personally don't book suites, or luxury "class" packages on the ships (though we know some who do). We do book more or less standard balcony rooms. We do generally buy the premium drink package, as we are cocktail drinkers, and we also like the higher end specialty coffee bars, and abundantly available water. We really haven't done any in-depth analysis on weather that is the most cost-effective approach (and we get that the packages are not for everyone). We just like not having to think about it. This is an area where the cruise line makes a difference. We understand that some lines (like Princess and Holland America) impose a limit on the number of drinks per day that are covered in the package. Celebrity doesn't (at least at this point). While that might make a difference, we are doubtful that we would reach that maximum (we surely haven't on our several Princess experiences).

SOME CRUISE lines focus on a younger audience: young adults, college students on "spring break," and even young children ("Disney"). Some are known for their party atmosphere, as well as entertainment activities like waterslides, rock walls, and go-kart tracks. There are more exclusive small-ship experiences that offer a "premium luxury experience" often with all-included meals and refreshments. I won't comment on them, as we have not done a cruise on any of them. It isn't likely (though anything is possible) that we will. If that is your thing, you will have to research elsewhere. 😊 There are also the very exclusive exploration cruises in exotic places like the Galapagos. We haven't done one and do not see it in our foreseeable future cruising. Our focus has been on the English-speaking cruise lines (for the entirely selfish reason that we speak - exclusively - English. We wish we spoke at least on other language). But be aware that some of the lines in Europe are not exclusively English language oriented (Mein Schiff comes to mind, for example).

It is difficult to really get a good "feel" for what a cruise is like before you do one. It is easy to have a preconceived perception

AS FAR as my research has uncovered, there is no "industry standard" classification of cruise lines. I do know that there are lines that offer a "premium" experience, and lines that offer "budget" cruises. And then there are a number of (probably most) others who are in between. Because there is no real "standard," cruise lines and passengers are free to refer to ships and lines in whatever way they wish. One person's luxury may be another's "pedestrian" (or worse). What a cruise line may call "luxury," or "premium" may not be what you consider luxury or premium to be. My best, most recent, example is our January 2023 cruise in South Africa aboard Norwegian Cruise Line - owned "Oceania." Oceania touts itself as a "premium luxury" cruise line. As I wrote in a recent blog, "Something New For Us," our own measure of Oceania is that it fell well below our thinking of what "luxury premium" standards should be - being on par with, or even slightly behind our own measuring stick: Celebrity. We also found it to be on par with or below the standards of Princess. Neither Celebrity nor Princess would be considered "luxury premium" lines by most people's standards.

Martini's Lounge - Oceania Nautica - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

CHOOSING A cruise line and ship will be driven by a number of factors. You need to think about what you are seeking. Is it a fun, entertainment-filled vacation in the sun? Will you have younger folks with you who will seek a different kind of entertainment than older adults may seek? Or do you want a quiet, more sophisticated, but relaxing atmosphere, or are you more interested in a constant "party" vibe? Is an exciting on shore itinerary important to you, or are you just seeking the onboard cruise experience? What is your budget? How much time do you have? All of these things will factor into your experience. There are many cruisers participating on various on-line spaces like Cruise Critic.com and the various Facebook Pages for cruises and cruise ships, that find the luxury "extras" important and worth paying a premium for. My wife and I like to think of ourselves as rather ordinary, and our tastes run to the "everyman" experience. We personally have no need for, or interest in being "pampered" with things like our own exclusive restaurants, lounges, pool areas or "butlers." Nor do we ever seek an exclusive area on the ship. We wouldn't enjoy those things. We like our mainline cabin (we generally do a balcony, not for status, but for the view and feeling of space). We like eating in the main dining areas (MDR) of the ship (where we are sometimes seated with strangers who we strike up a conversation with - and occasionally become friends with). We might splurge once or twice a cruise and eat in one of the upgrade restaurants. But for the most part we are happy with what the standard cruise packages offer. That's us. You may be different. Most ships within our criteria have atmosphere and itinerary offerings that allow for varied approaches. Maybe you prefer to dine alone or with just the members of your group. That is no problem for modern cruise ship dining rooms.

Royal Princess - Copyright Andy Richards 2013

FOR OUR first ever cruise, back in 2010, we did Alaska's inside passage. Having never cruised, we knew nothing about cruise ship. I was given the "privilege" of choosing the ship for the 4 of us who would be cruising. I spent months before we booked, looking at different cruise lines and ships. Even with all the information available online, it is difficult to really get a good "feel" for what a cruise is like before you do one. It is easy to have a preconceived perception, and often, the huge variation between higher end and "bargain" lines and cruises can taint that thinking. I had a perception, for example, of a more "Carnival"-like atmosphere, with mainly mediocre buffet food. I was incorrect, of course. For our own personal "demographic," we were looking for something a little quieter, a bit classier than the "party atmosphere, and with decent amenities. I boiled it down to two cruise lines: Princess and Holland America (HAL). I liked what I saw in HAL. But ultimately a couple factors leaned us toward Princess. Again, much of the "research" results are anecdotal and opinion-based (like here :-) ), but it felt to me like Princess had a slightly more casual vibe, (and conversely, HAL, a more formal vibe). And perhaps more importantly, Princess has done a very good job of kind of "locking up" Alaska, with their dominant presence there. They have a huge terminal in Whittier, which is, I believe, exclusively used by Carnival Cruise Lines and its subsidiaries (Carnival owns both Princess and HAL, for those who didn't know). They also have their large and modern hotel at the entrance of Denali National Park, and extensive land-based touring in Alaska. Their "Cruise-tour" packages are probably their most popular Alaska experiences. I would probably lean toward Princess today, if we were going to cruise again in Alaska (though other cruise lines certainly provide a similar experience). I have often thought that, had we chosen HAL, our entire cruise experience over the next 15 years might have been very different. We had friends who did a very similar cruise on HAL and had good things to say. 

YOU JUST might choose different ships/lines for different itineraries. That was certainly a consideration for Alaska, and from what I have read, it would probably still be a consideration if we were to cruise again in Alaska. In a like vein, one of our justifications for booking the South Africa cruise on Oceania is that it does not appear that the larger ships we normally sail on go there. If you read my blog about the South Africa cruise, you know I would not recommend doing it and I would not do it again under any normal circumstances. A big part of a cruise is finding an itinerary that lends itself to coastal stops. For the most part, the "action" in South Africa is inland and the way to do it - in my view - is on "safari." Land-based. But we didn't know, and you can see how that tempers ship and cruise line choices. I think cruising in the Indonesian Islands (something we may someday pursue) would have some of the same "smaller ship" considerations.

Diamond Princess - Skagway, Alaska - Copyright Andy Richards 2010

IN OUR 15 years of cruising, we have cruised on 5 different cruise lines. 60 percent of the time we have cruised on a Celebrity ship. 25% have been on Princess ships. The other 15% has been divided between Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and  Oceania (owned by NCL). Full disclosure: my wife did "girlfriend" trips on both of the RC cruises, so I have never personally been on a Royal Caribbean ship. But having cruised together many times, we were able to compare notes, and I got good "intel" from her. As I mentioned at the outset, our sampling may be small. There are undoubtedly cruisers who have cruise more different lines than we have. But in our "wheelhouse," we think our sampling is good enough to give us some perspective on the cruise industry.

Holland America 

I HAVE mentioned here before that we think that a 2,000 - 2,500 passenger ship is our own personal "sweet spot." We know people who feel that is much too large, and prefer the smaller, more intimate ships. We also know a few that like the rollicking, party atmosphere some of the Carnival ships, and of the megaships like Royal's Icon of The Seas, which holds nearly 3 times that number of passengers. On the
"small ship" experience, in December 2023, we spent a little over a week on the Oceania Nautica, which has a guest capacity of only about 1/3 of our "sweet spot" size (670 max.). As you might expect, everything (and I mean everything) was proportionately smaller. You can see my more specific review of our time on the Nautica here. There were definitely pros and cons to this cruise ship. Our particular cruise had only about 400 people. I wonder if it might have felt more crowded at capacity. It was fun, though, to experience a new and different ship and experience. And every line does certain things differently. For some of the people we have met aboard ships over the years, the Nautica's diminutive size and "laid back," traditional atmosphere would be just right. We have met some very "seasoned" cruisers who in some cases have done 3 or more times the number of cruises we have. They are often older and tend to cruise more for the ship atmosphere. They often even rarely leave the ship. I think a ship like Nautica is probably ideal for cruisers like that - but probably only if they do a "premium" type package. We had a "standard" balcony package. That does not give access to the fitness center, steam room, etc. (though I think they could be accessed by paying an additional charge). The rooms (especially the bathroom) were very small. They were nice, but nothing more opulent than what we are accustomed to on Celebrity or Princess Ships. The food was very good. The decor was elegant, and the ship clean and tidy. The bar, wait, and entertainment staff were as good as any we have ever experienced, with one very notable exception (the cruise director was arrogant, and in our view completely derelict in his responsibility in at least one major occasion, but that could occur on any ship anywhere, so it really isn't commentary on Oceania as a cruise line). Their boarding process was the second worse we have experienced in our 20-plus cruises, and by and large, the administrative staff were mediocre at best - unhelpful at worst. Given those factors, and the fact that the cost to us was more than double our usual cost, we find it difficult to "grant" Oceania the "premium/luxury" status. Interestingly, Oceania is owned by the same parent company as NCL, which we think would probably offer a similar experience to Princess, HAL, and Celebrity. We know some folks who have cruised on NCL and they have liked it, by and large.

We think of Celebrity, Princess, HAL (and probably NCL) as similar in class and experience

YOU CERTAINLY should identify a category of cruise that you want. Are you wanting a "party" cruise atmosphere with (most likely) a warm weather destination? Do you want lots of young people, bars, "clubs," and the like? Do you want more of a family atmosphere? Or, like us, would you prefer a more mature (35 - 75) demographic, with a slower pace, more "elegant" style and setting and more "sedate" amenities? This is important, because it is the onboard portion of the trip, which will be the majority of your time. All cruise ships will have a theater and shows. But they often differ greatly in their food offerings, the cabin amenities, the pool areas, etc. They can range from raucous (think Carnival), to understated and elegant (think upscale or premium lines like Oceania, or even more upscale Viking, Azamara, Silversea, etc.). Another major factor, of course, is your budget. Cruises like the latter mentioned tend to be much more expensive than cruises on Carnival, Costa, and other "budget" lines. The more "mainstream" cruises like Princess, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and MSC are more costly than the budget lines, but generally significantly less than the "premium" lines. There is much variability within these categories, and ironically, some of the so-called premium lines really don't offer as much "bang for your buck" as the mid-lines do. Something to factor in when considering this aspect of your choices.

Ruby Princess - Caribbean - Copyright Andy Richards 2012

WE THINK of Celebrity, Princess, HAL (and probably NCL) as similar in class and experience. Most of their ships these days come within our plus or minus 2.000 passenger personal criteria. They mostly offer pretty nice amenities in their more or less standard cruise levels (balcony stateroom, MDR setup, and maybe a drink package). The rooms are generous sized (including the bathrooms), clean and modern (there is the occasional long-in-the-tooth ship, but most lines systematically upgrade every few years). The food is good to sometimes excellent. Staff is friendly and helpful, with an eye (outwardly at least) to making sure you have a good experience as passengers. The entertainment is generally very good. In our experience, Princess seems to have a slight edge in this area - at least when it comes to their theatre-type productions. Both Princess and HAL ships seem to put more of a premium on smaller, more intimate music venues. Princess has it's "Crooner's" lounge, and a couple others (depending on the ship), and HAL features a couple specialty music venues featuring rock and roll and jazz and blues. In our experience, all the in-house musicians, as well as most that are contracted for a particular cruise are excellent and very professional.

 "amenities" can be very important

ONCE YOU have gotten a handle on the type of cruise you want to do, the single most important factor for us has always been the itinerary. Cruises can primarily be divided into two categories. The first (and perhaps best known and most popular over the years) is the "vacation" cruise, usually in a warm weather destination. For citizens of the American Continent (U.S. and Canada primarily), this is probably most often the Caribbean. For Europeans, in addition to the Caribbean, places like the south of Portugal, parts of Greece and other places in the Mediterranean are also popular. These cruises are generally of shorter duration (a week or less) and often happen in the Caribbean during the cold winter months for North Americans. The second category is the adventure or travel cruise. We are most familiar with cruises in Europe including numerous trips to the Mediterranean, as well as trips into the North Sea, Irish Sea, English Channel, and the Baltic Ocean Other adventure trips include various destinations around North America, like the Atlantic Coast, mainly from New York North to places like Bar Harbor, Maine, and on up into the Canadian Provinces (all the way into the St. Lawrence and down to Montreal and Quebec City). The west coast also has some popular cruises from San Diego to Vancouver. And of course, the Alaskan "Inside" passage is extremely popular in season. Finally (and we haven't really done any of this) there cruises in the Pacific to and around Hawaii, the Polynesian Islands, and Japan (where we are scheduled to cruise for 12 days in April 2024).

Celebrity Apex - Iceland - 2023

THESE DAYS, probably because we live in Florida, we do the latter "adventure" type cruises more often. We do still do Caribbean cruises. But they are less frequent, and generally are more about the atmosphere of the sunny, warm weather cruise ship than the destination. On December 30, 2023, for a 7-day cruise. We had been to all but one of our 3 stops multiple times. We got off the ship, mostly to do some walking around and bar - hopping more than any industrious itinerary. We did hire a spur-of-the-moment driver to give us a tour of our stop in Tortola, BVI (the one we had not yet been to). We were with some old, close friends who we have cruised together with several times - but not recently, so all 4 of us are looking forward to getting away, warm, sunny weather and some time on the ship more than anything.

Celebrity Apex - Sunset on the Caribbean - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

WHEN IT comes to the "adventure" cruises, the itinerary becomes all-important. If Princess (or perhaps HAL in the future, after we experience it) offers what we think is a better itinerary, we will not hesitate to book on those cruise lines.

Cigar Smoking Area - Celebrity Edge Class Ships - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

FOR SOME, "amenities" can be very important. You may want to think about things that we might take for granted in our everyday lives. If you, or a member of your traveling party has a handicap, accessibility may be an important consideration. Virtually all of the newer ships are pretty well set up for this. Some of the older, and smaller ship may not be as good (though all have to meet minimum standards). For example, from my personal observation, the larger Princess and Celebrity ships have a hoist-chair in at least one of their pools. All ships have elevators. Most cruise lines pay at least lip-service to special dietary needs. Some are better than others, but I have frequently read some commentary online that suggests that some do it better than others. It is worth doing some research if you have special dietary needs - or have significant food allergies. One area that is "near and dear to me" is the way the cruise line (and sometimes individual ships) handle smoking policies. I know of only one (European) cruise line that still allows smoking on individual balconies. The rest allow it in specifically designated areas only. I certainly appreciate that non-smokers are in the majority (in the U.S. at least) and that many find the odors created noxious. I am not (nor have I ever been) a cigarette smoker. But I do enjoy a nice, hand-rolled cigar. I am completely behind the cruise policies to restrict smoking to specific areas (though I think the occasionally "militant" stance some non-smokers take are sometimes over-the-top).  Some do this better than others. In my personal experience, the most accommodating line has been Celebrity - particularly on their larger, newer (Edge Class) ships. There is also a distinction between cigarette and cigar smoking (although ironically, I have heard it said many times by non-smokers that they prefer the smell of cigar and pipe smoke to cigarette smoke). The Nautica, for example had two smoking areas, but only one of them allowed cigar smoking. Some have felt less "welcoming" than others. Again, Celebrity is among the most cigar-friendly cruise lines in my experience. Do you want to gamble? Every ship I have been on has had a casino. On the very small ships, it might be more apt to refer to it as a "card room." On the larger ships, they resemble an on-land casino (albeit smaller by a magnitude). It may be worth looking at the size and quality of the onboard casino.

I HOPE this has given some insight on choosing your cruise line/ship. Bon Voyage!

Are Those Exclusive - Ship Within a Ship - Luxury Areas Worth It?

WHY DO you cruise? I intuitively know why I (we) do, but I have never really tried to put my answer into cohesive, written form. What I am quite sure of is that each of us has reasons why we do. They are likely to differ, as are our attitudes about how we cruise.

I thought about whether I would want to pay the extra cost to cruise in one of those premium areas. My answer was - ultimately - no. I think that word, "exclusive" is a big reason why

LATELY, I have been watching YouTube vlogs. For years, I have done my pre-cruise research using sites like CruiseCritic, TripAdvisor and Viator (still do). More recently, I have found a lot of information on Social Media (particularly Face Book). The more traditional resources mentioned previously continue to be very useful, especially for one-to-one contacts. My wife and I recently booked a cruise for 2025 and we will be cruising with some friends we met on a cruise a couple years back (one of the reasons we love cruising). One of them sent me a YouTube video reviewing a similar cruise. I watched it. I was hooked! 😆

IN THE past, I have only watched YouTube videos for limited purposes, like how to complete some DIY project, or fix something that has broken down around the house. Watching this "Cruising" YouTube channel, I quickly learned that most of them link and reference other videos (and sometimes back to the main channel). These links are not solely limited to that YouTuber's own videos, but often other similar content. Using that linking system, you can literally "chain-watch" videos all day (I know because I have been doing just that 😁). What I probably like even better is that, in addition to the "vlog"-type YouTubes where the presenter sits in a single "set," there are a lot of them that include filming on location. For the most part, all my prior research methods meant that I would have to rely solely on other people's description of places I thought I might want to see. 

BY NOW, you are probably wondering what any of this has to do with the "Luxury Cruising" and (unless you know me or are a regular reader) how in the heck I got so far off topic. I will bring it back.😌 A video I recently watched stimulated a thought (amazingly enough) that begets this post. It made me realize that an awful lot of these cruise ship/line reviewers have a tendency to focus heavily on the exclusive "luxury" areas (I had taken to calling them "premium," but many writers consider lines like Celebrity to already be premium, and anything above that "luxury," so for the sake of consistency, I will call these areas "luxury") that have been designed and included in the past few years on the mainstream cruise ships These so-called "cruise-within-a-cruise," exclusive areas offered by Celebrity ("The Retreat"), Princess ("The Santuary" - which feels . . . well . . . a bit sanctimonious to me 😅), and NCL ("The Haven") have become popular among some cruisers, and as I have now learned, by influencers. Some of these YouTubers, as influencers, have had their cruises "comped" by cruise lines, or sponsored by some other third party who sells travel - related goods and services, and in those cases, it appears that those accommodations are in some of the luxury areas. That at least partially explains this. I also have learned (ironically from one of the most popular influencers - though in fairness, he has been doing this for years and I get the impression that he pays his own way - that the newer ship designs have increased the percentage of perk-associated staterooms and facilities because it allows them to charge more and therefore increase revenues). As I watch these videos, I have thought about whether I would want to pay the extra cost to cruise in one of those areas. My answer was - utimately - no. I think that word, "exclusive" is a big reason why.

I have often said here, the most heavily-weighted factor for our choosing cruises is the intinerary

OF COURSE, as always, what follows here is my own personal opinion. One of the things I love about living in our part of the world, where freedom of thought and choice are the norm (though these days people don't always get it), is that we can each have very divergent opinions and neither of us be wrong (or right 😇). What I say here relates to me, my own economic situation, and my own view on life. But if you are "like-minded," you may find some interest in reading on.

WE CRUISE for a number of different reasons, but as I have often said here, the most heavily-weighted factor in our choice of cruises is the intinerary. We like (most of the time) the food, the drinks and the entertainment. We appreciate the comfort and convenience of the staterooms. The primary thing, however, is that we get to see much of the world this way. I have also lamented (and it is definitely one of the negative factors of cruising) that we get only limited time in a particular port (I will have more to say on that topic in an upcoming post). However, we have learned that it is a way to determine certain places we would like to visit for more extended periods, and then have made longer-term, land-based visits. One of the most enjoyable and positive aspects of cruising for us has been the atmosphere. The ability to be a part of the larger venues (like Celebrity's great martini bar), and the pool areas are a definite plus for us - all part of the standard fare.

IN OUR experience, at least at the "level" of ship line we have cruised (Celebrity, Princess, Oceania, and HAL), we have been perfectly happy with the offerings that are part of the (if you will) "standard" passenger accomodations. This includes the food in the Main Dining Room(s) (MDR), the stateroom accommodations, and the bars, pool, and entertainment. It is generally very good and very enjoyable. We do splurge from time to time on one or more of the "specialty restaurants" which involves an additional charge. But more and more, we skip this in favor of the included fare (this is particularly true of the Celebrity Edge class, and its 4 separate MDR approach). 

THE LUXURY "ship within a ship" concept is usually accompanied by a substantially increased charge for its limited group of passengers. For that charge, they have separate dining facilities, pools and deck areas, lounges, and of course suites. O.k. . . . I guess.

The ability to be a part of the larger venues like Celebrity's great martini bar, and the pool areas are a definite plus for us

ARE SO-CALLED "luxury packages" worth the extra expense? We don't personally think so (obviously, many think they are). We don't really want to have a separate, exclusive area. We want to mingle with the "great unwashed," (a demographic that we consider ourselve a part of) 😁. We love people watching, and meeting new friends in all areas of the ship. Ironically - to me - we are purposely on a ship which includes a certain level of ammenities within our essentially "standard" (though there are still some variables within that level) package. In our view, if we wanted  a more exclusive experience, we would book our cruises on one of the smaller, more exclusive cruise lines. Interestingly, after drafting this post, I came across mega-cruise blogger and vlogger, Gary Bembridge's take on the NCL "Haven" experience:

"If, like me you, are assessing the best suite experience for your budget, I came away convinced that I would have had a more special, personalised, and pampered experience and with better dining had I used my budget to go on a smaller luxury all-suite ship, like Seabourn, Silversea or Regent, instead."

NICE TO know the most popular cruise influencer on the web agrees with my thinking. 😇The closest we came to so-called "small ship luxury," was NCL's own "luxury line:" Oceania in January of 2023. Our Nautica, was the smallest ship we had ever been on (less than 700 and on our cruise less than 500 passengers). Although we definitely enjoyed the cruise (and a large part of that was probably due to the group of passengers we traveled with), we didn't like the overall ship and cruise experience as much as we do our "sweetspot" ship size (right around 2,500). Not as much to do. Everything (including staterooms - especially the bathroom) was much smaller. We were fortunate to be part of a group.

I KNOW that is only our own view. Other people cruise for different reasons, and enjoy the more "exclusive" atmosphere. Still, I wonder why, if they are willing to pay more, they don't book their cruises on more exclusive ships that offer that degree of exclusivity and premium as their standard? I don't mean that to be a "passive-aggressive criticism. I truly do wonder.

WE HAVE dined at most of the "specialty restaurants" on the Celebrity and Princess ships, and on the single Oceania and HAL ships we sailed on. We were hard-pressed in most instances to say the food was that much better than the food served in the main dining rooms. Since we have never been in one of the exclusive areas on board, we can only extrapolate from the specialty restaurant  experiences. I have to wonder if the "special" restaurants in the exclusive areas are that much better. Ironically, we ate in both of the specialty restaurants on both the Oceania Nautica and HAL's Westerdam. In our view, the food in the MDR on Nautica was notably better than in their specialty restaurants (and the food on that cruise was probably among the best we have had on any cruise). On the Westerdam, if anything, the food was worse than some of the good nights we experienced in their MDR (there were a couple not-the-best experiences in the Westerdam MDR).

Is it worth the extra expense? We don't personally think so

ABOARD CELEBRITY ships, we have had mixed experience with the specialty restaurants. To be sure, we have had good steaks at the steakhouse, and on the Edge Class ships, the food in Eden has been pretty impressive. We will probably continue to try these venues once or twice per cruise. But at the end of the day, I am not sure the extra cost associated with them is justified based on the food and/or experience. The one exception to that are the venues that provide a little something different. The MDR usually has a steak. Some of them are surprisingly good. They also have a good variety of other meats, seafood and pastas. We have been generally satisfied on all of the ships and pretty much completely so on Celebrity ships (again, there is likely bias here, but we believe the food on Celebrity to be a touch better than on most of its competitors like Princess and HAL). Celebrity's "Raw On Five," in my view, is a great example though, of the exception. I am not aware of anyplace else you can get the type of food they serve - especially sushi. And it is quite good.

WITH THE exception of a suite, exclusive restaurants and areas on the ship, most of the other amenities in the premium areas can be purchased if you want them. In the case of Celebrity's first (lowest) level of "premium" (its "Concierge" class), having compared it to the standard "balcony" room, I am hard put to see any real advantage for paying the substantially higher price for the Concierge class. It appears to me that you can get, or accomplish virtually everything the Concierge level offers with just a tiny bit more "legwork" on your part, without any additional expense. In that case, it seems more like the "appearance" of a premium than any real benefit.

In our view, if we wanted  a more exclusive experience, we would book our cruises on one of the smaller, more exclusive cruise lines

FOR SURE, there are real differences in the other "premium" packages. The next step on Celebrity, for example, the Acqua Class, gets its own restaurant and spa perks (though really they are pretty limited - a "spa concierge" who can assist with booking the spa related items). The real premium experience comes with the programs like their Retreat, and the similar ones on the other lines. Retreat passengers get some complimentary liquor, "upgraded bedding," an exclusive area with pool, deck and lounge on the ship,and their own dedicated restaurant (as well as unlimited use of all of the other restaurants - including the specialty restaurants). NCL's Haven offers similar perks, including their premium drink package, exclusive pool, deck and lounge areas, the dedicated "Haven Restaurant," a concierge and/or butler, and nicer suites. It also includes priority boarding, tenders, restaurant reservations, and theater seating, among other things. The Princess experience is a little bit different as it varies by ship. The bigger, newer classes have what they call "The Sanctuary Collection," which is - like the others - a premium, exclusive class. Historically, though, Princess ships have included the Santuary, a reservation-only, exclusive deck and pool on the front and top of the ship, for many years. The space has always been very limited, but any passenger could reserve space. The catch is/was that it always booked up (especially during at-sea days) immediately. I decided to try to reserve space for 4 of us back in 2012 on the Ruby Princess in the Caribbean. Thinking I was an early-riser and would beat everyone at their game, a rousted at 6:00 a.m., grabbed a quick coffee and headed for the entrance, where I planned to "camp out," until it opened and perhaps be one of the first to reserve a space. I was stunned to see a long line in front of me. After waiting around 90 minutes, many of us at the end of the line were told it was full. Try again tomorrow. That is the sum-total of our Sanctuary/Retreat/Haven experience. 😐 On the newer ships now offering the new (beginning in 2024) "Sanctuary Collection," the Sanctuary is off limits to all except the collection passengers. No reservations or lines any more. It has become Princess' version of the "cruise-within-a-cruise." I am not sure what has happened on older, smaller ships, but I suspect they will move toward this being the approach on all their ships as time goes on. That is really o.k. If you want special amenities and treatment, it certainly doesn't seem unreasonable to pay extra for it. For me, the question is whether it is worth it or not.

YOUTUBER, GARY Bembridge mentions in one or two of his videos some "real world" facts that you might consider when determining if this is really a value to you. He attended a dinner aboard a ship not long ago and was seated next to a ship architect, who shared with him that while ownership wanted them to increase the "premium" space on board, at the same time they would only allow it to be placed in some of the worst "real estate" on the ship. The architech noted that they would prefer to put the premium space mid-ship. Something we have know for some years is that this is preferred location for comfort on board. We always try to book a stateroom in the middle of the ship and toward the vertical middle, or above. The front of the ship is where you will feel the most wave motion if the waters are rough. It is also one of the noisiest areas during docking and embarking operations due to the winches for the anchors and hausers. The back of the ship also feels motion, as well as vibration from the ship screws. In some instances, depending on the power methods aboard, fumes and even ashes can be an issue. The midship portion is quieter (generally), smoother, and has very convenient access to most of the ships amenities (the theatres are generally in the front and the main dining rooms in the rear, but this means half the walk to either, depending on where you are.

AS WE approach the season, (generally around Sept-Oct-Nov and Apr-May-June) when the ships move from their summer locations (Alaska, Europe and the Mediterranean) to their winter locations (mainly Mexico and the Caribbean), there is one time I might consider a "luxury accomodation:" on a re-positioning cruise. For those who don't already know this, these one-way cruises are offered on ships that are being moved for the season. Generally either a trip down from Alaska to southern ports on the west coast and Mexico; or a transatlantic voyage from Europe to the Caribbean, these cruises usually involve a few more "sea days," and many fewer port stops. The draw for these cruises is usually twofold. First, because the have to move the ships, the cruise lines will often offer steeply discounted fares in order to fill up the ship and recoup at least some of the expenses of the voyage. Second, they attract a type of cruiser who cruises more for the onboard experience and doesn't mind the increased number of (usually back to back) sea days. I haven't been tempted by a repositioning cruise. Yet.😁 If I were, and knowing I would be spending the majority of my time at sea and aboard, I might spring for the luxury accomodations - especially if a deep discount applied (essentially making it no more expensive than my usual standard fare.

. . . seated next to a ship architect, who shared with him that while ownership wanted them to increase the "premium" space on board, at the same time they would only allow it to be placed in some of the worst "real estate" on the ship

I KNOW this is all completely subjective opinion. What do you think? Is premium cruising, as an exclusive part of the main cruising experience worth it? Would you be better served by just booking a cruise on a smaller, premium cruise line? I would love to hear comments and opinions.