Cruise Line Recommendations

[charliegolf]

Or really good travel agents who specialise in 'em. Any advice welcome.

CG

PS

Caribean, or other warm places.

[Navaleye]

I would suggest cruise.co.uk, gills or sovereign cruises in the Uk. if you don't mind booking with a US agent, Smartcruiser has the best prices but you will need to book your own flights.

[aw ditor]

Saga.....................!

[jamesdevice]

if you want excitement

Libya Expeditions® - Libya Cruises (http://www.libyaexpeditions.com/pages/cruises)

[Tankertrashnav]

Cunard - Queen Mary - pre war - first class.

Otherwise might as well go to Butlins - similar, cheaper but less chance of getting food poisoning.

[BEagle]

HMS Ocean?

[charliegolf]

Old age- I could have sworn this was in JB.

Anyone know how to move it?

CG

PS Ta for the replies.

[A2QFI]

Once you have decided where you want to go and with which company to travel with check them out here.

Cruise Reviews - Cruise Lines, Cruise Ships, Ports and Destinations (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/?kw=72879&eng=CCSEM&content=&eagid=377919675&gclid=CIvXrJ2H46kCFYEMfAodknxzZA)

There are some absolute stinkers! NCL who do Norway and the fiords are renowned for surly crew and searching you when you come back from a shore excursion to make sure you haven't saved any money by bringing yourown booze on board.

There are "No Children" ships - P&O's Arcadia is one, if that is what you like.

[Pontius Navigator]

charliegolf, see PMs.

As A2QFI says, some ships are turkeys.

When are you considering going as when to book is the biggie. Booking early gets you big onboard credit and lowest prices. Booking late gets you bigger onboard credit and lower prices. Well that is what it looks like.

Late booking also gets fuel surcharges, less choice of cabin grade and position and limited dining options.

Readers Travel in the papers is also an excellent cheap route to late booking.

[charliegolf]

PM seen PN, thanks a lot. Thanks A2QFI too.

CG

[red zebra]

Costa - great food, great service

[Speedbird48]

CG,

I use Interline 2000 who are here in the US but give military rates as well as airline employees.

Mike Sequeira is the guy and we have used him for several years.

In April we did a repositioning on board Azamara Club Cruises, "Azamara Journey" from Miami to Rome via Gib'. Absolutly first class all the way. Mike even got us ungraded to the "Owners Suite", wonderful.

We have crossed on Cunard, Queen Mary 2, several times and each time it has got worse and is to be avoided since they now belong to Carnival.

Speedbird 48

[Trout99uk]

Woolwich Ferry ;)

[The Old Fat One]

Only done one...P&O thru' Bolsover Cruise. 10/10.

Only trouble...do one cruise and get a lifetime of cruise junk mail (and boy do they spend a sh!t load on junk mail)

[obgraham]

Only trouble...do one cruise and get a lifetime of cruise junk mail (and boy do they spend a sh!t load on junk mail)This is indeed true.

However, having tried most of the lines catering to us Yank-types: Crystal Cruises, well worth the little bit extra. Regent Seven Seas also top notch, but so is the price.

[bushveld]

Go to:
Discount Cruises, Last Minute Cruises, Cruise, Cruise Line, Cruise Vacation (http://www.vacationstogo.com)

By far the best spot, and many Military/Industry discounts.

[Pontius Navigator]

For a real cruise try Windstar. They usually have last minute deals although you have to fix your own flights and some of their ports are a bit obscure for air travel, but that is their attraction.

We were in Tortola, BVI and along side a similar 3000 pax ship - 6000 pax at the same time!

We had fixed up a private tour, 10 people, and went to a small island in the vicinity. Private beach and a wonderful bar called the Soggy Dollar - you got soggy dollars in change! There was a Windstar yacht moored in that bay, 300 people rather than 6000. They go to places the big ships don't.

[bigal1941]

For face to face Bath Travel, all over the south are wonderful. On Phone Trailfinders were good, and had good discounts. Igloo, had good last minute deals

On the ships, would you like Butlins on Sea or something quieter. Rember at ports there there are only one or two exitits with security, and do you want to stand with2/3 thousand other tourists to get off. The Arcadia had problems in L A recently and most of the day was spent trying to get off. I went up to the north cape on the Arcadia, would give it 50/50

Before you book anything read the Berlitz guide to cruising which covers just about every ship and cruise line on what to expect. Enjoy Alan

[slj]

You might care to consider Celebrity Cuises. They offer good quality at reasonable prices.

[Pontius Navigator]

Rember at ports there there are only one or two exitits with security, and do you want to stand with2/3 thousand other tourists to get off. The Arcadia had problems in L A recently and most of the day was spent trying to get off.

You missed out two salient facts. This was a US port with border security that can be officious at times and some passengers gave them lip so they worked to rule.

We experienced delays off flights in to Miami but only minimal delay when entering from the ship through Tampa. The best way to enter the US, if you don't want to be delayed going ashore, is by air.

At every other port anywhere, you either go ashore when your tour departs or at your leisure. Returning to the ship you either go directly in on a bus or wave your card to security in the terminal and again at the gangway and again as you board. It is rare for there to be a queue or more than a minute or two.

[JEM60]

Holland/America for me. 3 times through the Caribbean. Faultless. About to do the Fjords on P.andO Ociana for the first time.

[John Eacott]

We have crossed on Cunard, Queen Mary 2, several times and each time it has got worse and is to be avoided since they now belong to Carnival.

Speedbird 48

I was talked into a Cunard cruise on Queen Elizabeth (maiden round the world) and wouldn't go near them again if you paid me.

Dreadful experience, total waste of money. Plus booking from Australia Cunard charged us 40% more than the same trip if booked from UK or USA, bunch of thieves :*

[Pontius Navigator]

BTW, both Princess and Cunard, both Carnival group, offer additional onboard credit for military and veterans. It is also per person rather than per cabin so it is possible for both partners to benefit.

[Jabba_TG12]

Ah, the Soggy Dollar on Jos Van Dyke... brilliant place, superb flying fish sandwiches, painkiller cocktails... magic.:D Went there in Dec 09.

Another cruise line operating around the area, not particularly cheap and you have to find your own flights as well, is Yachts Of Seabourne. Usually quite small vessels (less than 250 pax), no brats, all inclusive when on board, caviar in the surf... strongly reccomended.

Put it this way, my wife and I met a German couple who had just disembarked from a Seabourne cruise from the far east to Dubai in 07 and this was the first and only time I have ever heard a German wax lyrical about anything. This guy couldnt sing their praises high enough.

Well worth a look.

[glojo]

Good idea to shop around for different agents to book your cruise but are you aware of the different dress codes and other stipulations that vary between the different cruise lines?

I am NOT going to get involved in recommending any cruise line as it is all about horses for courses :O:O

[pulse1]

I have just returned from a Norway cruise with P & O (Ventura). Last year we did a Canaries cruise with Celebrity and the comparison was interesting.

Ventura was good but rather unimaginative. I never felt that anything was especially good and there was an overall impression that everything was done to a cost (typically British). E.g. there were several annoying stations in the Buffet Restaurant where waiters brought the dirty plates which were then sorted very noisily. Returning on board after a trip could involve queueing in the rain for over 30 minutes because they didn't have enough security stations. You were constantly bombarded by photographers whose products were not good.

With Celebrity the food was often fantastic, especially the steaks. Dirty plates were whisked away almost unnoticed. Returning on board rarely involved a queue and you were met at the gangway with a cold flannel and selection of soft drinks. The overwhelming impression was that nothing was too much trouble. On the downside, drinks were expensive and included the usual US service charge.

Entertainment on both ships involved a few poor artists but mostly it was absolutely amazing.

[Pontius Navigator]

On our Celebrity cruise the entertainment was heightened by all the staff walking off at the first port of call. There were rumours of drug taking, pay disputes and an argument with the Cruise Director. The replacement acts included a "world class pick pocket" and "a world class juggler". The lowlight of the latter was when he juggled a fire axe, a bowling ball and an 8 year old girl.:yuk:

[TheWestCoast]

What Jabba said. Seabourne is outstanding, great crews, phenomenal service, terrific food. The price tag could be hefty, but this cruise line is the best I've been on. RCCL is great to Alaska, but the Caribbean crowd is a different animal - booze, booze, booze.

[dctyke]

White Star Line have a new ship about to do it's maiden voyage, apparantly unsinkable and promising close up views of Icebergs............:rolleyes:

[Biggus]

It's been on pprune before, but I'm surprised that nobody hasn't mentioned this yet....


Somali Cruises - Cruise along Africa's east coast! (http://www.somalicruises.com/)

[Pontius Navigator]

dctyke, it is not White Star. It is Fred Olsen next April. They are repeating the route of 100 years before. I am not sure where they are going after the Grand Banks.