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Cruise Advice

PStreet1

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We've cruised on Holland several times and like their ships and service (every stateroom has a bathtub--a real plus for me--and staterooms are, in general larger.) We've been very pleased with the service in general, and our favorite "pay for" restaurant is Pinacle on the Holland America ships we've been on. We have more nights on Royal than any other line (and as I said, we loved Allure, and in fact, are doing a back-to-back cruise at the end of September on her). We have a lot of nights on Celebrity, also, and also like Celebrity. The only cruise lines I've heard a lot of complaints about are Carnival and Norweigian, but on the other hand, I know people who love both of them.
We have done a lot of stays in various European cities, but we still like floating around on a nice resort. It's a different type of vacation from a trip to a city, and we've become quite enamored with cruising over the years--but we're not giving up trips to cities either. I agree with the poster who said people complain about everything, and those who are complaining are a lot more likely to write on various sites than those who enjoyed their vacation.
 

Bwolf

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We just returned from our first cruise ever. We took HA's MS Veendam to Bermuda and back from Boston. We enjoyed it. It is an older ship and many recent reviews are critical for just that reason. Those reviews were worth ignoring. Everything worked, everything was clean, and we didn't see much to be critical about. The demographic was older, not many children, but there were some and they took advantage of Club HAL. Many older folks seem to enjoy the floating hotel concept with good food, good service, and good companionship. Holland America is a good choice.
 

AnnaS

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I was going to say don't rule out the Disney line (Fantasy or Dream). We cruise Disney even with no kids but I see it's not a possibility. Good luck deciding and planning!!!
 

pedro47

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The Disney Cruise Line is outstanding cruising without kids. Their staterooms, shows, and their dining facilities are some of the best in the industry. The Disney Cruise Line is rated #1 by Cruise Critics.

Please check their reviews at the Cruise Critics website. Happy cruising.
 

jwalk03

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Disney is awesome, even for adults. But it is quite a bit more expensive than most mass market cruises. I wouldn't be too concerned about the negative reviews. Most are from people who don't do their research ahead of time and don't get what they are expecting from a cruise. Very similar to all the negative timeshare reviews you see on the non-timeshare sites.

Cruisecritic is a wealth of knowledge! I love the TUG of cruises comparison.
 

Steve A

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I want to thank everyone for their help. I decided to cruise on the MSC Seaside, a new ship that will be starting Caribbean cruises in the new year. They are offering the best combination of price and on board options. They're primairily a European company and they are probably looking to attract more Americans and Canadians to their ships. I have been working with Sandy, a travel agent on Tug, (see previous page of this thread) and we booked today for next May. Looking forward to it. https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Deals/Top-Deals/2-For-1-Cruise-Deals.aspx.

Being Marriott Platium qualifies you for lots of extras.
 

AnnaS

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My hubby's uncle only cruises this line and loves it! Happy Planning!
 

pedro47

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I want to thank everyone for their help. I decided to cruise on the MSC Seaside, a new ship that will be starting Caribbean cruises in the new year. They are offering the best combination of price and on board options. They're primairily a European company and they are probably looking to attract more Americans and Canadians to their ships. I have been working with Sandy, a travel agent on Tug, (see previous page of this thread) and we booked today for next May. Looking forward to it. https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Deals/Top-Deals/2-For-1-Cruise-Deals.aspx.

Being Marriott Platium qualifies you for lots of extras.

Please look at MSC suites and their extra benefits & perks. Please enjoy your cruise & relax.
 

rhonda

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Have you or any of the others done Holland American?
In our mid-50s, we are 3-Star Mariner (equiv to 75 cruise days) with HAL. We've also cruised Disney (4 completed, one future cruise booked), Norwegian (~12x?), Celebrity (2x), Renaissance (no longer in business), Marine Expeditions (no longer in business), and maybe others I'm forgetting.

FWIW, we really like HAL. My 'first thoughts' comparing HAL to others:
  • The cabins are spacious (especially compared to Celebrity); We tend to book GTY and get nice upgrades given our 'repeat' status.
  • The staff is possibly the best we've experienced across the various lines. I personally enjoy that staff at every level makes a point to greet you as you cross paths. I come off a HAL cruise feeling really positive and happy as a direct consequence of the daily, cheery interaction.
  • I've enjoyed the faith-options offered on HAL cruises. Each sea day offers a special gather place for various beliefs.
  • We enjoy the spa pass.
  • We enjoy the sea-day lectures.
Of the other lines we've experienced:
  • Celebrity excels with best food options both in the dining rooms and various kiosks, imo. I enjoy the healthy food items near the hydro-therapy pool. Yummy!
  • Celebrity offers my favorite of the hydro-therapy pools and spa-pass features.
  • Renaissance was, when running, my favorite of the small-ship lines. Super elegant, great excursions, high-end hotel packages on either end of the cruise.
  • Disney has the best on-ship movie theatre. :)
Can't offer much regarding entertainment. We don't frequent the bars, lounges, casino and often skip the main stage productions. I am far more likely to attend a cooking class than a comedy show.
 

rhonda

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I want to thank everyone for their help. I decided to cruise on the MSC Seaside, a new ship that will be starting Caribbean cruises in the new year. They are offering the best combination of price and on board options. They're primairily a European company and they are probably looking to attract more Americans and Canadians to their ships. I have been working with Sandy, a travel agent on Tug, (see previous page of this thread) and we booked today for next May. Looking forward to it. https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Deals/Top-Deals/2-For-1-Cruise-Deals.aspx.
Can't wait to read your review! I hope it is delightful in every way!
 

DaveNV

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I spent 11 of my 20 Navy years aboard ships, and have literally sailed around the world, so you'd think the last thing I'd want to do is take a cruise someplace. But nope - it's been a bucket list thing for a long time to cruise the Inside Passage to Alaska, seeing the smaller towns, experiencing the Gold Rush area, and spend time hanging around Glacier Bay. Next month I'm finally getting my wish: We've been booked on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam for well over a year, and the sailing date is finally just on the horizon. I can't wait!

Added bonus: My best friend from High School, (who is also a retired Navy Vet), and his lovely wife are joining us. We've stayed the best of friends all these years (HS graduation was more than 45 years ago) and I can't imagine spending a week aboard ship with anyone else. Brian is like a brother to me. They booked a stateroom right across the passageway from us, so no matter which side of the ship is facing the glaciers, we can get a great view. I'm really looking forward to this one. :)

Dave

(P.S. Sandy, how did I not know you were an agent? We should talk...)
 

Passepartout

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Looking forward to your review. I've seen MSCs ads and of course they have been in the ocean freight business forever. It's a German line out of (iirc) Hamburg. We took one European cruise line, Costa on an Adriatic cruise. They seated the English speakers, there were maybe 50 of us, together at meals. No chance for open dining. My most enduring memory of that cruise was that the announcements were done in about 7 languages. So the lifeboat drill and daily position reports took about a half hour.

Jim
 

Passepartout

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I did note a couple of items from the above website, and would like to know more. One, is wi-fi truly free on MSC, and I saw an optional 'meal time' drink package. This would interest cruisers who might enjoy a beer or glass of wine at lunch or dinner, but feel that $40-$50+pp per day simply encourages more consumption than many want. How much is this on MSC? I'd suggest it to other lines.

Jim
 
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VacationForever

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I have read many reviews that people either love or dislike MSCs. Cruisecritic ratings are not high for MSCs but what do I know, I have not been on one. I am also interested in your experience with MSC. Our last 2 cruises were with Celebrity and we have 3 more coming up with Celebrity. Back to back next year in Europe and one in 2019 in Asia. Cruising can be expensive especially if you are picky about the type of cabin/dining/lounges. We still enjoy timesharing but we are mixing cruising into our vacation experience, especially to international locations.
 

taffy19

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I spent 11 of my 20 Navy years aboard ships, and have literally sailed around the world, so you'd think the last thing I'd want to do is take a cruise someplace. But nope - it's been a bucket list thing for a long time to cruise the Inside Passage to Alaska, seeing the smaller towns, experiencing the Gold Rush area, and spend time hanging around Glacier Bay. Next month I'm finally getting my wish: We've been booked on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam for well over a year, and the sailing date is finally just on the horizon. I can't wait!

Added bonus: My best friend from High School, (who is also a retired Navy Vet), and his lovely wife are joining us. We've stayed the best of friends all these years (HS graduation was more than 45 years ago) and I can't imagine spending a week aboard ship with anyone else. Brian is like a brother to me. They booked a stateroom right across the passageway from us, so no matter which side of the ship is facing the glaciers, we can get a great view. I'm really looking forward to this one. :)

Dave

(P.S. Sandy, how did I not know you were an agent? We should talk...)
This sounds wonderful, Dave. There are so many nice shore trips to choose from too but you need clear weather. It wasn't that great when we were there and we missed some of the majestic beauty of the scenery in the background and a few trips were even canceled to our chagrin. That was a helicopter ride and we would have stopped on top of a glacier. Another excursion was canceled too but we had a choice to do a substitute which was a public ferry instead and it ended up to be a real nice trip.

It was partially sunny when we did the "Misty Fjords" seaplane ride and we landed on the water in this picture but the most fun trip for me was with a smaller boat and seeing the killer whales feed in a circle so close up. I was looking for these pictures but may not have taken any because it was raining on and off.

i-3QbMqTF.jpg


This was with a TUG cruise in July 2006 from Seattle. I enjoyed the trip but not my other half. He doesn't care for cruising so that took care of that.

I am counting on you to spoil us with pictures and I hope that your weather will be sunny and clear! :thumbup:
 

silentg

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Royal Caribbean also has cruise from Baltimore, Bermuda and Charleston. We may look into that one in 2019.
 

DaveNV

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This sounds wonderful, Dave. There are so many nice shore trips to choose from too but you need clear weather. It wasn't that great when we were there and we missed some of the majestic beauty of the scenery in the background and a few trips were even canceled to our chagrin. That was a helicopter ride and we would have stopped on top of a glacier. Another excursion was canceled too but we had a choice to do a substitute which was a public ferry instead and it ended up to be a real nice trip.

It was partially sunny when we did the "Misty Fjords" seaplane ride and we landed on the water in this picture but the most fun trip for me was with a smaller boat and seeing the killer whales feed in a circle so close up. I was looking for these pictures but may not have taken any because it was raining on and off.

i-3QbMqTF.jpg


This was with a TUG cruise in July 2006 from Seattle. I enjoyed the trip but not my other half. He doesn't care for cruising so that took care of that.

I am counting on you to spoil us with pictures and I hope that your weather will be sunny and clear! :thumbup:


Thanks, Emmy. I'm really excited to see what the trip brings! I lived in Ketchikan for two years as a child. I'm looking forward to visiting my old neighborhood to see if I can recognize anything. :)

Dave
 

Glynda

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Brewster Green (two weeks).
Just got back a week ago from a two week Scandinavia and Russia cruise aboard Celebrity Eclipse out of Southampton, England. It was our first Celebrity cruise but our 7th cruise. The food aboard Celebrity Eclipse was the best of any cruise ship we've been on with the exception of their specialty restaurant, Tuscan Grille. We were in Concierge Class and felt we had a bigger cabin and lots more storage than our past cruises. The boarding and disembarkation process in Southampton were super fast and organized. The entertainment was top notch! We booked again while on board!
 

Icc5

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We were very happy in dealing with Vacations To Go and Celebrity Cruises. We felt we received a very good price,very good communications and they were very helpful. To get you off the ship at the end in a timely manner we installed th app Mobile Passport on our phone before we left home and also put the Shipmate app on our cell phones. We used Uber to get from the airport to dock and dock to airport and they too were great.
We cruised for 15 days on a Panama Canal cruise after not cruising for years. Cruises are must less formal then they used to be for dining purposes. I didn't need a tux or suit which I don't enjoy packing or wearing in my later years. We too hadn't cruised in years after having been on about 15 in past years.
Bart
 

ronandjoan

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I want to thank everyone for their help. I decided to cruise on the MSC Seaside, a new ship that will be starting Caribbean cruises in the new year. They are offering the best combination of price and on board options. They're primairily a European company and they are probably looking to attract more Americans and Canadians to their ships. I have been working with Sandy, a travel agent on Tug, (see previous page of this thread) and we booked today for next May. Looking forward to it. https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Deals/Top-Deals/2-For-1-Cruise-Deals.aspx.

Being Marriott Platium qualifies you for lots of extras.

So being Marriott got you those deals? They are terrific!
 

ronandjoan

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I spent 11 of my 20 Navy years aboard ships, and have literally sailed around the world, so you'd think the last thing I'd want to do is take a cruise someplace. But nope - it's been a bucket list thing for a long time to cruise the Inside Passage to Alaska, seeing the smaller towns, experiencing the Gold Rush area, and spend time hanging around Glacier Bay. Next month I'm finally getting my wish: We've been booked on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam for well over a year, and the sailing date is finally just on the horizon. I can't wait!

Added bonus: My best friend from High School, (who is also a retired Navy Vet), and his lovely wife are joining us. We've stayed the best of friends all these years (HS graduation was more than 45 years ago) and I can't imagine spending a week aboard ship with anyone else. Brian is like a brother to me. They booked a stateroom right across the passageway from us, so no matter which side of the ship is facing the glaciers, we can get a great view. I'm really looking forward to this one. :)

Dave

(P.S. Sandy, how did I not know you were an agent? We should talk...)
We ll be anxious for your review! That's what we want to do in 2019.
Joan
From Renton, WA
 

pedro47

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Steve A, please look at Azamara cruise line they are a small cruise line with impeccable service and food. They only have two (2) cruise ships.

The month of April is spring break time so please choice a cruise with more than seven (7) days to avoid the crowds.
 
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DaveNV

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We ll be anxious for your review! That's what we want to do in 2019.
Joan
From Renton, WA

Hi Joan. I hadn't considered anyone here would be interested in my review, so I didn't post much on Tug about it. But if you want to read the review on the CruiseCritic website, this is the link: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=591974 (I hope that link works. If it doesn't, search there for my screen name. I'm DaveNW there, too.)

It was a great cruise, and I would happily do it again. One caveat: Check the itineraries for ships leaving Seattle vs. ships leaving from Vancouver, BC. We found the in-port schedule was MUCH better on the ships leaving from Vancouver. Added bonus: The passengers on our cruise were many people from Australia and Europe, so the conversations were very enjoyable! There is so much more to see in Alaska, I think next time I'd like to fly to Anchorage to explore that area, then head up to the Interior. I'd love to see Denali! (Luckily, I have relatives who live in Anchorage, so this may actually happen.)

Dave
 
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