Luxury Cruises
Mar 27, 2005 | 4:41 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 51
Originally Posted by First_Class_Flyer
I was looking at Celebrity for a sailing to Bermuda. I checked out the ship on Cruise Critic and was not impressed. I like the idea of a cruise, but I'm really looking for something small and intimate. That is something that that a larger line cannot deliver.
As far as HAL and Princess, these are still not luxury. They are mainstream and Zuiderdam is definitely not small and intimate. If you want smaller and intimate then sticking to the lines mentioned in the first post would be the way to go, I feel.
Trouble is the cruise market is full of ships in the Caribbean in summer and the issue with hurricanes last year has, as an example, encouraged another of Celebrity's to go to Europe in the summer, where filling them is easier and revenues are stronger. This is probably in the minds of those luxury lines who have less ships to play with.
Mar 27, 2005 | 1:40 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Geneva/Marbella
Programs: UA*G, SK-EBB, DL-G, IB-Silver Marriott Gold , HHonors Gold, SHG Gold
Posts: 992
Originally Posted by philadam
As far as HAL and Princess, these are still not luxury. They are mainstream and Zuiderdam is definitely not small and intimate. If you want smaller and intimate then sticking to the lines mentioned in the first post would be the way to go, I feel.
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Even the luxury ships can become "mainstream" if booked at a discount out of season as the lines often base their product offering based on the average per diam per passenger on board upgrading on full fare sailings and downgrading on heavily discounted sailings. Holiday cruises and World cruises usually being those with the highest level of luxury. The old adage "you get what you pay for" still holds somewhat true in this instance.
Mar 27, 2005 | 7:10 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Peapack, New Jersey
Posts: 269
Thanks all for the information. The past few days have been very stressful. I have really been racking my brain looking for a vacation destination. I have decided to not go with a cruise. Instead, I have chosen the island of Anguilla. I will be staying at Cap Juluca. I think I will take a cruise but it will not be until the fall. Seabourn has cruises to New England that looked appealing.
Mar 28, 2005 | 3:54 am
#19
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 51
Originally Posted by First_Class_Flyer
Thanks all for the information. The past few days have been very stressful. I have really been racking my brain looking for a vacation destination. I have decided to not go with a cruise. Instead, I have chosen the island of Anguilla. I will be staying at Cap Juluca. I think I will take a cruise but it will not be until the fall. Seabourn has cruises to New England that looked appealing.
One of these years........ Phil
Mar 28, 2005 | 8:43 am
#20
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Newton Centre, MA, USA
Programs: DL 2MM Gold, AA Plat Pro; Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium (via SPG), IHG Plat
Posts: 2,193
Originally Posted by MADflyer
I would think the closest you will come would be the Holland America ms Zuiderdam or the Princess Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess which are both Premium class ships with 4*+ ratings. Both these lines have a broad enough fleet to be able to leave a premium ship in the Caribbean.
There is a great deal of tradition behind the itineraries of the luxury lines. Traditionally these lines follow a seasonal guideline that has informally existed since the upper classes began leisure travel. The mass marketing that came in the 1980s basically destroyed the true luxury market and discounting became the norm. You may notice that the airline industry is suffering the same dilution and inconsistency of service today.
Luxury travelers follow a circuit of destinations. Many of these destinations are only "in-season" for very short periods of the year. Many times these seasons were tied to specific events.
One of the benefits of this is that air is not a preventative factor in reaching a Scandinavian or Med sailing to the extent that it once was.
Another interesting fact about the luxury market. In periods when the dollar is weak the quality of service on board the luxury lines can fall as it is much more difficult for them to compete to get the best staff. This especially effects the lines with a high percentage of European staff and crew. You could say that the dollar salaries have fallen over 50% the past four years when they convert it to their European currency.
Holland America has a high percentage of Filipino staff a dollar tied country so the effect is not as great.
I brought this up as the weak dollar may be a factor in many peoples cruise plans this year. Cruises are extremely inexpensive for Europeans now though.
There is a great deal of tradition behind the itineraries of the luxury lines. Traditionally these lines follow a seasonal guideline that has informally existed since the upper classes began leisure travel. The mass marketing that came in the 1980s basically destroyed the true luxury market and discounting became the norm. You may notice that the airline industry is suffering the same dilution and inconsistency of service today.
Luxury travelers follow a circuit of destinations. Many of these destinations are only "in-season" for very short periods of the year. Many times these seasons were tied to specific events.
One of the benefits of this is that air is not a preventative factor in reaching a Scandinavian or Med sailing to the extent that it once was.
Another interesting fact about the luxury market. In periods when the dollar is weak the quality of service on board the luxury lines can fall as it is much more difficult for them to compete to get the best staff. This especially effects the lines with a high percentage of European staff and crew. You could say that the dollar salaries have fallen over 50% the past four years when they convert it to their European currency.
Holland America has a high percentage of Filipino staff a dollar tied country so the effect is not as great.
I brought this up as the weak dollar may be a factor in many peoples cruise plans this year. Cruises are extremely inexpensive for Europeans now though.
Mar 28, 2005 | 1:44 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Peapack, New Jersey
Posts: 269
I was talked into a Norwegian Cruise to Alaska. It was my first cruise. It certainly wasn't the best, but it was tolerable. The food was mediocre best. The waiter that I had one night even kidded about how bad it was. The impression that I got from the ship itself was outdated and cheap. The few things that made up for it though, included the scenery, Alaska is a gorgeous place to visit, and the service was friendly at the very least. I was on the Wind that went from Vancouver to Vancouver. While I was at the airport, I talked with someone who was on a Princess cruise and she said that it wasn't that nice at all. As much as I would like to take a cruise on a large ship, I really don't know. If your on a boat with 1,500+ people, how can there be a certain level of service or food presentation? In my opinion, it is worth it to spend some extra money for something small.
Mar 28, 2005 | 4:44 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redondo Beach, CA USA
Programs: UA 1KMM, Bonvoy LTE, HH D, Hertz Plat, Avis PC
Posts: 4,042
Holland America is making a noticable effort to bump themselves up a notch above Princess, Norweigian, Celebrity, and the other "mid-premium" lines. I don't think they'll be up to Crystal or Radisson standards, but the market niche they are going for is definitely the discriminating traveler who wants more than simply a clean ship and nice port calls.
Mar 28, 2005 | 6:56 pm
#23
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Geneva/Marbella
Programs: UA*G, SK-EBB, DL-G, IB-Silver Marriott Gold , HHonors Gold, SHG Gold
Posts: 992
Originally Posted by stc
I was very unimpressed with Princess. IMHO, worse than Royal Carribean and almost as bad as Norwegain. In addition, my impression of Hollard American isn't very high. I would not consider either of those luxury cruise lines.
Mar 28, 2005 | 7:32 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Peapack, New Jersey
Posts: 269
Originally Posted by MADflyer
I don't either but the point is and the subject of the query was that she intended on a cruise to the Caribbean during the summer months and these 2 vessels are the only with higher ratings in the region during that time. She has very wisely chosen a resort holiday and a Seaborne New England/Canada Fall cruise instead.
MADflyer, I don't mean to be rude, but all your "she's" should be edited and replaced with he's. I'm not a woman.
Mar 28, 2005 | 7:35 pm
#25
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 27,015
Originally Posted by First_Class_Flyer
MADflyer, I don't mean to be rude, but all your "she's" should be edited and replaced with he's. I'm not a woman.
Mar 29, 2005 | 4:44 pm
#27
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Geneva/Marbella
Programs: UA*G, SK-EBB, DL-G, IB-Silver Marriott Gold , HHonors Gold, SHG Gold
Posts: 992
Originally Posted by First_Class_Flyer
MADflyer, I don't mean to be rude, but all your "she's" should be edited and replaced with he's. I'm not a woman.
Apr 13, 2005 | 11:42 am
#28
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Phila, PA
Posts: 891
The Seabourn Pride is a wonderful ship and their Atlantic coast cruises are wonderful and the autumn is a terrific time to enjoy these locations. You might consider starting with their little '3 Day Cruise to Nowhere ` aka 'Gilligan's Island Cruise' for three days from NY up the Hudson and back in mid-September and then say on for the next leg.
Jane in PHL-devoted to Seabourn Line and joining The Legend Sunday to do the western Mediterranean (done the Carribean, on to new sites)
Jane in PHL-devoted to Seabourn Line and joining The Legend Sunday to do the western Mediterranean (done the Carribean, on to new sites)