Crystal cruises

[Scuba]

It's not just price, it's value.

There is no way I'm getting DH on a big cruise ship. We both hate crowds. Don't care about nightlife shows, onboard activities, pools, theme dining, non-stop eating or drinking, or crowded ports of call. Small ship cruising is the only way to go for us.

And then there are the destinations. Many locations we prefer to do on our own, but serious nature/adventure stuff we like having expert guides and the logistics handled and will happily go with small groups. Especially as other attendees tend to be die-hard nature folks too.

So, given our constraints, you are left with the more expensive options. No problem as our budget has room for one a year which is the most we would do along with all our other travel.

+1
We like Windstar and Regent Seven Seas. Haven't tried Sea Dream but would like to. Even better is a cruise on a private yacht if you know like minded people who all go in on the cost.

We just did a BVI cruise on a private catamaran with 2 other couples and it was awesome! That is if you like snorkeling, kayaking, diving, eating great food, and seeing cool Islands with no crowds. [emoji41]

 

[audreyh1]

+1
We like Windstar and Regent Seven Seas. Haven't tried Sea Dream but would like to. Even better is a cruise on a private yacht if you know like minded people who all go in on the cost.

We just did a BVI cruise on a private catamaran with 2 other couples and it was awesome! That is if you like snorkeling, kayaking, diving, eating great food, and seeing cool Islands with no crowds. [emoji41]

That sounds great! Yes - we could so go for that.

 

[athena53]

+1
We just did a BVI cruise on a private catamaran with 2 other couples and it was awesome! That is if you like snorkeling, kayaking, diving, eating great food, and seeing cool Islands with no crowds. [emoji41]

Substitute snorkeling for scuba and I'm in!

One thing that strikes me about the big ships, from reading cruisecritic.com, is that every nature encounter seems to be another revenue stream- ziplining through the rain forest, "flightseeing" in a small plane or helicopter, elaborate staged meals with the natives (luau, salmon bake, etc. depending on location), etc. I want to hike up a hill and savor the view, stop and admire a banana slug, watch my fellow travelers eat a termite or two, ask the guide geeky questions about the geology of the area (and get an explanation involving specific tectonic plates).

BTW, they said the termites tasted minty. I did not attempt to prove or disprove.

 

[braumeister]

they said the termites tasted minty. I did not attempt to prove or disprove.

So I take it you also passed on the banana slugs?

 

[kcowan]

Other than our recent jaunt, which was taken primarily for the Norwegian ports, we took one 'cruise-cruise', Med/Adriatic, in 2015, on the relatively smallish (47,000 GT) French operated MV Horizon...it was great......BUT...couldn't envision going on one of those, (to us), horrendous 'nothing-but-Caribbean' cruises.

In fact there's a cheap Spanish ship going from Santo Domingo to Lisbon next Spring; there are people we know, and would love to see again, scheduled to travel on it, and we'd like to see the vessel, but it stops at all those 'same-old-same-old' ports.....Pass!

When we took our Mediterannean Cruise, we were paired with a couple from England for dinner. They had taken the cruise many times and did not get off at the ports. Another couple from Wales did the same.

 

[athena53]

So I take it you also passed on the banana slugs?

Well, the guide said that the slime they oozed had medicinal properties but yes, I passed. She held the critter in her hand and talked baby talk to it.

 

[Nemo2]

When we took our Mediterannean Cruise, we were paired with a couple from England for dinner. They had taken the cruise many times and did not get off at the ports. Another couple from Wales did the same.

Interesting. (OK, odd. ) We do repositioning cruises primarily because we hate airports/flying and like the sea days, (although in the above cited instance we've seen them enough), and location cruises because we want to see (most of) the ports....don't think we'd want to be on a ship that made frequent stops, (the cacophony of announcements can become somewhat irritating), without getting off and exploring.

As usual à chacun son goût applies.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We have met people that have taken the same cruise many times and don't get off the ship. I do not understand doing that as we are interested in seeing new things. The reason we cruise is to see the sights. We also love the nightlife that the cruises have.

 

[grasshopper]

We are off on our 6th trip with Un-Cruise in the fall. What we like is that they are familiar many staff do a summer cruise to Alaska and than go south or to Hawaii in the winter. With 50-70 people on board staff is required to know all quests by name. So we see the same ones over and over, we have had the same great masseuse on 3 trips. Our fall trip to the Sea of Cortez is a repeat, we really enjoyed the same trip in 2015. For us it is a week of great dining, meeting people, and doing water activities that we like, plus it isn't expensive to get their from here, cattle class is fine.

 

[braumeister]

Thanks to all for the great discussion. After doing more research we decided to pass on the Crystal river cruise on the Danube. It just didn't meet all our needs.

But now I'm looking at a Windstar Baltic cruise for next year. Looks good so far, so maybe someone has done that?

 

[Scuba]

Haven't done Windstar's Baltic cruise but I can vouch for them as a line. The food was great, shore excursions were easy to access and there were many options for active people. Nightlife is pretty limited - only one event per night and not as glitzy as the big ships, but that was fine with us. The cruise we went on had about 200 passengers and 100 staff so the service was excellent.

 

[Ologist]

Has anyone done the Imperial Jewels of China cruise with Viking? Recently did the Rhine Getaway from Amsterdam to Basel, it was wonderful! So would like to explore China with Viking. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Bamaman]

I'm glad so many of you have had the opportunity to take river cruises. But the prices paid is not being mentioned.

From what I can tell, I can take 3 to 4 trips to Europe for the price of one European river cruise including the flights.

But, they're very luxurious. Frankly, we're not into such luxury.

 

[Sunset]

I'm glad so many of you have had the opportunity to take river cruises. But the prices paid is not being mentioned.

From what I can tell, I can take 3 to 4 trips to Europe for the price of one European river cruise including the flights.

But, they're very luxurious. Frankly, we're not into such luxury.

Yes they are expensive, we paid 10K in total, for our 14 day Budapest to Amsterdam and really enjoyed it with Viking.

However I think you are exaggerating about being able to take 3-4 two week trips for 10K for 2 people.

Airfare ~ 2K for 2 people per trip.
Getting to hotel from airport and back ~ $60 per trip.
Hotel ~ 2 weeks at $100 since Europe is a bit pricey in the city ~$1,400
Breakfast,Lunch,dinner for two for 14 days ~ ($10+$20+$30) x 14 = $840
So far it's $4,300 with being in 1 city the entire time.

So I see it as closer to being 2 -> 2.5 times as expensive as doing it on your own.

However, if you can plan out a trip for me and DW to Europe for $2,500 for 2 weeks, please do as I'm sure she will join me

 

[Teacher Terry]

BM: I pointed this out earlier in this thread but people did not like it.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Yes they are expensive, we paid 10K in total, for our 14 day Budapest to Amsterdam and really enjoyed it with Viking.

However I think you are exaggerating about being able to take 3-4 two week trips for 10K for 2 people.

Airfare ~ 2K for 2 people per trip.
Getting to hotel from airport and back ~ $60 per trip.
Hotel ~ 2 weeks at $100 since Europe is a bit pricey in the city ~$1,400
Breakfast,Lunch,dinner for two for 14 days ~ ($10+$20+$30) x 14 = $840
So far it's $4,300 with being in 1 city the entire time.

So I see it as closer to being 2 -> 2.5 times as expensive as doing it on your own.

However, if you can plan out a trip for me and DW to Europe for $2,500 for 2 weeks, please do as I'm sure she will join me

You can play around on Tripmasters.com--I put in two weeks (thirteen nights, but two weeks away from home with the first night flying over) in Budapest (that's in Europe, right?) in September in a four-star hotel, and hotel and air (Air Canada and Swiss, from Chicago) priced out to $2274 for two people. Breakfast included. You'll go over $2500 with your other meals, but still not bad. But I'm sure the Viking cruises are worth every penny and more!

 

[explanade]

Other than our recent jaunt, which was taken primarily for the Norwegian ports

I've seen pictures of those giant ships in the fjords, looked spectacular.

However, when I actually visited the Geiranger fjord, by bus and then a ferry, I saw all those giant cruise ships docked by Geiranger port and you could see the giant plumes of smoke from the ships filling up that narrow canyon.

What otherwise would have been a clear, beautiful sight marred by visible pollution.

Of course if all the people brought there by the cruise ships took cars, buses or ferries instead, it might not be much better, through it looked like those ships dock there overnight and serve as lodgings so they're burning fuel to keep the generators running for HVAC, lights, etc.

 

[Sunset]

You can play around on Tripmasters.com--I put in two weeks (thirteen nights, but two weeks away from home with the first night flying over) in Budapest (that's in Europe, right?) in September in a four-star hotel, and hotel and air (Air Canada and Swiss, from Chicago) priced out to $2274 for two people. Breakfast included. You'll go over $2500 with your other meals, but still not bad. But I'm sure the Viking cruises are worth every penny and more!

This is what I like about discussion, as sometimes it leads to learning something, I'm going to check out tripmasters.com

This site is pretty handy, hopefully folks can vouch for it as it seems very easy to use.

I put in a 1 city destination Budapest and it was as you said, pretty cheap.
Then I added in Vienna and Amsterdam on the trip to become a bit like mimicking a river cruise of only 3 cities and the price jumped up to $4,237 using a train to go to Vienna, and a plane to Amsterdam. This is of course without lunch and dinners, and some hotels didn't include breakfast.

 

[audreyh1]

BM: I pointed this out earlier in this thread but people did not like it.

You were comparing "regular" large ship cruises with small ship nature/adventure cruises, very different things, so people pointed that out.

 

[gerntz]

Received notice of Crystal's "Ultimate Quest" cruise: 32 days Anchorage thru Bering Strait thru NW Passage around Baffin Island to Greenland to Maine & NYC. I wonder why no Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, & Montreal !!!

BTW, no thanks.

 

[audreyh1]

Received notice of Crystal's "Ultimate Quest" cruise: 32 days Anchorage thru Bering Strait thru NW Passage around Baffin Island to Greenland to Maine & NYC. I wonder why no Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, & Montreal !!!

BTW, no thanks.

Whoa! Maybe you get to see a narwhal!

 

[Teacher Terry]

I know river cruises are different because I have checked them out in the past. Not enough nightlife or things to do. Plus on a regular cruise we always take nature based excursions so don't really see that the river cruises have the market on that.

 

[Sunset]

I know river cruises are different because I have checked them out in the past. Not enough nightlife or things to do. Plus on a regular cruise we always take nature based excursions so don't really see that the river cruises have the market on that.

Very true, they are basically aimed at a different market.
Our Viking trip on most nights had no nightlife, except for a lounge piano player and his singer.
All the excursions on our trip were aimed at history and culture, not nature.

For me the trip was great as I liked exploring/visiting castles, abbey's, palaces and entire sections of a town that are 500 years to more than a thousand years old.

 

[Teacher Terry]

SS: we also like everything historical. It just depends on where the trip is and what is available to see. We have been to Europe 4x's and loved all the history. I have some countries that I still want to see.