Seabourn vs Standard Cruise Experience

[mystang52]

After reading the great replies here, I think I may still be a mega-ship fan. Yes, I definitely could do without the huge crowds. But we are early risers, so getting a lounge by the pool has never been an issue. Another non-issue for us, believe it or not, is food; we eat simple meals (oatmeal is oatmeal, grilled fish without sauce, etc.) and as long as the food tastes good is fine with us. We enjoy entertainment options on the bigger ships. We generally do NOT like the usually corny/hokey main shows. However, there are many music and comedy side show options that we enjoy.
One downside of being an early riser for a cruise, though, is that by 10PM I'm wiped out and ready for bed. Sometimes there's an adult themed comedy show at 11 PM; I make sure not to do any of my usual daytime exercising on that day, although it's still tough to stay up. Attending a lecture of some sort in the evening would be like taking a sleeping pill, regardless of the topic.

 

[nwsteve]

Another Viking fan here. We have done five ocean trips and never been disappointed. We like that no matter what ship we are on, we know where everything is. We take advantage of booking next cruise while on board and bank decent on-board credit and discounts on the cruise. When we miss planned ports of call, we find credits for future cruises await us when we return home. Also really appreciate the lack of Nickle and Diming charges and surprises on the final bill. No charge wifi for both guests in the cabin and across the ship has proven remarkably reliable with decent bandwidth. The two premium restaurants are available at no extra charge and offer top knotch service and menus.
Service staff always decent, many outstanding but so far, none offensively irritating.
Another reason we have stayed with Viking are first hand reports from neighbors and other travelers on exceptional performance they have experienced from Viking.
Their Expedition ships only have 350 guests, and the crews are trained to a very high standard. Neighbor recently accompanied her mobility challenged brother on their Great Lakes itinerary. She witnessed crew lowering similarly challenged guests in zodiacs and assisting in aiding guests having access to new experiences--always with skill and a smile. Her brother needed medical assistance while on the trip which was done well and effectively. Viking earned her business for some time.

 

[PandaBear]

I haven’t sailed a small ship, but am booking Windstar for next summer to Iceland. Our friends have sailed with them 6 or 7 times and highly recommended the line.

The other thing I’ve done is sailed on NCL in the Haven. You kind of get the smaller ship experience there, but still can easily access some of the bigger ship advantages (like shows, specialty bars and restaurants).

 

[NoiseBoy]

I have never been on a cruise, but watching cruise videos on YouTube was one of my pandemic escapes, therefore I am an expert! Okay not really, but I can recommend Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travelers channel. He has cruised multiple times on just about every "flavor" of ship, from classic large boats to river cruises to what he classifies as Ultra Premium ships. Here's a link to a video of his where he explains his four categories of cruise lines as well as the one he thinks is currently (1 year ago) the best operator in each category. He also has videos for specific lines such as Viking and Seaborn. Note that I suspect Gary is getting some comps along the way, but I still enjoy his videos.

 

[2HOTinPHX]

Kinda of an odd question but how would a couple with one being a snorer do on a cruise? Only thing I can think of that might help would be earplugs perhaps? I could come up missing if my spouse was sleep deprived for days at a time... LOL