Cruise advice please!

[MonkeyTennis34]

Me and DH are thinking of possibly going on a cruise to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary next December 2025.

We've done a short Disney cruise with DCs in the Caribbean which we loved.

Thinking more of Canaries or Norwegian fjords.

Which cruise line might we like.

We're mid 50s, like fine dining, luxury, definitely not a rowdy atmosphere, not a huge ship.

Tia

What's your approximate budget?

In December the fjords will be Northern Lights trips with limited stops so the Canaries might be a better option.

Are you wanting to sail in and out of the UK, or fly?

Try Celebrity Cruises. Defo more on the luxury end but not so much so that it's stuffy. I did a Scandinavian cruise with them earlier this year (on Celebrity Apex) and it was amazing. It was my second cruise with that line and I'm just looking to book another.

@Ellmau we don't mind either.

@SnowySnowson
My friend has recently been on a Mediterranean cruise on Apex (the Edge?)
She said it was fabulous.

Go for Celebrity, Princess or possibly Cunard (but you have to dress formally every night on a Cunard cruise)

Either MSC Yacht Club or NCL Haven. Both a ship within a ship!

If you're happy to fly both ways I'd consider the Caribbean.

P and O is great for the fjords. We did it on Iona.

Theres always a debate about the drinks packages, but if you have more than 6-7 drinks a day, its worth doing.

Loads to do on the ship for all ages, great entertainment and food.

We loved celebrity cruises - out of our budget now but if it fits your budget, I am sure you will love it.

Viking?
https://www.vikingcruises.co.uk/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/viking-shores-and-fjords/index.html?startLocation=amsterdam&endLocation=bergen&year=2026

Can also hugely recommend Celebrity Cruises.

Explora Journeys

Marella do adult only and the fine dining restaurants are really really good!

It's so interesting reading who people recommend. I've been told by friends too about msc and celebrity so it shows it all depends on your experience.
We loved marella. I know some people say that's the lower end but the entertainment and dining was amazing. Unlike some companies you don't have a rigid time for eating which was perfect if you've been out for the day. You can have a drinks package included so no need to worry about additional costs and also tips are included. Parents did p&o then marella. They preferred the smaller marella ship, though potentially it means you've less facilities on board.

I love Marella. Their ships hold less than 2000 passengers so don't feel mega busy. On the other hand, on the MSC ships we've been on, they can be carnage at the buffet and public areas (unless you're fortunate enough to book the Yacht Club!)

I’m 55 and recommend Celebrity (especially a suite or spa balcony stateroom) and Scenic.

So another inquisitive cruise virgin. Attracted to the idea of a cruise as can see more than one place on a holiday but not sure about all the other people (is it too in your face and is it more like a floating all inclusive buffet style food) or can you eat at various restaurants on board and is there an extra charge to do this or is it standard? Also when you get dropped off in a port do you usually have to factor in a lot of extra money for excursions or can you DIY or walk into somewhere (thinking of maybe trying a fly cruise to the mediterranean or Adriatic early September or October for 7 to 10 nights.

I called into a travel agents in town and she was asking me questions then quoted me an extortionate price something like 4K each for a cabin with just a window. Our requirements are very much like yours OP except the time of year and just the two adults.

Honestly, cruise lines vary hugely, in just the same way hotels do.

Most (all?) have a buffet and 'main dining' (waiter service, fairly formal) restaurant included. They usually also have 'speciality' restaurants available for an additional fee which are usually smaller and offer better service. Some lines have a separate restaurant for people in a higher class of cabin (e.g. MSC Yacht Club, Aqua or Suite class on Celebrity) but you really don't have to do this.

Some ports you can walk around from ship, some are better to take an excursion. We don't use ship excursions, they are too ££ and crowded for my liking. We take extra care to be back to the ship long before the sail away time. Researching ports is a major past time for me!

It sounds like you would prefer a smaller ship, I'd suggest Azamara or Oceania for an Adriatic cruise which is mostly adults, calm atmosphere and good food. If you want real luxury, I would look at Seabourn or Regent Seven Seas. Celebrity is also a good bet for a bigger ship, but be aware you need to either buy a drinks package on top of the price or PAYG for your drinks, and add daily gratuities.

We did MSC Yacht Club on a Norwegian / Northern Europe cruise a couple of years ago. We really enjoyed it. Food was very good and service in Yacht Club was fantastic. The entertainment was not brilliant though, but we were happy just to have a drink in the Yacht Club lounge. If I did another cruise again it would either have to be Yacht Club again or a cruise line with smaller vessels like Viking or Azamara.

We have done a few small shop cruises with Windstar and they have been amazing. If you contact them directly they will offer various packages

Definitely recommend Seabourn which although looks costly when you weigh up the inclusive aspect and the quality its actually good value. Its not adults only but as there are no real activities for them its very rare that there are any on board. We are in the Med this week on Ovation and its fantastic as always.

It's interesting how different experiences can be.. we cruised with Celebrity last summer and it was awful! The cabin had various tech which broke or didn't work, there was a brawl on stage between a drunk guest and a staff member, the tendering was hopeless and we often spent 3-4 hours waiting to get off ship. Never again.

@Lordofmyflies did you cruise with anyone else prior to this or will you cruise with another company or has this put you off cruising completely? That embarkation waiting time sounds awful and totally unnecessary I would have blown a gasket especially as time is precious and hate waiting around.

I think after looking at these responses and doing some more research myself I definitely couldn’t do a big ship (I don’t need massive slides and that many people). Also want to avoid too many loud brash and drunks (especially Americans) if there is no escape (so maybe cruising isn’t for me either).

I liked the sound of Azamara. Also Cunard seem to be quoting quite a cheap price for later on in the year but not sure if this will be too stuffy for us, whether the ship is in disrepair or lots of hidden extras (but seems to good to be true).

Yes, We have cruised with Disney when the kids were smaller (excellent) and cruised with P&O a few times - smaller ships were great and good food especially in the upgraded restaurants.
It will be our first and last time cruising with Celebrity... their customer care has been shocking and the way that they responded to problems encountered on board has put us off using them in the future.

We have cruised with Azamara a few years ago short cruise in Med to go to Monaco GP really enjoyed it OK ship was older but with only 600 on board and super food and drink offering would definitely consider them again. Just be aware in lower grade cabins bathrooms are small so if you can go Club continent suite or higher if this would bother you. Again not marketed as adult only but no real facilities for children so rare to see any think there were 5 on our cruise who were all really well behaved and looking forward to the F1 experience.