A cruise for someone who hates cruises

[Spampas]

OK - I know I sound like a total snob here, but we all have different preferences. Each to their own etc.

Many years ago I went on a P&O cruise. HUGE ship rammed to the gills with thousands of people. Casinos everywhere. Food, food, food, food, food. Booze, booze, booze. Swirly carpets. Bling and showy. Shit entertainment from yesteryear. Hated it.

Maybe it's changed since then but the experience I had put me off big time, especially at the price of it. But I like the idea of cruising. I want something smaller, I am interested in more cultural / intellectual stuff. Not into the bling and the lights. Does such a thing exist?

Hurtigruten is a post ship that runs people along the coast so some stops are , literally , minutes others are longer. You could , if you wanted , stay a day or two in a place then pick up a Hurtigruten or Havila ship again. Havila do the same stops as Hurtigruten but are often a little bit cheaper . Excursions in Norway are expensive but the ports are right in the middle of the towns so you can walk or bus around most places easily . Maybe save to do one great excursion ( dog sledding highly recommended) .

Hurtigruten also do signature voyages which are more holiday orientated . The trips to Svalbard are wonderful as it is a very different , frontier , place.

HX ,who now do the expedition cruises that Hurtigruten did, goes all around the world , are relatively expensive but most of your excursions are included as well as drink , food and gratuities. There is no night life as such , but there is citizen science , lectures etc and trips on zodiacs . Very enjoyable if culture , nature and science are more your thing than shows and drinking. Food was excellent.

I’m guessing the OP is looking for a recommendation though? Nothing wrong with that

I suppose you thought that was a clever response? It isn't.

She's asking for people's recommendations, not for you to prove what a dick you are.

We might like to do a cruise at some point but I have similar reservations to the OP and would consider some of the recommendations here. I also don't want something where you might have to dress up too formally as that just isn't me. A river cruise might fit my bill too.

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Viking do excellent Ocean cruises - smaller scale and all inclusive usually. Lots of intellectual / cultural talks on ports to be visited. We did a great one to the Eastern Mediterranean.

P&O have two smaller Adult Only ships - Arcadia and Aurora - a very different vibe to the larger family ships and also plenty of port talks. Can especially recommend the Norwegian Fjords cruises - enjoy OP!

Viking - no casinos, 900 passengers, no children, all inclusive food, included trip in every port

I'd second the choice of a river cruise as they are so different from ocean cruises. We had a lovely holiday on the Danube this year with Amawaterways, travelling from Budapest to Vilshofen in Germany via Bratislava, Vienna, Linz (and Salzburg). Last year I did their Colours of Provence cruise which was equally lovely.

It very much exists - basically small ship cruising.

It is more expensive though - how is your budget?

Where do you fancy going?

What do you want from a ship?

Small ships, IMO are ideal for solo travellers, a nice safe space to visit lots of new places. Solo traveller meet ups every day. Tours you can take with other travellers and meet people. Solo tables at dinner. Quizzes, shows and entertainment.

Any cruise of 4000 people or under will be far more pleasant, Holland and America cruise of Alaska, or one of the Norwegian fiords or a Viking cruise. Just avoid the cheap giant ones.

Have a look at emma cruises on YouTube.

My Mum went on loads of trips with this company and always loved them. https://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk She took me on holiday on one of their trips and it was so well run and interesting I really enjoyed it, it wasn't a cruise because I get really seasick.

4000 😲

I say 1300 and under is best.

I think OP was hoping for human recommendations not just Google or AI's algorithms.

I'll give a shout out for Marella Cruises.

Their capacity is around 1000 passengers, which sounds big, but not compared to the typical 3000 - 5000. It is big enough to offer good amenities, but falls short at having an ice rink. The advantage of a smaller ship is that they can get into more ports without having to use tenders.

The casino on Discovery is about the size of my bedroom. The included food is limited to the main dining room area (where we have all our meals), and the buffet. There are a few speciality restaurants, but they are in one area so not something you walk by. There are several bars, but only two or three are open all day. The rest are part of the evening entertainment. You don't really see drunkenness. The bar staff are really good at slowing service or giving weak cocktails if they are concerned (same as any all-inclusive environment).

The ships are quite shiny in the main public areas, but I think this is what you would expect from a cruise ship. Even cross-channel ferries have chrome!

The pool deck can be noisy in the day time (when the lobsters are out), with quizzes and other activities, but there are also plenty of quiet areas.

As with any cruise, there is enough going on to enable you to choose what you want to do. No one is forcing anyone to go the the main show or participate in quizzes or dancing.

I'd like to do a Fred cruise, or a river cruise, but I haven't really found the perfect itinerary or price point.

Celebrity, and go aqua class.

It's worth pointing out that most river cruises are in the region of 300 passengers max, and many lower than this still, so it's a totally different experience to a cruise ship. You also get small ship cruises which (generally at the higher end) can be as small as a yacht. Some really interesting destinations are popping up (AMA Waterways now do Colombia river cruises for example).

As has been mentioned elsewhere, the two main things to consider are - 1) Does the cruise go to the destinations you want, and 2) what is the onboard experience like?

Another thing that's worth pointing out (while declaring an interest) is that if you find a truly independent travel agent, you'll get fantastic advice, all the work done for you and (in nearly every case on cruises) the same price as you'd get by going direct.

Honestly, sorry but Marella isn't the line to meet OP's requirements.

I don't think any companies cruise from Cairo to Luxor now due to security reasons.

I've been looking at Nile cruises recently too.

I don't know that answer but I have become slightly obsessed with watching YouTube cruise reviewers. 2 if my favourites are Life well cruised and Zach the travelling man. Might give you some insight as to which Cruise company would suit you best. I'm desperate to go cruising, just gotta talk the family into it.

Hello! I went to Norway on Cunard’s Queen Victoria with my parents 6 years ago for 11 days. I was very apprehensive about it never having been on a cruise before but I really really enjoyed it. I thought the Cunard vibe was lovely. A little posh (getting dressed up in the evening - my parents love that sort of thing!) but you didn’t have to and could eat more relaxed in the buffet. I used to sit in the library or on deck and read my book and sometimes I wouldn’t see anyone else so didn’t feel cramped. Meal times obviously there were a lot more people around but it never felt claustrophobic to me. I am 49 and was 43 when I went. Mix of ages. Mostly adults. A handful of children. I’d happily go again by myself. Would add as a bit of a negative that I paid almost the same for my cabin as my parents did together (single person supplements always a pain but they do have some single cabins) I did have a balcony which was lovely and worth the extra money. I woke up to a different view every day it was very special. Hope that helps a bit!

Pick a higher end cruise line, ideally one that has a lot of extras included; things like gratuities and drinks. Go for a cruise with a stop every day (ideally docked, not tendered), so if you’re not enjoying the on-board experience, you can escape ashore - avoid transatlantic, which will have a lot of sea days, and potentially four or more on the trot.

Check single supplements, some will be up to 100%, though many lines will have cruises with a reduced supplement.

I avoid river cruises completely; most have less in the way of facilities, and crucially (for me) a much more limited food offering. Saga and Riviera were very disappointing, and both served supposedly vegetarian food which contained animal products. That and other issues mean I will never travel with either again.

Happy to recommend Oceania, Regent, Silversea and particularly Azamara, which has smaller ships, and is smart but relaxed with a generally sociable atmosphere.Up-front prices might be higher than some others, but a lot is included.

P & O do seem to be quite a bit cheaper than Hertigruton, plus you need to buy flights for Hertigruton. It all depends on your budget OP.

Hurtigruten often do offers , like at the moment, with flights from London or Manchester included.

Hurtigruten is a very different experience to P and O , there is no evening entertainment as such and many of the stops are for short periods as it is a postal/local transport service as well as carrying tourists.

We did a Silversea cruise once and it wasn’t as tacky as I imagined cruises to be! Pricey, though.

Have a look at Ambassador Cruise line. Smaller ships and they really focus on a friendly welcoming feel. Currently featuring in a TV show on Channel 5 Fun loving Brits at sea if you want to have an insight! They sail from UK ports so you don’t have to fly.