Help me plan our first cruise

[Justlurking8]

Hello,

I need some help please. I would like to take my 80 year old on a cruise. Just the 2 of us. It’s always been on her bucket list, she loves being on a boat/water.

We’ve never been on one. They’re so expensive, I want to get it right. This might be the only cruise we do.

There are so many options!!! So far I’ve narrowed it down to Tui (as gratuities are included & I want to know upfront how much it’ll cost). Thinking about a week or so in Sept/Oct, when it’s not too hot.

1. Iconic islands (Greece)
2. Norwegian fjords
3. River cruise eg Danube

My mum loves nature/animals. Neither of us are interested in sunbathing/pools. Entertainment isn’t really important. I think we need a room with a balcony to enjoy the views. She’s in good health, but can’t walk for ages, and hilly areas are challenging.

Would one of these options be better than the others? Are there other factors we need to consider? Ideally around 3K but would pay more for the best experience.

Am grateful for any tips/advice you’d like to share. Thanks!

Ooh - so many great tips and suggestions!!! Thanks everyone. Looks like the Norwegian fjords it is.

I’m going to check out some of the other suggested cruise lines to compare and watch some YouTube videos as that will definitely help me narrow it down.

V excited now! 😁

Marella don’t go to the fjords, but I recommend going there. It’s beautiful and won’t get too hot. P&O also include gratuities in their cost and although drinks packages are extra, the drink prices are typical pub prices and we never spend a great deal. In fact, if you get a deal with on board spend, you might not pay a penny. Also, if you book Select fare, you can choose from parking with CPS, coach travel from a range of pick up points, or extra on board credit. Select fare is best as they have a flexible fare policy if you need to change your booking. You can also choose your cabin most of the time.

I’d speak to a cruise specialist to help you decide and to get the right deal for you. There are tons but we use a guy at cruise dot co dot uk who found us a great deal.

in terms of ships, Britannia might suit you better than Iona or Arvia. If you go in term time, you probably won’t have a lot of kids on board but Britannia is a good size without being overwhelmingly large.

I've been on MSC, P&O and Ambassador cruises and enjoyed them all.

Ambassador has an older clientele, often just adults only, and all the best activities are usually finished around midnight, although you can stay in the bars later. Food and entertainment was excellent.

Literally just back from one week cruise to Norwegian fjords on P&O Iona. Cruised from Southampton, stressless! Amazing scenery. Balcony a must.

I realised Tui don’t do Norwegian cruises as a poster pointed out, so currently leaning towards P&O.

I’ve spent the evening watching YouTube videos 😆

As a pp said, price up the Yacht Club on MSC. Worth it to be able to beat the queues and be escorted on and off the boat by the butler

I always get amazing deals on cruises by liking individual travel agent pages on Facebook. P&O are very good and the food is much better than some of the others.

I’d go P&O Britannia to the fjords. Make sure the itinerary includes Olden and/or Skjolden as you actually cruise up the fjords and they are spectacular.

we’re on our 5th cruise in 2 years, love it!

I’m an independent travel consultant who specialises in cruises. If you’d like help drop me a message x

My advice would be to go in term time if you can, much more peaceful for an 80 year old. Once you have decided on your destination look at https://www.seascanner.co.uk/ to see what lines go there (they have good prices but shop around). I recommend Princess cruises for older people.

Cruising isn’t for me and yes I’ve been on one (two weeks I’d never repeat) but everyone I know that’s been on the Norwegian cruise has absolutely loved it so I’d go that one out of your choices

@Justlurking8. Currently in the fjords. Second time cruising with Saga. Have a look at their website. Everything. Just everything is included in the price.

I’ve done a multi generational family Norwegian Fjords cruise with P&O and everyone aged from 5 to 50s absolutely loved it - I would probably happily do the exact same cruise again because the ship was so big and ports so interesting I think I could have a completely different week second time round!

Cruise vlogs are definitely the best way to find out more information about what it’s like and tips (such as booking directly with the excursion providers that P&O use to get it cheaper but still guaranteed return before ship leaves!). There’s plenty of coach trips for the more scenic places that will take you to the nice views without too much walking. And some of the bigger cities have the little trains for some easy sightseeing.

If you go to Stavanger don’t miss the Petroleum Musuem. Sounds boring as hell but genuinely facsinating.

If you’re interested in Norway, try Hurtigruten ships up the coast from Bergen to Kirkenes by the Russian border. Small ships, no evening entertainment shows, amazing lovely sourced food, numerous stops up the coast where you have from a day available to explore to time for a walk along the port whilst goods and passengers board or disembark.

Beautiful cabins, amazing scenery and excellent staff

Cruises are marmite tbh, we were so excited to go on our first Marella cruise, honestly after two days we knew it was not for us. But lots of people love them, so worth trying. Marella explorer2 is adults only, we paid for a balcony cabin, was worth the extra. I have mobility issues, we spent a lot of time waiting for lifts, sea was very rough on our cruise and weather was appalling (Canary Islands & maderia cruise) I use a Walker that was a pain in the gangways as always stewards trolleys there, so having to fold it up to get past. The ramps to get off the ship can be steep, this was also an issue for me. Big step into bathroom, there are grab rails. Food was okay, typical mass catering. Drinks great, lots of choice, but limited wine options in restaurants. We chose a cruise without tenders, as I wouldn’t be able to manage that. Note river cruises TUI do not have lifts. As a previous poster said get a quote for your mums travel insurance, it will be pretty expensive.

Did my first cruise last year Norwegian Fjords with P and O on the Iona , it was amazing, so beautiful and a fabulous ship . Thoroughly recommend

I have taken my elderly dad on 2 P&O cruises and he loved it, particularly the fjords. He wasn’t keen on Royal Caribbean (though I prefer them myself).

There is plenty to do, good food and service. The shows are great and the scenery is stunning. He has poor mobility so didn’t go ashore but still enjoyed the cruise.

We got an inside cabin but if we do the fjords again I will upgrade to a balcony to make the most of the views.

we got the alcohol-free drinks package as neither of us drinks but it was nice not keeping track of spending. We booked parking as part of the deal and some on board credit was also included.

We are currently in Norway on Hebridean Sky. Definitely an older demographic and expensive but we have 90 on the ship. It’s completely different to the giant Iona we moored alongside the other day. Paying for something more personal is worth it.

Are you enjoying it? We’re booked for our Saga cruise next July currently in our early 60s we’ve been told we’ll be the youngest on there.

We're currently on P&O Iona & saw Hebridean Sky as we sailed out of Olden 2 days ago! We did wonder what being on such a small ship would be like, but I love Iona & have had some wonderful cruises with P&O over the years & we're all different so I think it's important to consider what your priorities are when choosing a cruise line, itinerary etc.

Iona currently has approximately 8000 people on board (including staff) but I can honestly say it doesn't feel crowded and we've always found somewhere to sit when away from our cabin. We do have a balcony which for me is essential for the Norwegian fjords, although sadly the weather hasn't been great and we weren't able to dock at Flam yesterday, so depending on cost it's also worth adding missed port cover to your travel insurance.

Norway is a great choice (friendly, clean & fantastic scenery) but I'd recommend researching which ports you'll be visiting as not all of them will include fjord 'cruise by's, Olden & Flam do & are highly recommended.

@Hayfield123we are mid sixties, there are a lot of us onboard. There are some senior ones too. Next year Maritime Law changes, if you use a rollator or walking aid you will not be allowed onboard unless you have booked an accessible cabin. This will greatly reduced a lot infirm people.

This is our second Saga Cruise and we have another one booked for next year. I can’t fault it, to be picked up at your door, driven to the port, not having to worry about your suitcases and how many you take is fabulous. The entertainment has been brilliant, the food fabulous, the crew cannot do enough for you. There’s a Facebook group called Saga Boutique Cruising - Spirit of Discovery Spirit of Adventure. Join it, it’s a friendly group with some really knowledgable people who will help you with any questions you might have.

Might see you onboard at some point.

I have done Fred Olsen a few times with my elderly parents and would definitely recommend it. They do a lot of cruises to the fjords and are aimed at older people.
I can’t fault the food or the staff and their ships are a lot smaller than most.

We’ve just done Celebrity and loved it. You can pay the gratuity upfront so you know the cost and don’t pay any more (unless you chose to do some additional cash tips). Food, ambience, facilities were all fantastic.

Hebridean Sky has 90 passengers on this trip. It’s very very different to Iona @PurpleUnicorn101 Not sure how many staff are on board but I think around 75. It’s a very different product from P&O and not really comparable. I’ve sailed on P&O, Princess and Norwegian and I don’t want to be on a ship with several thousand others. It’s more like a personal club on board this one. No tips and everything included except bar drinks. We find it suits us. Entertainment tonight was the best comedy and music - from the cruise director.

If you do this cruise, which is fab, just make sure your cabin is towards the end of the ship with the restaurants. We were near the lift but at the other end of ship, and it's a bit of a walk to the restaurants.