Looking for cool cruise ideas

[Mountaineerwife]

My best friend and I are planning a cruise to celebrate our 50th birthdays in 2013 (will start saving now!). We want something different and I was looking into Alaska, but don't want to get off the ship, rent a car, hotel, etc. which seems to be the advice.

Anyone been to a cool destination that you could share? Will be taking our husbands and NO KIDS, yeah ! We've been to Mexico and Carribean using RCCL. We like RCCL, but are open to a comparable experience. Getting dressed up two nights would nice to avoid this time around.

Thanks !

[Fern]

Mw, welcome to Cruisemates! I see you've done some research or you wouldn't be asking about car rentals. You really don't have to go on your own if you don't want to.

We sailed Alaska last year with Island Princess and had a wonderful time ! We took ship excursions and enjoyed all of them. Our favorite was the whale watching in Juneau.

You really don't have to dress up anymore on any of the mainstream ships. There are plenty of options for "Formal Night" and if you're dressed nicely (no shorts or tees), you won't have a problem going to the MDR. If you don't want to change out of your shorts there's always the buffet or room service, both are good.

As a Princess "cheerleader", I'd also suggest you consider Hawaii.

Happy 50th to you!

[Rev22:17]

Mountaineerwife,

Originally Posted by You

My best friend and I are planning a cruise to celebrate our 50th birthdays in 2013 (will start saving now!). We want something different and I was looking into Alaska, but don't want to get off the ship, rent a car, hotel, etc. which seems to be the advice.

Anyone been to a cool destination that you could share? Will be taking our husbands and NO KIDS, yeah ! We've been to Mexico and Carribean using RCCL. We like RCCL, but are open to a comparable experience.

In that case, I recommend Europe. The European ports of call have a LOT of really cool attractions for sightseeing, and most of the cruises are long enough so you don't have to combine them with a stay on land to have a really special vacation.

And all of the major cruise lines, including all three of RCCL's brands marketed in North America (Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club, and Royal Caribbean International), send ships there, so you can stick with your preference.

If the cruise to Europe is more than you want to spend, consider a trans-Atlantic cruise instead. Many of these cruises offer two weeks for about the price of a week in the Caribbean, and they also offer some really exotic ports of call like Gibraltar, Malaga (Spain), or Lisbon (Portugal) and Funchal (Madeira Is.), Punta del Gada (Azores), or Recife (Canary Is.) that you won't find on other itineraries.

Originally Posted by You

Getting dressed up two nights would nice to avoid this time around.

That's a question of choice of lines. Most cruises in Europe are long enough to have three "formal" evenings, so you might want to consider a line that offers an "all casual" product if you don't want to don dress clothes. Here, your best options probably are Disney, Azamara Club, or Oceania Cruises in the "premium" tier or Norwegian Cruise Line (which advertises "formal optional" rather than "formal") or Carnival (which now advertises "elegant" evenings (IIRC, jackets optional for gents) rather than "formal" evenings in the "mainstream" tier.

Norm.

[Nurse Debra]

Originally Posted by Mountaineerwife

My best friend and I are planning a cruise to celebrate our 50th birthdays in 2013 (will start saving now!). We want something different and I was looking into Alaska, but don't want to get off the ship, rent a car, hotel, etc. which seems to be the advice.

Anyone been to a cool destination that you could share? Will be taking our husbands and NO KIDS, yeah ! We've been to Mexico and Carribean using RCCL. We like RCCL, but are open to a comparable experience. Getting dressed up two nights would nice to avoid this time around.

Thanks !

Having sailed Princess, Holland America and Celebrity, I would recommend Princess which is huge step up from RCCL and even a step up from Celebrity.

Alaska would be a great choice. There are round trips offered that would require no hotels or car rentals. Princess is allowed into Glacier Bay National Park, which for me and most cruisers the highlight of any cruise. Neither RCCL nor Celebrity is allowed into Glacier Bay, and for me makes a huge difference when talking about cruising in Alaska.

Enjoy your cruise no matter what you decide to do.

Debra

[katlady]

Not sure what time of year you are going. But if you plan it right you can do fire and ice. Which is Hawaii and Alaska on the same ship. They do this like once maybe twice a year.

For example: Carnival Spirit leaves out of Oahu on April 23, 2010 for a 12 day cruise of Hawaii that ends in Vancouver on May 5, 2010.

Starting May 5, 2010 the same ship Carnival Spirit leaves out of Vancouver on a 6 day Alaskan cruise that ends in Seattle, Washington. Fire and Ice without having to leave the ship. Because you booked the same ship back to back. Plus Carnival is more of a casual cruise line with self serve laundry machines. Pack light and do laundry while traveling from Hawaii to Vancouver.