General Cruise Discussion

[p--and--t]

Time has changed our priorities and we now see the ship as more destination and less bus..
We were at the Silversea exit gate after the new owners trashed the brand but a cruise on Nova recovered us enough to book the Dawn in February.
Its all a bit sad that long haul air is now a challenge as we seek comfort and convenience over "experiences"..

We cruise because its a trade off between my preference for land adventures and the +1 preference for cruising . So most holidays combine both.

Ying:Yang

 

[sanne]

Time has changed our priorities and we now see the ship as more destination and less bus..
We were at the Silversea exit gate after the new owners trashed the brand but a cruise on Nova recovered us enough to book the Dawn in February.
Its all a bit sad that long haul air is now a challenge as we seek comfort and convenience over "experiences"..

That’s exactly how we feel now. We used to be so excited to hop on a plane to anywhere and did it many times a year full of anticipation and enthusiasm for the next adventure. Now with advancing age and the huge cost of insurance we’ve adjusted our expectations and found an alternative way to enjoy our travel. And so far we’re really happy with that decision.

 

[RooFlyer]

Maybe we could line up all the cruises we have booked.

Well, since you asked:

Dec '24 - Silver Moon Caribbean Barbados to Cartagena (Colombia)

Caribbean & Central America Luxury Cruises

Welcome to a region that is spilling over with sunshine, history, sparkling coastline and dense rainforest. The Caribbean is lush and lively in equimeasure.

www.silversea.com

Jan '25 - Crown Princess Sydney-Hobart-Sydney with AFF

https://www.princess.com/cruise-search/details/?voyageCode=3503

June '25 - Ponant Arctic/Svalbard (incl charter flights from.to Paris) (Virtuoso)

Cruise Fjords and glaciers of Spitsbergen from Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen - June 2025 | Ponant

Somewhere in the High Arctic, between 76 and 80 degrees latitude North, Spitsbergen, meaning "pointed mountains”, awaits you for seven days of unforgettable travel looking out for wild life. You will lift the anchor in Longyearbyen, where colourful wooden

au.ponant.com

Dec '25 - Ponant Bali to Cairns (Virtuoso)

Cruise Tropical Odyssey between Indonesia and North East Australia from Benoa, Bali to Cairns - December 2025 | Ponant

With featured guest Christine Ockrent, journalist specialising in French and international news and geopolitical questions, author of some fifteen books. Over 16 days, fall under the spell of the beauty and richness of the Indonesian archipelago and the n

au.ponant.com

July '26 - Ponant Greek islands and Med. (Virtuoso)

Cruise Sweet Mediterranean Escape from Athens to Nice - July 2026 | Ponant

The mildness of summer on the waters of the Mediterranean Sea promises you an unforgettable 13-day journey between Greece, Corsica and Italy. Aboard Le Boréal, fall under the spell of the Mediterranean landscapes and the ancient vestiges that will tell yo

au.ponant.com

Ponant, while not my first choice, is getting my business atm because they offer a huge number of cruises with no Single Supplement AND they are going to where I want to go.

Too big, too small
What's a just right?

All depends what you want to do. My classification
A: 'Expeditions' where you get out in zodiacs and explore on-shore, 1-2 times a day, vessels: <150-300pax. Expensive
B: Non expedition, day trips ashore and you want a bit of style: 200-400pax. Not bad
C: The cruise is part of the destination,1000+pax, cheaper.

In order, the above are B, C, A, A, B. My previous 3 have all been type A.

 

[love_the_life]

I must admit I would cruise at the drop of a hat. It is not Mr LtL's preference though he does accompany me with good grace. He is happier on smaller ships but will accept a suite on Cunard if he must. Did Carnival Splendor with son last year - but made a bit of a fox's paw as they say - it was school holidays and Christmas in July. It was an experience (but really not so bad).
1. I have a short Princess cruise (only 3 days) in March with son again as he needs to make his Platinum level for a cruise later in the year.
2. November he and I are on Princess again from Singapore to Sydney (18 days).
3. December 2025 is Silver Nova with Mr LtL, just NZ again.
There is also a land trip with daughter to South Africa in May.
The main issue with going with son is the double whammy as we need 2 single cabins. Have had a suite with him before but not as easy.

And of course I still have work commitments - 4 days per week and contract until July 2025 at this stage.

 

[tgh]

Looking forward is challenging as swmbo requires a major marketing initiative to even consider a holiday..
Maybe the pride of America around Hawaii combined with land holiday with #1 son and grandkids ( you can see my logic at work here…...)
I would also like to book another Dawn cruise but the marketing is struggling to penetrate..
It is a loop Southampton to Lisbon in November via the canaries ( somewhere we haven't been..negating the usual response that we have already been there)

 

[RooFlyer]

Why Paris apart from Ponant being a French Compagnie

Ponant appears to cater to the higher end of the market. Apart from the lack of the SingleS, is the value commensurate with the price?.

Do you have an insight into how full the Ponant cruises have been so far

Just because its a French company.

High-ish end, but my and other's assessment is that its not as high-end as it makes out. My first cruise with them - Kimberley coast - was fantastic due to the locations, but on the soft product was not 'top notch' and the Captain was an d-head. But, as I said, they do a lot of no SS, which appeals to me.

Hundreds of Ponant cruises per year. I think most would get >80% by the time they sail, but that's just a guess. Most cruise lines release unfilled inventory quite 'cheap' close to sailing.

Pricing on cruises is dynamic, like airfares; they start selling ~18 months out and to get the best prices you really need to get in quick (or wait till last moment). I booked a cruise for mid 2026 last month and it wasn't when it just opened. @VPS I think went to Antarctica on a 'last minute' booking.

And comparing cruises you have to look at not only the quality, and vessel size, but what's included - booze, tips, shore excursions, flights.

 

[VPS]

Just because its a French company.

High-ish end, but my and other's assessment is that its not as high-end as it makes out. My first cruise with them - Kimberley coast - was fantastic due to the locations, but on the soft product was not 'top notch' and the Captain was an d-head. But, as I said, they do a lot of no SS, which appeals to me.

Hundreds of Ponant cruises per year. I think most would get >80% by the time they sail, but that's just a guess. Most cruise lines release unfilled inventory quite 'cheap' close to sailing.

Pricing on cruises is dynamic, like airfares; they start selling ~18 months out and to get the best prices you really need to get in quick (or wait till last moment). I booked a cruise for mid 2026 last month and it wasn't when it just opened. @VPS I think went to Antarctica on a 'last minute' booking.

And comparing cruises you have to look at not only the quality, and vessel size, but what's included - booze, tips, shore excursions, flights.

I went last minute with Seabourn to Antarctica. I went to a Ponant info session last year and they said the cheapest price is the early price and they don't discount later on but it seems from your experience they do

 

[VPS]

Just because its a French company.

High-ish end, but my and other's assessment is that its not as high-end as it makes out. My first cruise with them - Kimberley coast - was fantastic due to the locations, but on the soft product was not 'top notch' and the Captain was an d-head. But, as I said, they do a lot of no SS, which appeals to me.

Hundreds of Ponant cruises per year. I think most would get >80% by the time they sail, but that's just a guess. Most cruise lines release unfilled inventory quite 'cheap' close to sailing.

Pricing on cruises is dynamic, like airfares; they start selling ~18 months out and to get the best prices you really need to get in quick (or wait till last moment). I booked a cruise for mid 2026 last month and it wasn't when it just opened. @VPS I think went to Antarctica on a 'last minute' booking.

And comparing cruises you have to look at not only the quality, and vessel size, but what's included - booze, tips, shore excursions, flights.

That’s nearly $2k a day assuming you don’t get a single supplement and my Antarctic one was only a bit over 1K per day.

 

[drron]

We started 2024 with 6 voyages on Silversea booked. They have all been cancelled.
Obviously with a fair bit of push from our TA we got a cruise on the Silver Spirit Southhampton to Lisbon in September 2025 for roughly 50% off the advertised price. It included one credit called Customer Discretionary credit.
We also got to do a back to back cruise around Tahiti. Initially booked for August 2026 but we now are on exactly the same itinerary but in April/May 2026. again nearly half the price of our initial booking.

The original discussions with Silversea were totally unacceptable so I have taken the first step to defect. Our TA opened a new office last night and I spoke to the rep for Crystal cruises. One of the cancelled voyages was Mumbai to Capetown including 2 stops in Madagascar. They are not offering such a cruise in the next 2 years. But Crystal have both a Capetown to Mumbai cruise and a Singapore to Capetown cruise.

The Mumbai cruise goes via Zanzibar and Mombasa but not Madagascar. The Singapore cruise swaps those 2 days to Madagascar.

There was also an Abercrombie and Kent rep there so talking about a post cruise stop in Londolozi reserve to see the leopards. They liase with Crystal for pre and post land excursions.

But also in the mix is Azamara who do a Capetown to Mombasa or in reverse which includes Zanzibar and several ports around Madagascar.
Whichever we choose will be early 2027.

 

[Quickstatus]

They have all been cancelled.

Cancelled by Silversea?

Sounds like a TA is helpful when booking cruises

the cheapest price is the early price

And booking early.

 

[drron]

All were booked early which goes to show booking early is not neccesarily good.
And all were booked through our TA but cancelled by Silversea.

 

[RooFlyer]

We started 2024 with 6 voyages on Silversea booked. They have all been cancelled.

Good God. Was any theme in all these cancellations as that’s an extraordinary strike rate.

 

[drron]

We did have a cruise booked SIN-Doha-Athens for April/May 2025. The middle east put paid to that. They cancelled the Doha to Athens segment back in February. By may stopped selling the SIN Doha segment and it disappeared from the website but it wasn't until October that they officially cancelled it.
Have no idea why the Tahiti cruises were changed as the Wind came to Tahiti via South America.
The Mumbai to Capetown cruises for December 25 were cancelled as after the Muse got to Athens in June this year they decided to keepher in the Med.
Basically no classic ships cruising India and the Indian Ocean.

 

[Atleastonce]

Getting close now. Cruising February to Antarctica on Scenic Eclipse and putting final touches on preparation. A few questions. We are traveling from Maroochydore to Sydney to Buenos Aires with an aircraft change in Santiago. (Qantas to KLM). I have looked on Qantas website and gave up waiting on hold on the phone after an hour. Will bags be checked through to Buenos Aires. We are on the same booking PNR so suspect they will. Second question. Has anyone had issues with not getting a transit visa for the Santiago transit. I know we are not leaving airport but if flight is delayed out of Sydney we only have a short connection in Santiago. If we need to stay overnight in Santiago and don’t have a visa it may get tricky. Anyone with experience with delayed flights or do we take the no visa risk ( I know risk is a personal choice, looking if anyone has experienced this). Last question, another personal choice I know but wondering if anyone has gone to the effort for travel vaccinations when traveling to Buenos Aires then onto Antarctica. Thanks.

 

[Pushka]

Getting close now. Cruising February to Antarctica on Scenic Eclipse and putting final touches on preparation. A few questions. We are traveling from Maroochydore to Sydney to Buenos Aires with an aircraft change in Santiago. (Qantas to KLM). I have looked on Qantas website and gave up waiting on hold on the phone after an hour. Will bags be checked through to Buenos Aires. We are on the same booking PNR so suspect they will. Second question. Has anyone had issues with not getting a transit visa for the Santiago transit. I know we are not leaving airport but if flight is delayed out of Sydney we only have a short connection in Santiago. If we need to stay overnight in Santiago and don’t have a visa it may get tricky. Anyone with experience with delayed flights or do we take the no visa risk ( I know risk is a personal choice, looking if anyone has experienced this). Last question, another personal choice I know but wondering if anyone has gone to the effort for travel vaccinations when traveling to Buenos Aires then onto Antarctica. Thanks.

I think I'd also post this on the Qantas area although several here have done this trip. @RooFlyer @VPS @love_the_life

 

[RooFlyer]

@Atleastonce i’m afraid I can’t help very much. Last year I was supposed to transit Santiago on my way to Montevideo but the day before Qantas delayed my departure from Sydney such that I would miss my connection so I overnighted in Santiago. I had a Chilean Visa anyway.

However, I’m in the Sydney first lounge at the moment so when I’m finished breakfast, I’ll go over and ask to see if the desk here can help .

I didn’t get any particular vaccinations for my trip from Chile down to Antarctica, but then I’m pretty well dosed up with everything anyway

 

[Atleastonce]

@Atleastonce i’m afraid I can’t help very much. Last year I was supposed to transit Santiago on my way to Montevideo but the day before Qantas delayed my departure from Sydney such that I would miss my connection so I overnighted in Santiago. I had a Chilean Visa anyway.

However, I’m in the Sydney first lounge at the moment so when I’m finished breakfast, I’ll go over and ask to see if the desk here can help .

I didn’t get any particular vaccinations for my trip from Chile down to Antarctica, but then I’m pretty well dosed up with everything anyway

Thanks so much, enjoy your trip

 

[RooFlyer]

Okay the guy at the desk who I know has been here for quite awhile, said very readily that if it’s on the one ticket - that is the same PNR - then the bag should be checked through to Buenos Aires - as long as the connection is within eight hours.

And he ventured that should you miss the connection they should put you on another flight. There should be a number between Santiago and Buenos Aires, say LATAM.

 

[tgh]

I have transited through Santiago many times before Covid.
Argentina and Chile are not close politically and historically the airline systems did not co-operate well.
Silversea used to use Ushuaia but at some cost have now set up at Port williams because of the political challenges.
I have no recent experience but history and the need for bags to arrive for a cruise departure suggest that extreme care be taken with travel arrangements

 

[SYD]

Okay the guy at the desk who I know has been here for quite awhile, said very readily that if it’s on the one ticket - that is the same PNR - then the bag should be checked through to Buenos Aires - as long as the connection is within eight hours.

And he ventured that should you miss the connection I should put you on another flight. There should be a number between Santiago and Buenos Aires, say LATAM.

Yes, QF should rebook if delayed into SCL. There’s an LA flight every hour or so.