-
This site is sponsored by Lang & Potter
Best ever cruise?
- Thread starter IJN
- Start date
2017 - cruise to The Baltic, visiting Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Poland and Denmark.
My parents went on the exact same cruise and they absolutely loved it.
I have only done one, but that was for 43 days from Southampton. Visited Madeira, Barbados, Curacao, transited the Panama Canal, visited Cabos san Lucas (Mexico), San Francisco (overnight), Hilo (Hawaii), Honolulu, Samoa, passed through the International Date Line, thenTonga, Tauranga (NZ) and Auckland. A planned visit to Bay of Islands (NZ) was cancelled, due to weather/season conditions. Apart from the way a very few passengers treated the crew, I could not fault anything about it. Indeed, after getting of the P&O Arcadia, we spent 21 days touring New Zealand and then flew home via 3 nights in each of Sydney, Singapore and Dubai. That showed us what great value for money cruising is. When we factored in car hire/public transport, hotels and food, the cost per day of our post cruise holiday well-exceeded that of the cruise.
First ever cruise in February 2025 to the Caribbean onboard Arvia with P and O on a 2 week tour visiting Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada, Martinique, St Kitts, British Virgin Islands, St Marteen and Antigua. Flew out and returned from Manchester to Barbados. Absolutely cracking holiday and if you plan the day tours ahead, you get to do so much but always finish with 2 to 3 hours on a beach before heading back to the ship. Probably the best holiday we ever had. Beautiful ship and food was superb. Didn't go for the drinks package but prices onboard were quite reasonable anyway. Don't feel obliged to book the P and O trips onshore. There are other companies also running trips at half the price and we would often leave and get back to the ship an hour before the main trips which meant the ship was nice and quiet on return for food and drink after a fun day.
Now we have converted to cruising, having just finished a four day cruise to Rotterdam from Southampton last week, which was excellent and have booked another one for eastern Mediterranean next year.
Cruising is no longer just for the more mature clientele. P and O are especially targeted to a younger market.
Now we have converted to cruising, having just finished a four day cruise to Rotterdam from Southampton last week, which was excellent and have booked another one for eastern Mediterranean next year.
Cruising is no longer just for the more mature clientele. P and O are especially targeted to a younger market.
QE 2 in 2007, 14 nights to Norway including the long hike to Svalbard and back. Have done 40 or since but the QE 2 was very special and unfortunately taken out of service not long after 
My worst was the Costa Victoria, also in 2007, from Italy to Brazil over 24 nights and in particular I didn’t take to Brazil at all.
My worst was the Costa Victoria, also in 2007, from Italy to Brazil over 24 nights and in particular I didn’t take to Brazil at all.
Oh god.
So having been on over 20 cruises now its hard to decided which was the best.
Our first pre children was on sea princess to the carribean. Lots of tours, rum, bbq food and hangovers lol
Post having my dau its now about activities on the ship due her being 12, so water slides, rock climbing, good pools etc.
We have tried lots of cruise companies and each offer something different.
Fave cruise line: Royal carribean
Fave location: Eastern med
Fave room: Inside
Best food: Royal
Best entertainment: Royal
Best value for money: P&O
Best pool area :MSC newer ships
We are now at a point where we look for locations to visit and different ships. Prefer the big new ships such as Oasis class on Royal caribbean or MSC world Europa class.
Really dissapointed with P&Os Arvia and Iona. Not what i would call true family friendly ships. Pools standing room only, no water slides, or other fun activities for families.
Next cruise lined up.
Legend of the seas out of Barcelona. Oct 2026.
MSc World Europa out of Dubai Apr 2027.
So having been on over 20 cruises now its hard to decided which was the best.
Our first pre children was on sea princess to the carribean. Lots of tours, rum, bbq food and hangovers lol
Post having my dau its now about activities on the ship due her being 12, so water slides, rock climbing, good pools etc.
We have tried lots of cruise companies and each offer something different.
Fave cruise line: Royal carribean
Fave location: Eastern med
Fave room: Inside
Best food: Royal
Best entertainment: Royal
Best value for money: P&O
Best pool area :MSC newer ships
We are now at a point where we look for locations to visit and different ships. Prefer the big new ships such as Oasis class on Royal caribbean or MSC world Europa class.
Really dissapointed with P&Os Arvia and Iona. Not what i would call true family friendly ships. Pools standing room only, no water slides, or other fun activities for families.
Next cruise lined up.
Legend of the seas out of Barcelona. Oct 2026.
MSc World Europa out of Dubai Apr 2027.
I've only caught the bug since 2023, but I've done a few since.
I was blown away by the QM2 earlier this year, did a back to back transatlantic with New England in the middle so a 3 weeker, which I loved.
Got three booked. Another 3 weeker on Brittania in the summer and QM2 into North Norway March 27 (8 days) and a chase the total eclipse cruisefor a fortnight on Queen Victoria in the summer in the Med.
Other ships I've been on, Iona, Queen Anne (not for me) and Brittania on my first ever cruise to Norway.
I was blown away by the QM2 earlier this year, did a back to back transatlantic with New England in the middle so a 3 weeker, which I loved.
Got three booked. Another 3 weeker on Brittania in the summer and QM2 into North Norway March 27 (8 days) and a chase the total eclipse cruisefor a fortnight on Queen Victoria in the summer in the Med.
Other ships I've been on, Iona, Queen Anne (not for me) and Brittania on my first ever cruise to Norway.
The most entertaining cruise was ‘Bravo’ - an Australian company that chartered the Celebrity Silhouette for this trip.
The cruise itself was nothing to speak of - Southampton-Bilbao-Vigo-Cherbourg-Southampton, but the entertainment on board was out of this world!
I’m probably forgetting some names but we were entertained by the National Symphony Orchestra, Alfie Boe, Katherine Jenkins, Ruthie Henshall, Julian Lloyd Webber, Wynne Evans, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Mark Vincent, etc.
Wherever you went on board, someone was playing something - music everywhere! There was an Italian pianist playing in a bar, I forget her name, but she was brilliant!
Sadly, this idea didn’t take off here, but Bravo cruises are still happening around Australia.
The cruise itself was nothing to speak of - Southampton-Bilbao-Vigo-Cherbourg-Southampton, but the entertainment on board was out of this world!
I’m probably forgetting some names but we were entertained by the National Symphony Orchestra, Alfie Boe, Katherine Jenkins, Ruthie Henshall, Julian Lloyd Webber, Wynne Evans, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Mark Vincent, etc.
Wherever you went on board, someone was playing something - music everywhere! There was an Italian pianist playing in a bar, I forget her name, but she was brilliant!
Sadly, this idea didn’t take off here, but Bravo cruises are still happening around Australia.
I fly out to Orlando on Wednesday and sail out of Miami on the 7th December on MSC Divina calling at Jamaica, Aruba, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras for 11 nights.
Previously did our 1st cruise 10 years ago on a 15 night transatlantic on the Azura from Southampton to Barbados setting sail in a force 10 Gale along the English Channel, then 2 years ago on the MSC Euribia winter Northern Seas.
I will tell which was best when I get back
Previously did our 1st cruise 10 years ago on a 15 night transatlantic on the Azura from Southampton to Barbados setting sail in a force 10 Gale along the English Channel, then 2 years ago on the MSC Euribia winter Northern Seas.
I will tell which was best when I get back
Last edited:
I hope you have as great a time as we did when we went on MSC Divina. We were on a 10 day Caribbean tour out of Miami, cannot remember all the places we went, but remember St Martin, Guadaloupe, Antigua, Martinique.
Divina was a massive ship, 140,000 tons, 3500 passengers, 1400 crew. We were on her about 10 years ago and i think back then she was in the top 10 largest cruise ships, today she is not in the top 65. Have a great trip.
Eastern Med mate, so as far as Corfu, Dubrovnik and Malta. Really looking forward to it.
Also booked The Retreat as well, as I don't want to struggle with sun lounger stress.
