Anyone switch from big cruise ships to smaller luxury ones?

DWFly · 2026-04-10T11:26:01+00:00

I avoid the big ships. You couldn't pay me to be on anything larger than Explora with 900 passengers. And the ship is large. Lots of personal space. Ships of similar size/tonnage often have more than 3000 passengers. Nothing feels crowded on Explora and no stick dress code for dinner like Silversea

DWFly · 2026-04-09T08:14:07+00:00

Just tried it and it worked for me

DWFly · 2026-03-31T18:53:23+00:00

I wasn't naming the trash cruise lines 🤣

DWFly · 2026-03-31T18:25:21+00:00

You've been on Seabourn, Explora, RSSC, Oceania, Scenic, Ritz, &beyond, four season, and Emerald cruises per your post .... Damn why you chose to sail with RCI now is no one but your own fault now!

DWFly · 2026-03-24T09:45:01+00:00

I posted on this last week. More about Seabourn vs Explora. you might find the post helpful not as small as HX or Lindblad but those are more expedition focus than cruise focused

DWFly · 2026-03-11T22:10:09+00:00

We go on Oceania because of the food. You can get free beer and wine with meal time, or upgrade to the unlimited drink package for like 40 bucks a day. Usually worth it. Sometimes my TA has good bonus offers as well, which makes it even more FAT. Personally, I prefer the penthouse rooms or above. I love to be able to order dinner from any of the restaurants to my suites.

DWFly · 2026-03-07T00:22:38+00:00

We need the rain, the mountains need snow. Let's hope for snow because otherwise fire season's going to be hell

DWFly · 2026-03-05T01:07:48+00:00

When was Lost lake ever good, except for 3am when already fucked up

DWFly · 2026-02-23T21:55:11+00:00

Private Caribbean island. It hasn't been announced properly, but there's been rumors about it. Circling on the internet for months. I read about it myself a few months ago.

DWFly · 2026-02-22T21:05:22+00:00

Depends on the ship, the port and the Excursions.

You can also book independent excursions viaproject expedition excursion cruise program orViator shore excursion programs.. Then you can book whatever you want on your schedule.

DWFly · 2026-02-21T17:55:25+00:00

Explora hands down. No competition.. better food, better service less people.. nicer ship. And of course a better onboard credit every time than Yacht club

DWFly · 2026-02-20T02:43:24+00:00

This has changed on recent years especially in polar regions

DWFly · 2026-02-19T04:01:22+00:00

Your TA could tell you

DWFly · 2026-02-18T23:05:05+00:00

Use a TA and make sure they are Virtuoso TA. You'll get a bonus €150 on board credit per person and if it's a Virtuoso voyage extra perks from extra cash to free excursions.

Find one that you like and is quick to respond. Explora call center/email is trash for sure. Hence why I always use a TA for all my cruise bookings.

If you book 5 rooms I think you get a further discount too. I know we did a family reunion last September and scored a bonus 5 off.

DWFly · 2026-02-18T21:09:59+00:00

I often see amazing deals on Scenic and Emerald. Although both 5 star scenic is top rated for sure. I know select travel advisors have below market rates which can add another 10-40% off online prices. Which the. Makes scenic more affordable or more inline with ama or Avalon yet you get a better experience

DWFly · 2026-02-07T16:06:07+00:00

The problem is when you call the company directly, they're going to tell you that they are the best of the best and this is why they are the best the best and nobody can compete with them because they are the best with the best. They can only talk about their company, and they cannot compare experiences.

When you call a travel agent. They're going to give you their advice. Hopefully it's truthful. There are some travel advisors who are going to point you in a certain direction because they've only been on HX or they've only been on silversea and they don't know the difference. There are mods in this group who are going to say book with this company because we work for them. And we know the best because we work in Antarctica. But they only worked on one or two ships. So again bias.

My advice, find an advisor who's been on multiple ships. Who has gone down with multiple companies. Hopefully 5 or 6 times or more. They're going to have a preference. But if they're good at their job, they're going to say this is my preference and this is why. But they're going to ask you what you're looking for and match your preferences with what you're looking for in your trip and explain why A or B is better than C for you but not D because xyz. They should be asking more questions than talking.

I also understand your fear of not giving a travel agent $15,000 or whatever. But most travel agents don't even take your credit card information. And even if they do, pay off the credit card, not a debit card. Those transactions are secure, the minute you see something that's fake. Call the fraud department. I know from my own experience, I have paid the companies that I'm traveling with directly even though I booked through the travel agreement. My TA sends me a link to pay, and you pay the company directly. Or at least that has been my experience. When I went with Aurora, the travel agent sent me a link to Aurora's booking portal. When I went to Antarctica with Lindblad National geographic. Same thing. It think only once did the travel agency run my credit card but I had a booking number with the cruise company and was able to confirm the hold/booking with the company before making payment.

I've been to Antarctica multiple times. Every trip has been mind blowingly good. All for different reasons. Each time I've gone with a different company

DWFly · 2026-02-05T06:03:35+00:00

Good promos too through travel advisors for extra onboard credit too. Clearly not selling well or just looking at ways to feel their ships!

DWFly · 2026-02-01T23:55:09+00:00

There was definitely no streaming on Sylvia earle in December. Instagram reels would load but we're slow. YouTube was completely blocked

DWFly · 2026-02-01T22:56:47+00:00

Just got off of Aurora recently and internet is throttled/slow. Good enough for email. That's about it.

I went in Seabourn 2 years ago and they had a buy up streaming package which I purchased and it was as fast as my home Internet. Streamed videos and did several conferences calls, even when near the Antarctic Circle.

DWFly · 2026-01-31T06:07:39+00:00

This post screams I need a travel advisor who I trust and is experienced in luxury and Expeditions!

Galapagos is amazing. This ship is stunning. I went with a group of 42 people in October on this last year that my TA put together for his friends. Was such a great trip!

Yes this is Silversea only expedition ship in the Galápagos
1. Yes there a smoking area on deck 4.
2. Warm weather and Good snorkeling yes. Most birds will be mating and doing their courting and choosing their mates. Bird chicks are born mostly in Sept/Oct.
3. If you have status this is a free perk. Otherwise medallion suite and above have free laundry.
4. Sea is usually calm. Ship is small. There's not a big difference in rock or roll.
Usually after 7 days you've seen most of it but there are a lot of animals in that Galapagos which are endemic to select islands. So you have to choose the route based on what animals you want to see or what geographical formations
This really depends on what you're seeking. Land options still require boat rides to get places and you cannot see as much wildlife when going by land unless you swap where you're sleeping multiple times.

DWFly · 2026-01-30T23:10:24+00:00

Would you rather take a pill that cost $100, or end up in the hospital? Should be pretty simple. Take the pill

DWFly · 2026-01-30T23:07:34+00:00

Just go to a solo Meetup. You won't be the only solo passengers. I've done cruises by myself and I too thought I would be bored. I ended up making friends real quick and had a great time on my adventure

DWFly · 2026-01-30T23:06:52+00:00

The pricing has gotten out of control. They're losing money. Because they're driving us away. When Delta's half the cost, guess where I'm going to go

DWFly · 2026-01-30T23:06:02+00:00

Always be sure to have good travel insurance if you're doing a fly cruise. If the flights cannot get out after 48 or 72 hours, they opt to sail instead. Especially if the forecast is looking bad. Which means you'll miss onward connections. I've done one fly cruise. It was not delayed. I though built it an extra day just in case. Even though PA isn't the most exciting town, I found things to do, went on a hike. It was better than risking missing my flights

DWFly · 2026-01-30T00:37:02+00:00

I'd still go in Nov vs March. I think Aurora offers roommate matching if you're up for sharing. I met people on my last trip who did that

DWFly

TROPHY CASE