Tuesday, April 2, 2024

The Best Restaurants on a Virgin Voyages Cruise Ship

nicest cruise ships

Her 2022 cruise on Riviera included 70 excursions "from canoeing Croatia’s Cetina River to cooking classes in Athens." When this luxury cruise line says it's all-inclusive, it's not overstating. Everything from shore excursions, Wi-Fi, and laundry to gratuities, top-shelf liquor, and business-class international flights are included with Regent Seven Seas Cruises' fares.

Scarlet Lady — Virgin VoyagesArrow

It’s part of a 1,600-piece art collection that includes classic black-and-white photos from global destinations adorning the hallways between cabins to the steakhouse’s original Picassos. Travelers could spend a good afternoon wandering hallways and public spaces, akin to visiting a museum. A new app for the line also offers a digital art tour, like a personal guide. We were consistently impressed with the content and variety of excursions. Their pace is designed to show passengers life on the river without offering a schedule that's too punishing in the heat. The majority were half-day affairs (with guests divided into smaller groups) and every guest had a headset to tune into the guiding.

Best Boutique Cruise Line: SeaDream Yacht Club

The blue-pearl-and-diamond sculpture titled “Journey in Jewels” is a small but commanding centerpiece rotating within its display case in the atrium for travelers to enjoy as soon as they step on board. Last summer, I sailed the Mediterranean Sea for seven days on a luxury Virgin Voyages cruise ship. The crew outdid itself the next day at White Bay Beach on Jost Van Dyke, the smallest of the British Virgin Islands. A barbecue feast awaited us, along with beach loungers, steel-drum entertainment, and all the paddles and water toys from the ship. Later, we wandered down the beach to find a young yacht crowd, groups of friends who have rented their boats, all knee-deep in their mojitos.

Best Caribbean cruise for solo travelers: Norwegian Cruise Line

Included and specialty dining both shine, with plenty of options for everyone. Also included in every SeaDream experience is complimentary access to wave runners, Hobie cats, kayaks, snorkeling gear and other water sports equipment. Unpack once and take in the sights of the world’s rivers and seas from your floating hotel, all while enjoying top-notch entertainment, dining and amenities. More than a dozen new vessels are introduced each year, making the sheer variety of cruises overwhelming. Our world-class dining experience brings the flavors and food of our destinations right onto your plate.

For everyone on board is the spa with an infinity pool that looks out over the stern, fitness center, jogging track, casino, several lounges, card room, library and main pool. Top-deck fun includes pickleball, shuffleboard, mini golf and ping-pong. All three ships in the Explorer class are about 55,500 gross tons, with Grandeur sporting a 744-guest capacity among its all-suite offerings. The line has three older ships and just had two larger vessels ordered by parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, but they are not due until 2026 and 2029. Particularly striking is Mekong Serenity's beautiful Pool Deck, which has an artistic arrangement of fresh plants and flowers and a good assortment of seating. Despite this being the busiest daytime deck it was never a problem to find a sun bed or sofa and the pool was frequently empty.

nicest cruise ships

There were jeeps or ATVs available to rent for those who wanted to beach-hop, but we settled into the sand at Sun Bay. Virgin Island of St. John the following day, there were yachts and catamarans everywhere – and the Sakara fit right in. After departing from San Juan, the Sakara reached the Puerto Rican island of Culebra in a few hours, just 20 miles off the coast. We hopped in a taxi van at the port to reach the pristine waters of Flamenco Beach, which consistently makes the world’s top 10 lists. It was a fall-asleep-on-the-sand kind of day, under brightly colored umbrellas, with multiple trips to the canteen for French fries. Norwegian Sun is also one of the smallest and least kid-focused of the five ships the line deploys to Alaska in summer, making it a good choice for retirees wanting to visit that destination.

Discover the Best Cruise Ships at Sea

Families with kids naturally gravitate to the two giant, activity-packed vessels Norwegian sends to Alaska each summer — Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss. Over the next two years, for instance, Norwegian Sun is sailing lots of long voyages out of such less-common home ports as Benoa, Indonesia; Melbourne, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Papeete, Tahiti. For older travelers looking for a Norwegian ship that isn't filled to the gills with children, Norwegian Sun is the perfect option. Having sailed in one of Norwegian Epic's cabins for one, I can confidently declare them among the coolest solo digs at sea. I particularly love the "Jetsons" futuristic-style design and the multicolored mood lighting. Only solos staying in the solo cabins (via keycards) can access the Studio Lounge, meaning that you and your new solo friends will have the place to yourselves.

Accommodations range from 188-square-foot regular cabins to 376-square-foot suites. Additionally, many cabins on Disney's ships feature extra pull-down bunks and pull-out sofas that will allow four or even five people to stay in a single cabin. Most cabins have two bathrooms — one with a sink and a toilet, and one with a sink and a shower or tub. This is rare in the cruise world, and it's designed to make it easier for families sharing a room to get ready. Like the ocean ships, they feature Scandinavian design, a glass-walled Explorers' Lounge and signature Viking restaurants Manfredi's and Mamsen's (offering Norwegian specialties).

Cruise Critic announced the 2023 Best Cruise Lines of The Year - Forbes

Cruise Critic announced the 2023 Best Cruise Lines of The Year.

Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

All Havana Cabana cruisers get access to an exclusive lanai and pool deck. With a suite booking, you'll also receive priority embarkation and disembarkation. Celebrity Beyond, which debuted in 2022, accommodates 3,260 guests has 32 bars and restaurants, like Le Voyage by chef Daniel Boulud, and two-story villas on board. Oceania Cruises has just seven ships, but the debut of the brand-new Oceania Vista catapults this cruise line into the luxury division. The cruise line's relatively new Go Local shore excursions for small groups bring travelers to under-the-radar destinations, T+L contributing editor and long-time cruiser Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon reported recently.

Compare: 10 Best Cruise Ships in The Bahamas and Caribbean - Cruise Critic

Compare: 10 Best Cruise Ships in The Bahamas and Caribbean.

Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Or spot the Picassos and Chagalls among your ship's stunning, mostly Latin-focused art collections. Although the onboard dress code is casual, the ships are anything but, featuring elegant, retro-chic decor and marble floors. Exquisite cuisine is prepared a la minute and accompanied by pours of fine wines.

“Sakara” is a Sanskrit word meaning “thoughts become things” – a fitting name, given the thought that went into the ship’s chic design. And our itinerary for the week couldn’t be more yacht-like – an island-hopping experience in the West Indies, stopping in out-of-the-way ports that larger cruise ships can’t manage. And while some smaller boats can feel rocky, the Sakara’s stabilizers keep the ship on an even keel.

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