Radisson Seven Seas Navigator or something else?
 

My husband has decided that perhaps we should try taking a cruise for our ten year anniversary (September 6th).I found a cruise from NY to Bermuda that leaves September 1st for seven days. We have never cruised, we have always just flown places and stayed there. We have no real idea of what to expect. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you.

Knowing:

I suggest you make a list of all your questions and visit a local travel agency. Pick up all the brochures you can. Now saying that, NEVER pay brochure prices. The brochures can help give you an idea of level of dress on that particular ship, some of the activities, food presentation, etc.

See what kind of deal your TA can give then check on the internet for better ones. Many on the forum can recommend reputable websites if you wish.

I have never sailed Radisson but have read good reviews. (My favorite line right now is Celebrity!)

Good luck and welcome to the great world of cruising!! :-)

You will love the Navigator trip to Bermuda. What a great way to celebrate your anniversary! If you email me, I'm happy to send you my travel agent's website with all the pricing and all the info you'd want to have ON THE WEBSITE. I have found the best prices for Radisson on this site but it may be against Fodor rules to post it here.?? Feel free to email me [email protected]

Congratulations...you've picked a winner of a cruise!

I am booked on that cruise, and am much looking forward to it. This will be my 4th cruise on RSSC, but my first on Navigator. It's a top-flight cruise line and has spoiled me for any other. The service is remarkable for its seamlessness, and fellow passengers are always a delight. Cruising is not really like fly-and-stay travel, so to compare them is apples and oranges. The cruise experience is worthwhile, however, if done right. And RSSC does it right. Incidently, my cruise travel agent is national in scope and specializes in RSSC (and I suspect is the same agent as petlover's, as I've seen petlover on the bulletin board on said agent's website). This agent is great at digging up discounts and upgrades. Email me at [email protected] if you want to discuss and "meet" before the cruise.

I'm turning green with envy. My cruise on the Navigator in May was the best ever! You're going to be so spoiled you won't want to cruise with any other line.

I suggest you go to www.cruise-addicts.com and read as many reviews of this ship as are posted. You may get a more belanced view.

Second, do NOT pay the "brochure price" since just about every cruise, even high-end ones, are usually discounted somewhere..whether by someone's "aunt" or not.

I'm overwhelmed at all the information! Thank you SO much for all the help. I actually do have more questions now. What would you say is the average age of the people cruising? Because we live in MN, how does that work flying into NY? Are there likely to be many kids on the cruise at that time of year? What kind of entertainment can we expect at night? Is there enough to do? I did read some of the reviews, and am somewhat concerned now about service slipping once we leave Bermuda. Do you think that is common or more of a "this happened once" type of thing? Sorry for all the questions. We're newbies!

Hi Knowing, no apologies necessary...we were all newbies once!

As for getting to New York, you will probably want to look into booking your own airfare as it is usually cheaper than the cruise lines (but not always). Sometimes there are specials too where the cruise line will include a pre-cruise with Broadway theater tickets or a hotel night or sometimes they'll offer free flights. These are all things you'll need to check into for your specific sailing date. Don't book a return flight too early...after 1:00 pm would be the earliest I'd consider. Better to hang out at the airport than to miss your flight.

As for enough to do...this should NOT be a problem. Usually I'm torn between having to decide what to do with so many options! As for children on your cruise...not likely. Radisson normally doesn't have many children on board as they don't really cater to children as other lines do. Especially in September, they'll be back in school. I think you've picked a perfect time to travel. The average age...hmmmm? It can really vary with honeymooners etc. thrown into the mix. I'd have to say that the average age is probably 45-60 but again, this can vary from sailing to sailing. What I will say is that most passengers are quite "fit" regardless of their age.

We decided to go ahead with the cruise. Thanks so much for all the responses. Only six weeks to go!

I just recently got off the 7 Seas Navigator and wrote a MEGA review with lots of pictures on this ship. She is an excellent choice and you and your husband will love it. The food, service, entertainment and overall experience is 5 star!

You will find my review at:

http://www.cruisereviews.com/Radisso...Navigator3.htm

Have a great cruise!

Tom

Knowing,
Congratulations on your anniversary. You've gotten a lot of good advice here, but something that should be mentioned is the weather.

We got married ten years ago this September also, and our honeymoon was a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda. We had just ordered a bottle of red wine at dinner when the captain announced we were headed into rough seas. I think there were 12-14 foot seas. The whole ship was heaving.

Just be aware that the weather in the north Atlantic at this time of year can be rough and you're approaching hurrican season.

Anyway, I would still go.