HELP! We're wanting to take a romantic trip for our silver wedding anniversary.
We've only cruised one time, so are really counting on experience cruisers for ideas and advice.

We're thinking of a cruise in the Caribbean (since a Windjammer cruise was what we had planned for our honeymoon, but then we used the money for a down-payment on our home instead) but we are completely open to alternate ideas.

My husband still likes the Windjammer idea, but it seems a little less appealing to me at 45 than it did when I was 20. But I certainly don't want to do the huge ship thing, and I don't need a lot of luxury -- just don't really care for the idea of a floating Motel-6.

So here are the criteria:
1.Need to travel during the summer of 2006
2.Can take 7-10 days
3.Don't need a lot of nightlife and/or shore excursions
4.Would like to renew our vows someplace romantic

Can anyone help me out with ideas??

sart29,

What about a cruise to Tahiti/French Polynesia aboard the Radisson Seven Seas Paul Gauguin? It is a beautiful small ship that cruisers rave about. (I think it carries only 300 passengers.)
I have not taken it because we are not into water sports anymore, but it is considered a luxurious small ship. And you can't get much more romatic than Tahiti!

If you need more info or a TA recommendation, let me know. I have an excellent TA who is a top producer for Radisson cruises. I have been only on 2 of their cruises so far, with a 3rd one coming up soon in August. Excellent service, food, etc.

Good luck and Happy Anniversary!

Ginny

Another vote here for Radisson's Paul Ganguin. I think it sounds perfect for what you're looking for. There's NO comparison between the Caribbean and the French Polynesian islands!

I forgot to mention that you should spend a few days pre or post cruise on Moorea or Bora Bora since it's such a long distance to go for just one week. If you're coming in from the East Coast, I believe Radisson puts you up at a LAX hotel for the night which is good as it breaks the trip up.

sart29-

I recommend a Windsurf cruise in the MED for a week..that is their normal cruise time and the flights to Europe are way shorter than Tahiti...

Also, Windsurf is casual elegant-no coate and tie, no formal nites, open seating dining,water sports on board ship, SMALL ship-330 passengers,Great food, and small lounge and casino..NO lavish shows..small intimate ship...

Try Rome to Nice for a romantic cruise!

I agree with the others to opt for something other than the Caribbean. The Caribbean has become a big mass of people trying to sell trinkits and it lacks any charm. Some port stops in the Caribbean may have a dozen cruise ships docked each loaded with passengers invading that port for the day.

I think you should determine if you want just pure fun and relaxation with lots of water sports available on board, and just pure romance OR do you want more sight seeing. If you opt for the Med you will feel more compelled to go out and sight see each day because there are so many fascinating things to see and the itinereries are port intensive. If you opt for Tahiti there really aren't too many sights to go see.

I think either the Wind Surf or the Paul Gauguin would be good choices because they're both small and casual so no need to pack a suit and tie. I do think you're on the right track looking at the smaller, more intimate ships. Have fun with all the planning for such a special occassion.

Windjammer is a little too much like camping for me! I am 49 and have been on 103 cruises.

If the concept of a large sailing ship appeals to you, I suggest you check out Star Clippers. It is a nice line with true sailing ships and offers a more luxurious experience than Windjammer, though not nearly as upscale as Windstar. They do the Med in the summer season.

Radisson is also a wonderful choice if you are willing to pay the price.

IMHO, the Med is the most romantic cruise in the world.

ANother vote for Windstar cruise. We just returned 7 days Lisbon to Malaga Spain on the Windsurf and we are hooked!. Elegantly casual, very romantic, great crew, not a big ship (300 maximum passengers) It isn't a "working sail" but one where you can truly relax and enjoy the ports of call or just stay on board. There is a Spa, library, pool, fitness center, hot tubs, and great staterooms. We were in the least expensive cabin and our stateroom was wonderful - queensize bed, flat screentv, big bathroom, lots of closet space and no formal night! check out their wwebsite www.windstar.com to view the other two ships they have as well.

Wow, so much helpful information! I really appreciate it.

I think Tahiti looks fabulous, but when I approached DH with it I found out that he's always secretly harbored the idea that when he retires we will take off for Tahiti with no time schedule and he says he wants to save Tahiti till then.

I appreciate the info that the Caribbean has become less exotic and more touristy than it was considered back when I was honeymoon planning.

My only concern about going to the Med is the temptation to extend the trip with pre and post touring in Europe.

Let me ask this of all you experienced cruisers (kfusto, 103! OMG!) --
The further I get from home, won't the increased airfare impact my budget so much that I have to scale down on my cabin? Or does it really matter. On the smaller ships will I be happy spending more time in the public areas becuase they won't be as crowded?

Perhaps I'm jumping in late for this thread but I do have opinions I'd like to share. Do NOT go to the Caribbean! I recently completed my 12th (?) trip there and it has gotten progressively worse through the years. That will hopefully be my last cruise to these islands. There is nothing romantic about being in a port with THOUSANDS (and I mean thousands of other tourists). It just isn't that much fun. Opt for a small upscale ship with few passengers where you won't be fighting the crowds, waiting in buffet lines and locals trying to get into your pockets. I think you'd enjoy some more remote ports calls. If your desire is to be pampered, you will only find this on a smaller upscale ship IMO.

You mention a pre or post cruise as being a $$negative should you opt for the Med. To me this is a positive...extend your vacation anyway you can. The Med is great...as are the FP islands (especially Bora Bora). You mention that your DH wants to hold off on this to a later date. WHY? There's no crime in returning twice on an itenerary you enjoy and if you go to FP soon, it will likely be more similar to what Hawaii was 5o-60 years ago. The Med is also a great choice. I agree with others and I would consider either the FP islands or the Med. The Paul Gauguin is probably the ultimate in relaxation and pleasure (with the comped water sports) but the Wind Surf sure sounds great as well. I think you'd be pleased with either. I like the idea that they're both low key and casual. Just don't go to the Caribbean....it really sucks. (sorry, not meant to offend anyone, just voicing my opinion). It's crowded and way too commercialized. You might as well go to a Disney adventure park!

Not familiar with Windjammer but from how others descirbed...it may not be right for an anniversary cruise. I have found that you get what you pay for. If you want to go "cheap" it will not be nearly as memorable as if you splurge for a smaller ship and with the nickel and diming may ultimately cost you more in the long run.

Check out Cruise West, very good small ship cruising. They do good Alaska cruises, also Baja California as well as some to Central America. They also have a really neat Wine Country Cruise in California which we have done and it is wonderful.

I think that the Southern Caribbean is very nice still but I agree that the eastern and western are very touristy.

What is your budget? Radission delivers an exceptional cruise experience. Their ships are elegant, staterooms wonderful, food and service excellent. Crystal has larger ships with more activies and is much more formal. There is more "value" in Radisson IMHO.

However, you do give up certain things when you chose a smaller ship. The nightlife options are much more limited. Fitness facilites - important to me personally - are less comprehensive. It is much more low key. I love that in the Med but not in the Caribbean where I enjoy the nightlife.

I think it really depends on what you are looking for.

I love the Med but would not do it without extending for at least 4-5 days.

If you still want the Caribbean and want upscale but do not want to pay for six stars, I suggest you look at Celebrity's Constellation and Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas. Book a Junior Suite or Concierge Class on Celebrity and enjoy!

Another vote for Windstar in the Med! We are taking Windsurf 11 days Venice to Rome in Aug. for our 40th anniversary. There are many 7 day itineraries & you could add a day or 2 on either end. Nothing more romantic than sitting on deck as the ship sails away from port! Depending on the cruise you choose, there would be plenty of romantic places to renew your vows.

sart29-

You can go with the least expensive cabin on Windsurf and be completely fine.

That is what we did....There are NO balconies on the Windsurf so the only difference in prices is the size of the cabin--and truthfully, the lowest priced cabin was large enough for us.
We hardly ever stayed in the cabin except to sleep.

The airfare into Rome and out of Nice should run about $600 pp depending on when you take the cruise.
We have ALWAYS used Frequent Flyer miles to go to Europe...
If you have enough miles saved up ( 50,000 for a free coach seat and 80,000 for a free business class seat), then use them.

To me , the price of the airline tkt to the Med is a small price to pay for a remarkable cruise to remember...

I would NEVER do the Eastern Caribbean for a BIG anniversary...way too many tourists and I am so spoiled by Windsurf, that I hate a LARGE cruise ship.. I will only do a Caribbean cruise if the price is sooooooooo low that is doesn't pay to stay at home and cook for a week..( we did a Carib. cruise in April but got a super deal on it)...

But you will really remember your anniversary if you do the Med..

The Windstar cruise line also has an itineray that includes Costa Rica for next year which I believe also goes thru the Panama Canal. I have done a similar excursion on a very small ship (80 people) and it was wonderful. Can't say enough about Windstar. On the Windsurf we had the lowest price (sounds better than cheapest!) cabin and it was very large with a queen size bed, 2 large port holes and plenty of room. If I am not mistaken Windstar also does MExico (Carribean side) and Belieze.

So much great info! We really appreciate it.

We're still looking all the options, but during our discussion tonight we've ruled out the Caribbean entirely -- not only because of the major touristy stuff, but also because we figured it's probably better to steer clear of hurricane season.

Thanks again for all the input. Feel free to keep posting -- we've got a whole year to plan.