Recommendation for non-DCL cruise board

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Hello! Long-time DISer here.

My daughter wants to take me on a cruise!

However, neither of us have ever been on a cruise, and the one thing we're pretty sure about is we're not interested in a Disney cruise. Can you point me in the direction of a nice board to learn the ins and outs of cruising?

She told me to do the research. I'm afraid I'm going to inadvertently make a bad decision - we're 2 grown women, so we would prefer an adult-only cruise. But I'm definitely married, and neither of us drink much, or even stay up all that late, so the party scene wouldn't be us either. We're kinda nerdy, bookish, and enjoy good food (not necessarily "fancy" food). I've not traveled out of the US. She's been to Spain/Northern Africa/Portugal on a study abroad semester.

Oh, and if it matters, I'm not on Facebook so I can't research there.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[Dug720]

The only other one I'm aware of is Cruise Critic. That website also has info about cruising in general.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

The only other one I'm aware of is Cruise Critic. That website also has info about cruising in general.

Thanks! I'll check it out.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

If you want rccl, there is a forum on disboards.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Forgot to mention X (Celebrity) is on that rccl forum too.
And there is a Carnival thread within the dcl forum
https://www.disboards.com/threads/carnival-vs-dcl-the-discussion-and-comparison-thread.3540991/

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

If you want rccl, there is a forum on disboards.

Forgot to mention X (Celebrity) is on that rccl forum too.
And there is a Carnival thread within the dcl forum
https://www.disboards.com/threads/carnival-vs-dcl-the-discussion-and-comparison-thread.3540991/

I'm so green I don't know what I want!

But thank you, I'll look at them. I should probably just get a copy of Cruising for Dummies. ha!

 

[lilsonicfan]

Cruise Critic as a website has a ton of info too that you might want to visit before you head to the boards. The boards on CC are good, most of the time, but sometimes they are a little overwhelming. I'd suggest poking around Cruise Critic itself first to see what info you can glean. Sometimes it's easier to start with an itinerary or area of the world you want to see. Or a particular departure port. Then you can check out what cruise lines offer cruises there.

 

[cadien]

Definitely Cruise Critic.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I know you said you're not interested in a DCL cruise, but you also described interests that would be perfect for a DCL cruise. You don't want to stay up late, not big drinkers, not interested in partying and would just love some nice spaces to relax. So, while you're doing your research, check out that DCL has lovely adult only areas and a spa and rainforest room. And... since there are so many families on DCL cruises, the adult only areas won't be as crowded as, say a cruise is only adults.

You know yourself and your budget best, but don't discount DCL just because the D stands for Disney.

 

[Quellman]

You mentioned places in Europe as well. You might want to look into River Cruising. Imagine waking up and being in a new foreign city with all your excursions already paid for, and top notch service on a smaller and intimate vessel. Most ships only have rooms for 2-3 people so you won't likely encounter kids and it fits the more cultural aspect of cruising and vacationing. There are river cruises in the US and over seas.

 

[mommyoftwinfants]

I went on a mother daughter cruise with my mother in 2016. We sailed DCL because a great last minute rate came out and no flying since it sailed out of Texas. We had a wonderful time, oddly enough there were several other mother/daughter duos on the cruise. I had never really paid attention since I had always traveled with my children.

 

[aggiedog]

Definitely CruiseCritic. There is a river cruise section there, as well. Many folks there have sailed several lines and once you have a general idea of which lines appeal to you, you can ask for pertinent differences.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I know you said you're not interested in a DCL cruise, but you also described interests that would be perfect for a DCL cruise. You don't want to stay up late, not big drinkers, not interested in partying and would just love some nice spaces to relax. So, while you're doing your research, check out that DCL has lovely adult only areas and a spa and rainforest room. And... since there are so many families on DCL cruises, the adult only areas won't be as crowded as, say a cruise is only adults.

You know yourself and your budget best, but don't discount DCL just because the D stands for Disney.

The reason we ruled out DCL is because we want a child-free cruise. Not just in certain spots. I love my kids, but they are grown, and we love my grandson/her nephew, and we just vacationed with him at WDW. We simply don't want to deal with other people's children for this cruise, is all.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

You mentioned places in Europe as well. You might want to look into River Cruising. Imagine waking up and being in a new foreign city with all your excursions already paid for, and top notch service on a smaller and intimate vessel. Most ships only have rooms for 2-3 people so you won't likely encounter kids and it fits the more cultural aspect of cruising and vacationing. There are river cruises in the US and over seas.

My sister has done some Viking river cruises, and loved them. I am definitely going to look into them! Thanks.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I went on a mother daughter cruise with my mother in 2016. We sailed DCL because a great last minute rate came out and no flying since it sailed out of Texas. We had a wonderful time, oddly enough there were several other mother/daughter duos on the cruise. I had never really paid attention since I had always traveled with my children.

Thanks - I'm not ruling out DCL forever, and if there was a fantastic deal I'd certainly consider it.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Definitely CruiseCritic. There is a river cruise section there, as well. Many folks there have sailed several lines and once you have a general idea of which lines appeal to you, you can ask for pertinent differences.

Thanks! I fell into the Cruise Critic website yesterday afternoon, and wow, so much info! I'll make sure to check on the river cruise section.

 

[Lynne M]

I'll add a vote for Cruise Critic. I used them heavily when I was planning a RCCL cruise several years back, there's just a staggering amount of info over there if you're an obsessive researcher, like me.

One feature that you might find especially helpful since you're looking for child-free cruising: on their ship overview pages, they have a Fellow Passengers section that describes the typical passengers you'll find on the ship. The most common country of origin, age range, experienced/new cruisers, etc.

 

[cadien]

River cruises are fantastic for child-free cruises. (Although some of them do allow families now.) I appreciate that they're much more enrichment-focused than most ocean cruises.

 

[Dug720]

Child-free? Does not exist.

Your best bet would be Viking or Silver Sea - and even then there could be a child present accompanied by their parents/guardians.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Viking recently announced it will not be allowing under 18 year olds on their cruises (river as well as ocean).