Best Way to Book an Ocean Cruise

Want to know the best way to book an ocean cruise?

Ocean cruises are immensely popular with international travelers. It’s a fantastic way to get your first taste of a new destination. And there is none of the annoying packing and unpacking involved with land travel.

Plus, ocean cruise providers have spent untold millions trying to outdo one another seeking to have the most luxurious ships, the largest rooms, the best itinerary, the best cuisine, the best ports of call, the best service, and on and on.

So, with cruise itineraries numbering in the thousands, and with Internet cruise offerings seemingly numbering in the millions, how on earth is a discerning traveler supposed to choose the right offering?

Well, that is where we come in. In just five short years, we have grown to become one of the nation’s highest cruise booking advisors.

But more importantly, Carol and I have been on a mission to sample the various cruise lines and destinations. It is only by our first-hand experience that we can bring integrity to the advice we give our clients.

Further, you should know that if everyone takes truth serum, the price to book an ocean cruise through a trusted travel advisor versus booking directly with a cruise line is the same.

Nonetheless, because of our affiliations with Cadence and Virtuoso, it is common for us to have complimentary VIP perks to add to your booking.

We’ll get into that in a bit. For now, let’s first look at our favorite ocean cruise brands.

Our Favorite Ocean Cruise Brands

First, you should know that we are not fans of the large-ship cruise brands.

We booked those cruises early on, and our clients were coming home unhappy. There were too many people, lots of kids, 30 year-olds running around doing the things that 30-year-olds like to do. Our clients didn’t like the large buffet lines; they didn’t like being nickeled and dimed to death, and they didn’t like having to disembark with 3,000 or more people in every port.

Lastly, we don’t care for the large-ship cruise brands ourselves. Therefore, it seems disingenuous to promote them.

One Caveat: for our clients looking for a multi-generational cruise with their grandchildren, large ships are ideal.

Scroll to the Bottom of the page to learn how to get our complimentary VIP perks.

Having said that, let’s move along to our favorite and “go-to” ocean cruise brands:

4-Star: American Cruise Lines. Small ship coastal cruises in the U.S. To read our review, please CLICK HERE.
4.5-star: Oceania Cruises. If you’re a foodie and don’t require all of the trappings of a 5-star ocean cruise, this is the cruise line for you. Oceania boldly proclaims to have “the finest cuisine at sea.”
4.5-star: Viking Ocean Cruises. Carol and I have grown to become the #2 booking agents for Viking in the world. We’ve sailed on their ocean ships and know them very well. Further, Viking has the uncanny ability to create raving fans of their company. When Viking first introduced their ocean ships a few years back, the ships’ brilliant design made them instantly popular. They took massive market share from those brands with older, less desirable ocean-going vessels. Their entry-level staterooms are 270 sq. ft., all have walkout balconies; the food is wonderful, a shore excursion is complimentary in every port, and wine and beer are complimentary at lunch and dinner. When our clients come home from a Viking ocean cruise, they generally immediately book another.
5-star: Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Carol and I first sailed with Regent in Alaska a few years ago. We were immediately impressed. Their ships are beautiful, and as they cater to the 5-star traveler, everything is the best of the best. Further, we found their value proposition to be remarkable. Absolutely everything is included, even business-class air on their overseas destinations. You will be hard-pressed to spend a dime on a Regent cruise. And when you compare all of the things included in their fare, you will find that your investment is very close to the same dollar spent on a significantly less desirable cruise line. And again, our clients come home happy and rebook. We’re big fans. To read an article about Regent’s value proposition, please CLICK HERE.
5-star: Silversea Cruises. Silversea also caters to the 5-star traveler. Their itineraries offer large entry-level staterooms, and they offer a complimentary shore excursion in every port (starting in 2022). Airfare is included (starting in 2022), and wine and cocktails are on the house. We like that Silversea is aggressively putting new ships in the water. But unique to the luxury cruise market, Silversea has long been a standout in the expedition cruise market. If you fall in love with Silversea, which you likely will, you can not only enjoy a luxury Mediterranean cruise, but they can bring that same level of luxury to an expedition cruise of Antarctica.
5-Star: Explora Journeys. A brand new luxury cruise line that will begin sailing in July of 2023. To learn more, please CLICK HERE.
5-Star: Seabourn

Expedition and Specialty Ocean Cruise Brands

And we’re also fans of these expedition and specialty ocean cruise brands:

Therefore, as you can see, there are many available options. And we have the experience and expertise to help you sort it all out.

Our Convenient Ocean Cruise Search Tool

While you are certainly welcome to click on any of the links above, our OCEAN CRUISE SEARCH TOOL will make your task to find the perfect ocean cruise much easier.

With the simple click of your mouse, you can search across all of these brands by date, price range, destination, and more. Try it out. We think that you will find it very convenient.

Complimentary VIP Perks!

How to Score Complimentary VIP Perks

Ok. Now that you know that the price is the same booking with us versus booking directly with the cruise line, let me share how to score complimentary VIP perks on your ocean cruise.

As I mentioned above, we are affiliated with Cadence and Virtuoso. These affiliations give us the clout and buying power as if we were producing $28 billion in sales every year.

That translates into Virtuoso Voyages perks on many of these sailings. Further, our affiliation with Cadence brings us group buying power that often brings exclusive discounts and shipboard credits.

It is not uncommon for these perks to be worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. Don’t miss out on our perks!

CLICK TO LEARN MORE

How to book an ocean cruise

Well, we hope that we have convinced you to at least drop us a call or an email to inquire about booking your next ocean, expedition, or specialty ocean cruise.

As I mentioned above, we are one of the nation’s largest cruise booking advisors.

We have the experience, expertise, and exclusive perks to help you get the most out of your next fabulous cruise.

For more information or to book your next cruise, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here), and we’ll reach out to you.

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Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40

About Virtuoso
Virtuoso® is the leading international travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 1,100 travel agency locations with 22,000 elite travel advisors in more than 50 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with over 2,000 of the world’s best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies, and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences, and privileged access. $30 billion in annual travel sales makes Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry.

The Roaming Boomers

Best Way to Book an Ocean Cruise