Luxury Cruise Reviews for Small Ship Cruisers

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With 400+ nights onboard small luxury cruise ships, it’s fair to say that Alan and I KNOW the luxury cruising industry. Since May 2000, when our luxury cruise adventures began, we’ve explored the Arctic, Antarctica, South Pacific, North Pacific, South Atlantic, Norwegian Fjords, Baltic, Mediterranean, Asia and Africa. The Indian Ocean is the major body of water that’s missing from our cruise experiences.

We KNOW Luxury Cruises

Our cruise preferences concentrate on small luxury ships, unique itineraries with a combination of classic and expedition cruising adventures. Our current favorites are Seabourn, Silversea, and Crystal. In the past, we’ve also cruised on Regent.

All the luxury cruise reviews on this page are from personal experiences. We paid for all of them, with the exception of UnCruise and Princess, which were sponsored trips for Donna’s writing assignments.

How to choose the perfect cruise

As with any trip, booking a cruise based upon your preferences—not those of any writer or marketing material pitching the latest and greatest—is the best way to decide. We make our decision after considering itinerary, size of ship, amenities included, quality of the cruise line and personal experiences with that line.

The best luxury cruise tips

If you’re looking for luxury cruise tips, our Luxury Cruise Planner includes everything from Transatlantic Cruise advice to how to survive a long cruise. We also have a page of shore excursion reviews. And boomer fashionistas will want to check out my tips on cruise wear over 50.

Luxury cruise reviews from a boomer perspective

When you click through to a review, you’ll find a description of the cruise plus articles on the shore excursions that we experienced. It’s a great way to see if a cruise itinerary is right for you, even if you’re cruising on a different cruise line. After all, they mostly go to the same ports.

Boomer Travel Tip

Visit this page often as we continue to publish our luxury cruising experiences. Or subscribe to the My Itchy Travel Feet Weekly Broadcast to be the first to know!

Luxury cruise itineraries for active baby boomers

Polar Ice Cap Arctic

Taking an Arctic Cruise with Silversea

An Arctic Cruise makes a wonderful boomer travel adventure. Discover polar bears, walruses, hikes on the tundra and iceberg hunting in Greenland.

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Sunset in Neumayer Channel

Luxury Antarctica Cruise

A luxury Antarctica cruise had been at the top of our travel bucket list for a long time. When it finally happened, Alan and I chose to cruise to Antarctica with Seabourn. We traveled on the 450-passenger Seabourn Quest through South American fjords to the tip of the continent and then across the Drake Passage […]

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man sipping coffee looking at South Pacific sunrise

Silversea South Pacific Cruise: 64 days of boomer cruising adventure

A Silversea South Pacific Cruise that will blow your mind: Alan and I enjoy South Pacific cruises so much that we keep booking them—again and again. At last count, we’ve cruised the South Pacific six times. But this page is all about our 64-day Silversea South Pacific Cruise experience. We call it La-La because the […]

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Greek columned ruins standing in a field of yellow flowers

Silver Wind Spring Cruise

Read about a spring cruise itinerary that crosses the Atlantic and then explores Mediterranean Islands. Spring in the Med is wonderful!

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american-safari-cruise-alaska

Safari Quest Alaska Cruise

On an American Safari Alaska cruise, you’ll explore Alaska’s Inside Passage on a small luxury cruise ship that’s more like a yacht. Operated by UnCruise Adventures, this is an up-close and personal Alaska experience that larger cruise ships can’t provide. Visit this page often as we continue to publish articles from this trip. Or subscribe to […]

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Royal Princess Cruise from Venice to Istanbul

Choosing the right cruise line can really make or break you next vacation on the high seas. With plenty of cruising experience under our belt, Alan and I think we have some pretty good ideas of what separates a good cruise from a bad one. Royal Princess Cruise from Venice to Istanbul If you’re a […]

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Breakfast view of Livorno, Italy

Crossing the Atlantic on Silver Spirit

When Alan and I plan international land tours, we like to end the trip with a cruise back home. That way, we only have one long international flight to begin the trip plus some sea days at the end of our travels to rest after a busy time of exploring. We put our Transatlantic cruise […]

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Seabourn Sojourn

Seabourn Sojourn Rome to Ft. Lauderdale

We cruised on Seabourn Sojourn on a fall crossing that began in Rome, Italy, and ended in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The experience was unforgettable and just increased our ever-growing love of small luxury cruising. After 10 days of touring Northern Italy on a privately-guided road trip, we were ready for cruise ship pampering.  Visit this […]

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Silver Spirit Cartagena

Silver Cloud Panama Canal Cruise

Alan and I sailed on Silversea’s Silver Cloud from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale on an itinerary that included a Panama Canal transit. It was also the first time that we sailed over Christmas and New Year’s and we had an amazing experience! Visit this page often as we continue to publish articles from this […]

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Christmas decorations hanging on a building by large red ribbons

Rhine River Christmas Market Cruise

On a Rhine River Christmas Market Cruise aboard AmaWaterways Amacello, enjoy the magic of Christmas. It’s a fun way to see the Rhine River.

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Mimosas for breakfast on Silver Spirit

Best Transatlantic Cruise Tips for the Boomer Traveler

What is the best Transatlantic cruise and will we like it? At My Itchy Travel Feet, readers ask us that question a lot.  Since Alan and I have cruised on five Atlantic crossings—Regent (Voyager and Navigator), Silversea (Silver Sprit and Silver Wind) and Seabourn (Sojourn)—our answer is a resounding YES! In fact, we’ve gathered our experiences […]

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Three cruise wear outfits

Luxury Cruise Wear for Boomer Women

After years of sharing cruise fashion photos on my Facebook profile, many of you have asked me to write more about cruise wear for over 50 women, over 60 and even over 70. This is the first of a series of articles about what to wear on a cruise, especially luxury cruises, which is what […]

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Not luxurious but worth the experience

Some cruises are worth the experience (and the money), even though they may not be luxurious. Read more to see if these cruises are for you.

Maine Windjammer Cruise: Glamping on Penobscot Bay

If you’re looking to relax and unplug, a Maine Windjammer Cruise is the answer. My Itchy Travel Feet featured writer, Debi Lander of ByLanderSea, says it’s like “glamping on the sea.” Read about her experience on a 3-day schooner cruise that explores the beautiful Penobscot Bay, courtesy of the Lewis R. French. My boyfriend, John, […]

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An Ideal Greek Island Cruise for Boomers on a Budget

Are you curious about what it’s like to go on a Greek Island cruise?  You’re in luck because guest contributor Debi Lander, from ByLanderSea, is here to share her experience with us. Can you believe Alan and Donna still haven’t crossed cruising the Greek Islands off their boomer bucket list? The Greek Islands are rich in the […]

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Double decker river boat on the Nile River

Discovering Ancient Egypt on a Dahabiya Nile Cruise

A luxury Nile River Cruise has long been on our bucket list here at My Itchy Travel Feet. I imagine gliding along the Nile on a Dahabiya, stopping to explore temples that become more and more grand. For me, it would be a travel dream come true. Featured writer, Debi Lander, ByLanderSea, shares her experience […]

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