Tough call. I can only speak to HAL
which I personally have enjoyed
as they tend to have lectures &
entertainment that are geared to
a sophsticated audience w/o breaking the bank. That said,
they also appeal to a more mature
audience (i.e., 50's up) & you don't
indicate your age. The Cunard
line has a class distinction so if
you are booking a lower end stateroom your dining room would
be the Britania (sp.?).
But the Cunard also has lectures &
upscale entertainment.
Are there other factors that could
help us help you?

I have cruised on HAL several times but not on their World Cruise. We have done one World Cruise on Regent in 2005 and will be leaving Monday for our 2nd one on Regent (yes, it really is that good to go on a 2nd one).

Some one on another message board is comparing 3 cruiselines' World Cruises so you may find this thread helpful to you for opinions.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=462514

Sorry, I'm 28 and my fiance is 29...I'm aware that most of the people on the cruise will probably be quite a bit older than us. But does one cruise line attract an older demographic than the other?

Which one is the "nicer" ship? We would probably be booking a lower-end stateroom because of the cost associated with the trip...so with that said, is the Brittania a total nightmare compared to the restaurants offered on the Holland America ship?

Can anyone tell me what the real distinction is between these two ships or cruiselines? Thank you!

There is no comparison in these two ships. I have sailed them both. HAL is the way to go. The QE2 is so old and you will not be happy. Parts of it reminded me of a trailer house. Some of the low end cabins are twins and bunks. We had a conference on it once with 700 people who were all disappointed. It does not even have stablizer bars. You would literally bounce of the sides of the walls as you walked down the hall. Once at night I was even bounced off of my bed it was so rough. Go Holland. The Amsterdam is magnificent. Beautiful ship. Even the food, entertainment and service will be superior.

Really? Wow...have other people had the same experience?

Mea culpa; should have mentioned
that world cruises in themselves usually have an Older demographic
as retired folks are the ones w/the time to spend on longer cruises.
No, the Britannia is not necessarily
worse but if you have booked lower-end cabins you will not be allowed to enter grills & restaurants
assigned to the "upper class".
Same goes true for the Queen Mary.
She is huge but newer & may appeal to you.

The Queen Mary isn't really an option unfortunately because the voyages we're looking at are (I believe) specifically on the QE2 or the MS Amsterdam.

I guess what I really need help with is understanding the important differences between these two ships and cruise lines.

I know that Cunard still separates people by "class" which is slightly annoying BUT is not enough to deter me IF they offer better features overall.

Which ship is nicer? Which offers more fun things to do (aka NOT cheesy)? Which ship would be more likely to have a younger crowd? And perhaps most importantly...Which ship is more upscale?

Thanks for your help!

Change of Plans! We're now considering the Cunard maiden world voyage on the Queen Victoria....what do you think?

Just announced that the Queen
Victoria's maiden voyage is sold
out.

We reserved a room yesterday, and have put a fully refundable deposit down...do you think this cruise is the way to go or better to go with Holland America?

You mention that you haven't cruised on either of these cruise lines so I'm wondering why you're only considering these 2 lines?? For something as special as a World Cruise on your honeymoon I think you should consider all the cruiselines that offer this as I feel you have much better options than just HAL or Cunard. I have never been on the full WC because of work/time restrictions but have been on several individual segments (including HAL) and am happy to answer any specific questions you have.

Agreed and we did consider other options until we priced them out. The reason we are considering just the cruises I mention if because of money...I'd love to go on the Regent Seven Seas World Cruise but it's over $50,000 per person! We're young (under 30) and would rather go away for 3 1/2 months together on a world cruise that's a bit less luxurious with Cunard or Holland America than blow the same money on a 3 week sail on the Regent if that makes sense.

Totally understand. Just make sure you're comparing apples with apples as far as room size, all inclusiveness onboard and complimentary excursions, no gratuities to pay, internet charges, no additional fees to eat in other restaurants etc. The price difference may not be what it appears to be by the time you upgrade to a comparable cabin that is standard on a luxury liner. If you enjoy wine or cocktails at dinner or through the day (as well as soft drinks) don't forget that these are all complimentary 24/7 on luxury lines. Also when selecting a cruiseline and cabin make sure you choose a cabin that is large enough with ample closet space. On our first World Cruise we made the mistake of going with a cabin that would have been fine for a one week cruise but we grew to hate it after the first 2 weeks. We had a flat wall closet that didn't begin to hold all our hanging clothes. On our second HAL World Cruise we upgraded to a mini-suite. There was ample floor space but again, not nearly enough closet space and we packed light.

I am of the belief that all cruiselines have a bottom line profit to meet, some get there by charging more upfront and others make their mark by nickel and diming you to death while on board. Just make sure you're looking at ALL the cost and ALL the benefits before you decide on any cruiseline.

Thank you for your advice...this is very helpful! I see what you mean.

My fiance just called our travel agent who said the same thing that you did--so after comparing apples to apples it looks like we'll be getting a lot of "extras" with Cunard's new Queen Victoria world cruise (more than Holland America is offering and more than Cunard is offering on their other ship) including a ton of free excursions, a lot of onboard spending $$, no fees to eat at one of the restaurants that they normally charge for, plus we won't have to pay any gratuity the entire time.

Our travel agent told us that the reason this ship is such a good deal is because it's the Queen Victoria's "maiden voyage" and Cunard is trying to promote it so we definitely lucked out. Thank you for your help!

The only thing I might add though I'm sure you've thought this through is the large number of passengers you'll be cruising with. I'm afraid that with this many passengers you may lose some of the closeness you develop with fewer fellow World Cruisers. There are many special events for the World Cruisers that may lack luster with so many passengers.

Whatever you ultimately decide, have a wonderful time and go for the cabin with the larget closet!