How is Radisson Different from Crystal & Princess???

We haven't cruised on major lines (did river barging in Europe) for 20 years. Just returned from our 1st cruise on Sapphire Princess. While the ship was lovely, we'll never travel on Princess again. Personal Choice dining was a joke. Dining was confined to traditional times (before 6 or after 8). Ship was so crowded we ended up eating in buffet 4 nites out of 7 (aggghhh!). Felt like a herd of cattle. I'm looking into Crystal and Radisson. Can anyone tell me what Radisson offers that is different than Princess and Crystal? Don't ever want to wind up in a situation like Princess again. Thanks!!!

there are many threads on this type of question...check this out:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=209487

ask me at the end of June and I'll have tried all three lines. As you can see from my signature, I've cruised on mass market lines and I'm really tired of it. I liked Celebrity the most, but I know there is something better out there.

I think of my time off as very valuable and I don't want to spend it being treated like a gluttonous American piggy.

My interpretation of the differences between Crystal and Radisson are:

Radisson is more inclusive, better rooms, open seating

Crystal is more traditional and "older" with better entertainment

both have high levels of service, both are good, just different

I've sailed the major lines more than thirty times over the years (boy did that sound like I dated myself!!!) and it has been fascinating to see how cruising has developed. From the miniscule 130 sf cabins and steamtable meals, to sailing resorts. Along the line our expectations have moved up as well. I'm not interested in being herded like cattle and nickel and dimed at every turn, (and waking up to those shocking bills slipped under the door on the final night!). Haven't been interested in sailing Crystal, although I could be tempted to try silver seas if the right itinerary came along. Crystal appears to have a real "class system". There was an extensive show on Crystal on one of the fine living channels a few weeks ago. Sounded great and I was initially impressed, but when I looked into it, the classy bennies were only for the expensive suites. Didn't think I'd be happy in steerage. Others on the list seem to like Crystal, so it obviously has positive attributes...it just isn't for me. Radisson is classy without being stuffy, friendly without fawning, great cabins without the sticker shock..and best of all no lines, no dreaded bill under the door(I usually have to work to spend my Amex credit), and staff that remembers you from cruise to cruise. We leave for our next cruise in a few days, and I can hardly wait!

I agree totally with JoAnne B. For us, there ARE only three cruise lines. In alphabetical order, they are Radisson, Seabourn, and Silversea. Expensive? Yes they are. But every time I take a "lesser line" I come home all hacked off! And for us, that is not what a vacation is all about, as there is plenty to hack me off right here at home, and for free! Plus, at home, we have a nice and roomy place in which to live with nice furnishings and no stench. And I can go the the fridge and get a coke or a beer or whatever anytime without being presented with an inflated bill, plus tip. So, for us, if we can't afford to do it RIGHT, we just opt to stay home until we can.

Crystal is not on our list. No, we have never cruised Crystal. We use information obtained from the cruise boards to aviod making what for us would be an expensive mistake. From this information (until somebody shows us otherwise) it appears that Crystal just follows the "mass market" formula of extra cost this and that, and adds much better entertainment and lectures. For us, if we want entertainment, we go to Vegas or NYC. If we want lectures, we enroll in a college course. Either or both of these options are a fraction of the total cost of a Crystal cruise.

Princess is not on our list, because it appears to be (until somebody shows us otherwise) just another mass market line with tips, lines, crowds, and a big bill at the end of the cruise. And we don't like this.

This is, after all, an opinion board, and this is just our opinion. Others may differ, of course. But my advice would be to book (in alphabetical order) either Radisson, Seabourn, or Silversea.

Hope this helps,

Richard

Thanks for your responses. I will look into Radisson further. It wasn't the big bill at the end of the cruise that bothered us - it was the cattle herd sensibility aboard ship. The patronizing downright rude attitude of the dining staff, bar staff & the general disinterested attitude of most of the staff. Our cabin steward, however, was terrific. I was pathetically grateful when a buffet attendant actually brought me a glass of water. I was totally amazed that this didn't seem to bother most of the people. Princesses' attitude toward customer service is Princess is always right. How does Radisson compare in customer service & courtesy and friendliness of their staff?

Radisson has far more crew in relationship to the number of guests than does Princess. Similarly, Radisson has much more space per guest than Princess. So on Radisson, guests aren't "herded" or "processed", like on "mass market" lines. With Radisson, you'll probably be on a name basis with waiters, room service personnel, and some senior staff. No cruise carries a guarantee that it will be problem free, and I have experienced "foul ups" on Radisson --- but then Radisson tried to remedy the situation in some reasonable way. Radisson isn't perfect -- nobody and nothing is -- and there have been some reports by some of dissatisfaction with Radisson's actions. I do not doubt any of these reports, but will say that the great majority who cruise Radisson have experiences similar to ours, which includes an uncrowded cruise, responsive crew and staff, and assistance should a problem arise.

Thanks,

Richard

I think the big bill at the end of the cruise is only important in that it reflects the line's attitude toward the customer. Let's see, overpriced bottles of water or a table of complimentary water and soda's, baggage searches to keep you from (horrors!) enjoying a drink in your cabin, and on and on. On Radisson you are treated like a guest, not a credit card.

In fairness, we had some great cruises on Princess. But that was before the mega ships and when Princess was considered a step above the mass lines. But my last recollection was of the long buffet lines (and closure of the second line by the clock, not by the length of the line), lines, lines everywhere! I recall one European cruise where the maitre'd sent an elderly gentleman back to his cabin because he didn't consider his bolo to be a "tie". Talk about enforcing a dress code!!

I agree with Richard that Radisson isn't perfect. And I'm not sure I like the direction they seem to be headed. But for now, they seem to be the best line for me. I'm reserved on three cruises for next year and wish I could do more!

Two weeks till my next cruise. YeeHaw!

When we first began cruising - almost by accident, but certainly without much thought - we went to the "mass market" lines. There were not as many other options back then. We have enjoyed all our cruises, some more than others. Princess was our favorite before they joined the rush to mega ships. The older smaller ships were much better and the service was great. We tried Radisson once and we were sold on smaller ships. The best things about Radisson vs Princess (or other mass market lines):

1) Almost all inclusive - wine and drinks with dinner, gratuities and especially bottled water and speciality coffees - I have to admit I do like ALL INCLUSIVE even though only occasionaly have a cocktail before dinner - I prefer wine. however on the ships I have been on that do include cocktails, wine or champagne in the bars, it was nice to not have to sign for it. However it seems that Radisson's cost for cocktails is very reasonable compared to other cruise lines. They also have very reasonable laundry and dry cleaning charges. They don't try to gouge you on the items or services you purchase. Don't know how inclusive Crystal is.

2) Smaller ships - I have sailed the smaller Radisson ships and will find out how I like the 700 passenger ships over Thanksgiving on the Voyager. Crystal ships are even larger. No lines on Radisson, or the World or Seadream, or the other smaller luxury ships. I have always had balcony on Radisson and think the cabins/suites are very nice.

3) Open dining - this is vey important to me. Not too crazy about set time and set table mates on mass market lines. Sometimes my husband and I just like to eat alone. Also like the variety of restaurants if you want a change of scene. I do not believe that Crystal has open seating. I don't know about alternate dining rooms for Crystal.

4) Service - Have always had outstanding service on Radisson. I have to say in all honesty though, I have never had what I would consider bad service on any cruise - almost always had good to excellent service from the crew members. However with the smaller ships, the service is more personalized. Crew members remember your name. I have heard that service on Crystal is excellent also.

5) Food Quality - Radisson has very good food qualilty. My only complaint was on the Diamond the coffee was really bad when we sailed. I would imagine that Crystal has very good food also. I thought Princess food was good, but I haven't sailed on Princess in over 10 years.

As far as entertainment, that is not an area of huge interest for us on a cruise usually. I am more interested in itinerary and use up my energy during the day. We usually don't miss big shows, etc. The best entertainment/shows I have experienced was on the Disney Magic last year when we took our 4 year old grandson on the "Mickey Ship". The Disney company knows how to put on a show. Our grandson sat through every show and one show he watched twice - great for the kids AND the adults. However the ship is huge and there are lots and lots of people. Luckily Disney is a master at crowd control. They also know how to create an environment that makes you happy to spend your money. We had a great time indulging Nicholas. However, Disney Magic was a totally different cruise than we usually take. We will go one more time to take our granddaughter when she is old enough. I hear Crystal has good entertainment.

Try Radisson. Look for the 2-for-1 fares or European free airfare deals and you will find that the total trip cost is comparable to Princess for better quality and a better time.

Adelle

The differences are simple:

Princess: only for those that want the mega-ship experience with throngs of tourists, although the ships are stunning and the service is a notch above the other mass-market lines; very much an assembly line of experiences; great if you are traveling with kids or teens

Crystal: for those that want a Six-Star experience on a bigger ship (although not too big) and don't mind set dinner seatings (though it is very easy to get tables for two); alternative restaurants; personalized service; if entertainment and lectures are an important component of a cruise for you, then Crystal is a wise choice; pay for more extras than other lines of this caliber

Radisson: the most inclusive of any of these examples; more casual, yet still Six-Star; personalized service; slightly smaller ships; ships are a ghost town after 10pm, which is fine for early-risers; enormous staterooms; less focus on onboard activities - more port-oriented cruises; open seating; innovative alternative restaurants

For my money, food, entertainment and overall service are the best on Crystal. Radisson still has terrific service and the accomodations are like nothing else at sea. Crystal tends to have more sea days and Radisson focuses more on ports (which I like).

Michael

Richard, I entirely agree with you. We went from Celebrity to Alaska, then Royal Princess around Cape Horn. These ships were about the 1200 passenger type, and being easy to please, we found them satisfactory. I guess we were lucky in meeting some wonderful people especially at dinner at 8 and at the bar.

But then when Renaissance failed after a booked cruise, we turned to RSSC and Mariner. Two more Mariners and three Voyagers and we realised what we had missed. So great to be greeted by name by a crew member from a previous cruise.

We would only sail with Seven Seas as a perfect substitute. No other lines for us. We are looking forward to our fourth Voyager as a Xmas cruise.

Hope the wife is well. Maybe we will meet again. Hope so. By the way, I traded my '97 XK8 for an '04. Now I don't have my weekly visit to the shop !

Again, thank you for your very well thought-out and comprehensive replies. After reading your responses & the remarks on the Crystal Board, I find myself leaning towards Radisson. Another question - I don't understand the dining concept on Radisson. Are there no set seatings & main dining room? Or is there a main dining room & a few alternate choice dining rooms? "Any time - Personal Choice" Dining is offered on Princess, but it is a joke because dining is limited to set times of before 6 or after 8. We couldn't even get in at those times! So, even if the ship is full, can you really eat around 7 or so? The Princess Board assured us that we could but they were dead wrong. I understand nothing is ever perfect, but the issue of a pleasant relaxed meal nicely served is as basic as air & breathing when booking a cruise.

Golfette,

No, RSSC has true open seating. Dinner is in a set window 6-9 (I think) and you show up anytime in that window. We're normally greeted with, "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Lamberth; will you be dining alone this evening or may I seat you with a lovely couple near the window?" We've also requested to sit in a particular waiter/waitress' area. Personally, we've never had to wait even when we wanted a particular area or a table for two. Others on this board have posted that they have had to wait for a table for two and were sitted in the lounge with complimentery cocktails. I can't verify that but maybe Richard or someone will chime in. There are 3 alternative restaurants on most RSSC. Two (Latitudes and Signaures) require reservations (Portofinos on Navigator does too) but bear no additional charge. The third (La Veranda) does not require reservations (as I recall) and does not require formal attire on formal nights. Signatures (a Le Cordon Bleu restaurant) always requires jackets (no tie) for men.

Can't tell you how much we like this arrangement. You get to dine with folks you've met on the ship; by yourselves; or, meet new friends.

Greg

We have a group that like to cruise and have done Radisson together.

In a post cruise party it was mentioned about how much longer we could stay with RSSC because of prices and maybe we should look at a "cheaper" cruise line.

Well Jan B and I had the opportunity to go on Norwegian Dream out of NOLA.

It was absolutely awful except for the wonderful Cruise Critic people we met and did things together. Lines, Lines, Lines, extra charges for everything. Hurray up and wait.

We quickly learned our lesson and will not do that again.

One night eating dinner by ourselves twice I was putting food into my mouth and the waiter reached across and I had to drop my arm because his arm was in my way. Poor training huh?

If we can't afford RSSC, Seabourn, or Silverseas, premium cruise lines, we will wait until we can.

03/22/80 Commodore MS Caribe

02/15/03 Radisson Paul Gauguin

02/22/04 Norwegian Dream (ick)

11/12/04 Radisson Mariner

02/15/05 Radisson Diamond

12/27/05 Radisson Voyager

You may have asked what time it is, and I may be telling you how to build a watch! But here is how the TRUE open seating dining works on Radisson. First, when Radisson has a ship built for, say 700 guests, they make sure the main dining room will hold almost the 700, in case all show up a about the same time (which they do around 7:30 -- even though seatings are available from say 6:30 to 9:30) So they have sufficient seating --- and can usually even ofter you a choice of table size. Princess simply adopted the "personal choice" policy without enlarging the dining room to accomodate it --- and you know the result. You see, that's the reason mass market ships have two seatings. It allows them to cheap out" by building a half-size dining room on their ships, and use the additional space for revenue-producing purposes like cabins and such. So the TRUE open seating dining, with adequate seating on Radisson with almost never a wait, is one of those "lux" things that justifies Radisson's higher fares than the mass market.

For Radisson's alternative restaurants, one must make a reservation --- though there is no extra charge for this, one must show up at the appointed time.Even on Radisson, it is not always possible to make a reservation for exactly the date and time one might wish --- because the alternatives tend to fill up on certain dates and times. But with a little flexibility, you should be able to experience them.

Thanks,

Richard

One small correction to Dolebludger's post. On the Mariner and Voyager no reservations are required for La Veranda alternative dining. Have only been told I would have to wait once in the main dining room and that was after we dawdled following the Captains reception and requested a table for two. Just headed up to La Veranda where there was no wait. I found Signatures on Mariner to be OK and Latitudes to be very good, but on the Voyager Signatures was wonderful and the Latitudes menu didn;t appeal to us so we didn't eat there.

Keith

Reservations for Latitudes on the Voyager was discontinued during our cruise last April.Has the policy been reinstated?

We regretted not eating in Latitudes until close to the end of the cruise.

Although a fixed menu,the asian food was prepared to order in an open kitchen,and was wonderful.

Gee, thanks for your info. It really sounds great. I love the policy of open seating & a dining room large enuf to accommodate the entire # of passengers, to say nothing of alternate DRs also! I was really going to give up cruising after Princess - it left me with such a "bad taste in my mouth." :D

Latitudes on Voyager is now back to reservations. The September 10th sailing was the last "no reservations" and September 17th marked the reinstatement of the reservation system due "to popular demand" or so the daily said.

Bill

Don't forget to check into Silversea. If you catch a good discount, then it's a better deal than Radisson - 350 passengers on their bigger ships, all inclusive while Radisson is only partially so, and more international mix of passengers while Radisson is predominantly American which may or may not be a plus for some people, but to me makes it more interesting. On lunch and breakfast buffets on my last Radisson cruise in May, I was annoyed that no waiter even offer to take my laden plates to the table even though they were just standing around. That doesn't happen on Silversea or Seabourn. Small things that make a big difference on the tone of your vacation.

Yes, while it wasn't the subject of the original post, I believe our next cruise wil be on Silversea or Seabourn. Many posters, including the one above, have said these lines are a "cut above" Radisson, and I tend to believe them. They also used to be a "cut above" Radisson in terms of price, too, but that seems to be changing. Relative pricing of all sorts of things seem to be changing right now, and the consumer has to really compare. My wife said let's buy a new, small 5 passenger Mercedes. I said "too expensive, let's get a 5 passenger Ford pickup truck instead." But whan I checked prices, I found the ford's to be $3,000 HIGHER! You know how that one turned out.

We certainly have no problems with Radisson, and certainly will cruise them again. But after 8 great Radisson cruises since '02 we are getting into a bit of a "rut". And vacations are all about "new and different" things.

Thanks,

Richard

On Radisson people tend to have their before dinner drink in their rooms taking advantage of free liquor in their rooms, while on Silversea and Seabourn where all drinks are included anywhere on the ship, people tend to gather in bars to socialize, thus making it easier to meet new people. They proceed from there to dinner with new friends. It's an added advantage of an all-inclusive ship.

You just watch for prices. I've seen the prices of mass market lines higher than Radisson or Silversea in some popular itenaries in high season for an equivalent balcony room! Sometimes I've also find Silversea and Seabourn sometimes cheaper than Radisson for similar itenaries. By the time you add tips Crystal is the worst value for the room size in my opinion, but as the previous post said if I want good shows I can get it at home or I go to New York.

The only time I have had to wait for a table on a Radisson ship was at Italian Steak Night in La Veranda. And that was a lengthy wait.

I agree with Dolebludger, I don't want to get in a rut either. I like Radisson best so far and I'm going on another Radisson cruise this month, however I like to try other ships. In the last four years besides three Radisson cruises we have tried ResidenSeas the World ship (unique & all-inclusive), SeaDream Yacht Club Seadream II (all-inclusive luxury with more casual ambience) and Disney's Magic with our little grandson (very large ship but the only one with "the Mouse"!) We are trying a British ship next year because we want to sail with our British friends again. We will continue to sail Radisson because they offer a really good product. I wish they would go all-inclusive instead of almost all-inclusive. However they have the most important points - truly open dining, very good food, excellent service, nice accommodations and reasonably good wine with dinner.

Adelle

Bump --

because this thread is so helpful.

Thanks, everybody.

Pincus

We just completed Rad's Navigator on the the 8th of November.

We heard many complaints regarding the complimentary wine service. We had some absolutely dreadful "whites"! One night an awful Orvietta, another a "Chablis", has anyone ordered a Chablis since the late '70's, and; some very ordinary Chilean Chardonnay's.....your typical low-end "buy" on most cruiselines.

Most of the red wines were not of high quality either, however, my tolerence of them leaves great room for error! So, okay for me, but, not all others, many of whom ordered their preferences at their premium!!

Not being a "connoisseur", I would rate them at par with the typical $20-24 bottle of wine you would pay on most cruise lines.

So, to conclude, I only await Lee Anne, waiting for her usually "cryptic" response to my comments! I'm sure her "complimentary" wine service was superb just recently on her Voyager sailing!