edpeeks

We take a cruise every 90 days and I want to thank you for the inspiration to get off of our duff's, get on a open air vehicle and see the sights again. My wife rarely gets off the boat ("I've seen 'it' before"!) But your pictures are beautiful enough to get us back on the trails again. Thanks for the review and to all of the other CC reviewers as well!

Really enjoyed your review. We usually cruise every 3 months but had to cancel October's so we are really looking forward to be on the Sunshine in January. Last time we were on her, she was the Destiny. Loved the menus and the food porn! Thanks again for your viewpoint, time and effort in writing this extensive review.

You're embarrassing us Tennessee cruisers! :)

So there is something wrong with conversation!?

Nothing. Maybe you will try that next time.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300I using Tapatalk[/quote

 

Oh my, I didn't see that original one coming!

I think a bigger problem with the board is people being too thin-skinned and thinking, for example, that describing someone's post as "fussing" is akin to being attacked. If you're not so easily offended, it's pretty easy to comment on this board. :cool:

What in the world is wrong with being pleasant and courteous?

:what: But you did infer that you were not going to sail Royal anymore. I believe that was what she was referring to. Have a nice day

I don't see how you can infer that when I have another RCCL cruise booked. And I am having a nice day.

but you are still booked for another adventure on RCL with poor food and no one cares what you pd for you cabin

Booked yes, but I have a Celebrity booked for the same week just in case we decide to bag RCCL. As to the price of the cabin, I wasn't bragging as to the price I was stating the price I paid just as a comparison to the current price. However, let's just say that YOU don't care what I paid for the cabin since you do not really know what everyone else is thinking.

Personally, I like to know what other people pay for their cabin. It is simply part of my cruise research.

I don't know the specifics, but it's not unusual for menus to be different in different parts of the world. Not everyone gets excited about the Caribbean lobster that RCCL serves.

 

As for the food being "deplorable," either you had very bad luck with your last two cruises or, contrary to what you say, you are hard to please.

The last two cruises (we are Emerald on RCCL) at lunch the predominant proteins were cubed meats of different types. For consistent deserts there was jello, hard cookies, and another layer thing. At the MDR my wife was served fish that smelled of ammonia. I had to order pizza (which I could not eat past the first bite). There were other nights that just didn't do well. One night one of the chefs came out to apologize for the food. I guess I am going to stand by my deplorable description and since you don't know me AT ALL there is no contrary; it is simply my opinion. It is a shame that you are so definitive that you think all that exists is your viewpoint.

We are cruisers. We cruise every 3 months. Another person commented that I had a good buy on a future cruise so why shouldn't RCCL cut back. First of all, the cabin that we bought for $2265 for two is now selling for $3600. That bit of information could be argued two ways. One, I bought the cabin when RCCL first did the BOGO in May of 2014. (I bought 5 cruises that cloistered weekend.) So I have a good bargain. Two, when RCCL sells the same category for around $3600. they are probably making enough to not cut back on things.

Since I love cruising I want all the cruise lines to be profitable. They are in business. I guess it is kind of how one looks at our country. At 66 I have seen what I consider better times. So, relative to then, our country could stand some improving. One the other hand, a young person, with no previous experiences to draw on, may think the country is doing OK.

I've been cruising for over 20 years. I don't have any problem with the cruise lines charging a little bit more across the board so that they can keep up things that people have become accustomed to. As with any business, volume works. (Let me do some preempting here--yes, quality is important to).

Being the OP, my only intent of this thread was to relate my in-laws disappointment that they didn't have lobster in the MDR on their Baltic cruise. They have cruised 8-10 times before and they had never not had lobster so they had anticipated it, but didn't get it. That's it! Nothing more.

Actually I am turned off by the constant threats of "I am not sailing anymore". Generally these are accompanied by some entitlement whining.

 

Seriously just take your business elsewhere. Coming on here to post a public announcement is bizarre. What are you hoping? The cruise line is not going to come on here and beg you to stay. If you and others like you actually take your money elsewhere then they might notice (assuming there are enough of you)

Carolla5501, pump your brakes and adjust your reading glasses. There is NOTHING in my post about not sailing anymore. You and Seaus should get together, your vile bile is similar. While you are at it, run for dictator of the world; you seem to have dreams about it.

Seaus...I'm not "fussing" about someone else's cruise. It was my relatives and they were disappointed that lobster wasn't offered on the regular menu. It is snide comments like yours that turn some people off to this board. 10,000 club or not..UR rude.

My in-laws just got off of the BOTS (Baltic) 12-day cruise. They said there was no lobster on the MDR menu. It was only available for an additional $35.! Their head waiter told them that lobster was only offered as part of the MDR regular menu in the Caribbean.

My wife and I have found the food on the last 2 RCI cruises to be deplorable. We have cruised almost 50 cruises and @ 225, 6'3" I ain't hard to please.

We have one more RCI cruise scheduled. Serenade OTS next April. We got it at such a good price last May that I hate to not go on it. But I do feel safe since it is Caribbean. After all is said and done, we may just be Princess people.

It seems that cruising has succumbed to the 21st century ubiquity of fearing the worst based upon someone else's opinion and experience. I am a faithful (and grateful) CC reader. The closer we get to a cruise the more I am on it (and we try to cruise every 90 days).

Since everyone has an opinion (and they should have) and, I guess, anyone can contribute to CC (my goodness, they let me!) so anyone who is reading a negative review needs to gauge not just what the person is complaining about but if that issue is important (to the one who is reading).

I certainly read CC for cruise research and vetting but I go (or don't go) based upon my 45+ cruises. Now...new cruisers do not have that experience to rely on so they read. But my advice to them is read enough! Don't take one opinion and run; read over several days and get a well-rounded overview of the ship or cruise line you are considering.

Here are two examples. First, the Royal Princess is the lowest rated ship in the fleet (in the 60%'s) for satisfaction. It is one of our favorite ships! We are aft-balcony cruisers. The lack of a middle stair case does not affect us and the turmoil around the pools with 'chair hogs' is unimportant to us since we veg-out on our balcony. But the buffet is wonderful! I hope Princess will do the same for other of their ships. (My wife eats to live and I eat to eat, so there is a balance). Secondly, we are platinum on several lines and last May with their original BOGO sale I booked 5 RCL cruises for cheap! We had one booked previous to that; didn't like the food, shows and some other aspects on that particular boat. We took another and we felt that it was just not the particular ship but was a reflection of where RCL was going. So I got home and have replaced those wonderfully priced cruises on RCL with other lines.

The point is this, we experienced it ourselves! We made up our own minds. Have ANY of our 45+ cruises been "bad"? Absolutely not. But we have realized that future cruises are just like all of our other tomorrows...they are unknown!

So do the research. Find a cruise based upon when and where you want to go and how much money you want to spend. And go... knowing that being on a cruise ship is an adventure (new or old) and there MAY BE some things that won't be perfect or sublime. In my life, at least, there is nothing that is perfect and sublime (and my name is on the front of my practice building!!). Leave yourself some wiggle room. Do the things that make sense to YOU. Don't do the things that don't interest you, just to be doing them. (They probably won't work out and then you'll be writing a negative review on CC, and well, you see where it could go.)

I guess it could be said that my empty-nest wife and I had tasted the cruising Kool-Aid and liked it and will continue to slurp it up as long as we can. For our tastes, priorities, likes, and expectations cruising is our favorite form of vacation. (Now if I can just get my wife to see the wisdom of going every other month!!)

Be yourself (that's my car's license plate!) Enjoy yourself. And fear not.

"The problem is that we, like many of you, are long time cruisers and have a lot to compare current cruises to."-- CABER

Last year at this time we had been traveling RCL for a spell; got on the Royal and loved it. Then last May RCL had the original BOHO sale and I booked 5 cruised over one weekend. We have been on 2 RCL cruises since then and I have cancelled all of the RCL cruise (and they were priced so well!) but one in April of 2016.

My point is with our 45+ cruises under our belt we don't cruise for the same reasons as the new cruisers. It's not that certain things are not important but we use cruising as a getaway from stresses. So if things are not as they once were; they are still really, really better than the paperwork we have to do in my Chiropractic office. So we don't notice , for more than 2 seconds, that the carpet is worn or the servers in the MDR are slower. We are on a cruise ship being served, not serving others; getting the variety of food we don't care to pay for on land. And we have no agenda or timetable. In the Caribbean at least we have been to almost every port several times. We scour the excursions before we cruise and don't find anything we have an interest in doing or that we haven't done before. So we just chill.

So, if you are picky at home, you are probably going to be picky on a cruise. And that's OK. If you haven't seen all that you want to in port, prepare and go with the experience. If you like us and are escaping, enjoy and see you next time.

My wife and I have had the same conversation. However, every time we take a weekend trip and have to pack and repack and guess which diner is best we know that cruising is our cup of tea. We have been on 45+ cruises and my wife rarely leaves the boat. Furthermore, we are aft balcony lovers so we do not have the hassles that are so often found around the noisy pool. She reads a novel a day; thank you Kindle. I gamble and eat way too much!

So we have had this conversation. We, after this next Princess cruise, will be Elite, and are Platinum on Carnival and RCL. So...we have learned to mix up the cruise providers. We like HA and have had a couple with them. We cruise 4 times a year as a break from the practice. So we cannot do the 6 star Crystal, et al. But we are fine with what we get.

The food, casino, ports, the travel at night taking us to the next port are what we like. I couldn't stand looking at the same beach every day. So... take other vacations,leave the cruise Kool-aid for us, it goes down fine!

It's very hard to believe that you were on the same ship as I.

 

Saw no water buckets, no tattered carpet, no significant lines (because I know not to travel at rush hour).

 

I agree that unless you get there early, the comedy club view is lousy.

 

It just goes to show how opinions vary, that's why we all have one.

We have read (several) very bad reviews of the Sunshine. We are going to be on her in January. Since we are seasoned cruisers (45) and are platinum on Carnival (just to give anyone a point of reference as to our opinion) my wife and I have discussed the reviews quite a bit and we are still going on her in January.

Why? We are aft balcony cruisers. My wife read a book a day on cruises and any more rarely leaves the ship in port. (That is when she ventures out onto the decks). So many of the deck crowding issues don't worry us. Also we have learned a long time ago to eat just a little bit earlier than the masses to avoid them at lunch.

Having said all of that I respect all of the reviewers; they have a right and this is the forum to use. And it very well turn out that we will never, ever sail the Sunshine again. But we have never been on a "bad" cruise and we look forward to the cruising life every three months.

I think it is magnificent that one sees the tatters and another does not; that one hates the food and another enjoys the fare; that we can all go on the same cruise and come away with a different perspective. That's humanity! But a note to newer cruisers -- yeas, read the reviews; but if the cruise you choose fits your budget, time frame and lifestyle, go on it with a positive attitude and more than likely, you will have a great cruise!

My wife and have drank the cruise kool-aid and enjoy every one of them. Cruising is a great break for me. I'm 65 and still working (with no plans to retire) and cruising gives us a much needed break from my Chiropractic practice (didn't need the regular breaks 10 years ago; I wonder what happened?)

Just go knowing you are going to have some challenges, some surprises and some magnificent experiences...that's cruising!

Say what you mean,

mean what you say,

just don't say it mean.

We have booked 4J room at least a half a dozen times and have enjoyed the window, location and the access to the deck in front.

I know that. I don't mind spending / losing the money but give me more time to play.

Push the button s-l-o-w-e-r!

A wet cruise is still better than not being on a cruise!

We are on the Crown Princess Oct. 4th. We are flying to LAX on the 3rd, Super Shuttling to San Pedro. I have tried to Priceline the 3.5 star level in the SP zone.

I've read everywhere that $91 on PL gets CP or DT. Well, I have tried that, free rebid to $99 and still nothing.

I called both hotels but CP was $389 with 5 rooms left and DT was $224 with 7 rooms less.

I don't have any problem going to to $125 knowing the good things that have been said about those two hotels.

However, if I don't get those on PL the Express Bidding on PL and Hotwire has a 3 star for $95 & $97 respectively. Has anyone had any experience with this scenario and does anyone have any experience on who or what these offerings actually are? I thought I was planning in a timely fashion. We cruise every three months but this is my first time going out of SP.

Thanks for the outpouring of help I always get on CC.

We have been on both. If most things (price, itinerary, etc.) were the same, I would pick the Royal.

My TA waits until 30 days before the cruise to send it in. This time Princess baulked because my Edward Jones statement had "Hold" (instead of Buy") in the opinion column. After several attempts (IOWs getting it to the right person at Princess) they approved the OBC. My stance was I had bought the stock and it shouldn't matter what Edward Jones thinks of the corporation.

(Edward Jones claims they are going to stop 'opinionating' on CCL stock starting next month so hopefully the October cruise will not have this pre-cruise hassle.)

Bottom line--persevere!

Please remember everyone has an opinion based upon their expectations. I go on a cruise with expectancy.

We recently were on the Royal and prior to the cruise, if you listened to the spectrum of reviews, you would have cancelled! However, the Royal was wonderful. The Horizon Court was the best out of 47 cruises and the aft balconies just right.

The bottom line -- go on a cruise with expectancy, not expectation.

Thank you all. It looks like it, at the very least, will be and 'adventure!'

USAir. I guess you are alluding that the sooner I book, even in October, the better?!